ACC Title Race Heating Up Between Virginia and Pittsburgh

Virginia's win at Louisville on Wednesday night was neither pretty nor impressive. But it was extremely important.

With UVA avoiding what would have been a stunning upset loss at Louisville, the Cavaliers were able to keep pace with Pittsburgh at the top of the ACC standings, with both teams holding a 12-3 conference record. Miami trails both UVA and Pitt by half a game at 12-4 and Clemson is a full game back at 11-4.

With just five games remaining in regular season play for both teams, the race between Virginia and Pittsburgh for the ACC regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament is heating up.

Here's the final five games on Pittsburgh's schedule: at Virginia Tech, vs. Georgia Tech, vs. Syracuse, at Notre Dame, at Miami.

And here's Virginia's final five ACC games: vs. Notre Dame, at Boston College, at North Carolina, vs. Clemson, vs. Louisville.

Pitt's biggest remaining tests are at Virginia Tech this Saturday and at Miami in the regular season finale on March 4th. Virginia's most significant hurdles are at North Carolina in Chapel Hill on Saturday, February 25th and at home against Clemson the following Tuesday.

If both teams finish with an identical ACC record, Virginia and Pittsburgh will share the ACC regular season title, but Pitt would get the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament since the Panthers now own the head-to-head tiebreaker by virtue of their 68-65 win over the Cavaliers back on January 3rd in Pittsburgh. If Virginia wants to clinch the ACC regular season title outright and secure the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament, then UVA will need to fully surpass Pitt in the ACC standings over the final five games.

Virginia is seeking its sixth ACC regular season title in the last ten seasons and 11th in program history, while Pittsburgh is still trying to win its first ACC regular season title since joining the conference in 2013.

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