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Among the college football festivities hitting the nation over the summer was the releasing of the ACC preseason poll.  Where Syracuse was ranked may displease a lot of fans, but in reality, the Orange can – and probably will – finish fourth in the ACC’s Atlantic Division.
While the ACC’s Coastal Division is filled with a very even tier of teams, the Atlantic Division is very top-heavy.  The likes of Florida State, Clemson, and newcomer Louisville have all played in BCS bowls in the last three years and were all picked to finish ahead of the Orange.
The Coastal Division has parity, and the crown is up for grabs with teams like Miami, Duke and Virginia Tech all vying for the title.  Six of the seven teams in the division received a first-place vote from the media (Virginia being the only exception).
Syracuse was chosen to finish ahead of NC State, Boston College, and Wake Forest in its second year in the ACC.  The Orange beat both the Wolfpack and the Eagles in 2013.  Last season, the team was picked to finish sixth in the Atlantic, but ended the season behind the Tigers and Seminoles – exactly where it stands now.
As expected, Florida State was the overwhelming favorite to win both the Atlantic Division (109 first place votes) and the entire conference (104 of 108 total votes).  The national champions return the defending Heisman Trophy winner and projected ACC Player of the Year, Jameis Winston.
The Orange, on the other hand, returns a plethora of talent on both sides of the ball and will be fully adjusted to Shafer’s schemes.  They will also have a matured quarterback who has had a full offseason to work in the system.  Clemson and Louisville, on the other hand, both lost starting quarterbacks, and the Tigers also lost their most explosive player.
Here is the full poll:
ACC Atlantic Divison
1.  Florida State (109 first-place votes)
2.  Clemson (3)
3.  Louisville
4.  Syracuse
5.  NC State
6.  Boston College
7.  Wake ForestACC Coastal Division 
- Miami (26)
- Duke (33)
- Virginia Tech (23)
- North Carolina (27)
- Georgia Tech (1)
- Pittsburgh (2)
- Virginia
The Fizz already detailed reasonable predictions for the team and a look at the scheduling in the past month, but wants to know if you think the Orange can beat out a Louisville team that has a new coach and has been shaky in the past years and a Clemson team that lost its two star players.  Can the Orange finish second in the division?
Posted by: Jason Weingold
