In 2014, the then-No. 8 Buckeyes welcomed an unranked Virginia Tech team to the Horseshoe in Columbus. The Hokies defense put on a clinic against Urban Meyer's offense, holding it to just 108 rushing yards while sacking quarterback J.T. Barrett seven times and intercepting him twice in a 35-21 victory.
The Buckeyes shrugged off the defeat for a 13-game run through the remainder of the regular season and the College Football Playoff for a national championship. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech struggled to a 7-6 record.
Now, the No. 1 Bucks head back to Lane Stadium, hoping to exact some revenge. Meyer may be mum on the starting quarterback, but we know the offense will be led by Ezekial Elliot, whose emergence down the stretch of 2014 helped power the Buckeye offense. Defense may be a different story, however, with superstar defensive end Joey Bosa suspended for the game due to a violation of team rules.
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
Radio: Ohio State, Virginia Tech
Online streaming: Watch ESPN
Three big things to know
1. Bringing the wood
Virginia Tech returns one of the nation's best defenses under long-time coordinator Bud Foster. Eight starters are back off of a unit that finished 10th in the S&P+ rankings last season, and led the list in 2013.
2. One of them "good" problems
Ohio State hasn't named its starting quarterback yet, as Barrett and 2014 playoff hero Cardale Jones are still in competition for the job. The big question is whether both will play, or if Urban Meyer will let one player separate himself.
3. Getting in the backfield
The Hokies return five players that had at least nine tackles for loss in 2014: defensive ends Dadi Nicolas and Ken Ekanem; tackles Nigel Williams and Corey Marshall; and linebacker Deon Clarke.
Further reading
Ohio State fans can get their fix at Land Grant Holy Land, while Virginia Tech fans can get all they need at Gobbler Country.