ACC: Has Virginia Tech's home field advantage been exaggerated?

Lane Stadium provides Virginia Tech with one of the best home field atmospheres in the country. Once the Hokies take the field to Metallica's "Enter Sandman," the crowd is electric, and opposing quarterbacks can barely hear themselves think.

The Hokies welcome Georgia Tech on Monday for a primetime game at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. Virginia Tech is a seven-point favorite and not many will pick against the Hokies playing a night game in Blacksburg.

When thinking of night games in Lane Stadium, former Hokies QB Michael Vick comes to mind, torching Syracuse 62-0 and Miami 43-10 during the 1999 season that ended with a berth in the national championship game. Or 2003, when Virginia Tech rolled No. 2 Miami 31-7, coach Frank Beamer's lone win over a top five team.

But has the home field advantage Virginia Tech enjoys, especially for night games, been exaggerated in recent years? A look at the results suggests maybe it has been.

Since 2007, Virginia Tech is 4-3 in home night games and just 1-6 against the spread in Vegas. All four of Virginia Tech's victories have been by 11 points or less. Furthermore, Virginia Tech has led after the first quarter in just one of those seven games, which was against Maryland in 2008.

Still, Lane Stadium has Georgia Tech's full respect. Yellow Jackets G Will Jackson told reporters earlier this week, “Lane Stadium seats 70,000, but it sounds like 170,000.”

Here are the home games Virginia Tech has played after 5 p.m. since 2007:

• Oct. 25, 2007 -- Boston College 14, Virginia Tech 10: Eagles QB Matt Ryan broke Virginia Tech's heart, throwing two touchdown passes in the final 2:11 to steal a victory on a Thursday night.

• Nov. 6, 2008 -- Virginia Tech 23, Maryland 13: Hokies RB Darren Evans had 253 rushing yards, and the Hokies led 17-3 at halftime.

• Nov. 22, 2008 -- Virginia Tech 14, Duke 3: Virginia Tech CB Macho Harris returned an interception for a touchdown with 1:23 left in the game to seal the victory against a Duke team that won four games and started its backup quarterback.

• Oct. 29, 2009 -- North Carolina 20, Virginia Tech 17: Hokies RB Ryan Williams fumbled late in the fourth quarter, and North Carolina K Casey Barth made a 21-yard field goal as time expired to give the Tar Heels the win.

• Nov. 4, 2010 -- Virginia Tech 28, Georgia Tech 21: Virginia Tech RB David Wilson returned a kickoff for a touchdown with 2:23 to play. Georgia Tech jumped out to a 14-0 lead, and starting QB Joshua Nesbitt missed the second half due to injury.

• Oct. 1, 2011 -- Clemson 23, Virginia Tech 3: This was the first of two lopsided losses to the Tigers in 2011. QB Logan Thomas was sacked four times and didn't complete a pass longer than 16 yards.

• Nov. 17, 2011 -- Virginia Tech 24, North Carolina 21: Virginia Tech led 24-7 before North Carolina made it interesting in the fourth quarter. However, Tar Heels RB Giovani Bernard was injured in the second quarter when the game was 10-7 and missed the rest of the game.

For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis from ACC bloggers Shawn Krest and Sean Bielawski, follow @CBSSportsACC.