2008 Orange Bowl
In the wake of the Hokies's defeat, Virginia Tech chose to start a new quarterback and a new offensive plan. Behind freshman Tyrod Taylor, the Hokies rolled to five straight victories, including a win over No. 22 Clemson by 18 points. During the winning streak, Sean Glennon, who had started at quarterback for the Hokies during the first two games of the season, returned to alternate possessions with Taylor in an unusual two-quarterback system. On October 25, the Hokies had a chance to make up for their early-season loss to LSU when they faced No. 2 Boston College on a Thursday night in Blacksburg, Virginia. Though the Hokies dominated for most of the game, Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan managed a late-game comeback to win the game 14–10 with 11 seconds remaining.
2007 Texas A&amp;M Aggies football team
This was the second-ever meeting between the Aggies and the Hurricanes. In their first meeting in 1944, the Aggies won 70–14 on the Hurricanes' home field to give the worst loss in Miami's football history. The Aggies have played at the Orange Bowl one other time in the 1944 Orange Bowl game, where they lost to LSU 14–19. It was also the Aggies' first trip to Florida since they lost 14–20 to Florida State in 1968. 1973 marks the last time the Hurricanes lost to a team from Texas at the Orange Bowl. The Hurricanes hold the NCAA record for consecutive home victories at the Orange Bowl from October 1985 to September 1994. They also hold a 31–20 all-time record against teams currently in the Big 12. The game will be the last nonconference game of the season for both teams. Two days prior to the game, Las Vegas casinos favored Miami to win by three points. In CBS Sports' weekly "Expert Picks", two reporters chose A&M to win, while three other reporters chose Miami.