Recent Comments
USF's a commuter school and so doesn't have as much student participation as a resident school like VT does. They also play in the Bucs stadium and don't have their own, IIRC. Personally I would love to add USF, but both my parents are alum so it would just be for the house-divided factor ^_^
"I am curious as to why we have seen so little of Telvion Clark, Jack Tyler, and Barquel Rivers. I don't like them chewing up Taylor and Edwards against lesser teams. Keep them fresh just like the defensive line." ... yeah, why is that? They got some work against App State, but nothing since.
The one that really stands out to me is LT's TD pass to Danny Coale (second clip). He really put some touch on that pass and I hope he starts doing more of that sooner rather than later. He seems to be trying to lazerbeam a good number of passes when he really doesn't need too.
I just like our new found stability in the ACC. I think the idea of taking our time for the 14th/15th teams is spot on. There is now no reason to hurry up on this one. I think Pitt and Syracuse were the jab to feel out the playing field, but the next move(s) need to count. We made the basketball fans very happy with those 2 schools, very happy. So now the next should be all about football. There is no reason to take Rutgers here unless it's absolutely necessary for the 16th team. UConn i guess has upside, but not enough until several others are ruled out. We need to stay out of the Big East in my opinion, except for WVU. I don't think the ACC/Big East all stars is very impressive to people outside of these conferences. That is what we need to be thinking about. I think HS recruits want to be part of something impressive. That (right now) isn't the ACC as a whole like the SEC is, but just some of the individual schools (VT, Miami, FSU, GT). We need to bring in some excitement and that will take some negotiations and sweet talking. ND, Penn St, Texas are great examples. I think the traditions of these schools are a big part of that. I think this will take some time to see where some of the cards fall...
Offensively we still haven't clicked the way we did in the first game. I agree with Adam, we're a better running team than passing and we're doing our best to get LT3 as much experience as possible, even if that means looking a little ragged. If he doesn't have those two picks it could've been a blowout.
The defense has looked dominate each week.
I can see the promise the coaches see, now if he only did that all the time.
I also hope that we are playing it smart/sneaky when it comes to our offensive play calling. It seemed that way after the ECU win. Frank had a weird, childish grin, after the game when he was questioned about the offensive performance. Fortunately, Clemson and Miami will have had to lay it all on the line by they time they come to Lane. There should be no surprises. And we saw what Bud was able to do with ECU when he tapped into every aspect of their offense.
I am really excited to see how good this team can be in November. There are definitely obvious flaws, but if we win the Clemson game and really get the momentum rolling we could have another special season. I don't want to get too far ahead of myself though, because Dayummm Clemson looked scary fast at times last weekend.
Was reporting on the ticker during sports center, that ND would more likely pursue membership in the ACC than the B1G. Could be looking positive..
Firstly, great write up on the expansion HokieV. As I said in an earlier post I didn't see this coming either: props to Swofford and the ACC think tank for getting ahead IN THIS ROUND of expansion (though the ACC wasn't the first it made the biggest splash thus far in 2011). In terms of the divisional alignment when Pitt and Syracuse come over I originally thought that the North/South breakdown would dominate; however, outside geography it really doesn't make any sense especially on a football competition level. Though the Atlantic isn't the greatest division of any conference in the world it is pretty damn competitive and breaking up the coastal would be insane- Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and Miami provide the best entertainment in the conference on a ratings level when playing one another and the ACC will definitely have to consider this fact when reviewing the divisional alignments. Also to be perfectly frank I think each institution enjoys playing each other yearly: the battle of the Techs is great and provides interesting bragging rights (and usually the Coastal Division Championship) and Virginia Tech/Miami have become each others most hated division rival and the most important game on the Conference slate (I would argue damn near the level of hatred with FSU on a conference level because of the past in the Big East and the ACC).
In terms of the next round of expansion the ACC needs to operate through a football-oriented lens. The whole reason the '03 expansion was touted was for football. Now complete the process. UConn brings only an up and coming football program and Rutgers lost its luster gained in 2005 two years later. Notre Dame would be the most immediately attractive though is incredibly unlikely for football. If you could alter the revenue sharing to a degree to get them in THEN DO IT. Unlike most I want nothing to do with Penn State. No real reason- let them stay in the BIG and be a mediocre program there. The most logical for me is Texas. Unlike Penn State they've been a NCG contender (minus this year) annually for damn near the last ten years and, most importantly, opens up Texas to ACC recruiting (ACC now has Pennsylvania foot print with Pitt and most ACC schools recruit in PA already anyways). Though the SEC will also sow its roots there with Texas A&M, most Texans either want to play for UT or for the teams that play UT every year in a sort of "revenge factor". If the revenue sharing needs to be altered for them to a degree for the Longhorn Network THEN DO IT!!! I love equal revenue as much as the next guy but if Duke football and GT Basketball have to suffer to bring in Texas and Notre Dame then let them suffer. Revenue sharing reflects a "sacrifice for the greater good" mentality....time to put that ideology to work.
Just mentioned paternoville in a post (http://www.thekeyplay.com/content/2011/september/19/aint-your-daddys-acc...) a few minutes ago before reading this....that said, I think the likelyhood of PSU abandoning the Big 10(ish) is small....but PSU & ND would be the way to top off all this expansion talk...it would indeed be a coup.
Why are we so against Rutgers? look at this
http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/19/the-geography-of-college-foo...
People just think Blah Football but people watch them. A LOT OF PEOPLE.
The chili looks good, burger or not!
One quick note: there is no way we're grabbing any Big 10 school unless they're booted from the Big 10. I read somewhere that their exit fee is not only a lump sum, but forfeiture of TV revenue for so many years. I don't have the source, but it wouldn't shock me if it were true.
West Virginia has been rejected by the ACC.....I can only laugh!
I think that after munching on the Big East several times, the ACC might tend to think..."do I really want more?" I don't know that we should be in a hurry for Rutgers or UConn as 15 & 16. I think the move to 14 was a nice preemptive strike (although the idea of playing in the dome @syracuse is not my favorite). I think we sit back, digest a bit, and if and when desert is available, we can be a bit more choosy. Perhaps an Irish coffee from indiana? Roasted cardinal from Kentucky? I doubt that bevo steak would be on the menu, but you never know. Would it be possible to poach another team from PA and the Big 10(ish)? Like the Chinese proverb says, "May you live in interesting times".
They did beat Notre Dame at home and have upset some good teams in recent years. What I think is funny is that all the "Big" conferences are suddenly relatively small and shrinking.
On one hand, I feel like the coaches wanted to put Logan and other players in position to make plays they will NEED to make later this year. I think we took a more liberal approach to play calling than we will come October.
On the other hand, I could be delusional and what we see is what we have...
I say, let them take their thumps (INTs, drops, mediocre run blocking) now and we'll see what happens when we can't afford to take any thumps.
They dont add much as far as value. You get a decent football team in the Big East but they would be on Wake Forest's level in the ACC. They get no attendance at games and don't travel well. Also they don't add any value in basketball.
They don't add much now, because they're young, but they went to a BCS game after playing in I-A for just 11 seasons. They're at least committed to football, and have invested a ton of money in their facilities. With more money, the right scheduling, and without the baggage of the basketball only schools I think Uconn could range from a 7-9 win program.
Geographically they'd help connect Boston College to the rest of the ACC. If Calhoun hadn't ripped into BC after they left for the ACC they'd be the school lobbying hardest for them.
Football wise, is South Florida getting blackballed by Miami/FSU the same way FSU/Miami/Clemson were being allegedly done by South Carolina and Florida? I sure wouldn't mind them. Lack of value-added to market exposure is huge, but am I the only one who wonders why they aren't at least coming up in the conversation?
I don't see that the ACC was the trendsetter or threw the first stone. The PAC 12 (Utah, Colorado), BIG 10 (Nebraska), BIG East (TCU) and SEC (A&M) all added teams within the past year before the ACC did. I feel like the trend was started last year and Texas A&M revived it this year going to the SEC. This was reactionary more than the ACC going out and being proactive in my mind. All the other conferences in a sense had already made their moves. The ACC if you look recent was the last to make a move and made the right move. The next smart move would be to add Texas and ND over UCONN and Rutgers. Texas and ND add prestige to a league that is craving some.
Totally agree on the touch there. I also liked the pass to George George. Great touch on it, especially when he is throwing to a TE. I think his accuracy has gotten slightly better as he's getting more games under his belt, slightly.