ACC and SEC preseason polls highlight surprising votes and coach job security concerns

The ACC preseason media poll gave Miami the favorite to win the conference, while an unexpected first‑place vote was cast for Stanford, a team projected to finish last. Clemson earned 7 first‑place votes and finished near the top of the poll, illustrating the media’s difficulty in predicting the champion accurately in recent years.

Separately, an analysis of all 16 SEC football coaches ranked their job security ahead of the 2026 season. Six coaches are newcomers, including Lane Kiffin at LSU and Pete Golding at Ole Miss, with each placed in a “hot‑seat” category reflecting their perceived risk of dismissal. Established coaches such as Kirby Smart (Georgia) and Clark Lea (Vanderbilt) were noted for their comparatively secure positions.