Kirk Herbstreit Weighs In on Virginia’s Start To The Season: "This Is A Team That I Think Is Real"

The Virginia Cavaliers are proving themselves to be a true threat in college football this year.

Oct 4, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott reacts during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Virginia defeated Louisville 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

At this point in the season, it's no secret that the No. 18 Virginia Cavaliers are rising to the top in the ACC. After a shocking 46-38 upset over Florida State during their Week 5 overtime thriller, followed by yet another overtime thriller against Louisville in which UVA clinched the 30-27 victory, the Cavaliers have made quite an impressive name for themselves.

Head coach Tony Elliott had been under scrutiny up until recently, previously leading fans to believe that perhaps he wouldn't be able to guide his program to success. It goes without saying that nearly all doubts have been put to rest.

Analyst Believes Virginia "Has a Shot"

Oct 4, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back J'Mari Taylor (3) celebrates a touchdown with offensive lineman Noah Josey (77) during the overtime against the Louisville Cardinals at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Virginia defeated Louisville 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

While dissecting recent matchups within college football, Kirk Herbstreit made a bold, yet incredibly promising, statement regarding Virginia's program this season. Not only did he recognize their achievements thus far, but he also weighed in on the direction in which they're heading.

"I think Virginia is a team we have to continue to look at, especially with Miami losing," said Herbstreit. "I look at this team, and Chandler Morris is giving them a different feel offensively, and look at their schedule, look what they have left. They're going to be favored probably in most of these games. Don't get me wrong, going to Cal is tough, going to Duke, but this is a team that I think is real, this is a team in the mix, as you look at the ACC, we want to focus on Miami, Georgia Tech, some of the big brands, but Virginia has a shot..."

"Virginia's a team that we got to continue to look at...this is a team that I think's real." @KirkHerbstreit 🗣️@UVAFootball is the real deal.pic.twitter.com/XwoVuv37Aa

— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) October 18, 2025

On Friday, No. 2 Miami walked away with a crushing 24-21 loss against Louisville, who UVA just defeated during Week 6. Such a loss makes it clear that, yes, Virginia has become quite a dangerous contender in the ACC and in college football as a whole. They're playing with a newfound confidence, a sense of leadership, and a level of passion that has gone unmatched. The only team to defeat them this season was NC State, which resulted in a tight score of 35-31.

Virginia's next matchup is scheduled for Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m. when they will face Washington State at Scott Stadium. UVA is coming off their bye week, so this game will be rather telling — was their hot streak a fluke or is this truly a turning point for the program? Virginia is favored to win, but coming out on top will require all hands on deck. They currently own a 3-0 record in conference play and 5-1 overall, while Washington State is tied 3-3 overall.

UVA will undoubtedly be challenged each week, but they are favored to win a substantial number of matchups. Their remaining opponents, after Washington State, include UNC, California, Wake Forest, Duke, and last but surely not least, Virginia Tech.

It's imperative that the Cavaliers keep driving up their momentum and maintain a high level of focus. Getting complacent is not in their best interest. As Elliott has explained time and time again, passion and precision must be present in each game. Without those two ingredients, UVA risks falling behind.