Virginia Tech Football: What Does ESPN’s FPI Say About the Game Against Virginia?
After losing to Duke, the Hokies are laser-focused on taking down the Virginia Cavaliers in a matchup between two 5-6 schools fighting for their spot in a bowl game.
Even though the record might say one thing about the similarity on where Virginia and Virginia Tech stand, these two programs are in completely different spots. Virginia Tech was a supposed “dark horse” ACC title contender heading into the season. Virginia was looked at as a team that was set to try to separate themselves from the bottom of the ACC, and the Cavs did that, to an extent. Virginia shares a 3-4 ACC record with Virginia Tech, Pitt, Boston College, and North Carolina.
The time is now for both of these teams. Virginia has been chasing their bowl dreams for the last two games to no avail. Virginia Tech is winless since the Hokies’ late-October win against Georgia Tech. These teams have to turn it on now.
ESPN’s Football Power Index thinks that the Virginia Tech Hokies will rise to the occasion. The advanced analytics system gives the Hokies a 78.5% to beat Virginia at home.
One thing this analytics system doesn’t factor in though, is the amount of uncertainty with the Virginia Tech offense heading into the Hokies’ most important game of the year. Head coach Brent Pry has mentioned that Virginia Tech is preparing four different quarterbacks to play in the game against Virginia: Kyron Drones (questionable), Collin Schlee (questionable, Pop Watson, and Davi Belfort. The latter two players are freshmen who have seen very little game action or no game action at all, respectively.
If Drones and Schlee are unable to go against Virginia, Pop Watson will serve as the starting quarterback with Davi Belfort serving as the backup.
Earlier in the year, Watson lost a quarterback battle against Collin Schlee for the number two spot, but saw his first real game action last week against Duke when Collin Schlee went down with an injury.
Additional Links:
Virginia Tech Football Releases Depth Chart Ahead of Matchup Against Virginia
Virginia Tech Football: PFF Grades and Snap Counts For Every Player in Saturday’s Loss to Duke
Virginia Tech Football: Updated Bowl Projections For The Hokies Heading Into Final Game
RJ Schafer joined the On SI team in 2024, contributing to the coverage of Major League Baseball, Collegiate Basketball, and Collegiate Football at https://www.si.com/college/virginiatech/. Prior to this, RJ built a strong portfolio covering Georgia Tech and the Tigers for the Bleav Network. With a solid background in sports journalism, RJ has conducted interviews with both collegiate and professional athletes, enhancing the depth and authenticity of his reporting. RJ's extensive experience in the sports industry has equipped him with a keen understanding of the dynamics and intricacies of both collegiate and professional sports. His work is focused on providing insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage, making him a trusted voice in the sports community.