Dear V-tech fans:
You were not robbed in this game. The "touchdown", in fact, was not a touchdown. Upon review, the football made contact with the ground and was loosey-goosey. No there was no politicking on part of the refs. The refs got the right call on the review. Read the rule book.
As for the argument that "we should have won because we dominated Michigan", well, first of all, should've, would've, could've. You lost because, as John Madden would say, "usually the team that scores the most points wins the game" and you did not score more points than us.
And second of all, as for being more dominant than us, well, that is not entirely true. While your rushing D was pretty darn on the whole game, your passing D folded and gave up two HUGE-GINORMOUS-MAMMOTH TDs to Jr. Also, let's be frank, even though your offense had more yards than ours, I would not call the performance of your offense exactly dominant. Following the first TD made by Jr. (the score being 7-6) you were pretty much playing catch-up the rest of the game. Our D, especially in the red zone, played pretty well. Factor in the fumble, the sacks, the interception by Clark, yup, you did not dominate this game.
Again, your rushing D was solid but, overall, you need to stop whining and recognize that you lost fair and square.
Warmest regards and Go Blue!!!
Yours truly,
A very happy Michigan fan =)
January 4th, 2012 at 11:49 AM ^
This was not the worst thing that could have happened to Virginia Tech. Getting blown out would have been the worst thing to happen. Losing sucks, winning is fun. It seems their fans were bothered (as we were too) by the media and fans of other programs. They got more heat for being selected to the Sugar Bowl than we did, but we felt the heat to. They actually outperformed us in many categories. They fought through long third down conversions, they used a 3rd string kicker to try to kick field goals, they overcame turnovers and created a few of their own. They are a skilled football team and were excellent sportsman. A very intelligent and insightful fanbase and in my eyes they proved that they deserved to be selected for the Sugar Bowl.
May the best team win? I think they did but based on some stats I can see why someone would argue that they didn't. I tip my cap to you Hokie fans (if any are reading this) and salute your players for a hard fought battle.
January 4th, 2012 at 11:50 AM ^
At this point, I'm sure any VT player or coach would gladly reverse the yardage stats if it meant reversing the score also.
In other words, I would gladly take our D performance over their "Dominant" offensive performance any day.
January 4th, 2012 at 11:53 AM ^
this on any V-tech blog. These are some thoughts that I collected after reading hundreds of comments on ESPN and other sites by V-Tech fans, MSU/OSU haters, and Michigan appologists, yes there are those out there, bashing Michigan, about how they should not have won, how V-Tech got robbed, how V-Tech dominated Michigan and should have won.
January 4th, 2012 at 12:07 PM ^
Why address it to Virginia Tech fans then? I doubt you forgot your audience here would be Michigan fans. It comes off like you're telling us what you'd like to tell Virginia Tech fans, ignoring that you could very easily just tell them.
On another note, an apologist isn't one who acts sorry or embarrassed for something. Quite the opposite, in fact.
January 4th, 2012 at 12:47 PM ^
a person who makes a defense of a belief, idea. I have come across comments by Michigan fans/alums that essentially espoused the views that Michigan did not deserve to win and these individuals defended this belief by making every excuse in the book in favor of Virginia Tech.
January 4th, 2012 at 12:31 PM ^
Espn Game comments attract the worst fans of any fanbase. Don't hate on the hokies based of a few morons posting in their anger.
January 4th, 2012 at 11:57 AM ^
Coach Beamer is handling the loss with grace and dignity. The Va Tech fanbase should follow his example.
January 4th, 2012 at 12:01 PM ^
it looked like a td to me...let it go
January 4th, 2012 at 12:12 PM ^
seemed to me like Hemingway's non TD earlier in the year(@ Iowa I think). I am okay with it being called a incomplete pass now if it was then.
January 4th, 2012 at 12:29 PM ^
that having been said, if there was anyone on our team last night that nfl scouts should have been impressed by, its hemingway. he has a way with coming down with passes no one should be able to make, and his 2nd td, whether it was called back or not, was highly impressive.
January 4th, 2012 at 12:07 PM ^
I heard this from a Hokie fan this morning- "Michigan was out played. Virginia Tech was out coached."
Having been a Michigan fan since 1968, I know there have been dozens of games that we "should" have won but did not. I also know that calls have gone against us in every bowl game we have played in that have resulted in an undesired final score. I can list some of them here but Wolverine fans know what games I would list.
It's part of life's difficult lesson- everything isn't fair and works out the way you want it to. Saveferris is correct in his post above; Coach Beamer is first class all day and all night. VT football has been lucky to have had that man on board for as long as they have.
January 4th, 2012 at 12:12 PM ^
Bud Foster would be baffled with that Hokie fan.
January 4th, 2012 at 12:09 PM ^
Dumb post!
Great game VTECH, your players fought to the end and I feel your pain as UofM has been there more than our share in past bowl games.
Good luck to you in the future, just not when you play UofM ;)
January 4th, 2012 at 12:43 PM ^
How about we just celebrate a nice win and not troll VT fans after they had to watch their team gack away a winnable game?
January 4th, 2012 at 12:45 PM ^
A hockey tangent...I've seen the Red Wings dominate a game for 60 minutes and lose because they had no puck luck. I've seen he same team losing 2-0 score twice in the last minute and win in OT. And the same team lose in large part because the refs were incompetent for seriously. Sports are weird. That's why you play the game...because weird things can happen.
I'm done with deserve. Because so many times I've seen the "deserving" team lose. I've seen the dirty teams prevail because of thuggishness. And I'm done with it. If my team wins, I'm happy. If they do it fair and square, then all the better. If they stole the game, then who cares, the scoreboard doesn't lie. VT can be upset about the review, but I've seen far worse hosings in the past to care. Too bad, its what happened. The ref didn't make your kicker miss the FG in OT too. And besides, if VT converted those opportunities in teh first half to TDs, then they would have won easily. So, these complaints about how we didn't "deserve" it and how VT got hosed run very hollow to me.
January 4th, 2012 at 2:40 PM ^
Isn't dominating the game. Unless they start giving a few points for reaching the red zone.
January 4th, 2012 at 3:25 PM ^
I think VT did dominate several statistical categories, however, they had sloppy mistakes and couldn't capitalize in the red zone. Let's credit most of the non-action in the red zone to the Michigan D-Line which played one hell of game. Oh, Michigan DID capitalize on VT's mistakes. Overall it was not Michigan's premier game, but the O executed when they needed to (Gibbons was flawless and Denard/Hemingway chemistry paid off), the D stepped up when they needed to (minus a couple of ugly 3rd down breakdowns), and our Special Teams dominated. This equals an Michigan WIN! Put it in the books, 11-2.
Go Blue!!!
January 4th, 2012 at 3:46 PM ^
va tech overall played a much more complete game, and their run d was pretty damn good, but beamer deciding to call the fake punt was techs undoing. they just made stupid mistakes and let denard make some plays, a la hemingway, that should have never happened. tech beat itself, plain and simple. funny thing is, we nearly did too.
i love the win for michigan, but this game was one more nail in the coffin for the bcs.
January 4th, 2012 at 4:00 PM ^
I do have to give Beamer credit for enforcing his strict curfew policy, even though it may have ended up costing him in the end. I'm sure Beamer realized that this could be a close game, and I'm sure he still doesn't regret the decision to send his kicker home. We could used that kind of principled resolve in certain parts of the Big Ten (*cough* East Lansing *cough* Columbus *cough*).
January 4th, 2012 at 4:57 PM ^
Severe disappointment by VA Tech fans should not be construed as "whining". It was a very close game, they dominated in most categories, and we have all had similar experiences. It's a lot easier to be gracious when you win, and the above post is not gracious. Michigan deserves better, and so does VA Tech.