After an offseason filled with national and local excitement, the first week of the season is finally here for Virginia Tech, with a team that could climb into the top 25 in the first few weeks of the season. It’s an intriguing schedule with two big games in Miami and Clemson leading the way, but also some tricky games in the middle of the pack that could cause upsets if the Hokies aren’t careful.
With that in mind, here are my rankings of Virginia Tech’s toughest opponents for the 2024 season.
5. in Syracuse (November 2)
It may be a surprise that this game is number five on this list. I understand that many will mention the previous Virginia Tech teams that struggled on the road at Syracuse, but I don’t factor that into my evaluation of the most difficult games on the schedule. However, the stadium formerly known as the Carrier Dome is a difficult place to play, as the Syracuse fan base has developed a new enthusiasm for their program since the arrival of Fran Brown as head coach.
While I think Brown has a ton of potential as a head coach, this is his first head coaching job and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see similar initial pains as Brent Pry in 2022.
Kyle McCord may not have been as good as other Ohio State quarterbacks, but he’s still a former blue-chip QB who completed 65.8% of his passes last season and threw just six interceptions. McCord certainly benefited from an incredibly strong offensive group that he won’t have in Syracuse, but I think he’s better than people give him credit for.
LeQuint Allen is a productive running back who rushed for 1,064 yards and nine touchdowns, but only averaged 4.3 yards per carry. The question is whether Allen simply didn’t have enough support around him or whether he’s not a very efficient running back in a sport where 4.3 yards per carry isn’t enough. Personally, I believe Allen’s efficiency will increase this fall thanks to improved quarterback play.
The wide receiver room has plenty of interesting options with a mix of mediocre returners and interesting transfers, but appears to be a potential weak spot. However, the Orange also have a star at the TE position in Oronde Gadsden II, who had 61 catches for 975 yards and six touchdowns in 2022 before injuries limited him to two games in 2023.
The defense has some playmakers, starting with one of the ACC’s best linebackers, Marlowe Wax, who had 110 tackles last season, including 11.5 for loss, as well as four forced fumbles. DB Justin Barron is another big playmaker, who had 90 tackles last season, including five for loss, as well as three forced fumbles, one interception and seven pass deflections.
Fadil Diggs was a big addition at defensive end after recording 11.5 tackles for loss last year at Texas A&M, while Duce Chestnut returns to Syracuse after a two-year stint at LSU that didn’t go well. However, the now-experienced defensive back could benefit from a return to upstate New York, where he broke out earlier in his career, totaling 83 tackles, four interceptions and nine pass deflections in 2020 and 2021 for the Orange.
There are a lot of interesting players for this Syracuse team, but the question is do they have enough to pull it all together with a new head coach, and do they have enough depth in their starting lineup and two players to compete. I think the Orange will be a solid mid-major team, but the recruiting rumors have raised expectations for the first year of this rebuild beyond what they should be.
