Virginia Tech Football: Can Hokies realistically compete for 2020 ACC title?

How will Virginia Tech football fare in 2020?

This is a huge opportunity for the Hokies in the 2020 season but they will have to clear a difficult ACC-only schedule. The Hokies will likely make some adjustments on both sides of the ball for their conference title chances to survive.

Here is the breakdown of the schedule in 2020:

• Game 1: vs. NC State (W) – Defensively, the Wolfpack are having to replace too many starters from the previous season to stop a complex Hokies offense.
• Game 2: at Duke (W) – Even with a more efficient and experienced quarterback, the Blue Devils do not have many tools to compete for a division title.
• Game 3: at North Carolina (L) – This game will be a big deciding factor for the Coastal but the home-field advantage will give the Tar Heels the favor.
• Game 4: vs. Boston College (W) – The Hokies have the defense to completely suppress the Eagles’ offense.
• Game 5: at Wake Forest (W) – This game will be an upset alert matchup for the Hokies but the Demon Deacons do not have the experienced starters on offense to stay in the game.
• Game 6: at Louisville (L) – Coming from two tough back-to-back matchups may be too much for a Hokies team trying to stay consistent.
• Game 7: vs. Liberty (W) – The Hokies’ lone non-conference matchup will be a rebound game for them to fix their key structural flaws before the tougher games.
• Game 8: vs. Miami (W) – A more determined Hokies team might be up for the task to stop a dynamic Hurricanes’ offense.
• Game 9: at Pittsburgh (W) – Virginia Tech will not look ahead to the Clemson Tigers one week from now.
• Game 10: vs. Clemson (L) – This loss will be tough for the Hokies to deal with as this will potentially knock them out of ACC title contention.
• Game 11: vs. Virginia (W) – The Hokies will finish their regular season on a positive note by defeating their rivals that are getting better.

Prediction: 8-3, 7-3 ACC

The Hokies are likely to win at least eight to nine of their games as their experienced players on both sides of the ball will keep them in track to contend for the division title. The Hokies’ toughest games will be at North Carolina, at Louisville and at home against Clemson. If the Hokies want to make some noise in the ACC, they will need to make some shocking upsets.

Offensively, the Hokies have plenty of talent to keep them in tight games against some of the more established defenses in the ACC. Their RPO offense, led by their quarterback Hendon Hooker, and their transfer running back, Khalil Herbert. The key to their offensive production will be the stability of their offensive line and the high-level value of their receivers.

Defensively, their biggest key will be how the Hokies will deal with the loss of their long-time defensive coordinator in Bud Foster. They will rely on their experienced players in Rayshard Ashby and their transfer players. Defensive end Justus Reed will be crucial for how well the Hokies handle the opposing offense’s running and passing game.