GREENSBORO, N.C. -- ACC commissioner John Swofford says the league needs to have a football team contending for a national title in order to gain proper respect around the country.

Maybe that's the reason why there was such a furious media blitz at Virginia Tech's table at Sunday's opening day of the 2009 ACC Football Kickoff.

Tight end Greg Boone and Kam Chancellor, the Hokies' pair of hand-picked player representatives, immediately found themselves ambushed from every angle by reporters, tape recorders and video cameras at the posh Grandover Resort.

No problem, Boone and Chancellor said. Hey, they love being part of a team that figures in the big mix.

"I feel very good about that," Boone said. "That right there is just telling you that a lot of people in the conference, as well as around the country, have a lot of faith in Virginia Tech ... and they know we're capable of doing it.

Face it, Tech, has the best shot of being the ACC's player in a national title chase. Returning 15 players off a club that finally ended the ACC's BCS Bowl misery in the Jan. 1 Orange Bowl, Tech has been ranked anywhere from No. 5 to No. 10 in virtually every major preseason poll released to date.

If the Hokies want to get to the BCS National Championship game next Jan. 7 in Pasadena, Calif., they'd better win every game they tee up. For starters, comes one of the most anticipated contests in Tech history -- the Sept. 5 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game against Alabama in Atlanta.

"Not just beat Alabama ... we're going to have to beat every opponent we play," Boone said. "Being in the ACC, we've got to make sure we win every game."

Are the Hokies capable of pulling that off?

"This team is very capable," Boone said. "Why? Just the simple fact we got all the pieces, and we have no excuses."

Coach Frank Beamer's program will be shooting for its third consecutive and fourth league title in six years since joining the ACC. The Hokies have won 10 or more games the past five straight years, a feat matched by only Southern California and Texas.

Right now, the Hokies are not thinking about anything or anybody but Alabama, Chancellor said. When asked how much video of the Tide he's watched, the Norfolk native grinned and replied: "All summer."

"I took DVDs home, I know everyone of those guys," Chancellor continued. "We'll see what type of team we'll be from that first game."

Like much of Hokie Nation, Chancellor said he "can't wait" for a shot to roll the Tide. Alabama, which also will be ranked in the top 10, figures to be a slight favorite in the nationally televised contest that will be played at the Georgia Dome.

"Everybody is excited ... the fans, players, coaches, everybody," Chancellor said. "We're excited for the game and we're ready to play."

Boone noted that Tech is 0-2 vs. Southeastern Conference teams in his four years at Tech. The Hokies squandered a 21-3 halftime lead and lost 31-24 in the 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, then got hammered 48-7 -- the worst loss in Beamer's 22 years as coach -- at LSU two years ago.

"I can't wait," Boone said. "We've lost to two SEC teams, so I'm not trying to go 0-3. But know what? This year can be a lot different."

The ACC can only hope so.