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1998 Virginia Tech

9–⁠3 (5–⁠2 Big East), coached by Frank Beamer, finished No. 23 in the AP poll.

Schedule and results

Virginia Tech in 1998, game by game: won vs. East Carolina 38–3; won at Clemson 37–0; won at Miami 27–20; won vs. Pittsburgh 27–7; won at Boston College 17–0; lost vs. Temple 24–28; won at UAB 41–0; won vs. No. 21 West Virginia 27–13; lost at Syracuse 26–28; won vs. Rutgers 47–7; lost vs. No. 16 Virginia 32–36; won vs. Alabama 38–7+41−4Won 38–3 vs. East Carolina+35East CarolinaWon 37–0 at Clemson+37ClemsonWon 27–20 at Miami+7MiamiWon 27–7 vs. Pittsburgh+20PittsburghWon 17–0 at Boston College+17Boston CollegeLost 24–28 vs. Temple-4TempleWon 41–0 at UAB+41UABWon 27–13 vs. No. 21 West Virginia+14No. 21 West VirginiaLost 26–28 at Syracuse-2SyracuseWon 47–7 vs. Rutgers+40RutgersLost 32–36 vs. No. 16 Virginia-4No. 16 VirginiaWon 38–7 vs. Alabama+31Alabama
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 5vsEast CarolinaW 38–⁠365%
Sep 12atClemsonW 37–⁠045%
Sep 19atMiamiW 27–⁠2048%
Sep 26vsPittsburghW 27–⁠777%
Oct 8atBoston CollegeW 17–⁠068%
Oct 17vsTempleL 24–⁠2893%
Oct 24atUABW 41–⁠073%
Oct 31vs21West VirginiaW 27–⁠1368%
Nov 14atSyracuseL 26–⁠2846%
Nov 21vsRutgersW 47–⁠788%
Nov 28vs16VirginiaL 32–⁠3657%
Dec 29Bowls & playoffvsAlabamaMusic City BowlW 38–⁠760%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Beat Alabama 38–⁠7 in the Music City Bowl; No. 23 in the final AP poll; tied for 2nd in the Big East.

In program history: The 13th-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 123 on file).

AP poll, week by week

  1. Wk 4: 21
  2. Wk 5: 19
  3. Wk 6: 17
  4. Wk 7: 14
  5. Wk 8: 23
  6. Wk 9: 20
  7. Wk 10: 15
  8. Wk 11: 16
  9. Wk 12: 23
  10. Wk 13: 20
  11. Wk 14: 25
  12. Final: 23

Players on this team

Before 2004 our records hold honors and the draft; these are the players whose college years here, from their Wikipedia articles or their honors, include 1998.

Record
9–⁠3
Conference
5–⁠2 tied for 2nd in Big East
AP final
No. 23 peak No. 14
Points
381–⁠149
Coach
Frank Beamer
Elo
1671 +119 this season
SP+ rating
19.2 No. 14 of 112; offense No. 34, defense No. 10
SRS
18.6 No. 9 of 112 in Division I-A
Recruiting class
—
Offensive coordinator
Rickey Bustle
Defensive coordinator
Bud Foster
Offense
Multiple
Defense
4–⁠4

Drafted in 1999

The 1999 draft
Rd 4Pierson Prioleau DBSan Francisco 49ers
Rd 5Derek Smith OTWashington Redskins

All-Big East

5 first team, 6 second team

First team

Second team

  • Derek SmithOTCoaches-2
  • Dwight VickOGCoaches-2
  • John EngelbergerDLCoaches-2
  • Nat WilliamsDLCoaches-2
  • Jamel SmithLBCoaches-2
  • Keion CarpenterSCoaches-2

From Wikipedia’s 1998 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1998 Big East standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
Syracuse6–⁠18–⁠425
Miami5–⁠29–⁠320
Virginia Tech5–⁠29–⁠323
West Virginia5–⁠28–⁠4
Boston College3–⁠44–⁠7
Rutgers2–⁠55–⁠6
Temple2–⁠52–⁠9
Pittsburgh0–⁠72–⁠9

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.