I
was pondering the significance of Tech's upcoming date with Georgia at the
Chick-fil-A Bowl, and one thing struck me: whether Tech wins or loses the game
will greatly affect their preseason ranking heading into 2007. Win, and VT will
probably be a top 10 preseason team. Lose, and they will be at least 5-10 spots
lower. And where you start affects where you can finish.
Before I go on, I'm not real big on hype, expectations, and national
championship aspirations. A lot of it has to do with the business I'm in and my
philosophy on how to enjoy the game. I feel that if fans set their expectations
or hopes on a national championship, they're going spend the large majority of
their time -- probably all of it -- feeling disappointed. As the GM of a web
site with active message boards, I don't like pumping the fans up, only to have
them be let down, then have to deal with the residue. I've been down that road a
few times (2003 and 2005, anyone?) and I don't like it.