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.
2009 ACC Championship Game
Georgia Tech's win brought it to a record of 11–2, while Clemson's loss dropped it to 8–5. The win ensured Georgia Tech's first outright conference championship since 1990, and as a reward for winning the conference, Georgia Tech received a spot in the 2010 Orange Bowl, a Bowl Championship Series game. In that game, the Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the Yellow Jackets, 24–14. Clemson also was selected to participate in a postseason bowl game. The Music City Bowl, played in Nashville, Tennessee, selected the Tigers to play against the Kentucky Wildcats. In that game, the Tigers defeated the Wildcats, 21–13.