Earlier in my bowl projections I told you the Hokies would be heading for the Gator Bowl to play West Virginia. Well, that was before Bobby Bowden decided he wanted his going away party to take place in Florida. So now, it looks like the Seminoles are going to the Gator to play Dadgum's old team, the Mountaineers.
That promotes the Hokies to the Peach Bowl to play the hated Tennessee Volunteers, according to the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
An official announcement should come after the SEC releases non-BCS teams for bowl consideration, possibly later this evening. The Vols still don't have an official bid either verbally or in writing at this point according to a separate source in the UT athletic program, but that appears to be a formality.
I've said before that the Peach Bowl would probably want Clemson-Georgia as its matchup with Virginia Tech-Tennessee as a nice consolation prize. With the Vols getting passed up by the Hall of Fame Bowl for Auburn, the Peach Bowl will now take the Vols
I'll be interested to see if the Hokies are named as their opponent before this weekend's games. Tech still has a microscopic chance of heading to the BCS, but a lot of games have to go the Hokies' way, including what would be a colossal upset in the New Mexico State-Boise State game.
If the Hokies don't go to the BCS, I love the idea of playing the Vols in the Peach Bowl, even if it means a third trip to the ATL for Tech fans. It would be a must-win game for the Hokies because it would get them to 10 wins, get the SEC monkey off Frank Beamer's back and give them a win over a regional rival that I've respected but never cared for. Hopefully the meeting in the Peach Bowl would give us the chance to lock Jim Weaver and Mike Hamilton in a room until they signed a home-and-home agreement.