Virginia Tech Football: 5 Ways to Survive the Bye

The Hokies are in their bye week. The bye week is what many fans consider the worst week of the year. It is a black hole in the otherwise greatness of a season. Sure, there are exceptions to this. If the team you root for is having a bad season, then the bye can come as a form of sanctuary. Fans can say “my team can’t lose this week because they aren’t playing.”

That hasn’t been the case for Virginia Tech fans for many years now. The Hokies are good every year making the bye week one of boredom.

 The good news about the bye this year is that it gives the Hokies the chance to get a bit healthier. Virginia Tech’s injury problems have been well documented up to this point, but a week off may help some contributors get back on the field.

That news doesn’t fill the void on fans’ calendars, though. For those fans that have no idea how to get through the bye, the following is a list of five ways to kill time during the bye week.

Pick Up the Sticks

Not every fan is a gamer, but for those of you that are into video games have a great way to kill time. Gamers can simulate the game of next week. Take the Hokies down to Atlanta and take on Georgia Tech.

EA Sports NCAA Football series is a solid series that can provide good simulations of what happens on Saturdays (sometimes Thursdays). I’m sure that plenty of you out there have the latest in the series, NCAA Football 12, but I’m sure some of you don’t (I am one of you). If you are part of the group that doesn’t and you have an older version pull that out.

I have NCAA Football 11, which means I can still play with Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Williams and Darren Evans. It isn’t accurate anymore but that doesn’t matter. It is fun and a little bit nostalgic to play with the greats of the past.

If you want to kill some time and have some fun doing it then pick up the controller and plug in.

Root Against Your Team’s Rivals

If you are a fan that has a real hatred towards Virginia Tech’s rivals then you can get almost as much pleasure from their losses as you do from Hokie wins. Virginia, Miami and West Virginia are all playing this weekend.

Virginia is playing a lackluster Maryland squad this weekend. The Cavaliers have had a surprisingly decent season so far. They become bowl eligible if they can beat the Terps. This game will be on the ACC Network.

Miami is playing a Duke team that gave the Hokies all kinds of trouble last week. The U has had a confusing season. They give VT all they can handle, they then beat Georgia Tech and they follow that with a loss to Virginia. Don’t assume that this will be a blowout.

Virginia Tech and West Virginia haven’t played in almost six years, but many fans still consider the Mountaineers a hated rival. WVU is playing Louisville this weekend in Morgantown. The Mountaineers can be beaten (ask Syracuse how) but this game could become a laugher. West Virginia is a lot more talented than Louisville.

You can also root against West Virginia in the courtroom, as they are suing the Big East in order to bypass the 27 month waiting period to leave the conference. For those fans with hate in their hearts, this is a good way to pass some time.

If You Have Another Team; Watch Them

There are a million different ways to have a connection to a team. You are a Hokie, but want to root for another team to win. Maybe your parents or siblings went there. Maybe you grew up in the area, either way you probably have a connection to some other team.

I went to Syracuse, so I am going to watch their game this weekend with bells on. The Orange are playing UConn on Saturday. It’s a big rivalry game so it should be fun to watch. That is my story, but I’m sure many fans out there have similar stories that will help get through the bye week.

Hope That a Higher Ranked Teams Loses

You are fans, so you want what is best for your beloved Hokies. The Hokies can’t help themselves during the bye so they need help from the outside. There are 11 teams that are ranked higher than the Hokies. If any team from the Top Five loses then they probably won’t drop enough to help the Hokies move up.

So you want to pay attention to the teams ranked between six and 11 (Clemson is on a bye also). The following is a list of those games:

Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma (6)

South Carolina (9) vs. Arkansas (7)

Oregon (8) vs. Washington

Northwestern vs. Nebraska (10)

Watch LSU vs. Alabama

This is a pretty obvious way to kill time this weekend. This is a great game if you are a football fan. Some people out there are calling this the real national championship this season. The SEC champion has been the national champion for the past five years. All indications are that the streak will stay intact this season.

This is a heavyweight bout for the ages. This is the first time that the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country will play during the regular season in the SEC. This will be a close game and has the potential to be a classic. The real No. 1 will step up on Saturday.

 Hokie fans, enjoy your bye week.