Virginia has the luxury of watching everyone else open the season while it catches its breath.
The Cavaliers already got their week zero game out of the way, and because that matchup was originally set for another country, they landed a bye during the first full weekend of college football. So while Virginia sits on a 1-0 record and waits to host Norfolk State on Sept. 11, the rest of the ACC starts sorting itself out.
And there are a few games that matter to Virginia fans right away.
The one at the top of the list is Miami-Stanford. Right now, Miami looks like the only ACC team that is clearly ahead of Virginia, and the Hurricanes enter the year as a consensus College Football Playoff pick.
Stanford, on the other hand, doesn’t exactly inspire much confidence. Still, this is one worth keeping an eye on anyway.
If the Cardinal somehow pull the upset - or even hang around and look competitive - it would shake up the entire ACC picture. If Miami rolls, the game still offers a glimpse at what could be an all-time great Hurricanes team.
Virginia fans should also tune in to UCLA-Cal. The Golden Bears are the toughest home opponent left on Virginia’s schedule, which makes their early test against a revamped Bruins team especially relevant.
UCLA could grab a major win or two in the Big Ten, and this renewed Pac-12 rivalry gives a look at two programs trying to rise in their new conferences. Cal quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is a name to watch, and he could end up being the best quarterback in the ACC this season.
The Golden Bears’ rebuilt defense, now under Coach Tosh Lupoi, is another part of the equation worth studying.
Then there’s SMU, which may be the most important team on Virginia’s schedule besides Virginia itself. The Mustangs are also a conference contender, and a loss would help the Cavaliers enormously. That alone makes their game a must-see.
Florida State belongs on the watch list too. Virginia heads to Tallahassee in a few weeks, and the big question is simple: which Florida State team shows up?
Is it the middling bottomfeeder or the ranked giant? Virginia would like to know, because the answer matters for both the chance to win and the postseason resume.
In Other News...
Virginia Tech Now Has A Rivalry Threat Worth Watching Closely
Beau Pribulas emergence has added a fresh layer to Virginia footballs season, and it comes at a time when the Cavaliers are trying to sort out what kind of threat they can be down the stretch. In the win over NC State, Pribula showed why his skill set matters so much to the offense, giving Virginia a quarterback who can stress defenses with his arm and his legs and make a game feel different snap to snap.
For a program with bigger tests still ahead, that kind of production is hard to ignore, especially as the schedule turns toward matchups that can shape how this season is remembered. Virginia Tech may have its own business to handle with VMI this week, but developments on the other side of the rivalry are worth watching closely, because Pribulas rise gives Virginia another element that could matter when the stakes get higher later in the fall. [Read more 🡒]
Virginias ACC Quarterback Outlook Comes With One Big Early Question
The ACCs quarterback picture already looks unsettled heading into the season, with 11 programs going shopping in the transfer portal and only a handful of teams bringing back a proven starter. Early Week 0 action gave a first glimpse at how some of those moves might play out, and it also helped sharpen the discussion around the leagues top options at the position entering Week 1.
For Virginia, the intrigue is less about what happened on opening weekend and more about how the Cavaliers fit into that larger quarterback conversation after their own first game. The league picture will keep shifting over the next few days as teams sort through early performances and upcoming tests, and Virginia will spend its off week watching those developments before it returns to the field in Week 2 against Norfolk State. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Just Uncovered A Scary Defensive Possibility
Virginias win over NC State came with a reminder that the Cavaliers may still be scratching the surface on defense. Even while missing several key players, the group held the Wolfpack to 8 points and got quality snaps from other linebackers, showing a level of depth that can travel with them into tougher stretches ahead.
Kam Robinsons absence was part of that performance, and his eventual return only adds another layer to what Virginia is building. With the defense already proving it can function at a high level when pieces are missing, the next question is how much more disruptive it can become once one of its top linebackers is back in the mix. [Read more 🡒]