The fundamental truth is that modern college football management is going to dealing with the Transfer Portal, both in and out of the roster. That court mandated element has changed bowl season almost as much as the increase of the number of bowls available, and the resulting decrease in the relative quality of the teams showing up in the bowls to play.
In the case of the 2023 Military Bowl, Virginia Tech went from a probable slight underdog or pick ‘em candidate to a 10.5-point favorite. The revitalized and invigorated Hokies return almost their entire roster for the game in Annapolis, MD.