The defending Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference champion Slippery Rock University football team was picked to finish second in the PSAC Western Division Preseason Coaches Poll that was unveiled Monday afternoon at the annual media day event hosted by Slippery Rock.
For the third time in the last four years “The Rock” claimed the PSAC Western Division title last fall and for the third time in that stretch SRU has not been picked as the favorite the following year. Gannon, which finished tied for first in the division last fall but lost the head-to-head matchup with Slippery Rock, was voted as the division favorite by the league’s head coaches. Slippery Rock was picked to finish second, followed by Mercyhurst rounding out the top three. Gannon is returning 18 starters from last season. The Rock returns 21 starters from the team that defeated Bloomsburg in the PSAC championship game in 2014.
California (Pa.) was picked to finish fourth, followed by Indiana (Pa.) in fifth, Seton Hill in sixth, Edinboro in seventh and Clarion in eighth. This marks the first time since Gannon joined the PSAC that the Golden Knights were picked first in the poll. It also marks the first time in the last nine years that Indiana (Pa.) was picked outside the top three. The Crimson Hawks were picked first in each of the last two years.
Bloomsburg was picked as the favorite in the PSAC-East over West Chester.
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