By Southern Pigskin Staff
SouthernPigskin.com

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League coaches have picked the ‘Mocs to win the conference.

nSoConSports.com

nSPARTANBURG, S.C. xe2x80x93 After capturing the 2014 Southern Conference championship, the Chattanooga Mocs have been tabbed the preseason favorites for 2015 in polling conducted by the leaguexe2x80x99s head coaches. After finishing with a perfect 7-0 mark in conference play last season, the Mocs earned seven first-place votes and 49 points in the poll. It is the second consecutive season Chattanooga has been tabbed the preseason favorite.

nSamford, under the direction of new head coach Chris Hatcher, was slotted second with 40 points. The Bulldogs earned the final first-place vote. Hatcher inherits a team that returns 46 lettermen from last yearxe2x80x99s team, which went 5-2 in league play.

nWestern Carolina was slotted third with 38 points. The Catamounts finished 2014 with a 7-5 record, including a

n5-2 mark in SoCon play. WCUxe2x80x99s seven overall wins and five league victories were the highest since 2001. Coach Mark Speir returns all 11 starters on offense and 10 on defense.

nWofford was picked fourth and earned 30 points in the preseason balloting. The Terriers are under the direction of Mike Ayers for the 28th season and return 52 lettermen, including 10 starters on offense. Furman (22) was picked fifth. Head coach Bruce Fowler enters his fifth season in Greenville, S.C., and returns a total of 20 starters from last year.

nIn its first season as a member of the Southern Conference last year, Mercer finished 6-6 and went 1-6 in league play. The 2015 season will mark just the second year of scholarship football for the Bears, who return all but one starter from last season. Mercer (20) was picked sixth in preseason balloting.

nMercer narrowly edged The Citadel, as the Bulldogs (18) were slotted seventh. Mike Houston returns for his second season in Charleston, S.C. The Citadel returns 10 starters on offense from a team that went 3-4 in league play last year.

nScott Wachenheim assumes the reigns at VMI after spending the previous five seasons as an assistant at Virginia. The Keydets returned to the Southern Conference in 2014 after spending 11 seasons in the Big South. VMI returns 39 lettermen, including nine starters on offense.

n2015 SoCon Football Preseason Coaches Poll
n1.xc2xa0xc2xa0 Chattanooga (7) — 49
n2.xc2xa0xc2xa0 Samford (1) — 40
n3.xc2xa0xc2xa0 Western Carolina — 38
n4.xc2xa0xc2xa0 Wofford — 30
n5.xc2xa0xc2xa0 Furman — 22
n6.xc2xa0xc2xa0 Mercer — 20
n7.xc2xa0xc2xa0 The Citadel — 18
n8.xc2xa0xc2xa0 VMI — 7

nNOTE: Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams