Virginia Tech comes back to Blacksburg on Saturday looking to stop a two-game slide, and the staff sees a chance for the Hokies to answer after losses to Pitt and Cal. Georgia Tech arrives with a little momentum of its own after upsetting Duke, but the prediction panel still leans toward Virginia Tech using home field and its ground game to get back in the win column.
Lucas Boyd expects the Hokies’ running back duo of Jeffrey Overton Jr. and Marcellous Hawkins to make life difficult for a Georgia Tech defense that has struggled against the run. Boyd also believes James Franklin will pick up his first ACC home victory with Virginia Tech.
Final score prediction: Virginia Tech 31, Georgia Tech 20
Jackson Caudell notes that Georgia Tech’s win over Duke changed the feel of this matchup, at least on paper, and said the Yellow Jackets bring a bit more momentum into Blacksburg than they did a few weeks ago. Still, he points to Virginia Tech being the more talented team, playing at home, and facing a Georgia Tech squad that lost its only road game this season at Stanford.
Final score prediction: Virginia Tech 31, Georgia Tech 24
James Duncan points to how close the Hokies have been in their last two games. John Love had a field goal try on the final snap against Pitt ruled no good, then Cal scored with 18 seconds left to beat Virginia Tech in Berkeley.
Duncan also highlighted Love’s three straight missed field goal attempts and Ethan Grunkemeyer’s 722 passing yards across the two losses, including his clean performance at Cal after an on-field interception was wiped out by defensive pass interference. With a home crowd and what Duncan sees as the likely better quarterback, he thinks Virginia Tech finally closes one out.
Final score prediction: Virginia Tech 27, Georgia Tech 14
Thomas Hughes sees Saturday as a useful measuring stick for how the Hokies handle adversity. He said the back-to-back losses have dimmed an encouraging start, and that Lane Stadium only matters if Virginia Tech takes advantage of being at home. Hughes also pointed to Georgia Tech’s third-down struggles as a way for the Hokies to limit possessions and control the game, while stressing that Virginia Tech needs to avoid another finish that comes down to its final possession.
Final score prediction: Virginia Tech 31, Georgia Tech 20
Kaden Reinhard believes Virginia Tech should be able to lean on the run game after a second half against Cal in which the Hokies managed only six points and couldn’t create much on the ground. He expects a much more dominant rushing performance this time and says this Georgia Tech team is not the same one that featured Haynes King and Jamal Haynes a year ago. Reinhard sees Virginia Tech avenging last season’s 15-point loss and avoiding another one-possession finish.
Final score prediction: Virginia Tech 35, Georgia Tech 20
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For the Hokies, the appeal is obvious. A larger field would give a program like Virginia Tech more room to climb back into the national conversation, and it could even bring the possibility of an on-campus playoff game into the mix. But as the sport edges closer to a new format, the bigger question is what that means for college footballs balance and whether a broader playoff will make the regular season feel more urgent or less so. [Read more 🡒]