One of the signs that the college football season is fast approaching is when bowl game predictions start to come out. Even if it's still too early to think about the postseason, it's interesting to speculate on which other teams will be in the running. The latest bowl game predictions were released on Sunday by 247Sports analyst Brad Crawford, who predicts the Hokies will play in a big game against Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl.
“Two programs thriving under their respective coaches. Virginia Tech is one of the most veteran-heavy teams in the power conference ranks this fall, while the Huskers are coming off a significant offseason and have entrusted the keys to five-star true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola. Can the Huskers live up to the hype? And can the Hokies take advantage of a favorable ACC schedule? These are questions they must answer to advance to the top games outside of the New Year's Six.”
This should be an interesting matchup. Nebraska has high expectations in year two of coach Matt Lue and with one of the most talented young quarterbacks in the country in Raiola, they should be a team to watch in the Big Ten.
Virginia Tech was one of the attractive teams to compete for the ACC championship due to a ton of returning players, talented quarterback Kyron Draughns, a favorable schedule and the way they closed out the year. The Hokies are aiming high heading into the season and are currently tied for 8.5 wins in Las Vegas. CBS Sports college football analyst Chip Patterson has made his predictions on wins in the ACC, predicting the Hokies will surpass that mark and finish 10-2.
Wins: Vanderbilt, Marshall, ODU, Miami, Stanford, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Duke, Virginia
Losses: Rutgers, Clemson
Analysis: “After three wins in Year 1 and seven in Year 2, oddsmakers and our projections both project coach Brent Pry to take another step forward with the Hokies in Year 3. It's not just a dominating performance from last season, but how that group performs during a period in which the Hokies won five of their final seven games, with all five of those wins coming by at least 17 points. It looked good in Blacksburg, and when you carry that into a schedule that doesn't feature Florida State, NC State or SMU, it becomes clear that there is room to move up further in the league by 8.5 or more wins.”
If this prediction proves correct, there's no way Virginia Tech won't make the ACC Finals with a 10-2 record, including one loss in a non-conference game against Rutgers. The Hokies hold tiebreakers against Miami and Georgia Tech, so it could depend on Florida State's performance.
If Virginia Tech makes it to the ACC Championship Game, it will have a chance to win the conference and qualify for the new 12-team playoffs. That would be a big accomplishment in year three, considering where the team was when Brent Pry took over as head coach. Virginia Tech has a lot of attention on them this offseason, and one of the challenges they will have to overcome is how they handle those expectations. Games against Miami and Clemson will be big tests, but those games may be the only times the Hokies are underdogs. Playing as a championship favorite will be crucial for this team going into the season.
