(COLUMBUS, Ohio) -- Capital University's football team has been ranked number seven in the country, according to the USA Today Sports Weekly magazine preseason football poll.
The Crusaders return 47 letterwinners and 16 starters, including 10 starters on offense, from last season's 8-3 squad that reached the NCAA playoffs. Capital's 2007 team was ranked number 13 by d3football.com and number 15 by the AFCA following the season.
Capital has reached the NCAA playoffs three consecutive years and will be under the direction of first-year head coach Jim Bickel in 2008. The season kicks off with a 1:30 p.m. game on Saturday, Sept. 6 against Adrian (Mich.) College at Bernlohr Stadium.
USA Today Sports Weekly Preseason Poll
1. Mount Union
2. Wesley (Del.)
3. UW-Whitewater
4. Wabash (Ind.)
5. St. John's (Minn.)
6. St. John Fisher (N.Y.)
7. Capital
8. North Central (Ill.)
9. Muhlenberg (Pa.)
10. Bethel (Minn.)
11. Salisbury (Md.)
12. Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas)
13. Cortland State (N.Y.)
14. Central (Iowa)
15. UW-Eau Claire
16. Case Western Reserve
17. Wartburg (Iowa)
18. Wheaton (Ill.)
19. Ohio Northern
20. Washington & Jefferson (Pa.)
21. Ithaca (N.Y.)
22. Redlands (Calif.)
23. Millsaps (Miss.)
24. Albright (Pa.)
25. Franklin (Ind.)