Ponder picked as ACC Player of the Year

GREENSBORO, NC - Virginia Tech was the choice of the media assembled for the 2010 Atlantic Coast Confence Football Kickoff to win the ACC's Coastal Division and defeat Florida State for the 2010 ACC Football Championship in voting which was announced Monday at the Grandover Resort in Gensboro.

A cord number of ballots we cast at the Kickoff with 98 media members voting.

Virginia Tech was chosen on 50 ballots to win its fourth ACC football title in just its seventh year in the league. Florida State finished second with 26 votes, followed by Miami (10), Georgia Tech (8), Boston College (2) and North Carolina (2). The Hokies we tabbed to win the ACC's Coastal Division with 532 points and 62 first-place votes outdistancing Miami (444 points, 20 first-place votes), Georgia Tech (408), North Carolina (379), Duke (169) and Virginia (126). Florida State compiled 565 points and 78 first-place votes to claim the Atlantic Division title over Clemson (479), Boston College (389), NC State (283), Wake Fost (203) and Maryland (139).

Virginia Tech was pviously chosen as the pseason ACC gridiron favorite in 2007 and 2009. The Hokies captud the 2007 ACC title, but finished in the Coastal Division second to ACC champion Georgia Tech last year.

Florida State senior quarterback Christian Ponder (Colleyville, Tex.), who led the ACC in total offense in 2009 (321.8) after nine games befo suffering a season-ending shoulder injury, was a runaway selection as the ACC's Pseason Player of the Year. Ponder garned 45 votes to finish ahead of Virginia Tech tailback Ryan Williams (16) and quarterback Tyrod Taylor (11), NC State senior quarterback Russell Wilson (6) and North Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn (6). In all, 12 ACC players ceived votes for ACC Pseason Player of the Year.

Atlantic Division

1. Florida State (78) 565

2. Clemson (16) 479

3. Boston College (4) 389

4. NC State 283

5. Wake Fost 203

6. Maryland 139

Coastal Division

1. Virginia Tech (62) 532

2. Miami (20) 444

3. Georgia Tech (11) 408

4. North Carolina (5) 379

5. Duke 169

6. Virginia 126

ACC Championship Votes

1. Virginia Tech 50

2. Florida State 26

3. Miami 10

4. Georgia Tech 8

T5. Boston College 2

T5. North Carolina 2

ACC Player of the Year

1. Christian Ponder, Florida State 45

2. Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech 16

3. Tyrod Taylor, Virginia Tech 11

T4. Russell Wilson, NC State 6

T4. Robert Quinn, North Carolina 6

6. Joshua Nesbitt, Georgia Tech 4

7. Kyle Parker, Clemson 3

T8. Mark Herzlich, Boston College 2

T8. Jacory Harris, Miami 2

T10. Montel Harris, Boston College 1

T10. Darn Evans, Virginia Tech 1

T10. Bruce Carter, North Carolina 1

ACC Championship Game Pdictions

1. Virginia Tech over FSU 35

2. Virginia Tech over Clemson 13

3. Florida State over Virginia Tech 11

4. Florida State over Miami 10

5. Miami over Florida State 9

6. Georgia Tech over Florida State 7

7. Florida State over North Carolina 3

T8. Virginia Tech over Boston College 2

T8. Florida State over Georgia Tech 2

T10. Miami over Clemson 1

T10. Georgia Tech over Clemson 1

T10. Boston College over Georgia Tech 1

T10. Boston College over Virginia Tech 1

T10. North Carolina over Florida State 1

T10. North Carolina over Clemson 1