BRENTWOOD, Tenn. In a balanced vote that saw five of the eight eligible teams receive at least one first-place vote, two-time defending champion Eastern Kentucky University has been picked as the 2009 Ohio Valley Conference preseason football favorite in a vote of league head coaches and sports information directors.
The Colonels received 10 first-place votes to take home the preseason honor for the third time in the last five years. UT Martin, 2006 co-champions, was picked to finish second and received four first-place votes. Eastern Illinois was third with two first-place votes followed by Tennessee State and Murray State who each received one first-place vote. The preseason poll was rounded out by Tennessee Tech being picked sixth and Austin Peay and Southeast Missouri tying for seventh place. Jacksonville State, who is not eligible for the OVC Championship this year, was not included in the poll.
Due to a postseason ban by the NCAA (occasion three historic penalty of the Academic Progress Rate), in accordance with OVC by-laws Jacksonville State is not eligible for the OVC Championship this season. The Gamecocks will still play a full Conference schedule with wins and losses counting and will be eligible to be ranked in national polls. Despite not having the opportunity to participate in the postseason, Jax State should have a good team in 2009. The squad is led by senior quarterback Ryan Perrilloux who passed for 2,318 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushed for 368 yards and seven scores in his first season with the team after transferring from LSU. His athleticism should make JSU a threat on every offensive possession. Defensively the team returns two players who have garnered preseason All-American status, linebacker Alexander Henderson (103 tackles) and defensive back Carnell Clark (66 tackles, two interceptions).
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