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MIAA

Bronchos Picked Low In MIAA Football

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Aug. 5) – Central Oklahoma's first season in the rugged Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association isn't predicted to end well according to a pair of preseason polls released Monday.
 
The Bronchos were picked 12th in voting of the league's 15 head coaches and came in 14th in balloting of 36 media members from around the conference.
 
Defending league and NCAA Division II national champion Pittsburg State topped both polls, earning 12 first-place votes in the coaches' poll and 24 first-place nods from the media. 
 
The dual polls came out during the league's annual media day that was held here as first-year UCO head coach Nick Bobeck and his MIAA counterparts took turns talking to various radio/television and newspaper personnel.
 
A trio of returning Division II playoff teams – Northwest Missouri, Missouri Western and Washburn – were next in both polls, followed by Central Missouri, Nebraska-Kearney, Emporia State and Lindenwood.
 
UCO earned 54 points to come in 12th in the coaches' voting and had 121 points in finishing 14th in the media poll.
 
“We understand that people around the conference don't expect much from us this year and that's fine,” Bobeck said.  “We're new to this league and haven't had a lot of success the last few years, so that's not a surprise.
 
“What we have to do is work hard at getting better every day and do what we can to prove them wrong.”
 
The Bronchos are coming off back-to-back 2-9 seasons, but return several key players from last year and have added a number high-impact players expected to make a difference this season.
 
UCO begins preparations for the 2012 campaign Tuesday when players report to campus and practice starts Thursday.  The Bronchos open their 10-game schedule – all against MIAA teams – at home on Aug. 30 against Missouri Southern.
 
MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll (first-place votes in parenthesis)
  1. Pittsburg State (12)                 192
  2. Northwest Missouri (2)           184
  3. Missouri Western (1)               165
  4. Washburn                                154
  5. Central Missouri                      153
  6. Nebraska-Kearney                  122
  7. Emporia State                         103
  8. Lindenwood                           95
  9. Northeastern State                  85
  10. Missouri Southern                   82
  11. Fort Hays State                       74
  12. Central Oklahoma                   54
  13. Southwest Baptist                   49
  14. Truman State                           43
  15. Lincoln                                    18
 
MIAA Presason Media Poll (first-place votes in parenthesis)
  1. Pittsburg State (24)                 538
  2. Northwest Missouri (11)         524
  3. Missouri Western (1)               456
  4. Washburn                                447
  5. Central Missouri                      393
  6. Nebraska-Kearney                  390
  7. Emporia State                         286
  8. Lindenwood                           268
  9. Fort Hays State                       241
  10. Northeastern State                  233
  11. Missouri Southern                   194
  12. Truman State                           155
  13. Southwest Baptist                   150
  14. Central Oklahoma                   121
  15. Lincoln                                    42
 
  
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