Florida State is the overwhelming favorite to repeat as ACC Champions according to a poll of media members in attendance at the 2014 ACC Football Kickoff. This should be a surprise to no one.
There's far from a consensus as to which team will win the Coastal Division. Miami had the most points of the vote, but Duke came away with the most first place votes. Virginia Tech and North Carolina join the 'Canes and Blue Devils as teams with double-digit first place votes. The top four Coastal teams are separated by just 71 points. The only Coastal team not to receive a first place vote was Virginia.
The media tagged Jameis Winston as the preseason favorite to win player of the year. In what was probably the biggest surprise of the poll, players other than the reigning Heisman winner received votes, including Virginia Tech quarterback Brenden Motley.
ACC Championship Votes (4 voters made no selection)
- Florida State - 104
- Clemson - 2
- Virginia Tech - 2
Atlantic Division (First place votes in parenthesis)
- Florida State (109) - 670
- Clemson (3) - 660
- Louisville - 564
- Syracuse - 368
- NC State - 326
- Boston College - 301
- Wake Forest - 136
Coastal Division (First place votes in parenthesis)
- Miami (26) - 614
- Duke (33) - 597
- Virginia Tech (23) - 571
- North Carolina (27) - 570
- Georgia Tech (1) - 322
- Pitt (2) - 319
- Virginia - 142
ACC Player of the Year (4 voters made no selection)
- Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State - 99
- Vic Beasley, DE, Clemson - 6
- Duke Johnson, RB, Miami - 1
- Jamison Crowder, WR, Duke - 1
- Brenden Motley, QB, Virginia Tech - 1
Comments
Not a huge suprise. Let's prove them wrong #KnockOffTheNoles
I just think of how many more TDs and yards passing we would have had if Boykin had a better catch percentage.
That being said, I miss the Boykin/Coale days. I WON'T miss hearing about Boykin's hands multiple times per game, every game.
But they're SO BIG. Better tell everyone what size glove he wears.
Boykin's official glove size is "Bucky Hodges".
Did you see, on that first play, Danny Coale was open.
we skrong den! - jamies winston
"I'm just going to take these crabs right out the front door"
- Jameis Winston
don't mean to be grammar police and all but had to correct this:
"I'mma gunna take dees crabs right ow de front dowr den"
- Jameis Winston
If you're going to quote it's always best to use their exact words.
So more people will think Duke, Miami, or UNC will finish first in the Coastal this year than us.
Print it out and post this shit on the locker of every player for fall practice. You want to talk about being disrespected, THIS is being disrespected. We kicked Miami's ass last year and they're the favorite to win the division.
Fuck the media, this team needs to play with a chip on their shoulder, and this should be the bulletin board material to do it. We've been labeled as an also-ran in our own division. I hope our players and coaches realize this.
I think the logical interpretation of the data reflects that while the Media is not exactly sure who will win the Coastal, they for sure know that UVA will not.
Lol... UVa.
It's funny. Because it's true.
Lol
No, once again, despite being proven wrong year after year, THEY once again, think Miami is back.
Also, while watching ESPN for British Open News, at a bar, I saw them do a spot called "A New look at the ACC".
It was all about FL St and UNC. No one else mentioned except they acknowledged Duke last year but it's seen as a one-off.
No, the official line is that VT hasn't got it and are officially out of the running.
I call BS. I think we get the division this year at a minimum. Best Defense in the ACC and a much improved offense.
2015-2016 is ours to lose, is my perspective.
isnt that the norm? the U is always back. UNC is always next up and duke will be the new golden pony til they land back at the bottom this year. media fails to realize as bad as we were last year we still had a shot to play for the title until the week before the last game. andddddd as bad as we were the year before that we were 1 min away from beating fsu. we dont need ESPN or the media to validate we will win the coastal this year. the spurs had the best record in the NBA last year and know one would have even know they were going to make the playoffs if you watched ESPN or read the media coverage of the league until the finals then they all jump back on the wagon. we will leave some room for them to jump back on ours at the end of this season.
Whats REALLY angersome with this pick is when you look to see the crossover games for both this year.
Miami gets FSU and Louisville... we get BC and Wake.... and, yet, Miami is the favorite to win the division. That means the media is banking on them finishing with a better conference record, despite having those MUCH tougher games on their slate. Its basically saying they're a 2-3 win better team in Coastal division play than us this year.
I just don't see it.
you're giving 100+ writers WAYYYY too much credit. you think they actually studied schedules!?
You're right... its too much to ask these media people to do their jobs correctly. They've only had 7 months to do these kinds of evaluations, just not enough time.
media thought process:
Miami: Back
Duke: nice story
UNC: has to eventually be good, right?
VT: old news, nothing sexy
GT: they're still in the ACC, huh?
Pitt: they're in the ACC now?
uva: LOL
Remember, the U is perpetually back, and we don't have an idea on the QB situation. This automatically equates to the U winning Coastal, even though it NEVER translates in actuality...they just hope that this is the year they'll be right every year they pick them.
The easiest picks for them are, of course, FSU and UVA, the reigning NCs and the reigning LOLs.
Easy now, they got ONE thing right:
The Hoo's would put that on their bulletin board...
... If their bulletin board hadn't burned down in the Great Dumpster Fires of '13 and '12.
It's true, we've had a couple of bad years.
And it shouldn't really be much of a rationalization to state "At least we aren't LolUVA."
But.
At least we aren't LolUVA.
Great Caesar's Ghost, but are they awful. You can't help but feel better in comparison.
I mean, you can't feel good about watching a hobo stop, drop and roll after accidentally starting a fire on his own soiled coat.*
But man do I ever feel good about watching UVA burn. It's like some clueless cop with an over-sized ego shot a tazer at a pool of gas, and doesn't comprehend why "spark" plus "gas" = "FOOM".
I feel good, and it doesn't make me feel guilty to feel good. I don't know if there exists a wholesome and spiritually fulfilling kind of schadenfreude, but if there is, this surely qualifies.
* And by "can't" I mean "shouldn't". Cuz, hobos, right?
Has anyone ever realized that the fact we're so busy comparing ourselves to UVa is one of the main reasons our program kind of sucks right now? The last 2 years, UVa has been utterly terrible, which just happens to coincide with our worst 2 years since the early 90s.
We get it, UVa sucks a nut. Its always awesome beating them. But they are a program closer to Division III quality than where we want to be. Maybe its just me, but I'd like to see us set our sights high and strive for greatness rather than pat ourselves on the back for not being the steaming pile of dogcrap in the raging inferno of a dumpster fire.
And let me clarify, I don't necessarily think this is a problem with the fans as much as it is with the team itself. I think we're too wrapped up in holding UVa down and keeping the Commonwealth Cup that it has kind of blinded us from everything else. I know what these guys are saying on the Media Days about wanting to play championship football and all, but when you're seeing so many player comments over the course of a year directed at UVa and taking pot shots at UVa (not that they're undeserved... UVa sucks)... just sometimes I kind of wish we had our sights set higher than comparing ourselves to a 2 win team that hasn't won an ACC game since Stinespring was demoted. We've seen what comparing ourselves to a good program will do. Basketball watched UVa win the ACC, so we canned our coach and hired one of the top basketball minds in the country, who has immediately overhauled the program and revitalized a stagnant fanbase. Sometimes, I wish we had a rival that was pushing us rather than dragging the anchor throughout college football.
I don't think our Coach was canned because UVA had a good basketball team. Our coach was canned because of two years at the bottom of the heap of the ACC.
I don't think we've been sucking because we're comparing ourselves to UVA, because that is just a rivalry. I can't say it wouldn't help to have a rival that was better than they are, like the Michigan/OSU, Alabama/Auburn, Texas/Oklahoma, Florida/FSU, etc. Admittedly, some of those rivalries have been lopsided as of late, and most of them hate each other with more passion than LOLUVA/VT dislike each other.
Just look at the comments of the players talking about waiting for anOSU, and wanting to get back to the ACC Championship and win it...nowhere in there do I see them saying "I can't wait to beat UVA again. That's the sole purpose for my being."
I hope the players and coaches don't pay attention to what the media says because it doesn't mean anything. I hope they have the fire in their belly to bust their asses all summer and the desire to be the best they can be regardless of what writers, bloggers, or journalists vote on months before the season starts.
I doubt Duke was disrespected any more in last season's picks than they had been in any previous years. I doubt any of the guys would say the preseason media voting had an affect on their season, but that they had the drive, determination, and talent to win games on the field.
In summary: We're all Hokie fans, but I don't think it's worth taking personally. Take care of business on the field and nobody will remember/care about this poll.
We shouldn't need fuel for our fire. By now, any recruit that has reading skills should know our record, and should be willing to shoulder the responsibility of 'Bringing the VT back'. If not, we recruited the wrong guys. As for media expectations, I feel like we brought this on ourselves. We can stay in our (family) bubble and pretend we're still elite nationally(not) or even ACC(need to prove it) when we've not shown this. I'm not insulted by the media predictions. I'm disappointed that we've not proven ourselves on the field the past couple of seasons. The past two seasons haven't been the only problem, but they are representative of the problem. I'd like to see us correct the ship, as it were, and achieve our goals. If the press is cynical, I really can't blame them, based on our bowl records and records against elite teams even while we were on cruise control to ten win seasons. We need to prove ourselves. The press has run out of patience, and that is okay. IF we prove ourselves on the field, they'll come running back to us. We need to earn it. I support us doing just that.
So Motley as ACC POY when the rumors are Brewer will be the starter...hopefully whoever voted that has some inside info
Sounds like I could have been wrong
Is there a place to find out the individual votes so we can find out who the crazy person is that voted Motley?
i'm guessing it is 50% of the people who voted for us to win the league, too. The Coastal is a train wreck to predict. We were picked 3rd (barely) but were the only team with votes to win the league.
So does that mean Greg Roberts?
per twitter reactions, it seems Bitter and a few other guys have an idea of who it was. Claim he is trying to stir up conversation/controversy on his radio show.
Motley: More ACC POY votes than UVA had fans at their spring game.
I'd be curious to know who voted for Brenden Motley. Maybe Andy Bitter has been hyping up Brewer just so he could look like a genius with the only Motley pick?
I'm too late to the party.
Miami is back- LOLLLLL we killed them last year and although we had a couple players step up in huge ways I wouldn't be surprised to see them in the lower half again. That Defense is terrible and will always be, they have the same QB competition as we do... their starter tore his acl in spring ball. The only difference is they have a solid RB who can kill it behind a decent O-Line.
If we can get our Oline to block we will have a 1000+ yard rusher this year.. I have a feeling it will be a 2 back system but not in normal way. Edmunds will be the load back, every down stuff, and then Williams will be short yard/ change of speed back. I think JC will spell one of them if needed but will see less time as the year goes on.
Our WR core will be huge this year, I think we will quietly put up good numbers and will show that we can score some damn points! They all seemed to gain confidence towards the last few games and I'm sure have grown more since the Fall. Moorehead is becoming my favorite coach on the team other than Torrian Gray.
So Bud Foster ranks below Torrian Gray and Moorehead as your favorite coach on the squad?
uh ohh how could I forget Bud Foster... #ALLoftheCoaches...
Read between the lines to say "Other than the Norse God Foster, immortal and ruler of all the land, I like Torrian Gray and Moorehead."
I just read that they're going to turn Thor into a female. As one of my favorite redneck comics - Tim Wilson(RIP) once said - 'it's a sorry world...'
But did you read WHY the character is changing? I have a technical issue with it based upon what is inscribed on Mjolnir, but the reasoning behind a new Thor makes sense.
I'm totally fine with a female version of Thor. But why end the true Thor? Because they did it with Batman & Superman? Those were mistakes, too.
totally cool with any lifestyle, but I think you mean "smite" not "smitten"
Mild way to put that our punter owned their return team stars.
Lets just hope that this year, we don't have to rely on the punter making desperate (albeit fucking awesome) tackles after the return guy has beaten everyone else on our punt coverage unit...
and we had a Byrn fumble recovered in the endzone by JS5 I think.. that was massive
yup....our offense played well that night. Stanfords TD was amazing. Running game was pounding it. But we defineately had the balls bounce (literally) our way that night.
I don't know what the big deal is. FSU returns the Heisman trophy winner on a national championship team; I'd be more surprised if they picked anyone BUT FSU to represent not only the Atlantic, but the ACC as well. A little surprised to see Clemson nipping at their heels considering they lose a senior QB who left behind a solid career resume.
As far as the Coastal, go back the last 10 years. I think Miami has been picked to finish in the top in at least 8 of those and maybe all 10. This is not new. And admittedly, VT has been coming off two sub-par years where we left a lot of chances to win on the table. We return an injured running back, breaking in a new starting Qb no matter who gets picked, question marks in the middle of our D and a lack of depth on the backend, which is arguably the strongest starting 4 in the conference but gets real thin quick.
This is the history of VT. Underappreciated until we go on a dominant run. We are blue collar, lets act like it and win this bitch DESPITE everyone picking against them.
I am shocked UNC isn't the clear favorite in the (whatever division we are in). Williams looked good last year. They return a ton on defense. Lots of playmakers on offense.
...except he left the spring as co-#1 with a freshman. Guess they have QB questions as well...
Williams was pretty effective as a runner but pretty pedestrian as a passer - and that was mostly against subpar competition. UNC basically beat lesser teams and lost to better teams. Their record was entirely reflective of what their team was.
I do see Williams improving (if he starts), but returning a lot of defensive starters from an absolutely horrid D is not much to hang their hat on.
We have Miami in Lane on Thursday night and Duke is NOT beating us two years in a row. Predictions busted!!!
The Duke game last year was a flukish as a game can be. We will not lose to Duke again, and we should NEVER lose to them if we want to return to the upper echelon of college football.
End of statement, end of discussion.
Do you like peanuts?
Pretty sure the guy who voted for Motley was Kyle Bailey.
Yeah he has been raving about Motley since December.
Regarding the Motley vote, if the motive there really was simply to drum up debate on their radio show, that's irresponsible and their voting privileges should be revoked.
BUT, I do like the idea of people going out on a limb for their preseason picks. Winston does seem like the obvious choice based on his performance last year, but in that sense, it just feels like another belated post-season award for last season. The last two times an ACC POY was picked in the preseason to repeat (Jonathan Dwyer, Tajh Boyd), they haven't been able to do so. Also, no one has won back-to-back ACC POY awards since 1993 when Charlie Ward did it. The sleeper picks are more interesting, imo, and that's usually who ends up winning it (the preseason ACC POY hasn't been the postseason ACC POY since 2007 (Matt Ryan)).
Maybe he was inspired by Dan LeBatard with his Hall Of Fame vote.
So the U is back? Again? They left? And didn't take BC when they went?
Let's see what the results on the field are.
Ah, the good old "man not caring." Classic.
As I said in a comment on one of Andy's articles, the preseason media poll means as much as whatever they list for Bucky Hodges' height and weight on the roster.
Honestly, the Coastal is just going to be the "wheel of winners" this year. UNC had key losses. Da U lost their presumed starting QB to an ACL tear and had some criminals kicked off of their already depleted (and chronically inconsistent) defense. Duke lost one of their QBs who was extremely effective in their two-pronged attack. VT is likely to reload on D, but can the O put it together? Pitt is Pitt and GT is not going anywhere. Have I missed anyone else? Nah.
Let's play football.
Need turkey legs, let's see… "LOLUVA"
No, but seriously. Coach Cutcliffe was on the satellite today and the host (Mark Packer) said he was the only one who answered the question "what do you think of the crazy Coastal" with an actual team prediction, and he said "it all goes through Blacksburg", and had good things to say about CFB and the staff (of course CC always has good things to say about the Hokies).
Seriously, Cutcliffe is an absolute boss. Everything a college football head coach should aspire to be. I was as bummed/frustrated/pissed off as anyone that we lost that game and eventually a shot at FSU in the ACCCG, but I will never regret for a second that Cutcliffe was the coach who took our place. Man's a class act in every sense of the word and has done more for Duke than far too many people recognize.
All that said, I hope we absolutely curb stomp Duke this year.... respectfully.
Also looking forward to respectfully curb stomping Duke in the deafening silence of the gigantic speck that is Wallace Wade stadium.
#oxymoronsarealsotheboss
Deafening silence of Wallace Wade?
Its like you've never been there for a VT game before...
We also generally own the Wake Forest stadium.
We've historically owned just about every football stadium in NC.
Only reason we don't own UNC as much anymore is that they've implemented some pretty ridiculous ticket policies for the VT games
You know you're winning as a fan base when opposing administrations change ticket prices, not to encourage their fans to go to the games, but to discourage your fans from coming.
That's a strategy! Oooof!
I once (2010) scalped front row 50 yard line tickets at UNC for face value ($50). I'm pretty sure they were Michael Jordan's tickets.
D#%^#$% it, that guy makes it absolutely impossible to hate him.
Duke has the possibility of being an absolute thorn in the side. Cutcliff is a good coach and his hiring was probably the best football decision Duke ever made.
2 years ago it was a close thing until 1/2 and we decided to play ball and ran the table to win the game.
Last year Duke got more points than we did.
I get the feeling over the next few years we cannot auto-writeoff Duke.
Well they did hire Spurrier once. That was a pretty good call on their part.
Yeah, that wasn't too bad, eh?
Duh!!!!