I hate it, but I have a hard time believing this team is mentally tough enough to win a lot more games. That was the easier part of our schedule (looking easier when you consider Tennessee's body of work). I think we are physically worn and don't have the talent in-depth to win Thursday. Heck, even if we do, so what? The feeling that we can't handle real adversity (Tenn and SU) without falling apart will still be there. They certainly haven't proven otherwise. Bud hasn't proven that he can stop a team that can spread us out, throw and run a QB (particularly when that QB hasn't shown a lot of running prowess previously). That recipe for beating him is one that any team playing us would be smart to employ if they are underdogs. I have been cautiously optimistic about Bud after some dominating performances but I was waiting to see us perform against somebody that had nothing to lose and a gameplan to exploit Bud's Achille's Heel. Could we adjust? Out talent? That went well. Of course that was all magnified by our offense going 3 and out at every opportunity. Much of that came from getting behind the sticks on 1st down.

I think we lose to Pitt, based solely on the fact that we haven't really exercised old demons and maybe can't until Fuente has only his personnel in the system. Plus they can run the ball and grind us down. I don't see us developing a rushing attack that doesn't require Evan's to get hit a lot or Sam to run into a wall every series. We aren't talented enough throwing the ball to be one dimensional (at least not until 6'7 Bucky can high point a ball against a 6'0 DB and Evans can connect on wide open deep balls with some sort of consistancy).

Duke could be a win if we come in as fired up as we were against UNC (thank God we didn't play them in good weather) or ECU.

I think we beat GT because Paul Johnson will do what Paul Johnson does, and Bud is comfortable with defending it.

Notre Dame will beat us. I just have a feeling that at their house, with their talent and us being inconsistent, we go up and lay an egg.

That leaves UVA. A QB that can throw it way down the field? Check. Game we should win? Check. New coach looking for his first signature win (a 13yr streak breaker)? Check. If that QB of their's runs anything under a 5.12 40 then mark that one down as an L. Virginia Tech, making dreams come true..for whoever we play.

I hope I am wrong. I hope we finally get to the point where we take care of business and cut out embarassing losses. I hope we figure out how to not implode in big games. I hope we finally have a system to get us to the next level. For now though, this doesn't feel any different than all our old problems andbit looks a lot like the last 4 years.