Tudor's Take: UNC got plenty of support on all-ACC team

If there’s a media bias against North Carolina football player Marvin Austin and his teammates, it wasn’t apparent in the voting for the preseason all-ACC team that was released today.

Austin, a senior defensive tackle and a target of NCAA questions about possible improper dealings with professional agents, easily was voted to the team, which was selected by more than 300 media representatives at the league’s summer interview sessions Sunday and Monday in Greensboro.

Among the four defensive front players picked, Austin trailed only teammate Robert Quinn in votes received.

Quinn got 47 votes from those who participated. Austin received 32, five more than fellow tackle pick Jarvis Jenkins of Clemson.

What’s more, three other Carolina defenders were selected -- linebacker Quan Sturdivant and defensive backs Kendric Burney and Deunta Williams.

The only defenders who landed more than 40 votes were Quinn, Williams (41) and Clemson defensive back DeAndre McDaniel (48).

Speculation about Austin and Carolina’s perception within the media began Monday, when the same voters picked the Tar Heels to finish fourth in the six-team Coastal Division.

A theory quickly evolved that UNC (8-5 overall, 4-4 ACC last season) was low-balled because voters believed Austin and the team were in line for sanctions.

The all-star voting instead underscores the apprehension about the team’s offense against a schedule that includes LSU and Rutgers outside the ACC and games against Florida State, N.C. State and Clemson from the league’s Atlantic Division.

Including his three years at Carolina and six years at Miami (1995 through 2000) before its membership in the ACC, Butch Davis is 1-3 against State and 1-6 against FSU.

The voting outcome also reflects the influence of preseason NFL prospects lists. The five UNC defenders, plus linebacker Bruce Carter, are predicted to be first, second or third-round picks in the April, 2011 draft.

Less voting attention obviously was paid to the fact that Carolina’s defense, with those same players plus standouts Cam Thomas and E.J. Wilson, gave up 1,260 yards in its final four 2009 games against Miami, Boston College, State and Pittsburgh.

Finally, of course, there’s a huge disconnect in the all-star and standings predictions.

Virginia Tech, an overwhelming choice to win the ACC title, had only player on the preseason team -- running back Ryan Williams.

Among the overlooked Hokie defenders were two of the very best players in the conference -- cornerback Rashad Carmichael and tackle John Graves.

Even more surprising was the voting at quarterback. Last season’s first-team all-conference pick, Georgia Tech’s Joshua Nesbitt, could not out-poll Florida State’s Christian Ponder, who didn’t even make the second-unit after the ’09 season.

While preseason votes are soon forgotten and don’t carry much weight, it’s for certain there will not be five Carolina first-team picks on the postseason first unit if the team can’t finish higher than fourth in the Coastal.