PSAC West
1. IUP
2. California
3. Gannon
4. Slippery Rock
5. Mercyhurst
6. Edinboro
7. Clarion
8. Seton Hill



Curt Cignetti seems cautiously optimistic that this could be his most athletic defense in his four years at IUP. That still has to be proven on the field, but Cignetti isn't one to overhype anything or say something he doesn't believe. The Crimson Hawks have a lot of rebuilding to do on offense, but with a fairly light schedule in the first month, they have an opportunity to pull it all together before they hit the mid-season grind... Cal earned three first place votes in the coaches' poll, and there is reason to believe they can win the division, especially if they have more consistent quarterback play. The defense has some gaps to fill and the offense has to replace some standout receivers if they are going to make their first trip to the title game since 2009... You might think Gannon is a bit of a reach in third, but this team brings back almost the entire starting lineup from 2013 including some elite skill players on offense, and the addition of defensive coordinator John Thompson is going to make a big difference where they need it the most...Slippery Rock has a veteran O-line and two exceptional running backs, but a new QB and some new receivers will need to step up. The defense is a total rebuild. Five first team All-PSAC West defenders must be replaced...Based on roster talent, Mercyhurst deserves a higher ranking, but it's awfully tight at the top. The Lakers will have plenty of defense and enough offense to contend if a new quarterback emerges during camp...Edinboro is coming out of two years of also-ran status and they just might be a sleeping giant. They didn't lose much from last year's team, the O-line has steadily improved and Cody Harris is back. A new OC from the NFL will bring a lot of excitement to the program...Its hard to make big gains in this competitive division but now is the time for Clarion to put up. They have a lot of starters back including some All-American candidates on defense. The offense has to be better if they're going to climb towards the middle of the pack...Seton Hill has a revamped roster and a lot more bodies this year. I don't expect many more wins, but they should be more competitive and more capable of working through injuries.

PSAC East
1. East Stroudsburg
2. Bloomsburg
3. West Chester
4. Shippensburg
5. Kutztown
6. Lock Haven
7. Millersville
8. Cheyney

The quick take...

If East Stroudsburg is going to make a run at a PSAC championship, now is the time. This team is loaded. The defense, which was an improved unit last year, brings back 10 starters. The offense has three returning linemen and tons of skill position talent including Harlon Hill candidate QB Matt Soltes and PSAC East freshman of the year Robert Healy...Second place was a toss-up between Bloom and WCU but I'm going with the Huskies because they bring back a little more on defense and the program has proven time and again that they can reload. Replacing Franklyn Quiteh won't be easy, but they have no shortage of talent. Rebuilding the O-line, which lost more than 100 combined starts will be the most important job this summer...West Chester has some work to do to rebuild the depth chart in the line on both sides of the ball, but they'll have a sixth year quarterback who is coming off a stellar year and one of the best groups of linebackers in the PSAC. That's a good start...It seems like Shippensburg would have to be higher than fourth, but as with the West division, it's tight a the top. The offense will be fine as long as a they find the right man at quarterback, but the defense has to come a long way in short period of time. Only a few starters are back, but they will have good leadership at linebacker...Kutztown is a big variable. I like their talent and I like all the experience that was gained last year. They are still a young team, but much more experienced than a year ago. You never know how a coaching change will impact a team, especially early in the season. It's hard to pick them any higher than fifth, considering the competition, but don't count them out. They have enough players to be a factor, if not a contender...Lock Haven has had three years of steady progress, but they lost a lot of key players last year. If they can fill those holes and win a few more games this year, it will definitely be a sign that the program is maturing and recruiting better athletes...Millersville has a ton of new players and a few new coaches as well. It should mean everyone is pulling together in the same direction in Greg Breitbach's program, but it will probably take another year before we really see the payoff in the win column...Anthony Johnson stepped up to the challenge of leading the Cheyney program after the sudden resignation of former coach Ken Lockard in the spring. Johnson brings a good attitude and lots of enthusiasm, but he's still going to have a very tough job ahead of him.


Look for a lot more info an all 16 PSAC teams over the next several days. Teams are in camp now and we're down to two weeks until opening kickoff!

Lots more to come!

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