Recent Comments

I would make my predictions but I don't want to embarrass you guys with my brilliance. You are welcome.

Sorry... no legs for posting that...... hope you understand....lol

I think we can beat Tennessee, but that it could go either way. Bud always has a trick up his sleeve and a summer to prepare, we have plenty of film on the Vols, as was mentioned they ain't Bama, and everyone seems to think our offense will at least make an improvement. My question then is, why exactly are we so low on our chances?

I was wondering if anyone here would predict a loss to Syracuse. One of those other fan/news sites (don't remember which, but it used a slide show...yesh) predicted 6-6 instead of the standard 8-4, with the extra losses coming to Duke and the Orange. TKP seems to generally have a "we really don't know anything about them, and although improving, we're pretty sure they won't be any good" mentality.

I already have tickets to the Syracuse game, but I'm hoping knee surgeries on both sides will allow me to make it Oct. 15. (recovering from left knee arthroscopy for torn meniscus now, doing the other one later; my bigger concern is possibly losing my orders if I'm not fit for sea duty in time)

Bristol just changed this tailgate from a marathon to a sprint. As I said on the Twitters, a major draw of having this game at a NASCAR track was the NASCAR tailgating experience - especially bringing in your own coolers. I have tailgated for both, and there is far less pressure and incentive to go to Hammeredtown before a NASCAR race when you can BYOB. It really downgrades the experience to being closer to that of an NFL stadium or neutral-site game... aka FedEx Field South. And after making money off of ticket sales, sponsorships, etc. etc. etc. now they can gouge us on beer prices. Although as Tennessee is the home team and the SEC does not allow alcohol sales at their stadiums, there's a decent chance this is conference-driven.

one of the easiest divisions in college football.

I don't disagree that the Coastal is one of the easier divisions in CFB. It has been for a few years now. But I do think that is starting to change. I believe that in 2 or 3 years the Coastal will be one of the top 5 toughest divisions in football.

The homer in me is expecting Fuente to have VT playing at or near an elite level by then. Mark Richt should have Miami humming. I don't see Larry Fedora going backwards at UNC any time soon. UVA, unfortunately, isn't going to be a pushover any longer under Mendenhall. I think Pitt is going to be an above .500 team very consistently. GT is never easy to play against. Cutcliffe always gets way more out of his Blue Devils than he should. Before you know it, the Coastal division could be very scary top-to-bottom. We may not have any teams like OSU or Alabama but it will certainly have a bunch of really good football teams that nobody will want to see on their schedule.

Yeah, Williams left UNC. FSU doesn't have a QB yet, although I expect that he will probably end up being quite good knowing the talent they pull.

Louisville! That's the other QB. Didn't think of him as we don't play them this season, but he is crazy explosive. Shades of Vick when he scrambles. Watch out for him next season.

I;ve heard the Cuse QB is pretty good, but have never actually watched him.

I suppose you could call the 35-10 loss to Alabama a blowout if you really want to, but I considered those two return TD's to be the fluke there.

They were not flukes. We of all people should know that planning and practice goes into special teams. We had a lot of youth and inexperience on the special teams unit, Beamer even said that going into the season, so that was just a result of Bama being better in that facet.

I thought we were talking about the teams this season, not previous iterations that we have played. Next season I expect Bama to be dominant again. OSU should probably win the BIG10 again. We aren't even predicted to win one of the easiest divisions in college football.

Really depends on Evans. Based on what I saw in the spring you are probably right, but he had to learn fast. Good off season, summer, and it could happen.

Man!...the targeting fouls...

I think this is the year that Bud does a revamp of the D_Line play and introduces a zone that the back 7 use to render QB's and Offensive Coordinators into mumbling, drooling, deer in the headlight, thumb sucking, basket cases. Everyone outside of Blacksburg is focusing on the new improved offense that CJF is bringing to town but the last two years have created a fire in one CBF who stayed on at Tech to fix that hot mess that still managed to be no worse than average. He has a pride in the lunch pail squad that runs deep and he will reestablish them as not just the best stop unit in the ACC but an elite defense that causes coaches outside the ACC Coastal to grimace if they see VT's name show up on their future schedule and those in the Coastal to routinely call their agents if they see an opening at another Power 5 conference. The days of giving up over 100 yards rushing to the opposition are over.... That said:

Liberty - Win in a closer than expected game. There is no room to run for the Flames but they pull out all the stops and try every gimmick play they can. Mis-communication on the backside gives up a couple easy long scores and Liberty goes in at halftime ebullient at being within striking distance. We clean up the mistakes and come out in the 2nd act to dominate. Final 42-17 as the offense keeps it pretty vanilla and the O-Line dominates on their side. Chatter among the ESPN talking heads is all about the tough game the Hokies will have next week with the Vols who destroy Appy State in their opener.

Tenn - Win in the first signature win of the new sherriff in town. The Vol offense that was so explosive last week, never found their rhythym, as the D_Line showed that they can fit the gaps and stop the run of a power/speed back like Hurd in the tradition of the Hokie Lines of old. Without the run to set up the pass, UT loses its deep ball efffectiveness as the new zone look picks off three (one for a TD) and the offense unleashes the uptempo game that wears the Volunteer Defense out and grinds them into the turf. By the end of the game (34-17) the announcers are falling all over themselves with praise for the new look Hokies.

BC - Win... Nothing fancy but a win none-the-less as I will be there in Blacksburg with a friend and my family to introduce them to the fully dipped Lane experience. The team is not sharp for the first half but fully engaged in the second and against this bunch, that is enough. Final score is 28-10.

ECU - Win. The Pirates are sent packing and the homecoming celebrations abound. They are held under 10 yards rushing for the first three quarters and only make it into triple digit offense yardage in the fourth quarter after Bud inserts the 3 and 4 string to get them some time on the field... final score 42-0 and the ECU AD begins to reevaluate that long term schedule prospect.

UNC - Win. E Hood comes into the game with over 700 yds rushing and looking to regain momentum at home after a tough road loss to the Criminoles. The Hokies spent their off week healing up and game planning for the tarheel defense that while better, is still susceptible to the run. With Hood held under 50 yds, it falls to Mitch to try and bring them a victory. He fails..... Final score (35-21)

Syracuse - Loss. Ugggh.... The Hokies find themselves back in the polls and the talk of the town. This team needs to learn how to deal with success and focus on each game one at a time. They take the Orange too lightly and in that Jiffy Pop dome find themselves down by 3 scores to start the 4th quarter. Evans has not faced this kind of adversity yet and while he battles back, he loses his battle with the clock. (35-38)... The ghost of McNadd is smiling down at the citrus troop as the students storm the field and climb the goal posts.

Miami - Win. The hurricanes come to town with their own 5-1 record after winning a tight one over the uNC goats in dramatic last second fashion. Kaaya looks like the real deal and the talk on the Thurs Night pregame focuses on the fact that he won his challenge in the previous week while Evans didn't. The demolition of Kaaya is total and Richt probably owes CJF a thank you because all talk of his QB departing early is ended on Worsham Field under the lights. Final (42-14).

Pitt - Win. Connor is having a triumphant return to football and gives the Hokies their biggest challenge while the Pitt defense has used its off week to really prep for this new Hokie threat. The game is a nail biter until Evans breaks it open in the 4th with a deep strike to Phillips and a 3rd and goal keeper for the winning margin (24-17).

Duke - Win. Duke assumes the role in the coastal of being the uVa of Welch's later years. They notch 7 wins that every one is satisfied with but never again get 1 against the Hokies. Final (38-24)

GT - Win. Some things change. The Hokie offense explodes on the Jacket defense. Some things don't. CBF's defense continues to dominate the chop blocking, misdirection running squad of Paul Johnson whose days are looking to be numbered. Final (49-10)

ND - Loss. An undefeated Golden Domer team hosts the surprising team of the season in their home finale. Every tough game of their season since their opener has been played in the friendly confines of South Bend where TD Jesus can keep and eye on them. The hype going into the game at a place like Notre Dame proves too much for the Hokies and they lose a tough fight against the Irish (24-28) in what has the announcers wondering if a rematch might have been in the cards for the post season if not for the fluke loss earlier to the Orange.

LOLUVA - Win. Where Duke took to role of the old uVa... uVa has the role of the old Duke. (56-3)

10-2 and looking forward to Clemson.................