Three Bold Predictions for Virginia Tech Football vs. VMI

BLACKSBURG, Va. — One day separates Virginia Tech football from its season opener against VMI — the first under head coach James Franklin. Ahead of the contest, here are three bold predictions I'll levy for the Hokies' opener against the Keydets.

Prediction No. 1: Virginia Tech deploys all four quarterbacks in the opener.

Given that Virginia Tech is favored to win by 50-plus points on FPI and SP+, I think this contest will be a foregone conclusion by halftime. Given that, Franklin and offensive coordinator Ty Howle should have the freedom to trial out Bryce Baker, Troy Huhn and Kelden Ryan. It seems near-impossible that Virginia Tech won't use at least two quarterbacks; Franklin said Baker, a transfer from UNC, was "probably in the lead" for the backup job behind Penn State transfer Ethan Grunkemeyer, but it isn't set in stone yet. I personally think Virginia Tech ends up using three of their four signal-callers but that there's a chance all four play.

Prediction No. 2: Grunkemeyer throws for three touchdowns, but doesn't see out the first half.

It would be pretty difficult for both of my first two predictions to come true without Grunkemeyer's night ending early.

The redshirt sophomore is set to make his Virginia Tech debut after transferring from Penn State, and Saturday should provide about as forgiving of an introduction as he could ask for. The Hokies should hold a significant talent advantage at nearly every position, giving Grunkemeyer an opportunity to settle into Howle's offense without immediately being thrown into an ACC-caliber matchup.

Virginia Tech has plenty of weapons to work with between Ayden Greene and Que'Sean Brown at wide receiver, Luke Reynolds at tight end and a backfield led by Marcellous Hawkins and Jeffrey Overton Jr. The Hokies shouldn't need Grunkemeyer to throw the ball 30 or 40 times, but there should be enough opportunities for him to put together an efficient debut.

If that three-touchdown prediction comes true, though, I don't think Franklin has much reason to keep him on the field. Virginia Tech has considerably more to gain from getting Baker and potentially its other quarterbacks meaningful reps than it does from allowing Grunkemeyer to pile up numbers against an overmatched opponent.

Three touchdowns, somewhere around 175 passing yards and an early exit feels like a solid pick for me.

Prediction No. 3: Virginia Tech holds VMI without a touchdown.

Most of the attention Saturday will understandably surround Virginia Tech's new-look offense, but I'm almost as interested in what the Hokies show defensively.

Virginia Tech's defensive ends remain largely unproven from a production standpoint, while the second line of the two-deep in the secondary isn't entirely clear. Those questions probably won't be completely answered against VMI, but the Keydets should at least give Brent Pry an opportunity to work through his rotations.

Virginia Tech should have a considerable advantage along the defensive line, particularly on the interior, and anything resembling consistent pressure should make life difficult for VMI's offense. The Hokies also have enough experience at the top of their secondary to make explosive plays difficult to come by. A shutout might be a stretch, especially if Virginia Tech begins rotating heavily in the second half. One busted coverage or short field could be enough for VMI to put points on the board.

That could mean a field goal or two keeps Virginia Tech from recording its first shutout of the Franklin era, but I'm expecting the Hokies' defense to keep VMI out of the end zone across all four quarters.

The Hokies are expected to win comfortably, and considerably more meaningful tests will arrive soon enough. Still, after an entire offseason of projections, position battles and questions surrounding what Franklin's first Virginia Tech team might look like, we'll finally get some actual answers.

I'm expecting plenty of quarterbacks, an efficient debut from Grunkemeyer and very little offensive success for VMI. Virginia Tech's opener against VMI is set for Saturday, Sept. 5 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be available on the ACC Network for the two programs' first meeting since 1984.

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