Saturday Predictions: Vanderbilt at Virginia Tech – Anchor Of Gold

Will we beat the Hokies for the second straight year?
After an easy win over Charleston Southern, Vanderbilt goes to Blacksburg, Virginia, tonight at 6:30 PM for Round 2 of a two-game series against Virginia Tech. The Commodores won at home last year, 34-27, in what wound up being our first sign that this was a different Vanderbilt football team.
Can Vanderbilt repeat the trick this season?
I at least somewhat watched Virginia Tech play South Carolina last weekend and let’s just say I was not impressed with the Hokies’ offense. I do think it’s plausible that they can get us bogged down in a defensive slugfest, of course, but if this turns into a game of “first to 25 wins” then I think Vanderbilt’s more dynamic offense has an advantage.
I, like Andrew, cannot believe we are not favored.
The Pick: Vanderbilt 28, Virginia Tech 21
The SEC Upset Pick of the Week: While I may want to join Andrew in saying Kansas over Missouri, the question did not ask for the Big 8 Upset Pick of the Week.
The fact that we’re not favored in this one is ridiculous. Va Tech has basically the same team they had last year, only without their best player on both offense and defense. We’re better than they are. They will have home field advantage. Let’s find out which matters more.
The Pick: Vanderbilt 34 – Virginny Tech 23.
The SEC Upset Pick of the Week: Besides us? Guess I’ll go with Kansas over Missourah (spits).
This is the first of the “circle” games. Virginia Tech is the first of the teams that may have Vanderbilt circled on the schedule for revenge. This is also the weakest opponent of the bunch. Or second weakest if you count Kentucky who may not care about football anymore. Yes, I mean the team not just the fans.
Lane Stadium, “Enter Sandman,” “Drones Strikes,” and all that is cool. I am very excited to see it in person. The Hokie fans I’ve talked to in Blacksburg have been good fun. None of that changes who the better team is. The Dores shocked the the Hokies, who were ranked preseason a year ago, in OT at home. Since then, Vanderbilt has made big improvements. Birginia Tech … hasn’t. If it was at The Bank again, this might be a runaway (not blowout) win. At Lane…
The Pick: Vanderbilt 31, Virginia Tech 17
The SEC Upset Pick of the Week: The only SEC teams that are underdogs are us, Kentucky hosting Ole Miss, and Mississippi State hosting Arizona State. We are the only ones of that bunch winning. I’m taking Michigan to knock off Oklahoma in Norman. B1G standing strong on that claim for supremacy.
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The Pick: blah
The SEC Upset Pick of the Week: blah
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The biggest bowl game in school history?
We’ve never had a Heisman finalist before, have we?
Vanderbilt falls short of the CFP but will play in a prestigious post-season game.
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