Virginia Tech drops to No. 9 in ACC power rankings after 25-20 loss to Cal

Virginia Tech is ninth in the latest ACC power rankings from Virginia Tech Hokies On SI. The Hokies slid after a 25-20 home loss to Cal, their second defeat in a row, which leaves them 4-2 overall and 1-2 in conference play.

The ending stung. Writing for Virginia Tech Hokies On SI, Lucas Boyd notes that the Hokies went ahead 20-19 with 1:18 to play. Cal then drove the length of the field, helped by two Virginia Tech penalties, and scored the winning touchdown with 18 seconds left. The Golden Bears won with backup quarterback Jackson Brousseau behind center. Boyd pointed to the same problems that have followed this team for weeks: penalties, a weak running game and a defense that can't force turnovers. He wrote that James Franklin's team "may not be an ACC contender after all."

Cal climbed to 12th in the same rankings at 3-3 and 2-1 in the ACC. Its defense held Virginia Tech to 3.5 yards per carry, and that, together with Brousseau's play, earned the road win. Boyd pointed out that the Golden Bears now face a hard two-week stretch against Wake Forest and SMU.

The rankings show how open the league is. Miami (5-0, 3-0) is first and Wake Forest (5-1, 3-1) is second. SMU, Duke, Louisville, Clemson, North Carolina and Pitt fill out the rest of the top eight. Duke, Pitt and Virginia Tech all lost in Week 6, which Boyd argues helped Clemson more than anyone even though the Tigers were on a bye.

Georgia Tech next for the Hokies

Virginia Tech has a quick chance to stop the skid. Georgia Tech visits Blacksburg on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EDT on ACC Network. The Yellow Jackets are 2-3 but arrive with some confidence after upsetting previously unbeaten Duke 28-25. Running back Trelain Maddox ran for 81 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries in that game. The source ranks Georgia Tech 14th, and it hosts Boston College the following week.

The market still trusts the Hokies. Virginia Tech is favored at -335 on Novig, one of the venues pricing the game, and the best sportsbook price on the Hokies is -345 at FanDuel. The spread is Virginia Tech -9.5 and the total is 56.5. Full prices are on the game page. A third straight loss would push the Hokies further back in a conference race they started with higher hopes.

Cal's next test is No. 21 Wake Forest at home on Saturday at 10:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN2. The Demon Deacons scored 31 unanswered points in a 38-14 win at NC State. Quarterback Gio Lopez threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score. Wake Forest is favored at -317 on Novig, with theScore Bet at -340 as the best sportsbook price. Cal is getting 9.5 points and the total is 53.5, per the game page. Beating the Hokies earned the Golden Bears some respect, but Boyd's rankings suggest the next two weeks will show more about where they actually stand in the league.