Virginia Tech ended its season with a 37-17 win over Virginia at Lane Stadium this past weekend, not only continuing its three-game winning streak in this rivalry but knocking Virginia out of the postseason entirely.
The Commonwealth Cup had enough at stake, and now it's time to examine the Hokies bowl game odds following the conclusion of Week 14.
Virginia Tech Hokies season to date
Virginia Tech failed to emphasize quarterback Kyron Drones’s dual-threat abilities early in the season. In the first two games of the year, he rushed for 81 yards on 23 attempts, 3.5 yards per carry (sacks adjusted). Not getting him into space played a key part in Virginia Tech losing at Vanderbilt in August.
Once he was cut loose, life got much easier. A four-game stretch averaging 8.2 yards per Drones carry was the best part of the Hokies’ season, a stretch that then played into a three-game winning streak to reach 5-3 before the junior suffered the first of a few injuries.
Drones has been limited or sidelined in each of the last four games. For the first time without him, Virginia Tech won in its regular-season finale, topping Virginia in the Commonwealth Cup to keep its biggest rival out of a bowl.
Virginia Tech Hokies bowl game projection
Fenway Bowl
At 6-6 overall and 4-4 in the ACC, tied for No. 8 in the conference, the Hokies are within one game of No. 4. Bowls are allowed to reach conference standings by one game in the ACC.
Virginia Tech has been in both the Miltary Bowl (2023) and the Pinstripe Bowl (2021) recently enough to reduce options for the Hokies in the ACC’s second tier, so I will project them to play in the Fenway Bowl against someone from the American Athletic Conference.
Projected bowl game opponent:
The most likely AAC opponent would be Memphis. The Tigers have never played in the Fenway Bowl, do not have the inherent ties to the Armed Forces Bowl or the Military Bowl that Army and Navy obviously do, and are within the AAC’s top-four, setting them up for either the Fenway Bowl or the Independence Bowl.
Memphis entered the season with lofty Playoff hopes, only to have those quickly dashed in a shootout at Navy in September. A strong rushing offense sets up Memphis’s passing game, while the defense is below average in most regards.
Fenway Bowl info
- Date: Saturday, December 28, 2024
- Time: 11:30 a.m. ET
- Location: Fenway Park, Boston, MA
- Network: ESPN
