I can’t think of a group with a shorter memory than sports journalists. It’s an incredibly bad habit: The strength of the players and coaches and the outlook for the rest of the season is based almost entirely on the performance in the most recent game.
So what happens when Virginia loses two tough consecutive conference games? The response is predictable: Our players aren’t good enough; we’ll never have an “elite” football team; Groh must go.
Forget the four consecutive wins we rattled off against quality teams. Forget the fact that we audibled and threw in our back-up quarterback three games into the season when our starter got kicked off the team. Forget the fact that we were predicted to finish second to last in the Coastal Division this year. Forget the fact that now, with two games left to play, we are within reach of first place.
That doesn’t seem to matter much. But it should. And fans and journalists alike should look at a 5-5 record (3-3 in the ACC), and, rather than sigh and say that our season is another lost cause, realize instead that we’re one win away from bowl eligibility. And, if we run the table, we still have a shot to head to Tampa Bay for the ACC Championship. And, dare I say, the coaching staff is actually doing a good job.
Can you really say you thought we’d be in the position we’re in now at the start of the season? Or after the 28-point loss to Duke?
I’m not saying fans and journalists should be satisfied with a .500 record, but they should realize that we’re in the process of exceeding expectations. That we were one made-field goal away (against Miami) from being in sole possession of first place in our division. That Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer are going to be showing their teams a little bit more Virginia game-tape before our next two football games than they may have anticipated at the season’s start.
We don’t need to go “back to square one” as was written in The Cavalier Daily earlier in the week. Nor “could [we] use all the help [we] can get” and need a “checkup” as written in The Daily Progress this weekend. All we need are a good 10 days of practice before our next game and to continue the things that worked during our four-game win streak.
Before you start calling for Al Groh’s head, give him a chance to get his team ready for these final two games. There’s good reason to expect him to revive our team, too: If we can turn around and beat Maryland seven days after a four-touchdown loss to Duke, then surely we can bounce back and beat Clemson 14 days after an 11-point loss to Wake Forest.
If Virginia finishes the season with four straight losses, then it’s fair to start questioning the direction of the program and whether the coaches should stay or go. But don’t jump the gun. We still have the same team from when we were 5-3 overall and 3-1 in the conference. Let the season play on and, in the meantime, expect two more conference wins. If Virginia shows up to play against Clemson and Virginia Tech like it did each week during its four-game win streak, there’s no reason to expect anything less.
The habit of judging a player or team on the most recent game isn’t specific to Virginia football. It happens in all sports, at all levels. It’s certainly something to consider when thinking about how the team will fare in the future, but it’s not the only thing. And in the case of the 2008 Virginia football team, the state of the team and the outlook for the future should be considered in light of the entire season. God knows the Cavs have put their fans on a roller coaster this year. And there is no reason to suspect the ride is finished with two games yet to be played.
Though we may be in a dip now, I can see the rise just ahead.
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