Virginia Tech Football: Hokies Matchup vs. North Carolina Building Hype
More than two months away and the hype for week one of the 2021 College Football season is already high. The game time for the Virginia Tech Hokies first game of the season between the North Carolina Tar Heels football game has been set for 6 pm Eastern on Friday, September 3rd. This game is shaping up to be one of the best matchups in the ACC in the 2021 season. 247Sports has this game ranked as the eighth-best game to watch in week one of the season.
The Hokies have won six of the last eight matchups between the two programs. It was the Tar Heels that took the 56-43 victory in Chapel Hill last season. The past two matchups have seen a total of 185 points scored from both teams. This game will be highlighted by the potential high-scoring offenses for a third consecutive season.
Week one will be a game that has serious Coastal Division implications as this game is critical to the race in the ACC due to both team’s relevance. The Hokies are projected to win at least eight games in the 2021 season after a disappointing 5-6 overall record this past season.
The Tar Heels have serious preseason hype as they are ranked 10th in the nation by Athlon Sports. There is serious playoff-type caliber hype for the Tar Heels as they are the team that looks like the most dangerous team to the Clemson Tigers. There is also hype around junior quarterback Sam Howell for the Heisman Memorial Trophy and the 2022 NFL Draft. All of this is due to the high-level recruiting and coaching from third-year head coach Mack Brown.
The Hokies will come into this game likely as serious underdogs after a tough rebuilding season. There is still plenty of months left for Virginia Tech to become a more established team on both sides of the ball. The Hokies’ secondary is still trying to find their key starters and reliable playmakers. There won’t be as much pressure on them for week one as the Tar Heels are having to reload completely at the wide receiver corp.
This is just one of the many matchups will see when week one starts on that Friday. The Hokies will be ready for their bounce-back season and revenge game against the Tar Heels.