After a big win this weekend against Georgia Tech, the Virginia football team found itself atop the Coastal Division of the ACC with a 3-1 conference record. The Coastal Division is tight right now, with Georgia Tech sitting at 3-2 in the ACC, and with North Carolina, Miami and Virginia Tech having 2-2 ACC records. Duke sits at the bottom of the division with a 1-2 conference record. All things considered, I’m about to tell you why it’s not crazy to think that the Cavaliers can play for the ACC Championship (Dec. 6 in Tampa Bay), even though if I had said this before the season started, I may have slapped myself.
Virginia is 5-3 overall, and in retrospect, the only grossly disappointing loss this season was the 31-3 blowout suffered at Duke; however, the Blue Devils will not provide competition for the Coastal Division crown. Duke still needs to play Wake Forest, N.C. State, Clemson, Virginia Tech and North Carolina. Of those five games, I predict Duke will only win one (against N.C. State, which has an 0-4 conference record and may not win an ACC game this year). This leaves Duke with a 2-6 conference record at the end of the year, far from contention.
The Cavaliers already defeated North Carolina and Georgia Tech, two teams that play a crucial game against each other Nov. 8. Besides that game — which I think the Yellow Jackets will win — the No. 21 Tar Heels will have to play the No. 25 Terps as well as N.C. State and Duke. I’m hoping Maryland will do Virginia a nice favor and crush North Carolina, which will likely beat N.C. State and Duke at the end of the season. These results will leave the Tar Heels with a 4-4 conference record.
Georgia Tech plays No. 16 Florida State this weekend, then ends the season hosting Miami and taking on Georgia on the road. I think the Yellow Jackets will lose to the Seminoles this weekend but will rebound to beat the Tar Heels and Hurricanes because as Virginia fans saw this weekend, Georgia Tech has the potential to be a potent offensive force if it doesn’t turn the ball over. The Yellow Jackets will end the season with a 5-3 conference record.
This weekend is huge for the Cavalier faithful, as Virginia hosts Miami one year after the Cavaliers crushed the ‘Canes 48-0 in the last game at the Orange Bowl. After this week’s game in Charlottesville, Miami will round out the season playing against Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and N.C. State. I think the Cavaliers will come out victorious again this weekend, and after losing to Virginia, Miami will narrowly defeat Virginia Tech (see why later), lose to Georgia Tech, and defeat the hapless N.C. State squad. The Hurricanes will end the season with a 4-4 conference record.
As usual, Virginia Tech will prove to be a tough challenge for Virginia, and everything may boil down to the last game of the season between the two in-state rivals. Before the Hokies host the Cavaliers, they will be hosting Maryland, traveling to Miami and taking on Duke at home. The Maryland game is a Thursday night contest on ESPN in which the fans will create the “Maroon Effect” by all wearing the same color. Under different circumstances, I think Maryland might have a shot, but the home crowd will propel Virginia Tech to a victory under the lights in Blacksburg. After that win, Virginia Tech will take its momentum into Miami but fall by the same sword it used to down Maryland. The Miami game is also a Thursday night showdown on ESPN, and the Hurricanes will steal a close win to salvage their season, then crush the Blue Devils, who will have nothing left in the tank. So, before the Hokies and Cavaliers meet at the end of the season, Virginia Tech will be waiting with a 4-3 conference record.
Virginia’s remaining schedule includes this weekend’s game against Miami, which I already predicted to be a win for the Cavaliers. Afterwards, Virginia plays at Wake Forest, at home against Clemson, and at Virginia Tech. So, here come the bold predictions: I’m picking the Cavaliers to beat the Demon Deacons and Tigers, because both teams have struggled this year and have not lived up to their hype. Wake Forest was preseason No. 23 and Clemson was preseason No. 9, but they have combined to go 7-7 this season overall, and 3-5 in the ACC. Neither team has done much to show they are better than Virginia, which is why the Cavaliers will take a 6-1 record into the showdown against the Hokies.
Now, I know you are waiting for me to predict the winner of the Commonwealth Cup, but I don’t even have to. If you are scoring at home, you would see that Virginia’s win against Clemson would solidify the Coastal Division crown for Virginia, assuming everything else happens as I hope it does. Regardless of the Virginia-Virginia Tech outcome, the Cavaliers would be the only Coastal Division team with at least six conference wins, and they will proceed to march down to Tampa Bay to play for the conference title.
As you can tell, I’m not really picking any big upsets to happen. And even if I did, some upsets are just bound to happen, right? I have looked at the numbers, which would have bored you to death if you read all of them, so I am picking games based on gut instincts as well as the statistical performances of the teams so far this season. That said, I hope you agree that Virginia has a legitimate shot to win the Coastal Division and advance to the ACC Championship, and I hope you will continue to support the Comeback Cavs (as I like to call them) as they make us forget about their 1-3 start and have us dreaming of going bowling in December. Or, dare I say it, January...
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