Virginia Tech Football: Three Biggest Storylines for Matchup With Virginia
There is only one more opportunity left for Virginia Tech to try and reach bowl eligibility. After a 5-3 start to the season that had the Hokies still in the mix for a spot in the ACC Championship, the team has lost three straight heading into their final regular season game against rival Virginia. While Virginia Tech has had a ton of success against the Cavaliers over the last 20 years, they will have to play a tremendous game for them to have a chance to win on Saturday and play in the postseason for the second consecutive season.
Here are the biggest strorylines for the week.
1. Can Virginia Tech get to bowl eligibility?
At the start of the year, Virginia Tech was being talked about as one of the biggest surprise teams not just in the ACC, but in the country. This team's biggest goals have gone away, but they still have an opportunity to reach a bowl game for the second straight season. That should still be a big deal to the program, but on the other side, the Cavaliers are trying to make a bowl game for the first time under Tony Elliott. They are going to be fired up about playing in this game and having a chance to make a bowl game, so Virginia Tech can't take it for granted, no matter their past success vs Virginia.
2. Can the defense prevent big plays on Saturday?
Before you could even blink on Saturday night, Virginia Tech was trailing Duke 14-0 thanks to two long touchdown plays and the Blue Devils have not been a very explosive offense this season. Virginia has found a way to put points on teams like Clemson and Louisville this season and has improved since last year. The Hokies' pass rush was non-existent on Saturday vs Duke, finishing with no sacks and being unable to disrupt Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy. They will have to be able to play better on Saturday if they want to avoid the upset.
3. Can Virginia Tech continue to dominate this rivalry?
This of course is a rivalry that Virginia Tech has dominated. Since 2000, Virginia only has two wins in the series (2003 and 2019) and the Hokies dominated in last year's game 55-17. Virginia Tech leads the all-time series 61-38. Is that going to continue on Saturday?
Additional Links:
How To Watch Virginia Tech vs Michigan: Tipoff Time, TV Channel, and Odds
Virginia Tech Football: Updated Bowl Projections For The Hokies Heading Into Final Game
Virginia Tech vs Duke: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly From the Hokies Loss to the Blue Devils
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