2012 Mid-South Conference Football Preseason Coaches' Poll

COLUMBIA, Ky. -- After making the jump to the Mid-South Conference West Division, the Lindsey Wilson College football team is picked to finish fourth in the MSC Preseason Coaches' Poll, released by league officials Friday afternoon.

Coaches' were not permitted to vote for their own team in the poll.

The Blue Raiders finished tied with Campbellsville (Ky.) for second place in the MSC East last season, but enter play in the west for 2012 after some shifting created by the addition of Bluefield (Va.) College to the conference.

Defending division-titlist Bethel (Tenn.) University is projected as the favorite in the west, gathering 32 points in the poll, including four first-place votes. Cumberland (Tenn.) is second with 31 points and two first-place nods and Campbellsville is third with 23 points.

Faulkner (Ala.) is behind Lindsey Wilson and Belhaven (Miss.) but still collected a first-place vote in sixth with 17 points, while Bluefield rounds out the west side of the poll.

Last season's East Division champion Georgetown (Ky.) College is the favorite in 2012, earning 25 points in the poll with five first-place votes. Cumberlands (Ky.) took the remaining first-place vote and is second with 17 points.

The rest of the list includes UVa.-Wise (14), Union (Ky.) College (13), Pikeville (Ky.) (11) and Kentucky Christian coming in at sixth with 10 points.

Cumberlands and Union are new to the East this season.

The Blue Raiders kickoff the 2012 season at 12:30 p.m. CT at Kentucky Christian in Grayson, Ky., while the first home contest is set for 1:30 p.m. CT on Sept. 1 against Union at Blue Raider Stadium.