College GameDay makes ACC Champion picks & Pat McAfee likes Virginia Tech

The ACC begins the 2024 college football season in Dublin, Ireland with Florida State and Georgia Tech playing. It was also the first stop on ESPN College GameDay with the crew there, minus Lee Corso who did not make the trip.

During the second segment of the show, Pat McAfee, who was questionable to return to the show in June only to announce a month later that he would be back for the 2024 season, put the ACC on notice about Virginia Tech this season with all the retainment they had and quarterback Kyron Drones. It's clear that McAfee likes the direction they are heading in Year 3 under Brent Pry, and why not?

At the end of the show, the panel, Desmond Howard, McAfee, Kirk Herbstreit, former Alabama coach Nick Saban, and guest picker and WWE superstar Sheamus, all made their conference picks, and when it came to the ACC, the picks varied and yes, even one picked the Hokies.

Pat McAfee picks Virginia Tech to win the ACC

McAfee, again you either love him or hate him with really no in-between, picked Virginia Tech to win the ACC this season and with that would come an automatic 12-team College Football Playoff berth. The other picks? Howard picked Miami, Herbstreit picked Clemson, and Saban and Sheamus both picked the defending champions Florida State.

Miami and Clemson getting one vote and FSU getting two is not surprising at all as all three are considered the top teams in the conference as the season begins. Virginia Tech is a trendy dark horse pick this season, but to McAfee's credit, he has been consistent with his take on the Hokies. It begins next weekend at Vanderbilt in the first of four straight non-conference games to begin the season before the attention turns to conference play.