Our 2022 Virginia Tech football preview ends on the first gameday of the Brent Pry era as our staff makes their season predictions for what the Hokies' record will be. Check out our predictions along with the rest of our preview stories below.
- Bold Predictions
- Offensive and Defensive MVP Predictions
- Breakout Player Predictions
- Player We're Most Excited To See
Tim Thomas: 7-5
Virginia Tech's schedule this year is a fascinating one to say the least from the tough midseason stretch of Pittsburgh, Miami, and N.C. State to the closing stretch that could be big for the future with Georgia Tech, Duke, Liberty, and UVA.
This schedule breaks down into three categories for me with the 4 "should be wins" (ODU, Wofford, Georgia Tech, Duke), 3 "likely losses" (Pitt, Miami, N.C. State), and 5 "toss-up games" (Boston College, West Virginia, UNC, Liberty, UVA).
This is also a fascinating Tech team that lacks the star power needed to be a contender in the ACC Coastal this year (and ACC as a whole) entering it but has few weaknesses outside of that among the starting unit which should make this a bowl team.
The midseason stretch of UNC, Pitt, Miami, and N.C. State will test the mental fortitude of this team especially after it against Georgia Tech where the Hokies could enter that game on a three or four game losing streak. However, a Georgia Tech team that returns only 5 starters, has a tough schedule, and has a coach on the hot seat could be a big momentum swing type moment.
I have the Hokies at 7-5 but I could easily see anywhere from 4-8 to 8-4 for the first year of the Brent Pry era. If you're the betting type, don't even touch the VT regular season wins over/under this year.
Peyton Seay: 7-5
The season starts off relatively light in the early going for the Hokies with two out of their first three games against Wofford and ODU plus an interesting ACC opener against Boston College. They get West Virginia in a fun Thursday night matchup that might as well be a toss up, but I would like to think the Hokies will have the Terror Dome rocking under the Thursday night lights.
October will possibly be tough sledding for the Hokies with the potential to go lose all four games during the month. They will play a young and talented Tar Heel team at UNC Then they have matchups against Pitt, Miami, and NC State; all of whom have a chance at making the conference title game this season and begin the year ranked inside the AP Top 25.
Tech will finish the season against Georgia Tech, Duke, and at home against UVA to round out the season. The matchups against the Yellow Jackets and the Blue Devils should be fine, but I do worry about ACC games against BC and UVA. BC has taken two out of the last three matchups in recent years from the Hokies and UVA comes to town with new winning blood at head coach this year in former Clemson OC Tony Elliott. I worry about VT's defense stopping a potentially healthy Brennan Armstrong, but this is a rivalry game and I would hope Pry will have the troops even more ready to do battle by the end of the season.
Will Locklin: 7-5
Virginia Tech has a lot of new mixing in with plenty of old in 2022 headlined by a new quarterback and head coach in Grant Wells and Brent Pry. Tech’s schedule isn’t too difficult at the beginning but ramps up by the season's end. To start, the Hokies will go 3-1 in their first four games. They have the talent to win all four but chances are they’ll stumble in one of these games. With wins over Old Dominion, Wofford and West Virginia, Tech goes into the hard part of their schedule.
The likes of Pittsburgh, UNC, Miami, and NC State are all challenging and tough tests. Tech will go 1-3 against those teams with the lone win coming against Miami at home.
After this rough stretch the Hokies will finish the season strong and go 3-1 against the final four opponents. They’ll win over Georgia Tech, Duke and Virginia but lose to Liberty on the road. Overall, the Hokies finish the 2022 season with a 7-5 record, one game better than last year and good enough for a bowl game bid.
