By Al Myatt
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DALLAS — The football coaches in Conference USA haven't always done a preseason poll but their balloting for 2013 has East Carolina picked to win the East Division.

The Pirates received 11 of 14 possible first-place votes from coaches in both divisions.

Marshall and Middle Tennessee also received first place votes. Defending league champion Tulsa was a unanimous pick for the West Division title.

ECU and Tulsa match up Nov. 9 in Greenville, their first meeting since a 51-49 Pirates win on a Hail Mary from Dominique Davis to Justin Jones in Coach Ruffin McNeill's debut as head coach of the Pirates in 2010.

ECU quarterback Shane Carden wants to avoid getting caught in the hype of expectations.

"It's one of those preseason things," said Carden, who threw for 3,116 yards and 23 touchdowns last year when the Pirates tied Central Florida for the division title although the Knights got the berth in the C-USA championship game by virtue of winning the head-to-head meeting with ECU.

"For us, we're more worried about focusing on what our coaches say and what our teammates are talking to us about," Carden said. "Last year, we weren't picked to win many games."

ECU finished 8-5 overall in 2012 and went 7-1 in C-USA.

"We almost won the eastern side," Carden said. "This year, they've got us winning the eastern side so for us it's about not getting too much into all that off-the-field talk and just worrying more about ourselves. ... It does show that people are expecting the potential that our team has this year. It's nice to have people respecting you a little bit more but at the same time, it will show more on the field."

McNeill knows the standings in November are more important than the preseason polls.

"It's an honor and I appreciate the coaches thinking of our program as such," said the Pirates coach. "It's great to have it now but we want to make sure at the end of the season that we're there. The goal is there. Our team and our staff understand the process that it's going to take to achieve that. That's every day having a great day of practice. Great practice days. One game at a time. Don't overlook anyone because anyone on the schedule can beat you, but we also can beat anyone on the schedule if we're focused. We have to make sure we keep that in the back of our minds.

"I'm excited about what we can accomplish. I wish I could say it's going to be smooth sailing but it's going to be a tough, competitive year. I'm looking forward to that challenge."

The Golden Hurricane is aware that their status has changed after defeating Central Florida 33-27 in overtime for the 2012 C-USA title.

"I don't think we'll have the opportunity to sneak into anybody's stadium without them knowing where we're coming from," said Tulsa coach Bill Blankenship. "That's all right. We'll carry that. I'll hopefully use that as motivation to prepare a little harder each week."

Tulsa back Trey Watts ran for 1,108 yards as the Hurricane went 11-3 last season and 7-1 in C-USA. The lone loss was at SMU, which is among the teams which have left C-USA since last season.

"You definitely have a target on your back," Watts said of the favorite's role. "Everybody is going to want to beat the conference champion. You just know you're going to get your opponent's best shot every week. You just have to prepare to a higher level than you did last year. You can't just go and do the same things you did last year and expect the same result. You have to train harder, prepare harder and then play harder."

C-USA geography, 2013

Central Florida, Houston, Memphis and Southern Methodist will now play in the American Athletic Conference, where ECU, Tulane and Tulsa will relocate next year.

C-USA has added Florida International, Florida Atlantic and Middle Tennessee in the East Division. The Pirates, Marshall, Southern Miss and UAB round out the grouping.

The West Division includes new members Louisiana Tech, North Texas and Texas-San Antonio. Returnees are Rice, Texas-El Paso, Tulane and Tulsa.

Marshall coach Doc Holliday is looking forward to reduced travel when C-USA's membership adds Old Dominion and Western Kentucky in 2014. Charlotte joins the league in 2015.

"It's good for Marshall University," said the former N.C. State assistant, who was a candidate for the ECU job when John Thompson was hired after the 2002 season. "We're about another year from things getting settled. When the dust settles, it becomes more regional for us. Our fan base can get to Middle Tennessee. They can get to Western Kentucky a year from now. Old Dominion will come in and Charlotte will come in. It becomes more regionalized for us and, of course, we have a great recruiting base in Florida. We get there with Florida International and Florida Atlantic. That will continue that recruiting base in Florida, which is good."

The opener with ODU

The Pirates open the 2013 season at home against Old Dominion. Monarchs coach Bobby Wilder and quarterback Taylor Heinicke were on hand Wednesday although ODU won't enter C-USA until next year.

Heinicke set a Football Championship Subdivision record last year with 5,076 passing yards and won the Walter Payton Award, the FCS equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. The Monarchs are coming off an 11-2 season after winning the Colonial Athletic Association with a 7-1 record. Georgia Southern topped ODU 49-35 in the second round of the FCS playoffs.

Kickoff between ECU and ODU will be at 7 p.m. on Aug. 31.

"We're very excited," Heinicke said. "We know it's going to be a challenge. We've been working all offseason to try to get ready for this. We've never played in front of 55,000 people. That's going to be some adversity up there. They're going to be some bigger, faster, stronger guys. We're going to go in there and try to compete."

Heinicke said the Monarchs will need to be resilient.

"We know some adversity is going to happen," Heinicke said. "Whether I throw a pick or the defense gives up a touchdown or we're down by 20 points, we believe if we keep our heads up and keep playing Old Dominion football that we can compete."

Heinicke said the program success has helped recruiting. The Monarchs are based in an area that is considered very strong in terms of high school talent.