When the Virginia Tech football team hired James Franklin, it felt like the first time since Frank Beamer's days that they were heading in the right direction. That's not saying much after the Justin Fuente and Brent Pry eras ended the way they did.
However, at the end of the Fuente era and during the Pry era, several concerning trends are not something that Hokies fans are used to. The last time Virginia Tech beat a ranked opponent in the regular season was in 2021. That was a season-opening win over No. 10 North Carolina in Blacksburg.
That is expected to change under Franklin and change quickly. Greg McElroy on the Always College Football podcast believes that a four-year streak of zero regular-season wins over ranked opponents is coming to an end sooner rather than later. However, as McElroy acknowledged, Pry did beat 23rd-ranked Tulane in the Military Bowl in 2023.
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"There is one asterisk, as Virginia Tech did beat 23rd-ranked Tulane in the Military Bowl in December of 2023,'' McElroy said. "Brent Pry said the quiet part himself afterward: 'That was the kind of win they couldn't find in the regular season.' He was right, and it stayed right and cost him his job.''
Can James Franklin end Virginia Tech's four-year winless drought against ranked opponents in the regular season?
McElroy went on to say that Virginia Tech was never ranked during this time frame and plays in one of the loudest stadiums in the country. To have ranked games at home under the lights, you need to be ranked yourself. The Hokies were never ranked under Pry. That's part of the problem.
Enter James Franklin. The days of Virginia Tech not being ranked are going to end and end rather quickly under their new coach and in their era. Now, whether or not the Hokies will have any ranked opponents visit Blacksburg this season remains to be seen, but there will be no shortage of chances to pick up a regular-season ranked win away from Lane Stadium.
If that happens, then it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. If it happens, it's long overdue for Virginia Tech fans to celebrate one of those wins between September and November. And it shouldn't be too long before they are ranked themselves.
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