Week 1: Virginia Tech Hokies vs Alabama Crimson Tide @ Atlanta, GA (8/31/2103)

[Ragingcroc]

I wonder how much Beamer's "aww shucks" personality and "just one more play" mentality is just coach's talk for the media. Meh

I also wonder how long our defense will be able to last against Alabama's offense line. Our defense just seems to get worn down against offenses with power runs games. I'm just not sure our offense will be able to score enough points to keep up. LT did make some nice crisp passes in the spring game but made some horrible decisions and passes as well. I don't think we will be able to run the ball at all.

 

[VTscores]

Though scoring some points will be necessary, it's probably more about keeping an offensive squad on the field than scoring. We can't just rely on the defense to stay on the field the whole game. Alabama is too deep for that.

 

[WvuDieHard]

Get your Jars of Uncle Elmers Butt Salve now for this beating that is going to go down. VT may hang for a half but will not stay with 21 points of the Tide.

 

[HoHumHokie]

Get your Jars of Uncle Elmers Butt Salve now for this beating that is going to go down. VT may hang for a half but will not stay with 21 points of the Tide.

No doubt Bama is the heavy favorite, but no way it will turn into the butt hurtings WVU received from TexasTech, K-State and Syracuse last year. In fact, I heard all the jars have already been shipped to Morganhole in preparation for the 2013 season.

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

Oh look, one of them.....


O/U 10 days?

I have the under.

 

[amszete]

Nice finally a WVU fan has peeped out of a cave. We will have fun with this. Hope this clown stays on the Hoop for a while.

Last time WVU fans tried to get on the hoop I think we ran them off with all of the inbreeding jokes, etc.

 

[vatider]

Nice finally a WVU fan has peeped out of a cave. We will have fun with this. Hope this clown stays on the Hoop for a while.

Last time WVU fans tried to get on the hoop I think we ran them off with all of the inbreeding jokes, etc.

I'll say one thing about WVU and their fans, they want to win the crystal ball and they are proactive in their quest. The changing of conferences and the hiring of Holgerson are evidence of that. Whether this works or not is still to be seen, however, they have so many negatives to surmount ( small state, very few homegrown players, ugly campus and too damn far north) VT on the other hand has good homegrown talent, at least Coach Saban thinks so, a much larger population, in my opinion a far superior campus and geographically closer to the hot bed of college football. Unlike WVU, VT is reactive not proactive, staying in a Basketball conference, having a coach who only wants to recruit within a six hundred mile radius(why would anybody not want to recruit Texas and California with a combined population of 65 + million?) What I'm saying is WVU wants a NC but may not have the means to get it and VT has the means to get a NC but won't do what it takes. Anyway that just my outsiders opinion.

 

[HoHumHokie]

I'll say one thing about WVU and their fans, they want to win the crystal ball and they are proactive in their quest. The changing of conferences and the hiring of Holgerson are evidence of that. Whether this works or not is still to be seen, however, they have so many negatives to surmount ( small state, very few homegrown players, ugly campus and too damn far north) VT on the other hand has good homegrown talent, at least Coach Saban thinks so, a much larger population, in my opinion a far superior campus and geographically closer to the hot bed of college football. Unlike WVU, VT is reactive not proactive, staying in a Basketball conference, having a coach who only wants to recruit within a six hundred mile radius(why would anybody not want to recruit Texas and California with a combined population of 65 + million?) What I'm saying is WVU wants a NC but may not have the means to get it and VT has the means to get a NC but won't do what it takes. Anyway that just my outsiders opinion.

Although, VT has had some success of late getting guys from Florida. The new offensive staff at VT has has experience working in other conferences, so I am confident things will change some on the recruiting end. Sounds like VT's first priority is to re-establish a presence in the northeast (i.e. PA and NJ)

 

[hokiegrad]

How can you talk about the negatives of WV without mentioning their academics and fans?

Hard to argue with working the NE more when we need OL. We're also doing more work out in Illinois and Indiana, and seem to have expanded what we're doing in FL. Both Grimes and Loeffler seem to want to look nationally. So this may be changing.

 

[geneh_33]

GO HOKIES! BEAT THOSE CRIMSON TIDERS DOWN!

 

[vatider]

I know that the Tide could get careless and VT could pull out a win. For that to happen Coach Beamer will have to.convince his team that they can win. My question to the Hokie faithful is : Does Coach Beamer think his team will win, or does he just want to keep from getting his players hurt and not get trounced? Because if the coach doesn't believe his team will win neither will the players.

 

[Camfantasy]

I know that the Tide could get careless and VT could pull out a win. For that to happen Coach Beamer will have to.convince his team that they can win. My question to the Hokie faithful is : Does Coach Beamer think his team will win, or does he just want to keep from getting his players hurt and not get trounced? Because if the coach doesn't believe his team will win neither will the players.

Beamer is as competitive as they come. You don't become the current winningest head coach in cfb with the mindset that you will lose to your opponent. The players are gearing up for this game with the thought that if they put in 100% effort they will be rewarded on game day. The mindset of this team is to win this game

PS....If you are the "tiderinVA" guy from the scout board.....your source within VT's academic dept. is wrong and these kids are not anticipating getting their asses handed to them come August.

 

[vatider]

You could be right but why did he let his staff get so stale, a good number of fans were upset with Stinespring for years and Coach Beamer kept him on. VT has had better players and teams than their record against top five teams reflects. I still think the VT fans want a NC more than the head coach.

 

[Camfantasy]

You could be right but why did he let his staff get so stale, a good number of fans were upset with Stinespring for years and Coach Beamer kept him on. VT has had better players and teams than their record against top five teams reflects. I still think the VT fans want a NC more than the head coach.

Because Beamer believed Stinespring was still the man for the job (and probably still does to some degree). Beamer himself was given more chances than most would early on in his career and it worked out for him. I think sometimes he sees himself in others and drags the inevitable out more than he should. It has nothing to do with "want to." Beamer is not Joe Paterno, that is, he is more than just a "face" to VT athletics. He is just as active in his coaching as Nick Saban is believe that or not. The biggest advantage in Beamer's coaching style is also his biggest problem.....his loyalty.

 

[MattB4VT]

I don't agree fully by any means, but I can def see where vatider is coming from... For a long time, Beamer got complacent. Put loyalty to his friends over his duty to the university, athletic department, football program, and of course fans.

I believe he has done what is necessary to right the ship. But we are so off course at this point, it's not something one game, or even one season can fix.
Finding a way to follow up last year's recruiting class with what has all the opportunity in the world for a program-changing class would be HUGE. Going from that 11-15ish program to a top 10 program takes talent, no matter who is coaching.

I don't think we get too embarrassed, but I think the score will be somewhere in the range of 31-34 (bama) to 6-10 (VT)

A friend of mine who works in the Bama athletic department hooked me with a ticket and is taking me to the game which is sweet! Will be sitting with all Bama athletic department people and boosters, but it's still gonna be blast.

Win or lose, I still think this season has potential to get us back to 10 win streak.
Will take a lot of quick growth, and a few breaks to win ACC Title though.

 

[sparko]

I'll disagree on one point Matt -- one game ... a game like beating the defending (twice) national champions changes a whole damn lot -- and one season can change EVERYTHING. If we could ring off another 1999-like season, beat Alabama, and have a Heisman trophy candidate .. especially considering the talent in VA in the next few years --- it .. would .. change .. EVERYTHING

 

[vatider]

I'll disagree on one point Matt -- one game ... a game like beating the defending (twice) national champions changes a whole damn lot -- and one season can change EVERYTHING. If we could ring off another 1999-like season, beat Alabama, and have a Heisman trophy candidate .. especially considering the talent in VA in the next few years --- it .. would .. change .. EVERYTHING

Absolutely, success breads success, beating Bama would be a great win and a springboard to elite status. If Bama runs the table and wins the third straight NC and the forth in five years it can be argued that this is the greatest dynasty in cfb history.Both teams have a lot riding on the game. That's why Coach Saban will not talk about the past but only how difficult the next season will be. Right now the 2013 edition of the Tide hasn't won squat and will not beat VT or any other team if they don't embrace the process and each individual become the best player he can be. Any way VT should do well this year and have a great season.

 

[757Hokie83]

I'll disagree on one point Matt -- one game ... a game like beating the defending (twice) national champions changes a whole damn lot -- and one season can change EVERYTHING. If we could ring off another 1999-like season, beat Alabama, and have a Heisman trophy candidate .. especially considering the talent in VA in the next few years --- it .. would .. change .. EVERYTHING

 

[BayouBengal]

I just hope for a close game.

bama by 10. But would love to see VT beat them.

 

[MattB4VT]

I get how huge that win would be... But we have lesser talent, lesser coaching, a ton of youth, and new offensive system debuting against the most decorated program in the history of the sport, in the midst of their best streak ever. Oh... And it's away from home.