Virginia Tech has once again finished as the highest-ranked ACC team. The Hokies loss to Stanford in the Orange Bowl dropped them four spots in both major polls -- No. 15 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll and No. 16 in the Associated Press Poll. In both cases they were one spot ahead of the next-highest ranked ACC team, Florida State.
Maryland and North Carolina State also finished ranked in both polls. Maryland came in at No. 23 in the AP and No. 24 in the Coaches while NC State was No. 25 in both.
Since joining the ACC in 2004, the Hokies have finished as the highest-ranked ACC team in both polls six out of seven years. The only time they didn't was in 2006 when they were one spot behind Wake Forest in both. This is lowest Virginia Tech has finished in relation to its starting point in the preseason AP poll (-6) since joining the ACC. It's the third time since joining the league that its finishing point was lower than its starting point.