High expectations for the Hokies

From the sidelines

Marty Gordon

No pressure on the Hokies as they come into this football season with a lot of fanfare. Over 80 percent of the production is back on both sides of the ball. Failure is not an option. 

This week, the media placed Virginia Tech in the middle of the pack.

Clemson is favored to win the 2023 Atlantic Coast Conference football title for the eighth time in the last nine years, according to a preseason poll of 176 media voters. 
The Tigers went 11-3 last year, posting their 12th consecutive double-digit win season while winning the 2022 ACC Football Championship Game. 
The 2023 ACC Preseason Poll was conducted via a vote of a media panel, including those who were credentialed for last week’s ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte, North Carolina. 
Clemson was predicted as the 2023 ACC champion on 103 ballots. Coming off a 10-3 season and a win in the Cheez-It Bowl, Florida State racked up 67 first-place votes. North Carolina (5) and NC State (1) also earned first-place votes. 
Clemson paced all teams with 2,370 points, while Florida State held the second slot with 2,304 points. North Carolina was third with 1,981 points, and NC State nabbed fourth with 1,662 points. 
The next three teams were tightly bunched, with Miami in fifth with 1,553 points and Duke and Pitt tied for sixth with 1,511 points apiece. 
Louisville (1,344) was eighth in the preseason prognostications, while Wake Forest (1,181) took ninth. The 10 through 14 spots were held by Syracuse (826), Virginia Tech (678), Georgia Tech (633), Boston College (561) and Virginia (365). 
The 2023 ACC schedule features a new scheduling model, which eliminates divisions. The 2023 ACC Football Championship Game will be played Dec. 2 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, and will feature the top two teams based on winning percentage. 
2023 ACC Preseason Poll
1. Clemson (103), 2370
2. Florida State (67), 2304
3. North Carolina (5), 1981
4. NC State (1), 1662
5. Miami, 1553
T6. Duke, 1511
T6. Pitt, 1511
8. Louisville, 1344
9. Wake Forest, 1181
10. Syracuse, 826
11. Virginia Tech, 678
12. Georgia Tech, 633
13. Boston College, 561
14. Virginia, 365

My prediction is simple, the Hokies will live up to the hype and take advantage of a favorable schedule. A 11-1 record is not out of the question, but this would include wins over Rutgers and a better than average Clemson squad. The good thing is that latter is at home, thus leaning the advantage to the Hokies. 

A loss at Miami could be in the cards and out-of-conference Rutgers could be a slight problem.

So that means, an ACC championship game against Florida State in November. But we all know, the unexpected can happen. This year, the Hokies have depth, and that will be a biggie.

My predicted finish of the 2024 ACC:

1. Virginia Tech
2. FSU
3. N.C. State
4. Clemson
5. SMU
6. Pitt
7. Miami
8. Syracuse
9. Ga. Tech
10. UNC
11. Boston College
12. Wake Forest
13. Duke
14. Louisville
15. UVA
16. Stanford
17. Cal

We will wait for the dust to clear come November. Now, just count down the days until opening weekend.