The Goat Pen

Let's not get carried away. Dook could've easily lost to UNC on Saturday, they beat Wake by 7 and both VT and Troy St (!) by a mere field goal. Not to take anything away from their season, but it's not like they've been steamrolling everybody, which is what FSU has been doing. Very difficult for me to see Dook winning this game under any scenario short of a complete implosion by FSU, coupled with a near perfect game by Dook. That's not good odds...

hedge wrote:Let's not get carried away. Dook could've easily lost to UNC on Saturday, they beat Wake by 7 and both VT and Troy St (!) by a mere field goal. Not to take anything away from their season, but it's not like they've been steamrolling everybody, which is what FSU has been doing. Very difficult for me to see Dook winning this game under any scenario short of a complete implosion by FSU, coupled with a near perfect game by Dook. That's not good odds...

its terrible odds. terrible. and no, Duke will most likely, NOT WIN. but this is what I think will happen...

Duke (given it's resources) has played "perfectly" the last 5 weeks, they just had to win not "steamroll"

Duke will play perfectly vs FSU

Any mistakes FSU makes, Duke will capitalize

And ONLY if FSU makes just enough mistakes, will there be any chance that Duke will win. Duke will not make ANY mistakes. Cutcliffe will not allow that to happen

Duke should be crushed. Crushed. Forget the edge at the skill positions. Just the sheer physical power of FSU on both lines should be more than enough to overwhelm a perfectly coached team of 2-stars that is currently playing perfect football. It shouldn't be a "game." Its only a game if FSU fucks up. That is on Fisher. Jimbo has much more to lose on Saturday than does Cutlcliffe and he knows it.

I hate to burst your bubble but FSU's coaching staff is outstanding just about everywhere. We replaced six coaches in the offseason; Pruitt at DC was a huge question mark but he's done a fantastic job of implementing the Bama-style of defense in a very short time frame.

The only question mark on our coaching staff is Lawrence Dawsey, the WR coach (who is a great recruiter). However, Winston has great chemistry with the receivers and they are great in their own right so any coaching deficiencies are negligible. Our QB coach has been OC at two SEC programs, the TE coach has been a HC in the Big 10, the LB coach was a DC in the SEC...these guys can coach.

KeviNole wrote:I hate to burst your bubble but FSU's coaching staff is outstanding just about everywhere.

Then you should have no trouble. Are you going to the game?

I thought about it especially with tickets going very cheaply, but we have a church commitment Sunday morning and I don't think I can manage the road trip. If the game was in the afternoon I'd probably go.

We could certainly lose this game but it will require several turnovers and a very off night by Winston. And a lot of help from the refs. If you didn't see Saturday's game, UF has a good defense and a very good secondary. They "held" Greene and Shaw in check pretty well but that left Kelvin Benjamin to pick up the slack, and he had over 200 yards (and at least 100 yards of dropped passes). Winston makes throws that I haven't seen in a long time.

Jameis has the respect of the ACC coaches - they chose him as 1st team ACC QB over Tajh Boyd

VT & West Virginia will open 2017 season at FedEx

http://espn.go.com/college-football/sto ... edex-field

Dr. Strangelove wrote:VT & West Virginia will open 2017 season at FedEx

http://espn.go.com/college-football/sto ... edex-field

Cool.

I keep wondering if VPI and Tennessee are ever going to actually have that game in front of 160,000 at the Bristol Raceway like they've been discussing.

innocentbystander wrote:

Dr. Strangelove wrote:VT & West Virginia will open 2017 season at FedEx

http://espn.go.com/college-football/sto ... edex-field

Cool.

I keep wondering if VPI and Tennessee are ever going to actually have that game in front of 160,000 at the Bristol Raceway like they've been discussing.

They are. That's happening in 2016 on Labor weekend

Dr. Strangelove wrote:VT & West Virginia will open 2017 season at FedEx

http://espn.go.com/college-football/sto ... edex-field

one weekend to steer far away from FedEx Field....

It's nearly time for the season to start, which means VT must be trying in vain to find a few more offensive linemen. This year's lack of offensive line depth is especially impressive, though-- with the season-ending injuries suffered by Mark Shuman and Brent Benedict(both projected starters), VT now has seven scholarship backup linemen that figure to play. Three are true freshmen, two are redshirt freshmen, and one is a Division III transfer from RPI(and he was playing defensive tackle until two weeks ago). Combined Division I snaps taken by this group: nine. This wouldn't be so discouraging if the starters were proven and durable, but the projected starter at right guard, Augie Conte, has barely played, and the starting left guard, David Wang, is almost never healthy. VT's offense should be improved at RB, WR, and TE this season, but with this offensive line, it may be difficult to tell.

The Hokies' Wang is rarely healthy?

Sounds like William & Mary will do the needful.

William and Mary might have the best defense in the FCS this year-- they were #2 in scoring defense last year, and they're bringing seven starters back. If W&M's defense can force a bunch of turnovers(and a VT offense committing a bunch of turnovers is always a possibility), the Tribe might get enough short fields to score 17-24 points. That would give them a great chance to spring the upset. VT's offense figures to take a while to get going in this one(if it ever does), but W&M's offense doesn't figure to do much of anything unless it gets some help.

VT 20, W&M 3.

JRB wrote:http://espn.go.com/college-football/sto ... -two-years

He deserves it. He really deserves so much more, Nick Saban money.

except Saban never started an all-rapist backfield...

Well done VPI, well done.

Too bad (not really) we dont have any Hokies here - that was nicely done.

JRB comes by, but only about once a year.