2025 is going to be a big season for UVA head coach Tony Elliott. Elliott is entering his fourth season with the Cavaliers and has yet to even make a bowl game. There seemed to be progress last season, but a tough ending casted some doubt about where the program is.
When you have coached for three seasons and not made a bowl appearance, it is going to be hard to rank high in any coach's ranking list. In the newest list from CBS Sports, ranking every power four coach in the country, Elliott was among the four worst, ranking only higher than Mississippi State's Jeff Lebby, Stanford interim head coach Frank Reich, and Arizona's Brent Brennan:
"Elliott has managed a lot at Virginia, including tragedy in his first season. After going 3-7 in 2022 and 3-9 in 2023, the Hoos took a step forward last year with a mark of 5-7. You do have to wonder how much more patience Virginia will have if it fails to make a bowl game again in 2025, particularly when considering how wide-open the ACC looks outside the top three teams. 2024 rank: 62 (-3), High: 60, Low: 66"
This season has the feel of a bowl or bust type of situation for Elliott.
Virginia has not been bowl eligible since going 6-6 after the 2021 season, but they have not actually played in a bowl game since making the Orange Bowl in 2019 after going 9-3 and losing to Clemson in the ACC Championship.
Yes, it has been that long.
However, the newest 247Sports Bowl Projections do not paint a good looking picture for Eliott's team in 2025. Even with the schedule and the transfer class, UVA is nowhere to be seen in the projections. That would be a disappointment considering how the Cavaliers have approached this offseason.
Right now at Fanduel Sportsbook, Virginia's win total is set at 6.5 and that seems reasonable. They open the season at home against Coastal Carolina and the Chanticleers are not supposed to be one of the better teams in the Sun Belt. A telling game this season will be in week two, when Virginia goes on the road to face NC State. The Wolfpack are always tough to beat at home, but they have lost a lot of talent this offseason and are beatable. If Virginia can win that, a bowl game should be within reach.
William & Mary plus Stanford should be gimmes for the Cavaliers and at worst, they should be 3-1 to start the season. They will be underdogs at home vs Florida State, but the Seminoles have plenty of question marks as well and could be vulnerable to an upset away from Tallahassee. It is anyone's guess as to how they look this season.
Going on the road to beat Louisville might be too tough of a task but Virginia did almost clip the Cardinals last season. After a bye week, a home game against Washington State is not super intimidating considering their roster and coaching staff turnover this offseason and then another interesting matchup on the road at North Carolina. How the Tar Heels will look under Bill Belichick is anyone's guess.
All four November games are winnable. Cal and Wake Forest are projected to be among the worst teams in the league, though the Cal game is on the road. Duke on the road will be tough and then to finish the season, Virginia has their annual rivalry game with Virginia Tech. The path is there for Elliott and the Cavaliers to make a bowl game, but they have to prove it on the field.
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