Saturday marks the 11th time in Virginia Tech history that the team from Blacksburg will be forced to tighten its parkas as it travels to the chilly confines of Central New York to face an Orange team that has put down the Hokies in the past. when they are hottest.

Of course, we can look back to pre-2000 and note the Hokies' poor record up north, but we can also look at their recent stop, which is an eerie reminder of the threat that Syracuse poses.

The year was 2016, Justin Fuente was the hottest name in Southwest Virginia. The former Memphis coach led a seemingly unified Tech team to a 4-1 record in a game where Tech was favored at the bottom of the 20-man lineup. The Hokies had a dynamic quarterback named Jerod Evans working his way up through JUCO, and Tech certainly seemed like one of the ACC favorites, which was unimaginable before kickoff.

That day, Tech fell to the much inferior 'Cuse, with a 31-17 loss that left a very sour taste in the hearts of Hokies fans.

While an ACC Championship isn't out of the question for the Hokies, Saturday, like every week from now on, will have massive implications. Coach Pry has done a good job of late relieving the Hokies of many of the opponents that have tormented them in the past. and Syracuse offers another opportunity to do so tomorrow.

Related Links:

We expect the match between Virginia Tech and Syracuse to go like this.

Jackson Caudell (Publisher and Editor-in-Chief), 6-2 record this year: Virginia Tech 31-20

Kahlil McCuller (author), 5-3 record this year: Virginia Tech 28-21

Zach Ozmon (author), 7-1 record this year: Virginia Tech 27-17

Connor Mardian (author), 5-3 record this year: Virginia Tech 26-20

RJ Schafer (author), 7-1 record this year: Virginia Tech 31-24

Additional links:

Virginia Tech vs. Syracuse: Final score predictions for Saturday's game

Virginia Tech Football: Kicker Kyle Lowe wears number 25 against Syracuse

Virginia Tech Football: Syracuse head coach Fran Brown previews the game against Virginia Tech