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Paul Finebaum Reveals Former College Football Powerhouse He Wants to See Return

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Aug 23, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The 2025 college football season begins on Saturday, bringing excitement as fans anticipate which team will win the national championship.

This is a great opportunity for programs to return to their former glory. The Virginia Tech Hokies were once one of the top programs in the country in the early 2000s. However, they have faced challenging times recently, having not won more than seven games in a season since 2 019. In fact, they have only had one 10-win season since 2012.

The Hokies are entering the fourth season with Brent Pry at the helm, and the head coach has a 16-21 record. The team made progress in 2023 by finishing 7-6 but took a step backward last season with a 6-7 record. On "The Paul Finebaum Show," the SEC Network analyst expressed hope that the Hokies will return to prominence soon.

"I hope they're back," Finebaum said. "I've always been a big fan of Virginia Tech."

ESPN's Football Power Index Predicts Strong Season For Virginia Tech

ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) predicts that Virginia Tech will have a strong bounce-back season in 2025. According to the FPI, Virginia Tech is expected to achieve an 8-4 record this season, marking its best performance since 2019. This would earn the team a fourth-place finish in the ACC, behind only the Clemson Tigers, Miami Hurricanes and SMU Mustangs.

The FPI ranks the Hokies as the 31st-best team, giving them an 8.6% chance to win the ACC. Additionally, the Hokies have a reasonable chance of reaching their first College Football Playoff, with a 10.3% probability.

Virginia Tech Has Tough Schedule to Manage

For the Hokies to achieve an 8-4 record, as predicted by the FPI, they must navigate a challenging schedule. According to Athlon Sports' Kyle Wood, this schedule is the eighth hardest in the ACC for the upcoming season.

Wood emphasized the importance of the opening neutral-site game against the South Carolina Gamecocks in Atlanta. The following week, Virginia Tech will compete against another SEC opponent, the Vanderbilt Commodores, in Blacksburg. After these matchups, the nonconference schedule eases up before ACC play begins in late September.

Wood believes that the league schedule will become easier for the Hokies. The Hokies will not play against Clemson or SMU, and their two toughest ACC matchups — against the Hurricanes and the Louisville Cardinals — are both at home. The most challenging away game for the Hokies is a midseason trip to face the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Virginia Tech will face South Carolina at 3 p.m. ET on Aug. 31 to open a season full of optimism.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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