I’m a Tennessee fan and I don’t think they should be favored at all. I do think that if they get a pass rush on Grier, it could be a good game. Tennessee should be able to run on WV, especially with their defense they have.
I would say that you’re probably not in the audience I’m talking about. It’s just offputting for me to choose them as a team when parts of the fanbase are the way they are, and I know that they all have them but there seems to be a lot more with UT. But anyway, I think UT has a chance to win if they can keep WVU’s offense sidelined and control the pace. However, if WVU has it their way, it could be a long night for the Vols. Grier will dismantle that secondary
I decided to make a thread where everyone could discuss and analyze college football games/teams this year! I hope it’s a memorable season for everyone. Let’s get started with my picks for some big games this upcoming weekend!
Both teams were 5-6, so bowl eligibility was on the line. We played in Blacksburg, on a frigid cold Black Friday night. Virginia drove 89 yards in 10 plays to take a 20-17 lead with 2:55 remaining in the game.
Here’s how the next drive went:
(1) KO: touchback, ball at VT 25
(2) 1st-and-10: PF for roughing the passer (which was a borderline call that I disagreed with, but alas), ball at VT 40
(3) 1st-and-10: 50 yard pass to Bucky Hodges, ball at UVA 10
(4) 1st-and-10: 1 hard rush by Sam Rogers, ball at UVA 9
(5) 2nd-and-9: UVA pass interference, ball at UVA 4
(6) 1st-and-Goal: VT false start, ball at UVA 9
(7) 1st-and-GOAL: 9 hard TD reception by Bucky Hodges
Even after that catastrophe, Virginia drives to the VT 41 with :26 left. Then, Matt Johns proceeds to eat 2 sacks on the final 3 plays of the game (with a false start sprinkled in) to end it.
That game was the entire Mike London era in a nutshell, and I for one and thankful it is over.
That.. that is brutal. I don't recall that game. I would want London gone after mismanagement that bad. I hope that your VT friends weren't too harsh on you.
We have blown a large number of football games in mind-melting ways. Most (not all) of those were defensive pants-crapping in situations where it’s harder to blow the lead than to retain it. Here’s the short list this decade that comes to mind:
(1) Duke 2010
(2) Southern Miss 2011
(3) LA Tech 2012
(4) VT 2012
(5) Maryland 2013
(6) VT 2014
(7) VT 2014*
(8) VT 2014*
(9) VT 2014*
(10) ND 2015**
(10) UNC 2015
(11) VT 2015
(12) UConn 2016
(13) Louisville 2016
(14) Miami 2017
(15) At least one in 2018, my bet is VT.
* - for emphasis
** - see above video
I feel like there is something significant about UVA vs VT 2014?
Well there are other options...didn't Appy State go D-1? Close by, good program. ASU won in the Big House a while back. Another option...James Madison University. JMU will be going D-1 very soon. They have already beaten the ACC champ a few seasons ago. They are probably the best football program in VA at present. Get in on the ground floor!
Those are definitely different teams to consider. JMU is interesting, I wonder how they would perform at the FBS level.
Being a Virginia fan is more than about following an athletic team. It’s about embracing the culture. It’s a culture that values the student-athlete, with each side of that hyphen meaning just as much as the other. Virginia does not tolerate criminal activity or those who reflect poorly on the program. Mike London might have been a poor football coach, but he did well at training men who are solid members of the community. In many places, that would lead to borderline riot. At Virginia, though we demand better performance, we respect the work he did in those players’ lives. Bronco Mendenhall turns boys into men in a similar fashion (with greater coaching acumen). Our fans may not outnumber fans from larger state schools (such as the one nearest us), but they are devoted, dedicated, and more realistic than most others.
As far as football, we are 3 years into a 5-year rebuild. Mendenhall’s OC is Robert Anae, who runs an offense with Mike Leach “air raid” principles. Problem is, our OL hasn’t been able to hold the blocks to execute it regularly. When it does, you get this:
And now, we have speedy JUCO transfer Bryce Perkins behind center to execute some option styles (with an improved OL). Interesting and exciting times ahead.
On defense, Mendenhall runs 3-4 and 3-3-5 bases with exotic blitzes. UVA’s Pass D was 7th in the country last year. However, the DL was 2-3 years away from being as he wants, so the Rush D was 101st. The back 7 is promising this year, and is one of the best in the ACC. The DL is equally as porous as last year, that is, should Ohio State transfer Dylan Thompson not be as advertised.
We’re marching back to respectability, and I hope you join the ride!
I like this post, I'll definitely be following the Hoos a little closer this year to see how things go, I am a fan of their defensive scheme for sure.
And this is why I said not to lol. You get attacked from a fanbase that hasn’t beaten you in over a decade and then have lacrosse titles thrown in your face like they matter. 😂😂😂
That's ultimately gonna come down to what you like. What type of football you like to see. What type of fanbase you like. Colors etc. It's not something to rush into.
I don't have a particular favorite style of offense, if I had to pick it would probably be the spread with some smart run plays here and there. Defense wise, I like to see hard hits, again no particular "formation" but if I had to choose I am fond of the 3-4. I like to have a passionate fanbase, but not to the point that it's delusional year in and year out.
ETSU alumni here who has no real connections to any of the "local" D1 programs. This has been an issue for me for quite some time, people asking who I root for and it's always a "Erm...". So, SWVAsports faithful, help old man Boomhauer choose a division 1 college football team. I'm open to just about any team that is relatively local or within 5-6 hours
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How do you go about choosing a Division 1 college team?
in College and Pro Sports
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I love it. Give me the fodder.