2008 ACC Championship Game - Postgame Effects

Postgame Effects

Virginia Tech's win in the ACC Championship Game brought it to a 9–4 record, while Boston College's loss brought it also to a 9–4 record. Both teams' standings in the national polls were affected by the game. In the BCS poll, the Eagles fell from 17th to 24th, while Virginia Tech rose from 25th to 19th. In the AP Poll, Tech rose to 21st, while Boston College fell out of the poll entirely, appearing in the "also receiving votes" category at 27th. With the win, Virginia Tech was awarded the ACC's automatic Bowl Championship Series bid to the 2009 Orange Bowl. Boston College, meanwhile, was selected to play in the 2008 Music City Bowl. The pick by the Music City Bowl represented a drop in prestige for Boston College. Had the Eagles won the championship game, they would have earned an automatic bid to the Orange Bowl and a payout of $17.5 million. Instead, the Music City Bowl, which offered a payout of $1.7 million, was contractually obliged to select the Eagles after Boston College was not selected by any of the three more prestigious bowl games with ACC ties.

The Music City Bowl took place on December 31, and in a contest against Southeastern Conference opponent Vanderbilt, Boston College lost, 16–13. The loss ended a streak of eight consecutive bowl game wins for Boston College. In the Orange Bowl, Virginia Tech emerged victorious against Big East Conference champion Cincinnati, 20–7. The win was Tech's first BCS bowl game win since 1995, and was the first ACC BCS game win since 2000.