Maybe the biggest understatement of the 2026 college football season is that there is nowhere to go but up for Virginia Tech. After nearly a decade of mediocrity, the program made the biggest coaching splash in the latest cycle, securing former Penn State coach James Franklin.
After underperforming tenures from Justin Fuente and Brent Pry, the Virginia Tech search committee struck gold with Franklin. Not only did they get Franklin as the next head coach, but they are also investing more into the football program, something that is long overdue.
The results on the field have nowhere to go but up after a dreadful 3-9 season in 2025. Since the season ended in Charlottesville last Thanksgiving Weekend, there have been some massive changes for the Hokies program. They are all for the better and should pay off in a winning season and a trip to a bowl game. Brad Crawford of CBS Sports dropped his latest College Football Bowl Projections for the 2026 season, and he had an interesting one for the Hokies.
Virginia Tech gets interesting bowl projection from CBS Sports
The Hokies made a bowl game in 2023 and 2024 in what were two very different feeling seasons. The 2023 bowl game was one where the program appeared to take a step forward by rallying late in the season to become bowl-eligible. They ended it with a win over Tulane in the Military Bowl.
In 2024, it was a disappointing season that saw Virginia Tech needing to beat the Cavaliers Thanksgiving Weekend just to be bowl-eligible. They lost to Minnesota in the Duke's May Bowl with a shorthanded roster.
Yes, there is not a lot of stock put into bowl projections in May, but for fun, Crawford has the Hokies this upcoming season ending in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego against Arizona State out of the Big 12. That would be quite the matchup. One note about the matchup, according to Crawford,
"With that tie-in disclaimer, the newly formed Pac-12 -- Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State -- will also include former Pac-12 teams that are in other Power Four conferences for bowl purposes. So, Arizona State, for instance, is considered a Pac-12 legacy and will not play in a Big 12-based bowl game next season,'' Crawford wrote.
If that were to be the matchup, it would pit two good head coaches who were hot commodities this season in the coaching carousel, despite Kenny Dillingham staying at Arizona State. His name was linked to the Penn State opening after Franklin was fired. It clearly never materialized.
Getting Virginia Tech back to a bowl game this season is what Franklin would love to have as a cherry on top of a season where the program looks to make major strides quickly under him. Nothing like bowl projections in May to get the juices flowing. Tell me Hokies wouldn't love a trip to Southern California around the New Year?
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