2010 ACC Football Preseason Predictions: Hokies Picked by Media to Win ACC

On Monday afternoon, the ACC media tabbed the Virginia Tech Hokies as the
favorites to win the ACC Championship this season. They also gave high praise to
Tyrod Taylor and Ryan Williams in the preseason Player of the Year voting,
though neither one was the leading vote-getter.

Out of 98 members of the media, 62 picked Virginia Tech to win the Coastal
Division. 20 tabbed the Miami Hurricanes, 11 selected Georgia Tech, while North
Carolina got five first place votes.

Tech’s opponent in the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte is expected to be
Florida State, who received 78 first place votes in the Atlantic Division.
Clemson had 16 first place votes, with Boston College coming in third with four.

50 media members picked the Hokies to win the ACC Championship Game, with 26
picking Florida State. Behind the ‘Noles are Miami (10 votes), Georgia Tech (8),
Boston College (2) and North Carolina (2).

Here’s a quick breakdown of the voting.

35 people picked Virginia Tech to defeat Florida State in the ACC Championship
Game, while 13 had the Hokies beating Clemson. Two more have Tech beating Boston
College. 11 believe Florida State will beat the Hokies in the ACC Championship
Game, and one person thinks Boston College will get revenge on 2007 and 2008 by
knocking off VT.

If things go as the media expects them to go, the Hokies will win their
fourth ACC Championship in their first seven years in the league, to go along
with one second place overall finish (2005) and two second place finishes in the
Coastal Division (2006, 2009).

The media also weighed in with their ACC Player of the Year predictions.
Three Hokies were on the list.

Ryan Williams and Tyrod Taylor are the proven stars of the Virginia Tech
offense, and as the Hokies are expected to win the conference this year,
Williams and Taylor will be involved in a lot of high-profile games. They will
get every opportunity to perform against top notch competition this season. So
will tailback Darren Evans, who returns from a torn ACL.

Only three defensive players received votes, the highest of which was North
Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn. BC linebacker Mark Herzlich, returning from
cancer, received two votes.

Miami quarterback Jacory Harris put up big numbers last year and was very
popular with the ESPN talking heads for much of the year, so it’s somewhat
surprising that he only garnered two votes.

ACC football begins on Thursday, September 2, with Miami playing Florida
A&M and Wake Forest taking on Presbyterian. Action begins in earnest on
Saturday, September 4, and will continue through Monday, September 6.