DETROIT – The 2013 Mid-American Conference Football Preseason Poll was unveiled Tuesday at Media Day with Western Michigan earning a fifth place prediction heading into the year.

“The poll results surprise me don’t. I was hired to build a program, and we have a lot of work to do to get to where we want to be, to be elite,” said WMU head coach P.J. Fleck . “These young me, these coaches and I won’t rest until this program is competing for, and winning, MAC titles.”

The Broncos (61 points) are predicted to finish behind 2012 MAC Champion Northern Illinois, which led all West Division teams with 138 points and a conference high 16 first place votes, Toledo (122), Ball State (108) and Central Michigan (67). The Rockets (5), Cardinals (3) and Chippewas (1) also received first place votes.

Ohio led the conference with 164 points to pace the MAC East with 15 first place votes. Bowling Green followed with 154 points and eight first place votes. Kent State, the 2012 MAC East champion, is predicted to finish third in the division in 2013 but did receive one first place vote, as did Buffalo. Miami, Akron and Massachusetts rounded out the division.

Six different squads received votes to be the 2013 Marathon MAC Championship Game winner led by NIU (14). Toledo and Ohio followed with three apiece with Bowling Green and Ball State each garnering two votes. CMU received one vote.

MAC Preason Poll

East Division

1. Ohio (15) – 164
2. Bowling Green (8) – 154
3.  Kent State (1) – 119
4. Buffalo (1) – 101
5. Miami – 78
6. Akron – 53
7. UMass – 29

West Division

1. Northern Illinois (16) – 138
2. Toledo (5) – 122
3. Ball State (3) – 108
4. Central Michigan (1) – 67
5. Western Michigan – 61
6. Eastern Michigan – 29