Mid-American Conference

OHIO SELECTED BY MAC COACHES IN 2018 FOOTBALL PRESEASON POLL
Ohio Picked to Win East Division and Northern Illinois Selected to Win West Division
 
Cleveland, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference (MAC) Head Football Coaches have provided their own 2018 Preseason Poll and based upon voting by all 12 head coaches Ohio and Northern Illinois have been selected to win the East and West Divisions respectfully, with Ohio winning the 2018 Marathon MAC Football Championship Game.
 
In the East Division, a margin of 11 points separated first-place and second-place. Ohio was selected first with 70 total points followed by second-place Buffalo with 59 points. Miami was selected third followed by Akron, Bowling Green and Kent State.
 
In the West Division, the margin was also only one point as Northern Illinois was selected in first-place with 61 points followed by second-place Toledo with 60 points. Western Michigan was picked third followed by Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan and Ball State.
 
This reflects on the competitive nature of the MAC. In the last three years the Conference has witnessed six different programs compete in the Marathon MAC Football Championship Game and in the last six years every MAC football program has received a bowl invitation to college football’s postseason.
 
Earlier this summer in conjunction with the 2018 MAC Football Media Day, the league’s media members selected a preseason poll with identical results -- Ohio and Northern Illinois selected to win their respective divisions, with Ohio picked to win the 2018 Marathon MAC Football Championship Game. 
 
In the coaches poll, Ohio garnered 10 first-place votes en route to the favorite spot in the East Division. The Bobcats return 49 letterwinners and 15 starters from last year’s 9-4 team that finished second in the East Division with a 5-3 Conference record, as the Bobcats went on to deliver a 41-6 victory over UAB in the 2017 Bahamas Bowl. Ohio Head Coach Frank Solich is in his 14th year in leading the Ohio football program and is the third-winningest coach in MAC history with 97 career wins. Solich and his Bobcats are searching for Ohio’s first MAC football championship since 1968. The Bobcats offense will be paced by quarterback Nathan Rourke, who rushed for 21 touchdowns and 912 yards last season.  Ohio will have offensive threats from running back A.J. Ouellette, who added 1,006 yards rushing and seven rushing touchdowns on his own and playmaker Papi White, who finished with 631 yards receiving and three scores last year. Defensively, safeties Javon Hagan and Kylan Nelson, along with defensive back Jalen Fox and linebacker Evan Croutch will lead the Ohio defense.
 
Northern Illinois racked up five first-place votes in the West Division. Northern Illinois welcomes back 54 letterwinners and 17 starters from last year’s team that went 8-5 overall, finished second in the MAC West with a 6-2 Conference record and suffered a 36-14 loss to Duke in the 2017 Quick Lane Bowl.  Sixth-year head coach Rod Carey and his Huskies are looking to get back to Detroit for the Marathon MAC Football Championship Game, a location the Huskies are very familiar with as the program appeared in six straight games from 2010-2015. Carey will look to sophomore Marcus Childers to lead the offense as Childers was named MAC Freshman of the Year during 2017 after throwing for 1,674 yards and 16 touchdowns, while adding 473 yards rushing and five scores. Childers will have the comfort of five returning starters on the offensive line with right tackle Ryan Roberts, right guard Nathan Veloz, center Luke Shively, left guard Jordan Steckler and left tackle Max Scharping. Defensively, linebacker Sutton Smith led the nation last year with 29.5 tackles for loss and 16 sacks on his way to consensus All-American status and will lead the Huskies defense. 
 
The 2018 season kicks off on Thursday, August 30 and the 2018 Marathon MAC Football Championship Game is Friday, November 30 at 7:00 pm ET on ESPN2 from Ford Field.
 
2018 MAC Head Football Coaches Preseason Poll
Team (First Place Votes); Points
MAC East Division
1.     Ohio (10); 70 points
2.     Buffalo (2); 59 points
3.     Miami; 42 points
4.     Akron; 36 points
5.     Bowling Green; 29 points
6.     Kent State; 16 points
 
MAC West Division
1.     Northern Illinois (5); 61 points
2.     Toledo (3); 60 points
3.     Western Michigan (1); 45 points
4.     Eastern Michigan (1); 35 points
5.     Central Michigan (1); 33 points
6.     Ball State (1); 18 points