Picked for 7th in CAA, Villanova prepares to reload

In a vote by conference coaches, the Villanova football team has been picked to finish seventh in the Colonial Athletic Association, which released its preseason poll Wednesday.

William and Mary is the coaches' choice to take the title. Last year, the Tribe were the league's cochampions with Delaware. James Madison was picked to finish second and Delaware third. New Hampshire and Massachusetts rounded out the top five.

Villanova is coming off a 9-5 season in which it tied for third in the CAA with a 5-3 record. The Wildcats advanced to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision semifinals for the second consecutive year.

But they lost several seniors who went 40-13 in their careers while making three postseason appearances. The Wildcats won the national championship in 2009.

"At first, I said: 'Are you kidding me?' " Villanova coach Andy Talley said of his team's preseason ranking. "We've been a top-three team the last few years and won a national championship. Then I thought about all the people we lost.

"We'll take it as business as usual, and instead of saying we're building, I'd say we're reloading. But I have a feeling that we're rebuilding because we had too many question marks coming out of spring drills. We may be good by the middle of the year."

Richmond was ranked just ahead of 'Nova, which was followed by Rhode Island, Maine, Old Dominion, and Towson. This is Old Dominion's first year as a member of the CAA. The Monarchs' program is in its third season.

"The challenge of the CAA is that you are playing potentially a playoff game every week of the season," Talley said. "We have a lot of youth, and when you are rebuilding, you have to settle in and know that at some point in the season, you're going to be a good team. But, early on, you will have a tough test each week.

"Hopefully, we'll be competitive this year and good next year."

Villanova opens preseason camp next Thursday.