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I see option 2 as the most likely outcome of all of this. Two super conferences with 20 teams each (that means room in the boat for eight more teams to the P2), four divisions of five teams. Play your entire division and one other full division on a rotating basis for a uniform 9-game conference schedule, can schedule 3 games to count as non-con (to account for rivalries etc.) The four division winners and two wildcards per conference are seeded at the end of the regular season, and the first round of the playoffs start on what is now championship week. Top two division winners in each conference get a bye. First round done before Christmas. NY6 bowls host the remaining rounds per normal schedule. The two conference champions are then crowned in the semis and they play for the national title.

At the same time there is more and more evidence that money matters more that college football's most valuable asset: tradition.

Pry was a good DC at PSU. I see a lot of folks talking about our defense the past few years as a concern, which is valid. However, I think it's important to remember that Pry was not actively calling plays after his first year here. He had to delegate that responsibility to focus on being the HC. Perhaps focusing on one side of the ball is just what he's built to do. So on paper, I'm good with it.

That said, I am worried if he does not do well and needs to be fired from VT again. It would be devastating for him and just a really bad look for our program. I like Brent and want the best for him. This seems like staying friends with the girl who dumped you while she moves on to your best friend. That doesn't normally end well.

It did determine the B12 champion and kicked BYU out when they lost.

meh, he just crushed recruiting in 2 weeks. The man clearly knows what he is doing. If he believes Pry is the DC we need then I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.

I may have missed them but has any player come out and stated that they quit on Pry? If it was truly that bad those things tend to come out.

I don't get not accepting a bowl bid, those extra practices are super important for development of younger players. They are just being a little bitch about it and not thinking it through.

Again best being measurable by plenty of unbiased computer metrics

And Notre Dame turned into whiny lil B's when left out of the playoff!

Agree here. They are completely meaningless with a 12 team playoff. Until they find a way to incorporate the conference races and championships into the playoffs as elimination games, they should scrap them. Neither team cared in either the Big Ten or SEC championship because they were all in no matter what. And the ACC championship didn't even have the two best teams in the league playing in it. Huge embarrassment for the ACC in particular.

but the man may have a chip on his shoulder and want to redeem himself.

I think the best possible scenario is the experience does this very thing and injects just the right amount of ruthless asshole we needed from Pry.

And I'll also add that I respect Pry for wanting to jump right back into coaching this year. It was heavily rumored he turned down a couple SEC DC opportunities recently. His willingness to jump back in and the buyout being offset by his new salary to me shows a man who is eager to prove the doubters wrong. Unlike Fuente for instance who was happy to take his parachute and disappear...speaks volumes to Pry's desire to compete as a coach.

Like many others, I truly have mixed feelings and don't really know what to think of this move. While you can make an argument for it, I feel like there are a ton more questions and uncertainties than there are positives at least initially. We know Pry certainly was a very strong DC at PSU. He obviously was ill-equipped for a head coaching role and failed miserably at that here. Could he be more successful stepping back down to a coordinator role? Likely, but things weren't just bad here - they were abysmal. Even if he had many other duties on his plate as HC, the defense was largely atrocious under his watch ultimately. And for a coach labeled as a LB specialist, that position (both recruiting and coaching/development) was awful during his time here as HC. That to me gives me a lot of anxiety.

Now could he do well with strong staff and recruiters around him? Certainly, I think if Franklin is picking those spots that fit and complement the defensive staff around Pry like he did in the past, that could mitigate some concern. But does that give me the warm and fuzzies if we can't trust our DC to make good assistant staff evaluations? We know he was also particularly bad at hiring assistants here at VT - which is one big reason that he was fired in the end.

At the end of the day, Jimmies and Joes win the games, so if we can recruit at a high level it masks a lot of flaws. But given the budget we have now, are we selling ourselves short? I had little doubt Pry would have a role on Franklin's new staff in some capacity, but I didn't anticipate DC right off the bat.

I'm trusting in Franklin here and he certainly has earned it. But if the defense struggles early on here, the fans are likely going to be extremely upset. Huge risk bringing Pry back in a high profile role this soon, but the man may have a chip on his shoulder and want to redeem himself. By all accounts he loves VT and was key in helping get Franklin to Blacksburg. So mixed feelings for me, but trusting the process. And I'm hopeful Franklin is going to assemble an all-star cast around Pry.