Despite the return of fifth-year senior quarterback Kenny Pickett and 14 other starters from 2020, Pitt was picked to finish fourth in the seven-team ACC Coastal, according to a preseason poll of 147 media voters.
The Panthers did receive one first-place vote, however.
North Carolina, the preseason choice to win the Coastal, received 109 first-place votes and 979 total points. Miami (28) was next with 881 points, followed by Virginia Tech (3/582) and Pitt (1/576). The bottom three are Virginia (2/540), Georgia Tech (4/340) and Duke (218).
Overall, the story remains unchanged for the seventh consecutive preseason. Clemson is an overwhelming choice to win its seventh consecutive ACC championship after appearing in the past six College Football Playoffs.
Clemson was the pick on 125 ballots. North Carolina received 16 votes, followed by Miami (three) and Georgia Tech, N.C. State and Virginia (one each).
In the Atlantic Division voting, Clemson picked up 146 first-place votes and 1,028 points, with N.C. State getting the remaining vote and 804 points. Boston College (638) came in third, followed by Florida State (510), Wake Forest (472), Louisville (462) and Syracuse (202).
North Carolina is the preseason Coastal favorite for the second time (first since 2016). The Tar Heels won the Coastal in 2015, part of a period from 2013-19 when each of the Coastal’s seven teams won the division. During the covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the ACC played with a non-divisional format.
The Atlantic and Coastal winners will meet in the ACC Football Championship Game on Dec. 4, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
