As the 2024 season begins, the College Football Playoff’s new 12-team field has more fans hoping to dream of their team making the bigger field. Of course, the normal teams are the ones that get mentioned when it comes to predicting the field at the start of the season, but there are plenty of teams that could be surprise contenders.

Virginia Tech is one of those teams that many national college football writers have pointed to as a potential surprise horse. A ton of player retention and some key transfers have the Hokies on many people’s radar, but whether they can live up to the hype is one of the biggest questions heading into 2024.

David Ubben of The Athletic has listed a number of programs as teams with “new hope” when it comes to potentially breaking the CFP’s 12-team field this season, including the Hokies.

“The Hokies played for a national title in 1999 and lost to … Florida State, with whom they now share a conference. A Big East-ACC national title game feels like a parallel universe, in part because Big East football no longer exists. But the Hokies making the playoffs under Brent Pry is a real possibility in a wide-open ACC, thanks to an offense that really turned it on late last season and returns all 11 starters, coupled with a veteran defense. Virginia Tech has never reached a New Year’s Six bowl and hasn’t appeared in a major bowl game since Frank Beamer won the Sugar Bowl in 2011, capping a streak of four BCS bowls in five seasons.

Percentage of reaching the playoffs: 23 percent”

– David Ubben

Ubben’s 23 percent chance of getting Virginia Tech into the College Football Playoff is higher than most would have expected. To make the playoffs, the Hokies would have to go at least 11-1 and at least reach the ACC Championship Game and maybe even win it.

It feels like the Hokies are getting closer and closer to a major bowl game, as it is only a matter of time and that time could come this season.