Virginia Tech Football: Why the Georgia Tech Game Will Define Hokies' Season

Seems pretty crazy that we're already three quarters of the way through the season, but as the clocks set back for daylight savings, college football fans everywhere know that the excitement has just begun.

Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech. Georgia Tech. Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech. Georgia Tech. Virginia Tech. This is a list of the Coastal Division representatives in the ACC championship games (plus the quasi-championship game in 2004) since conference expansion. That is also the list of the winners of the "Battle of the Techs" in those same years. Coincidence?

Technically, UVA also controls their own destiny in the Coastal Division, but would likely have to win at Florida State to have a realistic chance at winning the division.

Virginia Tech can all but wrap up a trip to Charlotte with a win in Atlanta Thursday night, needing only a win over Virginia or an FSU victory over the Wahoos to clinch the Coastal. Also, a win would put the Hokies right back in the national conversation as they are currently ranked 10th in the BCS Standings and would likely rise again after beating a ranked opponent on the road.

Should the Hokies emerge victorious Thursday night, they would have three games sitting between them and a BCS bowl. Heck, even if Virginia Tech loses the ACC championship they could feasibly still gain an at-large BCS bid.

However, if the other Tech wins Thursday, Virginia Tech is looking at a berth in the Chik-fil-A Bowl at best (and we know Tech just loves playing in Atlanta).

Another first for Hokie fans on Thursday will be that they will likely be watching their team playing as an underdog for the first time all season (most game lines have not been published yet, just an assumption here). Virginia Tech has been favored by no less than seven points all season per Sportsbook.com and has covered the spread in only one game out of eight against FBS opponents.

The Hokies have yet to dominate a game from start to finish this year since the opener against Appalachian State, but will need to bring their A-game Thursday for four quarters if they want to redeem themselves from their last trip to Bobby Dodd Stadium.