The Tech Sideline Podcast: The Virginia Tech Hokies · TechSideline.com

Talking With Teel: Way-Too-Early ACC Football Rankings, NCAA Tournament Hopes And More

·1 hr 8 min·4 clips

James Franklin’s first 90 days in Blacksburg get an “A,” maybe “B plus at worst.”

1. The Tech Sideline Podcast episode “Talking With Teel: Way-Too-Early ACC Football Rankings, NCAA Tournament Hopes And More” blends Virginia Tech football and basketball into one ACC-heavy discussion. 2. Carter Hill hosts with Andy Bitter, David Cunningham, and David Teel, and Teel’s Virginia Sports Hall of Fame background gives weight to his Virginia Tech and ACC evaluations. 3. The episode asks what Virginia Tech would look like if ACC kickoff were held tomorrow, and it also asks whether the Hokies can reach the NCAA Tournament under Mike Young. 4. Teal and Andy place Virginia Tech in the middle of the ACC behind Miami, SMU, Louisville, Clemson, and Virginia, with Pitt, NC State, Cal, and Georgia Tech in the same tier. 5. Andy says Virginia Tech would likely be eighth, while also noting that last year’s 11th-place finish should improve under James Franklin. 6. The conversation notes that Virginia, despite major roster turnover, should receive more respect after finishing first in the league. 7. Wake Forest enters the ACC ranking discussion as a team the panel keeps underrating, with Teal acknowledging that he often misses on the Demon Deacons. 8. The hosts pivot to Franklin’s first 90 days in Blacksburg and compare the pace of change to presidential “first hundred days” grading. 9. Teal says Franklin’s early tenure deserves an A, or at worst a B-plus, because of Virginia Tech’s commitment of resources and the results in recruiting and the portal. 10. The episode names specific behind-the-scenes changes in Merriman, including office placement, structural work, training-room changes, lighting, and facility details. 11. The hosts say Franklin’s approach reflects a coach who has run major programs before at Vanderbilt and Penn State. 12. Teal and Andy discuss whether that kind of constant pushing could become tiring over time, even if it feels refreshing in a new-coach honeymoon period. 13. The basketball segment moves to Virginia Tech’s NET profile, with Teal citing a NET around 55, two Quad 1 wins, and four Quad 1 road opportunities left. 14. The NC State loss gets dissected possession by possession, including early defensive breakdowns, backdoor cuts, and a 14-1 NC State run after a nine-all opening stretch. 15. The panel says Virginia Tech keeps having stretches where it is close, but it does not play a complete 40-minute game against teams like Duke, Louisville, or NC State. 16. Clemson is framed as a major problem because of its balance and its 14 consecutive ACC road wins, which the hosts call the second-longest streak in league history. 17. The episode’s tone is analytical and conversational, with the hosts moving quickly between rankings, résumé math, and personnel talk. 18. The format feels like a live roundtable, with repeated back-and-forth corrections, follow-ups, and specific references to games, budgets, and schedule context. 19. Fans of Virginia Tech football and ACC basketball bubble talk will get the most from this episode. 20. Listeners wanting a pure game recap or a single-team segment may skip it.

As heard by us

A focused Virginia Tech basketball check-in that widens into the ACC pressure around it.

This Virginia Tech basketball discussion keeps its focus where it should: preseason ACC expectations, the injury problem, and the pressure of the NCAA bubble. It stays close to the team's actual position, so the detail feels earned rather than broad-brush.

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Why you'd press play

You want the Hokies' tournament math without the spin.

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