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Virginia Tech Hokies at Pittsburgh Panthers
Line: Pittsburgh by 1.5
The Virginia Tech Hokies might be facing a similar amount of disrespect to Notre Dame. At 4-2, they are underdogs against a team on a three-game losing skid. Are the ECU and Georgia Tech losses still fresh in people’s minds? Maybe. And it’s up to the Hokies to get them out. That depends on Michael Brewer. We hate to over stress the importance of a quarterback, but the Hokies have a solid team, and Brewer is an incredible playmaker at quarterback. The only thing keeping this team from being undefeated right now, though, is Brewer’s turnover issues at quarterback. If he cuts down on his turnovers, the Hokies will beat the Panthers. But this is a defense capable of making plays, so he had better be careful.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, needs to regain the momentum it had after a 3-0 start. This is an incredibly young team, to be fair, but they can’t have losses to teams like Akron. To beat Virginia Tech on Saturday, the key has to be that defensive line. Despite huge losses (no pun intended) the line has played well, but it needs to get back in synch with the linebackers. If the front seven can pressure Brewer, the Panthers should be able to force him into having lots of turnovers. On offense, Pitt needs to stick with the running game and James Conner. He will lead them to victory if they can force Brewer into turning the ball over. In fact, with the possibility of Conner playing defensive end as well, giving him the chance to force Brewer into turning the ball over, it’s safe to say the fate of the entire game rests in his hands.
Prediction
Pittsburgh matches up perfectly with Virginia Tech, which is why they are the favorite, but we are sticking with the Hokies to win this game. Brewer is getting better at quarterback, and the Panthers front seven has been inconsistent at times. Virginia Tech is simply more talented and more experienced, and they will pull out the victory on the road.
Virginia Tech: 31 Pittsburgh: 20