Virginia Tech’s season has hit its first rough patch under James Franklin, but ESPN’s Football Power Index still sees enough in the Hokies to keep things from spiraling.
After starting 2026 with four straight wins, Virginia Tech has dropped back-to-back games and now sits at 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the ACC. The latest setback came Saturday in a 25-20 loss to Cal, when the Hokies gave up the go-ahead touchdown in the final minute.
A week earlier, Pitt edged them 35-33. Now Virginia Tech is still hunting its first win since Sept.
Even so, FPI is giving the Hokies a workable path through the rest of the schedule. Here’s how the remaining opponents stack up, and what each team is bringing into its next game.
Georgia Tech comes into Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. matchup at 2-3 overall and 1-1 in league play after stopping a three-game skid with a 28-25 win over Duke. Trelain Maddox powered that victory, rushing for 81 yards and three touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 54 seconds left.
The Yellow Jackets had previously fallen 34-27 to Stanford. They’ve lost three of five, while Virginia Tech has not lost consecutive home games this season.
Clemson, meanwhile, is 3-2 and 2-1 in the ACC after taking a 41-13 beating from then-No. 4 Miami on Oct.
- Freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds threw for 295 yards on 29-of-44 passing, and Bryant Wesco Jr. caught nine balls for 152 yards, but it wasn’t nearly enough to keep the Tigers close at home.
Clemson plays Charleston Southern this Saturday before hosting Virginia Tech the following weekend.
SMU is 4-1 and 2-1 after beating Boston College 25-16 on Oct. 3 and then sitting idle last weekend. The Mustangs have a dangerous passing game led by Kevin Jennings, who ranks among the national leaders with 1,588 passing yards, 11th in FBS, and 14 touchdowns, 12th.
Virginia Tech’s win probability in that game is 39.3%, its second-lowest against any remaining opponent. The Hokies also have a bye before heading to Dallas for the Friday night game.
Stanford enters mid-October at 2-4 and 1-2 in the ACC after consecutive blowout losses. The Cardinal were hammered 58-7 by No.
3 Notre Dame, which got a 97-yard touchdown run from freshman Jonaz Walton and put up its biggest scoring total of the season. That came on the heels of a 57-3 defeat against Wake Forest on Oct.
- In those two games, Stanford has been outscored 115-10.
Virginia Tech beat the Cardinal 31-7 in the teams’ last meeting in 2024.
Miami is the toughest opponent left by a wide margin. The Hurricanes are 5-0 and 3-0 in the ACC after rolling past Clemson 41-13 on Oct. 3 to stay unbeaten.
Cooper Barkate opened the scoring with a 61-yard touchdown catch, and Miami never gave the lead back. Through five games, the Hurricanes have outscored opponents 248-49, averaging 49.6 points and allowing 9.8 per game.
Virginia is 4-2 and 2-1 after rallying for a 28-25 win over Syracuse. The Cavaliers were down 17-7 at halftime before scoring 21 straight points.
Jekail Middlebrook ran for 95 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries, and Beau Pribula completed 11 of 19 passes for 119 yards and a score. Even so, Syracuse outgained Virginia 430-288, including 267-119 through the air.
Last season, Virginia knocked off Virginia Tech 27-7 in Charlottesville, ending the Hokies’ four-game winning streak in the rivalry.
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Virginia Tech Faces One Big Homecoming Test Against Georgia Tech
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Georgia Tech has been vulnerable against the run, but the Yellow Jackets have also shown they can hang around deep into games before either finishing strong or letting things slip away. For Virginia Tech, that makes this more than just another ACC matchup - it is the kind of test that can either restore some confidence at home or leave even more questions hanging over a team still searching for a reliable identity. [Read more 🡒]