John Carroll football team No. 12 in Street & Smith’s preseason Top 25 poll

Preseason rankings are usually a reward for a promising season from the year before.

In the case of John Carroll, several other factors are likely in play for its 2018 preseason ranking.

The Blue Streaks, despite a 6-4 mark in 2017, check in at No. 12 in Street & Smith’s preseason Division III Top 25 poll.

In 2017, JCU was in the midst of a transition from Coach Tom Arth to Rick Finotti, but a bigger factor might have been a closer look at the numbers in 2017.

The Blue Streaks had one dud last season ­— a 47-21 loss at Heidelberg. Their other three losses were to Wisconsin-Oshkosh by six points (23-17), Ohio Northern by seven points in overtime (27-20), and Mount Union by four points (31-27).

“I think you have to play and earn the right to get those plays to beat teams (like Mount and Oshkosh),” Finotti said after last season. “Sometimes the ball bounces your way; sometimes it doesn’t.”

Oshkosh’s only loss of the season was to Mount Union in the D-III NCAA national semifinal round, and the Purple Raiders were 15-0 and the national champion in 2017.

Mount Union is the preseason No. 1 pick by Street & Smith’s, with Oshkosh, Mary-Hardin Baylor, St. Thomas and Linfield rounding out the top 5.

JCU opens its season Sept. 1 at Wisconsin-Stevens Point, then plays its home opener Sept. 15 vs. Otterbein. The next week, the Blue Streaks play at Mount Union on Sept. 22. Baldwin Wallace visits Don Shula Stadium on Nov. 10 in both teams’ regular-season finale.

The Blue Streaks return a host of players in 2018. Among them are the likes of two-year starting quarterback Anthony Moeglin (4,792 yards, 46 TD passes the last two seasons), running back Sam Kukura of Kirtland (19 rushing TDs the last two seasons), defensive lineman Connor Bogard (Benedictine), who had 51 tackles, and six sacks in 2017, and Lake Catholic grad and cornerback Connor Robinson (13 pass breakups in 2017).

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