After finishing 3-9 with blowout losses to…“modest” teams like Old Dominion and Florida State, there’s really nowhere to go but up for the Virginia Tech Hokies, and their dreams of doing just that weren’t exactly discouraged by landing a coach as respected as James Franklin.
As a result, VA Tech is one of the biggest names to watch in 2026, but just how good can we realistically expect the Hokies to be?
The simplest way to approximate that is by looking at their upcoming games, as well as where they’re played. Upon doing so, I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a lot that has the potential to go their way, to the point where they could rise from being one of the ACC’s sorriest squads to being one of its mightiest overnight.
Tech’s 2026 path begins with all of its non-conference opponents. One is VMI, another is Old Dominion, and last comes a trek into Maryland. The Keydets are, of course, sure to be outmatched, but contrary to first impressions, the Monarchs and Terrapins have shots at success that aren’t particularly clear themselves.
It was impressive enough for ODU to take down the Hokies on the road in 2025, but now it has to do it again right afterward in 2026, when they are now in significantly better hands? Far from promised. As for Maryland, to say James Franklin knows how to handle Mike Locksley is an understatement, as he has a 5-1 record against him in the latter’s time as head coach of the Terps.
Then there’s the ACC slate, which isn’t easy by any means, but definitely palatable, as some of its toughest games (against the likes of Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, Virginia) see the Hokies with homefield advantage that, again, has the ability to blend with their bump in coaching deliciously. Beyond them are games that stand out as the “softest” of the bunch by obvious means (at Boston College, at California, Stanford) and just a few of what I believe are “near-certain losses” (at Clemson, at SMU, at Miami).
In total, that gives Virginia Tech nine wins that appear, at least in some fashion, substantially plausible. Some may have a vision that is perhaps not as optimistic, but even when taking that into account, this schedule says there’s no good reason to brace for a VT that’s anywhere near as pitiful as last year’s.