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ACC Opponent Preview · Boundary Corner Podcast

• 0:45
  Welcome back to the boundary Corner podcast.
• 0:49
  I am Curtis Wilson. I'm Brian seagull buddy.
• 0:53
  What's up Wednesday night? Hump day.
• 0:56
  Yes sir. Yes sir.
• 0:58
  Wednesday night, man. We well, you've made it to the
• 1:01
  middle of the week. I haven't been working this week
• 1:03
  on a paternity leave is my wonderful wife.
• 1:05
  Heads back to work for this school year.
• 1:08
  Ha, ha. So, but let me just say, taking
• 1:11
  care of a five month year old five-month-old is Just as morgue
• 1:16
  if not more work than my usual job.
• 1:18
  So I'll say that man, I hear you buddy.
• 1:21
  And in buddy, we have an absolute treat tonight, man.
• 1:29
  Brett ciancia from pick six, previews joins us.
• 1:36
  All right, bring your bread on now.
• 1:38
  Bret, how, how are you doing this evening?
• 1:41
  Hey, Brian Curtis, yeah, thanks for having me on.
• 1:43
  It's the best time of year right now.
• 1:45
  Everyone's undefeated optimism is running high and I'm excited
• 1:48
  to break down the 2021 season for you.
• 1:51
  Yeah, we're probably more optimistic right now.
• 1:55
  That will be at any point of the Season, especially kind of how
• 1:59
  last season shook out for us. And, you know, some of the
• 2:01
  attrition we've had here and there.
• 2:03
  So, you know, we're Feeling as good as we will probably feel.
• 2:08
  But let's see how this goes man. Before we go like into anything.
• 2:12
  With the previews though wanted to talk a little bit about pick
• 2:16
  six previews and what this is all about and kind of how you
• 2:20
  got into this. So, like the big question I have
• 2:23
  is like, I know that, you know, there's been long established
• 2:28
  Publications, like, Athlon Lindy's feel steel, you got to
• 2:33
  got into this game in 2012. What was it like, kind of Into
• 2:36
  that space. That's kind of the underdog.
• 2:38
  And now, you know, having your publication being the most
• 2:41
  accurate in terms of the power 5 level.
• 2:45
  Yeah, absolutely. Well back in 2012, I launched
• 2:48
  pick six, previews, with my former co founder, Mike the y z
• 2:51
  it and our claim to fame right away was that we won the
• 2:54
  accuracy title in 2012. R power 5 predictions were
• 2:57
  created the most accurate in the country that year, according to
• 2:59
  Stats and.com, who's great at all.
• 3:01
  These Publications for decades. So it was a one-year Wonder, but
• 3:05
  then we backed it up again in 13 and again, in 14, and here we
• 3:09
  are. Now it's my 10th straight year
• 3:11
  doing it. The first nine have been graded.
• 3:13
  Number one over that time frame. So, you know, in this is a
• 3:16
  one-man operation now. So it's just me going up against
• 3:21
  the big companies, the Legacy Brands, like Athlon, Sports
• 3:24
  Illustrated and Lindy's and fill steel so to be able to go
• 3:29
  toe-to-toe with them and beat them all and accuracy is that's
• 3:32
  been the claim to fame but of course, it really grew through.
• 3:36
  That's kind of the perfect medium for me to get across my
• 3:39
  Graphics, my information, my stats, and my opinions.
• 3:43
  And it really has grown organically so it's been a great
• 3:45
  movement over on Twitter for years now.
• 3:48
  So and then and lastly, I took it one step further put together
• 3:52
  a full book. You know, instant download PDF
• 3:55
  about 200 pages long in 2019 was the first time put that together
• 3:59
  and sold it. And that book kind of made the
• 4:02
  Rounds Around the media circles and I was invited to become a
• 4:05
  high. One voter in 2019.
• 4:07
  So the ultimate honor there and, you know, it's a, it's an honor.
• 4:12
  So, here we are now the 10th year and I'll say that.
• 4:15
  It's definitely the hardest of all 10 having to go through the
• 4:18
  inconsistencies of 2020. You know, some teams played 4
• 4:21
  games, some played 12, you had opt-outs, you had transfers, you
• 4:26
  had quarantines as you guys know of Genentech, just a lot of
• 4:29
  quarantine time where certain rosters are hit worse than
• 4:32
  others at certain times. And then of course, 21 brings
• 4:36
  this transfer portal. Boom or The rosters are all
• 4:39
  strictly shook up like never before.
• 4:41
  So this was the hardest one ever.
• 4:43
  But and real quick though what makes mine a little bit
• 4:46
  different than the ones you see on news stands as I think
• 4:49
  balance. I really try and strike a
• 4:50
  balance between my numbers. I have all my analytics and
• 4:53
  graphics on the left side of the page, but really putting it back
• 4:56
  into readable terms. That football fans want to read
• 4:58
  about because it's boring to read about, you know, Nebraska
• 5:02
  was point one, two five and X metric.
• 5:04
  Okay, what's that even mean? So I call head coaches and
• 5:07
  coordinators and beat writers and try and get the storylines
• 5:10
  and the coaching schemes, and the program history is all in
• 5:12
  there. So I really go for the balance
• 5:14
  aspect of it. Yeah, we picked it up, you know,
• 5:18
  obviously, when we invited you to come on, we picked it up
• 5:20
  started. Reading through it.
• 5:22
  I'm not even twenty page into it yet.
• 5:25
  It is that much information is that much detail.
• 5:28
  So, Brian, you can attest this with me because we were both
• 5:31
  looking through yesterday, as we were getting ready for tonight.
• 5:34
  It is so much information. Action, it is, but you want
• 5:37
  unbelievable job, man. Kudos to you for the guys out
• 5:42
  there. Listening tonight and folks will
• 5:45
  listen in the morning. The podcast, literally, it will
• 5:47
  be the best. 20 bucks that is the right price, right 18?
• 5:51
  Yeah. 1800 look, I'm well discount, special Corner
• 5:56
  discount $18 in for all you guys who are not only just Virginia
• 6:01
  Tech fans but so many of the college football fans out there
• 6:04
  but it's not I usually just one game a week.
• 6:08
  I'm usually sitting in here from noon to 2:00 in the morning.
• 6:11
  We recording late nights. We're watching Pac-12.
• 6:14
  It is it's unbelievable man. And you know, kudos to you
• 6:18
  putting together and now even more Kudos without accurate you
• 6:21
  are. Yeah.
• 6:22
  Well, thanks, that's that's music to my ears because that
• 6:24
  was really the goal of the book. You know, picture yourself back
• 6:28
  in the 2010 2012 area. When I launch this thing, I was
• 6:32
  getting tired of just hearing about the same handful of teams
• 6:34
  when you turn on the TV. A or pick up a Sports
• 6:37
  Illustrated. It was the same handful of
• 6:38
  programs. It was surface level.
• 6:40
  It was not in depth. It wasn't actual X's and O's it
• 6:43
  was drama. So what I wanted to do was dig
• 6:45
  into all 66 of these programs go, super deep.
• 6:49
  I mean, talking every position group X's and O's coaching
• 6:52
  schemes and what makes my little different to as I bring in all
• 6:55
  that history, I have not just five and 10-year Trends but
• 6:59
  50-year Trends, 100-year Trends, everything you can the goal is
• 7:04
  that when you read about a team you're Earning something.
• 7:06
  Even if it's your own or an opponent.
• 7:08
  I want you to learn about that team, so I could talk an hour
• 7:11
  about Kansas. I don't want to bore you but
• 7:12
  that's kind of, that's kind of the point is that, you know, you
• 7:15
  got enough Alabama, you got enough Clemson, but there's so
• 7:17
  much unique tradition and storylines and then college
• 7:20
  football that want to dig into all of it.
• 7:21
  So that's great to hear. That's great feedback and thank
• 7:24
  you for purchasing. Yeah.
• 7:25
  And the big thing, like when you look at the the analytic side of
• 7:29
  it, I mean you get that, but I like the way that it's
• 7:32
  color-coded. It's easier to read be kind of
• 7:35
  take some of That like, the boring aspects of pouring
• 7:39
  through data and kind of puts you in a very readable format,
• 7:41
  and then you've got the, the other part, where it is a very
• 7:45
  readable breakdown of everything.
• 7:48
  And I like, how you go into the history there as well.
• 7:51
  And really, it feels like an individual touch with every
• 7:55
  team. Not just, oh, here.
• 7:57
  Here's this team. We know all about it.
• 7:59
  Yeah, it's Virginia Tech. They've got saying, man.
• 8:02
  All right, let's move on to the to the numbers from last year.
• 8:05
  Do you? It's a lot of lot of fun stuff
• 8:07
  to dive in there and I think you really kind of get the, you
• 8:10
  know, what makes each program kind of unique?
• 8:14
  Yeah, thanks. Yes.
• 8:15
  I mean once the season ends in January, I kind of go back and
• 8:18
  relive the season. It sounds crazy, but I'll go
• 8:21
  back and listen to team podcast and Conference podcasts.
• 8:25
  I read every AP game story, the game recaps, just to try and get
• 8:29
  in the shoes of each fan base in each program and see really what
• 8:32
  happened because and this is really Rings true in 2020 with
• 8:35
  all the Extra context that was involved, you can't just look at
• 8:38
  it. Seems record anymore, there's so
• 8:39
  much more that goes into it, the week-to-week of it with the
• 8:42
  quarantines, but more. So just within each game just a
• 8:45
  fluke Enos or you might have one team out gaining by 200 yards
• 8:49
  and turning the ball over five times its so fluky.
• 8:51
  So you really have to dig in, if you really want to, you know, I
• 8:56
  guess get the most accurate picks so that was the goal.
• 8:59
  That's what I do. It's my process.
• 9:00
  It's a long process. But but yeah, I'm excited to
• 9:04
  break down the ACC. For you guys.
• 9:07
  We appreciated and since I brought up saying man, we got a
• 9:11
  our buddy tally, that is a certified saying man.
• 9:16
  Hater hater hater that might be too strong he would prefer to
• 9:20
  move on from saying man. He's not necessarily a hater so
• 9:23
  but but it's not up to tally Tally.
• 9:26
  All right, so guys what we're going to do tonight with Brett
• 9:30
  is we are looking at all the Virginia Tech's, ACC opponents
• 9:34
  and Notre Dame, because why not it's Notre.
• 9:38
  But before we get into that, we are going to do a quick word
• 9:42
  from our sponsors. All right, so we're going to go
• 9:45
  in order of the way Virginia Tech, please these teams.
• 9:48
  So let's start out of the gate UNC and Brett you have got UNC
• 9:55
  heading to the college football playoff.
• 9:58
  Now, are you seeing this as mostly a strength of Sam?
• 10:01
  How they do return their full offensive line?
• 10:06
  Any other components? We're missing, you know,
• 10:08
  improved defense. What do you?
• 10:09
  Why are you putting them so high to take Elite after losing
• 10:14
  really? Therefore, most expensive.
• 10:17
  I would say explosive. But their foremost, you know,
• 10:20
  impressive players on offense. Less saying how last year.
• 10:24
  Yeah. So this one's really getting a
• 10:25
  lot of attention and I guess rightfully.
• 10:27
  So it's a team that's outside the top 10 in the coaches poll,
• 10:31
  I believe they were either 10th or 11th but yeah, this is
• 10:33
  definitely a roulette ship prediction here but I have UNC
• 10:36
  winning the Winning the conference and making the
• 10:39
  college football playoff as an outsider not one of these
• 10:42
  typical Dynasty programs. There's a lot that goes into
• 10:45
  this. I mean, first I'll start with
• 10:46
  recruiting, you always start there, that's a good first,
• 10:49
  starting point and Mack Brown. He's landed a couple top 15
• 10:52
  classes. Now it's these five-star guys,
• 10:55
  someday some defensive players that are now moving up the depth
• 10:57
  chart quickly, so it starts there.
• 11:00
  Secondly, his coordinator hires were very impressive.
• 11:03
  J. Bateman on defense, he plays
• 11:05
  that hybrid style, where you have guys, Blending positions
• 11:08
  and cross-training and it's just great athletes all over the
• 11:10
  place. But really it's the offense had
• 11:13
  a chance to interview Phil long ago now for two straight
• 11:15
  pre-seasons. And this guy's an offensive
• 11:17
  genius. The way he pairs is air raid
• 11:19
  passing Concepts on the outsides with a physical downhill, run
• 11:23
  game in the middle. So it's not your typical air
• 11:25
  raid on surface level. It's great balance.
• 11:28
  You saw it last year when they put up the two running backs,
• 11:31
  put up 550 yards against Miami rushing.
• 11:34
  So, so yeah, so they do have a couple of question marks at
• 11:37
  this. Possessions but as I dug in a
• 11:39
  little bit I started to feel better about it because yeah you
• 11:42
  lose your top two receivers and your top two backs and normally
• 11:45
  that be enough to Cripple an offense, but they do get back,
• 11:48
  boat, Corrales who was a 20-19 starter, it's a big 65 Frame.
• 11:53
  Great in the red zone and then they had Downs as breakout
• 11:56
  player in the bowl game. He shined in the Orange Bowl
• 12:00
  against A&M. So there's your starter there
• 12:02
  and then shock free Brown. He apparently beats the Ami
• 12:05
  Brown and foot races and practice.
• 12:07
  Back when they're both playing here.
• 12:08
  So they while they lose die, on me they still have shot off
• 12:12
  right there. So a lot to like there at the
• 12:14
  receiver core albeit a little bit inexperienced and then at
• 12:17
  running back. I know that's going to be a
• 12:19
  bigger Duo to replace but they did help the situation by
• 12:22
  bringing in Thai Chandler, who is fifth all-time in rushing at
• 12:26
  Tennessee. I mean, this is a guy played 40
• 12:28
  games in the SEC. I think he's going to be okay,
• 12:30
  and bring some some veteran, you know, ability there.
• 12:33
  So those were the question marks from their strengths.
• 12:36
  I mean, the off, Of line. All five starters are back there
• 12:39
  NFL size than getting good draft grades, Sam how everybody knows?
• 12:43
  And by now he's stacked, two straight, like top 10 passing
• 12:47
  seasons. And he's a Heisman front-runner
• 12:49
  this year. So it's everything for me, it's
• 12:52
  recruiting, it's scheme, it's returning experience.
• 12:56
  And then lastly, the defense, that's kind of the biggest
• 12:58
  question, mark, on the team and the program.
• 13:01
  If you look at it only 2020 as a season wide scope, they were
• 13:05
  about average on defense. But if you now Oh, that lens
• 13:08
  down in the second half of the season after the bye week.
• 13:10
  They were top 20. Now, what's the deal with that?
• 13:13
  Why does that matter? Because all these five stars and
• 13:16
  young guys, these young recruits, they didn't have
• 13:18
  Spring ball last year, didn't have summer camp.
• 13:20
  So they were kind of learning on the job in September in games
• 13:24
  and moving up the depth chart in real time.
• 13:25
  So once those guys started to break into the starting lineup,
• 13:28
  it was excellent defense. And all that's back now and
• 13:31
  2021. So that's that's where I'm at
• 13:34
  with UNC now. Am I nervous about Lane Stadium
• 13:36
  Friday? Of course I am.
• 13:38
  I was there back in 2008 when Virginia Tech played Nebraska
• 13:43
  and if you remember that game it was a day game but I kind of got
• 13:46
  the vibe that it was an electric atmosphere Adama.
• 13:49
  Can sue had like a ton of tackles and pass breakups and
• 13:52
  was all over Tyrod Taylor but Virginia Tech held him out of
• 13:56
  the end zone had that crazy Miracle at the end to win.
• 13:58
  So long story short, it's gonna be a tough opener, but
• 14:02
  schedule-wise if they get over the Virginia Tech comp in the
• 14:05
  opener it's a very manageable. Agile, no Clemson.
• 14:09
  And I think they could rattle off a ton of wins.
• 14:12
  So essentially, if we don't catch them week one, they should
• 14:16
  be able to settle in pretty good with some of those new faces.
• 14:18
  Oh, absolutely. Because from there.
• 14:20
  It's Georgia, State UVA. If you want pretty low on
• 14:24
  Georgia, Tech Middle of the pack and to really pour this year and
• 14:28
  then Florida State transition year.
• 14:29
  I mean, that's that's a 6 and 0 start, I think if they can beat
• 14:33
  Virginia Tech Miami will be tough at Notre.
• 14:35
  Dame will be tough but but not really Then we get to them next
• 14:38
  on the schedule. I'm selling Notre Dame this year
• 14:40
  as a program. So yes, a very manageable I
• 14:43
  think they go 11 and 1 when the coastal and then have a win-win
• 14:47
  and in scenario against Clemson Charlotte and they have the
• 14:50
  offensive Firepower to do it. Yeah.
• 14:52
  And Brett mentioned are about them being a meddling defense
• 14:55
  last year and they truly were, they were, you know, 58 Total
• 14:59
  Defense giving up, you know, almost six yards per play and
• 15:03
  then 65th and points per game, giving up 29, but I see your
• 15:06
  point Brett. What you doing the analytic
• 15:08
  seeing they got better as the season goes on and I'd have to
• 15:13
  go back and look at the competition but I'm going to
• 15:15
  take your word that you expect to see an uptick in that.
• 15:19
  Let's roll on All right, so Notre Dame.
• 15:24
  You've got. As you said already, you're
• 15:26
  selling Notre Dame this year, a lot lower than in a lot of other
• 15:30
  folks out there looks like Jack cone was just named the starter
• 15:33
  for this team. What are some of the reasons
• 15:36
  you've got Notre Dame kind of slotted more of a fringe top 25
• 15:40
  team compared to like a fringe college football playoff team
• 15:43
  where we're used to seeing them. Yeah so Notre Dame they have a
• 15:46
  great track record the last few years and a lot of respect for
• 15:49
  what they've built, their under Brian Kelly.
• 15:52
  Playoff appearances. I'm think many programs out
• 15:54
  there can match that. So my hats are off to what
• 15:57
  they've done. I think it's a transition year
• 15:59
  though about to be subtle about I think it's a transition year.
• 16:03
  The AP poll has him in the top 10, I've got them, twenty fourth
• 16:06
  nationally. And really what this comes down
• 16:08
  to is think of what made them strong last year.
• 16:10
  It was strong quarterback play by Ian book.
• 16:13
  You really took care of the ball and did enough to win and was
• 16:16
  clutched in the fourth quarter, all those intangibles so it was
• 16:19
  Ian book. It was one of the best offensive
• 16:21
  lines in the Country. And it was a defensive front
• 16:24
  seven that was nasty. Now, fast-forward, 20, 21, all
• 16:27
  that's gone. Ian book, graduated four of
• 16:30
  these offensive linemen are gone and it's all Americans like Liam
• 16:34
  eichenberg Arron Banks, couple other draft picks, Robert Haynes
• 16:38
  E. I mean so many guys lost long
• 16:39
  that offensive line and then the front seven speaking to the
• 16:43
  defense they lost their coordinator Clark.
• 16:44
  Lee takes over at his alma mater, Vanderbilt and they're
• 16:47
  going through a coordinator change their so kind of the
• 16:50
  foundations of what made them special Last year our
• 16:53
  transition. So I think that early on in the
• 16:55
  season, their their Prime for an upset victory for Virginia Tech.
• 16:59
  It's definitely doable and you mentioned Jack cone.
• 17:02
  Yeah. It's a, an experienced power
• 17:04
  five starter, but I don't I think it's gonna be tougher than
• 17:07
  people are picturing to replace the in book.
• 17:09
  He did so much. You don't think of it as a
• 17:11
  runner or as a dual threat. But in the pocket, very elusive,
• 17:14
  it's hard to lay a finger on him.
• 17:15
  He was mobile enough and I was decisive enough, so I think they
• 17:19
  lose a lot with him going. I was going to ask was that At
• 17:22
  one big reason cones coming from the Wisconsin offense, which is
• 17:25
  really power. Run based play action versus.
• 17:28
  We can remember Ian book, we go back to 2019 and that last Drive
• 17:32
  Notre Dame. Virginia Tech that sealed the
• 17:34
  game for them. There were several times he
• 17:36
  scrambled even though he's not a dual threat quarterback, he had
• 17:39
  that element. Which definitely improved the
• 17:41
  offense now. Brett, you did mention Clark
• 17:45
  Lee, he did move on to Vanderbilt.
• 17:47
  And one thing that's changed Marcus Freeman comes in over
• 17:51
  from Cincinnati. Freeman's real popular, Virginia
• 17:55
  Tech a lot of people certain people think that he could be
• 17:58
  the next head coach here or they like him as the next head coach
• 18:01
  here. Now, what does he bring to the
• 18:05
  Irish? That could really help them
• 18:06
  mitigate some of these Personnel losses from last year?
• 18:11
  Yeah. Well, Marcus Freeman.
• 18:12
  He's a, he's a former star linebacker himself from a higher
• 18:15
  state and quickly surging up the coaching ranks.
• 18:18
  You're right about that. Now, I admit I don't cover the
• 18:21
  non a cutie. Team so I'm familiar with
• 18:23
  Cincinnati. I don't know, the X's and O's on
• 18:25
  him too. Well, yet what I do know is what
• 18:27
  he has in. Recruiting has been Monumental
• 18:30
  to Notre Dame already and just a few months they're bringing in a
• 18:33
  new caliber of player. They went right into Ohio and
• 18:35
  stole a five-star Defender from Ohio State.
• 18:38
  So I think you're bringing a higher tier of recruiting that,
• 18:41
  you know, that's music to ears for Virginia Tech fans.
• 18:44
  So you have that, and of course he was part of great defenses
• 18:47
  with Luke fickle there at Cincinnati, two undefeated teams
• 18:49
  and and strong defensive play. So yeah.
• 18:52
  To be huge. Now, they have some star power.
• 18:54
  They have to replace with Jeremiah Was to quarter, MOA the
• 18:58
  All-America winner and Butkus winner, they're gone but there's
• 19:01
  still plenty of star power of front.
• 19:03
  So we'll see. But I think overall it's a
• 19:06
  transitional year both defensively at quarterback
• 19:10
  offensive line. I think the biggest issue their
• 19:13
  star power in the backfield Byron Williams and and many
• 19:17
  grunk wrong jr. They call him Michael Mayer and
• 19:20
  tight end. So there's definitely some
• 19:21
  pieces. Is there?
• 19:22
  They recruit well, but in general, I don't think this is
• 19:25
  another playoff caliber team or one of their better teams.
• 19:28
  It's going to be 20 22 for that, okay?
• 19:31
  Okay. So you think those essentially
• 19:33
  because that offensive line turned from their biggest
• 19:35
  strength of one, of the biggest question marks heading into the
• 19:38
  season. You know, they could get snake
• 19:41
  bitten by team. Here are there.
• 19:42
  So, with that being said, our friend tally, has a question
• 19:46
  here. Can VT beat this Notre Dame team
• 19:49
  this year. I think the definitely beatable
• 19:52
  Early on in the season. You know, the the the key
• 19:56
  question for this specific matchup is going to be if you
• 19:58
  guys can establish the run on that front seven.
• 20:01
  And, you know, because you're breaking in a relatively new
• 20:03
  quarterback Braxton Burmeister, I think he was three in one and
• 20:06
  starts. Last year, we'll call him a
• 20:07
  part-time starter, but really losing your top lineman and
• 20:12
  Khalil Herbert there. So, how quickly can that rushing
• 20:15
  game? Reload can that dominate this
• 20:17
  new front seven for Notre Dame? A lot of storylines.
• 20:20
  But if you're just looking at a program by Oh Graham.
• 20:22
  Yeah, they're they're going to be younger newer and in the
• 20:25
  second game of the year that's definitely going to be at our, I
• 20:29
  don't know if it's a second game of the year, actually.
• 20:30
  I keep saying that but it's the fifth, but it's still relatively
• 20:34
  made October. Yeah, yeah.
• 20:36
  It's right there before you feel like team start turning Corners
• 20:39
  yes. So we'll see.
• 20:41
  Yeah, somebody also mentioned only, I don't know if he I think
• 20:45
  you saw it Brett, they lose in major bowl games.
• 20:47
  I like to be in major bowl games.
• 20:49
  I wouldn't care if we lost sixty three to seven, just getting
• 20:51
  there. Back-to-back years is an
• 20:54
  accomplishment in itself for Notre Dame and like you said
• 20:58
  with Marcus Freeman coming in and now bumping up the
• 21:01
  recruiting, you're seeing 2022 for them being strong and maybe
• 21:05
  even further out. So yeah, let's roll on one team
• 21:09
  that I think it's because you're the coach is a lot of Virginia
• 21:13
  Tech, fans cannot stand as pit and patent or doozy.
• 21:17
  Now we've seen Kenny Pickett for numerous years.
• 21:20
  Couple times he's Taurus up. A couple times.
• 21:23
  He's got in porn up. So it seems like they come and
• 21:26
  go with. However, Kenny pickets playing,
• 21:27
  he's a fifth year. Starter usually, we don't say
• 21:29
  that. Usually a guy that starts that
• 21:31
  much is in the NFL by now, but he's not.
• 21:34
  So it's 21 going to be the same or story with Kenny.
• 21:40
  Pickett, they come and go as he is, or do they have more pieces
• 21:43
  that might help them improve. Well, college football, it's all
• 21:47
  about timing. It's all about timing up.
• 21:49
  Different roster groups and position groups.
• 21:52
  Really mesh a fool offense and then you got a meshing offense
• 21:54
  with the defense and it's been inconsistent here in Pittsburgh
• 21:58
  where in 20 16 through 18, they had solid offenses but nothing
• 22:02
  on defense. Finally in our duties defense
• 22:04
  clicked in 2019, but the offense fell out.
• 22:07
  So it's very inconsistent even within the offense will just
• 22:10
  focus on that for now. Yeah, fifth-year Kenny ticket,
• 22:13
  he's got better skill, Talent around them at receiver and
• 22:16
  running back, then he's had. But then at the same time, the
• 22:19
  timing again, the offensive line goes through a transition with
• 22:21
  for Carter's gone and they're their All-American caliber.
• 22:25
  Jimmy Marcy, the center is gone. So while you pick up some extra
• 22:29
  pieces and at the skill spots, he's going to have less
• 22:31
  protection. And he's already went through a
• 22:34
  couple injuries last year, so, you know, you got to think about
• 22:37
  his Blind Side and him in the pocket.
• 22:39
  He's not the most mobile guy. So while you pick up better
• 22:42
  skill, Talent offensive line is transitioning now, so, it's just
• 22:45
  timing. So that's that's the office.
• 22:49
  Let's talk about the defense a little bit, a newly returned
• 22:51
  production from guys, like Keyshawn camp and collage it can
• 22:54
  see but the pieces that they lost were pretty heavy producers
• 22:58
  on that last year and then including the you know the
• 23:02
  opt-out that they had, you know, will they be able to reload this
• 23:06
  defense or will there be some Growing Pains this season?
• 23:10
  Yeah this was kind of a key to my ACC Coastal protection where
• 23:13
  I'm a little bit lower on Pittsburgh than most I'm kind of
• 23:16
  selling this defense. Right now, they lose like you
• 23:19
  had mentioned to all Americans. Along that defensive line,
• 23:21
  Richard Weaver and Patrick Jones, both gone.
• 23:24
  And that third guy, that was also gone with Jalen Twyman.
• 23:26
  So, so much star power gone up front, but it doesn't end there.
• 23:30
  It's also in the backfield, the secondary that all-conference
• 23:34
  always CC pair of safeties, Paris for demarre.
• 23:36
  Hamlin. They're both gone.
• 23:37
  So it's quite a Reload. They have to go through this
• 23:40
  time around now. It was great that he finally
• 23:42
  click that defense in 2019 they matched in 2020 or Allah or at
• 23:47
  least came Close in 2020, but I think you're in for a
• 23:49
  transition. So, all that together with the,
• 23:52
  the offensive line question, can you pick it?
• 23:55
  I don't know why the fifth year compared to the fourth of the
• 23:57
  third of the second would be the year that everything clicks all
• 24:00
  of a sudden, right? So, you know, that's kind of a
• 24:03
  hedge their, but yeah. So, I have Pittsburgh
• 24:05
  middle-of-the-pack, 45th nationally, but tied in fourth
• 24:08
  in the coastal. All right, let's get out of the
• 24:13
  pit territory. They do have to play in Lane
• 24:15
  Stadium. This year, not Heinz Field.
• 24:16
  Thank goodness for us. Basically house of horror for
• 24:19
  the Hokies yellow seats. Oh yes.
• 24:22
  The osce's and really since I do it back, when we were younger,
• 24:27
  you know, in college and stuff and we could not win at Heinz
• 24:30
  Field for some reason and the tradition continued less 2016
• 24:35
  when we play Fade ball and petting our dues, he lost his
• 24:37
  mind on the sidelines, which is a whole nother story, and One of
• 24:40
  those fun things to watch. Now let's go to me.
• 24:44
  A team that has been struggling the last couple years para que.
• 24:48
  You know, they bring back a lot of production from last year
• 24:51
  that production did not produce a lot of wins or anything last
• 24:54
  year. And you know, I mean, does
• 24:58
  another year of seasoning really help this team or is it just I
• 25:03
  mean what do you see for them? And is it is any hope there?
• 25:08
  Well now that we're five years into the Dana Beaver, Dino
• 25:12
  babers era, sorry. Dino babers era would starting
• 25:16
  to look that 2018 was the outlier and start to look like
• 25:18
  that was somewhat of a fluke season.
• 25:21
  Of course, Syracuse has been a losing program for really about
• 25:24
  15-20 years now. They had a rare Ten win season,
• 25:28
  popped out of nowhere. And it's been back to the back
• 25:31
  to the usual bottom of the barrel ACC program and you can
• 25:35
  really be traced through spots first quarterback.
• 25:38
  That's the easy one. Once Eric Dunn's, you left,
• 25:41
  there was a transition there was Tommy DeVito.
• 25:43
  He was banged up and now they have a Mississippi State
• 25:46
  transfer Garrett Schrader and they're a little bit more
• 25:48
  Mobility to the skill set. But still, I think you're
• 25:52
  learning the post Dungey era is, is a tough offense to come by,
• 25:56
  but really sides. We're back.
• 25:58
  It's really the entire problem. This this program is offensive
• 26:01
  line. It's just continues to be a
• 26:02
  destructive unit to their offense and the entire team,
• 26:06
  they allowed thirty eight sacks last year and 11 games only
• 26:09
  Kansas had more. I mean, that's bottom of the
• 26:11
  barrel nationally and and what that means is it gives no time
• 26:16
  for intermediate passing or vertical passing.
• 26:19
  So on passes 10 plus yards down the field, Syracuse completed
• 26:23
  just 23% of them. So it's just it's an offense,
• 26:26
  that's completely stuck. Chuck and, and limited by that
• 26:29
  offensive line. So, yes, they have starters
• 26:31
  back, but until that line shows me anything.
• 26:34
  I mean, you got to keep them last place in the conference and
• 26:38
  lucky for the Hokies. We don't get have to go to the
• 26:42
  Carrier Dome, which has been notorious a getting snake been
• 26:46
  there for the Hokies for whatever reason.
• 26:48
  It seems like, we like a, like, a lot of teams, they just come
• 26:51
  out flat for that game. So getting them at home, I think
• 26:54
  is going to going to be good going along with with some of
• 26:57
  those other. Or just overall struggles that
• 27:00
  they had last year I think carried over this year.
• 27:02
  But let's talk about Dino babers a little bit more because this
• 27:06
  kind of, you know, to me this kind of has a feeling of a
• 27:09
  make-or-break campaign for him is that you're thinking as well
• 27:13
  or, you know, do you think he gets another couple years to try
• 27:16
  to right the ship? Yeah, I think that it might have
• 27:19
  run its course by now, I think it was an interesting higher
• 27:22
  bringing this air raid past heavy concept up to the
• 27:26
  Northeast. You know, I'm based out of
• 27:28
  Pennsylvania and I know anything north of me and they're not
• 27:31
  throwing the ball around. So to see that kind of Texas
• 27:34
  style offense, come up here was unique and it clicked for in
• 27:37
  2018, it even clicked a couple times before that.
• 27:40
  And it's some of those first years.
• 27:42
  I think they had Virginia Tech and they beat Clemson, the one
• 27:44
  year. And he was known for his big
• 27:46
  locker room, you know, celebrations and you know, an
• 27:49
  emotional guy, it was going well, but since that Peak That
• 27:53
  10-win season, it's been straight downhill and last year
• 27:56
  was just really an Isabel. So now with starters back, you
• 28:00
  know, if you don't see progress in the win column or at least
• 28:03
  offensive line wise, that'd be that'd be grounds to me, move
• 28:06
  on. Now, he's made a couple changes.
• 28:08
  He went with the unique defense, going with that rare 335 base
• 28:12
  defense. So I credit him for, you know,
• 28:15
  he's creative, he's trying to make things click up in the
• 28:18
  Northeast, which is kind of a dead zone for college football,
• 28:21
  so we'll see. But I think you got to get some
• 28:23
  more wins in the win column to be safe.
• 28:26
  Yeah. It's at it.
• 28:27
  I mean, one of the things I think we look back on Syracuse,
• 28:31
  you know, they had a run of of a good while they're where they
• 28:35
  were a really quality program and it's been very hit-or-miss,
• 28:38
  kind of, since the early 2000s. So absolutely, they were, I
• 28:42
  mean, from the mid 80s into the early 2000s.
• 28:44
  I mean, it, 110 10 games, multiple times, they went to
• 28:48
  multiple big bowls and then after McNabb and the Miss on
• 28:52
  Vicks, Probably one of the biggest things that ever
• 28:56
  happened to Syracuse was missing recruiting Michael Vick in 98.
• 28:59
  It was down to Syracuse in Virginia, Tech Brett, they
• 29:03
  missed em and it seems like after that they fell off but
• 29:07
  let's move on to further south and let's look at Georgia Tech
• 29:12
  um you know Jeff Collins had a hell of a thing to do when he
• 29:15
  arrived at Georgia Tech, it's rebuilding a roster from the
• 29:18
  Paul Johnson cut your knees out. Flex loan option offense.
• 29:22
  Yeah, I said it, I'm Landing it too many guys have gotten
• 29:26
  injured whether you like it or not, you know.
• 29:29
  But they returned Jeff Sims. Jeff Sims amazing athlete, you
• 29:33
  know, and had good consistent, recruiting classes, not great,
• 29:37
  but good, getting some talents in the door, is this the season?
• 29:42
  We finally see them. Maybe take a step up or you see
• 29:46
  in them kind of metal. Yeah, I think you're in for a
• 29:50
  pretty big step forward in the win column at least.
• 29:52
  And, and for what it's worth, you saw a step forward from his
• 29:56
  first year, 19 to second year 2020.
• 29:58
  Although it didn't show up in the win column, but
• 30:00
  statistically analytically watching them, they were
• 30:04
  certainly improved in 2020. It's just with the shortened
• 30:07
  season, no, non-conference the record didn't show it.
• 30:10
  So I think you're going to get the wind boost and more
• 30:12
  performance boost its returning production on both sides of the
• 30:15
  ball and that comes from a it's the Dividends are paying off
• 30:19
  finally, from playing such a young roster.
• 30:21
  In 2019, the biggest transition I call it.
• 30:24
  The biggest program transition since Nebraska went away from
• 30:26
  the option, back in 2004 when they went from the old.
• 30:29
  I, you know, I formation option. Frank solich to build Callahan's
• 30:33
  NFL, west, coast passing offense.
• 30:35
  So and with that, you know what they did here.
• 30:38
  Similarly, moving away from Johnson's flexbone, option.
• 30:42
  Yeah, it's going to take multiple years to recruit
• 30:45
  positions. You never recruited before.
• 30:46
  Tight ends, they didn't have Single tight end.
• 30:48
  It was all a backs and see backs and be backs and fullback.
• 30:51
  So yeah, it's a heck of a transition.
• 30:54
  Now to his credit, he's done everything right.
• 30:56
  Jeff Collins, he's really rebranded them as Atlanta's
• 30:59
  team. He's made them seem cool to the
• 31:00
  recruits in the area. He loves Atlanta.
• 31:03
  I had the chance to interview him before the 2020 season, and
• 31:07
  you could just hear it through the phone.
• 31:08
  His passion for Georgia Tech, he brought a Waffle House cart to
• 31:12
  practice. That was a big deal on Twitter
• 31:15
  and wasn't all just smoke and mirrors heel and the top.
• 31:18
  T5 recruiting class, which is their highest in, I think, 15
• 31:21
  years there. So it seems like it's heading in
• 31:24
  the right direction this year, you'll get all those dividends
• 31:26
  paying off, they think they found their quarterback there
• 31:29
  with Jeff Sims. You mentioned them Jameer Gibbs.
• 31:31
  Also in the backfield, he hits the whole really fast and brings
• 31:34
  that kick return speed. So there's a lot to like it's
• 31:38
  veteran, finally, and there now three years into this
• 31:40
  transition. So time to collect some wins.
• 31:43
  Yeah. And when we look back at 2020,
• 31:48
  We usually do in the season, we do like a weekly kind of pick
• 31:51
  against the spread and Georgia Tech was the one that kept
• 31:53
  stinging me every week because they'd have a good game I'd be
• 31:58
  like, okay I'm a little bit higher on them.
• 31:59
  I think they're gonna put some consistency in there and then
• 32:02
  they go out and fall flat the next week so I think maybe
• 32:04
  getting some more You know, little little more seasoning
• 32:08
  there might help them but you know, let's talk about their
• 32:11
  defense a little bit because they did seem to have a
• 32:13
  propensity to give up some big plays last year.
• 32:17
  Is there anyone on that roster that looks poised to take a step
• 32:20
  and help them on that front? Yeah, I mean first off it's it's
• 32:24
  interesting to think about because in that opener, remember
• 32:26
  last year, they opened up against Florida State at the
• 32:29
  time we thought that this was a legit Florida State team and you
• 32:31
  had Georgia Tech holding on the 13 points playing like crazy.
• 32:35
  So, So I thought, wow, what a transition.
• 32:37
  It looks like this. Georgia Tech defense is for real
• 32:40
  and then fast forward a week. They give up 700 yards, the UCF
• 32:43
  and then we start to learn the hey, Florida, State isn't the
• 32:45
  only Florida state? They're pretty bad.
• 32:47
  So, it was all about First Impressions and they've worn off
• 32:50
  now. So, with that said, though, nine
• 32:52
  starters are back that's good for 20th, nationally and
• 32:55
  returning production on defense. So that's usually a pretty
• 32:58
  reliable indicator of a year-to-year Improvement.
• 33:02
  So yeah, he runs a 425 base scheme, Andrew thakur and all
• 33:05
  five. Is it Baxter back?
• 33:07
  So you have experience in the secondary.
• 33:09
  They also added Kenyatta Watson. It was a top 150 recruit.
• 33:13
  They're from Texas. He was pushing to starve.
• 33:16
  It was a crowded Texas, secondary.
• 33:17
  So he's in adding some, you know, some almost five-star
• 33:21
  Talent there. So, yeah, we'll see.
• 33:24
  I mean there's there's transfers coming in.
• 33:26
  I think they also added an all-conference USA player from
• 33:29
  Old Dominion, so yeah, we'll see if it clicks.
• 33:32
  There is one big vacancy at linebacker, losing tackle
• 33:35
  machine. David Curry.
• 33:37
  But, you know, although he gobbled up a lot of tackles,
• 33:39
  maybe didn't have the athleticism to make the, you
• 33:42
  know, the all-acc teams and such.
• 33:43
  So yeah, look at just overall a ton of production back and you
• 33:47
  want to see now that that translate into progress on the
• 33:50
  field and in the number. So at now first step is there.
• 33:53
  I'll see if they can execute. So this is the first big road
• 33:58
  conference game for Virginia Tech is this kind of that trap
• 34:01
  game a team that on paper, we probably should win but with
• 34:06
  With some of the things that their steps they're taking
• 34:09
  forward and then playing at home and being the first road test is
• 34:13
  that something that could kind of come back and bite us?
• 34:16
  Yeah, well when you look at programs in the ACC Coastal,
• 34:19
  Georgia Tech might have the biggest variance, the biggest
• 34:22
  most volatility of outcomes. I mean if you don't think of it
• 34:24
  as a stock, I mean, they could they could Skyrocket with all
• 34:27
  this experience and all those close losses, now converting to
• 34:31
  wins and they can take care of the ball.
• 34:33
  Turnovers have been bad. Those things tend to even out
• 34:36
  out. So they could click and become
• 34:38
  really a top 25 caliber team or of course, they could stay where
• 34:42
  they are and in that three wind territory and it just so happens
• 34:45
  that the returning experience has a ceiling on it and they're
• 34:48
  kind of stuck in the in the three win land so they could do
• 34:52
  anything. They're very variable I have
• 34:53
  them tied with Pittsburgh their forth but I could see them
• 34:56
  going. And any direction really see,
• 34:59
  Braun writing right there. Brett, make no bets or anything
• 35:03
  towards Georgia Tech this year, the class.
• 35:06
  And the same volatility. So we're going to clone we're
• 35:11
  going to move onto another away game.
• 35:14
  A Friday night game up at BC. You've already said it in.
• 35:19
  You've already put it out there. You said, build, your kovitch is
• 35:22
  a program changer for BC. Obviously, they haven't had this
• 35:26
  sort of potential quarterback talent in close to 15 years,
• 35:29
  last being met Ryan. So, tell us.
• 35:32
  Why do you think he is the one to lift the PC out of the six
• 35:35
  to? Seven win doldrums.
• 35:37
  As it seems like it's been forever with them between Adagio
• 35:40
  and haffley. Yeah, he really wasn't program
• 35:44
  changer. This was a big-time deal.
• 35:46
  Landing him through the transfer portal from Notre, Dame.
• 35:50
  The obvious, is that a starting quarterback.
• 35:52
  He's putting up a ton of yards and breaking records but more so
• 35:55
  it kind of unlock the transfer portal for Boston.
• 35:57
  College it made it a destination to other five-star.
• 35:59
  Enforced our recruits were I should say transfers because
• 36:03
  after jerk evict made the move over five star receiver.
• 36:06
  Jalen gill from Ohio State five-star safety.
• 36:09
  Jaden Lars would be from Florida State.
• 36:11
  They both came to chest. Also, he kind of was the first
• 36:14
  Domino to fall, and of course, it helps that he backed it up,
• 36:17
  right away on the field, just four of those.
• 36:20
  First five games were 300-yard passing days.
• 36:23
  That's a PC record. That's from, from a school that
• 36:25
  has a Heisman winner. Doug Flutie NFL owners.
• 36:28
  Matt Hasselbeck, Matt, Ryan. So he made a huge, instant
• 36:32
  impact. But really, what makes me
• 36:34
  excited about Boston College, this year is the receiver core.
• 36:38
  It's the best they've ever had. They have Zay flowers back, he's
• 36:41
  all ACC caliber. They get Kobe white back from
• 36:44
  injury. People forget about him, but he
• 36:45
  was incredible a couple years ago, he's back.
• 36:47
  So that's a heck of a one-two punch.
• 36:50
  I just mentioned five star Guild there.
• 36:52
  He's going to be their third option might even move up higher
• 36:55
  than that. So, this is the best, you know,
• 36:58
  receiver core they've ever had at a program that is usually
• 37:00
  just been a power Run game. So that very veteran offensive
• 37:05
  line, everyone's talked about them.
• 37:07
  So the question becomes pain to defense making up gains.
• 37:10
  Can they be strong enough to hold leads again?
• 37:12
  Of these teams and can be see. Finally get out of that seven
• 37:15
  win range. They definitely have the
• 37:17
  capability to do it. So I know last year, Boston
• 37:21
  College seem to get kind of snake bitten by the the athletic
• 37:24
  quarterback. Are they going to do anything
• 37:27
  this year to kind of limit, explosive plays from that
• 37:30
  position? And are they trying to do
• 37:33
  anything? Like is what they do is that
• 37:35
  going to give them kind of create holes and other parts of
• 37:38
  that defense if they gets a smaller at the linebacker
• 37:41
  position? Yeah, that's exactly right.
• 37:44
  So one move they already made. Is that they moved?
• 37:47
  I already mentioned him. Jaden, Lars would be the 5 Star
• 37:49
  safety from Florida State. They moved him down the line
• 37:52
  backer. So, getting him into the box,
• 37:54
  that's kind of trading size for Speed there in the middle, tier
• 37:57
  the defense, Jeff haffley. I mean that defense is area of
• 38:01
  expertise, he's a defensive coach defensive coordinator, he
• 38:04
  was the coordinator on Ohio State's 2019, that was the best
• 38:07
  defense in the country had Chase young, there's eyes and
• 38:09
  candidate so he's a proven mind. Chance of interviewing him to
• 38:13
  and just like Jeff Collins, very passionate about Boston College
• 38:17
  and building this thing off. It's another younger coach
• 38:19
  younger head coach. But, yeah, I mean that this is
• 38:22
  his strength that side of the ball.
• 38:23
  So I think that with him there they should be improving on
• 38:27
  defense. You would think so?
• 38:29
  We'll see if they can defend better against the running
• 38:31
  quarterbacks because, yeah, those guys gave them troubles,
• 38:34
  Brandon, Armstrong last year across them handed hooker when
• 38:38
  he was in for Virginia Tech, they couldn't stop him either.
• 38:40
  So, that was definitely the The the Achilles heel.
• 38:45
  So this one back to back with the Georgia Tech road trip and
• 38:48
  then a trip up to Chestnut Hill, you know, what do you think the
• 38:52
  Hokies are able to pull off to? And on that trip?
• 38:56
  Yeah, that be impressive because while I think you'll be pretty
• 38:59
  much favored Over Georgia Tech. I think the PC games more of a
• 39:02
  toss-up to me. In fact, I have them ranked, I
• 39:05
  think either right next to each other, 33rd and 34th overall,
• 39:08
  Virginia Tech and BC. So that's really a coin flip
• 39:11
  game. So you come out of there, too
• 39:13
  and oh, that's that's solid. I mean, You know, so yeah, and
• 39:16
  to road trips, no less. And I know they're smaller,
• 39:19
  programs smaller schools. But given the right occasion,
• 39:22
  both the Stadium's can be rocking.
• 39:24
  I was actually up in DC when they play Clemson a couple years
• 39:27
  ago and hosted College GameDay. And although it only seats about
• 39:30
  40,000 that place because b,c return a punt return for a
• 39:33
  touchdown and take the lead that place was one of the loudest,
• 39:36
  I've heard, I mean, the, the roof came off of that place.
• 39:39
  So, in the right environment in the right setting, it can be
• 39:42
  intimidating. So we'll say, yeah, they don't
• 39:44
  they don't quite have the numbers there.
• 39:45
  But they definitely have a great atmosphere and that can
• 39:48
  definitely be intimidating for opponents sometimes.
• 39:50
  Yeah. Great atmosphere.
• 39:51
  When it's when they're packed on, ask you a real quick
• 39:54
  question and do a little you know hypothetical here if you
• 39:57
  put jerk of itch on Notre Dame how many places higher would you
• 40:01
  have another name this year? Wow.
• 40:04
  That I like it. I like it the ball definitely
• 40:08
  hot me obviously higher I would take him over Jack cone
• 40:11
  instantly. Yeah I'd probably have them
• 40:14
  talk. Team now there's still enough
• 40:16
  questions that I'd still it doesn't settle my opinions about
• 40:20
  their offensive line going through its transition, the
• 40:22
  coordinator change on defense. So I would still shy away from
• 40:25
  top 10 for them but a lot closer than number 24 I currently have
• 40:29
  them. So yeah it's a great
• 40:31
  hypothetical. Yeah.
• 40:33
  So probably closer to that you know 11:45 range that I guess
• 40:39
  some other folks have them. Yeah I can see I can see that.
• 40:41
  I mean he has you know some of Ability there.
• 40:45
  He's a really big kid. He doesn't go down, easy, kind
• 40:48
  of reminds me of of Roethlisberger in his in his
• 40:51
  college days. So, Yeah, I could definitely see
• 40:55
  that being a step forward. So let's move on to Duke.
• 41:02
  What this team is just not returning, very much production
• 41:05
  from last year and they were in a very good football.
• 41:09
  Team. Last year either was last
• 41:13
  season, kind of a not an anomaly for the cutcliffe error or is
• 41:16
  this kind of a sign of things to come, you think?
• 41:20
  Well, yeah, it's been a steady decline since they won the
• 41:23
  coastal. Vision.
• 41:25
  And last year was by far the worst.
• 41:27
  And when you dig into it a bit, there's a couple things, I mean,
• 41:29
  first his passing attack, I think was more cutting-edge
• 41:33
  earlier in the decade or the middle of the decade, but it's
• 41:35
  kind of gotten a bit stale and predictable, so schematically, I
• 41:39
  think they're kind of stuck in the mud, but really, it was
• 41:41
  turnovers. And I know that every fan base
• 41:43
  complains about that and you hear that from everybody.
• 41:46
  But, but no statistically this was the most turnovers by any
• 41:49
  FPS team not just power Phi, but all of FBS since 2012.
• 41:54
  So, You're talking about worse than a decade turnovers.
• 41:57
  So, yeah. And it was a combination, their
• 41:59
  turnover margin of offense, giving it away like crazy, you
• 42:03
  know, their quarterback threw the most pics of me in the end
• 42:06
  of in the entire country but then the defense couldn't take
• 42:09
  the ball away so you know that combo obviously is a bad recipe.
• 42:13
  So yeah. It was his worst year ever at
• 42:15
  Duke and it looks like they're on the decline is a program back
• 42:19
  to their historic mean they're as a below-average program.
• 42:23
  All right, so I'll puts a similar question.
• 42:26
  I want to ask would babers, you know, to the store, cool nature
• 42:29
  of Duke. I mean, you go back for a 15
• 42:32
  year stretch. They averaged two wins.
• 42:34
  They had one winning season from whence /, left in, 89 up until
• 42:38
  cut Cliffs winnings, first winning season.
• 42:40
  In the mid-2000s, it's his job safe until he decides to retire
• 42:45
  because Juke has been so bad and at least he's made them somewhat
• 42:49
  relevant. Pulling off some wins, making a
• 42:51
  bowl game here and there. Or is it?
• 42:54
  Or is it Buster? Is it they say we've got a we
• 42:58
  can't look on the Pastoral. We got to continue to try to at
• 43:01
  least make a bowl game every year.
• 43:04
  Yeah, I kind of get the sense that given their program
• 43:07
  context, and how it's so basketball Centric and kind of
• 43:10
  anything that football is kind of icing on the cake.
• 43:12
  I hate to think of it that way, but if you try and get into
• 43:14
  their shoes as a, as a school and an alumni base, that's how I
• 43:18
  kind of see it and the way that he brought them to Great Heights
• 43:21
  in a crowded conference and A power five conference and wanted
• 43:24
  to Vision. I think that he has a much
• 43:26
  longer leash than the average coach and maybe even just can go
• 43:29
  out and his term. So I don't think it'll be a
• 43:32
  dramatic firing or a, you know, a Black Monday, whatever they
• 43:35
  call it on the the day after rivalry weekend.
• 43:39
  So it'll be on his own terms. I think barring anything like a
• 43:42
  winless season or a scandal, but he's done so much for them as a
• 43:46
  program that I think the, he gets a call shots.
• 43:48
  And when he heads out, Yeah, not just delivering wins to a
• 43:52
  program that isn't used to it, but he's definitely seemed to be
• 43:56
  a very ambassador of Goodwill for the ACC.
• 43:59
  I think most of the coaches enjoy cutcliffe.
• 44:03
  So I think that that might play a role as well and just, you
• 44:07
  know, his history overall it seems like they want to they
• 44:12
  probably won't move on unless he gets really bad like you were
• 44:14
  talking about there. Yeah.
• 44:16
  I mean, everyone from Robinson's coaches to Media members.
• 44:20
  Do they look like there's guys who aren't anywhere near the
• 44:23
  Duke Market, but they try to get cutcliffe only because he's such
• 44:27
  a good guy to talk to. Now, the one thing I told Brian
• 44:31
  as we were discussing yesterday, and I'll throw this at you, cut
• 44:35
  Clips is in his mid 60's, so he's probably got five to seven
• 44:38
  years of coaching. Do you think it could be one of
• 44:40
  those things where he maybe wants to leave?
• 44:42
  Maybe go be an offensive coordinator at, you know, a top
• 44:47
  15 school where he knows I'm going to get Talent.
• 44:50
  I can create new Concepts because they what you will, what
• 44:53
  he did between Tennessee and Ole Miss and Dugal offensively.
• 44:58
  He wanted Ole Miss in June. He has an above 500 winning
• 45:02
  percentages at those two schools.
• 45:04
  Do you think you could see him sort of, I want to leave because
• 45:07
  I want to go chase one more National Title like I did at
• 45:10
  Tennessee. Yeah, it's an interesting
• 45:13
  hypothetical there. Of course, he made his, his big
• 45:16
  start at Tennessee. I don't know, at that age and at
• 45:19
  that point your career, you've been a head coach for so long.
• 45:22
  I wonder if they'd be willing to give up the reins and get more
• 45:25
  into a coordinator role. I don't know.
• 45:27
  I don't know how that Works. The head coach can, sometimes
• 45:29
  get away with being a CEO type coach in the recruiting world.
• 45:32
  Having the coordinators, be the Grinders.
• 45:34
  And so I don't know if you want to get back into that role.
• 45:37
  It's impossible for me to know. I had some personal thing with
• 45:40
  him, so I don't know, it's interesting, but I kind of I
• 45:45
  think that this is his last stand and hopefully, make a bull
• 45:47
  push. Get drunk with Gatorade and ride
• 45:50
  off into the sunset, but we'll see you never know, her coach
• 45:53
  cut, we really hope so. All right, so big one.
• 45:57
  One near the end of the season. This rivalry really 25 years in
• 46:01
  the making in the early 90s, it was a brawl between Miami and
• 46:06
  Virginia Tech. Miami is returning, a ton of
• 46:10
  talent from last season, especially on offense.
• 46:15
  Is this season is the season for this team really on how well,
• 46:20
  Gary, Kings ACL holds up. Six months later.
• 46:26
  Well, without the Eric King all bets are off.
• 46:29
  I mean, I don't think they have a chance at anything without
• 46:31
  him. That's really been the one
• 46:33
  position group, maybe along with offensive line but definitely
• 46:36
  quarterback. That is held them back during
• 46:37
  the Manny Diaz era and sneers the for that too.
• 46:40
  So what he brought immediately when he transferred in from
• 46:43
  Houston was not only stability of quarterback but highlight
• 46:46
  plays like a Human Highlight Reel passing throwing, I mean
• 46:50
  passing and running dual threat and people think about is
• 46:54
  running mostly but pass. Eyes.
• 46:56
  He's got the Miami all-time record right now for completion
• 46:59
  percentage about Bernie Kosar. So he's excellent in both sides
• 47:02
  of the game without him. Yeah.
• 47:04
  I mean, I don't know where they go.
• 47:05
  They have a couple guys right now or were in Spring ball
• 47:09
  battling it out with Tyler Van Dyke and Jake Garcia.
• 47:12
  But this guy special dear King. So he was probably the biggest
• 47:16
  one man addition out there and power 5 along with their
• 47:19
  coordinator. Rent Lashley who turned around
• 47:21
  and offense, it was really stuck in the mud.
• 47:23
  The last couple of years, really made them.
• 47:26
  Powerful offense is power spread offense that he brought in it
• 47:30
  clicked. So a couple issues that might
• 47:33
  hold them back are at receiver. And I know that returning
• 47:36
  production-wise yeah they're all returning starters and have
• 47:39
  stats but if you watch them and check out other analytics and
• 47:42
  drop rates, they were some of the worst drop rates out there.
• 47:45
  They got to improve on, catching the ball and and setting up King
• 47:48
  for Success. Now they do add in Charleston,
• 47:51
  Rambo who started two seasons at Oklahoma.
• 47:53
  That's that's a massive transfer portal win.
• 47:57
  And lastly though, so the defense has been a strong point
• 48:00
  for Miami for years and I think that will continue, but they are
• 48:03
  going through a coordinator change with Blake Baker gone and
• 48:07
  they also lose a ton of Firepower along the defensive
• 48:10
  line, especially the rush Edge and defensive end spots losing
• 48:14
  Jalen Phillips, Quincy Roche, and Greg Russo, all of the NFL.
• 48:18
  So that's some Firepower gone from the pass rush.
• 48:21
  So we'll see how all that comes together.
• 48:24
  I want to ask you real quick on a bronze.
• 48:25
  Got something to ask about the defense but I'm looking at the
• 48:29
  time frame of Dirac Kings ACL tear, I'm a 49ers fan but just
• 48:34
  so, you know. So I carry last year was Nick
• 48:37
  Bosa. Tearing his ACL week to Nick
• 48:40
  Bosa just started getting in pads this week.
• 48:44
  He's almost a year out. He's going to go against
• 48:48
  Alabama, week one. I mean, From you're looking at
• 48:53
  it analytically, if they know he can't run how much does it
• 48:58
  hinder that offense from doing what it can do?
• 49:03
  It's huge and and picture this too, if you're going against you
• 49:07
  give Nick Saban eight months to prep for you know.
• 49:10
  Your king is in handcuffs and can't run.
• 49:13
  That's just that's unfair. So yeah and then when you break
• 49:16
  down Alabama not to get you know we're getting like a second
• 49:19
  effect here but real quick their defense first this year and that
• 49:22
  that past rosters, incredible Alabama that front sevens nasty.
• 49:25
  So yeah, that's a bad formula for Miami.
• 49:30
  So let's talk more about the defense then because you know
• 49:33
  you talked about the explosive guys that are gone from that
• 49:36
  defense from the pass rush The Edge position, they get most of
• 49:41
  their secondary back though will they be able to generate enough
• 49:46
  pressure on the quarterback to actually maximize that
• 49:49
  experience? They have on the back end So, I
• 49:52
  think they will it won't be as incredible as last year.
• 49:55
  They were one of the best sack teams out there in tackles for
• 49:58
  loss, but I will say that schematically, that's what
• 50:00
  they're going for. One of my stats, I run as my -
• 50:03
  play percentage and what that means is just tracks, how often
• 50:06
  a defense is making plays in the backfield or at the line of
• 50:09
  scrimmage. And it's somewhat stylistic
• 50:11
  where some teams will, you know, Blitz a ton to try and create
• 50:15
  havoc in the backfield and might get burnt more and long yardage
• 50:18
  plays in the back side. But but long story short, Right
• 50:22
  under Manny Diaz. This team is always in the top
• 50:24
  10 of my - play right there, an aggressive style defense.
• 50:27
  It's attacking and you know, that was before, Blake Baker,
• 50:31
  got here is coordinator and I think it'll continue now that
• 50:33
  he's gone. It's more a man, he dies things.
• 50:35
  So they're going to try for it now.
• 50:38
  Can they hit home enough? We'll see, because that's three.
• 50:41
  Legit NFL was going from that pass rush but they recruit well
• 50:45
  here, as you guys know, one of the best in the conference, top
• 50:48
  15 nationally. So there's probably guys that
• 50:51
  are ready to step up. Up.
• 50:52
  And I think the secondary will hold it down while that pass
• 50:55
  rush comes of age because they get a five star in from from
• 50:59
  UGA, Tyreke Stephenson comes in. They have Bubba, Bolden, who is
• 51:03
  incredible last year all-conference, caliber safety,
• 51:06
  they're coming in from USC, so, and then, yeah, tons of guys IV
• 51:12
  I'll bleed. So, yeah, we'll say, but there's
• 51:16
  lots of like while that pass rush gets its footing, What
• 51:20
  you're telling me you might be a little bit of a struggle down
• 51:23
  there in South Beach. When the Hokies take a trip down
• 51:26
  there it wasn't only a king's healthy with without King and
• 51:30
  all bets are off. Like I said, so we're going to
• 51:31
  learn a lot Week 1 against Alabama.
• 51:34
  All right, so we're going to move from one rival to another.
• 51:39
  UVA closing out the regular season for the Hokies.
• 51:43
  Yeah, they played well down the stretch last season, but they
• 51:47
  did lose convincingly to the Hokies at Lane Stadium to close
• 51:52
  out their season. Do you have kind of a stock
• 51:54
  rising, or a stock falling grade on this season heading into
• 51:58
  2021? So not only because I'm on a
• 52:01
  Virginia Tech's show, but in all honesty, I have them as a
• 52:05
  downgrade this year, I had them six in the coastal and Without
• 52:09
  of 65 power 5 teams. So yeah, I don't see, I don't
• 52:14
  see them bouncing back towards, you know, fighting for a
• 52:16
  conference or title Crown again. Now to his credit.
• 52:19
  Brandon Armstrong was great, he filled in for Bryce Perkins that
• 52:22
  role that do it all role in. Mendenhall's an offense, you
• 52:26
  know shouldering a ton of carries in the Run game accurate
• 52:28
  passing. So he was fine.
• 52:30
  It's just been from there. I don't see many other pieces of
• 52:34
  what would be a ranked team or a conference Contender start in
• 52:37
  the backfield. They really Acted to a
• 52:39
  traditional running game. Usually teams have a feature
• 52:42
  back or a couple guys. Put the running backs, don't do
• 52:45
  much for them there and then it receiver they lose a couple key
• 52:49
  pieces Du Bois and Joe read are gone and the breakout freshman.
• 52:53
  The 67 lateral Davis? Breakout star, he's injured.
• 52:56
  So there's I think a lack of Firepower on offense and then
• 53:01
  you know you lose a couple stars on defense to and really the
• 53:05
  past defense has been what's held them back for about a year
• 53:09
  and a A half. Now I have the stats all in the
• 53:10
  book but you can see it clear decline their Midway through
• 53:13
  2019 and it's been terrible. Passing defense sense.
• 53:17
  So yeah, so it's funny when you look at Virginia Tech the last
• 53:20
  three years, the Hokies have lost, 23 in state teams, Liberty
• 53:25
  Old Dominion and UVA. But I'm if you ask some alumni,
• 53:28
  I wonder which one they're more upset about it, since it might
• 53:31
  be that you VA. So I think you'll defend the
• 53:33
  Commonwealth cup again for another year.
• 53:35
  Make it what 16 out of 17 or something crazy.
• 53:40
  Yeah, that'd be nice to see you again.
• 53:42
  We did not like the common look up leaving Blacksburg in 2019.
• 53:46
  That wouldn't definitely stung. And I don't think we necessarily
• 53:50
  want to say UVA is our Benchmark in terms of whether a season is
• 53:54
  successful or unsuccessful. But we definitely want to keep
• 53:59
  that that cup at home every year.
• 54:01
  So yeah, we'll see. I the big thing I.
• 54:05
  This is kind of a little bit of an inverse of What we were
• 54:09
  dealing with, with Miami. You hit on a little bit with the
• 54:12
  secondary being pretty weak for UVA, you know, they also lost
• 54:18
  two of their best pass rushers from last season.
• 54:22
  Are they going to be able to generate enough pressure on the
• 54:25
  quarterback to hide? What is objectively and awful
• 54:28
  secondary. Yeah, I don't think so.
• 54:32
  It's kind of one of the major factors have been having them so
• 54:34
  low. I think if you look at some of
• 54:36
  the other preseason magazines out there, they have UVA.
• 54:39
  Higher than six, probably in that fourth or fifth or even
• 54:42
  third range. But I've got them down at six
• 54:44
  because of that star power gone from the linebackers and Edge
• 54:47
  Rush positions. And just in general the
• 54:50
  secondary it was I think it was Bryce Hall when he went down to
• 54:54
  injury in 2019 that pass defense really collapsed and it
• 54:58
  continued again in 20 and I don't know why it would change
• 55:01
  all of a sudden 2021 with those stars in front of them gone.
• 55:05
  So yeah. And then when you look at it I
• 55:07
  also like to look in between the Season, you know, first half
• 55:10
  second half second half of this season 2020.
• 55:13
  They were one of the worst defense is in America, so and I
• 55:16
  know that everyone's got context with injuries and all kinds of
• 55:19
  stuff, weird 2020 stuff, but there's not enough there for me
• 55:22
  to see a complete overnight change.
• 55:25
  Got you? I want to say you, did you
• 55:29
  predict the 2019 UVA Coastal? When?
• 55:33
  Because of the Perkins factor? I did not.
• 55:38
  I don't think I can give you. I'm trying to go to memory
• 55:41
  banks, but, you know, but clearly, you know, they're
• 55:47
  they're the defense, the back end, looks terrible and
• 55:50
  obviously, I'm assuming what for them to be to that.
• 55:54
  Fourth, the third rain, maybe fifth range burning Armstrong
• 55:57
  has to put Bryce Perkins like you know, numbers up and that's
• 56:01
  something you're not seeing. So you know which as a Virginia
• 56:06
  Tech fan, that's good for sir. Certain family members in mind.
• 56:10
  They don't like to hear that. So we're, hey, I just being
• 56:14
  real, man. All right, before we get into
• 56:16
  Virginia Tech, one more question to ask you, what is the one ACC
• 56:20
  we haven't mentioned here, not on our schedule, not Clemson.
• 56:24
  But we need to watch out for like early season, watch a few
• 56:28
  of their games, because you feel like they have a chance to
• 56:31
  really do something this year. So, not opponent that knocks out
• 56:36
  UNC in Miami and not Clemson. So I think, Next in line, we
• 56:39
  have to be NC State. This is a team that I have right
• 56:42
  near the top 25. 26 nationally, second in the ACC Atlantic and
• 56:47
  what you have with NC State under Dent Dave Turin.
• 56:49
  He's produced a lot of NFL players has been kind of stuck
• 56:52
  at that 9 win range, but this time around everything's
• 56:55
  clicking, where you have second year coordinators, remember this
• 56:59
  to this time last year there was no Spring ball no summer camp
• 57:02
  and he went with a double coordinator, change bringing in,
• 57:05
  Tim back on offense and Tony Gibson on defense with a rare
• 57:08
  three. 35 scheme. So with no install time, they
• 57:12
  actually still did pretty well. In both coordinators are great,
• 57:14
  the offense and defense both Rose.
• 57:16
  Now, you get the double dividend of all returning production and
• 57:20
  returning coordinators and second-year bonus schematically.
• 57:23
  So I think the sky's the limit for NC State and they can really
• 57:26
  collect some wins every position group looks out.
• 57:29
  When you break it down, there's not many holes here.
• 57:31
  So I look for them as a legit top 25 caliber team and, you
• 57:37
  know, possible for an upset. Are there depending on where
• 57:39
  they're flying? Yeah.
• 57:41
  And now, the vet came over from Texas, Gibson came over from
• 57:45
  West Virginia and obviously they've got to Virginia Tech,
• 57:48
  coaches and Charlie Wiles. And Brian Mitchell at the corner
• 57:52
  position. But I'll ask you a question
• 57:54
  because really referring to really their defensive side.
• 57:56
  They bring all, but one starter back, but when a starter is like
• 58:00
  a Liam, McNeil High NFL draft pick, highly productive player
• 58:05
  as you were looking into making your decisions how much?
• 58:08
  Does that go into when it's one guy?
• 58:12
  But he is essentially all-acc, All-American, top draft pick.
• 58:16
  How does that go into when, you know, you know, analyze this
• 58:19
  data you have? Yeah, it's, it's important.
• 58:23
  I mean, not all returning, starters are equal, not all, you
• 58:26
  know, not all graduating seniors are the same, but yeah, that's
• 58:30
  one big hole, but 10 starters around, and we're back and not
• 58:33
  just that but they hit the transfer portal really.
• 58:35
  Well, in fact, it was part of State who they rated Got a
• 58:39
  couple starters, these aren't backup.
• 58:40
  Guys, these are veterans starters and even small
• 58:44
  conference caliber players bring in Cory Durden from their
• 58:47
  defensive line and Cyrus fagin in the secondary.
• 58:50
  So while you have 10 starters back you add to basically
• 58:53
  starters from Florida State and and more so than that.
• 58:57
  It's like I said it's them having their second full year in
• 58:59
  the scheme, a real offseason, a real spring to learn it.
• 59:02
  The 335 it's not your normal base defense like, you know,
• 59:06
  everyone's for 3 or 3 4. So, Going to this one, they
• 59:11
  needed that extra year of coaching so it's going to go a
• 59:13
  long way for him and yeah of course McNeil's a huge loss but
• 59:17
  overall full profile. I like what they have here.
• 59:20
  Yeah and bave Doran in 2020. I mean some people thought he
• 59:24
  was knocking on the hot seat there and then all of you know
• 59:30
  he has a pretty good campaign has a really good offseason and
• 59:33
  getting some guys in the portal and now they're they're
• 59:36
  essentially gearing up to you know, potentially Noise this
• 59:39
  year. So that's a big big switch in
• 59:42
  just you know, 12 12 months there for them.
• 59:45
  Yeah, for sure. And one last note that
• 59:47
  recruiting profiles really improved to they had some some
• 59:51
  record-high classes for their context back in 18 and 19.
• 59:54
  So those High classes, they're coming of age of starters so to
• 59:58
  fill McNeil's void there and nose tackle.
• 1:00:00
  It's not just one. But three, four stars are all
• 1:00:02
  battling for that nose tackle spot and then during the added.
• 1:00:06
  So yeah, so everything's kind of coming into into fruition here.
• 1:00:09
  This is year to really break through in the win column
• 1:00:12
  because that's been kind of what's hold held him back.
• 1:00:15
  They've produced a ton of NFL players, but the win-loss record
• 1:00:18
  is nothing to be proud of. So far against Power, five teams
• 1:00:22
  that finished with 9 wins or more, he's Owen 22.
• 1:00:25
  So, you got to start winning some notable games, and I think
• 1:00:28
  this is the year to do it. All right, so now that we've
• 1:00:31
  touched on every other opponent, the the Hokies have this year,
• 1:00:34
  let's talk about the Hokies themselves a little bit.
• 1:00:37
  You know, the big one. Is on offense.
• 1:00:39
  We're looking at the metrics and just the overall production that
• 1:00:44
  Khalil Herbert generated last year was pretty ridiculous and
• 1:00:48
  losing a couple pieces on the offensive line.
• 1:00:51
  How do you think Virginia Tech goes about?
• 1:00:53
  Replacing that production in 2021.
• 1:00:57
  Yeah, it's going to be tough because that running game was so
• 1:01:00
  dominant and really the offensive line as a unit in the
• 1:01:03
  running game was they were road graders or whatever the term is
• 1:01:07
  for that. I mean, it was impressive.
• 1:01:08
  I've christened aerosol here and All-American.
• 1:01:11
  Honors was a first rounder that, you know, it's hard to replace
• 1:01:14
  that. And now of course, the seat of
• 1:01:15
  Smith and tenuta they return. They're getting high grades
• 1:01:18
  themselves, but to lose such a big piece like that are saw and
• 1:01:22
  the running back there Herbert. That's really the engine of that
• 1:01:25
  offense last year, so definitely question marks there the other
• 1:01:29
  transfer from that cycle, I believe was, was Blackshear from
• 1:01:32
  Rutgers, but I think that he was moving over to slot receiver.
• 1:01:35
  He's a different type of Runner than Herbert.
• 1:01:38
  So, Definitely a question mark for me in the Run game and we'll
• 1:01:43
  see about that passing wise. It was a battle Burmeister and
• 1:01:46
  hooker of course, hooker leaves for, I think it was Tennessee.
• 1:01:50
  So it's fully burned, my sister's team.
• 1:01:52
  This year, we didn't see too much of them.
• 1:01:54
  I think I said earlier he was three and one is four starts and
• 1:01:58
  there wasn't much to statistical variance between when Burmeister
• 1:02:01
  was in, and when hooker was in sometimes, when I look into it,
• 1:02:04
  I look at which games each quarterback started and played
• 1:02:06
  in trying gray than that way. But But they were pretty similar
• 1:02:09
  outcomes when neither guy was in.
• 1:02:11
  So so yeah. Big question mark here.
• 1:02:14
  This will say a lot about Fuente the way that he can kind of
• 1:02:17
  transition from a great rushing attack and see if they can make
• 1:02:20
  gains in the passing attack now. Yeah, absolutely.
• 1:02:23
  Yeah. Raheem Blackshear is a guy that
• 1:02:25
  my partner here at Portland through things at the PD will
• 1:02:29
  put the way they used him. The video we had from Rutgers in
• 1:02:33
  the highlights. It was like this is a hybrid,
• 1:02:35
  got you have to use in multiple ways.
• 1:02:38
  How are you? Jim was incorrect, the coaching
• 1:02:40
  staff actually came out owned it that they were putting too much
• 1:02:42
  on and last year which we like to hear.
• 1:02:44
  So hopefully that changes. Now I'm going to flip the
• 1:02:47
  defense because as you just said it, how dominant the running
• 1:02:50
  game was last year. Let me say you something, and
• 1:02:53
  you and it's and you can you painted a picture perfectly in
• 1:02:56
  the magazine? We were best, especially on
• 1:02:59
  defense, you know, in just about every category, it did show
• 1:03:04
  flashes at times. And in certain games, it looked
• 1:03:07
  like, well, this looks like a bug.
• 1:03:08
  Foster lunch pail, you know defense Do you think that
• 1:03:12
  breaking in a new defensive coordinator in the covid era?
• 1:03:16
  On had a big impact on those numbers?
• 1:03:20
  And how much did Improvement? Do you predict for this defense
• 1:03:24
  come the 2021 season? So, first off, when I look at
• 1:03:29
  all these 66 programs and 2020 was so weird.
• 1:03:33
  All these different sides storylines and everything, all
• 1:03:35
  this extra context but Virginia Tech's defense is really the
• 1:03:38
  poster child of that. They had it all.
• 1:03:40
  Unfortunately it was The coordinator change and not just
• 1:03:43
  any coordinator of change, but replacing an all-time coaching
• 1:03:46
  Legend Bud Foster after some 30 years there along the sidelines.
• 1:03:50
  So massive transition there with no prep time.
• 1:03:53
  Then you had what you thought would be an All-American guy
• 1:03:56
  with Kaylin Farley. So he opts out, you had the
• 1:03:59
  opt-out factor now and that was that was new in 2020.
• 1:04:03
  So you lose him, then you lost multiple starters and the
• 1:04:06
  rotation was thin and there was all these quarantines, remember
• 1:04:09
  early in the season on the broadcast they were Like 25
• 1:04:12
  players are out tonight. So just every single storyline
• 1:04:17
  2020 related possible hit this defense.
• 1:04:19
  So also say that I think you're in for a physical Improvement in
• 1:04:23
  2021, it can't get worse, because you have a second-year
• 1:04:26
  bonus with the coordinator. It's a more normal offseason.
• 1:04:29
  You're not going to have opt-outs in August and and now
• 1:04:32
  you have some, some more proven pieces within this scheme.
• 1:04:35
  So, yeah, it's going to get better.
• 1:04:38
  It was just really fluky season last year.
• 1:04:40
  It specifically to this defendant Yes.
• 1:04:44
  Yeah, we were watching it. There were some moments that
• 1:04:46
  just seemed like it looks like they just didn't have enough
• 1:04:50
  preparation time, particularly kind of that in moment in, in
• 1:04:55
  the Liberty game after the, the time out during the blocked
• 1:04:59
  field goal and, you know, not not recognizing that.
• 1:05:02
  Hey, if they get another eight to ten yards there in makeable
• 1:05:06
  field, goal range and not, you know, a wing and a prayer.
• 1:05:11
  And just there were there were little moments like that.
• 1:05:13
  That throughout the year that just they were head-scratcher.
• 1:05:15
  So hopefully some more of this seasoning and actually you know
• 1:05:20
  it sounds like J Hamm wanted to simplify some of the concepts
• 1:05:24
  that he was trying to put in last year.
• 1:05:27
  Some of that probably is is a little bit of trial and error
• 1:05:30
  and some of us just okay. Well I've actually got time to
• 1:05:34
  refine what I want to do here and kind of get back to the nuts
• 1:05:37
  and bolts of what this defense did.
• 1:05:39
  Well last year, we read your picks Seek reviews.
• 1:05:43
  The, the 2021, you know, you say that there's some enough bright
• 1:05:47
  spots on the roster to put us a put the Virginia Tech Hokies as
• 1:05:51
  the clear cut number 3 in the coastal.
• 1:05:54
  But you said that there's a gap between us and UNC in Miami
• 1:05:57
  which kind of makes sense based on their roster makeup and
• 1:05:59
  things like that. What Catalyst, if any could
• 1:06:03
  allow a Virginia Tech to capture the coastal in 2021, I think a
• 1:06:09
  legitimate passing attack will be nice to get to get going.
• 1:06:13
  You want to see that want to see a more balanced attack but
• 1:06:15
  really the defense I think the defense is number one concern
• 1:06:18
  right now. Just given all that yardage up
• 1:06:21
  last year and points and just think of the old regime Virginia
• 1:06:24
  Tech teams that were competitive winning 10 games making orange
• 1:06:28
  bowls. It was it was the always defense
• 1:06:30
  first and I think I put this in the book to wear.
• 1:06:33
  If you could have paired the 2020, rushing attack with some
• 1:06:36
  of those great bud. Sturdy fences, you're talking
• 1:06:38
  Conference Championship, but timing is everything, and it
• 1:06:41
  kind of just, you know, it just so happened to align with the
• 1:06:44
  weaker defense. But yeah, I agree with what I
• 1:06:47
  wrote that there are bright spots here.
• 1:06:49
  So speaking to the defense, specifically guys like Jermaine
• 1:06:53
  Waller, I mean he and Farley were the best corner, one of the
• 1:06:56
  best corner Duo's in America in 19 and you had Farley opt-out
• 1:06:59
  and while there was banged up so you get Waller back.
• 1:07:02
  Dorian strong was a bright spot as a true freshman so that might
• 1:07:05
  be your next Duo there. You also add A two-year SEC
• 1:07:09
  starter. We tied the alien safety to your
• 1:07:12
  starter, they're transferring in.
• 1:07:14
  And then another thing is you know some guys are playing a
• 1:07:18
  little bit out of position, I think I read.
• 1:07:20
  So getting Dax hollifield to move back inside more of a
• 1:07:23
  natural fit for what he was recruited towards.
• 1:07:26
  So little adjustments like that little tweaks and then a whole
• 1:07:29
  year extra in this new scheme and new coordinator, that might
• 1:07:34
  be enough to flip some of these Gamers oats because it was very
• 1:07:37
  odd. God, I've been doing this ten
• 1:07:38
  years. The see, Virginia Tech not with
• 1:07:40
  a winning record, and not in a bowl game.
• 1:07:42
  I know that's, you know, repetitive for you guys to hear,
• 1:07:44
  you've probably talked about it for eight months.
• 1:07:46
  But, you know, from a, from a national scope, you just always
• 1:07:49
  pencil in Virginia Tech, 48 wins.
• 1:07:51
  That's just a given every year. So you want to start to get back
• 1:07:54
  to that, you want to start to be handling the in-state teams, and
• 1:07:57
  some of the teams below you in the, in the coastal.
• 1:07:59
  So, you know, building blocks baby steps first.
• 1:08:02
  But you got to get back to the bowl season.
• 1:08:05
  Yeah, this is the first season that Virginia Tech hasn't gotten
• 1:08:08
  that kind of courtesy, AP Top 25 vote.
• 1:08:12
  Even if we don't, need end up making the the 25 we weren't in
• 1:08:15
  that others, receiving vote category.
• 1:08:17
  So, definitely the, some of the luster rubbed off last year and
• 1:08:22
  hopefully they can recapture some of the magic we're used to
• 1:08:26
  this year. Absolutely Brandon in breath.
• 1:08:30
  Thank you for you know, everything tonight and but as
• 1:08:33
  far as Virginia Tech goes, the one question I have and you talk
• 1:08:37
  about the passing attack, but can they now since they've
• 1:08:42
  settled on Braxton Burmeister super athletic guy?
• 1:08:45
  I don't know if you saw this the other day, had a mph of like
• 1:08:48
  22.8, so obviously speeding you want to see the passing attack
• 1:08:54
  but obviously with the elements of Burmeister running is that
• 1:08:59
  one of the biggest keys to elevating the passing attack.
• 1:09:02
  Don't, there's no way they can bring it back to seven point,
• 1:09:05
  seven yards per carry like, you know, Herbert last year.
• 1:09:08
  But if they find between Jalen Holston Keyshawn King in the
• 1:09:11
  variety of running backs and attacks.
• 1:09:15
  Averaging 6 per carry, is that better ways with the guy who's
• 1:09:19
  now been in a system multiple years to actually Elevate that
• 1:09:23
  attack. I could see it and and
• 1:09:27
  specifically with Justin Fuente here for years he couldn't have,
• 1:09:31
  there was no returning starter at quarterback.
• 1:09:33
  It was always one year guy or a half season guy, so I'm remember
• 1:09:37
  being excited coming into 2019 to have Ryan Willis.
• 1:09:41
  What we thought was a second year starter and when that
• 1:09:43
  didn't pan out, it was handed hooker.
• 1:09:45
  And I thought last year, okay, this will be a second year
• 1:09:47
  starter and that didn't pan out. So, I want somebody to go
• 1:09:50
  through a fool, you know, second season and just see the kind of
• 1:09:53
  games that can be made now. It has.
• 1:09:55
  Is that lettuce is in the quarterback?
• 1:09:57
  I wonder if once he gets back to some of his old roots, that old
• 1:10:00
  quarterback Veer that he used to run at ECU on those successful,
• 1:10:03
  you know, Rose Bowl wins and and undefeated Seasons when they
• 1:10:07
  were still in the Mountain West. So, yeah, you want to use some
• 1:10:10
  quarterback run, get him involved.
• 1:10:11
  If he's that quick because that brings don't, you know, that'll
• 1:10:14
  draw attention from the secondary and pack more guys,
• 1:10:17
  into the box AKA open up some Lanes on the outsides because
• 1:10:21
  that might be a relative strength.
• 1:10:23
  As you have your top three receivers back.
• 1:10:25
  Robinson and Turner, and obviously James Mitchell over
• 1:10:27
  the middle. So yeah.
• 1:10:29
  So play that Advantage. We'll see.
• 1:10:31
  I mean, I wrote this. I said there's a lot to like
• 1:10:34
  this bright spots everywhere. It's just, you know, with a norm
• 1:10:38
  or normal season. I'm excited to see the gains.
• 1:10:40
  They make awesome. Brett we again, I really
• 1:10:44
  appreciate your time here tonight.
• 1:10:47
  Well, before we wrap up, Brett, you know, go ahead and give your
• 1:10:50
  Twitter account website where people can go purchase this and
• 1:10:54
  pokefans. The boundary corner is stomping
• 1:10:57
  or on the stump of this. By this preview guide, it is
• 1:11:00
  well worth the money spent. Yeah, well, thanks to the
• 1:11:04
  praise. Thank you for purchasing, and of
• 1:11:06
  course, thanks for having me on. It's been great, connecting with
• 1:11:08
  so many Virginia Tech fans on Twitter followers, and other
• 1:11:12
  podcast shows, it's a lot of great media down there, so I
• 1:11:16
  appreciate the work you guys do. And so, yeah, it's pick six
• 1:11:20
  previews.com and on there I have a couple sample pages so you can
• 1:11:23
  see what we're talking about with the The level of detail
• 1:11:26
  that, you know, the infographics on the left sides, my Trends, my
• 1:11:29
  data, but then the readable story lines on the right side of
• 1:11:32
  the page and really deeper die than you're going to find
• 1:11:35
  anywhere else. So, sample Pages testimonials
• 1:11:38
  are up there. I just got a huge one from
• 1:11:40
  ESPN's. Chris palika, the bear, the
• 1:11:42
  bear, that was a great one there.
• 1:11:45
  Yeah, it's up there on Pixies freebies.com.
• 1:11:47
  And then on Twitter, if you're a Twitter follower, it's at pick
• 1:11:51
  six, previews. All spelled out and you'll get
• 1:11:54
  fresh content every day. There.
• 1:11:56
  Well soon. What Brett best of luck this
• 1:12:00
  season? Hopefully, you know, definitely
• 1:12:03
  this time next year, we want to have you back on for another
• 1:12:05
  preview. Maybe we catch up with you after
• 1:12:08
  the season and we can sort of do some deep diving of you know, as
• 1:12:14
  your statistic and as your models look you know what came
• 1:12:17
  to fruition what was different so you know will definitely be
• 1:12:22
  connecting with you. Hopefully have you back on some
• 1:12:24
  time in the offseason? Yeah, for sure guys.
• 1:12:28
  Any time and keep up the great work, we'll be in touch on
• 1:12:30
  Twitter. Appreciate it.
• 1:12:32
  Well, that's is going to wrap up this episode of The Boundary
• 1:12:35
  Corner podcast. I'm Curtis Wilson.
• 1:12:38
  I'm Brian Sigler. Visit our website at boundary
• 1:12:41
  corner. Be t.com to listen to all of our
• 1:12:43
  episodes while you're there. Don't forget to follow us on
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• 1:13:00
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• 1:13:07
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• 1:13:13
  And as always, let's go okay's.