The latest issue of Hokie Sports magazine documented the 10 biggest wins to occur inside of Cassell Coliseum and I think they need to bump the entire list down by one slot.

Beating #1 Duke on Saturday was BIG - granted Tech has beaten #1 teams a few times in the past but this time it was with ESPN in town on a very hyped nationally televised stage - a place that so often VT sports lets the faithful Hokie down - going to an all important final week before the NCAA selection panel makes picks for the March tournament.

Despite miserable (8-19) free throw shooting that I said would “cost us the game” on several occassions the Hokies finished solid and held for a 64-60 win - a marque win likely enough to place the Hokies back in to the NCAA tournament for the first time in five years. Bravo boys, I am writing this from the back of a Hooptie Ride.

Kyle Tucker handed down some of the most wonderful news today. Its the kind of news that makes you want to break out in to choreographed song and dance…

(light beat builds)

“Did you hear?”

“Hear what?!”

(laughing) “Well the news that’s what!”

(entire ensemble joins in on the scaffolding stage resembling the North Endzone)

“THE GREAAATTEEESSSTTT NEEEWSSS OF ALL - THAT STINEFUCKS FINALLY NO LONGER GOING TO CALLLLLLLLLLL….”

(comic relief played by an overweight Al Groh) “The plaaaaaayyyyyyyys?”

[STAGE FREEZE!]

That’s right - Bryan Stinespring has been stripped from his duties as the play caller of the Hokies offense. It’s kind of a laterally-down-promotion since he is still considered Offensive Coordinator but it shows that Uncle Frank really is serious about shaking things up this off season. With the move of Billy Hite and the hiring of two young assistants, this is the most drastic change I have known to happen to VT staff since I started following the team

Of course the end of a tyrant does not mean the end to tyranny - but hopefully with a new quarterback at the helm and an an ongoing expectation that the defense will “reload” rather than rebuild, I believe that this may be the next step in taking the team from the nerve-racking same-old-crap consistency of 10-3 to becoming a main stage contender that will improve upward under new leadership. Either way it is the greatest thing I have heard out of my alma mater since learning about flex meal plans. Bravo Frank!

The Nationals made a stink splash at the start of baseball’s winter meetings with this $126 million contract for Jayson Werth.

Everyone seems to have an opinion on the rationale (or lack or rationale) in the acquisition. Most people are shocked by the sudden development of the Lerner family’s finances stupidity (or gusto) to agree to this large and lengthy of a contract. But the sporting world seems to be focusing on two main things 1) this does little to better the perpetually last place Nationals to contender status and 2) this is the Nationals announcing their presence as one of the few big boy teams that can bring beer and hot chicks (or big money contracts if you will) to the MLB party.

However, I believe there is a much deeper purpose to the signing, one that few analysts seem to think is at play. One that I even felt the need to call in to MLB XM175 to discuss tonight… and that is that Jayson Werth doesn’t represent wins, nor does he represent the Nationals seriousness to woo and sign big names… What Jayson is to the Nationals is an attraction, hes a tool to build value, he’s a capital investment.

The Lerner’s got a taste of what a sold out weekday crowd can be when Stephen Strasburg pitched last season. In a completely lost season in which a single team win meant nothing more than a worse draft selection, Washingtonians packed out Nats stadium to see “what everyone was talking about.” And if the goal is to get people talking, look at how much the baseball world is a buzz going to the winter meetings about the Washington Nationals and Jayson Werth. The team didn’t need to be good when Strasburg pitched because fans just needs to feel special to spend money. In a top 10 market full of transplanted residents the goal is not to raise and culture a lifetime fan but to get residents to come to the ballpark in the short term and spend as much money as possible while the getting is good.

The owner of the Nations, the Lerner family, obviously know real estate, and they bought in to a team and stadium that was supposed to revitalize the Navy Yards - an investment that was going to create a new waterfront for Washington DC. It was envisioned as an area that would thrive much Baltimore where people flock to the stadium and surrounding attractions regardless of the team’s success on the field. But with the recession hitting hard all that has been developed along half street and near the ballpark is an open air bar that features cover bands and cornhole and a handful of apartment towers in the distance.

The next 4 years will be the materialization of the new waterfront and what happens with that development relies heavily on the city’s perception of a baseball team that can make or break the operation. The luxury shops that ran from the table back in 2008, the restaurants that choose to relocate new franchises to other parts of the city in 2009, and the building plans that ran out of investors, all of these stakeholders will slowly come back and develop the vision that is still splashed along the walls as you walk to the ballpark from the Green Line metro station. In the next 4 years the Nationals want to have a team that people will talk about. The team is the  centerpiece of all of the investments - and the Lerner’s want a team that looks attractive to the casual observer even if it doesn’t make perfect “baseball sense”. Jason Werth is the granite counter tops and new bathroom fixtures that help make a property more attractive to buyers and consumers.

By showing the city that the Nationals are “the real deal” it provides comfort and hope to the investors and helps to drive interest in the ballpark area for buyers. Much like the ballpark in Arlington, Texas and a unsupportable investment in Alex Rodriguez, the goal was partly to drive up land value around the park. The Lerner’s want to present a team that people want to be around because there is a belief that they will stay interesting and that the team will spend money to remain relevant. Between Harper, Strasburg, Zimmerman (and Zimmerman), and now Werth, a recognizable name from within their own division, there is plenty of hope and fodder the fickle fans of Washington to point at and say “there is potential here, NEXT year is the year” … which sounds oddly similar to the real estate agent that says “the market is great for buying, there is real potential here to make it big in the next few years.” This is how the Lerner’s see their business and that is why things have been conducted like this since they took over the team.

Many people say it was dumb to sign Werth and let Dunn go for less money, but what excitement is the return of Adam Dunn? Others say Werth is too old and injury prone to get a 7 year contract. But the goal is only the next 4 years and what Werth becomes in his late 30’s is inconsequential to ownership who cares more about the overall development of an investment rather than the achievement of a pennant. The time to strike is now and Werth represents one of few players in the market this off season so they HAD to overpay to get what they wanted or else they miss their chance at a capital investment.

I’ll support the move either way and pay my commission, if I am one of the wallets the Lerner family wants to drain, I am already sold.

And so here we are - an improbable outcome to a most disappointing start to the season. Although it may have taken 11 games to finally look like the National Champion hopeful Hokies team that we all had twinkling moments of hope to witness at the start of the season the main reason we are here is one Tyrod Taylor.

Despite all his maturity and poise during the game, you still couldn’t help getting the impression that he was having a great time out there and really felt as though the team was his to command. It may be the kind of leadership that has been missing from ON the field that has made it so hard for the Hokies to string together a full season of wins in years past.

Tyrod cut through third and longs, punished Florida State when they rushed in on him, and … well, punished Florida State when they didn’t rush in on him. He made so few mistakes that for once it felt like our offense was something I have never called it before - automatic. Deserving of the ACC player of the year and deserving of all the credit he has been given for the turnaround, Tyrod is making a case for one of my favorite Hokie players of all time.

Up until the final minutes of the game I was never fully certain the Hokies could keep Florida State down. Panic set in two weeks ago as it became clear that the choking NC State Wolfpack would not represent the Atlantic division and instead it would be the always fearsome Seminoles — a team that seems so good at spoiling our fun. But what good is a run through the ACC without taking down the most evil team along the way? It would be like Star Wars saga ending with Darth Vader heading to the Gator Bowl. To hear that tomahawk chop once more, echoed again and again by mindless Seminoles fans who never once stepped foot on FSU’s campus, made my blood boil.

But as the last few fans turned their slicing hands in to upturned palms of disgust as headed to the door, it seemed a fitting confirmation that the Hokies were not simply lucky this season but really had become THE leader of the ACC - a crown achievement that so many believed was written in pencil. After picking up a third trophy in the ACC Championship game’s short history (and 4th title for VT), many are taking note that the tides have not just changed direction but that the water is orange and maroon.

Looking ahead in hopes of putting an explanation point at the end of a season that began full full of typos, the Hokies are returning to the Orange Bowl, where they might as well leave a set of uniforms and a few tuba players since we end up there so often, to take on a BCS #4 Stanford in 4 weeks.

Here’s to crossing another one off the list.

Rivals is putting Bryan Stinespring on the short list of best 20 O.C. in the country?? Scoring 29+ points seven eight games in a row when you call the same game over and over does not automatically mean you should be considered great — its just that the impact of your miserable play-calling is offset by the talent you have on the field.

Beating Miami brought the Hokies one step closer to a BCS bowl and the ability to cross the most important goal off the list. Though the Hokies were in a nice position by which they had to only win one game against Miami OR Virginia, they kept their winning streak going and shined on national television against a ranked opponent and tough rival.

I will admit I was worried about the Miami game well before the season began and I really never felt comfortable until Williams rumbled through the secondary for his 80+ yard TD run (which of course just encourages Stinespring to try that play a million more times this season).

The Hokies did exactly what Gameday analysts said would ensure a Hokies win - cause turnovers - and they caused a lot (6). It felt like old Hokie football that we know and love. But we also got a quick glimpse of the potential future of Hokie football in the form of Logan Thomaswho came out without any warm up and delivered a pass on 3rd and very long after Tyrod came out with an injury.

The last game of the regular season against UVA has been announced as a noon kickoff, its a game that the Hokies should handle down in Blacksburg but of course the rivalry games are always difficult to predict. The Hokies would lock up a 10 win season and complete the regular season ACC sweep, so there is more than just protecting a rank on the line and I believe and trust that Tyrod’s appetite for winning will remain rabid.

Here’s to crossing another one off the list.

With eyes on the prize the Hokies finally swatted away the pesky Yellow Jackets after a nervous Thursday Night down in Blacksburg (fight song still in my head) and took care of Yates and the Tar Heels on Saturday. Now the Hokies need one win between Miami and UVA to stamp a ticket to Hell on Earth, Florida Jacksonville Charlotte and the ACC Championship game.

Going back two wins, the Hokie fans rushed the field after the Georgia Tech game and people moaned about it. But it was a great slump buster for the Hokies - who have lost every game coming of the bye week for 4 straight seasons. Plus, if history in the ACC tells us anything it is the winner of the VT/GT game always ends up with the ACC championship trophy at the end of the season. So go ahead and celebrate you drunk assholes statistics tell us you were just starting the party early for the ACC crown.

And of course after beating UNC it looks like we are in full control playing out the season against Miami and EwwwwVeeeeAaa. Needless to say, all of this is a great turn of events from where the season began: to be in control of our own destiny after it appeared that the only destiny we had control over was adspace for ESPN’s new GOAL LINE channel. And honestly, you’d think ESPN would at least block out that particular banner ad on the Hokies Football Clubhouse page… I know I’d rather see ads covered in bouncing babies with cleft lips that yells out in a loud female voice “CONGRATULATIONS! You have just been awarded 900 new iPads”  flashing in and out of red and blue bold text than be constantly reminded of that miserable day back in September while I’m sitting in front of my computer.

And although now is not the time to get on a soap box and rant about scheduling a FCS in-state rivalry game less than 5 days after your season opener against one of the toughest and most-hyped teams in the nation, it is still worth reflecting upon. So whether the scheduling snafu blame lies with Jim Weaver, Frank Beamer, Dan Snyder or someone else I will wait to explore in a later post after the season ends. But I digress - what I wanted to say is that I do recall that after the first week  the Hokies were 0-1 and yet they were still ranked a respectable #13 in the nation. Putting that abortion of a week two game to the side and assuming for a second that the shitstain JMU alumni you work with never got to enjoy their greatest night of their lives ever - inside of Ballston Common Mall - the Hokies would now be sitting right behind the last 4 remaining undefeated teams in the country - either as #5 or maybe #6 behind Wisconsin. The nation would also be a buzz about a #2 Boise State who would have a much higher rank in the BCS with a quality win over the nation’s fifth highest ranked team.

Despite getting kicked from the rankings in week three, the Hokies have crawled Andy Dufresne style through the remainder of their schedule and find themselves just one slot behind where they were at week two. Now it is up to these last 2 (hopefully 3) games of the season before the bowls begin for the Hokies to look back on how far they have come and press on to the finish line - even if its just the Orange Bowl against an unranked 6-loss Pittsburgh (EDIT: I.H. points out that Orange doesn’t have the last draw for the BCS this year so whatever turd log floats out of the Big East conference this season will get shipped in a flaming paper bag to the Fiesta Bowl - thankfully.)

Here’s to crossing another one off the list.

Just in case people are getting excited about the Hokies rebound in 2010, make sure you keep things in perspective…

Stinespring is still horrible. Stinespring is still predictable. Stinespring is still a major reason why we have two loses.

Not that firebryanstinespring.com has forgotten this (nice redesign btw) but Bleacher Report is hosting a great piece on the woes of Stinespring and does a nice job of showing that even the Hokies last 6 wins came under direction of terrible coaching by Stinespring.

Every Hokie fan should at least read the article - I’ll leave it up to you whether you want to accept the fact we need to fire/reassign our OC even if our offense ranks in the top 20. Demand more, demand more, demand more otherwise don’t come crying after our 2011 opener against Appalachian State.

Cross another one off the list - the Hokies are now bowl eligible. Joining Florida State as the only 6-win team in the ACC, the Hokies did a great job shutting down Duke on Saturday. It was an important win before the Hokies tough 3 game stretch against Georgia Tech, UNC and Miami.

The long pass threat was contained and with the exception of a second half onside kick that caught the special teams off guard, all sides of the ball played very well. Tyrod continued his excellent season reminding us that we should have been talking more about him in the off season and rather than drooling over what looked to be a super potent running game.  I’ll leave the compliments of Tyrod’s gameplay to Duke’s David Cutcliffe: “It all starts with Taylor. You give him opportunities and he’s going to make the most of them. I don’t see a college quarterback playing any better in the country. Period. He might be the best dual-threat quarterback in the country. He might be the best quarterback in the country. He made some throws that were unbelievable.”

The 44 points marked the 4th consecutive 40+ point game for the Hokies, a record, and a source of momentum leading from the bye week in to Georgia Tech’s Thursday night game down in Blacksburg, a game that we hope Bud Foster has prepared well for following last year’s loss.

Here’s to crossing another one off the list.

That is all.

(ESPN likes VT too)