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Oct 18, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers players and staff sign the school song in font of the student sections after their game against the Washington State Cougars at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Evaluating Virginia's Place In the College Football Playoff Heading Into Week Nine

Originally posted on Virginia Cavaliers on SI
By Maria Aldrich | Last updated Oct 22, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The Virginia Cavaliers continue to dominate within the ACC this season, a surprising trend that hasn't been the case in years prior. They have been a major shock factor in college football, offering the players, coaching staff and fans a glimmer of hope that perhaps this will be the year in which the Cavaliers are here for the long haul. With an overall record of 6-1 and 3-0 in conference play, it's clear that Tony Elliott's program is not going to give up any time soon.

They have consecutive overtime wins under their belt, have shown their ability to push through right up until the end, but above all, they've shown their ability to defeat ranked teams — a feat that will undoubtedly carry them far in the ACC.

Where Is Virginia's Place In The Playoff?

UVA has become the team to beat in the ACC, but its journey isn't over yet. The first half of the season was considered to be the most grueling section, with the second half having decreased in intensity. The exception to this is their upcoming matchup against the Duke Blue Devils, but that doesn't mean that their remaining schedule will be undemanding.

Heather Dinich of ESPN has Virginia taking the spotlight in the ACC, stating:

"Following Miami's loss to Louisville, the two teams with the highest chance to reach the ACC championships game are now Georgia Tech (62.3%) and Virginia (39.4%). The Cavaliers' 30-27 overtime win at Louisville looks even better after the Cardinals knocked off Miami. The Sept. 6 loss at NC State will be a sticking point in the committee meeting room if the Cavaliers don't win the ACC, though, or finish as a two-loss runner-up. Virginia isn't likely to play a ranked CFP opponent in the second half of the season, but that also means running the table is a realistic scenario. According to ESPN Analytics, the only remaining game Virginia isn't favored to win is Nov. 15 at Duke."

Louisville's only loss this season was to the Cavaliers, but despite the unfortunate loss, they had a resurgence and came out on top over Miami, which was another unexpected upset within the conference.

Dinich further explained that if the playoffs were to take place today, she would expect Virginia to be on the cusp, while Miami and Georgia Tech would be in. With so many upsets within the ACC having taken place this season, it's hard to imagine that the remaining schedule will play out as expected — there is always room for a shock factor, particularly as the campaign progresses.

As much as the Cavaliers might want to relish the potential of reaching the championships, taking their season game by game is the most reasonable way to reach their end goal. One week at a time, one game at a time and one victory at a time. Tony Elliott is adamant that his program remains focused on the task at hand, rather than fixating on the weeks ahead. So far, this mindset has worked in their favor.

This article first appeared on Virginia Cavaliers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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