Following a 4-0 start to the James Franklin era, Virginia Tech has dropped two consecutive games, leaving the Hokies at 4-2 through the first half of the season. Despite the recent struggles, national media outlets still expect Virginia Tech to make a bowl game, although projections have shifted considerably following Saturday's 25-20 loss to California.
ESPN, CBS Sports and Athlon Sports released updated bowl projections this week, with the Hokies appearing in three different bowl games and facing four potential opponents across the outlets' four predictions.
The latest projections range from a matchup against Franklin's former program, Penn State, to a potential rematch against Minnesota, which defeated Virginia Tech in the 2024 Duke's Mayo Bowl.
Latest Virginia Tech Bowl Projections
Outlet | Bowl game | Projected opponent |
|---|---|---|
ESPN — Kyle Bonagura | Sun Bowl | Arizona |
ESPN — Mark Schlabach | Pinstripe Bowl | Minnesota |
CBS Sports — Brad Crawford | Duke's Mayo Bowl | Penn State |
Athlon Sports — Steven Lassan | Sun Bowl | Arizona |
CBS Sports' Brad Crawford provided perhaps the most intriguing projection, placing Virginia Tech against Penn State in the Duke's Mayo Bowl on Dec. 26 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The matchup would reunite Franklin with the program he coached for 12 seasons before his dismissal in October 2025. It would also provide an opportunity for quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer and several other former Nittany Lions to face their previous team.
Penn State has experienced its own struggles this season, sitting at 3-3 after dropping three consecutive games, including a 31-23 loss to USC last weekend.
A postseason meeting between the two programs would undoubtedly attract national attention, particularly given Franklin's departure and the number of players who followed him to Blacksburg.
ESPN's Kyle Bonagura and Athlon Sports' Steven Lassan both project Virginia Tech to face Arizona in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31 in El Paso, Texas.
The Sun Bowl has emerged as the most common destination among the five projections, suggesting that both analysts still anticipate Virginia Tech finishing in a relatively favorable position within the ACC's bowl selection picture.
ESPN's Mark Schlabach offers a more conservative outlook, projecting Virginia Tech to face Minnesota in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium on Dec. 26.
That matchup would provide a rematch of the 2024 Duke's Mayo Bowl, when Minnesota defeated Virginia Tech 24-10.
The projections represent a noticeable change from last week, when Virginia Tech was still receiving consideration for the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando, Florida.
Following the loss to California, none of the five projections place the Hokies in Orlando, reflecting a decline in expectations after consecutive defeats.
Despite the recent setbacks, Virginia Tech remains in a favorable position to reach the postseason, needing just two victories over its final six regular-season games to become bowl eligible.
The Hokies' remaining schedule includes home matchups against Georgia Tech, Stanford and Virginia, along with road contests against Clemson, SMU and Miami.
While the schedule presents several challenges, particularly away from Lane Stadium, Virginia Tech still has opportunities to improve its postseason standing.
Saturday's homecoming matchup against Georgia Tech could be especially important.
The Yellow Jackets enter the contest at 2-3 following an upset victory over previously unbeaten Duke, while Virginia Tech is looking to avoid its third consecutive loss after beginning the season undefeated.
A victory would move the Hokies to 5-2 and put them one win away from bowl eligibility before a difficult two-game road stretch against Clemson and SMU.
Virginia Tech's recent losses have been particularly frustrating considering how competitive both contests were.
The Hokies fell to Pitt 35-33 after a controversial field goal attempt was ruled no good as time expired, then suffered another narrow defeat against California, 25-20.
Those results have raised questions about Virginia Tech's ability to close out games, particularly as injuries, offensive inconsistency and special teams struggles have become recurring concerns.
However, the Hokies remain capable of finishing with seven or eight victories, which would likely keep them in contention for several of the ACC's established bowl destinations.
The conference's postseason picture remains fluid, with several teams competing for similar bowl opportunities. Clemson, SMU, Louisville and Duke are among the programs that could influence Virginia Tech's eventual destination.
For Franklin, reaching a bowl game in his first season would represent an important step toward establishing the foundation of his program, even if expectations have shifted following the team's promising start.
The possibility of facing Penn State would create one of the more compelling postseason storylines in college football, but Virginia Tech's immediate focus remains on ending its losing streak.
With six games remaining, the Hokies still control whether they reach bowl eligibility, and their performance over the next several weeks will determine whether they land in Charlotte, El Paso, New York or another postseason destination.
For now, the Sun Bowl appears to be the closest thing to a consensus projection, with both ESPN's Bonagura and Athlon Sports' Lassan selecting the same matchup against Arizona.
A win over Georgia Tech on Saturday would provide a much-needed boost to Virginia Tech's postseason outlook and move the Hokies one step closer to their first bowl appearance under Franklin.
