At 3-0 in ACC action and 5-1 overall, the UVA Football program is the biggest surprise in the conference this season.
Remember, in late July, the so-called media experts had Virginia as one of the bottom-feeders in the conference, picking the ‘Hoos to finish 14th.
The Cavaliers have positioned themselves as a firm favorite to fill out half the bracket in the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte on the first Saturday in December.
There are plenty of roadblocks remaining.
Here’s the skinny on those potential pitfalls.
Nov. 1 @ Cal: The first thing that jumps out is the travel and time difference. Although the kickoff time has not been announced, it’s going to be a huge adjustment.
Cal has slipped a bit lately, but still has a respectable passing game, led by true freshman quarterback Laron-Keawe Sagapolutele.
The Golden Bears have an opportunity to feast on a couple of upcoming opponents in UNC and Virginia Tech, and could enter the UVA game having regained some steam.
Nov. 15 @ Duke: This game could play huge in the final ACC standings.
The Duke offense is potent, led by quarterback Darian Mensah, who, at latest look, is throwing for about 300 yards a game.
Even though the game is in Durham, a strong UVA fan presence could be an essential factor.
Nov. 29 Virginia Tech: Any true Cavaliers fan understands why this is a potential roadblock.
Tech is having a tough season, and it doesn’t appear to be heading in a positive direction.
The Hokies may not have much to play for except for that season finale in Charlottesville, the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Virginia hasn’t beaten Tech since 2019 (the last time the Cavaliers were ranked), and before that, UVA had not beaten the Hokies since 2003.
History is not on UVA’s side in this series.
A schedule that keeps giving
The 2025 UVA Football schedule was not exactly considered a gauntlet. This is especially true for an ACC schedule that excluded Clemson, Miami and Georgia Tech.
After this bye weekend, Virginia hosts a struggling Washington State team, then finishes with games at UNC, Cal and Duke, and home games with Wake Forest and Virginia Tech.
The Cavaliers will likely be favored in at least five of these remaining games.
Virginia needs a strong finish by NC State
OK, this definitely qualifies as looking ahead, especially since I’ve been pinging on the potential roadblocks for UVA.
What if Virginia finds itself in the ACC title game at, say, 11-1, then proceeds to lose to either Miami or Georgia Tech?
At 11-2, do the Cavaliers stand a chance at landing an at-large bid to the College Football Playoff?
Maybe.
That early-season loss to NC State in a non-conference game could play a considerable role in Virginia’s postseason hopes.
The Wolfpack did UVA no favors in rolling over and playing dead in a home loss to hapless Virginia Tech.
That loss continues to look worse for both Virginia (against NC State) and the Wolfpack (against Tech).
However, there’s time for NC State to recover, and it starts Saturday, as the Wolfpack face Notre Dame in South Bend.
Although the game has no bearing on the conference race, it provides an opportunity for NC State, which started 3-0 before losing back-to-back games to Duke and Virginia Tech.
The second half of the season is brutal for NC State, with games against Miami, Georgia Tech and FSU.
A strong finish by the Wolfpack helps the Cavaliers.
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