What bowl game does Virginia Tech play in? Looking at the Hokies' postseason matchup
The Virginia Tech Hokies will face the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Jan. 3 in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. The Hokies struggled through a 6-6 season, with five losses coming by a single score. Victories over Georgia Tech and Boston College were among the season's highlights.
The Hokies' season was a series of ups and downs. After a surprising season-opening loss to Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech won two straight games but then dropped the next two.
A three-game winning streak over Stanford, BC and Georgia Tech was key to bowl eligibility. The Hokies followed it with a three-game losing streak before besting Virginia for the pivotal sixth win.
What bowl game does Virginia Tech play in?
The Virginia Tech Hokies will face the Minnesota Gophers on Jan. 3 in the Duke's Mayo Bowl at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, at 7:30 p.m. ET.
This will be the fifth edition of the Duke's Mayo Bowl. The game was formerly known as the Belk Bowl and, in prior incarnations, was the Meineke Car Care Bowl and the Continental Tire Bowl.
How to watch the Duke's Mayo Bowl? Streaming options for postseason clash between Virginia Tech and Minnesota
The game will be broadcast by ESPN, meaning that purchasers of streaming services, including the cable giant, will be able to stream it. Those include possibilities like Hulu, SlingTV, YouTube TV and DirecTV.
ESPN also streams its games on ESPN+, the network's streaming option, and can also be viewed through ESPN's app and website for those who can provide their ISP credentials.
Duke's Mayo Bowl - Odds and favorites
The Hokies (6-6, 4-4 ACC) are projected as underdogs in the bowl matchup, as odds lines generally project the Minnesota Gophers (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten) as six-point favorites. On the other hand, ESPN's analytics project the Hokies with a 51.4% chance of victory in the upcoming game.
The Gophers' season was not unlike that of Tech, a continuation of ups and downs. A pair of easy shutout wins followed a shocking opening loss to North Carolina. Minnesota then lost consecutive games to Iowa and Michigan before reeling off a four-game winning streak.
That streak included wins over USC and Illinois and paved Minnesota's path to postseason play. Minnesota then lost consecutive one-score games to Rutgers and Penn State before finishing the regular season with a win over Wisconsin.
What do you think of Virginia Tech's Mayo Bowl matchup? Share your predictions below in our comments section!