Florida State football
Hurricanes among top ACC Coastal teams
was picked to place second in the ACC, according to the preseason media poll.
Florida State was picked to finish second in the ACC behind defending conference champion Clemson, according to the preseason media poll released Monday.
The rankings were based on votes cast by 191 media members who attended last week’s ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte, N.C.
The Seminoles received 39 of the possible 191 first-place votes, finishing 105 votes behind the Tigers (144) and 32 votes ahead of North Carolina (7) and Louisville (1).
Clemson received 148 firstplace votes and 1,293 points, locking up the top spot in the Atlantic Division. The Tigers are coming off a 14-1 season during which the team earned a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals and advanced to the national-championship game.
FSU was second in the division with 42 first-place votes and 1,176 total points followed by Louisville (one first-place vote), NC State, Boston College, Syra-
cuse and Wake Forest.
While FSU and Clemson have consistently been the ACC’s top two teams, Fisher was quick to tout the talent of the entire league.
“Us and Clemson have had great success,” Fisher said during his ACC Kickoff press conference. “... We’re playing at a very high level, two of the elite programs.
“We’ve had some success against Miami, but all those games have been nailbiters right down to one-possession games right to the end. Georgia Tech upset us last year and plays very good. Pitt, NC State. North Carolina is an onside kick away from having a chance to beat Clemson last year.
“There’s so many teams. ... This is a great league. I’ve coached in the other leagues. I know what they are. This is a great football [league]. Great football players. You name me a league that has bigger stars than Dalvin Cook, Deshaun Watson and Brad Kaaya.
“There’s other guys in our league that are great players. We have other great players. Miami has other great players. Clemson has other great players, so does Georgia Tech, NC State. All across the board, everybody has them . ... This is a great league of football.”
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney was upbeat about his team’s chances building on a strong 2015 season.
“We feel like we’re one of those teams that has a chance to have a special season,” he said. “But we all know there’s a lot of work to be done. So this is kind of that pathway to the next step. This means that we’re going to be back on the grass here soon. We’re looking forward to it.”
North Carolina took home the top spot in the Coastal Division with 121 first-place votes and 1,238 points. The Tar Heels won the division last season.
Miami was second with 50 first-place votes and 1,108 points, followed by Pitt (14 first-place votes), Virginia Tech (3), Duke (2), Georgia Tech (1) and Virginia.
New UM coach Mark Richt returned to his alma mater after coaching at Georgia and noted the ACC’s improved strength compared to his time in the 1990s as an FSU offensive assistant.
“I think the league is much deeper and tougher top to bottom than when I remember leaving it,” Richt said. “Really looking forward to the challenge of it.”
FSU returns 17 starters, including running back Cook, who finished second to Clemson’s Watson in preseason ACC Player of the Year voting. Watson led the way with 164 votes, followed by Cook (18), North Carolina running back Elijah Wood (4), Miami quarterback Kaaya (2), Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson (2) and Duke cornerback DeVon Edwards (1).