One analysis that will enrage Virginia Tech football fans in 2024

Through nine games of the 2024 season, it is disappointing that the Virginia Tech football team is sitting at 5-4. All the returning talent that the Hokies had to be sitting at the spot where they are heading into Veterans Day Weekend is frustrating.

What is probably the most frustrating fact is how the Hokies have ended up there. All four losses were decided in the final two minutes or overtime. In all four cases, Virginia Tech either held a lead in the final two minutes or in the case of Rutgers in Week 4, they were tied and the Scarlet Knights won the game inside the final two minutes with a field goal. That’s right, the Hokies are 120 seconds away from being at least 8-0-1.

In each case, one more stop or one less questionable coaching decision and better clock management and Virginia Tech would have had their on TV Tuesday night in the first 12-team College Football Playoff Rankings on ESPN. But they weren’t and there is one stat that will infuriate Hokies’ fans in 2024.

One analytic stat that will drive Virginia Tech fans crazy

According to KFord analytics, in their “What If’’ rankings, Virginia Tech would be No. 3 right now. What does that mean? The what if is if every one possession game or overtime game had the opposite result. They have the Hokies sitting a 9-0. In reality, they should be at least 9-0, but 8-1 would also be acceptable. Vanderbilt and Syracuse drove the game-tieing touchdowns in the final two minutes and won in overtime. Rutgers drove the field for the winning field inside the final four minutes after Virginia Tech tied the game and then there’s Miami.

The Hokies held a double-digit second half lead and allowed the game-winning touchdown just after the two-minute warning. The game came down to an overturned touchdown on a replay review and the call to overturn was questionable at best. In the overall big picture, the game never should have come down to that if it weren’t for coaching decisions and clock management. 

Look, Virginia Tech fans would take 8-1 right now, but the fact of the matter is, they are 5-4 with a ton of talent and have not lived up to expectations. A win over Clemson this weekend would make them bowl-eligible, but beginning of the season, there were bigger expectations than winning six or seven games and the analytics say that this season has been a disappointment.