The Miami Hurricanes are set to embark on their 14th season as a member of the ACC since moving over from the old Big East. The Hurricanes were brought in to the ACC to help give the football product a boost, but Miami has yet to play for an ACC championship. Could that drought end this season?
Miami was chosen as the ACC’s Coastal Division favorite by the preseason poll at ACC media days. The Hurricanes edged out defending Coastal Division champion Virginia Tech for the top preseason spot in the division. With Mark Richt gearing up for his second season on the job at Miami, the expectations continue to rise as he tries to emulate some of the success he had at Georgia in the SEC. Considering the ACC’s Coastal Division tends to be a division up for grabs the last few years, why not Miami this season?
In the Atlantic Division, the preseason poll is heavy on Florida State, with defending ACC and national champion Clemson coming in second place behind the Seminoles. Florida State is being hyped as a top playoff contender for the 2017 season, and the preseason poll out of the ACC seems to support that thought pretty well. Florida State will open the season with a bang against Alabama in Atlanta. If all goes according to plan, it could end up being a preview of a future playoff or national championship game this season.
Louisville quarterback and 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson was chosen as the preseason ACC player of the year, easily outpacing the next man in line, Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois.
ACC Championship
- Florida State - 118
- Clemson - 35
- Louisville - 7
- (tie) Virginia Tech – 3
(tie)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
- (tie) Shaquille Quarterman, LB, Miami - 1
(tie) Ahmmon Richards, WR, Miami - 1
(tie) Daniel Jones, QB, Duke - 1