Did Virginia Tech's Loss to Florida State Destroy Their NCAA Tournament Hopes?

Virginia Tech had momentum towards an at large bid in the NCAA Tournament, but a blowout loss to Florida State put a dimmer in those hopes

Feb 14, 2026; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies guard Neoklis Avdalas (17) shoots shoots as Florida State Seminoles guard Xavier Osceola (11) defends during the second half at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

Just when it looked like Virginia Tech finally had the momentum towards securing an at large bid for the NCAA Tournament, they had a performance against Florida State that ruined all of that momentum.

Coming off its biggest win of the year against Clemson, Virginia Tech had arguably its worst performance of the season. While the Seminoles are better than their record suggests, losing to this team by 23 points is the exact kind of performance that Mike Young's team could not afford. The question is, does this completely ruin the Hokies chances of making the big dance?

Looking at the resume

Feb 14, 2026; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Mike Young cheers for his team during the second half at Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

Right now, Virginia Tech is 56th in the NCAA's Net Rankings, with a 3-7 record against Quad 1 opponents. The Hokies fell to 65th in the KenPom rankings after their loss yesterday.

I would argue that Virginia Tech is still alive, though barely. Right now, they are considered among the "next four out" in the bracketology projections, but there are still chances for them to add to their resume.

Virginia Tech still has a chance to get three quad one wins, starting this week when they face Miami. The Hokies still have games against North Carolina and Virginia as well. If they can win all three, without suffering another poor loss, and win a game in the ACC Tournament, the Hokies are going to have a real case to be included in the tournament.

What if they don't win out though? Would a 2-1 record in those games be good enough? They don't need to leave it to chance.

CBS Sports David Cobb named Virginia Tech one of the biggest losers of the weekend:

"Virginia Tech entered the day as one of the First Four Out of the NCAA Tournament field in CBS Sports Bracketology after its at-large hopes picked up significant steam Wednesday night in a win at Clemson. That upset victory was worth a meaty 0.78 points in WAB, which is an important metric the NCAA Tournament selection committee uses in evaluating a team's resume. But the Hokies turned around and gave it all back on Saturday -- and then some -- while getting run off their own floor late in a 92-69 loss to Florida State.

The Quad 3 defeat will be tough for the Hokies to overcome in their quest to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022. Big opportunities at Miami (Feb. 17), at North Carolina (Feb. 28) and at Virginia (March 7) still await, and now they loom even larger than before. After faltering at home to lower-tier ACC foe, the Hokies will likely need to win a couple of those"

Their backs are against the wall now after their loss to Florida State yesterday. How will Virginia Tech respond to the pressure?