4 Virginia Tech football games I'm particularly looking forward to in 2024

We are just 33 days away from the first Virginia Tech football game of 2024. The Hokies will kick off the season on Aug. 31 in Nashville against Vanderbilt. Once again this season, Tech will play their four non-conference games before ACC play begins in late September.

This is a doable schedule for Virginia Tech, which had a ton of retainment from their 2023 roster. They bring back nearly all of their production on both sides of the ball, while also adding depth on the defensive side with the additions of some key transfers. Just how many games they win remains to be seen, but there are four games on the schedule that I'm looking forward to this fall.

Sept. 21 vs. Rutgers

After opening with Vanderbilt, Marshall, and Old Dominion, the Hokies will play by far their toughest non-conference game at home against Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights used a gashing running game to beat the Hokies, 35-16, last September at home and return running back Kyle Monangai to lead their rushing attack again.

Virginia Tech added key defensive line players in the transfer portal, mainly at tackle with Aeneas Peebles, Kemari Copeland. Khurtiss Perry and Kelvin Gilliam to defend the run better. They will be tested in this game before opening ACC play six nights later in South Florida.

Sept. 27 at Miami

What an ACC opener for Brent Pry and his team. After facing a dangerous Rutgers team, the Hokies will travel to play the Hurricanes and their offense that added some key pieces in quarterback Cam Ward from Washington State and running back Damien Martinez from Oregon State.

There is a lot of pressure on Miami and head coach Mario Cristobal going into 2024 and this game is huge for both teams in terms of the ACC standings and where things could fall at the end of November when the dust settles and the two teams in the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte in December are determined. Kyron Drones vs. Cam Ward is a QB matchup a lot of people are looking forward to.

Nov. 2 at Syracuse

Don't sleep on the Orange in 2024. They have a new coach in Fran Brown, they have Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord at quarterback, and have high expectations this season. They have a very favorable schedule both in the non-conference and ACC and it wouldn't be surprising to see them improve their win total from last season.

This game is as interesting as there is on Virginia Tech's schedule. Playing up at the dome in New York is never easy no matter what the record of the two teams is and this game just happens to fall seven days before Clemson visits Blacksburg. Talk about a massive trap game written all over it.

Nov. 9 vs. Clemson

Speaking of the Tigers coming to Blacksburg, this is the most anticipated game on the 2024 schedule for the Hokies. Like Miami, this game has the potential to be massive in terms of the ACC race late in the season.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has been one of the conference's best coaches, but the Tigers are coming off a 4-4 2023 ACC record and looking to fix that and get back into the mix of the conference. This has a chance to be an elimination game in the ACC race late in the season.

A couple of honorable mention games on the Hokies schedule this year are vs. Georgia Tech in October and at Duke the weekend before Thanksgiving when Virginia Tech will be coming off of a late-season bye after hosting Clemson. Regardless, the season is almost here.