Virginia Tech Football 2026 Schedule Outlook and Analysis

The Good

Old Dominion is no pushover - the Hokies lost 45-26 last year - starting out with VMI, ODU, at Maryland, and at Boston College is manageable. The ACC road games are spread out, but ...

The Bad

After dealing with ODU, three of the next four games are on the road. Worse yet, there's a long trip to Cal before coming back to deal with Georgia Tech, and then a date at Clemson.

There's a week off after that, but a date at SMU won't be easy, and ...

What ACC Teams Virginia Tech Will Miss

Duke, Florida State, Louisville, North Carolina, NC State, Syracuse, Wake Forest.

Having to go to Miami will be a bear - obviously, and dates at Cal, SMU, and Clemson are rough. However, missing Florida State is always good, and there isn't a team the Hokies miss that won't be dangerous this year.

Virginia Tech’s Best and Worst Case Scenarios in 2026

Best Case: 4-0 to get it going

Virginia Tech appears to be desperate for any positive momentum. Starting the season 4-0 isn't asking for the world, and if it does that, the national attention will be on Franklin, and it will all be positive.

The team will have won more games than it did in 2025, and at the very least, the bar is set at a winning season.

Worst Case: The early run of road games hurts

The Hokies lose at Maryland, struggle at Boston College, and have a hard time with the long trip to Cal. At realistic worst, they're 2-4 to start the season, and then the hard part of the slate kicks in.

It's not 3-9 again, but it's not much better.

Virginia Tech Football 2026 Schedule

Sept 5 VMI
Sept 12 Old Dominion
Sept 19 at Maryland
Sept 26 at Boston College
Oct 2 Pitt
Oct 10 at Cal
Oct 17 Georgia Tech
Oct 24 at Clemson
Oct 31 OPEN DATE
Nov 7 at SMU
Nov 14 Stanford
Nov 20 at Miami
Nov 28 Virginia 

Games That Will Decide Virginia Tech’s Season

1. Virginia, Nov. 28. You have to beat Virginia if you're the Virginia Tech head coach. And, most likely, this will be a make-or-break moment to get to six wins and a bowl.

2. Old Dominion, Sept. 12. Again, momentum, momentum, momentum. After the Hokies got walloped by the Monarchs last year, winning this would be a clear signal that it's a new year and a new program. 

3. at Miami, Nov. 20. Remember, Virginia Tech really did win - it got hosed - against Miami two years ago. This will be a rebuilding year, but this is the second-to-last game of the regular season. How far will the Hokies have come by this point in Franklin's first year?