Halfwits and Wagers: Wait, it's a Bye Week?

There comes a time during the college football season where you look at the calendar, look away, and then look back with a bug eyed expression upon realizing that the season is already half over. And unfortunately, that time of the year is upon us.

Even though the memories of West Virginia tears make it seem like 2017 Hokie football just started, we're now officially at the 50% mark. Tech stands at 5-1, one game away from bowl eligibility and a path to an extremely successful campaign still in front of them.

And as gamblers, we have a path to an extremely successful campaign in front of us as well. Of course we won't take it, because we're bad at betting and should in no way have any sort of wagering column attributed to our name. But at least it's there, right?

Since it's a bye week, we've decided to look ahead and place some future fake wagers on outcomes moving forward.

Over/Under 26.5 passing touchdowns for Josh Jackson

Brian: What's interesting about this total is that Jerod Evans had 26 before the ACC Championship Game last season. For all of the talk about Jackson's differences from his predecessor, he's having a very solid season of his own. With his bomb to Sean Savoy against Boston College, Jackson hit 13 scores at the season's halfway point. There are a few things that could impact Josh's total, so let's take them on one-by-one:

1. How hurt is Cam Phillips? Because of the 13 scores, Phillips has five of them (and should really have a sixth, had he initially caught the Steven Peoples wonder score against ODU.)

If Phillips takes a game or two to come back, the passing game as a whole will obviously hurt. Don't look now, but with #analysis like this I'll start coming for French's throne of expertise.

2. Will the running game improve? If so, handing the ball off will be the go-to way for Tech to score in the red zone. But if the struggles from the last two games continue, we could see even more throws from inside the 10. That, however, leads to the last point.

3. Does this team have a red zone pass catcher? Remember all the fades thrown to Isaiah Ford and Bucky Hodges in 2016? Those kind of plays have all but disappeared, in part because there's only one active receiver (Eric Kumah) who's over six feet tall. If no one can stand out as opposing defenses tighten up near the goal line, some of the shorter scores will be harder for Jackson to come by.

I'll take the over, in part because it seems like Phillips will be ready to go by UNC, and also because Jackson's strike to Savoy in Chestnut Hill shows a furthered confidence in both his arm and his receivers.

Pierson: Through the first three games of his career, Jackson had an 8:0 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a quarterback rating of 175.02. In the three games since, Jackson has a 5:4 TD:INT ratio and a QB rating of 147.09. Jackson's QB rating for the season (158.17) is good enough for 17th nationally (ahead of guys like Josh Rosen, Lamar Jackson and Trace McSorley), and his rating over the last three games would still be good enough for 38th. In short: Jackson's performance has leveled off considerably over the last three weeks, but you can't deny how strong of a season the redshirt-freshman is having.

Jackson is only going to get better, as are the players around him. An injured Cam Phillips could prove challenging as the Coastal division schedule kicks into gear, but by all accounts Cam should be good to go against the Heels. Regardless, the staff was clearly pleased with the performance of guys like Sean Savoy, Eric Kumah and Dalton Keene against Boston College. That confidence boost should pay dividends in the second half. Furthermore, the staff went so far as to burn Drake DeIuliis' redshirt and compared him to Bucky Hodges earlier this week, so don't be surprised to see him get some looks in goal line situations.

The table is set for Jackson to have a solid second half of the season. The talent level of the opposition increases over the first half, but the Tech offense's confidence should do the same. I'll take the over.

Which number is greater: Joey Slye touchbacks or Deshawn McClease carries?

Brian: Guys, I may not do anything else well, but I can come up with a really nice fake line that no one would ever bet. Slye currently has 36 touchbacks on 39 kickoffs, so it's safe to assume that a similar percentage will continue for the rest of the season. Side note, did you know that Slye's actually improved in this regard from 2016? Last year he had 73 touchbacks on 93 attempts, which is 12 percent worse than the first six games this year.

McClease, on the other hand, has only seen his numbers fall after an impressive opening performance against West Virginia (never forget that impressive score against the 'Neers.) In fact, Coleman Fox has had more carries over the last four outings (29) than his fellow diminutive counterpart (27). Who knows if that'll continue (to be honest, I'm not sure it's something Zohn Burden can even answer), which means Slye is the safer bet.

Pierson: THIS LINE IS AMAZING! Health, obviously, is an important factor here. Just ask everyone who took Florida State to win the National Championship the ACC Championship the ACC Atlantic six games. If McClease misses even a small amount of game time, it could easily tip the scales in favor of Joey Slye.

Halfway through the season, the diminutive tailback is averaging 6.3 carries per game, but has only 7 total carries over the last two weeks (despite the absence of Steven Peoples).

Slye is averaging 6 touchbacks per game, but coincidentally enough, has only 7 total touchbacks over the last two weeks. Slye's drop-off is understandable — the Hokies scoring has decreased in their last two games, plus I got the impression that Slye was intentionally keeping the ball in play early on last week at BC.

This really comes down to whether or not you believe that McClease will average more than six carries per game down the stretch. With a tailback rotation potentially four men deep with the emergence of Coleman Fox, I'm leaning towards "no." I'll take #46.

Who leads Virginia Tech in rushing touchdowns? Travon McMillian (EVEN), Steven Peoples (2-1), Deshawn McClease (5-1), Josh Jackson (10-1), FIELD (25-1)

Brian: This line probably shows my biases as a fan. In my eyes, I think McMillian is the best tailback on the team, and I don't think it's close. McClease is fun, but it doesn't seem like the coaches trust his blocking and it's lead to a decrease in touches. Jackson hasn't found the end zone with his legs since Labor Day weekend. "The field" should just be titled "The Fox Family's Big Dream." So this is really between Peoples and Travon.

Of McMillian's 55 carries, only five of them have come inside an opponent's 10 yard line. Peoples, on the other hand, has seen nine of his 36 attempts inside the 10. It makes no sense. It's like the play calling changes if Peoples happens to be the back in the red zone, even though he hasn't shown to be any more efficient in close.

I'll still pick McMillian, because he leads the way in every other rushing category. But I don't feel confident about it.

Pierson: This is a deceptive line. Travon McMillian leads the Hokies in virtually every rushing stat, many of which by a considerable margin. But when it comes to rushing touchdowns, he is tied for first with McClease and Peoples with two. Peoples has been hurt the past two games and McClease's touches have decreased of late (as discussed above), but the three tailbacks are starting the second half from the same position.

McMillian has looked much more decisive over the last few weeks. He has rushed with purpose and power, and has done more to distinguish himself as the lead back than any of his teammates (for whatever that's worth in Justin Fuente's offense). If Peoples can get healthy, he has the ability to play human bowling ball and poach some some scores inside the five. That's where the Hokies have struggled this season, and their inability to punch it in from close range was on full display Saturday night in Chestnut Hill. It's also worth noting that Peoples' odds can actually win me some (fake) money. Gimme Peoples.

Over/Under 9.5 interceptions for the Hokie defense

Brian: This schedule is perfectly back-loaded to pad interception totals. The Adonis Alexander suspension threw things a little out of whack early on, but the defense has also primarily played against teams looking to limit mistakes from their quarterbacks rather than actually letting them throw. Think about it: after Will Grier, Delaware threw 17 times, Steven Williams and Anthony Brown couldn't throw it accurately enough for multiple interceptions to even be in play, and Clemson didn't need Kelly Bryant to do much.

Now let's look forward. Chazz Surratt and Malik Rosier are both young, yet continues to throw more and more (and have thrown a pick in each of their last three games.) Daniel Jones has just participated in a two-game implosion against Miami and Virginia. Pitt doesn't even have a quarterback, and I'll believe the Kurt Benkert renaissance when he plays another good defense.

Give me the over. Let DBU eat.

Pierson: The Hokies have 4 interceptions on the season, none of which have come in the last two weeks. It's a surprisingly low number, considering the Hokies' talented defense. No doubt that 5 interceptions is an extremely attainable number, but given Tech's low total through 6 games, where might that number come from?

Georgia Tech has thrown the ball a paltry 34 times this season, so let's set them aside. Kurt Benkert (Virginia) has done a solid job of protecting the football thus far, which is a big reason why the Hoos have started the year 4-1. Malik Rozier has been similarly vigilant with the football, but it remains to be seen how effective he can be against strong defenses week-after-week.

Pitt just lost Max Browne for the season, Daniel Jones has tailed off the last few weeks (which means he's probably primed for a 400-yard, 5 TD game, because Duke), and North Carolina is on the brink of becoming an absolute dumpster fire. That's a solid trio of prospects, right there.

I can't help but feel like the interceptions are going to come in the second half of the season. Quarterback play in the Coastal isn't as strong as in recent years, and — after multiple weeks without Adonis Alexander and/or a healthy Brandon Facyson — the secondary is finally coming together. I'll take the over.

Yes/No: Do the Hokies record a defensive touchdown?

Brian: Every day, I close my eyes and dream about what a Tim Settle defensive touchdown would be like. How it would sound. What it would register on the Richter scale. Sure, it may not be realistic, but I won't let anyone poke holes in my dreams.

Not to mention the fact that Alexander, Greg Stroman, and Terrell Edmunds have all shown an ability in the open field, it seems meant to be. LET DBU EAT.

Pierson: I'm going to say yes. Why not? I just finished telling you about #allofthepicks, so why wouldn't one of those turnovers go for six? Fumbles count too? I'm good with scoop-and-scores, especially if there's a fat guy involved. The world wants to see Tim Settle score a touchdown. Statistically, Andrew Motuapuaka is due. The shorn Tongan has three defensive touchdowns in his career, so he might as well score one more to finish with a one-per-season average.

Listen, football is a lot more fun when your defense is scoring points. It's just exciting. Why would I bet against happiness?

Over/Under 1.5 players who declare early for the NFL Draft

Brian: Tremaine Edmunds is a near-consensus first round prospect. Considering the way Fuente handled the departures of Hodges and Ford (very understanding), it would be shocking if the head coach didn't drive his linebacker to the NFL Combine Indianapolis himself.

So now it all depends on if anyone else wants to go pro. Adonis could be a candidate. Terrell Edmunds has the size of an NFL safety, and is currently Mel Kiper Jr's fifth best underclassman at the position. The sneaky pick to leave early? Big Tim Settle, who is riding a wave of highlight plays and is in the best shape of his life. He may only be a redshirt sophomore, but sometimes it's best to leave a year too early than a year too late (just ask Logan Thomas). I'll take the over.

Pierson: Over. Tremaine Edmunds is a lock. From there, it gets interesting.

There's a chance his brother, Terrell, leaves early. Both Ricky Walker and Tim Settle have been impressive this season at defensive tackle, and Settle's size makes him a versatile fit in both a 4-3 and 3-4 scheme.

Adonis Alexander has the measurables to go along with some high off-season draft rankings (pun intended), but those rankings are worth about as much as our gambling advice. We've seen a couple of Hokies over the past few year enter camp as highly ranked prospects only to fall dramatically during the course of the season (e.g. Logan Thomas). Alexander was recently suspended for the second time in his career, which could either make him itchy to move on or realize he needs another season to quell character concerns.

Finally, Yosh Nijman and Trevon Hill could be surprise candidates when all is said and done. Nijman's freakish measurables and his consistency anchoring the left side of the offensive line with Wyatt Teller make him an intriguing prospect. He doesn't appear to be generating too much draft buzz, but there are still plenty of opportunities for him to shine on national television. The same holds for Hill, who has been grading out quite highly this season but is a bit of a tweener, size-wise.

When all's said and done, Tremaine and Adonis appear most likely to go and it wouldn't shock me if there are one or two more.

Over/Under regular season wins: 8.5

Brian: Hitting the over won't be easy. The Hokies would need to win four of the following: vs UNC, vs Duke, at Miami, at Georgia Tech, vs Pittsburgh, at UVA.

Pitt looks easier than any of us anticipated, but that's coupled with the Wahoos seeming more formidable than expected. It looks like the wheels are falling off in Chapel Hill after two big losses, but there's still a ton of talent on Larry Fedora's squad. Regardless of whatever's happening with Daniel Jones, Duke has an annoying history of playing Tech tough. Georgia Tech is the definition of the shrug emoji, and Miami may not be BACK, but they're still really good.

I'll take the over, but I don't feel good about it at all. There's a loss to a bad team somewhere on this schedule (I can't stop looking at Pitt in mid-November), and the trip down to Atlanta worries me just as much as the one to Coral Gables. Tech's good, but they're not good enough to dominate the Coastal.

Pierson: You have to feel good about Tech's chances against UNC, Duke and Pitt. That leaves Tech needing one win against Georgia Tech, Miami and UVa to hit the over. Georgia Tech is always a battle and never a sure thing. Miami's defense looks like a solid challenge for the Tech offense, but it remains to be seen how well Mark Richt's offense rebounds after the loss of RB Mark Walton. UVa is the weakest of the three, but they're undoubtable improved from a year ago and rivalry games tend to level the playing field a tad. I can't see the Hokies splitting their final six games, especially given the struggles of the former three teams. I'll take the over.

Spread: Yes/No: Virginia Tech wins the ACC Coastal

Brian: The Miami/Georgia Tech game this weekend is going to tell us a lot about both schools. If the Jackets expose a Hurricane defense that has often found itself out of position, they have to be taken seriously. Their lone loss was that wonky double overtime game against Tennessee on Labor Day, and they've already picked up two ACC wins.

With the championship game in Charlotte, it seems almost too convenient for the ACC to have the Hokies face off against either Clemson or NC State in what would sure be a sold out Bank of America Stadium. Add that Rosier is only getting better down in Miami, and I'll have to say no. Tech will win nine games, but a dumb loss and dropping one to the Hurricanes will cost them.

Pierson: Yes. Georgia Tech and Miami still loom, but Tech fans have to feel good about their team's chances of winning another division title. With UNC and Pitt dropping off a cliff, partly due to a slew of injuries to key players and partly due to karma, two perennial thorns in the Hokies' sides should be less of a concern. Daniel Jones and Duke have crashed back to earth in recent weeks, and UVa is still UVa.

We should learn a lot about both the Bees and the Canes this weekend when they face off at a 25% full Hard Rock Stadium. How does CPJ's triple option look against an athletic, albeit young, Miami defense? How does Miami's offense look without star tailback Mark Walton? Which Malik Rozier is the real Malik Rozier? The one that went 15-26 for 270 yards against Duke, or the one that finished 19-44 for 254 yards against the Seminoles?

There is uncertainty with every team — these are college kids, after all — but based on the first six weeks of the season the Hokies are in a strong position to repeat as Coastal champs.

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.