Hard as it is to believe: Virginia is still in the Coastal race

And now, to the horse race question, the favorite of politics writers. In this case, does Virginia still have a fighting chance to win the Coastal?

The answer: oh, yeah.

UVA has now won three straight in conference after the ugly 0-2 start. Next week, the ‘Hoos get Georgia Tech at home, and will be favored to make it four in a row.

That happens, and the game at Pitt way out on Nov. 20 is interesting.

Pitt eviscerated Virginia Tech today in Blacksburg, winning 28-7 in a game that wasn’t as close as that margin, wide as it was, would indicate.

That moves Pitt to 2-0 in the ACC.

Virginia is currently in second at 3-2.

Between now and Nov. 20, Virginia has the home tilt with Georgia Tech, a non-conference game at BYU, a bye week, and another non-conference matchup at home with Notre Dame.

Pitt, between now and Nov. 20, has Clemson and Miami at home, at Duke, then North Carolina at home.

If Virginia can get past Georgia Tech, Pitt has to run the table the next four weeks, or face a do-or-die with the ‘Hoos in Heinz.

We’re getting way ahead of ourselves, at least, Bronco Mendenhall thinks we are.

“We already know what we have to do to win the Coastal Division, and how we have to do it. That’s going to be one at a time. The next one is the next one,” Mendenhall said after the win over Duke on Saturday.

Yes, yes, we get it. One day at a time, give 110 percent.

More along those lines was offered up by wideout Billy Kemp IV.

“We just want to come out and work every day,” Kemp said. “I feel like this team has the potential to do everything; all the goals we set out for. We can be anything we want to be, it’s just going to take a lot of work.”

Only center Olusegun Oluwatimi would utter the magic words.

“I mean, we see the Coastal race. All of these games matter,” Oluwatimi said. “You know, right now we’re not at the top, and we’re going to need some help for some other teams to lose, and we need to keep playing well and keep handling our business. Hopefully at the end of the season we could be in the ACC Championship Game.”

I’ve laid out that it’s somehow still possible. That’s all I can contribute.

Story by Chris Graham