ACC preseason balloting: Clemson the favorite, UVA gets no love

The writers and broadcasters aren’t giving defending Coastal Division champ Virginia any love, picking the ‘Hoos fifth in the seven-team Coastal in the preseason ACC balloting.

At least I wasn’t the only voter to put the Cavaliers first – there was one other first-place vote for Virginia, according to the ballot numbers released today.

Clemson, of course, is the overwhelming favorite in the Atlantic, receiving 146 of the 147 first-place votes, with a lone voter giving NC State the other first-place nod.

The Tigers received 125 votes in the overall champion category.

There was one vote for Virginia there. Which was not me.

North Carolina was the pick in the Coastal, with 109 votes.

Just so’s you know, there weren’t many Virginia beat writers and broadcasters there, and there were a ton from Carolina, as usual.

Miami was picked second. Miami never lives up to expectations.

ACC Preseason Poll

Overall Champion

• Clemson – 125
• North Carolina – 16
• Miami – 3
• Virginia – 1
• Georgia Tech – 1
• NC State – 1

Atlantic Division

(First-place votes in parenthesis)

1. Clemson – 1,028 (146)
2. NC State – 804 (1)
3. Boston College – 638
4. Florida State – 510
5. Wake Forest – 472
6. Louisville – 462
7. Syracuse – 202

Coastal Division

(First-place votes in parenthesis)

1. North Carolina – 979 (109)
2. Miami – 881 (28)
3. Virginia Tech – 582 (3)
4. Pitt – 576 (1)
5. Virginia – 540 (2)
6. Georgia Tech – 340 (4)
7. Duke – 218

Story by Chris Graham