Courtesy of Mount Union Athletics
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Mount Union's football team tops both Ohio Athletic Conference media and coaches preseason polls announced today (Aug. 4) at the conference football media day at Ohio Stadium on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus.
The Purple Raiders, the preseason No.1 pick in the nation by USA Today, went 14-1 last season, won the OAC championship and advanced to the Stagg Bowl, national championship game, for a fifth straight season. Mount Union has won the last 18-straight and 21 OAC football titles overall.
"We appreciate the respect that coaches and the media in the OAC have for our program," commented head coach Larry Kehres. "We also know that playing in this conference is a tremendous challenge week in and week out."
The football team reports back to campus on Wednesday, August 18 and starts practice on Thursday, August 19 with the season opener Saturday, September 11 at 2 pm against The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The game will begin Larry Kehres' 25th season as Mount Union head coach and he has a 289-22-3 overall record.
OAC Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Mount Union (9) - 81
2. Ohio Northern - 71.5 (0.5)
3. Otterbein - 63.5 (0.5)
4. Capital - 56
5. Heidelberg - 43
6. Muskingum - 41
7. Baldwin-Wallace - 34
8. John Carroll - 31
9. Marietta - 19
10. Wilmington - 10
OAC Preseason Media Poll
1. Mount Union (34) - 340
2. Ohio Northern - 299
3. Otterbein - 274
4. Capital - 197
5. Heidelberg - 176
6. John Carroll - 158
7. Muskingum - 154
8. Baldwin-Wallace - 145
9. Marietta - 78
10. Wilmington - 49
First Place votes in parenthesis