Tag: vt

Virginia Tech football has spent most of the last decade trying to figure out how to get back to being Virginia Tech football. Justin Fuente couldn’t do it. Brent Pry couldn’t do it. Now Virginia Tech has gone out and hired a coach who has actually built a winning Power 4 program before.

James Franklin is the head coach at Virginia Tech. That still feels a little weird to type. Franklin has completely overhauled the roster and coaching staff in one offseason. This is going to be one of the most interesting Virginia Tech teams we’ve seen in a long time because I genuinely don’t know what to expect.

The ceiling is pretty high. The floor could be pretty low. Welcome to Year 1.

Coaching Staff

This season is all about James Franklin.

Virginia Tech didn’t hire Franklin to go 7-5 every year and play in the Military Bowl. They hired him because they believe Virginia Tech can compete at the top of the ACC again.

The biggest thing Franklin brings is credibility. He’s won a lot of football games. He knows how to recruit. He knows how to build a staff. He knows what a major college football operation is supposed to look like.

That doesn’t mean Virginia Tech is immediately going to win 10 games. The roster needed a lot of work after last season and Franklin basically had to rebuild the team in one offseason. There are going to be growing pains.

The most interesting coaching decision was bringing Brent Pry back as defensive coordinator. I don’t think many Virginia Tech fans had “Brent Pry returns to Blacksburg three months after being fired” on their offseason bingo card. But I actually like it. Pry wasn’t a good head coach at Virginia Tech. That doesn’t mean he’s a bad defensive coordinator. Those are two very different jobs. Pry built his reputation coaching defense and now he can go back to doing that without worrying about timeouts, fourth-down decisions, roster management, fundraising, recruiting and everything else that comes with being the head coach.

Maybe this works. Maybe it’s incredibly awkward. Either way, it’s going to be interesting.

Offense

The biggest question on offense is quarterback. And the answer appears to be Ethan Grunkemeyer. Franklin brought Grunkemeyer with him from Penn State, which gives him a major advantage in learning the offense and understanding what Franklin expects from his quarterback. Virginia Tech doesn’t need Grunkemeyer to be Michael Vick. They need him to be good. That’s really it.

For years, Virginia Tech has had offenses where it felt like everything needed to go perfectly to score points. One penalty killed a drive. One sack killed a drive. One dropped pass killed a drive. Good football teams don’t operate that way. Grunkemeyer needs to consistently move the offense, protect the football and get the ball to Virginia Tech’s playmakers. The good news is there should be some talent around him.

Ayden Greene is back at receiver along with Keylen Adams, Chanz Wiggins and Takye Heath. Franklin also added experience through the portal. There are enough pieces here for Virginia Tech to have a respectable passing game. I expect Luke Reynolds to lead this team in receiving from the tight end spot.

The offensive line is probably the bigger concern. Franklin has spent a lot of resources rebuilding that room, including signing a huge group of offensive linemen in his first recruiting class. That’s encouraging long term.

It doesn’t necessarily help you against Miami in November. If Virginia Tech can get average-to-good offensive line play this season, I think the offense can surprise people. If the offensive line struggles, everything gets considerably more difficult.

Defense

This might be where Virginia Tech has its best chance to outperform expectations. Brent Pry knows defense. Now he gets to spend all of his time coaching it.

Virginia Tech has added a lot of experience in the secondary through the portal. Jordan Bass, Sherrod Covil Jr., Tyson Flowers and Isaiah Brown-Murray give Pry some experienced pieces to work with. Quentin Reddish also returns. The secondary should be pretty good.

The question is the front seven. Virginia Tech needs to get back to being disruptive defensively. I’m not expecting Bud Foster 1999 here. But Virginia Tech needs to pressure quarterbacks. They need to tackle better. They need to create negative plays. And they need to stop giving up the kind of ridiculous explosive plays that have killed them over the last several seasons.

This doesn’t need to be a Top 10 defense. If Pry can get this defense somewhere around the Top 30-40 nationally, Virginia Tech should win some football games.

The Roster

Franklin basically hit the reset button. This is going to look like a completely different football team. That makes Virginia Tech extremely difficult to predict. There is clearly more talent on the roster than there was at the end of last season. Franklin attacked the transfer portal and also signed a Top 30 recruiting class. The problem is that collecting talent and building a football team aren’t exactly the same thing. These guys have to play together. There are new quarterbacks, new linemen, new defensive backs and new coaches. That’s a lot of moving pieces. I would expect Virginia Tech to look considerably better in November than they do in September.

The good news is the schedule gives them some time to figure things out.

Non-Conference Schedule

Virginia Tech finally did something smart. They gave a new coach a reasonable non-conference schedule. The Hokies open against VMI in Lane Stadium at night. Virginia Tech should win that game comfortably.

Old Dominion comes to Blacksburg the following week. Virginia Tech should win that game too. We’ve seen enough weird things happen against ODU over the years that I’m never going to completely dismiss them, but Virginia Tech should have a significant talent advantage.

Then comes Maryland. This is the first game where we’ll actually learn something about this team. Going into College Park for a 7:30 game is a legitimate Power 4 road test. If Virginia Tech beats Maryland, there’s a pretty good chance the Hokies start 4-0. If they lose, it’s not the end of the world. But Maryland is the kind of team Virginia Tech needs to start beating again if they want to become nationally relevant.

ACC Outlook

The ACC schedule is interesting.

Virginia Tech opens conference play at Boston College before getting Pitt at home on a Friday night. Then things get tougher.

Tech travels across the country to play Cal, gets Georgia Tech at home and then goes to Clemson. After the bye, the Hokies travel to SMU, get Stanford at home, travel to Miami and finish with Virginia in Lane Stadium.

There aren’t many automatic wins in there. There also aren’t many games where I look at the schedule and think Virginia Tech has absolutely no chance. Clemson and Miami are obviously going to be difficult. SMU on the road won’t be easy.

But Pitt, Boston College, Cal, Georgia Tech, Stanford and Virginia all look like games Virginia Tech can win if the Hokies are competent.

That’s basically the story of this season. Be competent. For years Virginia Tech has found ways to lose games against teams with similar talent. Franklin was hired to stop that.

Key Players to Watch

QB Ethan Grunkemeyer

This is the obvious one. If Grunkemeyer is good, Virginia Tech could have a pretty good season. If he’s bad, it’s difficult to see Tech winning eight games.

WR Ayden Greene

Virginia Tech needs a legitimate No. 1 receiver. Greene has the talent to become that guy.

S Quentin Reddish

One of the most important returning players on the roster. Virginia Tech added a lot of pieces to the secondary but having an experienced returning player back there is huge.

The Entire Offensive Line

This might be the most important position group on the team. Virginia Tech hasn’t consistently controlled the line of scrimmage offensively in years. That needs to change.

What I’m Looking For

I’m not judging James Franklin’s first season exclusively by wins and losses. Obviously wins matter. But I want Virginia Tech to look like a well-coached football team again. I want fewer stupid penalties. I want better clock management. I want players to know where they’re supposed to be. I want Virginia Tech to stop finding increasingly creative ways to lose one-score football games. I want the Hokies to beat teams they’re supposed to beat. That sounds like a low bar. After the last few seasons, it isn’t. Franklin doesn’t need to win the ACC this year. He needs to make it obvious that Virginia Tech is heading in the right direction.

Tough Games (<40% chance to win)

at Clemson

This is probably the toughest game on the schedule. Winning in Death Valley is hard for everybody. Virginia Tech would need to play its best game of the season.

at Miami

Miami has been recruiting at a much higher level than Virginia Tech. Going to Hard Rock Stadium late in the season is going to be difficult.

at SMU

Friday night. On the road. Against one of the better programs in the ACC. Not ideal.

Toss-Up Games

at Maryland

This is our first real look at the Hokies.

Pitt

Friday night in Lane Stadium. This feels like exactly the kind of game Virginia Tech should win if Franklin has things moving in the right direction.

at Cal

Travel is weird. Cal is weird. ACC football is weird.

Georgia Tech

This could end up being one of the biggest games of the season.

Stanford

Virginia Tech should have the talent advantage, but I’m not ready to automatically put any ACC game in the win column.

Virginia

It’s Virginia. Virginia Tech could be 1-10 and I’d still convince myself they’re going to win this game.

Should Win Games (>60% chance to win)

VMI

If this isn’t a win, we have significantly bigger problems.

Old Dominion

No trips to Norfolk this time. Thank God.

at Boston College

Road conference games are never automatic, but this is one Virginia Tech needs to win.

Key Games

Maryland

This tells us how quickly Franklin has this thing moving.

Pitt

Friday night in Lane. Win this game.

Georgia Tech

This could be the difference between a six-win season and an eight-win season.

Virginia

Always.

Upset Alert

at Cal

Cal has a great QB and it’s a cross-country trip right in the thick of the schedule. I call these type of games a scheduled loss.

Game-by-Game Predictions

VMI — Win

Old Dominion — Win

at Maryland — Win

at Boston College — Win

Pitt — Win

at Cal — Loss

Georgia Tech — Win

at Clemson — Loss

at SMU — Loss

Stanford — Win

at Miami — Loss

Virginia — Win

Final Prediction

Virginia Tech: 8-4

That’s probably a little optimistic.

Virginia Tech has a real football coach again. There are enough winnable games on this schedule for Franklin to have a successful first season. The Hokies don’t have Clemson or Miami’s roster yet, but they shouldn’t need it to beat VMI, Old Dominion, Boston College, Pitt, Stanford and Virginia Get those six. Then beat two of Maryland, Cal, Georgia Tech and SMU. That’s eight wins. More importantly, I think Virginia Tech will actually look better at the end of the season than it does at the beginning.

That hasn’t always been the case around here. The long-term goal is obviously much bigger than 8-4. Virginia Tech didn’t make this investment to become a slightly better bowl team. The goal is to get back to Charlotte. Then get back into the Top 25. Then get back into the College Football Playoff conversation. That’s going to take some time. But for the first time in a while, I actually believe Virginia Tech has the head coach capable of getting them there.

Final Regular Season Record: 8-4

Expected ACC Finish: 5th-7th

Last season left a lot to be desired. Brent Pry’s team showed flashes of progress but stumbled in close games, finishing with more questions than answers. Now, Year 3 feels like a crossroads. With new coordinators in place (OC Philip Montgomery and DC Sam Siefkes) and a retooled roster, Pry must prove that his rebuild has real momentum—or risk being remembered as another false start in Blacksburg. The good news? Many of Tech’s losses were by a single score. The margin between pretenders and contenders might be slimmer than it appears.

Coaching Staff:

This season is all about Brent Pry. Can he win close games? Can he inspire confidence with his late game decision-making? How will his offseason moves look on the field? If Brent Pry can’t win with these new coordinators, his time might be up in Blacksburg.

Offense:

Kyron Drones remains the engine of this offense, and his health will determine how far the Hokies can go. At his best last season, he showed flashes of being a dynamic dual-threat quarterback, but nagging injuries limited his consistency. If he can stay on the field and get reliable support from the playmakers around him, his ceiling is as high as any QB in the ACC. But if he goes down again, Virginia Tech’s hopes for the season could unravel quickly.

With Bhayshul Tuten off to the NFL, Virginia Tech turned to the transfer portal to reload its backfield—and the newcomers bring plenty of intrigue. Terion Stewart headlines the group, a powerful runner with the potential to make a Tuten-level impact right away. Behind him, Braydon Bennett and Marcellous Hawkins add depth and versatility, giving the Hokies a rotation that should keep defenses honest and the ground game productive.

The wide receiver room gets a major boost from the additions of Donovan Greene and Cameron Seldon, two proven veterans who can make an immediate impact. Their presence should stabilize the passing game and take pressure off the younger receivers, who are still developing and largely unproven. With this mix of experience and upside, Kyron Drones has a balanced group of weapons to lean on—something that could make the difference in close games.

The offensive line should take a clear step forward this season—bank on it. With veteran coach Matt Moore now leading the group, the Hokies expect a return to the kind of physical, disciplined line play that defined the Vance Vice era. Fans should be encouraged: this unit looks ready to provide the stability and toughness the offense has been missing.

Defense:

The defense will feature plenty of new faces this season, which brings both risk and opportunity. With a new coordinator in charge, it may take time for the unit to gel, but considering last year’s struggles, a fresh start could be exactly what this group needs. The bar isn’t high, and with the right leadership, there’s significant room for growth on this side of the ball.

Up front, the defensive line looks steady, if not star-powered. There may not be an All-ACC caliber disruptor like APR this year, but the group has four dependable contributors who should keep the pressure consistent. Expect sack production to be more evenly spread across the unit. The transfer additions at defensive end bring needed juice off the edge and should help elevate the pass rush.

Linebacker play, on the other hand, has been a glaring weakness. Under Chris Marve, the group consistently underperformed, struggling with both assignments and tackling. The hope is that a new defensive coordinator can breathe life into the unit. If the linebackers find their footing, this could be a much improved defense.

The secondary might quietly be the strength of this team. There’s a healthy blend of veteran presence and emerging talent, plus enough depth to rotate without major drop-off. While it may not be an elite group on the ACC level, it projects as solidly above average and should show noticeable improvement from last year.

Ultimately, the linebackers will decide how far this defense can go. If Sam Siefkes can unlock their potential, the Hokies could once again field the kind of tough, reliable defense fans have come to expect. If not, this unit risks another year of middling results.

Key Players to Watch

Quarterback Kyron Drones: If Drones returns to his 2023 form, this offense can go places.

Running Back Terion Stewart: Bhayshul Tuten left a big hole on this roster. We need Stewart to be the bowling ball running back that Tuten was.

Defensive Ends Ben Bell and James Djonkam: APR’s production needs to be replaced by these two transfer additions. We need to see big results from both of these guys.

Non-Conference Matchups:

Virginia Tech’s non-conference slate is manageable but not without challenges. The showdown with South Carolina looms large, offering a chance at a statement win against a Top 25 opponent. Vanderbilt’s visit to Blacksburg should be competitive, especially with dynamic quarterback Diego Pavia under center. Beyond that, Old Dominion and Wofford at home are must-win games the Hokies can’t afford to slip on.

ACC Outlook:

Virginia Tech is picked to finish 11th in the ACC preseason poll. That sounds about right given the schedule. Tech should finish in the middle of the pack in the ACC.

Conclusion:

This season feels like a defining moment for Brent Pry and Virginia Tech football. The Hokies have the pieces to take a meaningful step forward: a dual-threat quarterback with untapped potential, fresh playmakers from the transfer portal, and a defense hungry for redemption. But the schedule won’t offer many freebies, and bowl eligibility may once again come down to the final weeks.

If Pry can guide this team to 7 or 8 wins, he’ll buy himself real momentum and silence the whispers about his future. If the Hokies stumble to another 6–6—or worse—it may be time for some changes in Blacksburg.

Tough games (<40% chance to win)

South Carolina and Miami. Both games should have the Hokies as two-score underdogs.

Toss-up games (50-50 games)

Vanderbilt. NC State. Georgia Tech. Louisville. Florida State. These games are the difference between 10-2 and 5-7.

Should win games (>60% to win)

Old Dominion. Wofford. Wake Forest. California. Virginia. If the Hokies can win these five games, they only need to win one more to be bowl eligible.

Key games for the Hokies: South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Louisville, Miami

Upset Alert: at NC State

Game By Game Predictions

South Carolina (in Atlanta)
Vanderbilt
Old Dominion
Wofford
at NC State
Wake Forest
at Georgia Tech
California
Louisville
at Florida State
Miami
at Virginia

Final Regular Season Record: 6-6 (3-5 in the ACC)
Expected finish: 9th in the ACC

Bowl Game Prediction:

Virginia Tech got back to a bowl game after its worst season in 30 years. Things are trending in the right direction under Brent Pry.

Coaching Staff:

Brent Pry is entering his third season in Blacksburg. After a 3-win campaign in 2022, his team bounced back to win 7 games in year 2. Including going 6-3 down the stretch. It feels like Pry has the right coaches and players in place to have the program he envisioned when he arrived in Blacksburg.

Last season was a make-or-break year for Tyler Bowen. When Grant Wells suffered an ankle injury against Purdue, Bowen found lightning in a bottle in the form of Kyron Drones at quarterback. Having Drones solidify the QB position gave Bowen the opportunity to build out a run-heavy offense that fit his personnel.

Offense:

Kyron Drones is the straw that stirs the drink for this offense. The offense became more dynamic with him behind center. With Drones and Bhayshul Tuten at running back, it allowed the Hokies to establish a run-based offense that opened up the passing game. A heavy and consistent run game gave the Hokies deep-play threats room to operate downfield.

Once again, the Hokies should lean on a run-heavy attack. This fits best with their personnel. On an offense that includes Drones, Tuten and RB Malachi Thomas, you want to get the ball into your playmakers’ hands. This is also the best way to create space in the passing game for your wide receivers and tight ends.

The offense should benefit from having WR Ali Jennings back. He looked great in the ODU game and went out with a broken ankle against Purdue. Having him back along with WR Jaylin Lane, WR Da’Quan Felton and WR Stephen Gosnell should give Drones a lot of options in the passing game. Don’t forget TE Nick Gallo who should provide another nice downfield option for Drones.

The biggest concern on the offensive side of the ball is the offensive line. Particularly their ability to pass block. They had moments last year where they looked capable but they also had some pretty ugly moments too. For this offense to take another step forward, the offensive line has to prove they can protect Drones. This offense never looked at their best in passing situations last year.

Defense:

There were times last season where I had no idea what the safeties and linebackers were doing in the run game. They always seemed to be filling the wrong gap. It wasn’t a talent issue. It was an assignments issue. My hope is with another year under their belt they should be able to get it right more often that not this season.

Brent Pry has done a great job through the transfer portal of filling gaps on this defense. Bringing in Aeneas Peebles, Sam Brumfield and Kemari Copeland strengthens what was already a pretty strong group.

The strength of this group will be the defensive line. Antwuan Powell-Ryland is ready to have an all-conference year. Aeneas Peebles was already an all-conference player for Duke last season. Those two should wreak havoc on opposing offenses all season.

The Hokies have one of the best starting corner tandems in the ACC. Dorian Strong was one of the national leaders last season in PFF grades for cornerbacks with Mansoor Delane not too far behind him. If both can stay healthy, this should be a lockdown corner combo.

For this defense to take the next step, this group needs better contributions out of their safeties and linebackers. There were too many missed assignments last year leading to big plays. The addition of Sam Brumfield at mike linebacker will help a lot. So will the development of Jalen Stroman and Mose Phillips at the safety spots. Those guys are ready to take the next step forward.

Key Players to Watch

Quarterback Kyron Drones: Drones is a star and this team will go as far as Drones takes them. This was a completely different team last season with Drones under center.

Running Back Bhayshul Tuten: When was the last time that Tech had a chain mover like Tuten? David Wilson?

Defensive End Antwuan Powell-Ryland: APR came in with a lot of hype as a former 4-star recruit transferring in from Florida. He met and exceeded that hype. He’s a Daryl Tapp clone who likes to get after the quarterback.

Non-Conference Matchups:

Virginia Tech has a very manageable non-conference slate. Vanderbilt is one of the worst teams in the Power 4. Marshall is a solid team but one that Tech should handle at home. Old Dominion is close to their talent level from last season although Virginia Tech has yet to win in Norfolk after two appearances there. Rutgers is a rugged team under Greg Schiano but that game is at home this season. The team most likely to upset the Hokies from this slate is Rutgers.

ACC Outlook:

Virginia Tech is picked to finish 6th in the ACC preseason poll. That sounds about right to me. Virginia Tech is in the group right behind Clemson and Florida State who have a chance to get to Charlotte.

Conclusion:

Brent Pry looks well on his way to rebuilding Virginia Tech after 2 seasons at the helm. It finally feels like he has his coaches and players in place with a chance to make a run. This is the show-me year where he can prove that Virginia Tech can be a real contender for the ACC and a spot in the CFP.

Tough games (<40% chance to win)

Clemson and Miami. These both look like losses in the preseason. Both of these teams have more talent than the Hokies currently have.

Toss-up games (50-50 games)

Rutgers. Georgia Tech. Syracuse. These games are the difference between 10-2 and 7-5.

Should win games (>60% to win)

Vanderbilt. Marshall. Old Dominion. Stanford. Boston College. Duke. Virginia. The Hokies should make a bowl game on these games alone.

Key games for the Hokies: Clemson, Miami, Georgia Tech

Upset Alert: Georgia Tech

Game By Game Predictions

at Vanderbilt
Marshall
at Old Dominion
Rutgers
at Miami
at Stanford
Boston College
Georgia Tech
at Syracuse
Clemson
at Duke
Virginia

Final Regular Season Record: 9-3 (5-3 in the ACC)
Expected finish: 4th in the ACC

Bowl Game Prediction:

Virginia Tech is hoping to bounce back from its worst season in 30 years. 3 win seasons are rare in Blacksburg and Brent Pry is hoping to get bowl eligible after a challenging first season.

Coaching Staff:

Brent Pry enters his second season in Blacksburg. Pry struggled in his first season after inheriting a roster with many departures from the previous coaching staff. This season Tyler Bowen will be running the offense as the one-and-only offensive coordinator. Last season, he split the role with Brad Glenn who has since moved on to Cincinnati. This season will hinge on Bowen’s ability get more out of the offense than last season. He will need to be more creative and install an offense that makes sense with the personnel he has.

Offense:

The Hokies’ offense struggled last season leading to historically bad results. Tech had trouble run blocking and receivers had a tough time getting open. That along with an injury to Malachi Thomas led to an offense that couldn’t move the ball consistently.

The good news for this season is that Tech loaded up on capable offensive threats through the transfer portal. The coaching staff brought in Ali Jennings from ODU, Jaylin Lane from Middle Tennessee State and Bhayshul Tuten from North Carolina A&T. All these players have shown explosive abilities at their previous stops. These additions should add some explosive targets for Grant Wells in the passing game and another threat in the running game.

Grant Wells is a capable quarterback. Last year’s performance had a lot to do with a line that couldn’t block and receivers who couldn’t get open. Not to mention an injury to his number one running back. Few quarterbacks would perform well under those conditions. Even with that, he graded out as an average quarterback in the ACC. With more help this season, you should see those numbers improve. His most important task is cutting down on turnovers. Even with Wells in a game manager role, this offense can be successful.

The biggest area to watch for is the play of the offensive line. How do they respond to new coach Ron Crooks? Can he turn them into a productive group? Or does it look like last year’s group that struggled to run and pass block most of the season? My guess is that Crooks’ scheme will fit better with what Bowen is trying to do on offense.

Defense:

Brent Pry’s specialty is defense and we should see more out of that group compared to last season. Since Pry arrived he has prioritized size and speed on the defense. This group is slowly getting more athletic than the group Pry inherited from the previous coaching staff. Pry’s staff has made that a focus in recruiting and in the transfer portal.

The Hokies’ secondary will once again be the strength of the defense with Mansoor Delane and Dorian Strong starting at cornerback. The defense’s ability to create turnovers and limit big plays will be pivotal to the team’s success. The Hokies ranked 129th out of 131 teams in generating turnovers last season. That must change this season in order to improve on last year’s 3-win season.

The biggest question marks for this defense are at defensive end and linebacker. If Brent Pry can find a couple of young guys to step up at those positions this should be a pretty solid group. If not, this could be an average defense like last year’s.

Key Players to Watch:

Quarterback Grant Wells: Wells had a 1:1 touchdown to interception ratio last season. That has to improve for Tech’s offense to be a threat in 2023.

Running Back Malachi Thomas: This offense needs a consistent chain-mover in short yardage. In order for the offense to come around, we need to see Thomas return to his 2021 form.

Defensive Back Mansoor Delane: One of the top cornerbacks in the ACC entering 2023. He needs to back up the hype as a lockdown corner for this defense and become a ballhawk who can turn the ball over to the offense when it comes his way.

Non-Conference Matchups:

Virginia Tech has a manageable non-conference slate. They need a win against Old Dominion in the worst way. This staff cannot afford another loss to an in-state Group of 5 program. There are good opportunities for Power 5 wins against Purdue at home and Rutgers on the road. And finally, don’t overlook that road game against Marshall. Marshall won 9 games last season and will be far from a pushover this season.

ACC Outlook:

After the media picked the Hokies to finish 11th in the ACC preseason poll, the Hokies will have their work cut out for them. If the Hokies can build on the progress they made on defense last season, they should be able to outperform these expectations.

Conclusion:

When Brent Pry took the position of head coach, this job was always going to be a multi-year rebuild. The cupboards were pretty bare when he got here. After bottoming out with a 3-win season, it looks like the outlook is brighter but it is going to be a year-by-year process. The goal for this season should be six wins and a bowl game. Anything more than that is gravy.

Tough games (<40% chance to win)

Pitt. Florida State. Syracuse. Louisville. NC State. The goal here is to try to steal one or two of these games. They are winnable but tougher than the rest.

Toss-up games (50-50 games)

Purdue. Rutgers. Marshall. Wake Forest. Boston College. Virginia. These games will be the difference between 8-4 and 4-8. VT must win at least three of these.

Should win games (>60% to win)

Old Dominion. Tech can’t afford to stub their toe again here especially not at home.

Key games for the Hokies: Wake Forest, Boston College, Virginia.

Upset Alert: at Marshall

Game By Game Predictions

Old Dominion
Purdue
at Rutgers
at Marshall
Pitt
at Florida State
Wake Forest
Syracuse
at Louisville
at Boston College
NC State
at Virginia

Final Regular Season Record: 6-6 (4-4 in the ACC)
Expected finish: 7th in the ACC

Bowl Game: