A pair of ACC rivals will kick off the 2019 season against one another as the Boston College Eagles play host to the Virginia Tech Hokies. The fun gets started at 4:00 EST on Saturday, August 31, at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Fans can find the game on the new ACC Network.
Oddsmakers a predicting a close game with Virginia Tech listed as a 3-point favorite on the road. The over/under for the game is set at 57 points. Click here to check out betting odds and previews for all of this week’s college football games.
The Hokies narrowly averted a complete disaster last season. They needed a late comeback against rival Virginia and a win in a makeup game against Marshall late in the season just to become bowl eligible, keeping intact a streak of consecutive bowl appearances that now stands at 26 years.
However, the Hokies lost the Military Bowl to finish the 2018 campaign with a losing record. They also had a shocking and disappointing loss to Old Dominion early in the season. Head coach Justin Fuente took Virginia Tech to the ACC Championship Game in his first season in 2016. But the Hokies have gone downhill since then. Considering the program’s expectations, he needs to get the Hokies back into the top-25 this season. Otherwise, he could find himself on the hot seat.
As for Boston College, they have become one of the most consistent programs in the country under Steve Addazio. The Eagles have won exactly seven games in five of his six seasons. The only exception to that was a 3-9 campaign in 2015 that saw the Eagles go winless in ACC play.
On the one hand, it’s hard to argue with consistency, and there’s nothing wrong with seven wins and a bowl game every year. It’s also important to keep in mind that BC plays in the ACC Atlantic, which is one of the toughest divisions in college football. But at a certain point, one has to think that Boston College has to do more than win seven games for Addazio to maintain job security.
For those who don’t know, Boston College and Virginia Tech have a longstanding rivalry that dates back to when the two schools were in the Big East together. Despite being in different divisions, they play every year and have twice met in the ACC Championship Game. Virginia Tech owns the all-time series and has won nine of the last 13 meetings. However, the Eagles took last year’s game, winning in Blacksburg 31-21, so the Hokies will be eager for some redemption.
Most preseason projections have Virginia Tech a level above Boston College. But I’m not ready to buy into Virginia Tech’s quick turnaround. They had some ugly moments last season, and BC is the type of team that can take advantage of that. The Eagles are far from perfect, but I like them as home underdogs against the Hokies.
BC’s biggest strength remains the running game, specifically junior running back AJ Dillon. He’s rushed for 1,100 yards in each of his first two seasons, reaching that mark last year despite only playing 10 games. If he stays healthy, Dillon could be an intriguing Heisman dark horse because he is a beast between the tackles. To be fair, the Eagles lost four starters on their offensive line. But outside of winning seven games, the one constant during Addazio’s reign has been a strong offensive line, so I trust the Eagles will fill the holes up front.
Somehow, the return of quarterback Anthony Brown is an afterthought for the BC offense. Brown has close to two years of starting experience under his belt and took a step forward last season. Once the Eagles can establish Dillon and their rushing attack, Brown can be lethal in play-action, making the Eagles capable of creating big plays.
On a related note, the Virginia Tech defense was a train wreck at times in 2018. Injuries and youth excuse some of the unit’s issues. However, questions still linger heading into 2019, especially when it comes to the defensive line. If the Hokies can’t hold their own at the line of scrimmage, they’ll struggle to stop Dillon and potentially expose their inexperienced cornerbacks on play-action.
To be fair, Virginia Tech also has an experienced quarterback returning. Former Kansas transfer Ryan Willis ended up playing most of the season after the early-season injury to Josh Jackson. But I was largely unimpressed by Willis last season. Even with the return of receivers Tre Turner and Damon Hazelton, I’m skeptical about whether Willis can be a difference-maker. It’s also worth noting that the Hokies have a young offensive line and will be without last year’s leading rusher Steven Peoples. That will put too much of the onus on Willis for my liking, even against a Boston College defense that has some rebuilding to do.
This is bound to be a competitive, hard-fought game between conference rivals desperate to win their season opener. But I think BC’s ability to be physical and run the ball will give them an edge. I also like Brown at quarterback a little more than I like Willis, so I’ll lean toward the Eagles to win as home underdogs.