So now we wait. It’s been a LONG time since the last game, and the Hokies are going to be working hard to avoid any rust spots showing up. The Hokie Offense still has something to prove, and the ODU Defensive line and their starting linebacker are going to be challenges. The Hokie Defense will be putting heavy pressure on a struggling offense, but the Monarchs have true sophomore Steven Williams who is a running QB. There will be tests, and that’s good. Tech needs to work hard because the meat of the ACC schedule looms.

Bryan Manning - 1-1

The Hokies make their first trip ever to Old Dominion on the gridiron. I would expect this one to be fairly uneventful and over pretty quickly. The Hokies will once again get off to a fast start offensively and you should see plenty of young guys in this one. I would also expect to see all of the running backs, too, as Justin Fuente wants to get a feel for his rotation heading into Duke next week. Defensively, I would expect Virginia Tech to dominate this one.

48 - 10 Hokies

Joshua Schneider - 1-1

Everything on paper says this should be a cakewalk. ODU is 0-3 and while their record isn’t completely indicative of who and what they are, they’ve also been terrible in the second half in their first three games. That only is likely to get even worse against a Power 5 team like the Hokies. Look for hopefully more passing practice in the good weather as the team tunes up for a critical Duke game next week by going 1-0 this week.

41 - 10 Hokies

Jawhar Ali - 1-1

I do not see this game as particularly eventful or full of surprises. This should be a business trip for a vastly superior Virginia Tech side to the 757. Tech’s misdirection plays and RPO packages should be enough to let the athleticism on the offensive side of the ball take over the game. Defensively, the Hokies should overmatch and overwhelm the Monarchs at all three levels of the field, especially in the trenches.

44 - 7 Hokies

Jay Johnson - 2-0

First off, I am amending my picks record to “2-0.” I wasn’t able to participate in the staff picks for the season opener, but I clearly stated my belief that VT would defeat FSU in the comments section of the Preseason ACC Rankings article. Okay, now for this weekend’s game! The most exciting part of this match will be Virginia Tech visiting Norfolk. Old Dominion has been wanting to host Virginia’s marquee football team for quite some time. Back in 2016 the Monarchs looked like a promising new addition to the FBS. They nearly won Conference USA and earned a victory at the Popeye’s Bahamas Bowl. Unfortunately, last season saw ODU miss bowl eligibility and this year they have been prominently featured in ESPN’s Bottom Ten. Any semblance of life shown by ODU will be due to VT’s starter rotation and simple game plan designed to mask VPI’s full potential. Virginia Tech wins big.

54-14, Hokies

John Schneider 2-0

ODU has some really good football players, and has a real potential to do some damage near the end of the game when the Hokie 2’s and 3’s are dominating the lineup. I just don’t see where Tech doesn’t come up big in front of so many “hometown” folks. The game won’t be as far out of hand by the end of the 1st half as the William and Mary game, but it’ll be close to that. Unless something really gets out of kilter or goes awry the Hokies nab this W with room to spare.

45+ - 13 Hokies

So that’s it. Tell us what you think, in the comments section. It’s not a trap game, but without paying attention and being serious there could be issues. Hokies need to lean into the wind, and play this just like any conference game.

Time to go 1-0 versus ODU!

GO HOKIES!!!!