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. Today, CBS Sports analyst Chip Patterson released a new ranking of the head coaches in the ACC, and second to last was Elliott, ahead of only Frank Reich at Stanford, who is an interim head coach for the 2025 season.
“It’s a pressure-packed Year 4 for Elliott, as he holds an 11-23 record overall with no bowl appearances with the Wahoos. That urgency has come through in the program’s transfer portal activity. Virginia added more than 30 new players to the roster after taking just 22 portal players in the previous two years combined. If the new talent can’t get the program over the hump, there could be some difficult conversations in Charlottesville at the end of the season. Last year: No. 16 in ACC”
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.
Jul 22, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Virginia head coach Tony Elliott answers questions from the media during ACC Media Days at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
However, the 247Sports Bowl Projections do not paint a good-looking picture for Elliott’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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