SEMO's seventh-place prediction means Samuel might need a miracle

Another season has delivered another disappointing outlook for Southeast football.

But don't be surprised if it's the last one with Tony Samuel's name beside it.

The Redhawks, coming off a 2-9 season with Samuel in charge, is tied for seventh place in the Ohio Valley Conference's preseason poll released today by the league. It's a step up from last season, when Southeast was predicted to finish last for the third time in four years. It hasn't been picked better than seventh in any of Samuel's five seasons.

The Redhawks might not find much momentum early in the season with a schedule that includes a trip to Ball State in in the opener and a game at SIU-Carbondale two weeks later. In between is a date at Murray State, one of the two teams Southeast defeated last season.

Southeast's two-win season — and some amount of progress on the field — helped convince new athletic director John Shafer to keep Samuel around for the final year of his contract. But with Samuel operating under a one-year microscope, the pressure is on for a breakthrough season. This year, for Samuel to be back for a sixth season, the progress has to lead to wins.

The OVC poll shows that few expect it to happen.