Virginia Tech Football: Hokies Rise to No. 13 in Polls
By Chris Wright
After a convincing blowout, and some help from the teams in front of them, the Hokies move up three spots to No. 13.
The Hokies continue their upward trend in the rankings, jumping up three spots into 13th. It seems like a far cry from where Tech fans thought their team was going to be at the end of the first quarter on Saturday.
Virginia Tech looked like anything but the number sixteen team in the country, getting out-played by the lowly Pirates for the first fifteen minutes.
It was 17-7. The Hokies saw the unblemished record, the national ranking, and the inside track at College GameDay fading away.
The second quarter was much better, however, as the Hokies outscored the Pirates 16-0 in the period. Virginia Tech seemed to have found their footing. The momentum had shifted, but the game was still close.
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Fast forward two quarters and the Hokies have won 64-17. It was absolute annihilation. The defense looked like the shutout defense of the week before, and the offense was like nothing Hokie Nation has seen in years.
The impressive win vaulted the Hokies up three spots, thanks also in part to losses by Louisville and LSU, and an uninspiring showing by Auburn.
The Hokies are knocking on the door of the top ten, and the stakes are higher than ever. Teams in the top ten are expected to win tough games and crush opponents they are supposed to beat. The Hokies might not improve their standing much with Old Dominion on the horizon.
However, there are a couple of teams right in front of the Hokies that have tough games this week. 11th ranked Georgia has a date with Mississipi St, who just crushed LSU. Florida State is breaking in a new quarterback and taking on an up and coming NC State team after a long layoff.
If the Hokies can keep pace they may end up as high as 11th for their matchup with Clemson. If both are still undefeated, it is possible the high-profile matchup may draw attention for College GameDay.