Clemson Tigers picked to win ACC over Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The media is predicting the Florida State Seminoles three-year reign atop the ACC is going to come to an end this year.
Jimbo Fisher and his Florida State Seminoles have had a rocky offseason with two players arrested on battery charges that saw freshman quarterback De’Andre Johnson dismissed and leading rusher Dalvin Cook suspended indefinitely.
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The three-time defending ACC champions lost 11 players who were selected in the NFL draft, including former Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston who was the No. 1 pick.
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All those losses coupled with the uncertainty surrounding Cook and a black cloud hanging over Tallahassee was enough for the ACC media to pick them to finish in second place to the Clemson Tigers in the Atlantic.
Clemson has a young offense led by dynamic sophomore quarterback Deshaun Watson who was the the media’s preseason pick to win the conference player of the year award. He’s recovering from a torn ACL, but if he gets through this season unscathed, the media should be correct with their preseason prediction.
With 101 first-place votes, Clemson nearly doubled the 56 from Florida State with Louisville receiving a single first-place vote. You can see the full standings below for the Atlantic and the Coastal, where Georgia Tech is predicted to repeat with Justin Thomas leading the way for Paul Johnson’s club.
Atlantic Division (First place votes in parenthesis)
1. Clemson (101) – 1,032
2. Florida State (56) – 992
3. Louisville (1) – 746
4. NC State – 673
5. Boston College – 473
6. Syracuse – 291
7. Wake Forest – 217
Coastal Division
1. Georgia Tech (96) – 991
2. Virginia Tech (44) – 841
3. Miami (7) – 632
4. Duke (4) – 615
5. North Carolina (4) – 590
6. Pitt (3) -535
7. Virginia -220
ACC Champion
1. Clemson – 84
2. Florida State – 41
3. Georgia Tech – 20
4. Virginia Tech – 7
5. North Carolina – 3
6. Miami – 2
7. NC State – 1
Who do you think will represent the Atlantic and Coastal divisions in this year’s ACC Championship Game?
I’m taking Clemson over Georgia Tech so my picks mirror what was the consensus at the ACC Football Kickoff.
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