The stretch of games with Arkansas, TCU and Baylor are the toughest stretch Tech has had since Texas, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma in 2008.
One win among those three would be a real shot in the arm. Two wins could be program-changing. Three wins would be drunken dancing in the streets. Realistically, there's a decent chance of one win in there.
Which one would choose, not necessarily the one most likely, but the one that would give you the most personal satisfaction and/or be a program or identity changer?
Arkansas, Fayetteville, Sept. 19: Probably a Top 20 SEC team on the road in front of 70,000-plus fans...This team's strength has been historically Tech's weakness -- stopping the run. A Tech win would signify the Raiders have obviously addressed and improved what has long been a rough spot and brought additional validation to what Gibbs can do as DC...A win, because it's an SEC team, could really gain notice and be an identity changer.
TCU, in Lubbock, Sept. 26: Start with the obvious -- there's 82 reasons to want to atone for last year's debacle. There's the Cumbie factor for those who can't quite come to terms with his leaving...Beyond that, TCU could come in No. 1 depending on if Virginia Tech can upset Ohio State on Sept. 7. Jones will be SRO, and a win would have the place rocking like it was just a few years ago, and go a long ways to re-establish Jones as a magical place again.
Baylor, AT&T Stadium, Oct. 3: Team has owned Tech for the last four years, winning either big or barely...Watched as Baylor has smugly passed Tech by with one Big 12 title and sharing another...Then there is the Stidham factor, which most believe goes beyond one kid changing his mind late in the recruiting game. It does not pass the smell test. A win here could be a sea change in re-establishing Tech above a team it has historically always been above.
Which one?
One win among those three would be a real shot in the arm. Two wins could be program-changing. Three wins would be drunken dancing in the streets. Realistically, there's a decent chance of one win in there.
Which one would choose, not necessarily the one most likely, but the one that would give you the most personal satisfaction and/or be a program or identity changer?
Arkansas, Fayetteville, Sept. 19: Probably a Top 20 SEC team on the road in front of 70,000-plus fans...This team's strength has been historically Tech's weakness -- stopping the run. A Tech win would signify the Raiders have obviously addressed and improved what has long been a rough spot and brought additional validation to what Gibbs can do as DC...A win, because it's an SEC team, could really gain notice and be an identity changer.
TCU, in Lubbock, Sept. 26: Start with the obvious -- there's 82 reasons to want to atone for last year's debacle. There's the Cumbie factor for those who can't quite come to terms with his leaving...Beyond that, TCU could come in No. 1 depending on if Virginia Tech can upset Ohio State on Sept. 7. Jones will be SRO, and a win would have the place rocking like it was just a few years ago, and go a long ways to re-establish Jones as a magical place again.
Baylor, AT&T Stadium, Oct. 3: Team has owned Tech for the last four years, winning either big or barely...Watched as Baylor has smugly passed Tech by with one Big 12 title and sharing another...Then there is the Stidham factor, which most believe goes beyond one kid changing his mind late in the recruiting game. It does not pass the smell test. A win here could be a sea change in re-establishing Tech above a team it has historically always been above.
Which one?
