The No. 10 Virginia Tech football team must improve on last season’s results to keep its respect in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
After winning the 2005, 2007 and 2008 conference championships, the Hokies were picked to win the conference in 2009 and are again favored in 2010 according to media covering the ACC.
Tech earned a No. 7 preseason ranking in 2009, but had to face No. 5 Alabama in the season opener. The 34-24 loss stunted the Hokies’ hopes of a national title, but certainly didn’t put the team out of contention for it.
Looking back on the game, the offense wasn’t nearly as efficient as later in the year. Running back Ryan Williams had yet to emerge as a star and quarterback Tyrod Taylor still hadn’t shown his consistency.
Things seemed to be coming together as the Hokies moved all the way up to No. 4 in the polls midway through the season, with a nationally televised battle against Georgia Tech looming.
However, a dismal defensive performance against the Yellow Jackets followed by a weak showing against North Carolina — at home on a Thursday night — led to two consecutive ACC losses.
The hopes and expectations of the season vanished over that 12-day stretch.
You have to give head coach Frank Beamer a ton of credit for inspiring his team for the rest of the season. The Hokies came out and drilled their remaining five opponents, capped by a 37-14 domination of Tennessee in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
If nothing else, this success provided momentum going into the 2010 campaign.
With No. 13 Miami and No. 20 Florida State’s programs quickly ascending back toward national prominence, the Hokies have to hold their ground atop the conference.
It is hard to overlook the depth of the ACC Coastal Division, with No. 16 Georgia Tech and No. 18 North Carolina joining Miami and Virginia Tech. I forgot to mention Duke and Virginia but they have had their hands full with Richmond and William & Mary, respectively.
A small reprieve in competition may come from the current NCAA investigation into certain North Carolina players for allegedly receiving improper benefits from agents and others being investigated for possible “academic misconduct.”
North Carolina head coach Butch Davis’ depth chart is still up in the air as he awaits determinations on players’ eligibility.
Either way, the Hokies will have to battle just to make it to the ACC title game, especially when you consider the three-game stretch against Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Miami late in the season. Remember, two of the Hokies’ three 2009 losses came against the Yellow Jackets and Tar Heels.
Despite the Coastal Division being the much tougher half of the ACC, the Hokies must find a way to make it to the conference title game.
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