The current crop of Virginia Tech seniors did not exactly draw it up like this.
Kyron Drones did not come to Virginia Tech to go 3-9 and cash checks. If that were the case, he would not play half as hard as he does.
No, the guys getting set to run out of the tunnel one last time to “Enter Sandman” came to Blacksburg for the right reasons and have made this Virginia Tech alum proud.
Has it always been pretty on the field? No, obviously not. But the problems in the football program are so much bigger than any of these individuals, or their coaches for that matter.
The misaligned Hokies have two games remaining, each against much more aligned opponents.
The Hokies-in-waiting have a lot to be excited about as the James Franklin era begins, but the question for today and the coming week centers on how smooth the overlap is in regimes, and can one play off the other.
Miami should steamroll Tech
There is no point in beating around the bush. Miami is an elite team that has posted very good results. The Hurricanes, currently sporting an ELO rating of 1914, are by far the best team Virginia Tech will play this year.
The disparity - more than 500 ELO points separate the two teams - is shocking.
Based on ELO alone, there is no reason to think the Hokies can even make this a game.
Advanced statistics tell the same story.
Miami is better at every position and in every facet of the game, save for placekicker.
So, why bother watching the game. If you have tickets, why attend?
For one, if you can go to the game, go. And be really loud for four quarters. I don’t care if Tech is trailing 55-3 midway through the third quarter. Stay, be loud, and be engaged.
Send a message to the players, recruits, and the incoming staff that the fanbase is as committed as the Board of Visitors now appears.
If you can’t go to the game, watch it on ESPN. Every set of eyeballs helps, financially speaking.
The real reason to watch, though, is to understand the why behind the coming player personnel moves. Players will cycle out, and new guys - many with different skill sets - will fill the vacant roster spots.
There will probably be some surprises, both coming and going. As a fanbase, it’s easier to get behind new players and coaches if you have already critically noted how individuals who arrived in Blacksburg pre-Franklin perform on the field and are likely to adapt to the new leadership and on-field systems.
Thoughts on the Franklin hire
For all the handwringing about his in-game coaching issues, Brent Pry failed as head coach because he couldn’t recruit good enough players.
The root cause of the recruiting challenges were deeper issues within the football program, driven by forces within the university and beyond, up to and including state government and demographic changes.
When prompted earlier in the week, Franklin said one thing that really set Virginia Tech apart from the other schools contacting him was that Tech’s search committee had a plan for the program. It did not just come to him and ask what he needed.
The fact that such a plan exists is good. The negotiation with Franklin has no doubt made it better.
The reality, though, is that the plan was unlikely to come to fruition without a Hall of Fame caliber coach who could hold everyone accountable.
James Franklin and Philip Montgomery could appeal to the school for the same capital expenditure - say, for a new football building with increased office space - but only Franklin has the cache to actually drive the project to completion.
Montgomery has shown himself to be an excellent football coach, guiding the Hokies to some unexpected wins and carrying himself with class.
Somehow, he has motivated the players to give outstanding effort, and when there have been issues behind the scenes, he has quietly dealt with them.
There has been no public drama.
That said, Monty, like Franklin, needs the right situation in order to be successful.
Franklin is a builder. Monty is an optimizer.
The school that lands Montgomery this offseason should consider itself extremely fortunate. I’m sure Whit Babcock will provide a glowing reference.
In the meantime, if Montgomery somehow leads the Hokies to an improbable victory over Miami, and in the process infuses even more excitement into Franklin’s visiting recruits, then he should be carried off the field.
Even keeping the final score within two touchdowns should merit a pat on the back and (quiet) congratulations in post-game interviews.