CHICAGO - The
College Sporting News released their Preseason Top 25 poll and Preseason
All-America Teams this week, with the Indiana State football team making
appearances on both lists. Four Sycamores earned Preseason All-American honors
from CSN, while the team checks in at 22nd in the nation.
Individually, junior running back Shakir Bell and senior defensive end Ben Obaseki were named First Team Preseason All-Americans while senior linebacker
Aaron Archie was named to the second team and senior center FN Lutz earned
third team status.
Indiana State tied with Eastern Kentucky and Southern Utah for the second-most
selections, one behind Sam Houston State's five honorees.
Both Bell and Obaseki have made numerous appearances on national lists leading
into the 2012 season. Bell is among 20 student-athletes on the Walter Payton
Award Watch List, while Obaseki is on the Buck Buchanan Watch List. Archie was
a Third Team Preseason All-American by The Sports Network while Lutz is a
nominee for the 2012 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
Five Missouri Valley Football Conference teams were featured in the Preseason
Top 25 poll, led by 2011 national champions North Dakota State at No. 1
overall. UNI (No. 9), Youngstown State (No. 17), Illinois State (No. 18) and
ISU (No. 22) round out the MVFC selections in the poll. Southern Illinois did
not earn a Top 25 selection, but did receive votes in the poll.
Indiana State finished last season at No. 18 in the College Sporting News Top
25.
The Sycamores will face a tough road schedule during MVFC action this season,
as three of ISU's four road games in conference play are against the teams in
the poll - at Southern Illinois (Sept. 29), at North Dakota State (Oct. 13) and
at Youngstown State (Nov. 17).
