SMQ: 5 teams that could win a first national championship soon

Virginia Tech has been a stalwart among the top teams in the ACC since the Hokies moved over from the Big East over a decade ago. What the Hokies have not managed to do, though, is return to the national title game over the past decade and a half. The last time Virginia Tech was in the national title game, the BCS was in just its second season and Bill Clinton was still president.

Under Frank Beamer, the Hokies were regularly the best team in the ACC Coastal. That trend has been maintained by new head coach Justin Fuente, who enters his third season in Blacksburg since coming over from Memphis following the 2015 campaign with the Tigers. Fuente won the division in 2016, then fell two games short of Miami last year.

Florida State and Clemson both managed to win national championships in recent years. When that is taken into account, there is no inherent roadblock preventing the Hokies from making a similar turnaround.

Thanks to improvement from teams like Miami, the increased degree of difficulty in the Coastal will only bolster the ACC champion’s case for inclusion in the College Football Playoff. All Virginia Tech needs to do is win the conference again and the program will be right in position to play again for its first national championship.