The Virginia Tech football team had a heartbreaking opening season loss to Boise State, and going into the season that game got tons of natural attention both from Virginia Tech fans and college football fans in general. Big out of conference games tend to be hyped since they are rare and unusual, and good ones are fun to watch.
However now that the game has come and gone, VT needs to focus on the important part of their schedule, the ACC portion. Given the losses they have already endured, the national championship is obviously not a goal for the team. However their primary goal for any season is still a relative possibility, and that is winning the ACC championship. The fact that the ACC has looked so pedestrian this year only increases the importance of these games and makes an ACC championship even more attainable.
So which games will be the biggest ACC contests for VT in 2010? There are many – you could almost argue ‘all of them’ in that given how the Hokies have looked so far, no game will be a given. However there are certainly some that look pivotal and especially interesting. The Hokies has developed so interesting rivalries in their short history in the ACC.
The most critical game in my mind is the Virginia Tech vs Georgia Tech game. Virginia Tech vs Georgia Tech tickets will be some of the most difficult to get in Blacksburg all year, given it’s a Thursday night home game and this game has virtually decided the winner of the Coastal Division of the ACC in the last several years. There is also an interesting sub-rivalry between Bud Foster’s Virginia Tech defense versus Paul Johnson’s Georgia Tech offense that is excellent drama.
The next most pivotal games are vs Miami and vs UNC. These games all come back to back with the Georgia Tech game creating a brutal stretch for the Hokies. Both of these games are also on the road. One or both of these teams will also likely be in the hunt for the division title, and both lost to Virginia Tech last year, and will be looking for revenge. VT vs UNC tickets will be tough to get as there won’t be as many available from UNC fans as there usually area, since there teams is performing well and filling up more seats in the stadium.
However there are several ACC games that at the beginning of the year probably seemed easier than they do now. The game versus Wake Forest will be a stiff test for the Hokies, as they have shown they can compete with anyone in the league. Games at NC State and at Boston College will be brutal tests. The Hokies would do well to split in those two road games.
The game versus UVa is the season’s final game, and there is lots to learn about both teams before that contest is played. However judging on how the teams look now, it will be a tough test for the Hokies. Virginia looks improved so far under their new coach Mike London, and moving in the right direction. UVa has lost several games in a row to the Hokies and will be ready to break the streak. It is very likely that both teams will have something to play for when that game comes around, and Virginia Tech vs UVa tickets will be highly prized.
