ACC Preseason Poll: Miami Hurricanes the Favorite to Win ACC Coastal
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The Atlantic Coast Conference released the results of their preseason media poll this week and the Miami Hurricanes were dubbed the projected favorite to win the Coastal Division.
The 2022 ACC Preseason Poll, which consisted of votes from 164 media members, named the Hurricanes and the Clemson Tigers as the two teams forecasted to compete in the conference title game.
The Canes received 98 of 164 first-place votes for the divisional rankings, with Pittsburgh a distant second at 38 votes. In the overall rankings, pollsters heavily leaned toward the Atlantic Division, as Clemson received 103 votes to take the conference title followed by NC State with 44 votes, while Miami finished third with just eight.
RELATED: Can the Canes Steal the ACC Coastal Crown in 2022?
If the Canes advance to the conference championship, it will be their first trip to the ACC title game since 2017 when they were ranked seventh and were dealt a devastating 38-3 loss at the hands of (you guessed it) Clemson. The 2022 Tigers will be good, as usual, but they’ll likely be less formidable than that 2017 team and a rematch in the title game would be sweet revenge for the Hurricanes if they play their cards right.
Miami will travel to Clemson and then take on Pitt at home in the final two weeks of the season, games that will almost certainly play a large part in deciding which teams contend for the ACC crown. The Canes haven’t come out of Death Valley with a win since 2010 when they beat the Tigers 30-21 behind quarterback Jacory Harris’ four touchdown passes and this year might be their best shot since then to pull it off.
2022 is building up to be one of the most anticipated Hurricanes seasons in recent memory and these preseason rankings only add fuel to the fire.
Even with the hype surrounding this resurging program, head coach Mario Cristobal and his staff will have their work cut for them as the Canes have the second highest strength of schedule in the Coastal Division (30th overall in the FBS). If Miami can battle through and reach the ACC finale, it would be a true testament to the new direction of the U.
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