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Virginia Tech is the real deal Posted: Thursday October 10, 2002 2:55 PM
Sports Illustrated senior writer Ivan Maisel will answer your college football questions every Thursday. Click here to send a question. We all have families, and many of us are lucky enough to have our families and our spouse's families. My wife's sister is getting married Saturday, the same Saturday as Texas-Oklahoma, Miami-Florida State, Georgia-Tennessee, Michigan-Penn State, UCLA-Oregon and LSU-Florida. My initial reaction: You're getting married when? As you may imagine, this situation has put me in an interesting predicament. Hit the road? Go to the wedding? Consider divorce? Replace batteries in the Watchman? Let me know what you think, and next week I'll let you know how it went. The Virginia Tech Hokies have looked strong, smart and fast this year. Do you think Bryan Randall can get the job done at quarterback, or should freshman Marcus Vick get some chances this year? Also, if Tech goes undefeated and Notre Dame only has a couple of losses, which team will get to play in the Fiesta Bowl?
Last question first: If Tech goes undefeated, it would have beaten Miami in Miami the day before the BCS decisions are made. If that's the case, I don't think an act of Congress could keep the Hokies out of Tempe. On the other hand, if Tech loses to Miami, I can't imagine a scenario in which the Hokies would play for the national championship. As long as Randall plays the way he has been playing, I'm betting that Vick will remain on the sideline. If he's needed, however, the good thing is that he's been "in" this offense since he was a ninth-grader, which was when Michael entered Virginia Tech. You know big brother passed on what he learned to little brother. Why is it that so many people in the media hold Virginia Tech in such high regard? I mean, the Hokies' history over the last 10 years is filled with criminal behavior and poor academic performance, and year in and year out they play one of the weakest schedules in Division I-A. Virginia Tech's ledger is stacked with nonconference cupcakes and obviously overrated ranked teams (see: LSU, Texas A&M), not to mention the pathetic excuse for a conference that is the Big East (no offense intended, Miami). I guess what I'm trying to say is: What makes this team worthy of a top-five ranking? To give credit where it is due, I will concede that the defense and special teams are impressive, but often against unworthy opponents. Care to provide any musings?
Musings? No, I don't muse. I don't have a muse. Well, I take that back. My favorite muse is Bullwinkle. Where were we? My opinion of Virginia Tech began to change once I started spending time there. Frank Beamer is a very good coach with a very good staff. They seem to find players who arrive without an ego. It's damn refreshing. Yes, the schedule is sometimes weak, although with LSU and Texas A&M, which are not overrated in my mind, that argument doesn't hold water. The Big East reminds me of the Big Eight of the 1980s and early-1990s. Conferences like that deliver national championship contenders; two very good teams feast on the rest. Compare Missouri quarterback Brad Smith to Michael Vick at the same stage. I know the question sounds ridiculous, but have you seen this kid play? P.S. Loved your book.
I haven't seen enough of Smith to make a valid comparison. The biggest difference that I can see is that Vick took his team to the national championship game as a redshirt freshman, which means Smith doesn't have as good a cast around him as Vick did. Thanks for the comment about the book, A War in Dixie, which just came out in paperback. Signed copies are available wherever Kelly Whiteside and I have reported stories in the last couple of weeks (Oxford, Birmingham, etc.). More to come. As I look at the Big East, it seems the same pattern repeats year after year. Two top-caliber teams, two fair-to-middling teams on the Top 25 fringe, two mid-40s teams and two horrific teams. I can't say that things will get much better when UConn replaces Temple. When the Big East was formed, I didn't think the league would be on par with other major conferences unless it lured Penn State. (Having Syracuse and West Virginia fall off a bit has hurt, too.) Any chance the Big East can recruit another team on the Atlantic seaboard to help bolster its roster? Would a Marshall or East Carolina be willing to sign up if, say, the Big East offered the chance to join the league in basketball?
No team out there fits the Big East's profile, unless it somehow steals someone from the ACC, which is unlikely at best. Marshall and East Carolina aren't any different from the rest of the teams that aren't located in Coral Gables or Blacksburg. What's with all of these people complaining about their hometown boys not getting any Heisman attention? Who cares if a few weeks into the season your team's top performer isn't No. 1 on everybody's list? Let the players make their statements on the field. At this point it's all speculation, anyway.
Whoa, Bill. You're injecting perspective and common sense into a discussion of college football? (Note to editors: Is this one of those letters from the Harvard Lampoon again?) Here in Florida, many disgruntled Gators fans are still rumbling about the inadequacies in Florida's new coaching staff. Are the offensive and defensive philosophies really that much different than those of the previous regime? Is it difficult to learn a new system on both sides of the ball? If so, why change the entire system outright? Also, is there a team that you root for above all others?
First of all, Augustus, the schemes are different. Ed Zaunbrecher's offense demands that Rex Grossman make a lot more decisions than Steve Spurrier's offense ever did. John Thompson's defense is effective because it disguises tactics effectively. Coaches change systems for the same reason that professors teach differently: Everyone's unique. Is there a team that I root for? I'll answer that with a quote from one of the legends in my business, Dave Kindred, now with The Sporting News. Asked by a coach whom he was rooting for, Kindred said, "I'm rooting for me." I want my story to succeed. That what makes me look good. What's going on at Illinois? I'm a Ron Turner fan all the way, but how can the Illini have a 1-5 record coming off such a great season last year? Tough breaks? Did they overachieve last year?
In an offense like the Illini's, the quarterback has to make smart decisions, and make them quickly. Neither Dustin Ward nor Jon Beutjer has done so. Add that to the fact that defending champions can't sneak into town, and you have your answer. What have other teams found out through their scouting and game-planning that has rendered Nebraska's offensive line so ineffective over the course of the last couple of years?
Opposing coaches watch the Huskers' film and see that the players in red aren't as good as they used to be. It's that simple. Nebraska's problems aren't related to schemes and game plans. What is up with LSU? What do you think it will take for the Tigers to be a Top 20 contender again? A new coach? (I thought Nick Saban was supposed to turn this around.) Better recruiting? What?
LSU will start receiving credit when it starts playing good teams, which, as a matter of fact, happens Saturday night at Florida. I'm feeling charitable today, so I'm going to pretend that you didn't ask for a new coach, given that the one you have just led the Tigers to the SEC Championship and the Sugar Bowl. Loved your last column with all the pro- and anti-Notre Dame aspirants. You handled it with your usual wit and panache. I am curious about one thing, though: You, more than most, would be in a position to judge which school has the most obnoxious fans. Your thoughts? (Please don't say Ohio State; I'm a little partial to the Buckeyes.)
Which team has the most obnoxious fans depends on the club's level of success at any given moment, so I'll give you an alphabetical list: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tennessee. This is one Notre Dame fan who believes you're right on about the Irish so far this year -- great story, but let's wait and see. Even if they go .500 the rest of the way, they will exceed nearly everyone's preseason expectations (except maybe their own). I actually think a 5-3 finish is a realistic scenario, barring injury to either of their cornerbacks. That's right, I didn't say quarterback. Now could you please print an e-mail from one of the 80 percent of Irish fans who have a brain -- and a life?
After reading your column, I wanted to yet you know some Notre Dame fans don't need EVERYONE's approval in order to be happy with the team's season. These fans also watch other Notre Dame sports. We will be happy if Notre Dame just continues to make progress this football season. Just wanted to let you know that we don't all act like some of those who e-mail you. P.S. You can usually spot a fake Notre Dame fan by the ND football hat and Indiana basketball shirt.
Rich and Tom, I knew you were out there. Thanks for chiming in. Now, stop writing me. You're giving your school a good name. Your Mailbag with all the Notre Dame comments was hilarious. It's amazing how some people can interpret the same article/statement completely different. I know Yankees fans who think all the national broadcasters hate the Yankees, while most non-Yankees fans think those same broadcasters are in love with anything Yankee. It really makes you think about your reaction to an article when you see some of the knuckleheads' responses.
I'll say it again: if the Irish beat Pittsburgh and then win at Air Force, I'll be tossing bodies off the bandwagon en route to Tallahassee so that I can climb on. The Notre Dame-Stanford game featured the strangest/worst call I've ever seen -- the "roughing the center" call that negated an Irish punt return for a touchdown. What was that? First off, I've never even heard of that penalty. Second, it was impossible to see on the replay what the problem could have been. Could you shed any light on this?
Several years ago the rules committee adopted a measure to protect long snappers. The defense cannot immediately hit the snapper; it must wait for, I believe, one second. The thought is similar to protecting the punt returner: A player can't be hit if he can't defend himself. It's not called very often. I suspect Stanford may have asked the officials to keep an eye on that, and the Cardinal got a penalty out of it. The Stanford kids are pretty smart out there, you know. What is wrong with Oklahoma's offense? It is not a consistent group. Honestly, it stinks. I am a diehard Sooners fan, but what's going on there? Nate Hybl is a sorry, sorry excuse for a quarterback, the offensive line isn't blocking and Quentin Griffin is not doing anything. Oklahoma will not beat Texas if it plays the way it has in the recent past. The Sooners lost to Oklahoma State last year; that's unacceptable. Oklahoma has not played like the No. 2 team in the country. I don't think the Sooners deserve to be ranked that high; they haven't beaten anybody. Oklahoma will be lucky to finish in the top 10 if it keeps playing the way it has been.
Benito reminds me: Add Oklahoma's to that list of obnoxious fans. With the hubbub Johnnie Cochran is raising about the almost nonexistent number of minority coaches and front-office personnel in the NFL, isn't it time to shine a similar spotlight on the even more woeful state of minority hiring within the coaching and SID ranks at the major-college level?
Fred, I don't know what else can be done. I've been writing about this on and off for more than 10 years. The problem with a national "campaign" is that it must directed toward 117 different campuses. It will take university presidents who feel this is important enough to challenge the alums and power brokers who weigh in on these decisions. The above applies to coaches. As for SIDs, while it's true that there aren't a lot of racial minorities in those jobs, I can't imagine why anyone would want to mount a campaign. SIDs have terribly difficult jobs and aren't paid nearly what they should be. As a long-time reader and a long-suffering Minnesota football fan, I need your help. I'm looking for examples of recently built, on-campus stadiums that are moderately sized and priced. A group of friends and I are trying to find alternatives to the proposed Gophers/Vikings stadium currently being discussed. It would cost about $600 million, be tailored for the NFL, not the Big Ten, and would make the Metrodome seem cozy and collegiate. We're trying to derail this monster and need examples to show that a moderately sized, on-campus stadium can be built without busting the budget. Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Keep up the good work. I think you've got one of the best jobs in the world.
Tim, I'll agree with you on the last part. I don't see many bad college football games. I can't think of a single low-budget stadium outside of minor league baseball. Football stadiums are no longer just stadiums; they have to include luxury boxes, club seating and a lot of amenities that cost money. I can't imagine, given that they are built by and/or for state universities, that there would be great incentive to build them on the cheap, or even under budget, for that matter. Sports Illustrated senior writer Ivan Maisel covers college football for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com. Click here to send him a question or comment.
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