National Analyst Predicts Miami-Virginia Tech Final Score

Who will win the highly-touted ACC matchup?

Sep 21, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Kyron Drones (1) throws a pass during the third quarter against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Predictions for Cam Ward's first-ever ACC matchup have been pouring in. This game is packed with intriguing storylines, including:

• Virginia Tech testing their legitimacy as an ACC contender

Even though Virginia Tech is 2-2, with losses to Rutgers and Vanderbilt, both of those games were just 3-point losses against teams from the two strongest conferences in college football. For now, they haven't played an ACC school, so giving themselves a shot at the ACC Championship is still plausible, but to remain in that conversation Virginia Tech likely cannot lose more than one game, meaning they'll have to beat Miami or Clemson to give themselves a shot at the title.

• Kyron Drones facing off against his cousin Cam Ward

As Cam Ward mentioned earlier in the week, he and Kyron Drones found out that they were cousins during their junior year of high school, which formed a bond they still hold to this day. Ward and Drones both train with the same trainer, Darrell Colbert, who trains the top quarterbacks in college football.

• Miami's first test of the season

Unless Florida or South Florida are considered great teams, the Hurricanes have yet to play any team close to the level of talent that they have had, and they struggled against a physical South Florida team in the first half. With that, Virginia Tech is probably the most talented team Miami has played to this point--and even if not that, Virginia Tech has the best secondary that Miami has played all season.

• Ward's debut in the ACC

Obviously coming from Washington State this offseason, and playing at Incarnate Wood before that, Ward has yet to face an in-conference ACC oponent. This game alone will be a big test to see how Ward fits into the landscape of the conference.

On3 Sports' J.D. Pickell took all that into consideration and more when he made his prediction for the upcoming matchup between Virginia Tech and Miami.

"Virginia Tech man, they are a lot better than I think their record indicates. Right now they are 2-2. One is in overtime to a Vanderbilt team that I think is actually going to be halfway decent this season. They lost a three-point game to Rutgers.

If you want to turn the tide on your season, turn the tide on your hopes to compete for an ACC Championship, go beat a top 10 team on the road on national television. Virginia Tech, we kept talking about all the returning production they have and the continuity they have and the way they finished last year. We haven’t seen it really come to fruition and be the product we wanted them to be going into the season. This can change the entire narrative, the entire optics around Brent Pry's program out there. Again, two losses by three points each. If you’re overlooking Virginia Tech, I think you’re doing yourself a massive, massive disservice.

I believe if they take [Cam Ward] away, even if they do put a lid on the pass game and they say, 'Okay, you got to beat us underneath, you got to beat us running the football,' Mario Cristobal has at this point now built a team that can play that way. They’ve got the trench warfare they can play. They’ve got a running back in Damen Martinez who can carry the mail for you. And I think Miami has a way to, if they are forced to win this game ugly, also utilize the underneath pass game. Xavier Restrepo, I mean, underneath pass game is pretty much his middle name. He’s able to find the soft spot in the zone, get north and south. I don’t see a way where Virginia Tech goes four quarters and is able to keep this offense down or at least overwhelmingly out-physical the Miami offense if it ends up being that kind of a game.

So I like Miami to win. I like Virginia Tech to cover in this one. So 18.5, Friday night, short week, Miami hasn’t played anybody in a minute. Virginia Tech’s been in some dogfights. I’ll take Miami to win 34 to 20. So again, Miami wins, Virginia Tech covers when it comes to the Friday night action."