...being able to compete on a national level. It happened briefly during the late 90s and early 2000s, but even then, it seemed like when there was a really good chance for VT to rise to the occasion and become worthy of being considered an elite program, it didn't work out (see 2003 at WVU, 2005 vs. Miami, 2007 at LSU, 2010 vs. Boise St., etc.). I think Justin Fuente has a very distinct vision and in my opinion is ahead of schedule on implementing it at VT, but this team is very young and inexperienced, so many of us are not quite sure what to expect on a large stage such as this game. I think some of us are very confident that this is a new era of VT football and are optimistic about the outcome, while others of us will be watching with one eye open hoping that we don't witness another disappointing loss in the spotlight. I probably fall somewhere in between those two groups...optimistic about the future, but realistically expecting Clemson's talent to be a little too much for the 2017 Hokies to overcome. But, I really like the VT coaching staff, and Tech has some very talented, if not seasoned, players....so anything is possible.

It's easy to say "I'm not nervous" after your team just won a national championship. But you have to realize that these two fanbases are really approaching this game from very different perspectives.

Good luck.