First and foremost, Justin Fuente’s reign of error has ended. Fuente arrived at Virginia Tech with great fanfare in 2016. He was the hottest head coaching prospect in the country. Most important of all, Fuente was thought to be the recruiting machine needed to transform the Virginia Tech program. Instead, recruiting proved a college football odds weakness for Fuente at Virginia Tech. Also, Fuente had a strong offensive reputation. It astounded observers that the talent dropped significantly from Frank Beamer’s final season. And the offense was of popgun variety.
Virginia Tech Hokies Future Odds at SBG
| Prop | Odds |
|---|---|
| Odds to Win National Championship | +30000 |
| Odds to Win Conference Championship | +5000 |
| Over/Under Win Total | 5.5 |
2022 Virginia Tech Hokies – A Recent History of Being Stuck
From 1902 through 1992, the Virginia Tech Hokies had two sportsbook bowl appearances. Frank Beamer was hired in 1987 and tasked with building the Hokies into a perennial bowl team. Although it took far longer than anyone hoped, Beamer fulfilled his mission. And the program thrived to reach heights unforeseen in its history.
From 1993 through 2015, Virginia Tech went to a bowl every season. They finished in the top 25 of the national rankings every year but three in that span. The Hokies finished with a final national ranking of 2nd in 1999 when they had the first of two consecutive 11-1 campaigns. Beamer won four ACC and three Big East championships and was a five-time conference coach of the year. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry is the new Hokie head man. Pry is a one-time graduate assistant during the Hokies’ heyday under Frank Beamer and Bud Foster. He has arrived to right the ship after six up-and-down years under Justin Fuente.
2022 Virginia Tech Hokies – SBG Odds Overview
The legendary Frank Beamer ran out of gas and retired in 2015. While it was time for Beamer to hang it up, he was hardly disgraced in the end. The Hokies went 7-6 and won the Independence Bowl in Beamer’s final game as head coach.
Fuente has to go down as one of the great College football betting odds busts in history. Following a 10-4 first season, Fuente followed that up with a 9-4 campaign in 2017. But a 6-7 record in 2018 was a portent of things to come. In fact, it was the first of three losing seasons in Fuente’s final four years at the helm.
Now, Brent Pry arrives from Penn State, where he was the defensive coordinator under James Franklin. Pry talks and walks like a Virginia Tech guy. It helps that he was a Hokie graduate assistant under Beamer from 1995 through 1997. Thus, he has familiarity with the lay of the land and culture.
Pry is, in many ways, the anti-Fuente. Correlate he is a defensive-minded coach with some Virginia Tech DNA. Pry is smart enough to reach out to Hokie Nation. Pry is anxious to mend fractured relationships and sell his vision. Accordingly, he has sparked enthusiasm for a program that’s finished under .500 in three of the last four years. But those good vibes might have their limits in the short term due to a roster short on talent and depth after some lean recruiting years.