College Football Rankings 2019: Projected Top 25, Week 7 – Florida climbs

After falling on the road against Notre Dame in Week 5 to drop their first contest of the season, Virginia went from No. 18 to No. 23 in the AP Top 25. The defeat to the top-10 Fighting Irish was hardly a reason for the Cavaliers to plummet completely out of the poll, though, but at the same time they entered a bye in Week 6 only 45 points out of the drop zone.

Virginia’s defense has been played a massive role in their rise to the top of the ACC Coastal. The defensive front is one of the 10 best in the country, averaging 4.4 sacks and 8.4 tackles for loss per game.  They have more than pulled their weight, especially with the offensive line struggling to block for Bryce Perkins or open holes for the Cavaliers running backs.

All these warts aside, Virginia is still 4-1 heading into October and will remain in the Top 25 this week as they head to Miami in Week 7 for a Friday-night showdown against the Hurricanes. If Bronco Mendenhall’s team wins in Florida next week and at home the following weekend against Duke, they will be back in the teens of the AP Top 25 and a virtual lock to win the Coastal.