Sure, NC State is a middle-of-the-pack ACC team, and opening the ACC schedule on the road in Raleigh is a complete toss-up right now. Of course, the results through the first four weeks will play into this game as if the Hokies are at least 3-1 with momentum, then this could be a winnable game.
The Wolfpack returns some key players on both sides of the ball, but they did lose wide receiver KC Concepcion to the transfer portal, and he committed to Texas A&M in the SEC. Still, this is a toss-up game that would be big for the Hokies to win.
How many Virginia Tech fans have this game circled on their schedule after last season's season-opening loss in Nashville? The 34-27 overtime loss set the tone for the rest of the season for the Hokies, who were never able to recover with any consistency following that loss. That game has helped turn the expectations for the Commodores going forward.
Quarterback Diego Pavia returns for another year, and this game will be on a short week for Virginia Tech, just six days after opening the season against South Carolina. It will be a night game under the lights in Lane Stadium, and expect a rowdy crowd that is hoping for some revenge.
Last season, the Yellow Jackets visited Blacksburg in late October, and despite a 21-6 Virginia Tech victory, it was a costly game for the Hokies for the rest of the season. Running back Bhayshul Tuten was lost late in the game with an ankle injury and missed some time, and quarterback Kyron Drones also went down with an injury, missing four of the final five games of the season.
Georgia Tech played without quarterback Haynes King, and like Hokies' fans with Vanderbilt, this is a game that Yellow Jackets fans will have circled on their schedule in 2025. This will be a very difficult game when all is said and done.