Miami hopes to find its way into the College Football Playoff, and with help, possibly into the ACC Championship Game.But that only happens for the 13th-ranked Hurricanes if they win their final two games, starting Saturday afternoon against host Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va.Miami (8-2, 4-2 ACC) has put together back-to-back wins for the first time since its 5-0 start. The Hurricanes were ranked as high as No. 2 in the country before losses to Louisville and SMU put them in their current predicament.Virginia Tech (3-7, 2-4), losers of four of its past five, is playing its home finale. Already out of the picture even for a bowl game, the Hokies will fall short of finishing a regular season above .500 for the sixth consecutive year.But Virginia Tech gave its fanbase a reason for optimism. The Hokies hired former Penn State coach James Franklin as head coach starting at the end of the season.For now, though, the Hokies can only play the role of spoiler after their 34-14 loss at Florida State last Saturday ended any shot at earning bowl eligibility.”It’s a tough loss. That being said, I feel for those guys in that locker room,” Virginia Tech interim coach Philip Montgomery said. “The way they work, the way they prepare, the way they battle, they’re relentless with their effort. The way they’ve stuck together through everything so far this season, you can never question their hearts.”Virginia Tech has not beaten Miami since 2019, trail the all-time series 26-15, and haven’t beaten the Hurricanes at home since 2016.
