Everything You Need to Know About Virginia's Week Eight Matchup vs. Washington State

UVA comes off their bye ranked 18th in the country and looking to win their sixth game of the season against the Cougars.

Oct 4, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Chandler Morris (4) looks to pass against the Louisville Cardinals during the second half at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Virginia defeated Louisville 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Virginia is off to an electic start to the 2025 season. Before last week's bye, UVA won two straight ACC overtime thrillers that have propelled them up the rankings and the leaderboards of their conference. Washington State is a middling team with stalling offense and lackluster defense overall but the team is coming off a surprisingly tight loss to a top-five Ole Miss team that previously defeated LSU by a larger margin.

Let's take a look at everything you need to know before the Hoo's host the Cougars at Scott Stadium this weekend.

Bowl Eligibility On The Line

Aug 30, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott celebrates after a touchdown against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers during the second quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

If Virginia defeats Washington State, they will secure bowl eligibility for the first time since Tony Elliott came to Charlottesville back in 2022. The Cavaliers had won a combined 11 games under Elliott in his first three seasons. Only six of those wins came in the ACC.

ESPN's experts are predicting UVA to make the Pop-Tarts Bowl this postseason. Meanwhile, CBS Sports predicts the Cavaliers landing in the Holiday Bowl. Regardless of the bowl location, UVA has the chance to win their first bowl game since 2018 when they shutout South Carolina, 28-0, in the Belk Bowl.

Shakeup in the ACC

Oct 17, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Louisville Cardinals linebacker Cameron White (38) celebrates with defensive back Jojo Evans Jr. (27) after winning the game against the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

A major upset has rocked the ACC as of Friday night. The No. 2-ranked Miami Hurricanes lost their second conference matchup against Louisville, 24-21. Miami quarterback Carson Beck threw four interceptions while Louisville signal caller Miller Moss tossed two scores. Cardinals' receiver Chris
Bell had another monster performance, securing his second multi-score game in as many weeks.

If you take a look at the ACC standings as Saturday morning, Virginia is now second behind only Georgia Tech. Over on ESPN FPI, UVA now has the best odds to win the ACC at 23%, slightly ahead of Duke. FPI also gives the Hoo's a 21% chance to make the College Playoff, at the time of writing.

Always On Upset Alert

Oct 11, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling (1) sacks Washington State Cougars quarterback Zevi Eckhaus (4) during the fourth quarter at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Given what we just saw happen to Miami, it is always important to be aware of the possibility of an upset in a game like this derailing your whole season. Yes, Louisville is a better team than Washington State but better teams lose all the time. Especially coming off the bye week, UVA needs to get back to the speed they were rolling at before the bye.

Plus, Washington State is coming off that hard-fought battle against a great Ole Miss team. Quarterback Zevi Eckhaus looks like he has settled in over the past two starts since replacing Jaxon Potter earlier this season. WSU running back Kirby Vorhees exploded for a season-high 88 yards and his first touchdown. Plus, Cougars' defensive end Isaac Terrell was wreaking havoc against the Rebels' offensive line. According to Fanduel Sportsbook, UVA is favored by 17.5-points at home so they should easily earn their sixth win of the season but Tony Elliott needs to make sure his team has their heads on straight and taking the season game-by-game to avoid any unforseen upsets.