2012-2013 NCAA Football Thread (National Signing Day)

[Popeman38]

I know that this grew out of some earlier comments (or I suppose, some "hate") towards VT which may have been unwarranted, but I always think that it's rather endearing when VT fans try to flip things around to clown on FSU.

Jimbo Fisher has been running the program for 2 full seasons now and in that time frame, went to an ACC title game, has built FSU's defense into one of the top 3 or 4 units in the entire country, and even after the team suffered more injuries to its original starting lineup than any other team in the country in 2011, FSU still has a 19-8 record in that time span.

(And of those 8 losses, FSU was favored in just 4 of them, so really, if one stops to think about it, or knew what they were talking about, FSU has truly "failed to live up to expectations" in 4 games out Fisher's 28 as the HC)

Only 11 other teams in the country matched that record between 2010 and 2011. And I realize that that's not exactly a great sample set, but Fisher also took over a program that was a complete train wreck at the time, and didn't have a 10 win season record since 2003 or had gone to the ACC title game since 2005. So it's hardly like Fisher just hit the ground running with a fully loaded team - he's had to rebuild the program practically from scratch over the past couple of years.

If it helps, maybe try and think of it like a new coach coming and having to take over the Redskins after Jim Zorn was fired. The last 4 years of Bobby Bowden were that sort of a disaster, both on the field and in the locker room.

But really, what are we even talking about here?

This is like old school, terrible NCAA Forum-level trolling.

Yeah, FSU really blew it a handful of times in Bowden's last years. No argument there. But if I were a rational VT fan, I'm not going to start trashing FSU as a program.

FSU's peak as a program saw 14 consecutive top 5 finishes, 2 Heisman trophy winners, 2 National Championship trophies, and 5 National Championship game appearances. While accomplishing all of that, FSU had to battle similarly elite programs in-state with rivals UF and Miami.

VT, meanwhile, shows off an empty trophy case, and boasts about a 10-win season streak and an "ACC dominance," which just so happens to neatly coincide with the program's noted failures in BCS Bowl games and the worst national perception the ACC has faced in decades. That's something to be proud of, for sure.

FSU has also never lost to an FCS program, which is a spectacular notch in VT's belt (and that JMU game is recent history, too).

So congratulations to Virginia Tech. The Hokies really are the best!*

*Until VT is playing a team ranked in the top 10, in which case the Hokies are an incredible 6-27 under Beamer...and the last win over a team that was ranked in the top 10 was Miami in 2009, and they proved themselves to be fairly overrated by season's end

(On a serious note: can't more VT fans just be more like SHF? He doesn't bother with anything like this. These conversations are so much easier if we don't have to go down this sort of path.)


VT should have a good defense this year. Didn't look very great last night, but that's probably a result of some early season kinks to work out while going against GT's triple option.

But I would also bet that without using Google, you couldn't name even 3 starters on FSU's defense, so I think it's amusing that you're complaining about FSU's defense getting a lot of hype compared to VT's (even though VT's defense has gotten a lot of preseason praise from most national writers and bloggers).

But that aside - to answer you, while VT will have an excellent defense this season (and easily the best in a few years, although Bud Foster's also produced some overrated defenses in the past several years), no, it's not going to be as good as FSU's.

VT didn't even have a starter who would start for FSU at that same position, until Greg Reid got kicked off the team and Brandon Jenkins hurt his foot. Now, you could certainly state that Kyle Fuller would start at field corner for FSU, and James Gayle would start at DE.

But it's still not going to be a better unit.

Bud Foster would eat his lunch pail if it meant he could have FSU's DT and NT rotation.

Well based on our track record of predictions, and your unabashed homerism for FSU, I think I feel pretty safe.

And just FYI, Bud Foster COULD ave had FSUs rotation at DT and NT. Jimbo wanted him as his DC. Bud stayed in Blacksburg.

[LeesburgSkinFan]

I will need a significant amount of convincing to believe that South Carolina is one of the 10 best teams in the country.

[Major Harris]

spartacus, quit bashing the ncaa forum's heyday. best es ever had to offer brother.

[pjfootballer]

As a MD and Memphis fan, I wish I didn't have to wait until basketball season to get in on the conversation. Sigh, Memphis has never had a good football program, but MD "could" have one if they get rid of Edsall and bring in someone who knows what they are doing.

[DCranon21]

I will need a significant amount of convincing to believe that South Carolina is one of the 10 best teams in the country.

I'm guessing with Lattimore back and the defense is actually a good unit from what I can see. But I'm just going off of what I see.

[Major Harris]

As a MD and Memphis fan, I wish I didn't have to wait until basketball season to get in on the conversation. Sigh, Memphis has never had a good football program, but MD "could" have one if they get rid of Edsall and bring in someone who knows what they are doing.

has md ever been "good" outside of the orange bowl fluke season? they were respectable under friedgen, but i wouldn't call them "good."

[pjfootballer]

has md ever been "good" outside of the orange bowl fluke season? they were respectable under friedgen, but i wouldn't call them "good."

They had some good teams in the 80s and some decent teams in the 90s. Fridge turned them around to being a respectable team in the early 2000. He had some up and down years, but pretty satisfying if you are a MD fan. I was willing to give Edsall a chance, but I think he's gone after this season. MD will be lucky to win 1 more game. In hindsight, I wish we would have went with Leach when they had the chance.

[SkinsHokieFan]

Any guesses as to when Nick Saban sold his soul to the devil?

[earl]

I'm guessing with Lattimore back and the defense is actually a good unit from what I can see. But I'm just going off of what I see.

Lattimore doesn't look the same at all. and they don't appear to have a WR that can create seperation with the loss of Alshon Jeffrey. And their QB was generating more offense w/ his legs then his arm running that zone read, but he got knicked up the first game. I realize that it has only been one week and things can turn around, but looking at thier schedule and UGA's. I'd say there is a very slim chance they go to ATL to represent the East.

[earl]

Any guesses as to when Nick Saban sold his soul to the devil?

In Cleveland. It was a package deal. Devil took both Saban and Bill Belichick's heart, sense of humor and personalities in exchange for gridiron success and a life long haters.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

Offense sucked, D played well, glad to get rid of GT early in the year and move on with the schedule.

Having an entire year to prepare for GT is a huge break.

[big#44]

Having an entire year to prepare for GT is a huge break.

I was reading an interview with Foster on Espn and he had this to say.

How long, technically, have you been preparing for this? (GT game)

BF: I’d say about the middle of last week, to be honest with you....http://espn.go.com/blog/acc/post/_/i...ith-bud-foster

I dont really doubt it either way. VT's D line and linebackers were talented enough that i dont think they needed a whole lot of time.

[Popeman38]

I dont really doubt it either way. VT's D line and linebackers were talented enough that i dont think they needed a whole lot of time.

Well VT has a habit of using their BYE right before the GT game, so I think they generally take longer than usual to prepare for GT. However, the notion that Bud Foster spent all of spring practice preparing for GT is ludicrous. That would mean he would be ignoring the other 10 games on the schedule to prep his defense for 1 game.

[Major Harris]

i doubt that. everyone knows it takes extra prep for the triple option. it's an excuse when teams lose to gtech during the season, can't have it both ways when you play them early.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

I don't think that Virginia Tech spent 12 months putting in a game plan for one game. But most teams have about three days to prepare for the triple option. Not having to rush through that prep work is an advantage. That's all. Did not mean to sully the good name of Bud Foster.

(Also, it's good to see that Hokie fans are just as sensitive as ever).