July 25, 2007

MAC Preseason Poll | MAC Video Archives
Solich Quotes | Video from MAC Media Day

DETROIT - Announced today at Mid-American Conference Football Media Day in Ford Field, the defending East Division champion Ohio Bobcats are the favorite to repeat in 2007 according to the MAC News Media Association Preseason Poll.

The Bobcats, who went 9-5 overall and 7-1 in league play in 2006 en route to a division title and an appearance in the GMAC Bowl, received 15 first-place votes in the preseason poll. Ohio garnered 216 total points, the most of any of the 13 football programs in the MAC. Kent State accumulated 203 points and was tabbed to finish second in the East Division, two first-place tallies behind Ohio.

With 15 first-place votes, Western Michigan will enter the season the favorite in the MAC West Division. Central Michigan, the defending division and league champion, received 10 first-place tallies. WMU is also the preseason pick to win the 2007 MAC Championship with 11 votes followed by CMU with 10 and Ohio with six.

The Bobcats return a host of key contributors from last year's team that made a five-game turnaround in the win column and finished with the second-most victories in school history. Kalvin McRae, Jameson Hartke, Chris Garrett, Matt Miller and Landon Cohen garnered recognition in June when they were named to the Preseason All-MAC teams by MAC Report Online and McRae was included on the preseason watch list for the prestigious Maxwell Award.

Head Coach Frank Solich, the 2006 MAC Coach of the Year, represented Ohio at MAC Media Day along with McRae and Cohen.

The Bobcats begin defense of their MAC East Division championship on Sept. 1 versus Gardner-Webb at Peden Stadium. For ticket information, call the Ohio Athletics Ticket Office at 1-800-575-CATS or log on to www.ohiobobcats.com.