For all the buildup leading up to the Ohio State game, it’s a wonder it is only worth one win for Virginia Tech.
Since Tech was embarrassed in the 2014 Sun Bowl against UCLA, the focus, at least from the fans, has been on the nationally ranked Buckeyes.
But now, that game – no matter how great it was for the program and its fans – is over.
“We had a great win over a national team, our kids played great, our coaches coached great,” Frank Beamer, who won his first road game against a top eight opponent Saturday, said. “But right now, we enjoy the win, we celebrate it, but right now we need to get that out of our mind and get on East Carolina. I’ll tell you right now they are a dangerous team.”
The importance on moving on from the big win wasn’t an idea reserved just for the coaching staff, either.
“We call (it) the 24-hour rule,” quarterback Michael Brewer said. “You got 24 hours to think about the game, talk about the game, celebrate the game, and then it’s on to the next week. The big emphasis this week is not having a step back after a big emotional win like that.
“You see that all around the country happening every year. We’re going to do what we can to make sure that doesn’t happen, because that was a big win, there is no question about it,” he said. “Huge win for our program, huge win for our seniors, but that win is going to mean a heck of a lot more if we can continue to win and get it done each week.”
For the Hokies, who returned to the national spotlight with the primetime win on the road, it’s no longer about how well they played against Ohio State nor what the narrative surrounding the team has become. What matters now is beating the Pirates and avoiding the prototypical trap game.
Tech’s last two victories over ranked teams – a 42-24 win over No. 14 Miami last season and a 38-0 victory over No. 24 Virginia in 2011 – were followed up with losses.
“The same way we looked at Ohio State, ECU is going to be looking at us, coming into our stadium and trying to silence our crowd,” co-ACC defensive back of the week Kyshoen Jarrett said. “What we have to do and what the seniors have to do is gather everyone and make sure that they don’t get complacent. That was only week two, we’re on week three now and we have to go and play ECU.”
ECU, a team that Tech was tied with at halftime and beat by five a year ago, won’t be a walkover, either. The Pirates followed that loss with a win against North Carolina by 24 and then beat North Carolina State by 14 seven weeks later.
Shane Carden, the Pirates’ preseason All-AAC quarterback, has completed 70.5 percent of his passes in his career – the best in the nation for a quarterback returning from last season.
“I read here to our team all the things that (Carden’s) accomplished and is getting ready to accomplish this year and it took eight minutes to get all this stuff to our football team,” Beamer said. “You talk about an accomplished guy in a system that is perfect for him, throwing that ball around. I think them having a better running game, that really helps him.”
The win against the Buckeyes was one of the best in Tech’s history, but as of right now, it’s all about the Pirates in Blacksburg.
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Stop writing about the OSU game. The 24 hour rule should apply to writers as well as the team.
Just to be contrarian, I don’t feel the trap game, sure there’s an opportunity for a letdown, but it’s early in the season and suspect the players are jazzed and looking forward to learning and doing more not sitting around reminiscing about past wins. One paradox is that if everyone really feels this could be a trap game (as opposed to giving lip service) then it probably isn’t. I haven’t heard anybody blowing ECU off.
The crazy thing is that the OSU was a fun, high profile game, but not really that important in the scheme of things, (well, there is that recruit thing) VT has a slim chance of making the playoffs, so the high profile win doesn’t matter that much, even a bit of a distraction from winning the games you need to win, the conference games. In two weeks comes the important stuff.
While the OSU win is huge for us, especially fans, how huge is yet to be determined.
For all the good feelings, for all the euphoria after that game, should we lose Saturday against ECU, all the euphoria will disappear, and we, the team included, will only have a “punch to the gut” feeling.
The OSU game got the national attention back on us. The longer the team wins, the longer the attention will be on us. If we lose to ECU, the attention will turn away very quickly.
Well said
Wow, didn’t realize, or just forgot that the Hoos were #24 when we shellacked them in 2011. Huh…shows you how much I pay attention to them. 🙂
I live this Brewer guy. Think we have us a real leader!
ECU has never been a easy game for VT. I’ve watched a lot of these games , home & away , they come to play when VT is their opponent . Being in Lane , new fire in the Hokies , ECU might see a different team than they did last year in their place. I was there and was worried right up to the end ! Good article and keep it coming Jacob . Thank You
The ECU QB is Good and I am glad it is at home so the fans can help lift the team. The Corners and Saftys are going to get a work out. Hopefully the front 7 can get a good rush to the QB to shorten his reads and perhaps make quick errant throws. This will not be an easy game. And the following week with GT is always a battle. The team needs to be focused. Regardless great win last Saturday. GO HOKIES!!!
This really stood out to me
“Tech’s last two victories over ranked teams – a 42-24 win over No. 14 Miami last season and a 38-0 victory over No. 24 Virginia in 2011 – were followed up with losses.”
VT has only 2 wins since nov 2011 Against ranked teams!!?!?
No wonder the win felt so foreign to me Saturday night. Got to finish business each week from here on out
Ranked teams played in 2013-14:
#1 Alabama – loss
#14 Miami – win
#17 UCLA – loss
2012-13
#14 Clemson – loss
#8 FSU – loss
2011-12
#13 Clemson – loss
#20 GT – win
#24 UVa – win
#21 Clemson – loss
#13 Michigan – loss
Regular season since November 2011:
November 26, 2011 – #24 UVA (Away, W, 38-0);
December 3, 2011 – #21 Clemson (Neutral, L, 38-10); ACC Championship
October 20, 2012 – #14 Clemson (Away, L, 17-38);
November 8, 2012 – #8 Florida State (Home, L, 22-28);
August 31, 2013 – #1 Alabama (Neutral, L, 10-35); CFA Kickoff
November 9, 2013 – #11 Miami (Away, W, 42-24);
September 6, 2014 – #8 Ohio State (Away, W, 35-10)…
4 losses, 3 wins…