That probably doesn’t surprise anybody.
NC State was a popular pick among media members to win the ACC in 2022, just not as popular as the Clemson Tigers. So the Wolfpack lands second in the Atlantic Division in the preseason poll this year. NC State received 44 first-place votes, and 38 voters picked the Pack to win the league.
Here are the complete media poll results:
Overall Champion
Clemson – 103
NC State – 38
Miami – 8
Wake Forest – 4
Pitt – 3
Virginia – 3
Florida State – 2
North Carolina – 2
Boston College – 1
Atlantic Division
(First-place votes in parenthesis)
Clemson (111) – 1,080
NC State (44) – 959
Wake Forest (6) – 783
Louisville – 591
Florida State (2) – 509
Boston College (1) – 469
Syracuse – 201
Coastal Division
(First-place votes in parenthesis)
Miami (98) – 1,036
Pitt (38) – 911
North Carolina (18) – 823
Virginia (6) – 667
Virginia Tech (3) – 592
Georgia Tech (1) – 343
Duke – 220
Yes, someone picked Boston College to win the league, and someone picked Georgia Tech to win the Coastal, because there always has to be at least a couple ballots out of left field. Though who’s to say what will and will not happen with any certainty in the Coastal Division? It’s the last year for the Coastal; maybe those teams find a way to really go out in style, who knows.
I don’t fault anyone for picking Clemson in the Atlantic, especially considering that NC State has to go to Death Valley this year. There’s no telling how this division will turn out, and Clemson may well struggle as it breaks in two new coordinators, but from a pure talent standpoint the Tigers are the obvious safe bet.