Halfwits and Wagers: Liberty

If you're new to this, Pierson and I make fake gambling lines. They're fake primarily because we're bad at coming up with them, and no one in their right mind would ever trust us as bookies. If you're interested in placing money on any of these, please mail cash to Joe. You'll never win, but you will make a nice contribution to TKP.

Week one. Any other year this would be just a game against another overmatched FCS foe. But this also kicks off the start of the Justin Fuente era, the Jerod Evans era, the spread offense in Blacksburg era, and the fight back to relevancy era. A lot of beginnings folding onto themselves, which also brings along a ton of unknowns.

We did our best to come up with interesting numbers for the Hokies' first matchup against Liberty. But with our limited knowledge of the team and its progress through the offseason, these could end up looking comical in a month.

On to the (fake) lines!

Over/Under: 2.5 QBs used by Justin Fuente

Brian: I'll hit the under, because I don't think there was ever really a three-man race for starting quarterback. Remember two years ago when Michael Brewer came in to compete against Mark Leal? Right as Brewer took control, Scot Loeffler let it slip that Brenden Motley also had a chance to grab the starting spot. It didn't matter whether or not it was true, he just wanted Brewer to keep pushing and not feel comfortable.

It was pretty clear Evans has always been the guy. Fuente and Brad Cornelsen didn't bring him to Blacksburg on a whim, but definitely wanted to keep him on his toes as August practice wore on. I bet we'll see Evans for three quarters and Motley for one. But if Jackson gets on the field at all, it means I'm wrong and Fuente legitimately thinks the freshman could be the guy.

Pierson: Under. My hunch is Jerod Evans and Brendan Motley each take snaps and Josh Jackson stays on the sideline. Thanks to an intentionally cryptic head coach, we have no idea if Evans won the QB battle by a mile or a razor thin margin, and the post-announcement comments did little to settle the discussion. Without having seen Josh Jackson play this summer, I'm inclined to believe that he isn't quite ready. If that's the case, then you keep him on the sidelines for now. You've got a r-Jr. starter and a r-Sr. backup to take the reins at the outset. If Jackson is close and Fuente isn't pleased with the performances of his upperclassmen, then you turn to Jackson. But again, just a hunch.

Who gets more carries: Sam Rogers or Travon McMillian?

Brian: SAM ROGERS IS NOT THE FEATURED TAILBACK. I'm sorry. I don't care what the depth chart says, I don't care what Justin Fuente says, and I don't care what Sam himself says while looking like the guy who yells "do a barrel roll" in Star Fox 64. Unless Fuente plans to throw the ball 60 times, he'll need a guy who can break off runs consistently. McMillian and Deshawn McClease will have the most carries against the Flames.

Pierson: McMillian. It's hard not to feel like Sam is RB1 for one or a combination of the following reasons:

• He's the inspirational leader of this team
• He would almost surely run through a brick wall if Fuente asked him to
• He's Sam F&!@ing Rogers
• To motivate Travon just a little bit more

On second thought, it's almost surely a combination of all four. But then again, this is a home opener against Liberty, one week ahead of arguably the most anticipated Hokies game (aside from Frank's swan song) in years. Would it surprise you if Fuente maintained his elaborate ruse for another week, only to unleash the 1,000 yard beast at Bristol? Am I overthinking this? Goddammit, Fuente hasn't even coached a game and he's already in my head.

Over/Under: 449.5 total yards

Brian: I set the lines this week, and I did this one out of old habits. In theory, a Fuente/Cornelsen offense will blow by this number consistently. But there are two things which could hold them back on Saturday, which'll make this closer than many would assume. First of all, the better a defense plays, particularly against an FCS program, the less their counterparts will have to do. If the Hokies force five turnovers and leave Evans and company consistently short fields to work with, the squad can put up a ton of points but not a ton of yards. Secondly, the biggest thing Tech has going for them in Bristol is the lack of tape Tennessee has on the new offense. Something tells me Fuente wants as little for Butch Jones' staff to work with as possible, which will also limit the yardage output.

Pierson: Fuente's Memphis team was held under that margin in only 4 of 13 games last season, including losses to Temple and Auburn. Conversely, the Scot Loeffler-led Hokies attack was held below that figure in 9 of 13 games, including the putrid 100 yard effort against Pitt that I had previously blocked from my memory. Thanks Brian! I'm going to take the over. I don't think it will be the smoothest 450-plus yards gained, but I have a feeling the dynamic nature of a Fuente/Cornelsen system will be too much for the Flames to handle.

Yes/No: Does Virginia Tech score a non-offensive TD?

Brian: Surprisingly, the Hokies have only scored three non-offensive touchdowns against FCS foes since 2006. Though there's a bit of recency bias towards the yes (Motuapuaka vs. Furman last year and Detrick Bonner against Western Carolina in '13), I'll have to stick with the odds and say no.

Though if Tim Settle wants to scoop and score, I won't be mad at him.

Pierson: Yes. Crazy things happen in season openers against FCS teams and I just have this feeling someone is going to make a play. The 2016 crazy thing is named Tim Settle. Hokie Nation has been waiting 18 months for a Tim Settle scoop-and-score. #FatGuyTouchdown

Over/Under: 99.5 total yards for Isaiah Ford

Brian: At Memphis last year, receivers had 46 carries. It's not a ton, but there's more than one way for Ford to get on the board yardage-wise. I'll say under, but it'll be close. He'll rip off a few big plays, but the probable blowout means he may not see any action when the team comes back from halftime.

Pierson: Under. Ford topped the 100-yard mark four times last season, including his last three games. Memphis' top three receivers last season combined for five 100-plus yard receiving games, emphasizing just how much Fuente and Cornelsen like to spread the ball around. Hopefully the Hokies can get out to a healthy lead early on and give some of the less experienced wideouts much-needed reps, allowing guys like Ford, Phillips and Hodges to stay healthy ahead of next week's clash with the Vols.

Rank 1-5: Who has the most total touches: Isaiah Ford, Cam Phillips, Bucky Hodges, Chris Cunningham, Devine Diablo

Brian: The reason this is hardest is because we have no idea who Evans works best with, and where he feels comfortable. I'll go with Hodges, Ford, Diablo (garbage time work), Phillips, Cunningham.

Pierson: Oh good lord, I have no idea. Because it's an FCS opponent, I'm going to operate under the assumption that the staff is able to get the experienced players into rhythm early before tapering their snaps. I'll say Phillips, Diablo, Ford, Cunningham and Hodges.

Who sees more snaps: Wyatt Teller or Colt Pettit?

Brian: I really wonder if Pettit gets most, if not all, of the first team work against Liberty. It's not a coincidence that this has happened to Teller his first three years on the team, but unlike the previous staff this group has no definite loyalty to him. They didn't recruit him, and they don't have two seasons worth of him mashing people into oblivion in the back of their minds. All they really know, is the guy who's showed up and practiced for the last nine months. And maybe that guy hasn't been all that impressive.

Pierson: Teller. I'm sure Colt Pettit has worked his tail off to earn a starting spot on this line and I have no idea what Teller has or has not been doing since Fuente arrived in town, but this whole situation completely befuddles me. As we've all discussed in recent days, maybe Teller's attitude isn't jiving well with Vance Vice. Or maybe Teller hooked Fuente's fish during an off-season trip to the New River. Whatever the reason, I have to believe Teller heard the message loud and clear and will work his way back into the starting five ahead of Bristol. Gaining that continuity with his fellow lineman will be key heading into a matchup versus an SEC defense, and there's no better chance to nail that down than in week one.

Matchup Over/Under: 45.5

Brian: To be honest, I totally made this up. It's between difficult and impossible to find an actual over/under for a game against an FCS team, and dually tough to make one up with the little information we have about the Hokies. Though I'm taking the over, I also think this'll be closer than it seems. I don't think Tech goes all out, and will do just enough to overtake the Flames. Again, the biggest advantage against Tennessee will be that of surprise. Also, I don't see the defense giving up a ton of points (if any), which would hold this number down.

Pierson: With season openers against FCS teams becoming more and more of a rarity, it's hard to truly gauge what a reasonable point total will be when these two teams face off on Saturday. The Hokies have only opened the season against an FCS foe three times since the 1999 season, with point totals of 38, 79 and 43. Sprinkle in the fact that we have zero clue how well the Hokies offense has absorbed the new system (plus a new quarterback) and suddenly I'm completely unsure what to expect against Liberty. My gut is telling me our new look offense is going to surprise us, even with a watered down look, and make Saturday's game look like a one-sided Pop-A-Shot contest. I'll take the over.

Spread: Virginia Tech (-28.5)

Brian: The Flames have lost by an average of 19 points in their last four contests against Power Five schools. Even if you throw out the field goal deficit against Wake Forest a few years back, Liberty has done enough to make their games interesting in Vegas. For instance, they lost 41-17 to West Virginia in 2015. If the Hokies won their game by the exact same margin, most of the fanbase would take it, but Tech still wouldn't cover the spread. I think there'll be a sneaky backdoor cover by Turner Gill's squad in Blacksburg.

Pierson: I'm taking the Hokies and laying the points. I expect to see points. Lots of them. Scored in myriad ways by old and new faces, alike. I expect to enjoy my Saturday afternoon viewing experience and I expert to hear Skipper go off so many times that they run out of ammo.

Disclaimer: Some of these are real betting lines, but many of them are fake and none of this is real advice that should be taken seriously.