Alabama, Mississippi State, Kentucky Or Non-SEC Team? What We Know & Don't Know About Virginia Tech's 2019-20 Bowl Game
Nobody truly knows exactly where Virginia Tech will land on the 2019-20 College Football Bowl Game lineup.
There are just so many factors still in play.
Here is what we know and don't know about Virginia Tech's 2019-20 Bowl Game:
WHAT WE KNOW
- The ACC has access to two Bowl games in Orlando; the Citrus Bowl and the Camping World Bowl. Notre Dame (10-2) started the week at No. 16 and outside of an automatic “NY6” spot in the Cotton Bowl. Under Notre Dame’s deal with the ACC (it plays five ACC games per year), that drops the Fighting Irish into the ACC lineup and they would get the nod ahead of Virginia Tech in either the Citrus or Camping World Bowl.
- Tuesday's College Football Rankings and If the Citrus does come open, Notre Dame will play in that game. If the Camping World is the ACC’s only slot, Notre Dame will play in that game. If both slots come open (again, unlikely at this point), Notre Dame would be the first choice and Virginia Tech likely the second.
- Under the ACC’s “2-win rule” The 6-win teams are not be eligible to jump either Virginia Tech or Wake Forest (8-4) for a spot in Orlando
- At 8-4, both Wake Forest and Virginia Tech are locked into two of the four “Tier I” games. The Hokies, with two wins over Division I-AA opponents this season, have been a confusing test case for the ACC..
- At 6-6 or even 7-5, Virginia Tech would have been treated as a 6-5 team by the ACC and potentially blocked by the “2-win” rule. But at 8-4, an ACC official confirmed on Saturday that the conference will treat the Hokies’ record as 8-4 (duh?). .
- There is no order to the selections, rather geography is a primary factor as is avoiding return trips and repeats of regular-season matchups.
WHAT WE DON'T KNOW
This is a bit easier. No need to list every single thing we don't know because, well, that would take forever. We don't firmly know who the Hokies will face and where they will play. We do know theres a high probability it will be a SEC opponent and Virginia Tech will land in the Citrus Bowl (Orlando), Camping World Bowl (Orlando), Music City Bowl (Nashville), or Belk Bowl (Charlotte).
Most everyone is in consensus when it comes to the SEC producing the Hokies' 2019-20 Bowl opponent. Here are a few projections from the national outlets with a close pulse on college football:
ESPN: Music City Bowl vs. Mississippi State
College Football News: Belk Bowl vs. Mississippi State
CBS: Citrus Bowl vs. Alabama
Athlon Sports: Belk Bowl vs. Kentucky
USA Today: Music City Bowl vs. Mississippi State
