If there was ever a textbook example of how a team can beat themselves, we witnessed that on Saturday. Virginia Tech wasn’t dominated by Tennessee, nor were they outplayed.

Like the late great NFL head coach Dennis Green once said, “They are what we thought they were, and we let them off the hook!”

That’s exactly the way I think the coaches saw this game with a disappointing outcome. Now don’t get me wrong. Tennessee deserves all the credit by capitalizing on every turnover and mistake Virginia Tech made. The Volunteers have a very talented team with an impressive defense, but I didn’t see an elite team like 2004 USC, 2007 LSU, 2009 Alabama, or the recent Urban Meyer led Ohio State teams. That was a tough game to watch, but there were some positives as well.

The Big Picture

Let’s admit it, we have been spoiled the last couple of decades thanks to the legend Frank Beamer. Hokie fans just haven’t been satisfied over the last four years, and average to mediocre football just isn’t good enough to many. Almost a decade of 10+ win seasons left fans wanting more, which has made the fan base anxious and impatient. The fact is Virginia Tech has won 7-8 wins each of the last four seasons — not a single season at or below .500 in over two decades. So, let’s step back a bit, and see the big picture.

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