Let's take a look at Virginia Football for the upcoming season.
Best / Worst Case Record for :
Louisville | Miami | Duke | Georgia Tech | SMU | Boston College | Pittsburgh | Florida State | Virginia Tech | Cal | NC State | Clemson | Syracuse | North Carolina | Stanford| Wake Forest
Virginia
Virginia and head coach Tony Elliot have entered the if not now, when phase of Elliot’s tenure. This will be year 4 under Elliot, and he’s only gone 11-23 (6-17). He’s never made a bowl game, finished .500 overall or in league. He’s never beaten Virginia Tech either. Last year, the Hoos had some good moments. They beat a top 20 Pitt team on the road and nearly knocked off Louisville. They actually stood 4-1, and were 5-4 and still couldn’t reach a bowl game. Virginia doesn’t have to compete for the ACC title, but getting to a bowl game would probably be enough to progress. That’s the goal for a program currently treading water.
Will Go 8-4 (4-4) if:
Virginia gets off to a fast start. An opening schedule of Coastal Carolina, at NC State, William & Mary, Stanford, and Florida State is a real chance to start the year 4-1 or 5-0, with the game at NC State being the toughest. Transfer QB Chandler Morris is the likely quarterback, and if he can jump-start the offense, which was 93rd in the country,y then the schedule isn’t daunting. There is no Clemson, no Miami, no SMU, and no Georgia Tech on the schedule. Only Louisville is considered one of the top contenders to play Virginia. The defense was ranked 101st, and a 20-30 spot improvement there, and on offense and Virginia could surprise.
Will Go 4-8 (2-6) if:
If neither the offense nor the defense takes a step forward. We’ve already discussed being in the 90s or higher last year on both sides of the ball. Even with a manageable schedule, that can spell disaster for Virginia’s season. The Hoos could start the year 3-3, with a tougher back half of the schedule in Washington State, at UNC, at Cal, Wake Forest, at Duke, and Virginia Tech. That could easily be a 1-5 finish. Virginia is towards the bottom in the ACC in perceived talent going into the season, and there has been a lot of turnover. If a number of players don’t step up, the season could go south fast.
