Season Preview 2006
Forum rules
NOTICE: Please be sure to check the CFP Message Board Rules and Regulations and the Read Me page before posting.
NOTICE: Please be sure to check the CFP Message Board Rules and Regulations and the Read Me page before posting.
Oh yeah, he's the "hand-picked predecessor" at the coaching position. 2 or 3 more years of running the ball on 3rd and 7 with 8 minutes left in the 3rd quarter to try to preserve a 2 point lead against a good team when they score late in the 4th quarter and our quarterback fails to score on the last drive of the game until I get to have some hope for a new coach.
Running bowl/MSU/OSU record '05-present: 11-32
-
Spence
- Administrator
- Posts: 20980
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 11:52 pm
- Location: Chillicothe, Ohio (Ohio's First Capital)
- Contact:
Solich just coaches a game that doesn't work in CFB anymore. Even If T. Osborne was still the coach, he would have to change his style. That is why he got out IMO. he didn't want to conform to the Miamis and Florida States of the world. Even the defenses have changed so much since the late 90's. The speed of defenses now makes it hard to run the option as a base offense.
"History doesn't always repeat itself but it often rhymes." - Mark Twain
Right, Spence. Good coaches change their style. Look at Joe Pa? If he had went the way of the spread offense 2 years ago, instead of being 5-6, Penn State would've had 8 or 9 wins. The best of coaches make adjustments in order to win. I think Solich can work at Ohio though. I know we've disputed this in the past, but Ohio should see some better recruits coming in who can run the system. It'll take him a while and Ohio fans shouldn't get ansy for a new coach within 4 years or so.
Running bowl/MSU/OSU record '05-present: 11-32
-
Spence
- Administrator
- Posts: 20980
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 11:52 pm
- Location: Chillicothe, Ohio (Ohio's First Capital)
- Contact:
Anyone have another preview? Time is running short and I really need to post as many of these as I can. Especially teams that are expected to be in the top 25. I would like to have these in by the end of July so that they can be used when the voting starts. Thanks
"History doesn't always repeat itself but it often rhymes." - Mark Twain
Well, I have a couuple teams that I have an eye on to start the year. These may not be as in-depth, but they work, I suppose.
Arizona State: This is a team I'm sticking in my top 10 when the voting starts. I am serious! They look flat out awesome. Whether Rudy Carpenter or Sam Keller start, it won't matter. He has options like Jamaal Lewis and Rudy Burgess. The offense will be potent! They also have players on D like Zach Catanese (SS), Loren Howard (DE), and Jordan Hill (DT). BYU transfer Michael Marquardt (DT) should help a D-line that can be the best in the Pac-10. The linebacking crew and the secondary are average. So, in other words, teams will likely torch ASU for 30 points a game, but ASU will be the torcher of 40 points a game.
Oklahoma: If Rhett Bomar can play mediocre, OU should be 2nd in the South. If he plays good like we think he can, OU should be in the CCG. Adrian Peterson, if healthy, should be the guy that carries the load to win a Heisman. The defense, though, is what really got my atteniton. Guys like Rufus Alexander (LB, one of the best defensive players in the Big 12), Larry Birdine, Calvin Thibodeaux, with C.J. Ah You on the D-line, AND D.J. Wolfe and Reggie Smith at corner should make OU have one of the best defenses in the country. I think Oklahoma's going to win the national title
(that D looks crazy!)
Florida: The offense looks good. The defense looks good. The special teams looks good. The schedule....doesn't. If we're talking about how the team looks right now in the preseason, they look pretty good. If things go well for Chris Leak (it seems we're always waiting for it to click), the UF offense will go as planned. He has some good options on offense. The defense isn't bad either. They have some solid playmakers like Brandon Siler and Eal Everett (LBs) along with Marcus Thomas and Jarvis Moss on the D-line. I'd expect Florida to be really good, but only get 8 wins or somewhere a little higher than that. The schedule is too rough.
Auburn: They look like a typical SEC team. They can throw it alright, they can pound the rock, and the defense is made up of big-boy, big-time hitters. It's a defense that should be capable of shutting teams down and winning those 10-6 offensive-struggles because they can run it with Kenny Irons. I'm putting Auburn in my top 10.
These are just some teams that didn't really get covered. Again, it isn't like it's "insider information", but just a little look-in on where they might start.
Arizona State: This is a team I'm sticking in my top 10 when the voting starts. I am serious! They look flat out awesome. Whether Rudy Carpenter or Sam Keller start, it won't matter. He has options like Jamaal Lewis and Rudy Burgess. The offense will be potent! They also have players on D like Zach Catanese (SS), Loren Howard (DE), and Jordan Hill (DT). BYU transfer Michael Marquardt (DT) should help a D-line that can be the best in the Pac-10. The linebacking crew and the secondary are average. So, in other words, teams will likely torch ASU for 30 points a game, but ASU will be the torcher of 40 points a game.
Oklahoma: If Rhett Bomar can play mediocre, OU should be 2nd in the South. If he plays good like we think he can, OU should be in the CCG. Adrian Peterson, if healthy, should be the guy that carries the load to win a Heisman. The defense, though, is what really got my atteniton. Guys like Rufus Alexander (LB, one of the best defensive players in the Big 12), Larry Birdine, Calvin Thibodeaux, with C.J. Ah You on the D-line, AND D.J. Wolfe and Reggie Smith at corner should make OU have one of the best defenses in the country. I think Oklahoma's going to win the national title
(that D looks crazy!)
Florida: The offense looks good. The defense looks good. The special teams looks good. The schedule....doesn't. If we're talking about how the team looks right now in the preseason, they look pretty good. If things go well for Chris Leak (it seems we're always waiting for it to click), the UF offense will go as planned. He has some good options on offense. The defense isn't bad either. They have some solid playmakers like Brandon Siler and Eal Everett (LBs) along with Marcus Thomas and Jarvis Moss on the D-line. I'd expect Florida to be really good, but only get 8 wins or somewhere a little higher than that. The schedule is too rough.
Auburn: They look like a typical SEC team. They can throw it alright, they can pound the rock, and the defense is made up of big-boy, big-time hitters. It's a defense that should be capable of shutting teams down and winning those 10-6 offensive-struggles because they can run it with Kenny Irons. I'm putting Auburn in my top 10.
These are just some teams that didn't really get covered. Again, it isn't like it's "insider information", but just a little look-in on where they might start.
Running bowl/MSU/OSU record '05-present: 11-32
Virginia Tech went 11-2 last year, losing only to Miami and FSU and ultimately winning the Gator Bowl over a Brian Brohm-less Louisville.
The bad news for 2006 is that LB Darryl Tapp and TE Jeff King are gone.
The good news is that CB Jimmy Williams and QB Marcus Vick are gone. Williams was way over-rated and Vick caused too many distractions.
The losses of Cedric Humes and Mike Imoh and running back are negligible as the Hokies have had better backs and seemingly interchange them every couple of years without losing anything.
The better news is the schedule that has 8 home games. The OOC games are 1-AA Northeastern, Cincinnati, Southern Miss and Kent State. The only one that scares me at all is Southern Miss. It's interesting to note, though, that Cincinnati beat VT in Blacksburg 16-0 in the second game of the 1995 season in a mud bowl. Tech then beat Miami the following week for the first time ever to start a 10-game winning streak that ended witha Sugar Bowl triumph over Texas.
In conference games, the Hokies get Clemson and Georgia Tech and Virginia at home. The road trip to Miami is tough and a Thursday night game at Boston College is scary.
As for players, Tech is loaded at receiver with Eddie Royal, Josh Hyman, Justi Harper, David Clowney and Josh Morgan all having experience.
Tech needs to settle on a QB who can get them the ball. Sean Glennon is a pocket-passer who enters fall practice at No. 1 on the depth chart. Cory Holt is No. 2 and there's also Ike Whittaker who is possibly the most athletic. Not in spring practice because he was still in high school is newcomer Kam Chancellor. The true freshman. The pro-style QB passed for over 2,000 yards as a HS Senior and ran for 500+. He's 6-4, 217 pounds.
The top returning running back is Branden Ore, quicker and shiftier than Imon or Humes. Reminds most folks of Kevin Jones but perhaps better breakaway speed.
George Bell and Kenny Lewis, Jr are likely other players at the position. Lewis is the son of a former Tech standout. Was a 4th-round Cincinnati Reds Draft Pick in 2003. Gave up baseball and committed to Tech in early 2005. His dad played for the New York Jets.
The defense should again be stout. The Linebacking corps features Vince Hall, Xavier Adibi and Brett Warren. Tech suffered a blow in the secondary when Roland Minor injured a wrist and knee in a car wreck and will likely miss half of the season. But this is another position that the Hokies are deep in. Victor Harris, Brandon Flowers, Aaron Rouse and DJ Parker ll have considerable experience.
Chris Ellis and Noland Burchette could be special DE's. Ellis had a total of 41 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 6.0 sacks and 14 hurries in 2005. Burchette had 25 tackles, three sacks and 18 QB hurries.
On special teams, Nic Schmitt returns as punter (43.2 yards avg., 15 inside the 20, did not have a kick blocked). Brandon Pace returns at PK (51-of-52 PAT's, 19-of-22 FG's). Pace's career-long is 46 but Beamer isn't the type of coach who tries many long FG attempts as he prefers to pin back the other team and let the defense go to work.
Last year's team was chugging right along and it all started with good chemistry and very few penalties. But a few egos got in the way down the stretch (most notably Williams and Vick), unity fell apart, penalties went through the roof. Beamer has been preaching the "no crap tolerance" for months and I expect this fairly young group will take it to heart. Take notes, Victor Harris.
With its schedule, the team will have to suck big-time to lose 4 games and doesn't need to be real special to go 10-2. To go 12-0, Tech needs to have a QB, a RB and a TE stand out from the crowd. That may be a tall order to fill.
The bad news for 2006 is that LB Darryl Tapp and TE Jeff King are gone.
The good news is that CB Jimmy Williams and QB Marcus Vick are gone. Williams was way over-rated and Vick caused too many distractions.
The losses of Cedric Humes and Mike Imoh and running back are negligible as the Hokies have had better backs and seemingly interchange them every couple of years without losing anything.
The better news is the schedule that has 8 home games. The OOC games are 1-AA Northeastern, Cincinnati, Southern Miss and Kent State. The only one that scares me at all is Southern Miss. It's interesting to note, though, that Cincinnati beat VT in Blacksburg 16-0 in the second game of the 1995 season in a mud bowl. Tech then beat Miami the following week for the first time ever to start a 10-game winning streak that ended witha Sugar Bowl triumph over Texas.
In conference games, the Hokies get Clemson and Georgia Tech and Virginia at home. The road trip to Miami is tough and a Thursday night game at Boston College is scary.
As for players, Tech is loaded at receiver with Eddie Royal, Josh Hyman, Justi Harper, David Clowney and Josh Morgan all having experience.
Tech needs to settle on a QB who can get them the ball. Sean Glennon is a pocket-passer who enters fall practice at No. 1 on the depth chart. Cory Holt is No. 2 and there's also Ike Whittaker who is possibly the most athletic. Not in spring practice because he was still in high school is newcomer Kam Chancellor. The true freshman. The pro-style QB passed for over 2,000 yards as a HS Senior and ran for 500+. He's 6-4, 217 pounds.
The top returning running back is Branden Ore, quicker and shiftier than Imon or Humes. Reminds most folks of Kevin Jones but perhaps better breakaway speed.
George Bell and Kenny Lewis, Jr are likely other players at the position. Lewis is the son of a former Tech standout. Was a 4th-round Cincinnati Reds Draft Pick in 2003. Gave up baseball and committed to Tech in early 2005. His dad played for the New York Jets.
The defense should again be stout. The Linebacking corps features Vince Hall, Xavier Adibi and Brett Warren. Tech suffered a blow in the secondary when Roland Minor injured a wrist and knee in a car wreck and will likely miss half of the season. But this is another position that the Hokies are deep in. Victor Harris, Brandon Flowers, Aaron Rouse and DJ Parker ll have considerable experience.
Chris Ellis and Noland Burchette could be special DE's. Ellis had a total of 41 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 6.0 sacks and 14 hurries in 2005. Burchette had 25 tackles, three sacks and 18 QB hurries.
On special teams, Nic Schmitt returns as punter (43.2 yards avg., 15 inside the 20, did not have a kick blocked). Brandon Pace returns at PK (51-of-52 PAT's, 19-of-22 FG's). Pace's career-long is 46 but Beamer isn't the type of coach who tries many long FG attempts as he prefers to pin back the other team and let the defense go to work.
Last year's team was chugging right along and it all started with good chemistry and very few penalties. But a few egos got in the way down the stretch (most notably Williams and Vick), unity fell apart, penalties went through the roof. Beamer has been preaching the "no crap tolerance" for months and I expect this fairly young group will take it to heart. Take notes, Victor Harris.
With its schedule, the team will have to suck big-time to lose 4 games and doesn't need to be real special to go 10-2. To go 12-0, Tech needs to have a QB, a RB and a TE stand out from the crowd. That may be a tall order to fill.
"Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it."
Return to “General Discussion”
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 86 guests