in my head this morning.

It seems to me it is often easier to be hungry, motivated, and to play free of pressure when you're the underdog. You have nothing to lose and a lot to prove to the world. You play with a chip on your shoulder and with the attitude that no one outside your program thinks you're worth a darn. That's how VT was back in the mid-90s. Blue collar program -- not as flashy as the U but we started stomping them. We had a lot of guys who were just tough and played like the world was against them.

I also think it is easier to ascend to a perch than it is to remain on it. Once you reach a high level of success, it is easy to become a bit complacent. You keep hearing that you're one of the best programs in the country, etc.

Here's the thought I'm having: Programs like VT and Tennessee do not have the talent they once had. We aren't as good -- yet there is a residual culture of thinking we still deserve to be on the perch. In other words, we don't have the pure talent to simply march up to the perch but we don't have the underdog mentality/the chip on our shoulder to claw our way up.

I'm not talking about the attitude of individual players or coaches. I'm not talking about how the coaches try to motivate. I'm saying you walk around the athletic facilities and see images of All-Americans, conference titles, a national championship game appearance, and the presence of quite a few current and former NFL players -- and it all says "this is a big-time program."

I wonder if unconsciously, that creates the pressure of being the favorite without the talent of being one. I wonder if there isn't some kind of cultural reboot that's needed -- like a "back to our roots, no one believes in us anymore" kind of reset that makes guys mad when they're doing their offseason workouts.

This isn't about what Fuente ought to do or who should be our next coach. I'm talking more abstractly than that. Just curious what people think.

[Post edited by Pride_and_Joy at 11/10/2020 11:25AM]