Virginia Tech had a four-win improvement from year one to year two under Brent Pry. Now, in year three, the Hokies could potentially be deadly according to Greg McElroy.
McElroy took a look at several teams that haven’t won their conference lately during a recent episode of ‘Always College Football’. Virginia Tech was actually one of the most recent league champions of the 10 programs that he assessed. Still, this team, although in the middle of a pack in the ACC, could be the one to end that streak, especially considering how lethal that McElroy thinks they can be.
“They have a lot of pieces back and a team that I think has a lot of upside, even though some of the consistency might be a challenge in a grouping that includes NC State, like we mentioned earlier,” said McElroy.
“I think that is a Virginia Tech team that is very dangerous, very dangerous,” McElroy said.
Again, the Hokies jumped from 3-8 in 2022 to 7-6 in 2023 under Pry. That was their first winning record of the 2020s and their best finish since going 8-5 in 2019. With that seventh win, their 41-20 victory in the Military Bowl over Tulane, they also got their first postseason win since winning the Belk Bowl in 2016 in their first season under Justin Fuente that was their last double-digit win record at 10-4.
That last team at Virginia Tech will now be experienced members of this upcoming team in Blacksburg. They rate among the best percentages in returning production in the nation for this fall. They will bring those back from a roster that finished Top-60 overall on offense (57th at 29.5 ppg.) and defense (51st at 23.9 ppg. allowed)
McElroy isn’t yet sure if they have enough overall to actually win the ACC Championship in 2024. However, he maintains that they’re a tough enough out that he wouldn’t want to come across them in this upcoming season.
“I don’t know if they quite have the pieces yet to win the conference but they are extremely dangerous and they would not be a team that I would want to play on a regular basis,” McElroy said.
McElroy analyzes Virginia Tech’s chances to contend in ACC
Greg McElroy is beginning to believe in Brent Pry and the Virginia Tech Hokies in 2024.
He knows it won’t be easy for the Hokies but McElroy believes there’s an opportunity for Virginia Tech in the ACC moving forward. Will it present itself as early as 2024? He evaluated the chances of that happening on the latest episode of his show.
“The likelihood, what is the probability of Virginia Tech competing in the ACC, for the championship? I actually put this at give (out of ten),” McElroy stated.
“The problem is I look at the top end of the ACC? I think it’s really, really talented and really, really good. Now, can they knock off the likes of Clemson, Miami, and Florida State? Those would be the top three dogs in the ACC, in my eyes. Can they knock those teams off? Sure. But what’s the likelihood they do it multiple times this season?”
“Right now, I think Virginia Tech is extremely dangerous. I think they’re a team you’re looking at, you’re probably thinking, ‘Okay, I can see them getting to eight. I can see them getting to nine’. But is that going to be enough to get to the ACC Championship and ultimately win the ACC Championship? I don’t think it’s there just yet.”
“So I put the probability, on the scale of one to ten, of Virginia Tech competing for the ACC crown at five. I feel like that’s pretty good too, by the way,” said McElroy. “Circle next year. I think Virginia Tech could make a boost even more, especially knowing some of the drop off and maybe some of the guys that will be leaving Miami and some of the guys that might be leaving Florida State. Perhaps, I mean Clemson is probably still going to be good as long as they can continue to retain talent. But I think Virginia Tech’s best football is coming up very soon. I just happen to think it’s going to be in 2025, more so than in 2024.”
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