Where do Virginia’s Power Four opponents rank in preseason media polls?

Entering the 2026 season, Virginia has been ranked sixth in the preseason ACC media poll. It is a figure that some may find surprisingly low given that the Cavaliers just won 11 games and reeled in coveted transfer talents this offseason.

Even so, all but one of Virginia’s Power Four opponents were ranked lower than the Cavaliers. Here is where each of those opponents came in in the ACC poll (plus one Big 12 addition).

NC State: Seventh in ACC

The Wolfpack are at an intriguing crossroads. In 13 years under Coach Dave Doeren, NC State has reached a bowl game 10 times — but In those 13 seasons, the Wolfpack have finished as a top-20 team just twice. Doeren has led NC State to be consistently good, but they have never made an appearance in the ACC Championship game.

The 2026 season is a new opportunity for the Wolfpack to take the next step — but the media project them to be in the “close but not close enough” category once again.

West Virginia: 13th in Big 12

This was a mediocre Mountaineers team in 2025, one that had the third-worst total offense and third-worst total defense in the Big 12. It would be a surprise if West Virginia is that bad this time around, especially given its addition of running back Cam Cook from the transfer portal. Cook led the country with 1,659 rushing yards and finished sixth in rushing touchdowns.

The Mountaineers will be relying on unproven transfers and true freshmen alongside Cook. New quarterback Michael Hawkins (Oklahoma transfer) has promise — but West Virginia will likely struggle against an experienced, cohesive Cavaliers team.

Florida State: 11th in ACC

One of the more perplexing teams in the ACC, the media were not bullish on the Seminoles. The occasional successful season by Coach Mike Norvell has been viewed as an anomaly, not a continual development.

Syracuse: 14th in ACC

Syracuse is another intriguing ACC squad. Who knows what its 2025 season would have looked like with a healthy Steve Angeli quarterbacking?. However, in 2026, the Orange have the fifth-least experience of any Power Four teams (total snaps, appearances, and starts).

Injuries have already hit Syracuse again — star freshman receiver Calvin Russell is dealing with a long-term injury and is currently unlikely to play against Virginia. The Orange have the talent to give the Cavaliers a genuine scare at Scott Stadium, but more likely than not, Virginia wins by multiple scores.

SMU: Second in ACC

This should come as no surprise. A vast majority of ACC preseason media ballots had Miami at No. 1 and SMU at No. 2. Those are the two ACC programs that made the College Football Playoff most recently, and could be poised to do so in 2026. Virginia’s biggest game of the season will be its trip to Dallas to take on the Mustangs.

Duke: 10th in ACC

The Blue Devils are in a peculiar position. Will they completely tank after suffering perhaps the worst talent exodus of any ACC team, or will they be a dark-horse contender led by the remnants of the ACC champions?

Duke in 10th place seems fair, although certainly on the “glass half full” side of the prediction spectrum.

Wake Forest: 13th in ACC

This may be a tad low for the Demon Deacons. While their offense is nothing to write home about, their defense has the potential to be a top-five unit in the ACC. Wake Forest is a scrappy team with the ability to steal a win from anyone.

Cal: 12th in ACC

Perhaps the most shocking underestimate on this list. The Golden Bears have one of the nation’s most talented quarterbacks, paired with what should be an improved defense under a vetted defensive head coach. It is more likely that Cal finishes seventh rather than 12th.

North Carolina: 15th in ACC

Across the entire Power Four, North Carolina has the second-least experience of any team.

It would be an incredible shock if the Tar Heels avoid another ugly season. There is some talent on defense — most notably sack artist Melkart Abou Jaoude — but on offense, North Carolina is a contender to be the worst in the ACC.

Virginia Tech: Eighth in ACC

The Hokies have an arduous schedule — littered with games against Miami, SMU, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Cal, Pitt and Virginia. Save for an early-season cakewalk and a late reprieve against Stanford, Virginia Tech has one of the hardest conference schedules of any team in the country.

Eighth in the ACC is a generous overestimate. The Hokies would have to win three of their games against that brutal lineup, which is highly unlikely. Even if Virginia Tech performs well, which it should, its schedule is just too difficult to finish as one of the ACC’s better teams.

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