Recent Comments
Especially if JoePa was still alive and coaching. Legend versus Legend. Why not?
I've heard this, too. Multiple coworkers up here brought up the idea to me, and I was all for it. PSU has always been the ignored, little-brother-type school in the Big Ten, with Michigan and OSU being the only two that really matter. Once the NCAA hammered PSU for the Sandusky thing the Big Ten came down with their own punishments, infuriating the Nittany Lion alumni. The rumors I had heard is that it would have been a serious possibility if it weren't for the Big Ten grant of rights agreement, which naturally made PSU worthless to the ACC. That, and the fact that PSU has very recently invested a lot of money into Big Ten-style sports (ice hockey, men's wrestling, women's volleyball, etc) instead of ACC-style sports (basketball, soccer, lacrosse) has made PSU a slightly worse fit for the conference.
I would have loved to have both my schools (current grad student at PSU) in the same conference and had my Hokies visit Beaver Stadium (although you only get about 8 inches of bench space for your 'seat', which is why the stadium 'holds' "110,000" fans). I would get a student ticket and sit in the S, then rip off my white shirt and display a single spec of orange in a sea of white. Awesome. Awesome to the max.
I'm not 100% sure that Tyrod staying would've convinced Evans or Williams to stay longer.
- Evans has a kid, which was a big factor in him turning pro early.
- Ryan got injured and probably did not want to risk another year in college not getting paid and potentially getting injured again. If you're a projected 1st/2nd rounder, you go pro.
But Tyrod and Wilson in the same backfield...one can only dream of what they could've accomplished.
I've said it once, and I'll say it again. I'll take a Kellen Moore twin. Chills just thinking about it.
French, we are relatively the same age (about 2 years off), and now you are making me feel old.
Thats a tough one to me, as the conferences themselves have changed since the move. The big east at one time had a lot more respect. WVU was the perennial favorite for a while, and then Miami started dominating. I feel like it was a lot more competitive back then, and you couldn't really pick who was going to win it. The irony is, that most of those top teams are in the ACC now. Since the move, it's obvious that the BE dropped down.
The ACC used to be dominated by FSU with Clemson and UNC popping in every now and again. So I think the move helped shake the ACC up, however many now consider ACC a weaker conference. Don't really think they thought it was great before, but FSU was winning the big games and that matters.
So I like to think we moved up to the top of the BE and then left and became the top of the ACC. The biggest negative is that we are the top of what everyone considers a weak league. I mean, it isn't as bad as say being the top of the MWC or something, but not too far off in many of the nations eyes...
That's cause everybody be sleeping on Suggs...he was and is still my favorite hokie on offense...gotta give props to Ben Taylor on defense
Not really a thing I'd change about current recruiting, but if I could change one single thing about VT Football, it would be Anthony Midget and Larry Austin being able to take on Peter Warrick instead of Ronyell Whitaker in the 4th Qtr of the Sugar Bowl. Those scorch marks Warrick left on Whitaker's forehead are still smoking.
I have a feeling we'd all feel so different about VT Football if we'd pulled a win out of that game.
As I have not followed Tech for a long time (first started following them since Randall-Vick-Glennon era), how has recruiting changed from the Big East to the ACC? Did it improve with conference affiliation or remained the same?
I think this is a worthwhile investigation.
Yeah, I just meant as perception wise or at least a lot more than we do now. I'm fine with backing off every now and then, but maybe make it look like we are coming at least, need to be unpredictable. And definitely always have one or two guys play for a fake...even though that still probably wouldn't be enough if it was a good fake. I don't know, I'm no football genius, but would just like to see something done to set up more opportunities for blocks.
Can a guy hope that Ford may turn out to be a bigger, more athletic Kellen Moore? Quick decisions and accurate, but with the ability to wrinkle in some read-option...? I'm really excited about the possibilities.
According to Rivals.com database, Luck was rated a 4 stars, 6'4" and 215 lbs with a 4.7 40. Not too bad.
At least until they replace that god awful field. I've seen better football fields at middle schools.
This is it right there Hville... we can complain about this and that wrt to the VT staffs recruiting of Brown, but when you are hammered in to a pro UVA 'culture', anti VT for so long it is a big factor.
I got you bro
Accurate, very smart, articulate... score ;-)
Yeah, Terrell still has another year of high school...
Or the UVA game his freshman year. Our goal line offense was so terrible, Tyrod would come in and scramble for TD's. Ugh.
You said 5 best, right? I don't think LT3 was one of the five best last year.
Not trying to call you out, but I'm assuming you meant Trey Edmunds?
Call me disinterested. Until their fan base grows up, which will never happen, then Nancy Reagan's 3 precious words should apply: JUST SAY NO!
Much rather play an SEC team, or PSU, or even a Pac-10 team. Not them again. The rivalry is dead, RIP. VT can schedule a lot of other teams that are more nationally relevant and would help with SOS. Stop trying to save a few bucks on transportation costs by bussing the team up to Morgantown. Not a road trip worth taking, would rather go South or Midwest or West coast. Rant over, Go Hokies!
In my book, Tech's lack of a running game was the glaring weakness in last year's team. So my list is a little different, offense heavy, since I trust Bud and his men will answer the bell with guns blazing. These are my top 5 for making or breaking the 2013 season:
1. Terrell Edwards/JC Coleman
2. Andrew Miller(really the O-line as a unit, but he is their perceived leader)
3. Logan Thomas
4. RVD
5. Detrick Bonner (nod to French)
Five most important:
1. Logan Thomas
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(A distant second) RVD
3. James Gayle
4. Luther Maddy/Derrick Hopkins
5. Tariq Edwards
I purposefully listed only one offensive player. I think we have a pretty good idea of what the players surrounding Logan Thomas will be bringing to the table. Some of them will play better then expected, some worse, but for the most part LT will have an above average amount of talent around him. The deciding factor in how good the offense is will be how well Thomas plays. He has the potential to be great, and he's also been pretty bad at times. A rising tide lifts all ships, but a sinking tide drops them. Thomas will need to play exceptional to lift his teammates to a BCS game.
I feel confident that the defense will be strong enough to get to an ACC champ game if the offense answers the bell. There's POTENTIAL for the defense to be a great, if the players who are poised to breakout do. If RVD tears it up at Whip like he's capable of, Foster will finally have a playmaker in his playmaker position for the first time since Cody Grimm left. Tech needs Gayle to be a more dominant at getting to the QB then he was last year, and the DT's need to hold up against the larger lines in the ACC. Also, if Tariq can come back from his injury and play at or (god willing) above the level he was playing at in 2011... Tech's defense could dominate.
Good prospect, has some exciting measurables. Didn't really see anything that jumped off the page like you see with a lot of prospects with that kind of offer sheet... but if he got in the right system, he could definitely grow into a very good contributor on a very good team.
I wouldn't say that there has been a significant difference in football recruiting - success rate or areas recruited - with the transition from the big east to the acc. I know it gets talked about often, that Mike Vick propelled VTs recruiting - but I would say it started right after the 95 sugar bowl. VT didn't get to the national championship game with just Vick and the lunch pail. There were some ballers in those late 90s recruiting classes.
With that said, we have had good and average recruiting classes since about 96 - ACC or Big East. Mostly VA guys - some others within the 500 mile radius and a few areas in south Florida.
The 2010 and 2011 classes are hurting VT right now. They were average at the time, with few potential offensive playmakers. Now in 2013, they are looking below average for VT standards. There may be only 2-3 guys in those two classes that will play on Sundays. That's not going to get it done against the Florida States, Clemsons and Miamis