How Can Virginia Clinch a Spot in the ACC Title Game During the Bye Week?

How will Virginia be impacted if these three teams win their matchups this weekend?

Nov 15, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back J'Mari Taylor (3) scores a touchdown against the Duke Blue Devils during the third quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Although the Virginia Cavaliers are currently on their bye week, the ACC race is still in full swing as teams battle it out for a chance to win the title. Among those programs is, of course, UVA, but their hands are tied this week as they don't have a game scheduled. Instead, they will be scoping out key matchups taking place this weekend between their opponents.

Three of those matchups include Georgia Tech vs. Pitt (Nov. 22), and Louisville vs. SMU (Nov. 22) and UNC vs. Duke (Nov. 22). The way each matchup plays out will impact the Cavaliers, and the conference as a whole. If Georgia Tech, Louisville and North Carolina each win their contests, what will that mean for UVA?

How Can Virginia Clinch a Spot?

Nov 15, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Trell Harris (11) runs the ball during the third quarter against the Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

The top four ACC contenders are Georgia Tech, Virginia, Pittsburgh, and SMU, excluding Miami and Duke. In order for the Yellow Jackets to reach Charlotte, they must defeat the Panthers. Georgia Tech is favored to win by a 2.5-margin, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, but its fate is in its own hands at this point. With so much at stake, neither team is going to drop the rope without a fight.

As for the Louisville-SMU matchup, if SMU drops the game, Virginia will have a more defined path to Charlotte. Additionally, if UNC defeats Duke, this will also play out in the Cavaliers' favor. The Blue Devils stand as a 6.5-point favorite to win over the Tar Heels, but Duke was also favored to win over UVA, which ended in Virginia securing a 34-17 victory.

In a perfect scenario, Georgia Tech, Louisville and UNC would each win their matchups this weekend, granting UVA a spot in the ACC Championship Game — a position they haven't been in since 2019 when the Clemson Tigers took out the Cavaliers.

Considering the gravity of this weekend's matchups, it's rather clear why UVA's bye week will still be filled with work and perhaps a high level of anxiety. There's a lot at stake, and this week is entirely out of the Cavaliers' control. All they can do is watch and prepare for their upcoming regular-season finale against Virginia Tech on Nov. 29.

Regardless of how things play out this weekend and next, UVA has consistently served as a major shock factor during the 2025 college football season. It will be interesting to see how the Cavaliers approach the final stretch of their season.

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