From: boisseau@chpc.utexas.edu (John R. Boisseau (Jay))
Subject: Re: Why so many Va Tech woofers?
Keywords: coz hokies are better than hoos
Organization: The University of Texas System - CHPC
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 92 19:39:21 GMT

In article <Bu0LEA.644@news.larc.nasa.gov> mln@sunkj.larc.nasa.gov (Michael L Nelson) writes:
>>while Tech has continued to wallow in total mediocrity.
>
>VT has spent most of the time cleaning up after Dooley's garbage.

Agreed. He didn't leave the program in great shape... it kinda stank. So,
wallowing in mediocrity is not wholly inaccurate. I look at Tech as a team
that could bust through at any time (they recruits great _athletes_), but
something (coaching? intangibles?) has been holding them back (thankfully
for us Wahoo fans).

>VT would have posted a similar record over the last 2-3 years as UVa
>if they had played a similar schedule.  VT's schedule has been
>significantly more difficult than UVa's.  There really is not much
>room for disagreement on that point.

Yes there is, until I see a power rating comparing the two for the last
three years, complete with breakdowns of how many "Top 25" caliber teams
each played, and how many "dogs" each whipped. Also, how did each do
in that span vs. common opponents?

Also, if we accept your claim that Virginia's schedule was "significantly"
easier (I don't, not yet anyway, but I am open to numbers), you still
cannot KNOW how Va. Tech would have done. Tech's win/loss results are,
IMHO, more unpredictable than UVa's. C'mon, Mike, you have to admit that
Tech often plays to the level of their opponent, as opposed to playing
at their own level, week-in, week-out. Unless their schedule were
more than "significantly" easier, I doubt their record would have 
been "significantly" better over the last three years. I have always
been happy that Tech is an underachieving team--clearly, they have the
capacity to beat many teams based on their performances vs. such teams
as FSU... which are usually followed by absolutely wretched performances.
I still don't understand, but I blame Beamer (for lack of knowledge about
the program ;-) ).

And besides, computer polls don't show biases, and do account for schedule
strength, and they, too, show Virginia to be higher ranked each year than
Tech.

>>but has Tech deserved to be
>>higher than #50 any time recently?
>most power ranking systems seem to think so.  you know, the systems
>that account for schedule strength?

true enough. They don't rank Tech ahead of Virginia, but they do rank the
Hokies higher than most _people_ do. VT is a scary team... lots of speed
and athletic ability, and when they get fired up...

>>WHY SO MANY TECH WOOFERS?!?!?
>
>because VT is larger school.  They produce more graduates.  VT
>graduates are more likely to be in technical field.  Those in a 
>technical field are more likely to have usenet access.
>
>hence, more VT woofers.

Bingo. That, and the natural inferiority complex Tech grads have that make
them woof... chill Mike, the last part was a joke! ;-)

>go terps!

Aw, no fair! I don't even know who to woof for against Tech! Who do they play?

Jay Boisseau
UVa Class of 1986
-- 
##################################
  John R. Boisseau ("Jay")        
  Department of Astronomy         
  University of Texas at Austin