What is Virginia Tech Football's Biggest Trap Game In the Second Half of the Season?

Virginia Tech is 3-3 entering their bye week, but they are still in the conference race

Sep 27, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) runs with the football past Miami Hurricanes linebacker Wesley Bissainthe (31) during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Virginia Tech is 3-3 entering their week seven bye week and because two of those losses are out of conference, the Hokies still have a path to the ACC title game. The margin for error shrunk tremendously for this team with the loss to Miami, but they still have a path to get to Charlotte.

While it is pretty clear that the biggest game left on the schedule for the Hokies is the home matchup against Clemson, what might be the biggest trap game left on the schedule for Virginia Tech?

I think there are two choices for this. It is either the home game vs Georgia Tech on Oct. 26th or the trip to Syracuse on Nov. 2nd, one week before the Hokies play Clemson at home.

Let's talk about both.

Georgia Tech has flown under the radar this season, but they sit at 4-2 and have an explosive offense to go along with an improved defense. Quarterback Haynes King has been one of the most efficent players in the ACC this season, throwing eight touchdowns and only interception. He has two of the most dynamic receivers in the conference in Malik Rutherford and Eric Singleton Jr, as well as the top rushing defense in the ACC right now. This game is at home, but it could be a game that Virginia Tech is overlooking.

The same could be said about the game the very next week against Syracuse. Syracuse can be a tricky place to play and the Orange have an explosive passing attack with Kyle McCord, Oronde Gadsen, and Trebor Pena. If Virginia Tech were to beat Boston College and Georgia Tech right after the bye week, would they be overlooking Syracuse before a huge ACC showdown with Clemson? It is possible, but Virginia Tech cannot afford to take either of these opponents lightly.

The defense is going to be a huge part of this team getting hot down the stretch and after the game on Saturday, head coach Brent Pry had a lot of good things to say about the defense.

"Yeah that's who we need to be, you know, we have to be an aggressive defense that can cause some mayhem. That's too important with the style of defense that we want to play. So the minus-yard plays, the sacks, I thought we were physical today, I thought there were some good hits on their ball carriers. That's a good sign, I don't think we've seen that all year, I mean we were physical and some balls popped out, and obviously Keonta's interception and being able to convert that you know, after the field goal, with the roughing the kicker. The takeaways, when you steal possessions in a game like that, against an offense like that, with the game plan they had, invaluable."

Every game feels like a must win for the Hokies from here on out, but some games stand out as trap games. I think that games against Georgia Tech and Syracuse are two that should be taken very seriously.