The 2024 season kicked off with high hopes and lofty expectations for the Virginia Tech football team. However, from the overtime loss to Vanderbilt in Week 1 to the bowl-clinching win over Virginia on Thanksgiving weekend, the Hokies experienced plenty of ups and downs.
Early whispers of Virginia Tech being a dark horse contender for the new 12-team College Football Playoff faded quickly. Later, aspirations of making the ACC Championship Game also slipped away by the midpoint of their conference schedule.
Virginia Tech football gets fitting 2024 season grade from college writer
The 2024 season felt like a missed opportunity for Virginia Tech. Despite retaining key players, adding impact transfers, and having high hopes, the Hokies endured five one-score losses and seemed plagued by bad luck at critical moments. Chip Patterson of CBS Sports graded each ACC team’s season, and his assessment of Virginia Tech was fitting:
“While SMU delivered on preseason ACC dark horse buzz, Virginia Tech fell far short of the conference title contention some predicted, given the talent returning from a team that finished strong in 2023. Brent Pry retained many key contributors, yet the team failed to take the next step, particularly against top opponents. The 6-6 finish came up well short of expectations, and while five of those defeats were one-score games, there’s still disappointment. Much of the blame falls internally when considering what could have been in 2024. Grade: C-.”
Patterson’s grade feels fair, as the Hokies barely avoided a worse outcome, such as a 5-7 finish and missing a bowl game entirely. The struggles of the season also contributed to several starters entering the transfer portal. However, there’s hope on the horizon—Virginia Tech received a significant boost on Friday with quarterbacks Kyron Drones and Pop Watson confirming their return for 2025.
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