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College Football: 6 potential sleeping giants

By Nicholas Ian Allen

Nov 21, 2015; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Demario Richard (4) runs the ball under pressure from Arizona Wildcats linebacker DeAndre' Miller (32) during the third quarter of the territorial cup at Sun Devil Stadium. The Sun Devils won 52-37. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 21, 2015; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Demario Richard (4) runs the ball under pressure from Arizona Wildcats linebacker DeAndre' Miller (32) during the third quarter of the territorial cup at Sun Devil Stadium. The Sun Devils won 52-37. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 29, 2016; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus (33) celebrates with Cavaliers center Jackson Matteo (50) after scoring a touchdown against the Louisville Cardinals in the third quarter at Scott Stadium. The Cardinals won 32-25. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2016; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus (33) celebrates with Cavaliers center Jackson Matteo (50) after scoring a touchdown against the Louisville Cardinals in the third quarter at Scott Stadium. The Cardinals won 32-25. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Virginia

  • Program Record: 643-586-48
  • Bowl Game Appearances: 18
  • Conference Championships: 3
  • Highest Finish in the AP Top 25: No. 15, 1994
  • Enrollment: 22,391
  • Location: Charlottesville, VA (population 48,210)
    • 117 miles from Washington, DC
    • 155 miles from Baltimore, MD
    • 254 miles from Philadelphia, PA
    • 272 miles from Charlotte, NC
    • 409 miles from Columbus, OH
    • 511 miles from Atlanta, GA

Arguably the greatest moment in Virginia Cavaliers football history occurred during the 1990 season when the Hoos started 7-0 and climbed all the way to the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25. Virginia stayed atop the rankings for three weeks before losing a shootout to eventual national champion Georgia Tech, then lost the final three games of the season to drop all the way to No. 23 in the final poll.

Despite first playing football in 1888, the 1990 campaign marked only the fourth time in program history the Cavaliers ended the season as a ranked team, earned its fourth bowl game appearance, and marked the first time in school history Virginia finished among the Top 25 in back to back seasons. Things have been up and down since, though the 2-10 record the team posted in 2016 was the worst for the Cavaliers in 35 years.

For a university with great academic history (it was founded by Thomas Jefferson for goodness sake), as well as successful sports programs across the board (the school won the 2015 Capital One Cup), it’s surprising that football hasn’t found more success. After all, UVA has some of the richest rivalries in the sport – the game with North Carolina is named the South’s Oldest Rivalry, in fact – the ACC has long been a quality football conference, and there is great football talent to be found throughout Virginia as well as nearly every surrounding state.

Simply put, Virginia has yet to reach its full potential on the gridiron, but the potential exists for a Stanford-like rise in the future.

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