Excitement and Celebration

SUPERMAN

At yesterday's tailgate, I allowed myself a little bit of a celebration.  I ate a little more.  I drank a little (a lot?) more.  I had a little bit more fun.  I was loose playing cornhole, which led to a dominant perfomance on the pavement.

I kinda floated through the game.  Too much drinking.  I never saw the outcome in doubt, even when we trailed 14-7.  I was never worried.

Of course, we went on to win.  David Cutcliffe whined.  "They didn't win the game.  We lost the game.  I think we're better than they are."  Sorry Cutty, but 31-21 means we're 10 points better than you, and that's a fact.  Besides, isn't it basketball season now anyway?  Time for you to fade away.

Douchenozzle.

Duke is not a horrible team.  I think Sean Renfree has an outside chance to stick on an NFL roster someday.  Varner and Vernon both look like NFL-caliber talents, too.  (I'd love to see Varner running the slot on Sundays, I think he has Welker-type potential.)  Safety Matt Daniels  also looks like a future pro.  This team took VPI to the wire two weeks ago.  They are not a horrible team.  It was a good win for Virginia.  A little bit ugly, but good.  Besides, we're not really good enough for "pretty" wins.  Yet.

This morning, it dawned on me: Mike London is winning with Al Groh's players.  Just think about the future, considering the fact that London's recruiting is superior to Groh's.  We'll have more talented players filling these roles.  Doesn't that translate into better results?

My point is simple.  This year, we stand at 7-3, probably set to finish at 7-5, but still heading to a bowl game.  It's good, but it's also just a start.  The future is bright, with top-25 recruiting classes starting to stack up, and a coaching staff that is proving it can develop talent and construct winning gameplans.  It's kinda all coming together.

Next year might be a half-step back given all of the starters we're graduating -- Kris Burd, two on the o-line (Pasztor and Mihota), three on the d-line (Jenkins, Conrath, Cam Johnson), Aaron Taliaferro, both starting safeties (Mosley and McLeod), Chase Minnifield, and all three guys who put their foot on the ball.  That's a lot.  That's a lot of youth being thrust into key positions to fill those holes.  But overall, this has been a good year with Al Groh's middling talent.  Just wait until the roster is flush with London-recruited talent!

We will miss Kris Burd, but his replacement might be even better!

Virginia Football had slumped to a 12-24 record over the previous three years.  The team was skittish like a badly beaten dog.  It didn't know how to win.  It lacked confidence, it lacked cohesion, it lacked an identity, and it lacked much in the way of energy and enthusiasm.

Mike London and his staff has reversed all of that.  This is a tough-minded, reasonably resilient, physical football team.  It has earned seven wins.  It has earned an outside shot at the ACC Coastal championship.  It has earned a bowl game.

We should all be excited.  This has been a good year, with all of the ups and downs (more ups than downs) that make college football fun.

We should all be celebrating.  The goal was six wins and a bowl game appearance.  Mission accomplished.  Anything beyond that is gravy.  Florida State and Virginia Tech should be wary of this team.  We can win those games.  Probably won't, but it's within the scope of our ability.  And we're playing with house money.  A good, physical team that embraces the underdog role and has nothing to really lose can be a dangerous thing to face.

I'm excited, and I'm celebrating.

GO HOOS!