#13: Virginia Cavaliers, 1989
This season for Virginia is similar to the NC State one from earlier. The Cavaliers had some decent wins and excusable losses to finish with a good but not great record. Following a loss in the Citrus Bowl at the hands of Illinois, the Cavs finished 10-3. There’s merely not too much else to say about the year.
#14: Virginia Tech Hokies, 1999
Led by the outstanding dual-threat quarterback Michael Vick, the Hokies completed an 11-0 regular-season stretch to earn a bid to the Sugar Bowl (which was also the BCS National Championship game that year) and face the #1 Florida State Seminoles. The Noles whooped VT, but it was nonetheless an exciting run for an exciting team.
#15 Wake Forest Demon Deacons, 2006
The Deacs finished their regular season with a record of 10-2, went to their only ever ACC title game to beat Georgia Tech, and subsequently earned a bid to the Orange Bowl against the aforementioned 11-1 Louisville Cardinals. Wake lost 24-13, but that doesn’t take away from the historical aspects of the year: to this day, it is Wake Forest’s only season with a double-digit number of wins, and it highlights their only ACC title since the 1970 season.
And fun fact: WF beat Florida State 30-0 in Tallahassee, which was the only shutout loss ever dealt to them at home in the Bobby Bowden era. Horrible program, with one shining light in their history. Well done, Wake Forest.