Where Virginia Tech non-conference opponents are picked to finish in their conference

Going into the 2024 season, Virginia Tech will open the campaign with their first four games being non-conference games. On paper, it's not exactly a daunting task, but it is very doable that the Hokies can get through the first month undefeated.

Virginia Tech will play an SEC, Big Ten, and two Sun Belt Conference teams before kicking off ACC play on Sept. 27 at Miami. The Hokies are picked to finish sixth in the ACC in the preseason poll that was released on Thursday, but where do their non-conference opponents rank in their conference's going into the season? We'll break down where they were picked for the upcoming season.

Where Virginia Tech 2024 non-conference football opponents are picked to finish in their conferences

The Hokies will head to Nashville to open the season on Aug. 31 to play Vanderbilt and the Commodores were picked to finish last in the SEC. That should not come as a surprise as head coach Clark Lea has a big rebuilding project in front of him, however, that didn't stop one media member from picking them to win the SEC. One example of why there should be very little stock put into preseason polls.

Virginia Tech's next two non-conference opponents will be a pair of Sun Belt Conference foes in Marshall and Old Dominion. Last season the Hokies lost at Marshall, 24-17, in Week 4 and they opened the season Labor Day Weekend with a victory at home over Old Dominion. This season, both schools are picked to finish near the bottom of their division in the Sun Belt with the Thundering Hurd picked to finish fifth in the East Division and the Monarchs sixth out of seven teams. The team picked below them is Georgia State, where Hokies' offensive lineman transfer Montavious Cunningham played last year.

The final non-conference game will arguably be the toughest for Brent Pry's crew when Rutgers visits Blacksburg on Sept. 21. The Scarlet Knights return running back Kyle Monanagi and head coach Greg Schiano is building something with Rutgers, but they were picked to finish ninth this season in the new-looking Big Ten. Newcomers Oregon (second) and USC (sixth) were picked ahead of them as conference newcomers.

With the retainment that Pry and the Hokies have going into the season along with some key transfers, it's easy to see why they are considered a dark horse in the ACC, but anything less than 4-0 begin conference play in late September in South Florida would be somewhat disappointing.