It's opening game week. And this year, it isn't Northwestern, Central
Florida, Arkansas State, or even East Carolina the Hokies open the season with.
It's Alabama. The ESPN hype gods have lined up a huge week of promotion for the
Chick-fil-A Classic, and the Hokies are at the center of it, matched up with the
Tide. It's Tech's biggest season opener since the USC Trojans in 2004, and it
has galvanized Hokie Nation to look forward to the season opener more than ever
before. How important is this game? Let us count the ways.
In 2004, the Hokies opened with USC at FedEx Field in the BCA Classic. The
Trojans were ranked preseason #1 and featured future Heisman Trophy winners Matt
Leinart and Reggie Bush. USC was national championship-bound that year.