ACC Championship game between Clemson and Virginia Tech. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Florida State is the preseason favorite to claim the Atlantic Coast Conference football championship, according to a poll of 167 media members held in conjunction with last week’s 2017 ACC Football Kickoff.
The Seminoles, who posted a 10-3 overall record last season and defeated Michigan in the Capital One Orange Bowl, are also picked to capture the Atlantic Division, while Miami received the nod as the likely Coastal Division winner.
Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson of Louisville was chosen to repeat as ACC Player of the Year after a record-setting 2016 campaign in which he averaged 393.4 yards per game of total offense and accounted for 51 touchdowns, both ACC single-season records. His 1,571 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns were also ACC records for a quarterback.
Lamar Jackson poses for a photo after being named the 82nd Heisman Memorial Trophy Award winner.
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Florida State was named the likely 2017 ACC champions on 118 ballots, followed by defending national champion and two-time defending ACC champion Clemson with 35 votes. Louisville received seven votes, followed by Virginia Tech and Miami with three each and Duke with one.
In the Atlantic Division preseason voting, Florida State led the way with 121 first-place votes and 1,108 total points. Clemson followed with 37 first-place votes and 1,007 points, while Louisville received nine first-place votes and checked in with 843 total points.
Miami, beginning its second season under head coach Mark Richt, was selected the likely Coastal Division winner by 103 voters and amassed 1,065 total points. Defending division champion Virginia Tech followed with 40 first-place votes and 932 points. Georgia Tech placed third with nine first-place votes and 708 points.
ACC Championship
- Florida State – 118
- Clemson – 35
- Louisville – 7
- 4-t. Virginia Tech – 3
- 4-t. Miami – 3
- Duke – 1
Atlantic Division
(First place votes in parenthesis)
- Florida State (121) – 1,108
- Clemson (37) – 1,007
- Louisville (9) – 843
- NC State – 658
- Wake Forest – 415
- Syracuse – 362
- Boston College – 283
Coastal Division
(First place votes in parenthesis)
- Miami (103) – 1,065
- Virginia Tech (40) – 932
- Georgia Tech (9) – 708
- Pitt (7) – 673
- North Carolina (4) – 606
- Duke (4) -473
- Virginia -219
ACC Player of the Year
- Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville – 113
- Deondre Francois, QB, Florida State – 23
- Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson – 11
- Harold Landry, DE, Boston College – 8
- Jaylen Samuels, AP, NC State – 7
- Eric Dungey, QB, Syracuse – 2
- 7-t. Shaquille Quarterman, LB, Miami – 1
- 7-t. Ahmmon Richards, WR, Miami – 1
- 7-t. Daniel Jones, QB, Duke – 1
