Virginia
Will Virginia Tech Be Included In Monday’s AP Top 25 Release?
The 2024 College Football season is getting closer and the first AP top 25 of the year is going to be released on Monday at 12:00 p.m. Will that poll have Virginia Tech in it?
The first Coaches Poll of the season that was released did not have the Hokies in it and it will be interesting to see if the coaches have a different view on Virginia Tech. You could argue that they should be in that 20-25 range, but if they are not, I don’t think it is going to take long for Virginia Tech to climb in the rankings.
Virginia Tech will not be talked about much during the first couple of weeks of the season, but they have big games against Rutgers and Miami, which could set the tone for the rest of the season. Florida State (13), Clemson (14), Miami (16), and NC State (22) were the ACC teams ranked above them in the Coaches Poll, which is right in line with how the media voted them to finish in the ACC (6th). This could be the best Virginia Tech team since 2016, the last time that the Hokies made the ACC Championship game. They have a dynamic quarterback and run game, head coach Brent Pry has praised the wide receiver group this offseason, they return a solid group of pass rushers, and perhaps the best cornerback duo in the ACC. There is a lot to be excited about in Blacksburg this upcoming season.
When naming eight potential sleepers for the college football playoff, 247Sports analyst Brad Crawford listed Virginia Tech:
Key season-defining matchups: at Miami, Clemson
“There’s not a coach in the ACC who looks at his two-deep with more confidence heading into the season than Brent Pry considering the wealth of veteran leadership back for the Hokies. Virginia Tech has the most returning starters in the ACC, including every notable playmaker offensively along with several key pieces on the other side of the football, highlighted by Antwuan Powell-Ryland and Cole Nelson. Virginia Tech plays only two ranked opponents — Miami and Clemson — and should be favored in 10 games.”
There are some trap games that Virginia Tech will have to watch out for (Rutgers and Georgia Tech come to mind), but this team should be in the thick of the ACC title conversation.
In fact, Late Kick’s Josh Pate called the Hokies a “sleeping giant” on one of his recent shows:
”Here’s a what-if for you, what if a former sleeping giant, or I guess a current sleeping giant in college football awakens this year? [Whom] would that be? I think Virginia Tech counts. Now kids — kids, some of you in my college-age audience are laughing right now, but you shouldn’t be. You don’t know what you don’t know. You don’t know about Virginia Tech, the National Championship contender, but Virginia Tech used to be a National Championship contender. You don’t know about an entire generation — including me, who grew up, not Virginia Tech fans, but when we knew there was going to be a Thursday night game in Blacksburg, or even a Saturday night game in Blacksburg, didn’t matter who you rooted for, you would make sure to tune in. You’d make sure to tune in ten minutes before the game starts, because you get to see ‘Enter Sandman’ and you get to see this incredible spectacle, up in the mountains, the hills of Virginia, it’s awesome. We haven’t seen that as a national spectacle for a while. What if they wake up? They’ve got a shot this year. They’ve got a shot, they’ve got a workable schedule, they’ve got a team that’s totally in touch with their identity, [and] they could have a high-level run game with Kyron Drones at quarterback— contributing to that. I was up there this spring, and sat down with Brent Pry, he’s really excited up there… There’s a game, [that’s] a long way away, so I’m not saying let’s talk about it now, but there’s a game in early November, where if they navigate the early portion of their schedule, even if they have one loss, they can afford to drop one. But if they’re a one loss or better team in early November, that’s when Clemson comes to town. November 9th. [When] Clemson comes to town, if we have a one loss or better Virginia Tech on that day or night, you will see Lane Stadium like some of us remember it being, maybe a generation ago. “
This is setting up to be a season to remember for Virginia Tech and it starts on Aug. 31st at Vanderbilt.
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia has plenty of state symbols, be it the black bear as the state animal, the cardinal as the state bird or the rhododendron as the state flower, but did you know that the Mountain State also has its own official gun?
The Hall Flintlock Model 1819 was first manufactured in Harpers Ferry by John H. Hall in 1811 and was adopted by the United States Army in 1819, making it the first breech-loading rifle ever adopted by a country’s military.
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Model 1819 Hall Breechloading Rifle presented by Congress to Gustavous A. Bird for his participation in the Battle of Plattsburgh 9/11/1814 by John C. Bird via the Smithsonian Institution -
Model 1819 Hall Breechloading Rifle presented by Congress to Gustavous A. Bird for his participation in the Battle of Plattsburgh 9/11/1814 by John C. Bird via the Smithsonian Institution
All of this information is listed in Senate Concurrent Resolution 7, which was introduced and passed during the 2013 West Virginia Legislative session, and officially recognizes the Model 1819 as the official firearm of the State of West Virginia.
On top of being created in West Virginia, the resolution also points out that the rifle saw use during the Civil War, an event that directly led to West Virginia’s statehood.
While having an officially recognized state firearm may seem far-fetched, West Virginia is not the only state that has one. As a matter of fact, a fifth of the states in the country have officially designated a state firearm, including West Virginia’s neighbors in Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In this world of college football, with the transfer portal and recruiting battles, bad blood is present more than ever before between head coaches.
That’s not the case between the Virginia Tech head coach and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, however. In fact, Franklin revealed at ACC Kickoff on Thursday that the two are actually close friends, dating back to their time at the Nike trip that various coaches take over the summer.
“Dabo’s my guy,” Franklin said on Thursday. “We go way back. We’ve been on the Nike trip for a long time. His wife and my wife are friends.”
The long-time Penn State head coach is making the move to the ACC after being fired from the Nittany Lions in October. 12 seasons of being with the program had Franklin hold a 44-21 record against top 10 opponents, an impressive record for a new conference foe of Swinney’s.
But when that trip comes around, there’s a camaraderie between Swinney and Franklin and both of their wives. In fact, the two hang out with each other instead of the other coaches at times. It simply comes to an “edgy” time in college athletics that raises tempers.
“I’m going to be honest, I wouldn’t say we’re necessarily like the type of people that love a lot of other coaches and a lot of other programs,” Franklin said. “It’s hard when you just compete year-round.”
On Swinney’s end, there are a few who could immediately come to mind among Clemson fans. Perhaps the most recent would be Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, who played the most significant role in the tampering of former linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
It’s a select list of coaches who make the good side of the Tigers’ head coach, and Franklin is certainly on that list. On the other hand, Hokies’ head coach has Swinney on his own shortlist.
“Obviously, tremendous respect for what he has built at Clemson and what he’s done at Clemson, and what he’s done for the ACC,” he said.
The two will see that close relationship face off at Memorial Stadium this upcoming season. Clemson will host the Hokies on Oct. 24 in what could be a potential title-eliminator for the ACC Championship.
Of course, the last game that we’ve seen the Tigers play in was against Franklin’s former team in Penn State at the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. That game ended in a 22-10 contest that saw a foundation of Franklin players end Clemson’s season in disappointment.
Swinney will see many of those players once again in October, including starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, in that contest. The anticipated Hokie starter recorded 260 yards and two passing touchdowns on the Tigers in the Bronx that day.
Although friends become foes, another ACC coach has given Swinney his flowers for what he’s been able to do for the conference. In the upcoming moments, Franklin will look to prepare his team to prove itself on one of the biggest stages in the ACC, while Swinney looks to put his team back at the top of a conference he’s dominated for over 15 years.
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MARTINSVILLE, Va. (WSET) — Extreme drought conditions in parts of Virginia have prompted an emergency drought warning for a wide swath of the region, including Bedford, Campbell, Charlotte, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Patrick, Pittsylvania and Roanoke counties, along with the cities of Danville, Roanoke, Salem and Martinsville.
The governor has warned that if conditions worsen, she will activate mandatory nonessential water-use restrictions.
In Martinsville, city leaders have issued a voluntary water conservation notice and are urging residents and businesses to cut back where they can. The request comes as local businesses that rely heavily on water say the drought is already affecting day-to-day operations.
SEE ALSO: Botetourt County residents adjust daily routines as voluntary water restriction continues
John Hughes, owner of John’s Car Wash, said the dry conditions have hit his business hard in recent weeks. “For the last 3 weeks, it’s been hitting pretty hard. We done three yesterday and haven’t done anything today with the drought and hot weather. Yeah, I’m really concerned about it,” Hughes said.
Restaurants are also feeling the strain. David Kitzmiller, an owner of Be Wiched, said water is essential for routine tasks such as washing dishes and preparing some menu items.
“We use a lot of water for washing dishes and some of our recipes if they limit us in anyway defiently can’t produce and its a scary aspect,” Kitzmiller said.
Kitzmiller added that cutting back is not always realistic for businesses that must meet sanitation needs. “Not really feasible for a business that depends solely relies on water to wash their dishes, so that can’t definitely be an impact there,” he said.
City leaders emphasized that the conservation request is voluntary for now, but they are encouraging everyone to do their part by taking shorter showers, turning off the faucet when it is not in use, washing only full loads of laundry, and limiting outdoor watering whenever possible.
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