The Midwest Conference released its 2014 Football Coaches Poll on Wednesday and Lake Forest College was tied-for-second in the South Division rankings. The Foresters boasted the league's top defense in 2013 and figure to be led on that side of the ball this year by all-conference linebacker John Preston.
Voting is done by the MWC head football coaches and is separated by divisions. Each coach votes for the other 11 schools in the league in order of predicted finish. Points are assigned in reverse order of voting (six points for first, five for second, etc.). Coaches may not vote for their own teams.
Divisional winners will meet in the Midwest Conference Championship Game on November 15 to decide the league's recipient of the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Playoffs. The rest of the institutions will play the school with the corresponding finish in the other division during Midwest Conference Championship Weekend, also November 15.
| Place | South Team (First Place Votes) | Points |
| 1 | Illinois College (10) | 65 |
| 2 | Lake Forest College (1) | 47 |
| 3 | Monmouth College (1) | 47 |
| 4 | Cornell College | 45 |
| 5 | Grinnell College | 26 |
| 6 | Knox College | 16 |
| Place | North Team (First Place Votes) | Points |
| 1 | St. Norbert College (8) | 52 |
| 2 | Ripon College (2) | 54 |
| 3 | Carroll University (2) | 50 |
| 4 | Macalester College | 35 |
| 5 | Beloit College | 27 |
| 6 | Lawrence University | 18 |