Preseason Bowl Projections For Virginia Tech Football: Where Could The Hokies Play?

It is almost game week for Virginia Tech Football.

The Hokies have wrapped up fall camp and are gearing up for their season opener against VMI. Virginia Tech enters the 2026 season as one of the most talked-about teams in the ACC following their hire of former Penn State head coach James Franklin this offseason, but how quickly can he turn the Hokies into ACC contenders? Will they be in the running to get to Charlotte this season or will this be a year where Franklin sets the foundation for years to come in Blacksburg.

Preseason projections

With how wide open the ACC race seems to be after Miami, there are a wide variety of places that Virginia Tech could end up. I think they belong in a certain group that could contend for a spot in the ACC Championship game, which could put them in the College Football Playoff if they were to win it, though that is not the most likely outcome.

There are an array of bowl game possibilities for the Hokies and opinions vary on where they will land. Some recent projections from different outlets include:

Kyle Bonagura (ESPN): Sun Bowl vs Arizona
Mark Schlabach: Military Bowl vs Tulane
Brad Crawford (CBS)- Holiday Bowl vs USC

Our projection

While I do not have the Hokies making the ACC Championship game, I think they reach eight wins this season and get to the Holiday Bowl, which is one of the best bowl destinations in the ACC. For their opponent, the Holiday Bowl is still tied to the old Pac-12 and I think they end up facing Washington, who is a darkhorse contender in the Big Ten this season and has one of the best quarterbacks in the country, Demond Williams Jr.

Would this be an acceptable year one for Franklin at Virginia Tech? I would argue yes.

While Franklin was brought to Blacksburg to do bigger things and to make Virginia Tech an annual contender in the ACC. it might not happen instantly. The Hokies have the pieces to be a team in contention for a spot in the ACC Championship, but that might be more of an indictment of the uncertainty in the ACC than anything. This is going to be an improved team without a doubt, but there is still uncertainty just over how good they will be.

The Hokies season begins Sept. 5th against VMI. The game will be televised on ACC Network and is set for a 7:30 kickoff.

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