As if there was any need for more pressure on this year’s UNC football team, the Tar Heels were officially named the favorite to win the ACC Coastal Division on Monday.

Based on a poll of 191 media members last week at the conference’s annual kickoff event, Clemson is projected to repeat as champion after receiving 144 first-place votes–but only after going through UNC in the league title game once again.

Although Florida State (39) garnered more first place votes than the Tar Heels (seven), the Seminoles compete in the same division as Clemson. This assures that the two schools won’t be able to play against each other for the conference championship in December.

The ACC also announced its preseason Player of the Year voting–which saw the Tigers’ star quarterback Deshaun Watson take home 166 first-place votes.

Mirroring the team projections, Florida State’s speedy tailback Dalvin Cook was second with 18 votes–while UNC’s bruising tailback Elijah Hood received four votes to end up third.

ACC Championship Votes

1.       Clemson – 144

2.       Florida State – 39

3.       North Carolina – 7

4.       Louisville – 1

 

Atlantic Division

(First place votes in parenthesis)                       

1.       Clemson (148) – 1,293

2.       Florida State (42) – 1,176

3.       Louisville (1) – 961

4.       NC State – 704

5.       Boston College – 441

6.       Syracuse  – 426

7.       Wake Forest – 347

Coastal Division

(First place votes in parenthesis)                       

1.       North Carolina (121) – 1,238

2.       Miami (50) – 1,108

3.       Pitt (14) – 859

4.       Virginia Tech (3) – 697

5.       Duke (2) – 597

6.       Georgia Tech (1) -588

7.       Virginia -261

ACC Player of the Year

1.       Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson – 164

2.       Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State – 18

3.       Elijah Hood, RB, North Carolina – 4

t-4. Brad Kaaya, QB, Miami – 2

t-4. Lamar Jackson, QB Louisville – 2

5.       DeVon Edwards, CB/KR, Duke – 1