Defending champion Broncos predicted to finish second.
Western Michigan was picked to finish second in the Mid-American Conference West Division, behind Toledo, in the annual preseason football poll announced Wednesday at the MAC Football Media Day.
The defending division champion Broncos mustered one first-place vote and 107 points from the league’s media members, second behind Toledo’s 142 points and 22 first-place votes.
The rest of the field in the West was Northern Illinois, Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan and Ball State.
In the MAC Championship game, 21 of 24 voters predicted Toledo will win.
In the East Division, defending champion Ohio was selected first with 131 total points, only two points greater that second-place selection Miami RedHawks with 129 total points. Bowling Green finished third with 88 points, followed by Akron with 79 points, then Buffalo and Kent State.
In the past six years, the MAC has had five different programs compete in the Marathon MAC Football Championship Game and every team has received an invitation to a bowl game.
The 2017 season begins Thursday, Aug. 31, with three games: Central Michigan hosts Rhode Island (7 p.m. on ESPN3) , Toledo hosts Elon (7 p.m. on ESPN3) and Buffalo is at Minnesota (7p.m. on Big Ten Network) .
The complete poll:
MAC East Division 1. Ohio (11) , 131 2. Miami (12) , 129 3. Bowling Green (1) , 88 4. Akron, 79 5. Buffalo, 41 6. Kent State, 36
MAC West Division 1. Toledo (22) , 142 2. Western Michigan (1) , 107 3. Northern Illinois (1) , 89 4. Eastern Michigan, 74 5. Central Michigan, 62 6. Ball State, 30
2017 MAC Championship Game Winner: Toledo (21) ; Western Michigan (1) ; Bowling Green (1) ; Miami (1) .
