Virginia Tech has sold more than 13,000 bowl tickets, defensive coordinator Bud Foster has a new contract, and freshman running back Ryan Williams has been honored as a third-team All-American. That's what passes for news on the Hokies side of the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
Where's the drama? Where's the controversy? Where are the hostesses?
Better yet, where's the New York Times?
In the interest of a more fair and balanced bowl, maybe the Times could check out the Highty-Tighties - just to make sure the marching band isn't getting too tight with football recruits. Or how about a three-part series on HokieBird? Could there be a freak behind the beak?
Based on my limited research, all that's going on with Virginia Tech football is football. Its coaching staff is still intact, its NCAA compliance officer is probably already off for the holidays, and its team is distraction-free.
The topics are a little noisier and more diverse here. UT coach Lane Kiffin has lost two assistant coaches, an NCAA investigation is generating more news than the bowl, and the New York Times suddenly finds the Vols as compelling as the Giants and Jets.
That's not to suggest peripheral issues will distract the Vols from the task at hand (maybe it was just a coincidence UT played its worst game of the season a few days after three players were charged with attempted armed robbery). But you can't help but wonder - particularly in light of UT's upcoming challenge in the Georgia Dome.
The 12th-ranked Hokies have won four consecutive games by an average of 24 points, rank 14th nationally in total defense and are a victory away from a top-10 finish. And when they see the blue-and-gold SEC logo, they will see red.
The SEC turned the ACC into a punch line the last Saturday of November. Georgia and South Carolina, two middle-class SEC teams, took turns knocking off the ACC's division champions, leaving the ACC's championship marquee about as attractive as Conference USA's.
In seven tries against the SEC this season, the ACC has managed two victories. Georgia Tech, its highest ranked team, beat Vanderbilt and Mississippi State, who finished last in their respective divisions.
In its 56-31 loss to Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt scored more points than it did in its first four SEC games combined.
The scoreboard tells us the Hokies didn't embarrass themselves in the SEC's presence. But the statistics were hardly flattering in their 34-24 opening-season loss to No. 1 Alabama. Total offense: Alabama 498, Virginia Tech 155.
That's almost 500 yards worth of motivation for the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
The Vols don't have to look beyond their fans for motivation. Fans are excited about a winning team and the promise of better days ahead for a program that wasn't bowl worthy in two of the previous four seasons.
But building on that excitement requires more than showing up. UT's last two Chick-fil-A Bowl ventures taught us that.
Fans felt OK about the program in 2002 when the Vols closed out the regular season with three consecutive victories and were more enthused a year later when UT won its last six regular-season games.
Much of those late-season gains were whisked away in the Georgia Dome as Maryland and Clemson capitalized on the ineptitude of UT teams that looked both uninspired and unprepared.
These Vols won't have to look back for motivation. It's right in front of them.
A victory over a borderline top-10 team - coupled with four victories against bowl teams and an near upset of Alabama - should put them in the final top-25.
And that's worth small type in the New York Times.
Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knoxnews.com.
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Comments » 25
OldNumber7 writes:
This isn't about the NYT, it's about Pete Thamel and his conspiracy with Urban and Pahokee officials. It's crystal clear. NCAA needs to be investigating someone else.
http://13psi.com/something-stinks-in-...
DRW writes:
Good article.
VolinCalif writes:
Thanks John. Good art. and at least it's about football and the Vols
1volfanatic writes:
Man, I can't wait to be there to witness our Vols use those ACC turkeys as practice dummies. GO VOLS!!
tulelakevol writes:
Good article John, very relevant. I just read that garbage from Frank Cagle, what a waste of my time. What in the he!! is metropulse, much less metropulse dissing the Vols, doing on Govolsxtra? I grow sick of the negative headlines. NYTs is handing out plenty of that phooey.
DennisVols writes:
Funny wasn't it Adams that penned the story following the Ole Miss loss that there was no way the Vols wind up with a top 25 ranking?
Things look a lot different now. I stated on that blog that if UT won out and won their bowl they should wind up in the Top 25.
You can't compare this team to the ones who played in the Chick fil a bowl in 2002 or 2003. This isn't Fulmer's team and none of those players are still around.
There is also a big difference in 3 of your teammates getting arrested 2 days before a big game and some baseless article written by a beat sprots writer stiring up the NCAA to look into a "maybe" secondary recruiting violation 3 weeks before the game.
Keeping it Real
Go Vols!!!
licknpromise777#651578 writes:
Tech has been a steady,consistent team all year.You never read about Beamer having a top 10 recruiting class but he has them in the top 15 every year..We will have to play error free, focused, inspired football to beat this team
OrangePsyched writes:
13psi.com...what is this? Is it for recruiting news, part of a newspaper or what? Sorry for my ignorance. I have read the articles and something surely does stink! The reason I ask the question is I wonder why this isn't being picked up by ESPN or someone? Just asking. Go Vols!
volatil writes:
Oh yeah, we ARE playing a football game. I almost forgot.
TommyJack writes:
Exactly
colt writes:
You are right. This is new VOL Team.
ut_vols_fan writes:
Surely you don't really think ESPN would do anything that might help UT do you? The NY Times is the agressor this time, but if you go back a couple of years, it was ESPN that was sporting the Rocky Top boner.....
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Another way to look at it is that those teams felt that they had "fallen back" into those bowls after having had higher hopes for the season. This year's team feels it has earned its way UP to a decent bowl after not going to one last year and all the uncertainty at the beginning of the season. I think our guys are glad to have one more chance to show how far they have come, and I believe they will be ready to play well.
BigVolFaninSC writes:
The NYT is not the paper that it once was! In fact, they are probably no more relevant than the National Inquirer! So, I don't know the motivation behind all the articles, but I'm going to wait and see what the NCAA turns up before I pass any judgment on Kiffin and Co. I just hope that in the time between now and the announcement of findings that we don't lose any recruits! The staff has worked real hard to get things going in the right direction again! It would be unfortunate to lose players assuming that no wrong has been done!
Volunatic writes:
Decent article, but I doubt a 5-loss team has a shot at the final top 25.
I'd be happy if the Vols just win this one. (That might be good enough to put UT in the "others receiving votes" category.)
navarrebeachvol writes:
25 over the mildcats and counting.....
givehim6 writes:
Finally some football talk. If you remember that was under another coach, but if 2009 history has shown when other teams look to the past 5-10 years to learn about UT football there wrong. take UF, thay were going to beat UT by 50 points, not. Bama was to do the same thay almost got beat. This is not Phil ball, it,s UT Kiffin style! Hope the Vols use the irritation of the past few weeks as fuel to do some turkey roasting. GO VOLS!
BigOrangeJeff writes:
Don't forget, this was also the year that Ken-lucky was going to finally snap the streak. Hmmm...
murrayvol writes:
There have been a small handful of those years. I remember Mark Higgs' 4 shots from the 1...all blanks.
Maybe next year. Maybe not.
GainesvilleVol1 writes:
Decent read Mr. Adams. We haven't been happy with the Chick bowl results as of late. Let's beat the Hokies!!
GO VOLS!!!
givehim6 writes:
OK, let us talk about that game. this was UT's 2nd game. I really think the players & staff were still riding on a hi from the past Sat. with the big win over WKY, and UCLA just slipper up on them, I think staff & players have leared from this game. I think VT will find a healed, and prepared Vol team! Don't get me wrong VT will havr there A game ready, but so will UT, it WILL be a great game. I'M just saying the 2009 VOLS will not be the VOLS that lost to Maryland and Clemson. GO VOLS!
AFVol423 writes:
Lets make sure whe have this straight, Going to a bowl is better than not, unless you show up and get beaten like a drum. The point is to win the ball game. GBO!!!!
lemanruss58 writes:
You can't spell "Quarter Century Losing Streak," -without UK."
Bandit1066 writes:
Actually, the NYT has been giving a lot of coverage to Tennessee this year, starting with the whole Kiffin vs. Meyer thing that made for good print. They even ran a story a few days after the Florida game about the SEC telling both Kiffin and Meyer to shut up.
Kiffin has done a lot of mouthing off, but it has certainly helped to put UT back in the national conversation. He, and give some credit to the NYT, have assured that September 18, 2010 will mark the first really big, ultra-hyped national game of the next football season.
OwensboroVol writes:
Thanks to Rocketvol. I read the Web piece that you attached and found it interesting. The comments of the Florida fans were, lets say, below average. Just when I thought the Educational System in the United States had gotten as poor as it could, Someone will post some Florida Fans response or comments. I then realize that there is no way the United States can compete with any civilized country when we have people, like these, who obviously have failed to complete Kindergarten. The ignorance of the Florida fans posting to these sites would be a complete embarrassment to the average Florida citizen if the citizens could read and understand what they were posting.
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