When it comes to James Franklin and the Virginia Tech football team in 2026, expect the unexpected. It could be a tremendous first season for the former Vanderbilt and Penn State coach, or it could be a long one.
Truth be told, Hokies fans would love to see a bowl game this season as Franklin lays the groundwork in Blacksburg for the future. A spot in the ACC Championship Game is something that might be too lofty, and a berth in the College Football Playoff. That will come in time under Franklin.
There is nowhere to go but up for a Virginia Tech program that is coming off a three-win season that saw Brent Pry fired after a Week 3 loss to Old Dominion at home, Franklin was hired in mid-November after being fired by Penn State. Six wins is something that is more than within reach for the Hokies and a bowl game. ESPN and CBS Sports both dropped their latest bowl projections, and for Virginia Tech, there are some matchups that fans would welcome.
Virginia Tech preseason bowl projections have some interesting potential matchups
CBS Sports and ESPN both recently dropped their bowl projections for the 2026 season. Let's start with Brad Crawford and CBS Sports. The veteran scribe has the Hokies playing in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego against Lincoln Riley's USC Trojans. That would be a matchup against a Trojans team that has a lot of questions surrounding them going into the season, which feels like a big one in Southern California.
As for ESPN, Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach have Virginia Tech destined for two different bowls this season. Schlabach has the Hokies playing in the Military Bowl for the second time in four years against Tulane. In 2023, the Hokies rolled to a 41-20 win two days after Christmas. It set the hopes high the following season for Virginia Tech, only to have them crash and fall well below expectations at 6-6.
As for Bonagura, he has a matchup for the Hokies on New Year's Eve afternoon in Texas against Arizona. It would be the second straight Sun Bowl trip for new Virginia Tech wide receiver Que'Sean Brown, who went last season with Duke.
You won't find many Hokies fans who would complain about a bowl assignment this season. Fans are looking to get back to one and have the foundation laid for the future. If Virginia Tech gets to a bowl game, expect a huge following no matter where it is: California, Texas, or Maryland.
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