Heading into the year seeking a fourth straight bowl appearance, Duke head coach David Cutcliffe and his squad find themselves in the middle of the pack in the ACC—at least in the media's eyes.
The Blue Devils were picked to finish fourth in the Coastal Division by a media poll at the 2015 ACC Kickoff event in Pinehurst, N.C. Duke received four first-place votes—the same number as North Carolina—and accumulated 615 total points in the poll, trailing preseason third-place choice Miami by 17.
Georgia Tech received 96 of the 158 first-place votes in the Coastal, followed by Virginia Tech. The Tar Heels were picked to finish right behind the Blue Devils in fifth, followed by Pittsburgh and Virginia.
In the Atlantic Division, Clemson was the media's pick to earn a trip to Charlotte, N.C., for the ACC Championship in December. The Tigers received 101 first-place votes, earning them a leg-up on second-place Florida State, which has won the last three ACC championships. Louisville, N.C. State, Boston College, Syracuse and Wake Forest rounded out the media poll in the Atlantic.
Clemson was also the media's pick to win the title game in Charlotte, with quarterback Deshaun Watson earning the most votes for Preseason ACC Player of the Year.
Coming into the 2014 season as the defending Coastal Division champions, Duke received 33 first-place votes—the most in the division—but was picked to finish second behind Miami. The Blue Devils wound up in second behind eventual Orange Bowl champion Georgia Tech.
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