After a couple of months on the job, James Franklin got his first Virginia Tech football schedule last week. This year, all ACC schools must play 10 Power 4 opponents, and if a school is playing only one in their non-conference slate, then they must play a ninth ACC game.
Virginia Tech is one of those teams that is picking up an extra conference game. The Hokies dropped James Madison from their schedule and picked up an away game at SMU next fall as the 10th power conference opponent. Now that the dates and opponents have been set, let's take a way-too-early prediction for Virginia Tech's 2026 record.
Is Virginia Tech headed for a bowl game in 2026?
Sept. 5: vs. VMI - Win
The James Franklin era begins with a win at home over VMI. It would have been easy for the Hokies to cancel this game rather than JMU, but they decided to dump the Dukes.
Sept. 12: vs. Old Dominion - Win
Everyone remembers what ODU did to the Hokies back in September, ending Brent Pry's tenure as head coach in Blacksburg with a 45-26 beatdown of Virginia Tech. It shouldn't take much to get the returning players up for this one.
Sept. 19: at Maryland - Win
The first road game of the Franklin era will be a familiar one at Maryland for the former Penn State coach. This will be a closer game than some think.
Sept. 26: at Boston College - Win
The ACC slate kicks off in Chestnut Hill with a game against the Eagles in what should be a win. Virginia Tech couldn't have asked for a better way to begin conference play.
Oct. 2: vs. Pittsburgh - Win
The first of three Friday night games for the Hokies is the home ACC opener against the Panthers. Four games into the season, things should be clicking for Virginia Tech by now.
Oct. 10: at California - Win
The Hokies and Golden Bears had a fun overtime game in Blacksburg back in October for Tech's third and final win of the 2025 season. Another close game in Northern California will go Virginia Tech's way.
Oct. 17: vs. Georgia Tech - Loss
A rematch of last season's grudge match in Atlanta that the Yellow Jackets won going away will go Brent Key's way in 2026, this time in Blacksburg.
Oct. 24: at Clemson - Loss
You have to think that Dabo Swinney and the Tigers will be back with a vengeance in 2026. Playing at Clemson will be a tall task for the new-look Hokies and lead to a second straight loss.
Nov. 6 or 7: at SMU - Loss
All signs point to this being a Friday night game in Dallas against a tough Mustangs team. This is not an easy backend of the conference schedule for Franklin and his team.
Nov. 14: vs. Stanford - Win
The Cardinal will make the cross-country flight for a Saturday game in Blacksburg in mid-November. This is ripe for the Hokies to collect another home win in 2026.
Nov. 20: at Miami - Loss
Miami is loading up for another run in 2026, and they are, on paper, the clear class of the conference. Virginia Tech will have its work cut out for itself if it is going to close at the end against the Hurricanes.
Nov. 28: vs. Virginia - Win
What a season for the Cavaliers last year. Clearly, their win over the Hokies was their ACC Championship Game after losing to Duke in the ACC title game a week later. Virginia will never have as easy a path to the College Football Playoff as it had in 2025. They swung and missed. Yikes.
2026 Season Prediction: 8-4
It will be interesting to see how everything ends up going in Franklin's first season. They should be bowl-eligible with ease, and eight wins in his first season in Blacksburg would be a big step in the right direction for the program. With the schedule they have, the ACC Championship Game is very unlikely in Year 1.