Did we absolutely need to schedule this game in order to become bowl eligible? Maybe someone else knows the bowl rules better than me, but couldn't we have qualified for a bowl game as a 5-6 team with special circumstances (cancelled game due to hurricane)? Obviously if we win then we definitely get a bowl at 6-6 and we'd all rather "earn it" than back door our way in, but if we lose then we definitely don't get one at 5-7. So maybe we had a decent shot at a bowl at 5-6 with a cancelled game? I'm sure Whit knows what he's doing and I'm probably wrong about this, but throwing it out there.
Also - is anyone else surprised to see us favored by 4.5 and with a 70% chance to win according to espn FPI against an 8-3 team? I get that they don't exactly play the hardest schedule in the FBS but still surprised me a little to see.
Comments
Of course we are favored, we are paying them to lose, you know like in boxing.
So what you're saying is I should head to Vegas and take out a second mortgage to bet on this game? Because it sure sounds like that's what you're saying
This wouldn't be the year to bet on VT football, one way or the other.
Never bet using my advice, it's just good money management.
Sure. But do they know that?
Ruh-Roh
In boxing the team set to win is the only one that doesn't know, managers of both sides knows, the losing boxer know he will lose.
Is it going to be televised?
Streaming.
5 win teams are only eligible if there aren't enough bowl eligible teams (there are this year) AND if they've got the highest APR among 5 win teams (That would be Air Force)
This.
As I said elsewhere a few weeks ago, priority for bowl eligibility is:
1. 6-6/6-5 or better with no more than one (1) win over I-AA opponents
2. 6-6/6-6 or better with no more than two (2) wins over I-AA opponents
3. 6-7 teams that either lost in their conference championship game OR played at Hawai'i
4. I-AA teams that are 6-6 or better and in their last year of transition to I-A (this only applies to Liberty and only if they beat Norfolk State this weekend)
5. Teams that are 5-7 or 5-6, but teams here must be taken in order of their APR.
The Hokies are tied with Florida Atlantic for 85th and there are 9 other schools ahead of both teams. Unfortunately, nothing beyond step 1 matters because there's already 81 bowl eligible teams for 78 slots meaning Tech's only way to get to a bowl game is to beat Marshall.
There's already an over abundance of bowl eligible teams this year from what I was reading earlier on reddit. So yeah, we definitely need to win this game against Marshall in order to even qualify.
I'll see if I can find a link, but in reality...I'm about to get off work and go home, so somebody might beat me to it.
A little bit, maybe. But Marshall doesn't need this game at all. C-USA doesn't have a bowl hierarchy, so it doesn't matter if you have 10 wins or 7 wins, you go to whichever bowl they think you will do best at (not limited to winning, but also ease of travel for the team and fanbase). A win won't help them make a "better" bowl, and a loss won't drop them to a "lesser" bowl.
Ypu have to expect this might be their most hype game though. Getting paid to be a teams lifeline to a bowl? Are you kidding me? If that isnt fuel to be the spoiler i dont know what would be. Marshall is going to come to play. Based on how we have played this year i favor them.
True, their only other P5 opponent this year was NCST, so from that perspective it's a big game for them. I don't think that the fact that it's a makeup game is really extra motivation though. They had a game cancelled and now they have an opportunity to make it up. They'll be gunning for win #9 and our team will be playing for a bowl. If anything the Hokies should have the edge in motivation.
I very much disagree that it isnt motivation to be a spoiler. If im the coaches, im playing it up as disrespect. VT needs another win? And they scheduled us to get it? Hell nah, we wont let that happen. Lets get paid and ruin their season.
Marshall is gonna be pumped for this. No doubt about it.
I don't think Marshall will have any kind of edge in motivation. They might be fired up for being viewed as a beatable opponent, or getting a shot at another P5 team, but our team is in a win-or-stay-home situation which IMO is a greater motivator.
And ultimately they're replacing a P5 opponent (SC) with a P5 opponent (VT) while we're replacing a G5 opponent (ECU) with a G5 opponent (Marshall). There's not much of a disrespect story there.
Marshall's main motivation is getting to 10 wins. They beat Tech and win their bowl game, and they have 10 wins.
Marshall has a real shot at a road win at VT. They'll be motivated.
You are thinking from a VT perspective here. Motivation isnt always based in reality. Its irrelevant as to who is "more motivated" but one thing is for sure. Marshall is going to be motivated. Hopefully VT is as well.
I believe you answered your own question.
I can't help but feel that scheduling a game entirely contingent on us finishing exactly 5-6 is kind of back-dooring our way in anyway.
I'm not against it, I just don't completely love it.
meh, we're replacing a game that got cancelled with a similar tier opponent - nothing sketchy about that. In fact we're scheduling a more difficult opponent than the one that cancelled on us.
Speaking of questions about this game.... All seats other than suites will be general admission? I'm having a "festival seating" flashback.
Edit: The event page last night indicated general admission but that information is gone now. I've been very impressed with Hokie Nation's conduct at each of the games I've attended, but general admission in a stadium that size doesn't seem like a great idea. Interested to see how it actually is handled.
Not sure. My brother and I were talking about front row in the north endzone.
I'm sure the marching Virginians will be in their usual spot.
And the cadets in theirs.
We need to show the same intensity we showed in the 1H this past Saturday, the whole Marshall game. Don't give them any hope.
I bought ODU season tickets for the VT game and was in Norfolk again for the Marshall Game. Marshall players looked much bigger than ODU and dominated them on the road. VT will have to play a great game to get this Win.
I'm not saying the game will be a cake walk, but you know who else dominated ODU?
Liberty 52-10
FAU 52-33
Middle Tennessee St 51-17
ODU also lost to
FIU 28-20
UNC-Charlotte 28-25
ECU 37-35
Rice 27-13
You worried about playing any of those teams?
99 times out of 100, we stomp ODU. They prepped all off-season for that game, and we overlooked them.
After this season, I'm worried about any time we play.
Are they still selling suite tickets and club tickets for cheap to Hokie club members?
When I went to "renew" so I didn't have to worry about it tomorrow, I could only purchase the $25 seats. We were considering upgrading to club or suite for warmth, but it only gave me the $25 choice.
I got the same thing. I assume that means there aren't any club seats left.
I don't know when the pre-sale started but I found this on Hokie Sports:
So chances are they either sold out of club seats OR didn't sell them all during pre-sale so they're now reserved for Hokie Club members and season ticket holders.
I am both of those, so they must be sold out.
That or the pre-sale ended (I'm not even sure when it started) and they've reserved everything else for when ticket sales open at 12pm for Hokie Club members.
I ordered on Friday night.
Tickets came this afternoon. Already printed to take home tonight!
Same here.
Personally, I think ECU should have to forfeit their game with us, since they just backed out of the game without good reason. It wasn't their game to cancel and we didn't do it. Yeah, I know, hurricane, etc., but for them to just abscond to Florida for an extra week of practice for what they deemed a more important game seems to me an excellent reason to call for the forfeit. That would have given us that 6th win without the Marshall game. I'm ignorant of the rules here, so I could be way off base, but I'm still pissed at them and hope we make them pay by erasing them from the schedule for the foreseeable future.
When it happened, it was questioned if it would be a forfeit but the NCAA rules were behind them. I believe it was about safety conditions for returning home or something like that. It was deemed they didn't have to forfeit none the less.
I really hope we can get out of our deal having to play them until the end of time though.
According to ESPN, we win and we play Memphis in the Birmingham Bowl. With a VT loss, Vandy pulls their seat up to the table to play Memphis.
That doesn't make sense. SEC is a primary bowl partner for Birmingham. ACC only goes if they don't have enough teams to fill it.
If you're referring to this article, it's two ESPN writers doing different projections. It has nothing to do with VT's outcome this week.
Marshall's tickets went on sale at 9 AM today, and the line was out the door. They've already sold out for today.
Indoor and outdoor club tickets available on sale now (for Hokie Club memers) as well touchdown terrace.
Seems odd that I could only purchase $25 GA tickets during the pre-sale and now have the option to buy $50 club seats. There's a net $50 VT did not take out of my pocket due to the option not being there during the pre-sale.
Same here.
True story, I was going to buy the Club level when I ordered my tickets but it wasn't an option.
Just bought 5 indoor clubs
Got 3 indoor club tickets. Never been up there before. I'm pumped.
And we finally find out exactly why Marshall even considered helping us out:
Nobody said the AD at Marshall was stupid. They are getting PAID!
Hamrick is sharp.
And I have no problems with us playing Marshall at any time for any reason.
Since the game is only streamed and on short notice can we please get Bill Roth in the booth again!?!
I think things started to go down hill when Bill left for UCLA.
Will it just be available streaming through the ACC Network app?
Not a Raycom game.
WatchESPN, ESPN3, ACC Network Extra, however you want to call it.
No tv stinks, hope that changes this week.
You can stream it on practically any device for free.
Really? OK, I'm a newbie at that, How please? Thanks in advance.
I should clarify, any device that either has the ESPN app or a modern web browser.
Most "Smart TVs" that I've seen are capable of it, as are most modern (since 2005) video game consoles and streaming devices (Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick).