Three College Football Playoff Takeaways For Virginia After Rankings Unveil This Week

Virginia ranked just above Louisville in the latest iteration of the College Football rankings. The Hoos are ranked No. 19 and the Cardinals No. 20. Miami is the highest-ranked at No. 15, and Georgia Tech is ranked No. 16. Pittsburgh is also ranked at No. 22 in the new poll. Let’s take a deeper dive into some key takeaways from the latest CFP rankings.

1. Virginia Is In A Must Win Situation

It is the month of November, which means that the games matter more and are more valuable, especially if the Hoos want to make the College Football Playoff. In the latest rankings, Virginia was ranked as the No. 19 team. As a positive, they are still ranked in the poll, but they are on the outside looking in for the College Football Playoff. The Hoos are 8-2 and 5-1 in the ACC with two games left. They face Duke this weekend, and if they have any hopes of making the playoffs, they must win out. The Cavaliers, despite two losses, are not going to get the benefit of the doubt from the committee. So the best way to avoid being in the hands of the committee, the Hoos must win games, and it starts with defeating Duke on Saturday.

2. The Hoos Will Have To Win The ACC Championship

Even with winning out and finishing the year 10-2 which is more than capable of happening. It is not a guarantee that the Cavaliers will make the playoffs. It is sad, but it is the reality of the situation. The Committee has shown that a two-loss SEC team or Big 10 will have more of a pull in the rankings. The Hoos have to try to earn an automatic bid. The only way to do that is to win the ACC title game and be one of the highest-ranking conference champions. This is something the committee can’t deny, and they would get into the postseason at 11-2.

3. The Disrespect Of The ACC is real

Yeah, it is unfathomable to believe we are at this point in the ACC, yet here we are. Once considered a top-tier conference in college football is continuing to be overlooked. The ACC is staring in the face at potentially one of its teams getting into the postseason. No, these aren’t the final rankings, and the ACC has five teams in the poll. However, no team is ranked in the top 12, which is a bit concerning. Remember, only five conference champions get into the playoffs, and there are seven at-large bids to make the postseason. Teams from across the country are fighting for those seven bids, with a myriad of factors playing a role in who gets in. Despite having five one loss teams in the conference, the ACC continues to find itself on the outside looking in. With so much parity in the conference, it is being overlooked by the committee. Any team in the ACC can win on any given Saturday. That was proven last weekend when California and Wake Forest knocked off Louisville and Virginia. This is not a top-heavy conference, but rather one that is deep across the board. It has been overlooked and viewed as one of the weaker Power 4 conferences.

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