When Virginia Tech joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in the summer of 2004, some of the old guard doubted the Hokies could ever win a league title.

Judging from what's happened in the first third of the conference schedule, the skeptics could be proved wrong. A 64-60 win at Wake Forest on Sunday boosted the 16th-ranked Hokies to 11-2 overall and 5-1 in the ACC, only a half-game behind Virginia for first place.

And with lowly Boston College (3-10, 1-6) visiting Blacksburg, Va., on Wednesday for a conference contest, followed by road games against two more teams with sub-.500 ACC records, Syracuse and Notre Dame, Virginia Tech appears to be in good shape to add to its stretch of seven wins in eight games.