EIU PICKED OVC's FAVORITE

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- For the first time in five years, Southeast Missouri State University's football team is not picked to finish seventh in the Ohio Valley Conference.

But that hasn't changed the Indians' preseason status in the league because, for the fifth year in a row, they have been selected to wind up next-to-last. The only difference is that there are now only seven OVC football teams instead of eight.

The Indians were tabbed for sixth during Friday's conference media day. That didn't surprise Southeast second-year coach Tim Billings, who is trying to turn around a struggling program that has not produced a season of more than three victories since 1997.

"That's where I'd pick us," said Billings, whose first Southeast squad went 3-8 a year ago and did in fact wind up seventh out of eight OVC teams. "Until we do something, we don't deserve to be picked any higher.

"Our goal is to get in there in the mix with the other guys. To do that, we have to get the type of players they have."

Billings believes the Indians are headed in that direction as he sees plenty of talent in his first two recruiting classes. But Southeast, which returns 14 starters, will be extremely young.

"I think we're better and more talented at every position, but we're going to be really young and inexperienced," Billings said.

Eastern Illinois, after finishing a strong second last year behind Western Kentucky -- which is no longer in the OVC -- was the overwhelming choice to win the title based on voting by league coaches and sports information directors.

The Panthers, who received nine first-place votes, return 14 starters from an 8-4 team that earned an at-large berth to the Division I-AA playoffs. Topping the list of returnees is quarterback Tony Romo, the reigning OVC Offensive Player of the Year who last year threw for 2,583 yards and tied a league record with 27 touchdown passes.

"It's a first for us," said a smiling Eastern Illinois coach Bob Spoo of the Panthers' status as conference favorite. "But I don't put much credence in polls. It's nice to get respect and I think we have a solid team, but I really think it's going to be a tight race."

Tennessee Tech received three first-place votes and was picked to finish second while perennial conference power Eastern Kentucky garnered the other two first-place votes and was tabbed for third. Murray State was picked fourth, followed by Tennessee State, Southeast and perennial league doormat Tennessee-Martin.

"I think Eastern Illinois should be a big favorite, but the next three or four teams I think you could pick out of a hat," Billings said. "

Tennessee Tech returns 17 starters from a team that produced its best season since 1993, finishing with an 8-3 record and a No. 22 national ranking.

"A lot of this recognition is based on what happened last year, but none of that carries over to this season," said Tech coach Mike Hennigan, whose 2000 squad placed third in the OVC. "We're starting fresh."

Eastern Kentucky posted its 23rd consecutive winning record a year ago, but the Colonels were a disappointing fifth in the OVC. That didn't sit well with legendary coach Roy Kidd, who begins the season needing one victory to become the eighth college coach with 300 career wins.

"We were very disappointed last year to finish 6-5," said Kidd, who welcomes back 14 starters. "We just couldn't seem to get the ball into the end zone."

Murray State, which finished fourth in the OVC last year and went 6-5, returns 13 starters. The Racers ranked 11th nationally in total offense -- led by quarterback Stewart Childress, who passed for 2,928 yards as a freshman -- but must shore up a shaky defense.

"We have to get better because all the OVC teams are getting better," said Racers' second-year coach Joe Pannunzio.

After capturing back-to-back OVC titles, Tennessee State slumped to 3-8 a year ago. With 15 starters returning, second-year coach James Reese is confident that the Tigers will be back in the championship picture.

"We will definitely be back in the hunt this year," Reese said. "We expect a lot of things out of this team."

Tennessee-Martin, which returns 16 starters, is coming off a 2-9 season that featured a fourth consecutive winless OVC record. But second-year coach Sam McCorkle hopes a bit more experience will pay dividends this year.

"We were almost like a JV football team last year," said McCorkle, whose squad had 20 freshmen either start or see significant playing time in 2000. "We feel like we're going to be a better team."