Jacksonville State was picked to win the Ohio Valley Conference in the Preseason Football Media Poll, which was released on Friday.
A total 14 voters from around the league cast a ballot on who they thought would be the 2014 football favorites and preseason players of the year.
The OVC will release its preseason poll and All-OVC team, as voted on by league head coaches and sports information directors, on Monday during the league's annual Media Day in Nashville.
The media panel selected the Gamecocks as the preseason favorite, earning 9 of 13 first-place votes and 118 total points. Tennessee State picked up four first-place votes and 113 total points in being picked second. Two-time defending champion Eastern Illinois received the other first-place vote and was picked third (98 points). The poll was rounded out by Eastern Kentucky (79), Tennessee-Martin (77), Murray State (56), Tennessee Tech (44), Southeast Missouri State (29) and Austin Peay (16).