With less than a week now until college football starts at the FBS level and less than two weeks until Virginia Tech plays Vanderbilt, the Hokies are expected to have one of the easier schedules in the ACC, led by Brent Pry, who helped complete the Hokies’ turnaround.

Week 1: at Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt will probably be one of the toughest teams Virginia Tech will face. Competition for the quarterback spot, a new offensive coordinator, and a completely new style of play on offense. I don’t think the Hokies will have any trouble against Diego Pavia and the Vanderbilt Commodores. Vanderbilt’s offensive line has lost a lot of players and I think if the defense can look past the tricks Vanderbilt has planned, this could be a big win.

Virginia Tech 38 – Vanderbilt 13 (1-0, 0-0 ACC)

Week 2: against Marshall

On to another non-conference game where Virginia Tech should have a clear advantage. Marshall beat Virginia Tech 24-17 at home last year. This Marshall team, however, will be a completely different team. Quarterback Cam Fancher, running back Rasheen Ali and leading tackler Elias Neal are all gone. I would put a lot of stock in how inexperienced this defense will be. Marshall has lost several players to the NFL on defense, and defensive coordinator Jason Semore has said it will be hard to replace the leadership they brought with them.

My only concern is what the deal looks like at the quarterback position for Marshall. If Chad Pennington gets the nod, who’s to say he can’t have a big breakout game. Regardless of who Marshall puts behind center, I trust that Dorian Strong and the Hokies secondary will stay true to themselves and this should be another win for the Hokies that flips the script on 2023.

Virginia Tech 30 – Marshall 17 (2-0, 0-0)

Week 3: at Old Dominion

I don’t see Old Dominion having any problems at all this year. Old Dominion needs an incredible turnaround on the offensive line to even be competitive against Virginia Tech in this game. Old Dominion allowed 62 sacks last year, and I don’t think that number will be much lower this year. The defensive line was bad – to say the least. The Monarchs had just 19 sacks the entire 2023 season. I’m not a fan of any part of this team, I don’t necessarily trust Jason Henderson, and their special teams are just okay.

This is the worst team Virginia Tech will face all year, so don’t be surprised if the Hokies beat Old Dominion on the road.

Virginia Tech 43 – Old Dominion 10 (3-0, 0-0)

Week 4: against Rutgers

This is Virginia Tech’s biggest challenge so far. Rutgers is, frankly, a very similar team to Virginia Tech – a surprise team in a Power Four conference that brings a lot of talent but is blocked by some of the bigger schools in its conference.

Athan Kaliakmanis is one of my favorite additions to the transfer portal this offseason. No, he’s not the best player to have transferred teams, but I think he’s a great fit for what Rutgers is trying to do. Rutgers was a really run-heavy team last year, and while Athan didn’t have the best running numbers-wise in Minnesota, he’s certainly capable. Kaliakmanis will back up Kyle Monangai in the backfield for what could be one of the most lethal running attacks in the Big Ten.

I still think Virginia Tech can come away with a win, especially since it’s a home game at Lane Stadium. Virginia Tech will have to contend with Rutgers’ strong defense and I think this will be one of the most exciting college football games in week four.

Virginia Tech 27 – Rutgers 24 (4-0, 0-0)

Week 5: in Miami (FL)

It’s fair to say that Miami will be the toughest game on the schedule for Virginia Tech. The Hokies only play two teams ranked in the AP Top 25, and Miami is one of them. This is one of the most talented squads in the country. If Mario Cristobal can’t win with this team, Miami may have to look elsewhere.

No matter how hard you try, it’s impossible to find a weakness in this Miami offense. Transfers Cam Ward and Damien Martinez lead the backfield, while every other offensive position is filled with star players. Whether it’s Jalen Rivers or Xavier Restrepo, this offense will undoubtedly succeed.

Miami’s defense lost some key hitters but returned Francisco Mauigoa, arguably the most dynamic defensive player on this entire roster. Miami has many players on this defense with accolades, All-ACC, ACC Defense Rookie of the Year, and the list goes on. The question for the Hurricanes, however, is can they defend the running team of Kyron Drones and Bhayshul Tuten.

While I think the game is close, I expect Miami to come out on top here. This shouldn’t destroy Virginia Tech’s ACC Championship hopes, but it should dampen them just a little.

Virginia Tech 20 – Miami 31 (4-1, 0-1)

Week 6: at Stanford

Virginia Tech will only play one of the ACC’s newcomers in 2024, and Stanford was chosen. They may not be the best or worst team in the conference, but they are much better than Virginia Tech’s previous opponents, such as Old Dominion and Marshall.

Stanford’s biggest weapon is versatile receiver Elic Ayomanor, who decided to stay at Stanford in the offseason. Ayomanor broke the record for most receiving yards in a game by a Stanford wide receiver and should find a way to get the majority of receptions again this year.

The defense is not going to be good, that’s the key. Stanford could be a team that could pull off a few stealth wins, but that’s not going to happen here.

Virginia Tech 45 – Stanford 19 (5-1, 1-1)

Week 8: against Boston College

Another ACC team with a new head coach in 2024 is Boston College. They have hired a high-profile head coach in former Texans head coach Bill O’Brien.

I think this team will find out a lot about their talent as the season goes on, and I don’t know if that will be decided by Week 8. Boston College struggled on offense for most of last year, and if this game gets out of hand, it could get out of hand quickly.

If Virginia Tech can limit this run, I am convinced this will be Virginia Tech’s biggest win in terms of point differential of the 2024 season.

Virginia Tech 48 – Boston College 9 (6-1. 2-1)

Week 9: against Georgia Tech

This is one of the more exciting games on Virginia Tech’s 2024 schedule. Both Techs return on much of their performance from last year, boast a dynamic offense, and two very similar coaches named Brent.

Georgia Tech’s offense is led by polarizing quarterback Haynes King, whose interceptions overshadowed his good play in the 2023 season. Georgia Tech also has playmakers like Jamal Haynes and Eric Singleton back, so expect the Yellow Jackets to make explosive plays on offense.

I think Virginia Tech has the edge on defense, Georgia Tech has a lot of unanswered questions throughout the defense and will have to rely heavily on transfers like Romelio Height from USC. I think Virginia Tech can pull away from Blacksburg with a win against Georgia Tech, but this is one of the more dangerous games on the schedule.

Virginia Tech 35 – Georgia Tech 32 (7-1, 3-1)

Week 10: in Syracuse

If Syracuse can win this game, the ACC has some problems. Just like Virginia Tech, Syracuse has one of the easiest schedules in the ACC next year. The Orange will face Ohio, Stanford, Holy Cross, UNLV, Pitt, Boston College, Cal and UConn. They also avoid games against Clemson, Florida State and Louisville, some of the ACC’s all-time greats.

Syracuse is bringing in Kyle McCord to start quarterback from Ohio State after the Buckeye quarterback had a pretty disappointing season. He is surrounded by a lot of transfers and returning talent. Lequint Allen is a very underrated running back and a threat both as a pass receiver and as a downhill runner. This offense could be scary.

Syracuse’s linebacker unit is solid, and around defense, the Orange have playmakers they can rely on. While they’re not necessarily All-ACC players, they’re a balanced defense. This is another team that could pull off an upset at home against the Hokies, but I think just the willpower of this Hokies defense and the impeccable play of Kyron Drones should make this a win.

Virginia Tech 26 – Syracuse 21 (8-1, 4-1)

Week 11: against Clemson

This game and the game against Miami are the two toughest games on the schedule for Virginia Tech. I love the defensive side of the ball for Clemson, aside from the upcoming competition at corner, and the talent level is always going to be high on a Clemson Tigers team.

Cade Klubnik definitely underperformed at Clemson, but will still start at quarterback for Dabo Swinney. I truly believe Clemson’s offense will be much better than last year, but that all depends on Klubnik’s success at the quarterback position.

This defense may not be the same as it is in 2023, but I don’t know how the Hokies will handle all the star power on Clemson’s defense.

Virginia Tech 13 – Clemson 31 (8-2, 4-2)

Week 13: at Duke

The Hokies end the 2024 season with two teams that I think they should be able to handle easily, and one of them is Manny Diaz’s Duke team.

Maalik Murphy recently secured the quarterback job for the Blue Devils and I think he will remain a starter all season. The biggest question on offense is the offensive line, which I don’t have much confidence in next year.

The defensive line is also a big problem. Duke lost its entire starting defensive line and several other key players on defense. I just see too many holes for this game to be competitive for the Blue Devils.

Virginia Tech 29 – Duke 6 (9-2, 5-2)

Week 14 against Virginia

This rivalry won’t be a big one in the coming years. Virginia is one of the worst teams in the ACC and this could be the last year for head coach Tony Elliott.

Virginia’s offensive star Malik Washington is now headed to the NFL, and those are big shoes to fill. Virginia has brought in some transfer players like Tyree from Notre Dame, but I still don’t have much confidence in Virginia’s offensive weapons.

Virginia’s defense will fight to avoid being one of the weakest defenses in the ACC. I have no confidence in many of those positions for Virginia, and Virginia Tech will easily handle the season-ending task.

Virginia Tech 46 – Virginia 9 (10-2, 6-2)