By Dave Holcomb
SouthernPigskin.com

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Dave Holcomb previews Virginia Tech vs West Virginia.

College football is supposed to be all about tradition, but conference realignment has been hell on one of the sports best traditions — rivalries.

Some of college footballs greatest rivalries have died due to schools changing conferences. Unfortunately, there really isnt a way to avoid this. Realignment isnt going away, and in defense of conference expansion, schools do make new rivalries.

Yet when fans get a chance to see one of college footballs old rivalries, its special.

With their first game since the 2010 Big 12 Championship, Nebraska and Oklahoma are stealing the spotlight this weekend. But for just the second time since 2005, college football fans will also get to see Virginia Tech renew its rivalry with West Virginia on Saturday.

The Hokies and Mountaineers first met in 1912 in Blacksburg. The matchup developed into a rivalry when the two programs faced each other every year from 1973 to 2005, especially when the two were conference opponents in the Big East from 1991 to 2003.

Unlike the Nebraska-Oklahoma matchup, a trophy is on the line with the Virginia Tech-West Virginia rivalry. The winner will receive the Black Diamond trophy, an award that is meant to represent the Appalachian regions coal history.

West Virginia leads the all-time series 28-23-1, but Virginia Tech has won the last three meetings, including the most recent matchup in 2017. That was the first time the two programs met as ACC and Big 12 schools.

Dating back to 1998, Virginia Tech has won seven of the last nine matchups against West Virginia.

The Hokies will have a ton of conference heading into Morgantown on Saturday. Behind wins against North Carolina and Middle Tennessee, Virginia Tech has risen to No. 15 in the AP Poll. The last time the Hokies were ranked that high was September 2018.

Virginia Tech has opened the 2021 season 2-0 by excelling in all three phases. While quarterback Braxton Burmeister wasnt quite as sharp against Middle Tennessee, against North Carolina, he completed 12 of 19 passes (63.2%) for 169 yards and a touchdown with an interception. He also rushed for 42 yards and a score.

The Hokies defense has allowed an average of 351.5 yards per game in the first two weeks, which isnt exactly stellar, but they are second in the ACC with four takeaways and nine sacks. The defense is making big plays when it needs to, and Virginia Tech has allowed just 24 points in the first two weeks.

Against North Carolina, the Hokies held Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Sam Howell to only 208 passing yards while forcing him to throw three interceptions and take six sacks.

This Saturday, the Hokies will be tasked with stopping West Virginia senior quarterback Jarret Doege, who threw three touchdowns last week against Long Island. Prior to that, the last time Doege had three touchdown passes was against Kansas in Oct. 2020.

With 14 passing touchdowns, Doege didnt light up the scoreboard last season, but he only threw four interceptions. His ability to avoid a big mistake will be key for West Virginia snapping its losing streak in this rivalry.

For Virginia Tech, establishing a more consistent ground attack to go with Burmeister will be a major factor. Thats true not only this week but for the entire season. The Hokies are fifth in the ACC with 351 rushing yards through two weeks, but Burmeister leads the team with 94 rushing yards. Junior running backs Jalen Holston and Raheem Blackshear are averaging 3.8 yards per carry.

The Hokies dont play a flashy brand of football. Thats perfectly fine, but grinding out wins is a lot easier with a good running attack.

Despite Virginia Techs ranking, this matchup has the potential to be very close. Competitive contests is something this rivalry has been missing a little as of late — only one of their last seven meetings have been decided by less than six points.

But for fans of old Big East football, this is a must-see game.

Prediction: Virginia Tech 24, West Virginia 20