The Henderson State Reddies have cruised through the last two regular seasons without a loss. Â So it should come as no surprise that HSU is once again the favorite to take the GAC football title in 2014.
Henderson State got 100 points in the Great American Conference preseason coaches poll and 10 first-place votes.
Harding and Ouachita Baptist came in second and third, respectively, in the rankings, with HU taking the only other first-place vote.
East Central was 5-5 in 2013, but won four of its final six games. Â The Tigers were picked to finish fourth.
The Tigers must replace about half of their starters on both offense and defense, but do return senior Qumain Black, an All-Region selection in the secondary.
Southwestern came in sixth in the poll after recording a winning season in 2013, the program’s first in six years.
Southeastern is under the new management of Bo Atterberry and came in eighth in the preseason rankings.
Northwestern and Southern Nazarene rounded out the poll.
Graphic courtesy Great American Conference