2007: Virginia Tech had its national title hopes crushed early when LSU beat them down in Baton Rouge. That defeat helped the Hokies refocus their efforts and roll onto 10 wins in their next 11 matches en route to their third BCS bowl bid in school history. And despite losing the Orange Bowl to Kansas, the season came off as a success.
Strengths: Last season, the Hokies had one of the worst offensive lines in the country and it showed. Virginia Tech gave up the third most sack at the FBS level when its o-line allowed 54 sacks.
Fast forward to this season and V-Tech has a front line that returns four starters from last year. That includes junior big man Ed Wang, who went down with a broken leg in August, leaving just one returning starter for the 2007 season.
Now Wang is back at full strength and along with him are three other starters looking to atone for a poor campaign.
We’re going to see how well the Hokies’ o-line is doing this year in regards to how well the passing game does since the receivers weren’t getting many deep balls to catch.
Weaknesses: Virginia Tech was able to make it to the Orange Bowl last season thanks to having a defense that ranked as one of the best in the nation…particularly against the run, where it allowed just 86.0 yards per game on the ground. They were effective getting to the opponents quarterback as evidenced by ranking fifth in the country with 47 sacks.
It will take a big effort for the Hokies to mirror those numbers in 2008 as only Orion Martin returns to the defensive trenches. Va Tech is coming in with Jason Wrilds, Cordarrow Thompson and John Graves to reload, but none of them have yet to prove themselves on a consistent basis.
Player to Watch: Given the improvement the offensive line will show, we can expect better numbers from the Hokies’ wide receivers. The man to keep an eye out for is Cory Holt. This former signal caller possesses blazing speed and soft hands to catch any ball thrown his way. Holt will more than likely be the fourth choice on the field to start the season, but that will change after a few weeks. And let’s not forget that he can easily be installed under center to keep defenses honest.
Returning Starters: 15 (9 on offense, 5 on defense, 1 specialist)
Schedule: Virginia Tech will prove its worth in the first month of the year when they travel to North Carolina and Nebraska. The ACC schedule won’t let up for the Hokies as the year progresses by they get Florida State and Miami away from Blacksburg.
Let Down: November 22 versus Duke. You wouldn’t normally think a game against the Blue Devils would be a problem for a team. That is until you look at the fact V-Tech will be coming off of a road match with a much improved Hurricanes squad. Add in Duke having more time in David Cutcliffe’s offense and we could see a match that might be a little too close for comfort for the Maroon and Orange.
Look Ahead: September 20 at North Carolina. The Tar Heels are going to be in their second full year under Butch Davis, so you know the team will be a little better already. Plus, Nebraska looms large on the schedule, if only by name. This could be the match that upends Virginia Tech’s national title hopes real early.
Good Bets:
Aug. 30 vs. East Carolina…The Pirates may have played it close last season. But you must remember that the Hokies are 11-1 in their last 12 season openers.
Oct. 25 at Florida State…Some folks think Frank Beamer’s bunch turned the corner when they crushed the Seminoles last season, 40-21. The problem is that people forget that Virginia Tech hasn’t won in Tallahassee since the 1974 season...that’s a seven-game losing skid.
Prediction: The Hokies usually are amongst the short list of teams picked to win the national championship. And 2008 will be no different as they should reel off seven straight victories. Those road matches with the ‘Canes and ‘Noles will be V-Tech’s undoing though to hold them into another 10-2 season.
You can reach Judd Hall via e-mail at judd@vegasinsider.com
