Latest Bowl Projections For Virginia After Their Win Over Washington State

Where is Virginia projected to play after their win over Washington State?

Oct 18, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Chandler Morris (4) passes the ball as Washington State Cougars defensive lineman Malaki Ta'Ase (98) chases in the first quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

It was a close call on Saturday, but No. 16 Virginia found a way to get it done against Washington State. The Cavaliers got a late safety to avoid being upset against the Cougars and UVA is now bowl eligible for the first time in Tony Elliott's time in Charlottesville.

Now, Virginia will turn its attention to rival North Carolina. The Cavaliers are in a great position to make a run at the ACC Championship and that starts this weekend against the Tar Heels.

After the win over the Cougars, where are the latest bowl projections placing UVA?

Latest Projections

Oct 18, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott is dumped with water from a cooler by Cavaliers safety Antonio Clary (0) in celebration after the final play against the Washington State Cougars at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Let's start with the newest projections from ESPN.

Analyst Kyle Bonagura projects that the Cavaliers are going to play in the Pop Tarts Bowl Against Houston. The Pop Tarts Bowl pits an ACC team between a Big 12 team and the after their win over Arizona, Houston is 6-1 and still in the thick of the Big 12 title race. It is unlikely that they actually win the conference and could be in the mix for this bowl game.

Analyst Mark Schlabach had UVA playing in the Gator Bowl against Tennessee. Tennessee lost their second game of the season on Saturday when they went to Alabama and lost 37-20. While the Volunteers are not totally out of the playoff race, they are not in the projected bracket right now. The Gator Bowl would be an interesting spot for Tony Elliott's team, as they would get to face one of the SEC teams that did not make the playoff.

CBS Sports has Virginia heading out to the West Coast to play in the Holiday Bowl against Utah. The Utes Big 12 title hopes took a big blow this past Saturday with their loss to rival BYU, which was their second loss in conference play.

Playoff still a possibility

Oct 18, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Chandler Morris (4) passes the ball as Washington State Cougars defensive end Isaac Terrell (88) rushes in the third quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Virginia is in as good of a spot as any team in the ACC to make the conference championship game. While the Cavaliers have to go out and earn it, they face a favorable schedule and it starts this weekend with North Carolina.

Virginia has one of the most prolific offenses in the country, but the Cougars were able to limit the effectiveness of the Cavaliers offense. Virginia barely was able to get over 300 yards of total offense and it was an off day for quarterback Chandler Morris.

Morris had a frustrating game, going 15-25 for 179 yards and there was no explosiveness from receivers Trell Harris and Cam Ross. North Carolina has not had a very good defense (or team for that matter) and UVA has the talent advantage at every position. If they come out sharp, I think this offense is going to score at least 30 points. If not, this game could be closer than the experts think.

Every team typically has a game on the schedule in which they are a massive favorite and then they don't play very well and possibly even lose the game. Miami, Texas Tech, and others lost this past weekend as big favorites and UVA was able to avoid the upset trap against Washington State over the weekend.

Was this a sign of more trouble to come for the Cavaliers or was this just a one-off performance? North Carolina has looked dreadful this season, but they did show signs of life against Cal this past weekend. Now, I think Virginia is better than Cal, but if Virginia comes out and plays like they did against Washington State, it is not a given that they will be able to overcome it against the Tar Heels.