Virginia Tech Football Thoughts: Bhayshul Tuten injury, potential coaching changes & bowl-eligibility

The Virginia Tech football team has three games remaining in the 2024 season and they still need one win to become bowl-eligible. Injuries are starting to pile up at key positions with key players and their depth is being severely tested. A home game with Clemson is just two days away and here are some thoughts on the Hokies' final month of the regular season.

Win No. 6 is no guarantee in 2024

At times this season, Virginia Tech has looked like a College Football Playoff team, and at times, they look like a team that won’t become bowl-eligible. With three games remaining against Clemson, Duke, and Virginia, where is win No. 6 coming from? On paper, Virginia looks like the best opportunity, but you never want it to come down to that game on Thanksgiving Weekend in Blacksburg. 

Could Virginia Tech run the table and beat all three teams? Yes, of course, but they could also lose all three. Until the Hokies shore up some of their issues on the field and sidelines, it has to be sitting in the back of everyone’s mind, will Tech become bowl-eligible?

Are changes coming with the coaching staff?

Regardless of how this season ends up playing out, Brent Pry needs to look long and hard at his assistants. Change might need to be made. Is Pry in trouble? I don’t think so as Whit Babcock moving on from him is highly unlikely. However, all of the assistants, who got raises last season, could be looked at.

For the second straight year, Tyler Bowen’s play-calling after September has been very good. Mixing things up and getting the ball in his playmaker's hands like Jaylin Lane have yielded positive results. Defensively, Chris Marve’s unit has collapsed in their four losses and has been unable to come up with one more stop. It’s going to be interesting how things play out after the season, but if some coaches are let go and some new ones are brought in under Pry, he needs to surround himself with experienced coaches.

Will we see Bhayshul Tuten again in a Hokies uniform?

The injury sustained by Bhayhsul Tuten against Georgia Tech on Oct. 26 was not good-looking. It appeared to be a high ankle sprain (and I’m no doctor) and if that is indeed the case, those tend to take a long longer to recover from. On Tuesday, he went from probable last week against Syracuse to questionable this week against Clemson. Not good. Tuten did take part in practice on Wednesday night and it's possible he plays this weekend.

The question is fair whether or not we’ll see him in a Virginia Tech uniform again. At 5-4 and with no shot of playing in the ACC Championship Game or the 12-team CFP, would Tuten risk injuring himself further with the NFL Draft just five months away in Green Bay? Who knows, he could play this week, but if he doesn’t, the chances of him missing the rest of the season could grow bigger by the week. And if that happened, nobody would blame him.