Virginia vs. Duke: ACC Title Game Set to Crown a First-Time Champion
No matter what happens in Charlotte on Saturday night, history will be made. For the first time since the ACC Championship Game began in 2005, neither Clemson nor Florida State is playing for the title-and whoever wins, they’ll be hoisting the trophy for the first time.
No. 17 Virginia, sitting at 10-2, hasn’t claimed an outright ACC title in nearly three decades.
The Cavaliers last shared the crown back in 1995, long before the conference introduced its championship game format. On the other side, unranked Duke (7-5) has seven ACC titles in its history, but only one-way back in 1989-came after the Kennedy administration.
This rematch between Virginia and Duke comes just 21 days after the Cavaliers rolled into Durham and left with a decisive 34-17 win. But don’t expect either team to lean too heavily on what happened in that first meeting.
“You’ve got to throw out what you did in the previous game,” Virginia head coach Tony Elliott said this week. “This game is going to come down to execution, and I’m sure we’re going to get Duke’s best effort.”
Elliott’s not wrong. Since that November 15 loss, Duke has found a rhythm on offense, putting up points with the kind of consistency that makes them a real threat in this rematch. And while the Blue Devils have had their share of stumbles this season, they’re not sneaking into this title game-they earned their spot, even if it came via a controversial tiebreaker.
Duke was one of five teams to finish 6-2 in conference play. They edged out Miami, the ACC’s highest-ranked team at No. 12, thanks to a better win percentage against conference opponents. That’s how the Blue Devils punched their ticket to Charlotte, even with some tough nonconference losses on the résumé-Illinois, Tulane, and UConn all handed Duke defeats earlier this season.
Still, Duke head coach Manny Diaz isn’t buying the idea that his team doesn’t belong in the College Football Playoff conversation.
“Absolutely,” Diaz said when asked if his team deserves a CFP spot with a win. “The whole argument of should a Group of 5 conference be in the playoff at the ACC’s expense? Well, you can forget about ever booking a home-and-home game and encouraging teams to go play good competition.”
That’s the elephant in the room for the ACC. If Virginia wins, the league is in great shape-an automatic CFP bid all but guaranteed.
But if Duke pulls off the upset? Things get dicey.
With Tulane (No. 20), North Texas (No. 24), and James Madison (No. 25) all ranked, and the CFP format awarding automatic bids to the five highest-ranked conference champions, the ACC could find itself on the outside looking in if James Madison wins and Duke remains unranked.
So yes, there’s a lot riding on this one-not just for the teams, but for the conference itself.
From a football standpoint, Virginia has been one of the most balanced teams in the ACC all season. The Cavaliers rank third in the league in both total offense (433.2 yards per game) and total defense (311.7).
Quarterback Chandler Morris has been steady all year, throwing for 2,586 yards and 14 touchdowns, while also adding five scores on the ground. Running back J’Mari Taylor is just shy of the 1,000-yard mark with 997 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns-he’s been the engine of this offense.
Virginia’s path to the title game wasn’t without its bumps. After a string of nail-biting wins-including back-to-back overtime victories over Florida State and Louisville-the Cavaliers finally dropped a close one to Wake Forest on November 8. But they bounced back in a big way, closing out the regular season with convincing wins over Duke and rival Virginia Tech.
A win on Saturday would give Virginia its first-ever 11-win season. The only other time the Cavaliers hit double digits was in 1989, when they went 10-3.
Duke, meanwhile, will lean on quarterback Darian Mensah, who’s been the most prolific passer in the ACC this season. He leads the conference with 3,450 passing yards and 28 touchdowns. Running back Nate Sheppard has chipped in with 865 rushing yards and nine scores, giving the Blue Devils a solid one-two punch.
Both teams have been here before-but neither has had much fun. Duke’s last ACC title game appearance ended in a 45-7 drubbing at the hands of Florida State in 2013.
Virginia’s lone trip came in 2019, when Clemson dismantled them 62-17. This time, though, it’s a different script.
No juggernauts, no dynasties-just two programs looking to break through and make a little history.
So buckle up. Saturday night’s ACC Championship isn’t just about a trophy. It’s about validation, legacy, and maybe-just maybe-a ticket to the College Football Playoff.