3 reasons Virginia Tech will make the College Football Playoff

We are less than three weeks away from the 2024 college football season beginning with Week 0 on Aug. 24, then seven days later, Virginia Tech will kick off its season in Nashville against Vanderbilt. This season, the College Football Playoff will go from four teams to a 12-team field, which opens the door for a lot more teams than in years past.

Multiple teams from the ACC are likely going to get in the field, but there are a lot of dark horse teams not only in the conference, but across the country. The Hokies are one of those many teams with high expectations this season and if things fall right, they could find themselves in the conversation for the 12-team field and maybe squeak in. Rece Davis of ESPN recently mentioned that Virginia Tech is a team that could be on the bubble late in the season.

It's not out of the question that Virginia Tech can make the College Football Playoff and here are three reasons why they can.

3 reasons Virginia Tech makes the College Football Playoff

1. Kyron Drones and the veteran offense

The Hokies got a lot of retainment on both sides of the ball, but offensively, they returned nearly all of their production including quarterback Kyron Drones. Running back Bhayshul Tuten is also back with Malachi Thomas and then factor in wide receivers Ali Jennings, Da'Quan Felton, Jaylin Lane, and Stephen Gosnell also coming back, and offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen has plenty of options to spread the ball around. Late last season you saw how explosive they can be with them putting up 48 points on Boston College, 55 on Virginia, and 41 on Tulane in the Military Bowl. Add in a veteran offensive line returning along with the addition of Montavious Cunningham from Georgia State in the transfer portal, big things are ahead for this unit.

2. Defensive additions and retainment

I know, there is that word again, retainment, but it also was big on the defensive side of the ball for coordinator Chris Marve. Antwaun Powell-Ryland and his team-leading 9.5 sacks return along with Mansoor Delane, Jalen Stroman, and Dorian Strong in the secondary.

Virginia Tech got some key transfer portal additions along the defensive line with none bigger than Aeneas Peebles from Duke. Kelvin Gilliam from Oklahoma, Kemari Copeland from Iowa Western Community College, and Khurtiss Perry from Alabama adds a ton of depth. Lineback Sam Brumfield from Middle Tennessee State should slide in at linebacker and if Marve and Pry can find a safety to play opposite of Stroman, this could be a tough defense to move the ball on.

3. Schedule

Ok, so if the first two work out the way Hokies' fans hope, then this is a huge opportunity that Virginia Tech can take advantage of. It would be disappointing if the Hokies came out of their four non-conference games against Vanderbilt, Marshall, Old Dominion, and Rutgers anything less than 4-0, but maybe 3-1 could be doable.

Once they get into ACC play, the schedule includes Miami and Clemson as their two biggest games with the first in South Florida on Sept. 27, then the Tigers come to Blacksburg on Nov. 9. There are some other challenges with away games at Syracuse and Duke being tough games along with homes games against Georgia Tech and Boston College, but the Hokies should be favored in all of those games. Ten wins with this schedule are not out of the question and really, if they sweep their non-conference games, it wouldn't be surprising to see them get to 11. Eleven wins could be and should be enough to get in the 12-team field.