A New Hope

While watching Virginia decimate Virginia Tech on Saturday in the battle for the Commonwealth Cup, one prevailing thought stuck in my head.

"This cannot happen again."

Virginia Tech fans must feel like they're living in an alternate universe. The Hokies' season is over while Virginia's season continues, as the Cavaliers are one win away from an ACC Championship and a College Football Playoff berth.

The timeline we're living in feels surreal. Even though Virginia Tech has been a mostly mediocre football team for the better part of a decade, the Hokies have usually kept their annoying little brother in his place. Before Saturday, Virginia Tech had lost to Virginia just once since 2003. Tony Elliott was on the verge of losing his job just a few months ago — even with his 10-2 record this year, Elliott is still 21-25 as Virginia's head coach.

Rather than losing his job like Brent Pry, Elliott now stands 60 minutes away from playing for a national championship. How miraculous.

Virginia Tech does not need a miracle. It does, however, need to wash its hands clean of the stain that is the 2025 season. What Virginia Tech and its fans need is a new hope.

Fortunately, that hope has already arrived. While the Hokies were getting punched in the mouth in Charlottesville on Saturday, James Franklin was busy in Blacksburg recruiting the next era of Virginia Tech football.

In just a couple of short weeks, James Franklin has already added several high-profile recruits to Virginia Tech's Class of 2026 recruiting class. More are likely to follow ahead of the Dec. 3-5 early signing period.

That's just part of the process of dragging Virginia Tech football back into relevance. The NCAA's transfer portal window begins Jan. 2, giving Franklin 10 days to further rebuild his roster. 

The next few weeks will go a long way in deciding Virginia Tech's future. It's critical for James Franklin to show that the hope that surrounded him when he arrived in Blacksburg is justified. Fans believe that it is, and talented young football players need to believe it too.

Franklin represents our hope that Virginia Tech will never be in this position again. As tough as it may be to watch Virginia win games and compete for a conference championship, all Hokies fans can do is keep the faith that Franklin is the man to turn this around.

Now is the time for the Hokies to lick their wounds, recover, and prepare for the next opportunity. All I know is this — the Commonwealth Clash's return to Blacksburg cannot come soon enough.