When the ACC released the 2026 football schedules, one thing that stuck out was how tough Virginia Tech's was. We knew the opponents before the dates were announced, but we just didn't know the order of games.
When the full schedule was released, and the Hokies picked up a ninth ACC game, it was eye-opening the way the schedule finishes in the month of November for the second straight season. It's going to be a gaunlet for James Franklin's first season in Blacksburg. How tough? Well, based off of college football guru Phil Steele, it's going to be daunting.
Phil Steele's ACC predictions hammer home how difficult Virginia Tech's football schedule is
Steele dropped his ACC predictions for the 2026 season, he picked the Hokies to tie for seventh place. That's not even the biggest part of the story. Five of the six teams predicted to finish above them are on the Hokies' schedule this season.
In order of predicted finish, Miami, SMU, Clemson, Louisville, Pittsburgh, and Virginia are all higher than Franklin's team. The first three teams, Miami, SMU, and Clemson, are road games, with the Hurricanes and Mustangs being on the road in November. Virginia Tech will visit Clemson in late October. Pitt will visit in early October, and UVA will be played on Thanksgiving Weekend.
Just the backend of the schedule will make the front end of the schedule more meaningful. The Hokies are looking to rebound from a dismal 3-9 2025 season, and really, the bar isn't too high in Franklin's first season. The first four weeks, VMI, Old Dominion, Maryland, and Boston College, the latter two being road games, are just as important as the backend against SMU, Stanford, Miami, and Virginia.
Nobody said it was going to be easy, and if there is someone who can lead Virginia Tech through that schedule, it's Franklin. If the Hokies are going to survive the backend of the schedule and become bowl-eligible, that puts the first four weeks under a big microscope. We are less than two months from the season beginning, and fans can't wait for it to get here.
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