Virginia Tech has golden opportunity to ruin Ohio State's year

With a win on September 7, the Virginia Tech Hokies will not only win the season opener, but will spoil the Buckeyes chances at defending their title.

The Virginia Tech Hokies played the second game of their 2014 season in the unfriendly confines of Ohio Stadium, more commonly known as “The Horseshoe.” Coming into the game, the second September contest for both parties, the Buckeyes made quick work of the Navy Midshipmen the week before, dispatching them by a 34-17 score.

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The Hokies did the same to William and Mary by a 34-7 margin. Even still, the latter was viewed as an underdog. After all, the Bucks finished with a 12-2 mark the year before while the Hokies limped to a 7-6 finish that did end on a positive note with a 33-17 win over Cincinnati in the Military Bowl. Simply put, a Virginia Tech win would have been unthinkable

Then the unthinkable happened. Aided by then-junior Michael Brewer’s two touchdown passes, the Hokies played the role of unruly guests, winning by a 35-21 score and shocking the 107,517 spectators who probably thought a Buckeye win was in the books. Surely this was a once in a lifetime occurrence, an event that would never happen again, a “shooting star” in the world of college football.

But it may happen again, on September 7, this time in Blacksburg, Virginia in the unfriendly confines of Lane Stadium, the opener for both programs. Even though the setting will be different, the back story breeds familiarity: David, the ACC underdog trying to secure a victory against Goliath, a Big Ten program that has the potential to be a perennial powerhouse.

It is also worth noting that Goliath is not without his sizeable wounds.

The Buckeyes announced suspensions for All-American defensive end Joey Bosa, h-backs Jalin Marshall and Dontre Wilson and wide receiver Corey Smith on July 31 for a violation of team policy. Bosa had 55 total tackles, 21 tackles for a loss and 13.5 sacks as the best defensive player on the team, one that made an impact, and who looked like a man among boys.

Marshall caught 38 passes for 499 yards and six touchdowns last season. Wilson too was productive in his role snatching 21 passes for 300 yards and three touchdowns. Smith, although not posting eye-popping numbers fit well into his role as a complementary receiver, catching 20 passes for 255 yards. Offensively, there is still enough firepower to withstand the losses at h-back and wide receiver, provided Braxton Miller makes a seamless transition to his new position after converting from quarterback.

Many of Virginia Tech’s major weapons are still with the program, including Brewer, the running game should be strong and tight end Ryan Mallack is a matchup nightmare at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds.

Two things were key factors in why the Hokies pulled off the upset last year. Time of possession (33:19-26:05 in favor of Virginia Tech) and rushing yards (125-108 also in favor of the Hokies) were two of the factors about why they won the football game. Are those big advantages numbers-wise necessarily? No. However, they are advantages nonetheless.

Let’s face it, the loss of Bosa can only help the Hokie rushing attack and the loss of the three on offense takes away opportunities for time of possession-type plays: Short passes which can then be taken out of bounds, quick three-to-four-yard passes which when added up, can take time of the clock and wear down the defense. That does not seem like much, but in the grand scheme of a football game, that can make a huge difference.

Simply put, Ohio State’s unfortunate subtractions and Virginia Tech’s continuity give the Hokies a chance to play the role of spoilers and let the rest of the college football world know that they are not to be taken lightly. An upset is at the very least plausible.

It just may happen again.

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Virginia Tech has golden opportunity to spoil Ohio State’s season

By Danny Jaillet | Aug 3, 2015

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