Maybe we got ahead of ourselves when it comes to the Virginia Cavaliers? After humiliating the North Carolina State Wolfpack in Week 0, the Hoos gave up 38 unanswered points at lowly Florida State and lost in soul-crushing fashion, 38-7. While Mike Norvell has been the butt of every bad ACC head-coaching joke for the last few years now, Tony Elliott is starting to look like a one-year wonder at UVA.
Elliott may have led Virginia to the ACC Championship Game a season ago, but his first few years in Charlottesville were nothing to write home about. While he could have been seen as a replacement for Dabo Swinney somewhere down the line, good coaches do not get embarrassed by Norvell when the seat he is sitting on is hotter than the sun! Virginia is in complete disarray after beating NC State.
Although Elliott played wide receiver for Clemson and came up through the coaching ranks under Chad Morris' offensive system, even the smallest of stages continue to be too big for him. This puts Clemson in such a precarious spot. Swinney may have earned the right to keep on coaching at Clemson in perpetuity years ago, but he cannot live on borrowed time forever. Neither can Elliott...
Florida State flipped the script in a hurry 🏹
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) October 3, 2026
After falling behind 7-0, Florida State scored 38 unanswered points to beat Virginia, 38-7. Ashton Daniels rushed for a school-record five TDs, while the Seminoles racked up 10 sacks.@FSUFootball | @Seminoles | #NoleFamily pic.twitter.com/LO5AC0Zd5B
Tony Elliott may not have it in him to ever lead Clemson down the line
Football is a game where you have to confront adversity head-on. While no one will question what Elliott did when tragedy struck his UVA program during his first year leading the team, this is not the same Cavaliers team we saw during Week 0 at all. Clearly, West Virginia was able to figure them out before Florida State spanked them. Virginia went from a title bout contender to an afterthought.
What this tells us is, once again, coaching matters. The Xs and Os have been Norvell's bugaboo for a while now. While Elliott had a schematic and slight talent advantage over the rest of the ACC a season ago, that is no longer the case. Even if Swinney's team is at a talent disadvantage in some high-profile games, at least the Tigers are making adjustments out of halftime. That all comes back to coaching.
If there ever is a time that Clemson has to pivot off Swinney, we must be careful about shamelessly going back to a familiar face. Yes, Elliott has time to make the necessary corrections for his team this season. However, Virginia should not have looked this bad versus a Florida State team that was dead to rights. The ACC can be so chaotic at times, but that chaos cannot make its way back to Clemson.
Ultimately, Clemson may just have to leave well enough alone for the time being. Swinney and his staff have done enough over the last month or so to completely take him off the hot seat. Yes, his buyout is massive. However, Elliott has not shown over the last month or so that he is even remotely close to being ready for a job as big as leading Clemson. This loss to Florida State speaks volumes.
Clemson is far from a perfect program, but it is in much better shape right now than that of Virginia.
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