... is necessary.

In 1982, my first year at Virginia Tech, the following conditions existed:

* Head coach Bill Dooley, Mr. Three Yards and a Cloud of Dust.
* Conference affiliation: None. VT was usually listed under "Southern Independent".
* The big game that year was the season opener against Miami at Lane, which VT lost 14-8.
* The stadium had NO lights! Temporary lighting was installed to accommodate the very first night game at Lane, a Thanksgiving game against UVa.
* That UVa game was also the very first televised game in Lane Stadium.
* But, VT did have Bruce Smith -- still probably the greatest VT player ever.

In short, the VT program was FAR outside the important levels of college football, even though it was actually a winning program.

In 1983, a really excellent Hokie team led by Bruuuuce and the Stallions crushed UVa 48-0 and finished 9-2. With NO conference affiliation, that team did not go bowling.

In 1984, I was a member of the MVs for the Independence Bowl trip, which was a very big deal at the time. Imagine that, Shreveport, LA being a big deal! For the MVs, it was a 16-hour bus ride each way. VT lost to Air Force 23-7.

It was completely miraculous that Frank Beamer was able to have VT kick down the door to college football's inner circle. In my 1995-style thinking, staying in the top 25 each year (or at least being a contender to do so) was elite football. Somehow VT now had a conference, but only because the basketball-only Big East wanted to barge into the football business. It was a miracle again that VT became a part of the next level up, with that 1999 title run. From there on, VT was a fixture in the TOP TEN for awhile. You gotta be kidding me.

In the "polls" era of college football, NOBODY -- and I mean NOBODY -- had ever come completely from the outside (not even a conference affiliation!) and become a legit contender. Since the years VT/Beamer did that, only one team that I can think of has managed the same feat -- Boise State. That's it. Even an "outsider" team such as this year's Minnesota always had the Big Ten to fall back on. Check the records and you'll realize what kind of miracles we're talking about with the VT program.

Now Beamer is gone, and mostly on his own terms. Justin Fuente has had to replace a legend. How well has that gone in the past? How did Bama do after the Bear? Nebraska after Osborne? VT is not like Bama or Neb -- never did get to THAT level of eliteness. Yet, CJF has managed to still have a somewhat credible team/program, even despite VT's disadvantages.

I for one enjoyed this season and the turnaround after Duke. I'm OK with what's going on. I remember years like 1984.