The Hokies could have taken a lot of pressure off themselves by beating NC State and qualifying for a bowl game, but now that pressure shifts fully to Saturday, as Virginia Tech gets one more chance to stamp its season as one of progress by beating UVA.

Oh, who am I kidding … even if Tech had beaten NC State, there would be pressure to beat UVA, as well. There’s always pressure to beat UVA.

What happens Saturday against the Hoos will be a major factor in setting the course of offseason discussion. If Virginia Tech wins and thus qualifies for a bowl, then no question, the program made progress in 2023.

If the Hokies lose and the season ends at 5-7, the arguments will go on for the next nine months. (Wow, that’s a long time.)

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