Thinking about it a little more, 2019 VT was a huge win for the program with a lot at stake and breaking the VT losing streak. That was the end of the season and the stakes were known.
This win against FSU got more attention nationally because it was against a more highly regarded, prominent opponent who beat Alabama a few weeks ago. Plus it was on Friday night in its own time slot.
People woke up Saturday morning in the mood for a day of college football and saw that amazing lightning quick field storm everywhere and knew we beat top 10 FSU the night before. The field storm and our win went viral. That doesnāt happen if the gameās a mundane win or the play happens in the other end zone or if the gameās just one of many on Saturday buried under coverage of Bama/Georgia and Oregon/Penn State.
The electric image of the play occurring 10 yards from the mass of students and then the students immediately pouring onto the field past, around and over the players still in the end zone just happy and excited. Besides the one guy, there werenāt incidents between fans and players. Usually when youāve seen one field storm, youāve seen them all, but this one was different in a memorable way.
Iām so happy for the students, especially the 4th years. This is the class that went into lockdown their first semester in school for an armed shooter at large. The last ones left that congregated for the memorial on the Lawn. They finally got the chance to really celebrate something big and happy with the team. So yeah, this is the biggest, most impactful win.
8.7 projected wins with 9 being the most likely outcome now. Up to #37 overall. 10th biggest improvement from preseason projections so far this season. Flipped back to slight underdog against Duke though thanks to them having the single largest positive change in their power rating this week (has us as a 1.2 point favorite on a neutral field but homefield swings it back- still narrowly has us as the better team overall)
Heās got our power rating difference + home field (disadvantage) as just inside the spread against Louisville.
This line movement is being driven by sharp money coming in early. Anticipating a second wave over the next 24 hrs before it settles. Not sure itās enough to drop it another point but feels possible
What I love about that is even as a joke, thereās a door open to make the argument that is absolutely a true statement and the Hoos dodged a bullet even if they werenāt actually in the running for Arch.
Yeah like imagine if TJP had come to UVA straight out of high school. People wouldāve freaked out even worse than when JAR wasnāt panning out and it would have looked like weāre the problem, when in reality the talent or mental toughness just isnāt there. Arch it would be on a national scale
Great point and itās possible. I didnāt watch a lot of film on Arch because well I hate watching HS film especially in football where the jump can be massive.
Thereās a reason Arch sat as long as he did and failed to beat out Ewers last season. Iād go as far to say if Arch was Arch Johnson instead of Manning heād be better off and given the time he needs to develop rather than being compared to his uncle. I mean hell even Eli got to develop in a bit of obscruity at Ole Miss.
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