One century and 20 years ago, three forward-thinking businessmen joined together in east Texas hoping to find riches that even their wildest dreams could not understand.

George O'Brien, George Carroll and Patillo Higgins formed the Gladys City Oil, Gas and Manufacturing company with the purpose of making exploratory drilling in the depths of the Spindletop, Texas earth. It was a three-way partnership that seemed destined to change the oil drilling industry forever.

Seven years later, Pattillo was unhappy with the lack of progress the Gladys Co. drilling had made. Not wanting to be left out of the impending Oil Boom, he found Anthony Lucas, a prosperous salt dome formation expert, and the two joined forces in an effort to strike gold...er...oil.

In 1901, what became known as the Lucas Geyser blew oil over 150 feet into the Spindletop air and began producing 100,000 barrels of oil per day. It was the drilling that burst open the floodgates and gave birth to the Boom.

Today, college football is on the precipice of a boom of its own. The ever-growing popularity of the sport has forced the system to radically alter its infrastructure as an attempt to secure every last dime it can. Virginia Tech was part of the very earliest changes to the system, jumping to the ACC seven or eight years before the realignment/playoff fracas began in earnest. The Hokies are a Pattillo, of sorts.

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Hey, look! The words "transfer" and "Virginia Tech basketball" are in the same sentence and it's NOT about a player leaving Blacksburg!

As first reported by CBS' Jeff Goodman earlier Wednesday, Virginia Tech has added UNC-Wilmington transfer Adam Smith to its basketball program. Smith is a 6-1, 160 pound point guard from Jonesboro, Ga. and just finished his freshman season with the Seahawks.

While Smith won't be able to play until the 2013-14 season, he will have three years of eligibility remaining at that time. His arrival means there are seven players in the program who are schedule to be on scholarship in the season after next. Despite losing Dorian Finney-Smith and (reportedly) Montrezl Harrell, new head coach James Johnson is still working to bring more talent into Blacksburg.

Let's take a look at the type of player the Hokies' are getting in Smith.

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For the first time since 2008, the Virginia Tech softball team is in the NCAA Tournament. The Hokies made the field Sunday night with an at-large bid after finishing the season 40-19 (12-8 in the ACC). After earning the fourth seed in the ACC Tournament, they made a surprising run to the conference championship game before falling to Georgia Tech, 9-1.

Head coach Scot Thomas' girls will play as the third seed in the Knoxville regional, where they will face UAB in the opening game Friday night. On the opposite side of the regional bracket is Tennessee and Miami (Ohio). The Lady Volunteers are the seventh seed overall as regional hosts.

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I'm not sure if U-Haul has a loyalty points system, but if they do, James Johnson has a bunch of 'em.

Just weeks after leaving his post as assistant coach at Virginia Tech for a similar job at Clemson, Johnson was reportedly hired Monday as the Hokies' next head coach. Given the circumstances, it is a move that was the best for both sides.

We will never know what the pool of candidates to replace Greenberg would have been had the Hokies pulled the trigger on letting him go a month earlier. The coaching carousel had come to a virtual halt by the time Athletic Director Jim Weaver and his administration finally decided to let the nine-year head coach go.

There were dozens of names floating around during the Hokies' week-long search for Greenberg's replacement. Many of them were always too good to be true. By giving Johnson the keys to the program, Weaver has done one thing if nothing else. He's saved the basketball program in the short run.

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As Virginia Tech moves through its untimely search for a new basketball coach, plenty of names have been bandied about as potential replacements.

In Jim Weaver’s press conference Monday, he mentioned several "big-name candidates" had shown interest in the job. Just how big? Some people think VCU head coach Shaka Smart may have interest in the job, but it's common knowledge how unlikely that scenario is. The broad range of candidates is due partially to the timing of the search, as well as the uncertainty of just how desirable the job is. Weaver said Monday he is "not ruling out" a young head coach or up-and-coming assistant.

For the first time in program history, Tech is searching for a new Head Hokie (I had to do it) as a member of the ACC.

It's hard to tell what direction the Hokies will go, but here's a look back at the types of coaches hired in the league over the last 20 years.

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It was only a few short months ago that I wrote Virginia Tech would be crazy to fire Seth Greenberg. Yet on Monday, that's exactly what Virginia Tech did.

In a 30-minute press conference that was about as comfortable as watching your parents make out, Tech Athletic Director Jim Weaver announced he had "terminated" Greenberg as head basketball coach after nine seasons at the helm.

In those nine seasons, Greenberg won 170 games, second most in program history behind Charles Moir. The 2011-12 season was the first time since 2006 that the Hokies failed to make the postseason, although just one of those seasons ended in an NCAA Tournament appearance.

However, Weaver cited constant turnover on the coaching staff , rather than a lack of victories, as the reason Greenberg was shown the door.

It is not a matter of whether Weaver made the right or wrong decision. By Monday, he was left with no choice.

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The blog falls silent today as we reflect and remember the 32 lives that were lost on April 16, 2007. It is a day that has tied this community tighter than ever before imaginable. Take some time today and honor those whose lives were taken in the most tragic and unfair way possible.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 "For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing"

We are all Hokies.

Pregame as Virginia Tech Hokies take on ECU Pirates (via hokie4lyfe)

It was a gorgeous morning in Blacksburg Saturday as the Hokies held their second of three public scrimmages inside Lane Stadium. As usual, the 90-minute session was peppered with miscues that will be cleaned up by September. However, a few things stood out afterwards, none more so than the play of redshirt freshman tailback Michael Holmes.

Holmes erased any doubt that he's the best of the bunch in the backfield with 89 yards on eight carries Saturday, including a 60-yard touchdown dash against the second-string defense. What looked like a three or four-way battle for carries at the outset of spring practice seems all but over after Holmes' performance.

More thoughts on Saturday's action after the jump.

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It's out with the old, in with the new in the Virginia Tech backfield. David Wilson is gone, taking his 1,709 yards and nine rushing touchdowns from last season with him. Left to replace him this spring is a collection of challengers with experience ranging from hardly any to absolutely none.

While there are other concerns the coaching staff hopes to alleviate this spring — namely the offensive line — no other position will be as closely watched as running back, a position of excellence for the better part of two decades in Blacksburg.

After the jump, we'll examine each of the potential ball-carriers in 2012.

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Virginia Tech’s first spring scrimmage was, to say the least, a rough showing by the offense. The starting unit failed to produce a single touchdown. There was, however, an interesting wrinkle to that we have never seen before from the Hokies: the Pistol formation.

Before we get into how the Pistol could be incorporated into the Hokies’ scheme, here’s a quick history lesson on the relatively young but trending philosophy.

(Click to read more after the jump)

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The gates at Lane Stadium were open again Saturday morning as the Hokies held their first of three public scrimmages this spring, the last of which will be the Maroon-White Spring Game on April 21.

As expected, a veteran defense is light years ahead of an inexperienced offense. The only offensive touchdown came late in the day when only the backups were on the field. Trey Gresh connected with David Mellstrom on a 22-yard strike. The only other touchdown of the day came on a 57-yard interception return by Kyle Fuller off of Mark Leal.

Some thoughts on the scrimmage, which lasted just more than an hour, after the jump.

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Big weekend for the Tech softball team, which is on pace to make its first NCAA Tournament since 2008, when the Hokies reached the College World Series.

WHO: Virginia Tech (27-12, 6-2 ACC) vs. Florida State (33-7, 8-1)

WHEN: Friday, 7 pm & Saturday, 12 pm (Doubleheader)

WHERE: Tech Softball Park

The battle for ACC supremacy will take place this weekend in Blacksburg, as conference leader Florida State pays the Hokies a visit for a three-game series. Tech comes into the series riding a nine-game winning streak, its longest of the season. The Seminoles are ranked 21st nationally, but are coming off a season-worst 9-1 loss to Florida on Wednesday. It should be noted, however, that the Gators are ranked 2nd in the nation.

A few notes of interest on the series after the jump.

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A nightmarish back nine left former Hokie Johnson Wagner out of contention at Augusta on Thursday. After shooting a one-over-par 37 on the front nine, Wagner bogied every hole between 11 and 14, followed by a double-bogey on the par-5 15th hole. He salvaged the round with three straight pars, but finished the day +7, 10 shots off the clubhouse lead held by Paul Lawrie and Miguel Angel Jimenez.

Hey, it could be worse...he could have been Henrik Stenson, who at one point was -6 and in commanding lead before a quadruple bogey on 18 left him just one-under for the day.

Wagner tees off Friday at 12:58 p.m.

At Virginia Tech, change isn't part of the vocabulary. We've had the same football coach since 1987. Of the 12 coaches and administrative assistants that make up Frank Beamer's staff, six have been in Blacksburg for nearly two decades or more. Seth Greenberg just finished his ninth season as the head men's basketball coach, the longest tenure with the Hokies since Charlie Moir spent 12 seasons patrolling the Cassell Coliseum sidelines. Hell, even Beth Dunkenberger managed to last seven seasons leading the women's hoops team.

Unfortunately, our old friend Furrer4Heisman had to step away from Gobbler Country last week. I am excited to announce that I will try and pick up whatever slack I can in his stead. As the new editor of the site, I'd like to divulge a little about my background. Maybe then, you'll see why on earth they picked me for this job.

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[Ed. Note: Bumped from FanPosts.]

Virginia Tech fans are capable of wonderful things sometimes. Saturday night was one of those times.

As their beloved Hokies battled Miami to the bitter end of a 38-35 classic, Lane Stadium reached decibel levels that made the hair on my arms stand straight up. From the field, I watched as the Terror Dome came alive once again.

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It's been one heck of a week for Seth Greenberg.

The season officially began last Friday, Oct. 15 with Late Night with the Hokies.

On Wednesday, Greenberg's club was picked by the media to finish second in the ACC - the program's highest ever preseason prediction.

One day after shining his gleaming mug across ESPN's television screens from the conference's media day, Greenberg was in Roanoke to watch three-fourths of his star-studded 2011 recruiting class hit the floor.

In a scrimmage with close to two dozen future Division I players, one soon-to-be Hokie stood out above the rest.

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On my blog, I've begun my preview for NC State, diving into a position-by-position breakdown of the Wolfpack. Yesterday was Offensive and Defensive Line, today is Linebackers and Wide Receivers.  here's the link

I think the Wolfpack are the eighth best team in the ACC. Besides Russell Wilson and the wideout corps, there is really nothing for Tom O'Brien to boast about. There is potential for the Wolfpack to play spoiler to some teams' seasons, and it helps that the Atlantic Division pretty much stinks besides Florida State. Still, the defense is so questionable that it's hard to see NC State challenging for the conference this year, making O'Brien's seat even hotter under new AD Debbie Yow.

Note: This will be my final post on Gobbler Country for a while. I've been hired by the ACC as an intern to blog about Hokie football this fall. Once the blog site is up and running, I'll be sure to post the web address for all you Gobblers that want even more distractions in between Saturdays. 

It was awesome to have helped out on the blog for six fast months. It's hard to believe that a year ago, I hadn't yet entered the blogosphere at all. I'm positive that my experience at Gobbler Country helped me land this internship. I'm not sure if I'll be able to return to GC at this time, but make no mistake about it, I'll still be blogging about the Hokies and I'll always let you know where to find me. I may not be posting on this site, but I've spent the only 19 years of my life in Gobbler Country, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon.

ESPN and Blue Ribbon teamed up to release their ACC football preview Thursday and Friday. The Atlantic Division was previewed Thursday, and Friday was the Coastal's turn. 

Most of the analysis was fair (a little spotty reporting at times), but in the overview of the program, the Hokies were shamed by their recent early-season failures and their lack of impact on the national title picture. 

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Jake Johnson wasn't happy when he lost his starting job as the Virginia Tech middle linebacker after eight games last season. So, he decided to transfer to a school that has played one fewer games than that in its entire history. 

Johnson has transferred to South Alabama, which played its first year of varsity football in 2009, according to BeamerBall.com. The Jaguars went 7-0, but the schedule included only prep school and junior college opponents. Johnson is eligible immediately and has two years remaining in his career. 

The Jaguars will play a full schedule this upcoming fall, and will move to the FCS ranks in 2011 before joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2013.

ACC Mania has begun its 2010 Football Preview with a team-by-team feature every week before the season. This week is Wake Forest week. Each day it will discuss a certain position unit. At the end of each week, there will be a season outlook with a prediction. So far, he's discussed the offensive and defensive lines, and the wide receivers and tight ends. It looks pretty good so far. Here's the link today: 

Yes, that Dominique Davis, that was thrown to the wolves better known as the Virginia Tech defense in the 2008 ACC Championship Game, has resurfaced at East Carolina after transferring from Boston College. ESPN.com reports that Davis has enrolled in classes in Greenville for the summer after spending last season at a junior college. Davis obviously did not practice with the Pirates during the spring, but new head coach Ruffin McNeill had this to say about his new option at quarterback:

"I'm looking forward to see how that turns out...We're not able to be a part of any of his workouts right now, but that's OK, that's fine -- let him adjust and get adjusted to it. ... I'm excited about Dominique being a part of our family and being a part of our football team, and I'm looking forward to seeing his progress and how he develops. He looks like a guy that wants to take care of business and do well, so I'm anxious to get around him."

The Hokies' defensive line is anxious to get around him too. In that 2008 game in Tampa, Davis completed just 17 of 43 passes with two interceptions and was sacked five times.

The Hokie baseball team found out it will play its first game of the ACC Tournament later than everyone but its opponent, Georgia Tech. The Hokies will play the Yellow Jackets at 8 p.m. on Thursday. The following afternoon, they will face second-seeded Clemson at 4 p.m. They will wrap up pool play against No. 7 NC State on Saturday at 8 p.m. 

If they win Division B, the Hokies will move on to the ACC Championship Game on Sunday at 1 p.m. 

Click here for the full tournament schedule. 

This is not the way Pete Hughes wanted the week to unfold.

A week ago Sunday morning, the Virginia Tech baseball team had a realistic visions of a third seed in the ACC Tournament.

Instead, coach Hughes and the Hokies missed out on sweeping lowly Duke, then followed that up with a sweep on the chronic underachieving North Carolina Tar Heels. Tech finished the season 16-14 in ACC play and will be the sixth seed (third in Division B) for this week's conference championship.

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Just when the Virginia Tech baseball team looked like the most focused in the country, it fell through a trap door, also known as the series finale against Duke. 

After winning games on Friday and Saturday by scores of 11-3 and 18-8, respectively, Tech was embarrassed on Sunday 11-7 in a game that was not as close as the score might indicate. 

Entering Sunday, the Hokies had a realistic shot to put themselves in position to finish in third place in the Coastal Division. Instead, pitcher Jesse Hahn returned from injury and was shellacked.

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