We’re still a little more than a week away from seeing the Big Sky football preseason media poll, but I thought I would leak some information out early.

    Of course, by that I mean share my own votes. It is likely that the full poll will not mirror mine from top to bottom, but it could be very similar.

    Let me start by saying I picked Idaho State to finish 13th, AKA, last. I will explain each of my votes, one at a time.

    1. Montana State

    Pros: The Bobcats return last season’s Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year and All-American quarterback DeNarius McGhee. That alone gives them a boost. MSU’s offense will be outstanding (33.5 points per game in 2012) as it welcomes back two seniors who were conference second team selections, wide receiver Tanner Bleskin and running back Cody Kirk.

    Cons: Gone is Big Sky Defensive MVP Jody Owens, a linebacker who was the heart and soul of the Bobcats’ 2012 top-ranked league scoring D (21.2 ppg). Outside of senior end Brad Daly (second team, 2012) and senior inside linebacker Na’a Moeakiola (honorable mention), many of MSU’s other players on that side of the ball are extremely talented. The skill is there, but, as of now, a number of players are unproved.

    Bottom Line: There’s no reason to think Montana State will not be one of the league’s top teams again. The Bobcats will look to improve on last year’s FCS playoff quarterfinal appearance.

    2. Eastern Washington

    Pros: Do-everything electric quarterback Vernon Adams returns to Cheney for his sophomore year. Equally exhilarating return specialist Shaquille Hill is also be back to burn up “The Inferno” that is Roos Field. The Eagles have two All-Americans suiting up once again, senior linebacker Ronnie Hamlin and junior cornerback T.J. Lee III. Don’t forget junior safety Tevin McDonald, a transfer from UCLA.

    Cons: Eastern loses three outstanding wide receivers to graduation in Nicholas Edwards, Greg Herd and Brandon Kaufman (undrafted free agent to Buffalo). The Eagle appear to be short on offensive weapons, and will rely on Adams and senior running back Demitrius Bronson to develop their young talent.

    Bottom Line: Eastern Washington has established itself as a Big Sky and national power, and the fruits of recruiting have followed suit. If the Eagles can find a playmaker in the receiving corp., they will be back in the playoffs after playing in the semifinals in 2012.

    3. Montana

    Pros: Quarterback Jordan Johnson returns as a redshirt junior after a one-year hiatus, and with him comes hope of a return to glory for Montana fans. Head coach Mick Delaney, having signed a two-year contract last July, will be grateful to have Johnson’s leadership and skill back in the fold. The Griz also have an All-American and first team Big Sky offensive tackle, senior Danny Kistler, who will anchor everything they do on that side of the ball. Senior linebacker Jordan Tripp is a tackling machine (235 for his career) and looks to follow up his first team Big Sky season with another solid year. Junior defensive end Zach Wagenmann is another returning All-American for the Griz.

    Cons: Outside of Johnson, Montana does not have many proven playmakers on offense. Sophomore wide receiver Ellis Henderson (23 receptions, 15.7 yards per)

    Bottom Line: Last season broke Montana’s 25 consecutive years with a winning record. The Griz will prove that 2012 was an anomaly and not the start of a trend. They have the pedigree, talent and coaching to return to Big Sky prominence and earn a spot in the playoffs.

    4. Northern Arizona

    Pros: Head coach Jerome Souers supplied the surprise of the Big Sky last season as he rode All-American running back Zach Bauman and a load of junior college transfers to a 6-2 league record and fourth place finish. Bauman (two-time first team Big Sky selection) and his 2,494 career rushing yards are back as are senior wide receiver Ify Umodo, junior tight end R.J. Rickert, senior defensive tackle Tim Wilkinson and senior cornerback Anders Battle. The Lumberjacks have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball.

    Cons: Northern Arizona has questions at quarterback as Chase Cartwright and Cary Grossart split time until the fourth game when Grossart became the full-time starter. Cartwright should get the nod as his predecessor has graduated, but redshirt sophomore Jordan Perry could press for time as well.

    Bottom Line: There is no question that Souers has done wonders with his Lumberjack squad. The question is whether or not he has enough talent and experience to challenge the top three teams in the Big Sky. As long as Bauman is lining up in the backfield, Northern Arizona has a chance.

    5. Cal Poly

    Pros: Head coach Tim Walsh has a potential All-American on his defense in senior tackle Sullivan Grosz. He, alongside linebackers Johnny Millard (senior) and Nick Dzubnar (junior), senior safety Alex Hubbard and senior cornerback Vonte Smith-Johnson, have plenty of talent and experience to lead Cal Poly from the defensive side of the ball.

    Cons: The Mustangs will need all the defensive help they can get as dual-threat quarterback Andre Broadous, plus his 648 rushing yards and 1,375 passing yards, are gone. Also graduated is stud running back Deonte Williams (1,547 yards). Kristaan Ivory (740 rushing yards in 2012) takes over for Williams while it appears junior Vince Moraga may have a leg up in the quarterback position.

    Bottom Line: Cal Poly lost a lot of offensive production from its 2012 team, and will need to find new playmakers in order to have a chance against the top tier teams in the Big Sky. Its defense will hold its own, but can the Mustangs find enough points to win?

    6. Southern Utah

    Pros: I have met head coach Ed Lamb, and think very highly of him. Senior Fatu Moala and junior Mitch Jessop, both wide receivers, are the only returning play-makers on offense for Southern Utah while sophomore linebacker Zak Browning and end James Cowser hold that role on defense. Senior Brock Miller is also the school’s all-time leading punter. The skill positions may not have established talent for the head coach, but never count Southern Utah out as long as Lamb is in charge.

    Cons: The Thunderbirds’ best player from 2012 is now settling into his role on the Chargers’ quarterback depth chart as Brad Sorensen was selected by San Diego in the seventh round of the NFL Draft. On its roster, Southern Utah has a sophomore, a junior, a freshman and a senior listed as quarterbacks, and none of them have any sort of FCS experience.

    Bottom Line: The quarterback situation, combined with a lack of skill players on the offensive side, could suggest a lean scoring year for the Thunderbirds. They will need the defense to step up along with a number of players on offense who can find the endzone.

    7. Northern Colorado

    Pros: Quarterback Seth Lobato, now a senior, is ready to carry the Bears even higher. He had 2,797 passing yards and 19 touchdowns in 2012. Lobato’s main target will be junior wide receiver Jace Davis, an honorable mention Big Sky performer. Senior running back Tromaine Dennis and his 948 rushing yards and 10 TDs will balance UNC’s improving passing attack. The return of linebacker Clarence Bumpas, now a junior, will help anchor and energize its defense.

    Cons: The Bears historically have been a mediocre-to-poor football team. Even with the returning starters, I have a hard time seeing them repeat the success of a year ago. With Montana down in 2012, that left the door open for teams to make some moves in the standings. That shouldn’t happen this year. UNC has Southern Utah, UC Davis, Montana State and Cal Poly at home. All four of those games will be tough. The Bears face Sacramento State, Idaho State, North Dakota and Northern Arizona on the road.

    Bottom Line: Northern Colorado had a breakout year in 2012 after finishing dead last in the league the season before. The Bears were 4-4 in Big Sky play, including wins over Idaho State, Portland State, Weber State and North Dakota. They won their last three contests of the season. This year, there should be a couple of wins available in their tough schedule, but a repeat 4-4 league record performance is not likely.

    8. Sacramento State

    Pros: Junior quarterback Garrett Safron emerged as a playmaker for the Hornets in 2012 (2,450 passing yards, 22 TDs), and he should pick up right where he left off this season. Junior receiver Morris Norrise (Big Sky honorable mention, seven TDs), awesome name and all, along with senior running back Ezekiel Graham, should some points for the Hornets. Junior linebacker Todd Davis and senior cornerback Osagie Odiase will be solid leader for Sac State on the defensive side of the ball.

    Cons: Questions remain for the Hornets on both offense and defense. They scored 27 points per game last year (11th in the conference) and gave up 28.2 (sixth in the league).

    Bottom Line: Sacramento State must find a way to rearrange its points scored vs. points allowed ratio. The fact that the Hornets finished fifth in the Big Sky standings is incredible considering this ratio.

    9. North Dakota

    Pros: Greg Hardin, UND’s do-everything senior wide receiver is back. He had 14 touchdowns and 1,145 receiving yards as a junior as North Dakota finished eighth in the standings. He, along with teammate Jameer Jackson, a sophomore, make quite the tandem. Running back Jake Miller, a junior who was named first team All-Great West in 2011, is a solid playmaker for UND as well.

    Cons: Who is going to throw the ball to Hardin and Jackson and hand it off to Miller? Marcus Hendrickson and Braden Hansen, who split time at quarterback, have both graduated. North Dakota has three QBs on its roster, all of whom were listed as freshman in 2012. UND also gave up 34.5 points per game last season, 11th in the Big Sky.

    Bottom Line: Until UND can find a competent signal-caller, it could be a long year. Even with three solid studs in skill positions on offense, a quarterback will make or break North Dakota in 2013.

    10. Portland State

    Pros: Last season’s team passing leader, sophomore quarterback Kieran McDonagh (2,187 yards, 14 TDs) returns under center for the Vikings. Rushing leader, senior D.J. Adams (972 yards, 12 TDs) is also back for one more go. PSU was the Big Sky’s second highest scoring team in 2012, averaging 34.8 points per game.

    Cons: PSU has major concerns on defense, where it gave up 36 points per game last year. Ian Sluss, the Vikings’ leading tackler, has graduated.

    Bottom Line: Senior linebacker Jaycob Shoemaker, who had 79 tackles in 2012 (Sluss had 104), is back, but he alone cannot solve PSU’s defensive woes. The Vikings will put plenty of points on the board, but the team will not win often without somehow getting stops.

    11. UC Davis

    Pros: Senior Randy Wright returns to quarterback the Aggies during their second season in the Big Sky. Wright had 2,234 passing yards and 12 TDs in 2012. His favorite target will be junior receiver Corey Galindo, an honorable mention performer last year. Senior defensive end Nick King, who racked up 6 1/2 sacks and 14 tackles for loss in 2012, will anchor UC Davis on that side of the ball.

    Cons: The Aggies were middle of the pack in scoring last season (27.5) and even worse on defense (29.3 points). The team could suffer even more as linebacker Jordan Glass, a second team All-Big Sky performer (and leading tackler), has graduated.

    Bottom Line: While Wright and Galindo will be solid, UC Davis must find more playmakers, and ways to stop opponents from finding the endzone, in what should be a high-scoring league.

    12. Weber State

    Pros: Jody Sears is back for his second year as head coach, and he has plans to make this season go better the prior. Junior wide receiver Shaydon Kehano could help make that happen as he looks to take the next step after a Big Sky honorable mention performance in 2012. Bo Bolen, a junior running back who took two years off for an LDS mission, returns. He was second team all-conference in 2009. Senior linebacker Anthony Morales, a second team performer, is also back. He led the team in tackles last year with 108.

    Cons: The Wildcats lose their quarterback Mike Hoke, top receiver Jordan Clemente and top running back C.J. Tuckett. That equals 3,341 yards of total offense that left with graduation. And considering Weber State scored the second fewest points per game in the conference last season (21.7), that’s not good news.

    Bottom Line: Weber State has to find its next group of playmakers if it wants to return to the glory days of head coach Ron McBride. The Wildcats may be saved from the bottom of the Big Sky rankings when all is said and done, thanks to Idaho State.

    13. Idaho State

    Pros: Two of the Bengals’ top receivers are back as Cam Richmond and Luke Austin will suit up for their final years. Their top four tacklers — senior Trevor Spence (90), sophomore Taison Manu (77), junior Mitch Beckstead (77) and senior Cameron Gupton (68) return. Junior quarterback Justin Arias and redshirt freshman receiver Broc Malcolm both looked good in spring ball.

    Cons: ISU lost its quarterback and top two receivers to graduation, including first team performer Rodrick Rumble and second team tight end Josh Hill, both of whom signed contracts with NFL teams. On the defensive side, Idaho State is coming off one of the worst statistical seasons in NCAA history (allowing 362.1 rushing yards and 53.8 points per game).

    Bottom Line: The Bengals hope the addition of four junior college linebackers and a revamped defensive line will help slow down opposing running backs. The offense should score, but will it be enough to outpace what the defense allows? Until ISU proves it can do that, the team remains where it ended last season, dead last in the Big Sky standings.