The Virginia Cavaliers enjoyed the chaos on Saturday afternoon and evening, watching multiple ranked teams ahead of them in the Week 7 AP Poll fall short.
Eight of the top-25 teams lost last Saturday, including No. 15 Michigan, which fell to USC; No. 14 Missouri, which dropped a close one at home to No. 8 Alabama; and No. 17 Illinois, which got pushed around at home by the No. 1 team in the country, the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Virginia was sitting at No. 19 before these games took place, so there were
hopes of a solid jump in the rankings with the No. 14, No. 15, and No. 17 teams falling, but when the polls came out on Sunday afternoon, they only rose one spot after their idle week.
Taking a closer look at the rankings and the teams around Virginia, Missouri only dropped two spots in the rankings after their loss, and the ‘Hoos got jumped by the Vanderbilt Commodores after their dominant win against the bye week. So, Virginia will own the one-spot jump from last week, as the #18 team in the country, for week 8.
Might there be some SEC bias in the AP voters? Yes. Does Virginia’s win against Florida State look less impressive each week as the ‘Noles extended their losing streak to three games play a factor in Virginia’s one-spot jump? More than likely. In the end, the only thing that matters — and the only thing Tony Elliott’s team will focus on — is winning. The opinions of the AP voters are irrelevant to Virginia football’s goals, which are still well within reach.
One game at a time, one win at a time. The ‘Hoos will host the Washington State Cougars on Saturday evening at Scott Stadium. Washington State most recently gave #4 Ole Miss a run for its money in Oxford, losing 24-21 as a 32.5-point underdog.
Tony Elliott hopes his team can achieve something they are still seeking this season: their best game.
