Virginia Tech sends Frank Beamer out in style with Independence Bowl win

Honestly, a 6-6 cutoff for a bowl is pretty arbitrary. Going by F/+ ratings, your average 5-7 power-conference team is midway between your average 7-5 or 8-4 mid-major. The only reason we cut things off at 6-6 is to make ourselves feel better about not sending a team with a losing record to a bowl.

We learned this year that having 40 bowls is a tipping point. While there were plenty of scenarios that could make for 80 bowl-eligible teams, three 5-7 teams -- Nebraska, San Jose State, and Minnesota -- got postseason bids.

After 29 years, the Frank Beamer era is over at Virginia Tech, and the Hokies’ players sent Beamer out in both the most and least Beamer-like ways possible, with a 55-52 win over Tulsa in the Independence Bowl.

First, the win. This was Beamer’s 236th win at Virginia Tech, where he won 66 percent of his games. He only won seven games this year, but he won at least 10 games 13 times in his 29 seasons in Blacksburg, and this year, he continued a 23-year streak of reaching a bowl game. Next year will be Beamer’s first game home for the holidays since 1992 — the year the oldest redshirt seniors on this year’s team were born.

A showdown between 6-6 Virginia Tech and 6-6 Tulsa doesn’t seem like much of a game, but history will take place at the 2015 Independence Bowl. After 29 years and 360 games, Frank Beamer will coach his 23rd -- and final -- bowl game for the Hokies.

Beamer announced his retirement on Nov. 1, but he’ll still man the sideline for the only FBS program he’s ever been head coach for, as he tries to clinch his 23rd straight winning season. History is in his favor. While it’s not as flashy as his eight straight double-digit win seasons or four Orange Bowl appearances, he’s 2-for-2 in leading 6-6 teams to a bowl win in his decorated career.

Retirements equal ratings, right? Frank Beamer’s final encore should make for a must-watch experience even if a dramatic contrast in styles doesn’t suck you in.

The last time someone other than Frank Beamer was the head coach of Virginia Tech, Dionne and Friends’ “That’s What Friends are For” was Billboard’s No. 1 song. ¡Three Amigos! had just been released. Phil Hartman had just begun at Saturday Night Live. Designing Women had just debuted.

Great moments in big fella history. The inaugural Piesman Trophy ceremony was Friday night, and after much deliberation and careful consideration by our panel of voters, the winner is Southeastern Louisiana defensive tackle Ashton Henderson. Henderson’s 45-yard fumble return for a touchdown had everything the award hopes for: speed, power, awareness and an incredibly disrespectful stiff arm.

Our sincere respects to Michigan State’s Jack Allen and Miami’s Ufomba Kamalu, the other finalists who didn’t get to go home with the hardware on Friday night. Their accomplishments will not be forgotten.

There are now 40 bowl games, plus the National Championship. That’s a lot of football.

This overflow of football has meant the usual group of 6-6 teams aren’t the worst teams to go bowling this year. This time, all of the 6-6 teams are in, plus some 5-7 teams. The idea of giving a trophy to a team that finishes 6-7 is a funny one, but everything about this sport is funny, so whatever.

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The stage is set for the 40th Independence Bowl, once again pitting the SEC against the ACC in a game that the SEC has historically dominated. In 17 appearances in the game, the SEC is 14-3, while the ACC is 2-4-1 in seven appearances.

The Independence Bowl takes its name because it was founded during the country’s bicentennial year in 1976 when it was without a sponsor. It wasn’t until 14 years later when it had its first sponsor, Poulan, and there were another four sponsorships before Duck Commander took over as the title sponsor in 2014.