Virginia Tech is one win away from reaching a bowl game after beating Boston College 48-22 to improve to 5-5 on the season. Obviously, there is more work to be done for the Hokies, but the opportunity is right there now as they are favored against a good NC State that will provide a stiff test before facing 2-8 UVA in Charlottesville next weekend.
Here's a look at the latest bowl projections for the Hokies with the bowl and then opponent listed.
- CBS Sports: Military Bowl vs Memphis
- ESPN's Mark Schlabach: Duke's Mayo Bowl vs Tennessee
- ESPN's Kyle Bonagura: Armed Forces Bowl vs Iowa State
- 247 Sports: Military Bowl vs SMU
- Action Network: Military Bowl vs Memphis
- Sporting News: Pinstripe Bowl vs Minnesota
- Athlon Sports: Duke's Mayo Bowl vs Kentucky
One thing is important to note is that the ACC no longer has the previous tiring system for bowl games. Even though that isn't in place, ACC bowl tie-ins like the Gator or Duke's Mayo will usually get their top choice over the Military or Fenway for example. Conference records also usually factor in some for teams getting their preference of destination which could be beneficial for the Hokies playing somewhere a lot of Tech fans already are like the Duke's Mayo in Charlotte or Military in Annapolis not far from Washington D.C.
Seeing multiple Pinstripe Bowl projections out there is a little surprising to be honest. It's rare that a team will play in the same bowl game twice within three years as bowl promoters usually like having some rotation to prevent having a non-local fan base there too often for risk of an interest decrease. While the Pinstripe is possible, I would heavily bet against it.
The next two weeks seem certain to be a factor in where VT goes bowling if they do indeed reach bowl eligibility. Win out and VT likely will be seen as an upper tier ACC bowl pick, especially if they earn a spot in the ACC Championship. Finish at 6-6 and bowls like the Military and Fenway likely come into play more.
If Tech falls to 5-7, there is a chance that VT could get to a bowl if they are high enough up in their APR metric compared to other 5-7 teams. It's also important to note that if there aren't enough 6-6 or better teams to fill all bowl spots, JMU and Jacksonville State, two schools currently ineligible for a bowl, would be the next two eligible before 5-7 teams would be selected.
