FRANCESCO (4-0): Virginia Tech 24, Syracuse 17
A tighter affair than Syracuse has been used to this season, but yet another that goes the way of the opponent. Virginia Tech is far from a great team, but Syracuse is in that exact same boat. Plus it’s a night game at Lane Stadium. The atmosphere will be electric. Syracuse will have to face one of the best pass rushes in the ACC as an offense that’s already struggling to move the ball, both through the run and with the pass. The spiral continues for the Orange.
Adam (6-0): Syracuse 24, Virginia Tech 20
This game is a must-win for Syracuse and I think that they have what it takes to get it done. I’ll be the first person to be a pessimist when it comes to the Orange but Virginia Tech just isn’t a very good football team. The Hokies lost to Purdue and Marshall this season. Yes, SU is 0-3 in the ACC but it has played the three best teams in the conference. Now that the Orange are back to the regular teams in the conference, they should be able to get back into the win column. I see a big bounce-back game for Garrett Shrader, with a big game from one of the receivers. Who that receiver is, I have no clue but I think someone finally steps up this week.
Liam (5-1) (EXEMPT FROM PREDICTION):
For all the talk about the relief Syracuse was going to get after the Clemson-UNC-FSU stretch, a Thursday night game at Lane Stadium is anything but a cupcake. Virginia Tech’s 3-4 record isn’t exactly awe-inspiring, but two convincing ACC wins have the Hokies back on track to potentially make a bowl game. Not to mention VT played Florida State much closer than SU. These are two teams going in opposite directions. If Syracuse has any hope other leaving Blacksburg with a victory, slow starts have to become a thing of the past. Virginia Tech has a reputation for Thursday night games, and if the Orange come out sluggish the crowd is only going to get rowdier. Each of SU’s last five games feel like they could go either way- this one could be an early indication of how the rest of them will fare.
Ethan (5-1): Virginia Tech 27, Syracuse 23
Syracuse has not given us any reason to believe they can win a game like this at this point in the season. Bye week be damned, the Hokies are also coming off a week of rest and relaxation, and are surely just as healthy as the Orange claim to be heading into this matchup. The major issues with this SU team will not just fix themselves over the bye, especially with a short week to prepare for what is going to be a raucous environment at Lane Stadium. Syracuse will be more competitive than it was in the past three games, especially when you consider Purdue (a team Syracuse beat by 15 on the road) won in Blacksburg earlier this season. But, its head over heart in this one, and it just makes too much sense not to pick Virginia Tech to send SU to a 4th straight loss.
Tyler (4-1): Syracuse 27, Virginia Tech 24
Get ready for the LeQuint Allen game. SU quarterback Garrett Shrader has struggled recently. VT has the best passing defense in the ACC. Plus, Dino Babers seemed to think the Orange’s offensive line played well in the loss to Florida State. All of this adds up to a slow moving game where Syracuse running back LeQuint Allen gets to go to work.
If feeding Allen succeeds, the rest takes care of itself. SU’s defense, which has played as well as it could recently, would finally get some rest throughout the game. It’s been on the field a lot with the Orange’s offensive struggles, so a slower game favors Syracuse.
