The media members at the ACC Football Kickoff have made their picks:
| Atlantic Division | ||
| 1. | Florida State (78) | 565 |
| 2. | Clemson (16) | 479 |
| 3. | Boston College (4) | 389 |
| 4. | NC State | 283 |
| 5. | Wake Forest | 203 |
| 6. | Maryland | 139 |
| Coastal Division | ||
| 1. | Virginia Tech (62) | 532 |
| 2. | Miami (20) | 444 |
| 3. | Georgia Tech (11) | 408 |
| 4. | North Carolina (5) | 379 |
| 5. | Duke | 169 |
| 6. | Virginia | 126 |
Virginia Tech is the heavy favorite to win the ACC. Christian Ponder is the pre-season POY. (Russell Wilson finished 4th in POY voting.)
The media poll is in line with the general consensus to this point, though there are a couple of differences. I've been warming up to Boston College for a while now and I think they take the division this year with a combination of continued defensive excellence, an offense that will get enough done behind Montel Harris, and that schedule. Virginia Tech is the only Coastal Division heavy hitter that the Eagles have to play, which is to say that they get both Duke and UVa. Sweet draw there.
Florida State certainly is capable, but since it's impossible to know the extent of the effect the new regime has on their defense, I think tabbing them for first place is ridiculously optimistic. My picks:
1.) Boston College
2.) Clemson
3.) Florida State
4.) Wake Forest
5.) NC State
6.) Maryland
1.) Virginia Tech
2.) UNC
3.) Miami
4.) Georgia Tech
5.) UVA
6.) Duke
Just getting that on the record so I can make fun of how wrong it is after the fact.
The ACC Football Kickoff finishes up this afternoon with interviews of the coaches, which starts at 3:30 and will be streamed online. TOB will be up second, probably around 3:45.