ESPN Analyst Names Virginia Tech As A College Football Playoff Sleeper Team
Don't look now but Virginia Tech is getting more College Football Playoff love.
On ESPN's Get Up, College Football analysts Matt Barrie, Heather Dinich, and Harry Douglas were all naming dark horse College Football Playoff teams and Barrie had the Hokies as his dark horse:
“Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech’s got a great young quarterback in Kyren Drones. They also have a very favorable schedule,” said Barrie
“They open the season August 31st, they travel to Vanderbilt. (They) begin ACC play on September 27th at Miami. According to the analytics, the Hokies have the second-easiest strength of schedule in the ACC. Give me the Hokies as a surprise entrance in the College Football Playoff.”
Virginia Tech has been getting a lot of love this offseason from a number of national analysts around the country.
The Hokies have lofty goals coming into the season and their win total in Vegas is at 8.5 right now. CBS Sports college football analyst Chip Patterson gave his prediction for each win total in the ACC and he has the Hokies going over their win total, finishing with a 10-2 record:
Wins: at Vanderbilt, Marshall, at ODU, at Miami, at Stanford, Boston College, Georgia Tech, at Syracuse, at Duke, Virginia
Losses: Rutgers, Clemson
Analysis: "After three wins in Year 1 and seven in Year 2, both the oddsmakers and our projections are calling for another step forward for coach Brent Pry in Year 3 with the Hokies. It's not just the overwhelming amount of returning production from last season, but how that group performed during a stretch in which the Hokies closed the year with five in wins in their last seven games, with all five victories coming by at least 17 points. Things seemed to click in Blacksburg, and when you carry that over to a schedule that does not have Florida State, NC State or SMU, there is clear room for more upward movement within the league. Over 8.5 wins"
If this prediction comes true, it is hard to see how Virginia Tech would not be playing in the ACC title game with a 10-2 record, with one of the losses being a non-conference loss vs Rutgers. The Hokies would have the tiebreaker over Miami and Georgia Tech, so it could depend on how Florida State finishes.
If Virginia Tech did get to the ACC Championship Game, they would then have the opportunity to win the conference and qualify for the new 12-team playoff. Considering where the program was when Brent Pry took over, that would be a huge accomplishment in year three. Virginia Tech is getting a lot of love this offseason and one thing they are going to have to navigate is how to handle the expectations. Games against Miami and Clemson are going to be huge tests, but those might be the only games in which the Hokies are underdogs. Being able to play as a favorite is going to be vital for this team going into the season.
Jackson Caudell has been covering Georgia Tech Athletics For On SI since March 2022 and the Atlanta Hawks for On SI since October 2023. Jackson is also the co-host of the Bleav in Georgia Tech podcast and he loves to bring thoughtful analysis and comprehensive coverage to everything that he does. Find him on X @jacksoncaudell