Bowling Green QB Matt Johnson led the Falcons last year, throwing for 3,467 yards and 25 touchdowns.
DETROIT -- Bowling Green and Toledo have been selected to win the East and West Divisions respectfully in the 2014 Mid-American Conference Football Preseason Poll. The poll was announced at the league’s annual Football Media Day at Ford Field in Detroit and was determined by members of the league’s media members. Bowling Green was also selected to win the 2014 MAC Football Championship Game.
In the East Division, Bowling Green was selected with 144 total points followed by second-place Akron with 114 points. In the West Division, it was a narrow margin as only four points separated the top two spots with Toledo gathering 114 points, followed by second-place Northern Illinois with 110 points.
In the last five years, the conference has witnessed six different programs compete in the Marathon MAC Football Championship Game and in just the last three years 10 different MAC football programs have appeared in a bowl game.Bowling Green garnered 18 first-place votes en route to the favorite spot in the East Division. The Falcons return 48 letter winners and 16 starters from last year’s 10-4 team that won the MAC Championship for the first time since 1992 and earned an invitation to the Little Caesars Bowl.
Bowling Green's new head coach Dino Babers will look for junior quarterback Matt Johnson to lead the Falcons as last year he threw for 3,467 yards and 25 touchdowns, while junior running back Travis Greene rushed for 1,594 yards and 11 scores.
Akron was picked second in the East Division and earned three first-place votes and totaled 114 total points, while Ohio ranked third with 107 total points. Buffalo finished fourth with 87 points, followed by Kent State, Miami (Ohio) and UMass.
Toledo racked up 11 first-place votes in the West Division to propel the Rockets to first place with 114 points. Toledo welcomes back 45 letter winners and 17 starters from last year’s team that went 7-5 overall, 5-3 in conference play. The Rockets offense will be paced by four returning starters on the offensive line, including senior Greg Mancz, while the defense returns 10 starters. Defensively, Toledo will feature senior linebacker Junior Sylvestre, who added 118 tackles and five sacks last season, along with sophomore defensive tackle Treyvon Hester, who collected 39 tackles and three sacks in 2013.
Northern Illinois was picked second in the West Division and earned eight first place votes and totaled 110 total points. Ball State was selected third with 82 points, while Central Michigan garnered 67 points, including two first place votes. Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan rounded out the West Division.
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