Virginia Tech Football: Game-by-game predictions for 2017

The Old Dominion Monarchs are a scrappy bunch. They went 10-3 last season as a third-year FBS program. They went 7-1 in Conference USA play and made their first bowl game. They won the Popeyes Bahama Bowl 24-20 over Eastern Michigan.

The Monarchs return 15 starters from last season’s squad. Defense is solid but inexperience at linebacker could keep them from having a strong unit. The secondary is deep enough to overcome the deficiencies and a backup defense (nickel) is in place.

Old Dominion is one of the better teams in Conference USA, though it’s not the ACC. The Monarchs will face two tough tests in both North Carolina (a week prior) and Virginia Tech in 2017.

Old Dominion returns eight offensive starters but needs to replace the left side of their offensive line. The Hokies could expose some holes up front with their interior defense. While the Monarchs ran for 196.8 rushing yards per game on offense, the Hokies allowed just 140.5 rushing yards per game.

The game serves as an intriguing matchup between two Virginia football teams. The Virginia Tech Hokies should look to find some balance in the running and passing game here with quarterback Josh Jackson running the show.

The Hokies may get off to a slow start, but in the end, they should win this game with relative ease. The Monarchs aren’t the biggest passing team. They attempted 28.8 passes per game last season, ranking 12th in the Conference USA.

Final: Old Dominion 17, Virginia Tech 42 (4-0)