Almost everything has gone according to plan for No. 18 Virginia this season, but you can’t plan for everything.The Cavaliers only need to defeat the visiting, struggling rival Virginia Tech on Saturday night to clinch a spot in their first Atlantic Coast Conference championship game since 2019.What Virginia (9-2, 6-1 ACC) could not have foreseen, however, is the “Franklin factor” that Virginia Tech (3-8, 2-5) is bringing to Charlottesville.The Hokies will officially close the books on the Brent Pry era and interim coach Philip Montgomery will lead for the final time before former Penn State coach James Franklin takes the wheel.Virginia Tech has dropped three straight games and is 0-4 against ranked teams this season, including last weekend’s 34-17 loss to then-No. 13 Miami, but emotions will be high for the Commonwealth Clash and anything can happen.”I know how passionate this state is about this game, and you can’t ask for much more,” said Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris. “It’s the state championship and it’s going to be electric.”Virginia is coming off a bye week, idle since a 34-17 victory at Duke on Nov. 15. A win Saturday night at home would give the Cavaliers only their second season in school history with double-digit wins (10-3 in 1989).A win would also lock up a trip to the conference title game for coach Tony Elliott’s team on Dec. 6 in Charlotte. There’s technically a path to the ACC championship game if Virginia loses to Virginia Tech, but it would require losses by SMU, NC State and Pitt.”The games to remember are the ones in November,” said Cavaliers defensive lineman Jacob Holmes.
