(COLUMBUS, Ohio) - Coming off of a school-record 11-win season, Capital University's football team was voted second in the 2007 preseason poll by the Ohio Athletic Conference coaches Wednesday.
The Crusaders, who were picked to finish third by the media, garnered 66 points and a first-place vote by the coaches. Mount Union College, the reigning national champions, was picked first in both the coaches and media poll, earning the other nine first-place votes in the coaches poll and all 36 first-place votes in the media poll.
"Playing in a conference as tough as ours has definitely helped us when it comes to playing in the postseason," said head coach Jim Collins. "It says something about our program when we are picked to finish so high."
Capital returns a total of 11 starters on offense and defense, including a trio of senior All-Americans in defensive back James Starks (Toledo/St. Francis), wide receiver Derick Alexander (Grove City/Grove City) and kicker Matt Spitz (Xenia/Xenia).
"We just want to go out and improve every week," Starks said. "We try to finish every week with a 1-0 record."
The Crusaders kick off the 2007 season with a 7 p.m. game on Saturday, September 1 against Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio.
2007 OAC Football Media Day
Coaches Poll Points (1st place votes)
1. Mount Union College 81 (9)
2. Capital University 66 (1)
3. Ohio Northern University 61
4. John Carroll University 60
5. Baldwin-Wallace College 55
6. Marietta College 40
7. Otterbein College 35
8. Wilmington College 24
9. Heidelberg College 14
10. Muskingum College 13
Media Poll Points (1st place votes)
1. Mount Union College 360 (36)
2. Ohio Northern University 296
3. Capital University 273
4. Baldwin-Wallace College 257
5. John Carroll University 233
6. Otterbein College 185
7. Marietta College 168
8. Muskingum College 92
9. Wilmington College 81
10. Heidelberg College 55