Southeast picked as favorite to win OVC

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tim Billings has checked around, and no one at Southeast Missouri State can remember the Indians ever being picked as the favorite to win their conference.

Times have changed.

Ohio Valley Conference coaches and sports information directors picked Southeast Missouri State as the preseason favorite to win the league championship at media day Monday with five first-place votes, just ahead of defending co-champions Murray State and Eastern Illinois.

The Indians collected 60 points, while Murray State received four first-place votes and 58 points. Eastern Illinois was third with 48 points followed by Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech, Tennessee State, Samford and Tennessee-Martin.

"This is kind of new ground for our football program," Billings said. "That's a tribute to our players and our coaches that we have this opportunity. In the past, we've been everybody's homecoming. It's a great plus for us. How we handle it, I don't know."

Southeast Missouri is a program that has won nine games in a season only twice, and that was in 1937 and 1955. Until last season, the Indians had not had a winning season since 1994.