When Virginia Tech fired Brent Pry after a Week 3 loss at home to Old Dominion, it came as little surprise to the fanbase and anyone who follows the program. Things were not heading in the right direction. However, things went in a different direction shortly after.
Penn State fired James Franklin after the Nittany Lions suffered a third straight loss, this time to Northwestern, to drop them to 3-3. About six weeks later, after several rumors, Virginia Tech's search committee completed its search for its next head coach, hiring Franklin. It was a hiring that fired up the fanbase.
Now I know, results on the field matter, and we need to see results on the field, but you can't deny that the Hokies are finally heading in the right direction. After the College Football Playoff played out and the dust settled, Indiana beat Miami to claim the title, leaving Virginia Tech fans asking, 'Why not us?'
That is a reference to Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti taking over just two years ago in Bloomington and turning things around to win a Natty in two short years. Virginia Tech fans can dream. Anything is possible in this day and age in college football.
Transfer Portal overhaul
When Franklin was hired, you knew a massive roster overhaul was coming. It needed to be done. Some players hit the portal to leave Blacksburg, including linebacker Caleb Woodson (Alabama), quarterback Pop Watson (UMass), and cornerback Dante Lovett (UCLA), who found new homes.
On the flip side, Franklin was able to secure a dozen portal commitments from former Penn State players, something the fanbase told Virginia Tech fans would never be done. Go figure. We'll see how things play out, but it is a good start, along with the talented incoming freshmen Class of 2026.
Schedule change explained
So, for the Penn State fans out there that are not paying attention, let's make it easy to understand for you. Virginia Tech dropped James Madison from its 2026 schedule due to the ACC requiring all conference teams to play 10 Power 4 conference opponents. That meant the Hokies went up to nine ACC games, and Maryland remained on the non-conference schedule as the 10th Power 4 game. Nittany Lions fans, who for some reason can't go a day without commenting on Franklin, think he's ducking the Dukes. That's not the case. Maybe one day Penn State fans will stop obsessively tweeting about Franklin and move on. Maybe.