Hokies enter season ranked 22nd in Coaches Poll

USA Today released their Preseason Coaches Poll today, and the Virginia Tech Hokies landed in the Top 25

The Virginia Tech Hokies have landed in the USA Today Preseason Amway Coaches Poll, entering the 2017-18 season ranked 22nd in the country.

Coming off of a 10-4 campaign in Justin Fuente’s first season at the helm, expectations are high for the Hokies heading into year two. Despite losing starting talent on the offensive side of the football, the program returns nearly every starter from last year’s defense, which was one of the best units in the ACC.

The Hokies landed two spots behind their week one opponent, the West Virginia Mountaineers, who will begin the season as the nation’s 20th-ranked program. Virginia Tech is the last of five ACC programs in the Top 25, joining #18 Miami, #17 Louisville, #5 Clemson, and #3 Florida State. The Hokies will face two of those opponents in the regular season, as they square off with Clemson in Blacksburg on September 30th and Miami on the road on November 4th.

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Virginia Tech finished last season as the 16th-ranked program in the country, which was the highest end of season ranking for the Hokies since 2010. As reigning Coastal Division champions, the Hokies will be looking to improve on the strong first season under Justin Fuente as they foster high expectations in the new year.

Here’s the full poll:

1 Alabama

2 Ohio State

3 Florida State

4 Southern California

5 Clemson

6 Penn State

7 Washington

8 Oklahoma

9 Michigan

10 Wisconsin

11 Oklahoma State

12 Louisiana State

13 Auburn

14 Stanford

15 Georgia

16 Florida

17 Louisville

18 Miami

19 Kansas State

20 West Virginia

21 South Florida

22 Virginia Tech

23 Texas

24 Tennessee

25 Utah