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Oct 25, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Chandler Morris (4) passes the ball in the fourth quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Predicting Where Virginia Will Be Ranked in the Week Ten AP Poll

Originally posted on Virginia Cavaliers on SI
By Maria Aldrich | Last updated Oct 26, 2025 11:01 AM ET

The Virginia Cavaliers managed to pull off yet another victory during their week nine matchup against the North Carolina Tar Heels. The game remained tied for much of the afternoon, but an overtime thriller resulted in Virginia claiming the final 17-16 win.

While in overtime, UVA running back J'Mari Taylor scored a touchdown run, which was soon followed up by North Carolina's running back Davion Gause's touchdown. Ultimately, Elliott explained that this was a "game of inches" — every play, every second and every inch mattered.

"... we have to be creative and good football coaches, which you know we have in our building, are going to find ways to continue to be good at something," said Elliott during his postgame press conference. "You want to have tendencies, right? You want to have a tendency that you're good at. Now, you have to protect it and find different ways to do it. But I mean, if it's working, I mean, let's not go away from it. Let's not give the other team too much credit and talk ourselves out of something that could help us.”

Where Will UVA Land in the AP Top 25?

When Virginia first landed a spot on the AP Top 25 this season following their upset over Florida State, they were placed at No. 24. One week later, they upset Louisville which allowed them to rise in the poll once again, finding a spot at No. 19. They have consistently climbed higher in the rankings each week, eventually rising to No. 18 to where they are now, No. 16.

I'm inclined to believe that the next poll will have voters placing them at No. 15. Although they managed to extend their winning streak and took down the Tar Heels, it was an incredibly close matchup, which could play against them, particularly considering that this has become a habit.

With Missouri and Oklahoma being teams that were in front of UVA and lost, they could move up to 14, but probably not any higher than that.

How the AP Top 25 Works

Each week, approximately 60 writers and broadcasters take part in the highly anticipated AP Top 25 voting process. Each voter builds a list of who they consider to be the best teams in college football in a 1-25 point system. As a general goal, AP aims to have every stat with an FBS school represented by a minimum of one voter. Each Sunday, an updated poll is released with football programs either rising or falling in the poll. As explained by Keith Jenkins of ESPN, "A team voted No. 1 receives 25 points down to 1 point for the team that garner's a voter's 25th-best vote..."

The votes are encouraged to be based upon performance rather than reputation, and biases are not to be included. The AP Top 25 has been a long-standing process of determining how well a program is doing in any given season. While it isn't the end-all be-all, it is incredibly exciting for fans to see their favorite team climb to the top.

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

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