Northern Illinois is heavy favorite to win MAC title

BGSU, UT picked to finish second in their divisions in poll

7/23/2013

DETROIT — The I-75 rivals are each picked to finish second in their respective football divisions in the Mid-American Conference.

In the league's poll released Tuesday, University of Toledo received 122 points in the West and trails only defending MAC champion Northern Illinois with 138.

Bowling Green State University landed 154 points behind Ohio with 164. BG received eight votes to win the division, and UT picked up five.

Northern Illinois, with 14 nods, is a heavy favorite to win the MAC championship game. UT and Ohio received three votes a piece, and Bowling Green and Ball State got two. Central Michigan also was honored.

Rounding out the West were Ball State (108 points and three first place votes), Central Michigan (108 and one), Western Michigan (61), and Eastern Michigan (29).

Rounding out the East were Kent State (119 and one first place vote), Buffalo (101 and one), Miami (78), Akron (53), and Massachusetts (29).