College Gameday Crew Makes Their Picks For Virginia Tech vs No. 18 Virginia

Can Virginia Tech find a way to upset Virginia tonight?

ESPN personality Kirk Herbstreit speaks during College GameDay before a Big 12 Conference football game, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at Jones AT&T Stadium. | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While they are just 3-8, Virginia Tech would love nothing more than to get a win vs rival Virginia and ruin the Cavaliers season. With a win, the Hokies would keep UVA out of the ACC Championship game and the College Football Playoff. It would be a great way to turn the page and enter the James Franklin era.

This is a rivalry that the Hokies have dominated. Current UVA head coach Tony Elliott has not beaten the Hokies and Virginia Tech has won 23 of the last 25 games against the Cavaliers. While they are underdogs on the road tonight, this is a very winnable game for Virgina Tech.

The game was picked this morning on College Gameday and it was a clean sweep for the Cavaliers.

Kirk Herbstreit- UVA

Nick Saban- UVA

Desmond Howard- UVA

Pat McAfee- UVA

Aidan Hutchinson- UVA

Can Hokies pull the upset?

Virginia is 9-2 in its first 11 games for the first time since 2007. It marks only the fifth time (1895, 1989, 1998, 2007, 2025 that UVA has won nine games in the regular season. Virginia is bowl-eligible for the first time since 2021 after winning six of its first seven games.

This is where I think Virginia Tech an have some success. They have one of the better rushing attacks in the ACC and UVA is going to be missing their best defensive player, linebacker Kam Robinson.

I fully expect Virginia Tech to utilize the rushing skills of quarterback Kyron Drones and running backs Jeff Overton and Marcellous Hawkins. They are going to be facing a tough Virginia defense, the best one that Tony Elliott has had at UVA, but without Robinson, there is going to be some playmaking that is missing on that front seven.

Offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery was named Tech’s interim head coach for the remainder of the season on Sept. 14. He coached his 100th game as a head coach against Georgia Tech, and has led the Hokies to a 3-4 record, including a 2-4 start in ACC play.

Hawkins has been the Hokies’ most productive running back in 2025. Hawkins has tallied 118 carries for 749 yards and a touchdown for an average of 6.3 yards a carry. His 101-yard outing at Florida State was his second 100- yard rushing effort of the season. Hawkins has recorded 23 runs of 10+ yards this season, and 12 of more than 15 yards. The transfer from Central Missouri has forced 44 missed tackles and gained 562 yards after first contact.