The First Bank & Trust Friday Q&A: Expectations For Improvement, Upset Chances, And More

Chris Coleman

Lead Analyst and Columnist

August 07, 2026 42

James Franklin, Virginia Tech — When will James Franklin spring his first upset for Virginia Tech? (Ivan Morozov)

1) I saw a headline that we will likely end up playing three ranked teams this year. Which would we have the best chance to upset? I have no idea who those ranked teams are/were. — Stork

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Friday Q&A

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42 Comments

132598Hokie August 10, 2026 at 8:27 PM

the coldest game was positively the VMI game from way back. I don't remember the year.
1. LXNTN_HOKIE August 11, 2026 at 1:35 PM
  
  I think it was 1981 and the coldest game I ever remember sitting out in. In a 6-0 loss, there was not much to cheer about to get you jumping.
  1. MACE HOKIE August 12, 2026 at 12:14 AM
    
    My coldest game was the first Music city bowl game. It was actually played in Vanderbilt's stadium against Alabama. It started to rain and that turned to sleet, blowing sideways into your face. The fact that we beat Alabama made it a lot warmer on our side of the field.
atlhokie1 August 10, 2026 at 11:05 AM

Man, this was making me think of all the great non-Hokies I've seen play, even in other games. I think Randy Moss game against WVU was probably the best non-Hokie player I've seen in person.
RTFC August 9, 2026 at 12:25 PM

Fantastic perspective on #2. Managing an ADept at the university/president level is completely different now than is was 15 years ago -even with a competent AD - what they do now wasn't in the job description/training earlier.
BackInTheBurg August 8, 2026 at 12:52 PM

CC, do you know if anyone else has a schedule that sets up worse than ours? What a freaking screw job by the ACC.
VicDrit August 8, 2026 at 12:08 PM

Glad to see the comments back. The new font format is a bit small and refined for us old folks with diminished reading vision, but the new website looks clean and modernized.
1. spudman August 8, 2026 at 2:02 PM
  
  I was thinking the same thing
Mapmaker August 8, 2026 at 11:52 AM

(1) Ever since you all had that schedule review podcast, I've been downplaying my schedule prediction. Watching that Grunkenmeyer montage this week just confirmed it. We are a lot closer to 7-5 than my lofty earlier prediction of 9-3. (2) Chris, I'm telling ya, there is a good article out there comparing Dabo to Frank and being guilty of the game passing them by. Of course now I've jinxed it and Clemson goes 10-2. (3) Respectfully, I offer an all-time VT opponents best on Defense in Warren Sapp. I think Coach once said he was the best at single-handedly disrupting a game. Thanks Chris.
CLTHK01 August 8, 2026 at 11:19 AM

Swap Aaron Rodgers for Andrew Luck, Donovan McNabb, and Matt Ryan. McNabbs and Matt Ryan had walkoff td passes, when we had good squads. Brutal. Luck torched us in a way more important bowl game, the Orange Bowl. He was toying with the defense.
1. VicDrit August 8, 2026 at 12:02 PM
  
  Chris is a Green Bay fan if I recall correctly. :)
2. MAHist87 August 11, 2026 at 2:29 PM
  
  +1--yup, good list.
3. MACE HOKIE August 12, 2026 at 12:18 AM
  
  It was a decent game in the first half. Then Luck took over the game.
GloucesterHokie August 8, 2026 at 8:23 AM

One of the little things that drove me crazy under Pry was the clock mis-management. The first ODU game gave a hint and it came up again and again. He had a chance to win the Syracuse game in Syracuse and instead let time expire to go into overtime and we lost in overtime. There were others but those are two good examples.
pienkows August 8, 2026 at 8:20 AM

What about Aaron Donald? I saw Peyton Manning beat us in a bowl game.
1. MACE HOKIE August 12, 2026 at 12:20 AM
  
  I saw his Father Archie beat us in a bowl game.
number1hokiefan August 8, 2026 at 6:03 AM

He didn’t have crazy games against us but we also played DeAndre Hopkins three times. Just putting another name out there.
B(ig) H(okie) August 7, 2026 at 9:41 PM

Fred Belintkiff (Sorry, Spelling!) Ray Guy (Punter), The Stork, and Brian Piccilo (From Brian"s Song).
Tidewater Hillbilly August 7, 2026 at 8:53 PM

Well, the "best player vs VT" list does NOT include the GT QB named Oliver in 2018 who came to Lane Stadium and "led" his team to 49 points and the win without completing a single pass! Worst VT game I even saw in person. A real chop-block exhibition! I didn't mean it, but after that fiasco, I swore I would never come to another game!! All because of what Oliver DIDN'T do.
vtunited August 7, 2026 at 8:18 PM

I was at the Pitt game. I remember a stupid personal foul penalty by Ronyell Whitaker that was the beginning of the end. Pitt would have had to punt , if not for his mistake. I would consider including Donovan McNabb on my own personal list. That last second loss in the Carrier Dome was a gut punch. And the whole NC state defensive line in a game around 2004 0r 2005. We gave up 10 sacks, I believe. I think the game was 2004 in Blacksburg. We missed a field goal at the end to win or tie. I was sitting behind the goal posts that day. Anyway, great article! Glad the comments are back!
Lancelot Link August 7, 2026 at 6:20 PM

So, the only thing worse than our tackling was our blocking? Ouch.
IB4TECH August 7, 2026 at 6:17 PM

A guy from Southern Miss carved us up one time.
VTgilligan August 7, 2026 at 6:01 PM

Peter Warrick in the MNC game would be at the top of the list for me, I think. Oof.
middletennhokie August 7, 2026 at 4:55 PM

Honorable mention: Andrew Luck, Stanford, Orange Bowl.
TomTurkey August 7, 2026 at 4:37 PM

Just watched the home Cal game repeat. Being bad and stupid (penalties) are killer combo. If Cal had a PK, we'd have given that one away.
clrowland25 August 7, 2026 at 4:32 PM

Didn't Aaron Donald play for Pitt? He could be added to the list.
FaceMask August 7, 2026 at 3:37 PM

Matt Ryan 2007 - brutal.
Chasesfish August 7, 2026 at 3:37 PM

Good lord, that Calvin Johnson Game That year we were on my wife's vet school student + guest tickets, two rows up in the end zone student section. Calvin Johnson coming right at us on at least one of those touchdown plays. He was just...so much better than anyone I've ever seen. Honorable mention to seeing Reggie Bush in person at FedEx in 2004. His three touchdowns, including a wheel route that went right by linebackers and secondary players who had long NFL careers. I'll always remember Frank on the radio after the game just saying "that's a ball player". I swear that guy could have been one of the best slot receivers to ever play the game had he not been banged up at RB.
willgowin August 7, 2026 at 3:19 PM

Chris, I think travel gets overstated in college football. A charter flight from Roanoke to Dallas is only about a 3-hour flight. That's not much different than the roughly 2½-hour bus ride from Blacksburg to Charlottesville for a game at UVA. If that bus ride doesn't leave a team exhausted, why would an extra 30-45 minutes on a chartered plane? College teams don't travel like the rest of us. They aren't sitting in airports for hours, going through long security lines, or making connections. They drive right up to the plane, board, fly nonstop, land, get back on the bus, and head to the hotel. I played at Virginia Tech, and I never remember coming off a trip to Miami, Syracuse, or New Orleans feeling worn out because of the travel. If anything, those trips were exciting. Honestly, the travel itself was relaxing. You're flying on a charter, getting fed, hanging out with your teammates, listening to music, watching a movie, or catching a nap. It wasn't something we dreaded. It was part of the experience. I can understand the argument a little more for trips to Stanford or Cal because you're crossing multiple time zones and spending closer to five hours in the air. That might throw your body clock off some. But when you're 18 to 22 years old, I don't think it's nearly the issue people make it out to be. Maybe for us old guys it would be. Sure, every road game has its challenges, but I don't think a 3- to 5-hour charter flight is a meaningful competitive disadvantage. The game is decided by preparation, coaching, and execution far more than by an extra hour or two on an airplane.
1. Mapmaker August 8, 2026 at 11:46 AM
  
  My thoughts exactly - well said.
2. MAHist87 August 11, 2026 at 2:31 PM
  
  Fly to Hawaii sometime--makes those little hops to Miami or event Stanford look pretty pedestrian.
hokie0611 August 7, 2026 at 2:12 PM

Second half of that 2002 Pitt game was one of the coldest I've ever sat through in Lane
1. SarahVTHokie24 August 7, 2026 at 4:46 PM
  
  Yup
hoaf August 7, 2026 at 2:06 PM

What was amazing to me about T Marshall was he was in his mid 30’s when he became President. My class of 1974 was his last class, and I was pleased that he signed my diploma. He has been the most impactful administrator in my 50+ years associated with VT.
1. Uncle Monkey August 7, 2026 at 3:55 PM
  
  Same class as you Hoaf. I had the added benefit of living in Blacksburg (dad was Prof.) and going to school with Hahn's children plus the Hahn's went to our church. Without any doubt, Hahn had a big, hairy audacious goal (vision) for VT set the course for what we see today. This said, in addition to his dynamism, he was an unbelievable human being. He knew every professor and most everyone else by name and greeted them as such. Years later after he had retired and moved back to the 'Burg, my father was passing from this dimension. Hahn came into his hospital room and sat by the side of Dad's bed his hand on my father's. He hugged my mom as he entered and departed. .
2. middletennhokie August 7, 2026 at 4:43 PM
  
  +100
HokieCrazy1994 August 7, 2026 at 2:04 PM

My hope for this terrible schedule and tough travel is that it brings the team closer together. Sometimes it takes adversity to bring a team together and maybe the coaching staff can instill a mindset where tough times create tough teams. It's a hope, but a small glimmer of one.
Seikoh_04 August 7, 2026 at 1:25 PM

Schedule is brutal. Folks wanting 9 wins for the money spent need to look at the schedule and realize a lot of the money spent is young talent for 27 or 28.
Wasp August 7, 2026 at 1:22 PM

Wow, great read. Amen to the two 00's on the field together. A new special teams coach should help this and many other missteps. I like the 7-5 prediction, much more rational than some of the delirious expectations out there. I would be happy with "just" a 6-6 season, and having the Commonwealth Cup back home.
vt90 August 7, 2026 at 12:58 PM

That Nov. 2, 2002 game against Pitt brings back two horrible memories. First, that was one of the coldest games I have ever attended in Lane. I remember that while tailgating, we had to put the beer into an empty cooler to keep it from freezing. Beer freezes at about 28 degrees and I think it was mid-teens at best that day. The second bad memory is that both number 1 and number 2 lost before we took the field. Pretty sure one of them was Notre Dame. Either way, had we won that game we would have been number 1 for the first time in program history. And we had it ... and let it slip away.
spudman August 7, 2026 at 12:56 PM

Glad to see the comments working again
Stork August 7, 2026 at 12:47 PM

Good stuff. Thanks Chris

The First Bank & Trust Friday Q&A: Expectations For Improvement, Upset Chances, And More

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