U-M Picked Second in Big Ten Media Preseason Poll
8/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
CHICAGO, Ill. -- The 2006 University of Michigan football team was selected second in a poll of media members attending the 35th annual Big Ten Conference Kickoff Luncheon and Media Days held Aug. 1-2, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Ohio State was selected as the preseason favorite, followed by the Wolverines and No. 3 Iowa.
The media picked Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith as the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and Penn State linebacker Paul Pusluszny as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
The Wolverines have been picked among the top three in all 12 of Lloyd Carr's years as head coach. The last time Michigan was selected second in the preseason poll was 2003, when it claimed the Big Ten championship and earned the automatic berth in the Rose Bowl.
Carr begins his 12th season as head coach of the Wolverines and his 27th overall with the Michigan coaching staff. He is the 12th Big Ten head coach to reach the 100-victory plateau and enters 2006 with a 102-34 overall record and a 68-20 mark against Big Ten opposition. Carr leads all current conference coaches with five Big Ten titles (1997, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004) in the 11 years at the helm, including the 1997 national championship.
The Wolverines begin their 127th season on Saturday, Sept. 2, against Vanderbilt at Michigan Stadium. The game will be broadcast nationally by ESPN at noon EDT.
Media Contact: David Ablauf, Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
