The 2020 ACC Football preseason predictions were released today, and Virginia Tech was picked by the media to finish fifth in the conference, out of 15 teams. The media picked Clemson as the overwhelming favorite to win the ACC championship.
This season is the first time the conference's teams haven't been split into divisions since 2004, and Notre Dame has been added to the mix and is eligible for the ACC Championship this season.
Schedules were revamped extensively by the ACC in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each team will play ten conference games and has the option to play one out-of-conference game, as well. The conference begins play on Thursday, September 10 when Miami hosts UAB, and the full slate of ACC games begins in earnest the following Saturday, September 12. Click here for the full ACC football schedule as of today.
2020 ACC Football Preseason Predictions Notes
The number of ballots cast this year was down significantly, from 173 last year to 134 this year. Clemson picked up 132 first-place votes, and Notre Dame got the other two. Last season the media correctly predicted a Clemson-vs-Virginia ACC Championship Game.
For all preseason media predictions dating back to 2005, click here.
2020 All-ACC Preseason Football Team
Here's the full rundown of the first-team All-ACC predictions. Virginia Tech's Rayshard Ashby is the only Hokie to appear on the first-team selections.
(Total votes in parenthesis)
Offense
WR – Tamorrion Terry, Florida State (100)
WR – Tutu Atwell, Louisville (96)
WR – Dazz Newsome, North Carolina (75)
TE – Brevin Jordan, Miami (77)
AP – Michael Carter, North Carolina (82)
OT – Jackson Carman, Clemson (64)
OT – Ben Petrula, Boston College (61)
OG – Zion Johnson, Boston College (78)
OG – Aaron Banks, Notre Dame (34)
C – Jimmy Morrissey, Pitt (80)
QB – Trevor Lawrence, Clemson (131)
RB – Travis Etienne, Clemson (133)
RB – Javian Hawkins, Louisville (80)
Defense
DE – Carlos Basham Jr., Wake Forest (89)
DE – Patrick Jones II, Pitt (37)
DT – Marvin Wilson, Florida State (108)
DT – Tyler Davis, Clemson (75)
LB – Chazz Surratt, North Carolina (106)
LB – Rayshard Ashby, Virginia Tech (66)
LB – Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame (47)
CB – Asante Samuel Jr., Florida State (90)
CB – Derion Kendrick, Clemson (85)
S – Paris Ford, Pitt (62)
S – Hamsah Nasirildeen, Florida State (56)
Special Teams
PK – Nick Sciba, Wake Forest (69)
P – Trenton Gill, NC State (43)
SP – Damond Philyaw-Johnson, Duke (48)
2020 Preseason ACC Player of the Year
1. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson – 100
2. Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson – 30
3. Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina – 1
4. Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina – 1
5. Ian Book, QB, Notre Dame – 1
6. Carlos Basham Jr., DE, Wake Forest – 1</dd>