Virginia Tech's Clash With Miami Could Be One Of College Football's Best Games in 2026

Virginia Tech has a chance for a big year one under James Franklin and the game against Miami

Nov 22, 2025; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies running back Jeffrey Overton (16) runs in for the touchdown against Miami (FL) Hurricanes defensive back Dylan Day (23) during the third quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

Virginia Tech has had a very successful offseason.

Does that mean that they are going to have instant success on the field in 2026? No, but the Hokies have put themselves in a great position to win instantly in James Franklin's first season in Blacksburg.

The success for Virginia Tech started when they hired Franklin to take over the program. It was a big win for the Hokies to have one of the most accomplished coaches in the country and he delivered on upgrading the roster. The Hokies went from having a recruiting class ranked outside the top 100 before Franklin arrived to finishing with one of the ACC's top classes.

Things did not stop there though. Virginia Tech brought in one of the top transfer portal classes in the conference as well. That does not guarantee that Franklin is going to have the Hokies in the College Football Playoff next season, but he is in a position to make that possible.

Big Test

Dating back to their days in the Big East, games between Virginia Tech and Miami have had typically had a lot on the line. That has not been the case for some years now, but with Franklin as the head man in Blacksburg and Miami fresh off of a national championship appearance, the rivalry has a chance to mean something once more.

This years game will take place late in the season in Miami and CBS Sports analyst Brad Crawford thinks it is one of the top 26 games of the upcoming college football season:

23. Virginia Tech at Miami, Nov. 20

"Anyone else buying stock in James Franklin's first season with the Hokies? There's a small chance Virginia Tech is 7-0 going to Clemson at the end of October, thanks to a favorable early slate. By then, the Hokies will no longer be disguised under the cloak of anonymity as a team in the ACC driver's seat. And for Miami to match last season's success under Mario Cristobal, it may take a league championship to get there before the final CFP reveal"

Miami has reloaded this offseason and will be the heavy favorites in the ACC to begin the season. While there are question marks about the Hokies roster, don't sell them short when it comes to being in the mix in the conference.

If Virginia Tech is somehow able to pull off an upset against the Hurricanes, it would be the first win over Miami since the 2019 season. The Hurricanes have had the upper hand in this rivalry since the decade began and Franklin is going to have an early chance to turn things around quickly.

Other games of note on UVA's 2026 schedule include the rivalry clash with Virginia, a matchup with SMU, and a road trip to Clemson. It is not the easiest schedule in the ACC, but there is a question as to who is going to challenge Miami in the conference. It could be Franklin and the Hokies.