During his notable college football coaching career at Virginia Tech, Frank Beamer made a point of scheduling contenders early in the season.

But through the 2015 opener versus Ohio State, overall the Hokies were 0-5 against ranked FBS teams in Week 1 since 2004. The Hokies were 0-9 all-time against No. 1 ranked teams. Beamer got credit from some quarters for pushing the envelope, like Soda Popinski taking on Tyson. Critics wonder why they never could quite cross the threshold and win those high-profile games.

The fact that the Hokies were usually overmatched just gave the team something to grow on, leading up to bowl time. That kind of preparation always threatened to launch Beamer’s young men into a contending season. Except for the Michael Vick years, the prepping never panned out.

Related: Beamer legacy

Now that Beamer has retired, what might it take for succeeding Tech coaches to match some of his finest teams? There is a lot of quality football in VT’s recent past. Here are briefings from three of Coach Beamer’s best:

#3 The 2007 team was blasted by second-ranked LSU early in the year, 48-7. They recovered to go 11-3 (7-1 ACC), as QBs Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor combined for 17 passing TDs. Receiver Eddie Royal, who would go on to a successful pro career, caught four of those scores. After losing to Matt Ryan and Boston College, they reeled off five straight wins to end the year, then fell to Kansas 24-21 in the Orange Bowl. The Hokies’ emotional 

season was underlined by the April campus shootings in Blacksburg.

#2 He had highlights that are still amazing to watch, like the 210-yard rushing effort from behind center against Boston College. Unfortunately, injuries to sophomore quarterback Michael Vick hindered the Hokies in 2000. The team still finished 11-1 overall, only falling to the Miami Hurricanes. Vick saw the signal and moved on to the NFL. The season’s other standout, running back Lee Suggs, began his quest to set the record for most consecutive games scoring a touchdown (57).

#1 In 1999, freshman Vick led the Hokies through their finest campaign. Their undefeated regular season came to a head in early November, with a thrilling last-minute field goal victory at rival West Virginia. By this time, Coach Beamer had helmed Va. Tech for thirteen years. Everything (almost) came together perfectly, as Tech made it to the title game against powerhouse Florida State. Future pros Chris Weinke (QB), Peter Warrick (WR), and Sebastian Janikowski (K) put a late surge on Va. Tech, winning 46-29.