It's hard to believe, but the 2026 college football season is here in terms of camps opening across the country. As far as Virginia Tech goes, it'll be the first season for the Hokies under James Franklin, who was hired back in mid-November after he was fired from Penn State.
Who knows what the 2026 season will bring for Virginia Tech under Franklin? One thing is for sure: the former Vanderbilt and Penn State coach has never won fewer than six games in a season when he's been the head coach. That's saying something in the SEC and Big Ten. If Virginia Tech wins six games in 2026, that would mean they double their win total from 2025 and become bowl-eligible.
Chris Hummer of CBS Sports listed some teams that are poised for a big rise or a big fall from their win totals at FanDuel. As far as the Hokies go, you can guess which direction he has the Hokies going this fall.
CBS Sports has Virginia Tech poised for big rise in win total for 2026 season
Virginia Tech's over/under win total for the 2026 campaign is 6.5, according to FanDuel. Hummer believes that the Hokies are going to make at least a two-win jump, which isn't saying much, if we're being honest as Tech fans would hope that it's a bigger jump than just a pair of games.
"The schedule is favorable other than road trips to SMU, Miami and Clemson. Frankly, when a team is trying to stack wins, it's in some ways better to have the tough games on the road. It makes the home games that you should win easier,'' wrote Hummer.
If there is any good news, it's that those road games are on the back half of their schedule and there are some winnable home games this fall. However, there are also other factors as to why the Hokies can't at least double their win total this season.
Franklin completed a roster overhaul, but he also retained some key players from the 2025 team. Some of those players are very impactful players who are primed for a huge 2026 season, and they're players on both sides of the ball.
"Also, Virginia Tech returns a ton of experience. Fourteen starters are back and reinforced with 27 transfers, including a bounty of talent that came with Franklin from Penn State,'' added Hummer.
Should expectations be ACC Championship Game or bust? Absolutely not, not in Franklin's first season in Blacksburg. Could they be a contender in the not-too-distant future? Yes, but it's not going to happen overnight. Regardless, anything less than five wins in 2026 would be considered a disappointment. The bar to surpass last season's win total isn't high, to say the least.
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