Should Virginia Tech Fans Be Optimistic About Returning to a Bowl Game In Year One Under James Franklin?

Virginia Tech missed a bowl game last season, but they have a real chance to return to the post season and maybe beyond in 2026

Nov 22, 2025; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies running back Jeffrey Overton (16) runs the ball for a touchdown during the third quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

Virginia Tech made one of the splashiest hires of the offseason when they landed former Penn State head coach James Franklin to be the new leader of the program. Franklin build one of the most consistent programs in Happy Valley and is looking to resurrect the Hokies into an ACC contender and a player on the national level as well.

So far so good. Franklin seemed to make good hires on his staff, he took a high school class that was ranked outside of the top 100 before he arrived and turned it into a top 25 class, and finished with one of the best transfer portal classes in the ACC. There is still work to be done in Blacksburg, but it looks like Franklin has laid a good foundation to have a strong first season at Virginia Tech.

Bowl game incoming?

With the hire of Franklin and the new talent coming in via the portal and high school ranks, a bowl game should the floor of this team.

When talking about which teams could return to the postseason, CBS Sports analyst Tom Fornelli said Virginia Tech fans should be optimistic about their team getting back:

"Virginia Tech made one of the splashiest hires of the offseason when they landed former Penn State head coach James Franklin to be the new leader of the program. Franklin build one of the most consistent programs in Happy Valley and is looking to resurrect the Hokies into an ACC contender and a player on the national level as well.

So far so good. Franklin seemed to make good hires on his staff, he took a high school class that was ranked outside of the top 100 before he arrived and turned it into a top 25 class, and finished with one of the best transfer portal classes in the ACC. There is still work to be done in Blacksburg, but it looks like Franklin has laid a good foundation to have a strong first season at Virginia Tech."

I think that is a fair expectation. While there is going to be a lot of hype around Franklin and this program heading into the season, they are breaking in a lot of new starters and a lot of young players. They have some challenging road games on the schedule as well (Miami, SMU, and Clemson) and while that might make it tough to get to Charlotte and play in the ACC Championship game, it should not keep the Hokies out of the postseason.