Ranking this year’s games from a fan perspective
Monday, August 27th, 2007[The following post was published at HokieHaven.com on August 25, 2007.]
As of Thursday, August 23rd, it’s been 236 days since Virginia Tech last played a football game. Needless to say, it’s been a long off-season for Hokies everywhere, but the end of that off-season is just around the corner. The anticipation for Virginia Tech’s 2007 football season has been building since the day after the Hokies’ 24-31 loss to Georgia in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. While there were many negative words said and written about our second half performance against the Bulldogs, most folks knew the offense was young, knew we didn’t have many outgoing seniors, and anticipated the team would improve from 2006 to 2007. But the real source of the early anticipation was the schedule. With an out of conference road trip to LSU, as well as Florida State and Miami at home on back-to-back Saturdays, Virginia Tech fans have been scrambling all year for tickets.
If that wasn’t enough, the emotions surrounding the aftermath of the April 16th shootings have been thrown into the mix. I believe that this year’s season opener against East Carolina will be one of the most memorable opening games in Virginia Tech history. The demand for tickets to the game versus East Carolina on September 1st rivals the demand for the games against Florida State and Miami. I believe the anticipation for the ECU game exceeds that of the canceled 2000 BCA Bowl versus Georgia Tech, and it rivals the anticipation of the 2004 BCA Football Classic versus the University of Southern California. In my mind, those are the only notable season openers that have been scheduled in the last decade.
It is remarkable that a game versus East Carolina will likely be one of the most anticipated and remembered football games this season. I mean no disrespect to the Pirate faithful when I say this, but a clash on the gridiron between the Hokies and Pirates was not anticipated to be earth shattering by any stretch of the imagination. Prior to April 16th, the match-up against ECU was viewed mainly as a tune-up for Virginia Tech before the trip LSU. However, the world changed for the Virginia Tech community on April 16th, 2007. In hours and days following the shootings, we experienced an unparalleled outpouring of support from other universities and colleges. East Carolina was one such university, and they pledged to donate $100,000 to the Hokie Spirit Fund just days after the shooting. I welcome them to Virginia Tech on September 1st and look forward to having them join us for what will be a emotional return of football to Blacksburg.
As you can see, I am looking forward to the East Carolina game next weekend. Not only because I expect it to be a meaningful start to the football season, as well as a memorable experience, but because it marks the start of a regular season that I consider to be one of Virginia Tech’s best football schedules in recent memory. I was so excited about this year’s schedule that when it was released, I promised myself that I would attend every regular season game. When the date of the LSU game was announced, I immediately booked airfare and hotel accommodations for Baton Rouge. I have worked on and off all year to get tickets to the away games (home games were already covered by my season tickets), and now I am all set for every game except UVA.
I am ready for the season, and this is how I have ranked the games on the schedule based on a combination of competition on the field, tailgating expectations, and fan anticipation.
Take ‘em or leave ‘em: William & Mary, at Duke
I’m sorry, but these are two games I’m just not very excited about. I can’t get excited about playing a Division I-AA team, and I can’t get excited about driving 3 hours to watch one of the best teams in the ACC pummel one of the worst teams in the league. If I hadn’t made it a goal to attend every regular season game, these are the games I’d skip.
Be there if you can and have fun: (no particular order)
Ohio – Many of you may consider the Ohio game as “take it or leave it”, but its redeeming quality is that it is a home game. They may not be a premier out of conference opponent, but it should still be fun.
North Carolina – I’m looking forward to this game because of three things: it is our ACC opener, it is Butch Davis’ return to Lane Stadium (I always enjoy beating him), and it is a home game.
at Georgia Tech – The Georgia Tech game is definitely a “can’t miss” game for Yellow Jacket fans, and I consider it to be one of our tougher contests this year. Because it’s an away game on a Thursday night, most Hokies will be perfectly content watching this one on ESPN. However, I went to Atlanta in 2004 for our first game against Georgia Tech as a member of the ACC, and I went to Atlanta this past January for the Chick-fil-A Bowl. I enjoyed both of those trips and will be making the trek again. I expect this one to be fun.
at Virginia – As a resident of the Charlottesville area, I will definitely be attending this game. It’s a “can’t miss” game for me, but not for Hokie fans in general. The lack of competition in recent years has taken the edge off of this rivalry, but this year’s game may carry added importance. Why? Because if the Hokies are to fulfill media predictions and go to the ACC Championship game, this could be a must-win game at the end of the year.
I consider the following games as “can’t miss” games for Hokie fans. Again, this isn’t entirely on football merits, as I consider the Georgia Tech game to be much tougher than the Boston College contest. This list is more about the fun Virginia Tech fans will have attending these games.
6) Boston College (Thursday night)
With BC coming into Lane Stadium with a new head coach, I don’t think this will be one of our toughest games this year. However, night games at Lane Stadium are special. I don’t think I’ve missed a Thursday night game at home since my freshmen year (1997). Now, as a working professional, there’s nothing like taking 2 days off of work to head to Blacksburg on Thursday morning, tailgate all afternoon, and subsequently watch Hokie football. Then I get to head home Friday for recovery, and I have the entire weekend ahead of me.
5) at Clemson
Hey, this game is at Clemson. Need I say more? There isn’t a member of the ACC with more football tradition than the Tigers. I look forward to this road trip.
4) Miami
While Miami may have a down year with first year head coach Randy Shannon at the reins, don’t expect this one to be easy. It is the week after Florida State comes to town, and Miami always plays us tough. Lane Stadium is always raucous when the Hurricanes visit, so regardless of Miami’s record on November 17th, this one is a “can’t miss”.
3) East Carolina
There is not much more to write about this game that I haven’t already written. The only reason why this isn’t ranked as the top “can’t miss” football game for a Virginia Tech fan is because of the two games I haven’t yet mentioned.
1-tied) at LSU
A week after we open the season, we will make one of the toughest road trips in recent history. It is expected to be one of the top college football games of the year, and it is – without a doubt – the toughest game of the season for the Hokies. As with many SEC schools, LSU has a football tradition that we just can’t yet touch. Their fans can tailgate with the best of them, and they have one of the loudest stadiums in college football. Who knows if we will ever play LSU during the regular season again in my lifetime, so I consider it a rare opportunity to be able to watch the Hokies play at the home of one of the SEC’s top programs.
1-tied) Florida State
While I am really excited to go to LSU, I am just as excited that Bobby Bowden finally gets to visit Lane Stadium for an ACC game. Virginia Tech fans want revenge – revenge for the 2005 ACC Championship Game, revenge for the 2002 Gator Bowl, and revenge for the 2000 Sugar Bowl. It’s been a long time since we’ve beat Florida State (32 years), and it’s been a long time since they’ve visited Blacksburg (18 years). I think every Hokie circled November 10, 2007, when this year’s schedule was released. Expect this game to be a night game. Expect the tailgating prior to it to have some extras (extra food, extra games & activities, extra people, and extra drinks), and expect Lane Stadium to be as loud as it has ever been. For any Florida State fan expecting a win because you have never seen us beat you – this one won’t be easy for you. We finally get you on our turf.