The WVU football team has one of the best traditions in college football with the playing of John Denver’s Country Roads following a victory at Milan Puskar Stadium.
Apparently, John Denver is a hit at Lane Stadium as well.
At a recent practice, the Virginia Tech football team piped in the classic song while the Hokies were stretching. It was loud enough for everyone on the field to hear, but the players just seemed to go through their nonchalant workouts without paying much attention to it.
That was probably the whole point carried out by head coach Justin Fuente. By playing Country Roads, the Hokies would be able to move forward like they just lost the Sept. 3 game against the Mountaineers.
Even with the game being played on a neutral site, when and if the WVU football team beats Virginia Tech, the thousands of Mountaineers will be signing the song acapella.
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Mountaineer Nation will be loud and proud and signing for all the Hokies players to hear it.
The move to play Country Roads at practice is lyrical bulletin board material for the Hokies. If they don’t want to hear any semblance of the song on Sept. 3, they’ll just have to win the game.
https://twitter.com/VT_Football/status/900454850173038593
It’s also bulletin board material for the WVU football team. Virginia Tech is seemingly making a mockery of a classic tradition. Not just anyone can play Country Roads. It is our song and our pride.
Virginia Tech mocks WVU and plays Country Roads at practice. Well on Sept. 3rd that will be the last song the Hokies hear. #BeatVT #DubV
— Wes Ellis (@wellis24) August 24, 2017
The fact that this is a storyline before the big game may turn some people off. It has nothing to do with the Xs and Os of the game. The gameplan has nothing to do with John Denver. But, this is part of what makes college football so great.
I’m sure Dana Holgorsen will have some kind of playful rebuttal to this situation. His sense of humor and general snark is what makes him a marketable figure. He may downplay it on the practice field, but he may also unleash some kind of message on Twitter.
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The trash talking happening right now will only amplify in the days before the game. Not only has it been a long offseason for college football, it has been an even longer time since the Battle for the Black Diamond Trophy has been played.
Players and fans, alike, are ready to hit the field and watch history unfold. WVU football fans, especially, want some literal music to their ears following this heated contest.
The Hokies can have their fun with it now, but it’s a great possibility the Mountaineers will be the ones with the last laugh.