Consistency is key for Hokies

Despite a first-year starting quarterback, questions on the defensive line, and questions in the kicking game, Virginia Tech was chosen by the media in July to win the Coastal Division this season.

Again.

[+] Enlarge Jeremy Brevard/US PresswireAs usual, coach Frank Beamer has Virginia Tech in position to win another ACC crown this season.And if there were doubters out there who honestly believed Virginia Tech wouldn’t rebound from the loss to Clemson and would lose back-to-back home games, they were few and far between.

Why?

Virginia Tech is not invincible. It’s not flawless. It is, however, one of the most consistent programs in the country and the most consistent program in the ACC. It is the only school in the FBS to win 10 games in each of the past seven seasons. It’s one of only three teams in the country to have gone to a bowl game in each of the past 18 seasons. During that span, Virginia Tech has won an average of 9.6 games per season. Since the beginning of the 1995 season, only Florida (164) has won more games than Virginia Tech (162).

There's no reason to think this season will be any different.

It didn’t matter that they only scored three points against Clemson. Didn’t matter that they trailed Wake Forest 10-0 on the road this past Saturday. Nobody panicked, coach Frank Beamer said. Nobody ever does. The Hokies regrouped, stayed focused and won, while Georgia Tech came unraveled in its loss to Virginia and opened the door for Virginia Tech to defend its division title. There’s no guarantee that Virginia Tech is going to beat Georgia Tech and win the Coastal Division again -- Miami, Virginia and UNC still aren’t done yet, and the Jackets have only tripped up once -- but Virginia Tech’s history in this race should make its fans confident it can be done again, despite a sluggish start to the season.

Virginia Tech is not above the unpredictable madness that is the ACC. It contributed to it last season with an 0-2 start that included losses to Boise State and James Madison, and again this season with the worst offensive output Lane Stadium has seen since 1995. What separates the program from the others is its ability to rebound, to come back from poor starts and finish right where it is expected to -- at the top.

How do they do it?

“The consistency you have there in the staff and how we try to run our program and how we try to be consistent from day to day in how we treat kids, they know what they’re getting here, and when we do lose, we don’t flip out,” Beamer said. “We find out why we lost, and identify that, and try to correct it. The effort around here has never really been an issue, but I think that goes back to our coaching staff, too, and the relationships they have with the players. I think we care about each other around here, trust each other, and as a result, when a problem comes up, we have a chance to get it solved.”

Consequently, it’s why Virginia Tech has had the fewest problems in the win column since joining the ACC.

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