FiveDimes recently released over/under regular season win totals for college football teams.
Here is an early season look at the Virginia Tech Hokies in the ACC.
Over/under
FiveDimes has Virginia Tech at eight regular season wins. Last year, the Hokies were 6-6 in the regular season. The line features a better return on the over at +105, while the under is at -145.
The upside
The season can only go up after the season’s first game for the Hokies. Right?
Virginia Tech was the lone team to defeat Ohio State last season in a major upset at the Horseshoe. Now, it’s payback time, and Virginia Tech opens at home against the definitive college football title favorites.
Oddsmakers aren’t buying Virginia Tech’s chances, with the line still hovering at double-digits, despite suspensions for multiple players on the Buckeyes.
From there, the schedule sets up nicely for Virginia Tech to return to its dominance from yesteryear.
From Sept. 12 to Oct. 9, the Hokies will square off against Furman, Purdue, East Carolina, Pittsburgh and North Carolina State, with the only road games against the Boilermakers and Pirates.
Virginia Tech should be favored in all those match-ups.
The Hokies also should be better on both sides of the ball. The offense returns quarterback Michael Brewer, and his main receivers Isaiah Ford and Cam Phillips.
On defense, the Hokies have four returners on the defensive line, who have all earned All-ACC recognition in the past. The secondary also should be a positive for the Hokies, with All-American Kendall Fuller returning.
The downside
The Hokies just haven’t been the same Virginia Tech during the last few years. During the past three years, Virginia Tech is a meager .500 in a league that doesn’t feature a tough game each week. This is from a team that went to the ACC title game in six of its first eight years in the league.
The offense has struggled recently, and although Brewer is returning, he was inconsistent at best last season. He had 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions last season, so if he continues to throw away the ball, the offense may remain stagnant for another season.
And while the schedule shouldn’t cause too much panic, there’s still road games against Miami, Georgia Tech and rival Virginia, with possibly tricky home games against North Carolina and Duke.
The Hokies have underwhelmed recently, so the press is on head coach Frank Beamer to turn things around. If that pressure gets to the coaching staff, then this season may result in another .500 campaign. That might not be enough to save the coaching staff’s jobs.
The verdict
Virginia Tech has been mediocre during the last few years, which would have been good enough decades ago. However, after a strong showing in the late 1990s and 2000s, the fan base is wanting more.
This team is good enough to challenge for a conference title, and the nation will see how far this team has come in the season opener. Don’t worry if the Hokies lose that, they should be 5-1 when they travel to Miami on Oct. 17.
From there, the Hokies will likely be favored in two more games, with toss-ups against Duke, Miami and North Carolina. Georgia Tech will likely be at least a touchdown favorite.
The better return is on the over, and that can definitely happen with this schedule and roster. However, Virginia Tech has had good rosters recently that haven’t produced. Take the wait and see approach, and go with the under.
