Virginia heads into its trip to Florida State with a 3-1 record for the third straight season under Tony Elliott, and the opener win over NC State gave the Hoos an ACC victory right out of the gate. Now conference play turns back up, and the online chatter around this matchup says plenty about both sides.
A few preview shows have already flagged the same issue for Virginia: how the defense handles the run. On the Gramlich & Mac Lain show, Kelly Gramlich and Eric Mac Lain looked at UVA-Florida State and pointed to concern about the run defense after West Virginia, with both hosts expressing some uncertainty about the Hoos.
On ACC Football addiction, Jacquie Franciulli and host TJ Pittinger broke down the game as well, with Franciulli noting that defensive line depth could be a problem for Virginia against strong rushing teams. Pittinger, speaking as an FSU fan, also brought up how Virginia exposed Florida State’s defense last season, especially with linebackers struggling in coverage.
There’s also a case being made that Virginia can make life difficult for the Seminoles on offense. The X’s and Noles show on the 247 Sports network went through the Hoos with plenty of clips and framed UVA’s offense as a possible trouble spot for Florida State.
And if the mood around Tallahassee feels tense, that’s because it is. Frustration seems to be the cleanest way to describe the FSU fan base right now, with several videos focused less on this week’s game and more on the larger questions hanging over the program.
One of those came from the Trials to Triumph Podcast, where Freddie Stevenson and guest Marvin Jones discussed how college football has changed in a video titled “Why FSU Football Will Never Be The Same”. Another video from that same channel brought up former Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher as a name that keeps surfacing in return-to-the-program conversations.
Warchant TV opened one of its videos by treating a coaching change as a given, then moved into a discussion about whether it’s time for “Recalibrating expectations from blue blood programs?” before shifting to a Virginia preview with Cavs Corner. The channel also has another video looking at the month ahead for Coach Norvell.
The uncertainty around Mike Norvell showed up again on the Locked On Seminoles Podcast, where the segment “Coaching Intel: It’s Not A Lock That Mike Norvell Is Fired” drew a strong reaction in the comments. Host Brian Smith’s reaction at the start was simple: “What?” TJ Pittinger also tackled the topic on a different show, FSU Football: Double Fries No Slaw, with the question: “Does Mike Norvell Honestly Want To Coach FSU Football Anymore?”
While football gets the attention, Virginia basketball has already moved into preseason mode. Last week, the Hoos played an outdoor exhibition against Vanderbilt in Charleston, S.C., and fell 82-73.
Jeff Goodman of the Field of 68 Podcast was there and spoke with Thijs De Ridder, with the interview running about 10 minutes and touching on De Ridder taking on a bigger leadership role. The College Sports Company also had coverage from Charleston through Vince Wolfram, who filed segments on Virginia, the new UVA guards, De Ridder, and more. Vanderbilt content was part of that package too.
There have been more Virginia basketball videos circulating as well. Full Court Dash put Chance Mallory in the spotlight with the title “Why This 5’10” Guard Needs To Be Your Favorite Player”.
Christian Odjakjian interviewed Sam Lewis about two weeks ago and called him a future NBA player in the clip. Mainely Hoops also posted a UVA preview this week, offering an outside view of the Hoos.
Finally, CBB Today put out its prediction for the ACC standings this season.
In Other News...
Virginia Faces ACC Test That Could Validate Its Fast Start
Virginias early surge in ACC play is about to meet a familiar league foe in a place it has not visited in more than a decade. The Cavaliers and Florida State are set to meet for the second straight season and the 21st time overall, with Virginia heading to Tallahassee for the first time since 2014. The matchup comes as Virginia has opened conference play unbeaten through four weeks and has built its start on a defense that has been difficult to move and even harder to finish against.
The timing adds another layer because this is Virginias first true road game of the season, a useful measuring stick for a team trying to turn a fast start into something more durable. The Cavaliers have been sharp away from home lately as well, winning four consecutive true road games dating back to last season, and now they have to show that edge can hold up against an ACC opponent in one of the leagues tougher visiting settings. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Faces Its First ACC Gut Check In Tallahassee
Virginias first true road test of the season arrives in a familiar place with some historical weight attached, as the Cavaliers head to Tallahassee for an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup with Florida State. Virginia is 3-1 and coming off a home win, while Florida State sits at 2-2 after beating Central Arkansas, setting up a meeting between two teams that have already shown enough to make this one feel like an early-season measuring stick.
The Cavaliers have taken the last two games in the series, even though Florida State still owns the edge overall, and that backdrop adds a little extra tension to a trip that will ask Virginia to prove itself away from home for the first time this year. Both sides lean on experienced quarterbacks and running backs, which should keep this from being a simple test of who can settle in faster, and Virginias recent success in the matchup only makes the road challenge more intriguing. [Read more 🡒]
Virginias Deepest Lineup Battle Is Starting To Take Shape
A close preseason game against Vanderbilt offered a useful early glimpse at how Ryan Odom may sort through Virginias most crowded lineup decisions heading into the 2026-27 season. The most encouraging sign for the Cavaliers is that the projected first five is beginning to come into focus around Chance Mallory, Sam Lewis, Nolan Adekunle, Thijs De Ridder and Johann Grunloh, giving Odom a core to test as he continues to sort out how the pieces fit.
The bigger question now is how much room there will be behind that group, because this looks like a rotation built to go deeper than last seasons. Odom is still weighing different combinations, with multiple players fighting for minutes and the backcourt mix still unsettled enough to keep the competition alive as the preseason continues. [Read more 🡒]