ECU vs. Virginia Tech: How Hokies' Upset Loss Will Shake Up Week 4 Rankings

Virginia Tech surged up the AP Poll's rankings to No. 17 in the nation after its decisive 35-21 Week 2 victory over Ohio State. That didn't last very long, however, as the East Carolina Pirates rolled into Lane Stadium to defeat the Hokies 28-21 on Saturday.

The Pirates quickly got out to a 21-0 first-quarter lead after quarterback Shane Carden hit three different receivers for touchdowns within the game's first 13 minutes. This was more than concerning since Virginia Tech allowed only one touchdown during J.T. Barrett's dismal showing just one week prior.

Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports sarcastically tweeted how the Buckeyes must have been feeling at this point:

The Hokies did get back into the game, scoring three touchdowns while stifling the previously hot East Carolina offense to even the game at 21 with just 1:20 remaining in the fourth quarter. However, the defense allowed Carden and Co. to fly right back down the field, as Carden capped off a three-play, 65-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown scamper with just 16 seconds left in the game.

Virginia Tech produced only 389 yards of offense while Carden outgained the Hokies on his own, passing for 427 yards and three touchdowns. ESPN Stats & Info noted just how the quarterback's performance ranks in the history of Virginia Tech's defense:

This loss won't reflect well on the Hokies, and we can expect the rankings to shift in a big way heading into Week 4 of the 2014 college football season.

East Carolina was defeated by a score of 33-23 by South Carolina in Week 2. While the No. 24 Gamecocks have a difficult matchup against No. 6 Georgia on Saturday, anything but a blowout loss could propel them back up the rankings, passing Virginia Tech in the process.

To make matters worse for the Hokies, No. 25 BYU already defeated Houston on Thursday, No. 20 Missouri had a nice showing against UCF and No. 22 Ohio State rebounded in a big way over Kent State. We could speculate that inactive teams like No. 18 Wisconsin, No. 19 Kansas State and No. 23 Clemson could move up as well following Virginia Tech's loss to an unranked opponent.

With at least seven teams poised to leapfrog the Hokies, perhaps this is what we'll be saying by next week, according to NFL Network's Albert Breer:

The only factors that appear to be in Virginia Tech's favor are the inactivity of North Carolina—the Tar Heels were ranked 27th in AP Poll points heading into Week 3—and the loss by No. 21 Louisville to Virginia. North Carolina may not have enough momentum to enter the Top 25, and Louisville should fall back out after its loss.

If the Hokies do maintain their standing in the Top 25, it will be close. Expect to see plenty of movement when the Week 4 rankings are released, as Virginia Tech drops down to No. 25 and possibly off the list altogether.