PITTSBURGH — Nearly two months into the season, the ACC Coastal Division is still searching for clarity.

Virginia Tech and Pitt will have a chance to provide some when the 25th-ranked Hokies (5-2, 3-1) face the Panthers (5-2, 2-1) tonight. The winner will exit no worse than tied for first in the loss column by the end of the weekend. The loser will need to win out — and probably get more than a little help — to earn a spot in the ACC title game.

“It’s going to be a game of kind of we’re in the mix in this division and it’s going to be a championship-caliber football game,” said Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster. “If they want to stay in the hunt, they’ve got to win it. If we want to stay in the hunt, we need to win it.”