“It just makes your mouth water” - Popular CFB analyst Josh Pate pumped up by potential 9-0 record by Virginia Tech in 2024 CFB season
The Virginia Tech Hokies are a historic college football program that has struggled in form over the last few years. The Hokies have not made an appearance in an ACC championship game since the 2016 season, where they lost to the Clemson Tigers. Their last conference championship was in 2010.
On Friday's edition of "Late Kick with Josh Pate," the popular host had a caller who predicted that the Hokies could go 9-0 this season. After this call, Pate responded and said:
"If Virginia Tech was 9-0 and awaiting their (Clemson Tigers) visit in early November, in a place where they sell out Lane Stadium even when they're bad, if those folks get a winner... and (College) GameDay is up there... it'll make your mouth water."
If the Hokies were to win at least nine games this season, it would be their best season since 2016.
But the impact of the Virginia Tech Hokies having a successful program will be felt most on gameday. The Hokies play at Lane Stadium, which has a capacity of 65,000.
The stadium is generally known as having one of the most fierce atmospheres in college football, with the stadium and its atmosphere being described as giving the Hokies a massive home-field advantage.
This alone makes them a hard team to face. But now imagine if the Hokies were on an undefeated winning streak, as the caller on Josh Pate's show suggested.
The already strong home-field advantage seen at Lane Stadium will be multiplied by 100. The fortress would become stronger, which would mean that the Hokies would only continue winning.
Can Virginia Tech go 9-0?
The caller has predicted that the Virginia Tech Hokies will go 9-0 during the season. But is this actually possible for the Brent Pry-coached team?
The Hokies will open their season away from home against the Vanderbilt Commodores. While Vandy is an SEC team, unlike the rest of the conference, football is not its strength. This should be an easy start for Virginia Tech.
The Hokies' opening four matchups should be wins. Their first test will come against the Miami Hurricanes. The Hurricanes have won the last three meetings between the two, but the margin of victory has been close in two of those contests.
The game will be held in Miami, so the home-field advantage will not be present. This may be the matchup that prevents the Hokies from going undefeated.
If it were to defeat the Hurricanes, Virginia Tech would then have four easier matchups against other ACC teams, with the hardest being the Syracuse Orange in upstate New York.
Winning all of these outings will give the Hokies a 9-0 record, as the caller predicted. Their next game is the Clemson Tigers at home in what would be a massively intimidating Lane Stadium in a contest that will decide their season.
Do you think that the Hokies can go 9-0 this season?