Time for Groh to go

CHARLOTTESVILLE As Al Groh went through the excruciating detail and minutia of another loss, this one to archrival Virginia Tech, summing up another game in which his Virginia Cavaliers were lacking in talent, depth and the ability to compete in the ACC, one invisible elephant sat in the room.

Does Groh expect to coach again for Virginia?

When the question was asked, Groh was prepared.

He unfolded a piece of paper and began to read, not his resignation, but a poem, "The Guy in the Glass" by Dale Wimbrow.

The poem's meaning is simple: You have to be able to look yourself in the mirror and know you did your best, then hold your head high and be proud of your effort.

When you come to a football post game press conference and a poetry reading takes place, you know something unusual is about to happen.

Soon, maybe today, certainly by tomorrow, Groh will be dismissed as Virginia's football coach.

Groh had his chance. It's time for a change.

Groh's poetry reading indicates he knows the end is near.

Groh expounded on his feelings as his wife, son, daughter and several grandchildren listened in the back of the room.

"When I visited the guy in the glass, I saw that he's a guy of commitment, of integrity, of dependability and accountability," Groh said. "He's loyal. His spirit is indomitable. And he is caring and loving. I'm sure I will always call the guy in the glass a friend."

Groh is not the only one who feels that way. Senior linebacker Aaron Clark echoed the sentiment of every player who came to the post-game interviews.

"He's a great guy. He's a great coach, and I love the guy," Clark said. "He's passionate about the game, passionate about his players, intense, smart. I could go on for days."

All that might be true, but it fails to overcome the primary fact in major college football.

The man Groh sees in the glass has not been a successful coach at the University of Virginia.

The Cavaliers finished this season 3-9, and that is on the heels of a 5-7 record in 2008. In nine seasons at Virginia, his overall record is 59-53, 36-37 in the ACC.

Virginia has one victory over a team with a winning record this season, North Carolina, and lost to perennial ACC doormat Duke (5-7) for the second year in a row.

Yesterday's game, a 42-13 loss, was a glaring display of where the Cavaliers stand as a program.

They trail the Hokies, and most other ACC teams in talent, depth and hope.

Virginia Tech lost Darren Evans, who gained 1,265 yards last season as a redshirt freshman, in the preseason. Ryan Williams stepped in and has gained 1,596 for the season, including 183 yesterday.

Behind Williams are two backs, Josh Oglesby and David Wilson, who could start for Virginia.

If Mikell Simpson is healthy - a big if the past two seasons - the Cavaliers have one ACC-caliber running back on the roster.

Yesterday, Groh and his players focused on one game-changing, back-breaking play - a botched pitchout from quarterback Jameel Sewell to Simpson. When that play ended, Virginia Tech had the ball on the Virginia 10-yard line. Two plays later, Williams scored and the Hokies had a 21-13 lead.

When a game turns on one touchdown that gave Virginia Tech an eight-point lead with 5:51 left in the third quarter, it speaks volumes about Virginia football.

The Cavaliers lack the ability to overcome a bad play against a good, but not great, team.

The responsibility for that rests not with the players, but with the head coach who recruits, directs and deploys those players and controls every aspect of the program.

If Groh sees a man of accountability when he looks in the mirror, he can come to only one conclusion. It is time for the man in his mirror to go as Virginia's coach.

Contact Paul Woody at (804) 649-6444 or pwoody@timesdispatch.com. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/World_of_Woody.