Tech Thoughts: 2014, a higher ceiling or a lower floor? (part II)

P.A.T.T.’s rejoice and N.A.T.T.’s do what you do best, despair …as this one is not gonna be very R.A.T.T. of me.

This one -just like the game of life- is all about extremes. The middle-ground need not apply here. Nothing about a normal, routine, ho-hum day defines you. Woke up, car still started, traffic was ok, your work day went according to schedule, family running smoothly, regulation TV, in bed on time, a solid nights sleep. Rinse, recycle, repeat, –and I just learnt nothing, as in zero regarding y, o, u. Something rattles your cage however, something takes you outside your comfort zone and suddenly we go way beyond single-blind in classical scientific method terms in a hurry. Now I get to observe what you are really all about, now that you are outta your element. You both adapt and overcome, or end up overcame.

Last time we canvased the lower extreme case situation and took a flooring approach to the 24060 or Blacksburg Va. in 2014 football sporting terms.

Life isn’t always fair, sometimes you get the bull, and sometimes you get the horns. So with the horny part outta the way in part one, let’s try a more uplifting, utopian, or P.A.T.T.reeotic look at 2014 here in part II. So here’s our mostly sunny forecast for 2014, within the limits of foreseeable common sense…

Sunshine, puppy-dogs, and dopamine galore, all while the hawt girl at the end of the bar really is giving you the big-eye………..so here’s what happens if the 2014 football season goes great!

Today’s word is…Elysian  (-lzhn)

adj.

VT Qbs: M.Leal is the best shepherding or parenting Qb this side of Bryan Randall; and he nails some version of trickeration for 6 points as a dual-threat holder for P.A.T.’s and FGA’s.

Though who is our Pivot star in waiting for 2014 if not the incumbent or de facto Qb otherwise known as Mark Leal? Sources close to great Scot say that young Mr. Durkin has the most tools on his Hokie belt. My very own eyeballs say that if that beats the already ensconced on campus young Mr. Ford out -as he appears to be a idyllic Loeffler passing attack fit- that will be most impressive indeed. And yet that brings us, and quickly, to a certain Texas Tech transfer Qb and double r-shirt guarantor, or one Michael Brewer. Let’s say his back is just fine, and holds up in similar fashion under contact in 2014 and that this kid who was only beaten once in a Lonestar State or Texas high-school career is all that and a snap.

Me? I’m thinking that’s a very smooth looking 2,200+ yard passing season, a thrifty 20:6 passing ratio and maybe even a recording setting Qb completion percentage of right at 70% when taken on an annual basis.  With just enough up-field or northerly throwing to keep a defense honest, And this kids wheels are better than you think, oh, say, a positive 170 rushing on the ground campaign good for a score or maybe even three. That might not be an all-America season, though it should be good enough to flirt with all-A.c.c. status from the word “go”.

Tb health: Trey is doing better, even if there is some wonderment if he will be ready for the start of September or not? As likeable as J.c.c. is, he’s prolly not the the answer; however, my almost boy Shai and everyone’s spring heartthrob de jour -Mr. Mars’ Williams- could indeed pose a serious set of questions to opposing defenses all year long.

To put it another way, the 2014 Virginia Tech Tb game will indeed be superior to the 2013 Tb game, and further, it stands to reason that it will only improve all year long, as one could rightfully argue that Tb1 and Tb2 will only get healthier and heather day by day between now and Bill & Mary, coach God willing.

By my count?
We’ve got 3 studs here, 2 injuries and 1 football. (and a couple of decent carries behind all of that) I don’t know about any of you, although my calculus says that’s right at a 1,000 yard rusher (more with less Tb relief), a 600 yard rusher and if enough health prevails, and maybe even a third wheel who will ramble for 3-4oo yards in a mop-up role. Not half bad Ground Chuck; is it?

oLine: Speaking of Ground Chuck, this may not be a Filet of an offensive-line just yet, though it is a very well seasoned porterhouse of an offensive-line with tons of experience and games started returning in the starting-5. Yah, yah, I know, it is difficult to trust the Virginia Tech o-line with the keys to the family car. However, 269 returning knockdown blocks (presuming Benedict can get back) does not suck. Nor does just south of 2 decades or 20 years worth of D-1 collegiate pigskin experience, nor does  75 overall career starts when taken collectively and that’s the most experienced Virginia Tech offensive line in a decade folks! Lottsa schools in D-1 football would love to have that participatory problem, and we may indeed finally be 8 deep (1 back-up C, G and Ot alike) for the first time in at least a decade, maybe more. That may not be the first-best oLine in A.c.c. football, though don’t tell November that, as this oLine is the very first one in a long long time to remain fresh come the final few games on the sched’, coach God permitting.

Wr/Te: Stanford is king of the hill right now, good bit of separation here; and after that??? Well first of all, a 51 pass catcher is back, a 45 pass catcher is back and a a 40 pass catcher returns as well. Second of all, we’ve got a major upgrade in Tb talent coming in, and last year’s Rb’s combined for 54 grabs and every single one of those 54 grabs returns. Thirdly, our best two receiving talents may not even play, well, Receiver, and they are both back (Mallack and Cline at Te); and they may be our best next level pass catching prospects as well. Blocking actually existed in 2013 and is set to improve or physically mature once again. And oh by the way, this is the third most experienced pass catching unit in the Atlantic Coast Conference, there is that! So M.Brewer should have plenty pass catching options with plenty of great Scot familiarity to choose from, and our pitch-n-catch game will only improve all year long, as they fraternize themselves with one another.

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dLine:  Linebacking: and hind-4 or hind-5:
Simply put, this is a knifing good 2014 Virginia Tech stop-unit, Coach God and some training room health wiling.

Yah; I know, they are not that all that big, and they are not all that deep … and this just in, rain just called to say that: “…you are all wet!”

Presuming this top-11 2014 Virginia Tech stop-unit remains locked, cocked and ready to rock, this years Bud Bock is gonna tap 9-11 opponents on the shoulder and promptly drop 9-11 of the same with a surprisingly stiff right-cross. Total yardage allowed will prolly soften, and as run defense will likely do the same. However, with such much jackknifing good defensiveness speed all over the field, the all important metric of Turnover Margin could easily take several strides in Virginia Tech’s favor.

Maddy is a bell-cow, maybe the best Dt in-conference this season, my boy Dadi is an extraordinary match-up problem for nearly anyone he plays and if his guidance software upgrades itself, his a pure bread tomahawk missile just looking for a place to happen. And don’t sleep on how good the legacy Woody Baron kid is, as he may just be the second-best Dt on the team once he gets back from ankle surgery. In addition to that, C.Marshall impressed and I confess, surprised me with a vastly improved attitude this past spring and N.Williams is at least a credible caddy or back-up at Dt. All we need is one more De and and suddenly every single pre-season magazine will be asleep at the O&M wheel re: coach Wiles fourward facing bunch.

I’ll admit, Linebacking is a bit thin, though there is nothing ‘rong with the starters and if both Vandyke’s return to physical form, this will quickly become a fiscally parsimonious second-layer as yards allowed goes. Recall that I have Ronny and Devin Vandyke pegged as my Lb1 and Lb2 in terms of overall Coach God given talent. Both guys are part torpex and part T.N.T. “Boom, outta here” indeed!

There’s really not much I need to type about our Secondary, coach Gray is quietly the quite possibly the best secondary coach in all of D-1; and if he’s not careful, he’s gonna have 5-6, or maybe even 7 different Pros on his 2014 secondary depth-chart once 2018 is all said and done. This is the best and the deepest hind-4 in A.c.c. terms, and very likely a Top-10 secondary nationally no matter how you slice it.

Secondary: Prolly the deepest and strongest part of our 2014 football team, could be as many as a handful of Pros here on our current roster folks. However, 50% of the starters just missed or got hurt during spring-ball. That’s not good and that is precisely why too much depth or too little playing-time is the best possible problem to have in all of sports.

Special Teams: Punter looks good, maybe even very very very good, and Kicker is due for a up tic. Ditto the kick blocking game, where we’ve got some sky-scraping back-up Dt’s for a change. Tritto a bit more edge speed in punt blocking terms. Returners look downright dangerous, at least on paper, as it is not too hard to envision Virginia Tech PR’s and/or KR’s taking at least one to the house in 2014.

Analysis:
Lotta water is getting effortlessly RainEx’ed right on outta the O&M way in this scenario men. Generally speaking, Frank’s been pretty damn lucky during his tenure at Vah.Tech. Such has been the way or the Tao of Frank Beamer, all things being equal.

And it is not beyond the realm of belief to ascribe to the fact that Frank and Virginia Tech football are due for some fortune after two straight semi to outright sluggish seasons down in the New River Valley.

Let’s say that at least seven of the eight above check-boxes have positive season impacting gold-stars for check-marks in them; or maybe more… Now look at the 2014 docket with me, through a rose flavored football  lens…

Most have us already written off for our o9.o6 visit up to “the” Ohio State. However, what if our stellar secondary bails us out and turns a rebuilt Buckeye oLine over 2-4 times for our alleged Columbus visiting troubles? I’m not want for moral victories, though I am want to say that Virgina Tech could and possibly will build some real live ’14 momentum via giving the heavily favored Buckeyes a total fit in week#2.

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Suddenly a team like E.c.u. won’t be within reach; as we begin to witness an incremental 2014 Virginia Tech football squad that improves slowly, then steadily and then surely, all year long. Georgia Tech has only Flexed on Coach Foster once, one time, and that’s all folks. 1 up and 5 down from an ATL P.O.V. (point of view) says so. There is a reason for that one folks. Without saying Virginia Tech is more offensively durable than Georgia Tech, the Hokies are at least more defensively responsible than the Jackets.

Then we see the @U.N.C. then @Pitt toggle followed by a hosting Lane venue for The U. Or in other words, we catch three straight Coastal exit polls or swing game pivots in a row. @U.N.C. is not a given and I’ll admit, this one bothers me the most, though beyond Qb, this is not an overly explosive T.Heel offense; if we can only Marquis de Sade this sky-blue Qb for 60 minutes with our signature 1-Gap structure.

Pitt does have another Brahma bull Tb and we do seem to experience some hiccup games up in the Steel City; however, these Panthers are a whole lot closer to inert than they are to being downright explosive, and umbrella or containment football with a neutral or better turnover margin should be enough in this one.

Miami still fields the biggest most physical, most Jurassic Park sized oLine in the A.c.c. Tru dat, and I’m still waiting on The U to finally get back! This one is only a bother if the Virginia Tech defensive training room says it is.

Then we close @Duke who -to their enormous credit- has improved, and vastly; and yet just graduated a buncha mega coached up wiseguy S.A.T. talent(s). After that we close with the least qualified Minority coach of them all, at home, in what could very well be his lame-duck or swansong cavalier game. I’ll admit, that does bring a wildcard element into this one –hooever, let’s just hope Littlepage does not go out and actually find a qualified Minority candidate this time.

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See what I mean? As I said in part I, there is momentum to be found in this 2014 Vah.Tech football canvas folks, momentum aplenty, be that all all downhill or all uphill. That is the inherent nature of a talented though inexperienced offensive, and talented yet thin defensive beast.

Nevertheless, and returning to topic, what if things do go collusively right, as in totally right in fourteen terms?

This could be a 10 win football team in a hurry people; and if our Top-22 mostly survives 2014 intact, there is not a single credible big time underdog role for Virginia Tech to play out on the Vegas big-board, beyond our visit to C’bus in early September.

As I do see three basic gimmie games on the 2014 regular season docket. I see one rather difficult W; and after that? I see as many as eight regular-season vamping contests where I can and just did make a reasoned case for a weekly improving Virginia Tech doing just enough to win; circa or que what the 2004 Virginia Tech football team did. All behind Frank’s pet recipe of ground-control offense, with short to medium play-action and the best punt and defensive game up and down the whole darn Atlantic Coast.

Now all that being said, as I did say in part I, I (already) do R.A.T.T. foresee the 2014 regular season as the most outlying or scatter diagram looking level of systemic variance as a Hokie regular season goes in a long long time. With so much young offensive talent, and so little depth at numerous defensive positions, we’ve either got very high ceiling or a very low floor, and yet if we can just remain healthy, the sky’s the limit here folks, as Virginia Tech could and flat out would aggressively compete for most improved football program out of all 127 D-1 football team’s this year.

Ergo, with fingers, eyes and toes all crossed, it’s on to Charlotte and the A.c.c. championship game where we really are only 60 minutes, a few breaks, a Beamerball revival and someone knocking F.s.u. out prior to our arrival removed from the inaugural play-off slot#4. Sounds crazy you say??? I told you this was a P.A.T.T. or Elysium article in the header.

It’s not even July folks, don’t worry, be Hokie!

Virginia Tech W’s=12, Virginia Tech L’s=2

“LETS GO!”

“Hokies!”

bourbonstreet**