The ACC preseason media poll was posted on social media Wednesday afternoon, with Florida State picked to finish first and Syracuse coming in at a seemingly low number 12 in the newly expanded 17 team conference.

Talk about an expected result concerning a team, in the Orange, that a majority of the (170) media members that voted in the poll (most reside in North Carolina, Virginia, and other southern locales) don't really have a great handle on for a program in upward transition in 2024.

That's despite the well documented NCAAB hoopla orchestrated by Fran Brown and staff the last eight months, building an improved roster with players arriving in the 'Cuse through the transfer portal, signing letters of intent, or staying put joining the FRANchise.

With Brown nabbing linchpins Kyle McCord and Fadil Diggs on both sides of the ball in two of the players he brought to the preseason Kickoff event last week in Charlotte, joined by key returning standouts LeQuint Allen and Justin Barron, it was clear for all those on hand to see that this was a different SU program with high ambitions, not to be grouped among the six lowest teams.

The media poll placed the Orange behind five of its conference opponents this season, Miami (3), NC State (8), Virginia Tech (6), Georgia Tech (9) and Cal (10), making Syracuse Orange odds an interesting proposition, especially if SU can get out to a fast start with four home games in September, including week two versus the Yellow Jackets.

And jeez, if the Jackets and Boston College can each receive a first-place vote, and Cal two first-place votes, which is what occurred in the voting, that's simply another item to motivate this Syracuse team in comparison to peer schools it will meet on the field in Brown's debut season.

1. FSU (81 1st place votes)

2. Clemson (55)

3. Miami (17)

4. NC State (8)

5. Louisville

6. Virginia Tech

7. SMU

8. UNC

9. Georgia Tech (1)

10. Cal (2)

11. Duke

12. Syracuse

13. Pitt

14. Boston College (1)

15. Wake Forest

16. Virginia

17. Stanford

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