I am all aboard the hype train, and while a passenger I started to think about the bigger picture. My rational side knows that our ceiling this year is likely an ACCCG appearance with a puncher's chance at a win, but I couldn't help but start thinking about our strength of schedule if we happened to get by Clemson and into the playoff conversation. With that in mind, here's who I'm rooting for so far (and against).
Rooting for:
1. Clemson: we really need them to be undefeated (and us too, obviously) when they roll into Blacksburg on the 30th. It would likely be a matchup between a top 5 and a top 15 (possibly top 10) team. It would almost surely be a College Game Day site with the only other possible big games being USC v. WSU on Friday night and GA v. TENN. It will be the biggest recruiting weekend of the year and our highest quality win as a program since OSU.
2. Miami: Haven't you heard? They bak! At least that's what people will say until we play them. Other than Clemson and WVU, Miami might be our only other chance at a top 25 win, so let's hope they don't crap the bed before we get to expose them.
3. WVU: now that we beat them, I am one of their biggest fans. Last thing we want is to find out we won a thrilling opening week game against an overhyped WVU squad that ends up going 6-6. It's up to them to keep that a quality win.
Runner-up. GT: other than Miami, maybe our only other shot at a ranked win this year.
Rooting against:
1. UNC: This comes down to recruiting. In general I want coastal teams to do well to improve our strength of schedule, but I would love to see the rest of the coastal (except my 3rd choice below) do great and have UNC to be a dumpster fire to give us another year or two to really cash in on the #NC2VT pipeline.
2. NC State: for all the same reasons as stated above.
3. UVA: It's just in my blood, I can't help it.
That's my list, would yours be any different?
Disclaimer: I typed this at 3:30 AM while feeding my 2-month old, please forgive any errors.
Comments
Against:
GT: Will never root for GT if Chinballs still coaches there. I want him to lose every game possible for life. #sackchinballs #savetheknees
Pitt: Nardouchey
lolUVA: always forever
I typically root for everyone in the ACC in their OOC games, except for Uva...because fuck em, that's why.
I want everyone else ranked to close to when we play them.
I've been thinking about our match up with Clemson, too. I think there's a good chance GameDay comes back to Blacksburg. ACCCG rematch, two highly ranked teams... how could they say no?
..assuming we do what we're supposed to do between now and then, anyway.
There isn't a huge amount of competition in terms of matchups that weekend.
Georgia at Tennessee is the best looking alternative at this point.
If auburn beats Clemson, they host Miss St...maybe if both teams are strong going in they get a look.
Wisconsin hosts Northwestern, who is fringe top 25.
Honestly, I'm more concerned about Clemson taking care of business with Auburn and Louisville in the next two weeks...
I think they will roll next week. Clemson will be able to get pressure with 1 or 2 D-linemen as bad as that OL is for Loserville (only half kidding here).
UVA has been so bad so long, and are not a real threat recruiting. I hope uva can be close to if not a bowl eligible team. While them losing the 1-AA teams is hilarious, it's like hoping the autistic kid gets tackled when they are trying to let him score. Obviously I want to beat them 50-0, but i'd at least like it to look like we beat a team that knows how to football
Also, if they have 5 wins when we roll into Lane North, it'll be that much sweeter when we beat them and keep them from going bowling.
I'm rooting for NC State because I work there and lolz we don't have to worry about them poaching recruits
I'll believe you when Alim McNeill commits to the good guys and Gabriel Gonzalez flips.
I know I'll be one of the few but I root for all ACC in OOC games period I don't care who it is. We need our conference to be strong. And in-conference games I always go Coastal (Go UNC). The only time this is a question for me is when it's Coastal vs. Coastal.
Why do you pull for the Coastal teams? I know we all want to go undefeated in conference play, but the reality is, that's hard to do, especially with a rFr QB and our DL depth concerns.
It'd be much better for us if UNC, Miami, Pitt, and GT all drop a couple of ACC games along the way - gives us an opportunity to drop a game or two and still win the division. We need to be regularly playing for the Conference championship.
And UNC is probably our #1 competitor for mid-Atlantic recruits right now. Would be fabulous for us if they never win another game, ever.
I completely get what you are saying but in my opinion, "pulling for" is what you want to happen in a best case scenario. Best case, Coastal teams win every game except against us. Completely unrealistic I know, but that's what I'm "pulling for". I'm not "pulling for" an opportunity to stumble into the ACC championship game.
But have a leg all the same.
The reason I do is because we know we can beat those teams (not guaranteed understood). And you're right about the concerns those are all our concerns. But think about how much bigger would it be if all those teams win and we beat all of them. I'm tired about hearing about the SEC, B10, and the 12's. It means more if we beat those teams when they go undefeated outside the Coastal, and recruits will notice.
edit:
via GIPHY
My strict root-against guide:
1) Always root against UVa
2) Always root against UNC unless they are playing UVa
3) Always root against Louisville unless they are playing UNC or UVa.
Needless to say, I will be a big Louisville fan at noon today.
The only ACC team I really actively root against right now is GT. I'm ready for that offense to be out of this conference.
But you make a good point about turning the tide of NC2VT. UNC and NCSU having a bad year while we have another contending season would be fantastic timing for us in recruiting. You've convinced me there.
Everyone else I want to see with inflated records and rankings when we beat them. Makes us look better.
I was rooting for NC State last weekend because ACC over SEC, and then it would keep the Championship of Life in the ACC.
Who do I root for? VT
Who else to I root for? Only if it directly helps us get to the ACCCG. And I don't mean just by percentage points, I mean like eliminate someone.
I'm not really in the business of rooting for other teams.
In a weird way, in the end, everybody is kind of saying the same thing here. Whether they're rooting for somebody or not, it all comes back to being a plus for our Hokies.
I hope other teams in our division do well.....so we can beat them....so we can get rep/recruits...go hokies
I hope other teams are really bad...we can beat them...so we can get recruits...go hokies.
lol.
I usually root for ACC teams in OOC competitions, if only because it is always the first argument people go to when discussing conference strength, which does matter to an extent.
Looks like Brookland got their wishes on Saturday
I am actively rooting against playing against WVU.
https://hokiesforhumility.com/2017/09/09/virginia-tech-vs-wvu-at-fedex-field-on-932017/
Worst fan base in all of college football. The worst part is that they take pride in being the worst fan base in all of college football. I'm glad he is okay.