This Five-Game Stretch Will Decide the Outcome of Virginia Football’s 2026 Season

The Virginia Cavaliers will face a brutal five-game stretch this year.

Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

The college football offseason is now in full swing, and programs across the nation are preparing for their 2026 campaigns. The transfer portal is closed, so now players are focused on exceeding expectations in their respective roles. For the Virginia Cavaliers, their transfer portal acquisitions are looking promising, but how will head coach Tony Elliott's program perform in the long run?

Kicking off their season will be matchups against NC State, Norfolk State, West Virginia, and Delaware—competition here isn't likely to be too grueling for the Cavaliers. Not to mention, they have a bye week early on. However, that doesn't mean they should let their guard down during this period. By the time October rolls around, they will need to have confidence and a proven track record of wins.

Virginia Slated for Brutal Five-Game Stretch

Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Jahmal Edrine | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Simply put, October is going to be an incredibly taxing month for the Cavaliers. Here's the snapshot:

- Oct. 3: UVA vs. Florida State
- Oct. 10: UVA vs. Syracuse
- Oct. 17: UVA vs. SMU
- Oct. 23/24: UVA vs. Duke
- Oct. 31: UVA vs. Wake Forest

Starting the month against Florida State is not going to be an easy undertaking. Although the Cavaliers defeated the Seminoles last year, let's not forget that it was in a double-overtime battle. Virginia just barely edged out Florida State 46-38. One mistake, and UVA could have easily been handed a loss. Historically, the Seminoles hold more wins (15) over the Cavaliers (5).

From there, Virginia will take on Syracuse, and while this isn't expected to be nearly as daunting as their Florida State meeting, they must continue building up the momentum, as one week later, they will face SMU. Last year, the Mustangs finished 9-4 overall and 6-2 in conference play.

Another week after that, it will be time to revisit their ACC Championship heartbreak against Duke. Despite the Cavaliers leaving them in the dust back in November with a score of 34-17, the Blue Devils bounced back just in time for the conference title game, sealing a 27-20 win over UVA. As a result, Virginia was eliminated from College Football Playoff contention.

But the test isn't done there. On the last day of the month, the Cavaliers will play Wake Forest—one of the three teams to defeat UVA in 2025. Having posted such a stunning season leading up to their game on Nov. 8 against the Demon Deacons, many expected the Cavaliers to clinch another victory. Unfortunately, Wake Forest pulled ahead 16-9.

If Virginia wants to cement itself as a serious contender in the ACC this year, the players must tackle October with grit. It's going to be a challenging month for Elliott's program, and it will ultimately dictate how the end of their campaign will look.