How did Virginia's romp over Norfolk State affect the Cavaliers' poll rankings?

Blowout win over the Spartans failed to impress AP voters, coaches

Sep 11, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back Noah Vaughn (3) rushes during the fourth quarter against the Norfolk State Spartans at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If college football poll voters were impressed by Virginia's opening victory over NC State, they responded to the Cavaliers' latest romp with yawns.

Virginia (2-0) stayed at No. 25 nationally in both the Associated Press and American Football Coaches Association polls released Sunday afternoon, two days after a 59-3 romp over Norfolk State.

The Cavaliers actually received more points in the Week 3 polls than they did last week: 182 from AP voters and 249 from the coaches compared to 89 and 157 a week ago. But it wasn't enough to move them up after a weekend that saw few major upsets.

Everyone expected the Cavaliers to roll past the Spartans, an FCS opponent that finished 1-11 in 2025, Michael Vick's first season as head coach. And they did just that, rolling up margins of more than 2-1 in total yards (466-223) and first downs (25-11) while getting touchdown passes from three different quarterbacks and receptions from a dozen players.

Even that level of dominance against an overmatched opponent, though, is rarely enough to impress voters.

Virginia was essentially snubbed in the preseason, failing to crack the Top 25 in either poll despite coming off a school-record 11-win 2025 season. The Cavaliers got exactly one 25th-place vote in the preseason AP poll.

It took an impressive 34-8 drubbing of NC State in the season opener to get the attention of national analysts and poll voters, who moved Virginia into the Week 2 polls at No. 25. Taking care of business as a 44.5-point favorite (according to FanDuel) against Norfolk State simply maintained that spot.

The Cavaliers have a better chance of impressing voters this Saturday night, when they face West Virginia in Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium. The Mountaineers are also 2-0 and coming off a blowout victory over an FCS opponent (52-7 over Tennessee-Martin) after edging Coastal Carolina 31-24 in their season opener.

In Rich Rodriguez's second tenure as head coach, WVU is averaging 41.5 yards per game behind dual-threat quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr., who leads the Mountaineers in passing yards (287) and rushing yards (199). Transfer running back Cam Cook is close behind with 194 yards on the ground and, like Hawkins, has run for three touchdowns.

This will be Virginia's first game against WVU since the 2002 Continental Tire Bowl (now the Duke's Mayo Bowl), and the schools' first regular-season meeting since a 1985 clash in Morgantown, won by the Cavaliers 27-7. Virginia is an early 9.5-point favorite, according to FanDuel.

Texas took over the No. 1 spot in both polls after rallying from a 20-point deficit to beat formerly top-ranked Ohio State Saturday night, dropping the Buckeyes to No. 6. Virginia Tech (2-0) got 11 votes in the AP poll after a 44-21 victory over Old Dominion Saturday.