Fighting Gobbler Poll of the Week: Who is the Hokies’ toughest ACC opponent?
By Tim Thomas
Oct 5, 2013; Blacksburg, VA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Larry Fedora shakes hands with Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Frank Beamer after the game. The Hokies defeated the Tar Heels 27-17 at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
The Fighting Gobbler Poll of the Week returns this week but before we get into this week’s poll, we take a look at last week’s poll.
One week ago, we asked you who you thought would end up being the starting quarterback for the Hokies this fall with only three options: Michael Brewer, Brenden Motley, and Mark Leal? The results ended up being very one-sided.
Out of 164 votes, only 3 of those votes were for Mark Leal which put him third. Brenden Motley ended up coming in second with 20 votes. It wasn’t even close for who Hokie fans think will be the starting quarterback as Michael Brewer received 141 of the 164 votes. Brewer is Hokie Nation’s prediction for the next starting quarterback of the Hokies and seems like the frontrunner for the job with Motley out because of injuries and Leal in second with a small chance.
With it being 12 days till the first game of the season, we take a look today at who is the Hokies’ toughest regular season ACC opponent this fall?
Nov 9, 2013; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Frank Beamer in the first quarter of a game against the Miami Hurricanes at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
Of course, the Hokies’ toughest game is certainly when the Hokies travel to the fifth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes for a Saturday Night showdown on national television. However, the Hokies’ toughest ACC game is a whole different story as the ACC Coastal is fairly wide open and the Hokies’ games against ACC Atlantic teams Boston College and Wake Forest look weak on paper.
On paper, the trip to the #23 North Carolina Tar Heels seems like the toughest ACC opponent with the Tar Heels being the only ACC team that the Hokies play that is in the top 25. However, the Duke Blue Devils have the talent to still be a tough opponent despite the losses of star linebacker Kelby Brown and reliable tight end Braxton Deaver.
Miami will have a tough challenge of facing the Hokies on Thursday Night in Blacksburg but Duke Johnson and the Hurricaneswill want revenge after Virginia Tech took down Miami last year. Also, it could be someone else like Pittsburgh or Georgia Tech who could be the toughest ACC opponent for the Hokies.
So, who do you think is the Hokies’ toughest ACC opponent: North Carolina, Duke, Miami, or someone else?