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Vince Hall with a young Hokie fan.

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Tech ready for big year

Virginia Tech is on the verge of a special football season. Can the Hokies be America’s Team, or America’s Number One Team?
The potential of having a good year, crossed with the April 16 killings of 32 students and staff are bringing unprecedented attention to the program. When Tech starts the year, hosting East Carolina on September 1, all eyes will be on Blacksburg.
Not only will all sports outlets be focused on the Hokies, but national and international mainstream media will be focusing on the game. Tech is preparing for the onslaught.
“We’re expecting a record number of credential requests for the opening game,” Sports Information Director Dave Smith said at Saturday’s Media Day. “But honestly, we don’t know what to expect.”
As a result, numerous restrictions will be in place to deal with the media swarm. Meanwhile, the coaches and teams are taking things in stride.
Head coach Frank Beamer mentioned the shootings only in passing. He focused on the potential for a good season.
The Hokies are pretty much a consensus Top Ten team, with most prognosticators putting Tech around number nine. One scribe lists Tech as one of three favorites for the national championship, along with USC and LSU.
The Hokies play at LSU in game two, and a win there immediately moves Tech up the short list. It is possible that even a loss won’t knock the Hokies completely out of the title picture.
Tech is favored to win the Atlantic Coast Conference title. Other than the LSU game, there aren’t any non-conference challenges.
Tech returns eight starters from the top defense in the nation. The receiving corps has four four-year players.
The offensive line and kicking game are the main areas of concern: if they are serviceable, or better, it will be a banner year for Tech.