"Grumble, I don't like it!" - tOfficial VTfoozball thread

[Taz_Hokie]

I think most Tech fans have forgotten how we got here....

Excellent post there sir. Rep.

 

[ckhokie]

I think it's fine every once in a while to appreciate how far the program has come, but that doesn't mean we all need to totally accept 10-4 seasons and be perfectly fine with them. Of the cfb programs who have put together 20+ straight winning seasons, or 18 straight bowl games, or 8 straight 10+ win seasons, how many of those still don't have a National Championship or at least multiple NC appearances? Schools like Boise and Oregon have definitely made our fan base a little more impatient, I'm sure.

It's just like the Greenberg situation, mind you, on a much different scale. Sure we can always look back at the basketball team's (lack of) historical success, but that doesn't mean we should be fine with the NIT

 

[hunzworth]

damn it TAE how dare you bring a such a well written post full of facts and honest opinion into a thread like this!


In all seriousness great post man. I've been a fan since birth (early 80's) and can completely agree with everything you said there. REP!

 

[hokiegrad]

I hate that our special teams sucks of late and we gave up blocking kicks 4 years ago

I hate that we HAVEN'T given up blocking kicks, if we're not going to be disciplined enough to avoid running into the kicker...

 

[MattB4VT]

im hope everyone realizes this is the "Grumble, I dont like it!!' -tOfficial VTfoozball thread. I actually love where our recruiting has been headed recently, and i love how recruiting over the next few years seems to be on the major up and up.

but this is the thread that it is.... and all my posts on this thread are in honor of Vtfoozball
so....

We should have fired Beamer bak in early 1990's. he hasnt helped our football program, university, community, or alumni in any way.

 

[hokiegrad]

Depth is going to hurt us on the OL. I'm not sure we're going to get another OL in this class, which really frustrates me since we're still going after DL with all the depth we've built up there. I want 5 OL in this class, but doubt it will happen.

I think our OL talent is better than it once was. But our depth at OT does concern me. And I am concerned that we won't get as many quality OL in this class as we'd like. But we'll see about that. There's lots of time left.

 

[hokiegrad]

...Since 2007, only one OL has been converted from the DL (Becton), while the rest of the OLs have been recruited directly out of high school...

Amen to most of what you said! Acree was also converted from the DL, but maybe you were only talking about starters. And honestly, it's not really a problem if a couple guys get converted from one spot to another. That's gonna happen. That's football. I can only hope it happens with Teller.

 

[HokieGhost]

Amen to most of what you said! Acree was also converted from the DL, but maybe you were only talking about starters. And honestly, it's not really a problem if a couple guys get converted from one spot to another. That's gonna happen. That's football. I can only hope it happens with Teller.

You're correct on Acree....missed that one in the off-the-top-of-my-head rant.

 

[HokieGhost]

One more thought about OLs...it's far easier to recruit a DL and convert them to the OL than the other way around.

We look for quick, fast, agile DLs who are a little lighter than DLs found in other programs. If they don't work out on the DL they're still going to have enought foot-speed to play OL with the ability to gain weight if necessary.

On the other hand, an OL who doesn't work out is destined to either be a permanent reserve or to become a transfer to another program, probably at the FCS level.

 

[VTfoozball]

I think the biggest difference between me and others on here regarding recruiting is that I only get excited about program changers not program sustainers. Teller (only if he is an OT), Fuller, Allen, LeMay, North, Rochelle, Bower, Gilmore, Rolin, any 4 star OL...those are the guys I will get excited about. Players who have the physical tools to help us win the big games, get VT into the elite of college football, and succeed at the pro level where VT does not compare favorably with the schools that end up taking our top targets sometimes. The best players in HS only have the NFL on their minds and they choose according to who has had the most success with their players. VT needs to break the cycle of losing out on the big names and making do with less in order to get over the hump

 

[HokieGhost]

I think the biggest difference between me and others on here regarding recruiting is that I only get excited about program changers not program sustainers. Teller (only if he is an OT), Fuller, Allen, LeMay, North, Rochelle, Bower, Gilmore, Rolin, any 4 star OL...those are the guys I will get excited about. Players who have the physical tools to help us win the big games, get VT into the elite of college football, and succeed at the pro level where VT does not compare favorably with the schools that end up taking our top targets sometimes. The best players in HS only have the NFL on their minds and they choose according to who has had the most success with their players. VT needs to break the cycle of losing out on the big names and making do with less in order to get over the hump

So, are trying to tell us that guys like John Engelberger, Jake Grove, and Cody Grimm were just "program sustainers"?

I think you're putting a lot of weight on the evaluations of scouts for the recruiting services, most of whom have never played themselves, and never see the recruits in person. I know for a fact that the Tech coaching staff doesn't give a rats ass about the player evaluations of anybody but themselves.

Oh, by the way, just so you know, Tech is ranked in the top 15 college programs by most analysts for producing NFL talent.

 

[hunzworth]

I only get excited about program changers,Players who have the physical tools to help us win the big games.

you mean like danny coale or boykin? or maybe kam chancellor or james anderson?

Point is, Ill take our coaches eval over any "recruiting service" ten times out of ten.

edit: damn tae beat me to it

 

[VTfoozball]

you mean like danny coale or boykin? or maybe kam chancellor or james anderson?

Point is, Ill take our coaches eval over any "recruiting service" ten times out of ten.

edit: damn tae beat me to it

Boykin does not fit my criteria. He was not drafted and will most likely not be successful in the NFL therefore he will not help VT get big name, game changing WRs in the future. And in the games we lost over his career would a faster Boykin have made the difference? Sure VT finds more hidden gems than most teams but still they are not working with their ideal personnel I assure you. Yes I would take our coaches choices over any recruiting service but you are assuming that they are getting their first choice when most likely they are getting 2nd, 3rd, etc. because of the NFL factor

 

[hunzworth]

Boykin does not fit my criteria. He was not drafted and will most likely not be successful in the NFL therefore he will not help VT get big name, game changing WRs in the future. And in the games we lost over his career would a faster Boykin have made the difference? Sure VT finds more hidden gems than most teams but still they are not working with their ideal personnel I assure you. Yes I would take our coaches choices over any recruiting service but you are assuming that they are getting their first choice when most likely they are getting 2nd, 3rd, etc. because of the NFL factor

I would have agreed about 2nd, 3rd, choice in the past but VT has been landing an increasing number of 1st choices over the past two years. BTW Newsome was a 1st choice.

 

[Camfantasy]

Boykin does not fit my criteria. He was not drafted and will most likely not be successful in the NFL therefore he will not help VT get big name, game changing WRs in the future. And in the games we lost over his career would a faster Boykin have made the difference? Sure VT finds more hidden gems than most teams but still they are not working with their ideal personnel I assure you. Yes I would take our coaches choices over any recruiting service but you are assuming that they are getting their first choice when most likely they are getting 2nd, 3rd, etc. because of the NFL factor

Don't just assume that because Rivals says a guy is better, that VT coaches feel the same way. Do you want a guy with NFL size/speed, or do you want a guy that rivals says will be in the NFL down the road? I would bet that the latter is true. FWIW, I believe i saw somewhere that there were as many 2 stars drafted in the first round this year as 5 stars. Star rankings have as much or more to do with politics as they do with actual player evaluations, and I'm personally not going to say that so and so is better than so and so just because he paid a hefty sum to participate in some 7 on 7 tournament that Rivals was sponsoring.

 

[bigesse16]

Boykin does not fit my criteria. He was not drafted and will most likely not be successful in the NFL therefore he will not help VT get big name, game changing WRs in the future. And in the games we lost over his career would a faster Boykin have made the difference? Sure VT finds more hidden gems than most teams but still they are not working with their ideal personnel I assure you. Yes I would take our coaches choices over any recruiting service but you are assuming that they are getting their first choice when most likely they are getting 2nd, 3rd, etc. because of the NFL factor

Since we're only in the first week of May, you have to believe all the guys were have committed are 1st choices for the coaches. And even those last minute choices of Hosley and Maddy have turned out pretty good.

 

[hokiecheme11]

Don't just assume that because Rivals says a guy is better, that VT coaches feel the same way. Do you want a guy with NFL size/speed, or do you want a guy that rivals says will be in the NFL down the road? I would bet that the latter is true. FWIW, I believe i saw somewhere that there were as many 2 stars drafted in the first round this year as 5 stars. Star rankings have as much or more to do with politics as they do with actual player evaluations, and I'm personally not going to say that so and so is better than so and so just because he paid a hefty sum to participate in some 7 on 7 tournament that Rivals was sponsoring.

I agree that the 2 star vs 5 star stat means something, but there are also a lot more 2 stars that 5 stars fwiw. I assume the % of 5 stars who end up first round picks is way way way higher than that for 2 stars.

 

[VTfoozball]

BTW Newsome was a 1st choice.

If he was recruited with WR in mind I doubt it. North vs Newsome...hmm let's see...same speed but one is about 5 inches taller and 30-35 pounds heavier...hmmm

 

[jgHokie]

If he was recruited with WR in mind I doubt it. North vs Newsome...hmm let's see...same speed but one is about 5 inches taller and 30-35 pounds heavier...hmmm

lol...you make it seem like the coaches think exactly the way you do...how do YOU know that they wouldn't rather have newsome over north?? oh that's right...you're not a coach...so you DON'T. They know what they are looking for, and for the most part..especially recently...they are getting the ones they want.

 

[Camfantasy]

I agree that the 2 star vs 5 star stat means something, but there are also a lot more 2 stars that 5 stars fwiw. I assume the % of 5 stars who end up first round picks is way way way higher than that for 2 stars.

The vast majority of 5 stars are also going to elite level programs with elite level coaching staffs and elite level strength/conditioning programs. Most 2 stars don't have that benefit.