ESPN College Football

Virginia Tech's matchup with Maryland (7:45 p.m. ET, ESPN) is huge for both teams, as the Hokies control their own destiny in the ACC and will claim the league championship if they win out while the Terps need to win out to become bowl eligible.

Virginia Tech was picked to finish sixth in the ACC but has matured and gotten much better as the year has gone on. The real tipping point for the Hokies was a 34-20 win at Georgia Tech in which they overcame a 17-7 halftime deficit and went on to a 34-20 win. That gave the team the confidence necessary to make a championship run at the end of the year.

Maryland, on the other hand, has struggled for most of the year, especially on offense. The Terrapins seemed to have found themselves after a win over Florida State stopped a three-game skid, but they turned around and got shutout by Virginia the following week and now need to beat the Hokies and Wake Forest just to make a bowl. That's a tough year for a team that won 10 games in each of coach Ralph Friedgen's first three years.

When Maryland has the ball...

The success of Friedgen's offensive system in his tenure at Maryland spoiled fans and had them thinking this year would be like any other despite considerable losses. That hasn't been the case, though, with the Terps currently ranking 103rd in the nation in total offense (309.6 ypg).

Maryland has been banged up along the offensive front and has not been able to run the ball well all year, and with quarterback Joel Statham's inconsistency and lack of versatility the offense has not had enough variety to be dangerous.

The key in this game will be getting running back Josh Allen going against a much-improved defense to take some pressure off Statham. If the Terps can get into manageable third-and-short situations they have a chance, but if they get into long-yardage situations on third down it could be a long night.

Virginia Tech's defense is playing much better down the stretch than in recent years thanks to the fact that they have stayed healthy for the most part and are playing well as a group, not individually. The Hokies currently rank sixth in the nation in scoring defense (13.9 ppg) and eighth in total defense (277.7).

A big reason for those numbers is the improvement of the front four. That unit has been able to pressure the quarterback without much help from the blitz and is also playing the run much better, consistently winning the battle at the line of scrimmage.

Defensive end Jim Davis is battling a flu but but is still a player to watch, along with team sack leader linebacker Darryl Tapp, who will be coming off the edge trying to add to his 7.5 sacks so far. And also keep an eye on freshman linebacker Nathaniel Adibi, who had surgery on a torn bicep after the USC game but is now nearly full strength.

Tech has also gotten good play from its secondary this year, especially from outstanding corners Jimmy Williams and Eric Green, who will be hoping to shut down the Maryland receivers.

When Virginia Tech has the ball...
Quarterback Bryan Randall is enjoying an outstanding senior year after a slow start thanks to rapid improvement from a group of receivers that includes four freshmen and a sophomore. True freshman Eddie Royal has been the best, leading the team with 21 catches for a phenomenal average of 17.5 yards.

Randall has also enjoyed help from running back Mike Imoh, who sat out the first three games of the year but has rushed for 651 yards in the last three games. He is coming off a school-record 243 yards in the North Carolina game and has given the offense the necessary balance since his return.

Imoh and Cedric Humes will attempt to establish themselves so the Hokies can run play-action passes, getting Randall out on bootlegs and nakeds where he likes to involve the tight ends.

On the other side, Maryland's defense has been the bright spot for the Terps this year. Defensive coordinator Gary Blackney's scheme is very aggressive and led by middle linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, maybe the best middle linebacker in the nation and a big-time warrior. He and Imoh will get to know each other very well tonight.

Defensive end Shawn Merriman has been Maryland's best player up front, leading the team with six sacks and ranking second with 69 tackles. Cornerback Domonique Foxworth is the best player in the secondary and because of his skill has not been tested much this year, but his likely matchup with Eddie Royal will be one to watch.

The biggest goal, though, will be to stop Imoh, so look for safety Chris Kelley to be down close to the line of scrimmage most of the night.

Kirk Herbstreit is an analyst for ESPN's College GameDay and a regular contributor to ESPN.com during the college football season.