Q&A

Within my various circles of friends, I work to position myself as the so-called "authority" when it comes to all things related to UVA football and basketball.  As such, I end up fielding a bunch of different questions about a bunch of different stuff.  Some of the questions end up being pretty good, and I often think: hey, that would be something good to put in the blog!, but then I never get around to it.  Well, today I'm getting around to it.  Here are the best questions I've received lately, and my best attempt at an answer.  (Thanks to everyone who asks me questions --- keep 'em coming!)


Q: After beating Richmond and then hanging tough on the road against USC, I was gushing in the office about how well the football team has been playing under Coach London, and about how excited I was to watch the rest of the season unfold.  I proudly declared that the 2010 team looks much better than I expected.  At that point my friend Jen (admittedly not a football fan) asked me the following profound question: How good is our football team this year?

A: The answer is tricky, Jen.  I think we could be pretty good.  But in this case, "good" is a relative term.  Good enough to be able to beat the teams less talented than us, sure.  That includes Richmond, VMI, and Eastern Michigan.  I'd say we're equally talented to teams like Duke and Maryland.  We should, at a minimum, split those two games.  And then I think we're good enough to steal a win or two from the teams that are more talented than us.  So to answer Jen's question... I think we're good, but would 5-7 or 6-6 be considered a "good" record?  No, not really.  Not to the naked eye.  But compared to last year's 3-9, it's a lot better, and we're on the right track.


Q: A well-conceived follow-up question from my friend Andrew: How many seasons do you think it will take for Mike London to get the football program above .500 and in serious contention for the ACC crown, if ever?

A: I think you have to look at a few things when you consider a question like this.  First and foremost -- how good is the competition?  If Virginia were playing in the SEC, I'd have a hard time believing that we would ever have a chance to win that conference.  But in the ACC, a middling team can rise to the top in short order, because so many of the programs are up and down and just plain schizophrenic.  There isn't much stability at that top, beyond Virginia Tech's reliable 8+ wins and the caché of Miami and Florida State.  Teams like Clemson, Boston College, and Georgia Tech are always hovering near the upper crust, but do any of those programs really scare you?

The second thing I'd look at is the succession plan at the quarterback position.  Do you have a can't-miss QB of the future?  I'm excited about the young arms in the system and in the 2011 recruiting class.  None of them are "can't-miss" per se, but I think the future looks pretty bright under center.

The last thing to consider is the recruiting trajectory... and that's an area where Mike London is making the most headway.  We already have 20 commitments for the 2011 class, and it's a group good enough to rank #18 nationally, according to Rivals.

Andrew, my answer to your question is --- we will push for that .500 conference record NEXT SEASON, and we will be in hot pursuit of an ACC championship game appearance at some point within the next three or four years.  Call it 2013.  ("In hot pursuit" doesn't mean we're a lock to win the ACC.  I just think that Coach London will have this team's talent level up to that of the Clemson/BC/GT tier within three years, which means we'll have the ability to win games against those teams on a consistent basis, which is what it takes to ultimately chase the Orange Bowl dream.)


Q: I was on the phone with my brother this past week while we were both watching with envy as Russell Wilson lit it up for NC State on Thursday night.  He asked me if I thought Marc Verica was a decent QB, and then he asked me where Verica would rank amongst the starting QBs in the ACC, and amongst the starting QBs the Hoos will face this season.

A: Allen, here are my rankings...

ACC Starting QBs
1-Jacory Harris, Miami
2-Christian Ponder, Florida State
3-Russell Wilson, NC State
4-Tyrod Taylor, Virginia Tech
5-Kyle Parker, Clemson
6-Josh Nesbitt, Georgia Tech
7-T.J. Yates, North Carolina
8-Sean Renfree, Duke
9-Dave Shinskie, Boston College
10-Marc Verica, Virginia
11-Jamarr Robinson, Maryland
12-Tanner Price, Wake Forest

Starting QBs on the Hoos Schedule
1-Jacory Harris, Miami
2-Christian Ponder, Florida State
3-Matt Barkley, USC
4-Tyrod Taylor, Virginia Tech
5-Josh Nesbitt, Georgia Tech
6-T.J. Yates, North Carolina
7-Sean Renfree, Duke
8-Aaron Corp, Richmond
9-Alex Gillett, Eastern Michigan
10-Dave Shinskie, Boston College
11-Marc Verica, Virginia
12-Jamarr Robinson, Maryland
13-Cameron Jones, VMI

I don't think Marc Verica is bad.  Not at all.  I just think there are some very high quality QBs in the ACC and on the UVA schedule this season.


Q: Every year, my friend Paul asks me: What sort of future NFL talent do we currently have on the team?  I think he uses that as a gauge for how good our team should be on the field.  Either way, it's an interesting thing to ponder.
A: In my opinion, here are the guys who will someday be suiting up on Sundays, listed in order of likelihood: Ras-I Dowling, Rodney McLeod, Austin Pasztor, LaRoy Reynolds, Chase Minnifield, Joe Torchia, Kris Burd, and Steve Greer.  Guys like Keith Payne, Nick Jenkins, and Matt Conrath are on the cusp.  I can't really comment on the younger guys, because I haven't seen enough of them yet.


This is fun.  I'll try to get to more of these soon.  Meanwhile, if you have a question you'd like to see answered, fire it at me.  kendallhowell@gmail.com.