Virginia Tech Football: CBS expert paints grim & realistic picture for Hokies

Reaction from Virginia Tech’s 24-17 loss to Marshall Saturday afternoon has not been good. One thing is clear, the fanbase is not happy, and nor should they be. The Hokies are off to a 1-3 start and not looking anything like a Power 5 conference team.

Yes, injuries have piled up, the running game has been pretty much non-existent, and the defense has not been able to slow down the run or able to stop big plays from happening against them has added to a very long four weeks in Blacksburg.

When will things turn around? The final eight weeks on the schedule are all ACC games and one quick look at the schedule makes you think and ask, “Where are they going to get their second win of 2023?” The two games to focus on are on the road, at Boston College and Virginia, and those games are toward the backend of the schedule in November. The final eight weeks look somewhat grim, but CBS Sports on Sunday painted a scary, but pretty much spot-on picture of where things could be heading in Blacksburg.

Virginia Tech is heading down a road that nobody wants to see

Pretty much everyone is frustrated and will agree that the loss to Marshall is rock bottom not only this season but in the Brent Pry era. In two seasons in charge of the Hokies, Pry is 4-11, but non-conference losses this season to Purdue, Rutgers, and Marshall are eye-opening. To be fair,  if it was not for a second half in the season opener against Old Dominion that saw the Hokies force three turnovers, there’s a good chance their looking at a 0-4 start. Seriously.

Of course, the easy way out is to look and point at the injuries that have occurred on both sides of the ball. Every team deals with injuries and the way that Virginia Tech has played with their injuries, shows the lack of depth on their roster. After taking a 7-0 lead over the Thundering Hurd on the game’s opening possession, the Hokies were beaten in nearly every aspect. They looked good for the first time this season running the ball, then went away from it. Why? Your guess is as good as mine. Just another curious decision in a long list of them over the first four weeks.

Could the Hokie finish with one or two wins this season? It’s a possibility. Last season they went 1-6 in the ACC with their only win coming over Boston College in early September. As bad as BC has looked this season, winning in Chestnut Hill on Veterans Day Weekend is not guaranteed.

Unless things turn around, CBS may be spot on and this could very well be a one or two-win season and if that happens, does Pry survive? He is in charge of rebuild and through two seasons, if things play out the way they could, how much more time does he get to bring a once-proud program back to relevance again?