CMU football picked to finish last in MAC West

DETROIT — The Central Michigan football team was voted dead last in the Mid-American Conference West Division by members of the media during MAC Media Day at Ford Field Tuesday.

CMU head coach Dan Enos does not buy the preseason ranking.

“No, absolutely not,” Enos said when asked if he believes they will finish last. “Our expectations are we are going to compete for a MAC Championship and play in a bowl game.”

During Enos’ first two seasons as coach, the Chippewas finished in last place – or tied for last – with 2-6 records in the conference and 3-9 overall. He said he thinks a healthier team will help.

“We have to stay healthy,” he said. “We haven’t been able to stay healthy. Ten different offensive linemen played in my first year here and 10 started last year. If we can stay healthy, we have a really, really good chance (to compete for MAC Championship).”

The media picked Toledo to win the West Division over Northern Illinois and Western Michigan. Ohio was the unanimous decision to win the East Division.

Enos was not the only person not buying stock in the preseason polls.

“No offense to the media, but they don’t know what they are talking about,” NIU head coach Dave Doeren said.

NIU was pegged only two first-place votes shy of Toledo. The Rockets are not letting the first-place vote go to their head.

“It excites me, but it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t win and aren’t producing at the end of the season,” Toledo quarterback Terrance Owens said.

CMU safety Jahleel Addae certainly is not caught up with being picked last again in the West Division.

“I don’t care about the polls,” Addae said. “It does give me motivation. It is not where you start, it is where you finish.

“At the end of the year we’ll go back and look at those polls.”

Addae takes after Enos with high expectations for his team.

“I expect no less than eight wins,” he said. “And go to a MAC Championship and a bowl game.”