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Virginia Tech, National Title Contender?!?

Phil Steele thinks Tech is a dark horse candidate

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Every summer about this time I pick up Phil Steele's college preview magazine.  There are a lot of choices out there in the college preview market.  Athlon, Lindy's, and a host of others stare back at me from the shelf at Walgreen's.  As I've written in the past, I feel his is the most accurate.  Imagine my shock, when on page 50, he ranks us at #16.  Of all the information I've seen, that seemed a tad high.  There are other parts in his mag that brought me back to reality.

I almost spit my coffee out when I read:

"QB Michael Brewer will be better and VT is one of my picks to get to the ACC title game which makes them a darkhorse National Title contender."

-Phil Steele

WOW. If it was Larry from the local watering hole, I would nod politely. Phil Steele is a little more credible than Larry. The love affair doesn't end there either. After the initial shock wore off, I then unearthed this gem from a fan from some school up north:

Yes, I understand it's July. Yes, I understand every team in the nation is undefeated right now, but stranger things have happened. We have a favorable schedule, and if we do get to the A.C.C. championship game, it's a tournament. It's a tournament you have to earn your way into, but definitely doable. Nobody thought we would end up at the B.C.S. championship game in 1999 either. Nobody thought we would beat the Buckeyes last year.

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