Head coach Frank Beamer’s Virginia Tech teams have been know for excellence for over a decade now, but since the 2000 season the Hokies were somewhat less imposing while being more inconsistent. As they entered the 2004 season coming off an 8-5 campaign, they were advertised and touted as being in rebuilding mode.
A year ahead of schedule
Incredibly enough, however, Virginia Tech rallied after a 2-2 straight up start to rip off eight consecutive straight up wins which culminated with a 16-10 win at 7-point chalk Miami and an ACC conference championship as the Hokies rebuilding job finished a year ahead of schedule. A Sugar Bowl loss to undefeated Auburn couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of a season that concluded 10-3 straight up and 9-3 against the spread with the promise of better things to come in 2005.
They wouldn’t catch anyone napping in 2005
Since they did finish 2004 one season ahead of schedule and caught a lot of teams buy surprise the Hokies could be certain that they wouldn’t catch anyone napping in 2005. This provided a great handicapping challenge to college football bettors who had to be careful about opposing the Tech juggernaut while still demanding value from the oddsmakers. There was the potential trap of the Hokies being too hefty of a chalk in many of their games since they were so highly regarded even before the season began.
No line too high
Virginia Tech opened the 2005 season as 3.5-point chalks at North Carolina State in a Sunday Night national television game. State was touted as being a talented ACC contender as well and the 3.5-points were enticing to many gamblers who fell into the trap of betting on an unproven commodity. Tech got the cash, albeit barely, in a 20-16 win that was to launch them into national championship contention.
The Hokies had a well deserved “breather” in their next game at Duke, where they were installed as 21.5-point chalks in a 45-0 win that ended up as quite a bargain. Next was a 45-0 home win over Ohio as 34-point chalks as Virginia Tech started off 3-0 both straight up and against the spread while showing that that there was no line too high for them yet.
Statement maker Virginia Tech Hokies
Undefeated Georgia Tech paid a visit in an ACC showdown in which the Hokies were installed as 10.5-point chalks, which was another trap set by the oddsmakers that sucked in a lot of Yellow Jacket money. The Hokies crushed the Ramblin Wreck 51-7 in a statement maker game.
Another statement maker occurred the very next week as Virginia Tech was a 10.5-point chalk at upstart, (and eventual Big East/Sugar Bowl champion), West Virginia . The Hokies got the cash for the fifth straight week 34-17 as they were mentioned as a likely national title contender.
Value reached its peak
There didn’t seem to be a line that could be set too high on Tech as they came home to host downtrodden Marshall as whopping 35.5-point chalks. The huge lay and uninspiring opposition translated into a 41-14 win that failed to get the cash as the Hokies’ value had reached its peak. This was followed by back-to-back covers. First was a 28-9 win at Maryland as 10.5-point chalks which was followed by a 30-10 win over Boston College as 13.5-home chalks.
Exposed in the clutch Virginia Tech Hokies
The 8-0 Hokies were 6-point home favorites in their much-anticipated ACC showdown against Miami . An overflow crowd and many bandwagon gamblers were stunned by the Canes’ 27-7 upset win, which was a great lesson in the perils of laying points to a power dog. The Hokies rebounded with a nice 52-14 win at Virginia as 7.5-point chalks. Senior Day was a solid 30-3 win over North Carolina as 24-point chalks. The ACC Championship game was another power dog shocker as the Hokies fell to Florida State 22-27 as 14.5-point chalks as they were exposed in the clutch again. Virginia Tech closed out well with a 35-24 bowl win over Louisville as 10-point favorites.