When James Franklin was hired at Virginia Tech, he was brought in to turn around a once-proud program. After a dismal 3-9 2025 season following the firing of former head coach Brent Pry after a Week 3 loss at home to Old Dominion, the Virginia Tech search committee went right after Franklin as soon as he was fired last October at Penn State.
In mid-November, he was officially hired in Blacksburg, and he is already making a major impact just seven games into his tenure. He has the Hokies at 5-2, and really, a couple of made field goals, and they would be 7-0. However, after beating Georgia Tech at home this past weekend, Virginia Tech will begin a daunting stretch with their final five games of the season on Saturday night when they travel to South Carolina to face Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers.
Virginia Tech is one of a handful of teams across the country who has yet to have their bye in 2026, and after facing the Tigers, they will get that bye Halloween Weekend before a stretch in November that includes road games at SMU and Miami, with home games against Stanford and Virginia sandwiched in.
The Hokies need one more win to become bowl-eligible in Franklin's first season in Blacksburg, and it feels like only a matter of when, not if. However, if there is one thing we have learned this season in college football, expect the unexpected.
When DraftKings released their lines for the Week 8 games, the Hokies began as a surprising favorite of 1.5 points. How quickly things can change. In just 24 hours, the line went from that to the Tigers as a 2.5-point favorite. If we're being honest, it wouldn't be surprising to see it jump even higher before kickoff under the lights on Saturday night. Given how the Virginia Tech secondary has played, it would be stunning if it wasn't up to almost a touchdown by kickoff.
Here is all the information needed for the game, including how to watch, injuries, and more.
How to watch Virginia Tech vs. Clemson Week 8
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 24
- Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Memorial Stadium
- How to Watch (TV): ESPN
- Streaming: fubo TV
- Virginia Tech record: 5-2 (2-2 ACC)
- Clemson record: 4-2 (2-1 ACC)
Announcers for Virginia Tech vs. Clemson
- Play-by-play: Roy Philpott
- Analyst: Brock Osweiler
- Sideline:
Virginia Tech vs. Clemson: odds, spread, and total
Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook
Moneyline
- Clemson (-148)
- Virginia Tech (+124)
Spread
- Clemson -2.5 (-120)
- Virginia Tech +2.5 (+100)
Total
- 49.5 (over -105/under -110)
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Weather forecast in Clemson
Sunny, high of 67 with winds 10 to 15 MPH.
Virginia Tech vs. Clemson series history
- All-time meetings: 38
- Virginia Tech all-time record vs. Clemson: 12-24-1
- Last meeting: 2024 - Clemson 24, Virginia Tech 14
Add us as a preferred source on Google