Week 9 Games that will Impact Virginia Tech's Post-season Destination

Can David come through in crunch time against Goliath?

It is the end of October and, while the playoff race is pretty clear at present, one gets the feeling that there will be a lot of changes between now and when the 12 teams are actually announced.

Here is a breakdown, by conference, of the teams that would most likely get in if the playoff field was announced on the morning of October 26th:

• SEC - 4 (Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, LSU)

  • Outside looking in - Texas A&M, Alabama, Ole Miss, Missouri, Vanderbilt

• Big Ten - 3 (Oregon, Ohio St., Penn St.)

  • Outside looking in - Indiana, Illinois

• ACC - 2 (Miami, Clemson)

  • Outside looking in - Pitt, SMU, Virginia Tech

• Big 12 - 2 (Iowa St., BYU)

  • Outside looking in - Kansas St.

• G5 + Notre Dame - 1 (Boise St.)

  • Outside looking in - Notre Dame, Army, Navy

The SEC does not have an undefeated team, and it is possible that all of the top teams will lose at least one more game between now and the end of the season. It looks like all the conference heavyweights will continue to beat up one another, which will create a narrative that there are no truly elite teams in the conference this year.

At this point, the Big Ten appears to have three berths locked up, with a fourth unlikely. Oregon has pretty much sealed its bid. The only question is whether or not Ohio St. or Penn St. trip up sufficiently to allow Indiana or Illinois to grab the final bid.

The ACC is pretty securely in two-bid territory, with an outside chance of netting a third. Whether or not the two best teams ultimately make the conference championship game is an open question. The team that finishes third just might back its way into the playoff.

In the Big 12, there are three teams fighting for one to two bids. Unless Iowa St. and BYU both finish the regular season with undefeated records, the Big 12 will likely get only one bid.

The G5 is really well positioned right now. We could, realistically, see two G5 teams qualify (Boise St. and either Army or Navy), with the higher rated of the two earning a first-round bye. Notre Dame is also very much alive, and the Irish will likely claim a bid if they can beat both Army and Navy.

There is a lot to play for, and still one or two more big shakeups likely to come.

Last Week’s Rooting Interest Record: 0-3 (8-16 on the season)

Record of Predictions in Rooting Interest Games: 2-1 (19-5)

• Another week, another beneficial 4th quarter call goes Miami’s way, helping the Canes squeak by another opponent. (Rooting L, Prediction W)

• Georgia Tech hung around for a half, but without Haynes King, the Yellow Jackets did not have enough fire power to make it a four-quarter game, much less pull the upset. (Rooting L, Prediction W)

• Georgia beat Texas, soundly, which has temporarily increased the value of Georgia’s stock. (Rooting L, Prediction W)

Now then. on to this week’s games!

Game 1: #22 SMU at Duke

If Duke is going to pull the home upset, the Blue Devils will have to do more than play good defense. They will need score (or set up an easy score) via a forced turnover or some kind of big play on special teams. The former is more likely than the latter, but it’s a night game in Durham - for SMU, that means a long trip to play a not-too-exciting opponent the week before the Mustangs get undefeated Pitt at home. Might the ACC newcomers get caught looking ahead?

Rooting Interest: Duke

Game 2: #12 Ireland at #24 America

America is a legit playoff contender, but that is predicated on the Midshipmen continuing to win games. One loss, based on where other G5 teams are in the polls, will probably sink their playoff chances. From 2007 to 2017, America won four of its nine games against Ireland, but since then the Middies have lost the last six games in the series. America’s offense is legit, and it stands at least as good a chance of moving the ball on the Irish defense as the Irish offense does of racking up yards on the American defense.

Rooting Interest: America

Game 3: #5 Texas at #25 Vanderbilt

Texas got exposed last week, and if the Longhorns are still in woe-is-me-mode, they risk losing to a Vanderbilt team that is no stranger to pulling big home upsets. Seriously, can you imagine a fanbase having more fun this year? First, the Commodores beat Virginia Tech to open the season, then a few weeks later they take down #1 Alabama. Beat Texas, and that would mark two home wins over top 5 teams within a month of one another. It would also likely ensure that a Diego Pavia statue gets unveiled on Senior Day next month.

Rooting Interest: Vanderbilt