ACC Preseason Media Poll Revealed For 2024 College Football Season
Almost a week after the conclusion of the ACC Football Kickoff media event, the now-17 member conference released its preseason media poll to the public on Wednesday ahead of the 2024 college football season.
The Florida State Seminoles emerged as the conference's frontrunner, securing the top spot with 81 first-place votes. The Clemson Tigers followed at No. 2 with 55 votes, while the Miami Hurricanes earned the No. 3 spot with 17 votes.
Florida State is coming off a 13-1 season, during which the program barely missed out on the College Football Playoff after the selection committee chose Alabama over the then-undefeated Seminoles.
The list continued with the North Carolina State Wolfpack in at No. 4 with eight votes and the Louisville Cardinals at No. 5.
Coming off a 9-4 record last fall, with wins in five of its last six games, the Wolfpack are viewed by some as a potential 'darkhorse'. Flying under the radar, the program also brought in QB Grayson McCall, running back Jordan Waters, and tight end Justin Joly through the offseason transfer portal to improve the offense this fall.
Clemson Tigers linebacker Barrett Carter (0) pressures Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jordan Travis (13) during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium.
© Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports
As the remaining 12 programs filled out the rest of the poll, some notable teams received unexpected votes from the media. This included predicted No. 6 finisher Virginia Tech receiving five votes, as well as No. 9 Georgia Tech and No. 14 Boston College each earning one vote.
The true surprise of the release was at No. 10, with the newcomer California Golden Bears receiving two first-place votes following a 6-7 record in its final season in the Pac-12.
Wake Forest, Virginia, and Stanford rounded out the final three spots in the poll as each are not expected to cause much commotion this fall.
The full extent of the ACC preseason media poll is reflected as follows:
1. Florida State (81 first-place votes)
2. Clemson (55)
3. Miami (17)
4. NC State (8)
5. Louisville
6. Virginia Tech (5)
7. SMU
8. North Carlina
9. Georgia Tech (1)
10. California (2)
11. Duke
12. Syracuse
13. Pittsburgh
14. Boston College (1)
15. Wake Forest
16. Virginia
17. Stanford
With the ACC now spanning coast to coast, the conference hopes to qualify several programs for this season's 12-team College Football Playoff. The Clemson Tigers were the most recent program to qualify for the CFP when they competed in the 2020 Allstate Sugar Bowl.
The ACC will kick off its 2024 slate when Florida State and Georgia Tech clash on the gridiron in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic from Dublin, Ireland, on Aug. 24. The game begins at noon (ET) and will air on ESPN.
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