INDIANAPOLIS – With opening day kickoff just over two weeks away, nationally ranked Tiffin was voted to win the league following the release of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Football Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour.
 
The two-time defending conference champion Dragons are looking to re-establish their strong foothold as a national championship qualifier back in the fall of 2019.
 
Tiffin grabbed six first-place votes in the balloting for a total of 48 points and secured the championship trophy at Frost-Kalnow Stadium with an undefeated 6-0 record in the delayed spring season.
 
Head Coach Cris Reisert has a 15-2 record since the Dragons joined the Great Midwest as a full member in 2018-19. He is unbeaten in all league games with an unblemished mark of 12-0 while taking his program in the fall ranked at No. 19 in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll.
 
Despite the loss of workhorse RB JaQuan Hardy (204 rush/1,554 yards/15 TD) to the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent, the offense will continue to revolve around reigning Great Midwest Player of the Year and dual-threat QB Nick Watson.
 
Watson has staked his claim as the conference’s all-time leader in passing attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns while his completion percentage ranks fourth at over 61 percent. Tiffin averaged a league-best 423.3 yards in total offense while the defense, anchored by Defensive Lineman of the Year Charlie Cleveland, gave up just 8.7 ppg and 208 yards per contest.
 
Findlay and Ohio Dominican each received one first-place vote in a tight race for preseason runner-up status. The Oilers received 38 points to the Panthers’ 37 as Findlay competed in the spring championship game and Ohio Dominican owns the conference’s first postseason appearance in the America’s Crossroads Bowl, also in occurring 2019.
 
ODU LB Dauson Dales passed his former teammate Camren Moore to rank first in conference history in career tackles with 253. QB Evan Ernst was also named the CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year for a highly prestigious honor in the spring. The Oilers and Panthers each finished 4-2 this spring.
 
Findlay DL Reggie Micheaux (19 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 4 sacks) is a major disruptor along the front and was named to the College Football American DII Preseason Starting Lineup. The Oilers also have a Co-Freshman of the Year in RB Garret Clark, who shared the honor with ODU RB Travis Whittaker.
 
Both Findlay and Ohio Dominican are in the receiving votes category of the AFCA Coaches Poll along with conference newcomer Ashland. The Eagles were voted fourth in their first conference preseason coaches poll appearance after going 7-4 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2019.
 
Ashland was unable to take the field in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and fans will quickly be accustomed to some of head coach Lee Owens’ playmakers on both sides of the ball. Part of where the Eagles landed initially could be attributed to no playing season in the previous academic year. QB Austin Brenner anchors the offense with over 2,000 passing yards in 2019 while multiple CoSIDA Academic All-Americans (WR Logan Bolin, OL Gavin Posey) are back.
 
After playing four games in the spring, Hillsdale comes in fifth with 27 points. Walsh checks in at sixth with 20 points while Kentucky Wesleyan and Lake Erie rounded out the preseason coaches poll, respectively.
 
This will be the sixth season of football in the Great Midwest as the conference celebrates its 10-year anniversary. Eight programs are in the mix for the conference title, assigned in Super Region 1 with the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), Mountain East Conference (MEC) and Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10), competing for postseason NCAA Championship bids.
 
Week 1 officially kicks off on Thursday, September 2, with four teams in action. Kentucky Wesleyan will host Frostburg State, Ohio Dominican welcomes Shepherd, Walsh entertains West Liberty and Findlay tangles with No. 3 ranked Ferris State on the road. Saturday’s lineup features Tiffin at Marian, Ashland will tangle against No. 9 ranked Notre Dame (OH), Hillsdale takes on in-state rival Michigan Tech and Lake Erie has an in-region matchup against Clarion.
 
Incoming 2022-23 Great Midwest member Northwood will also start the fall season on Thursday, Sept. 2, against Gannon before taking on future conference foe Tiffin in Week 2.

2021 Great Midwest Football Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour
 

1. Tiffin (6 first-place votes)	48 points
2. Findlay (1 first-place vote)	38 points
3. Ohio Dominican (1 first-place vote)	37 points
4. Ashland	33 points
5. Hillsdale	27 points
6. Walsh	20 points
7. Kentucky Wesleyan	14 points
8. Lake Erie	7 points