After Alabama’s impressive 35-10 victory over Virginia Tech at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on Saturday, Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban didn’t start off his post-game press conference discussing the three-touchdown effort from junior Christion Jones, his team being outgained 212-206 in total yards by the Hokies or even the offensive line having miscues throughout the entire contest.
He started off the conference discussing how the Crimson Tide needs to create an identity as a team. Saban even made a reference to Michael Jordan’s last game as a Chicago Bull in the 1998 NBA Finals that would’ve gotten the obligatory nod of approval from the musician Jay-Z.
It’s now understood how a team that has won three of the past four national championships with future professional athletes throughout its entire roster won’t grow complacent after a victory over an overmatched Virginia Tech squad.
The Hokies received a respectable effort from its defense but when your special teams’ unit gives up a kickoff AND punt return for a touchdown and your fifth-year senior starting quarterback, Logan Thomas, finishes the game with only five completions for 59 yards and throws an interception returned for a touchdown, that’s not going to translate into a win.
Virginia Tech does have a bright spot in redshirt freshman Trey Edmonds, who finished with a game-high 135 yards rushing for the Hokies, including a scintillating 77-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. He will be on the short list of ACC Player of the Year candidates by the end of the season and continue the long line of elite running backs that have passed through Blacksburg during the Frank Beamer-era.
Speaking of Beamer, the moniker that was coined for the traditionally elite special teams’ units of Hokies’ teams past, “Beamerball,” may have finally been retired for good. As several fellow media members in the esteemed press box pointed out, that unit for Virginia Tech hasn’t been “special” in years.
Despite the shortcomings of Virginia Tech’s effort on Saturday, the ACC has the potential to be as wide open as ever so a trip to the conference title game may not be out of the question.
So while the Crimson Tide will now have a bye week to prepare for the latest Game of the Century against Texas A&M in College Station in 14 days with the eyes of an entire nation on the contest, the “weaknesses” that were exposed like the offensive line problems and gaining only 143 yards on the ground are minor issues that most of our favorite football teams can only dream of having.
One final tidbit from the contest. Saban mentioned that the Tide’s appearance at the Kickoff Game in previous seasons, specifically in 2008 and 2009 had a major contribution to the launching of the current Alabama dynasty that we’re all witness to. Hopefully other programs will take note that beating a team like Elon doesn’t serve a purpose to your program. Everyone can’t be Alabama and even the Tide will welcome Georgia State AND Chattanooga to Tuscaloosa later on this year. Testing your team at the beginning of the season will pay dividends later on.
The Sports Inquirer 
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