After what I would consider a far too long absence, I’m back with the college football previews. Just to keep you all updated, after the college football preview has concluded, I will go straight to my NFL picks, and I should finish that just in time to start covering the important rounds of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, as well as the final stretch of baseball’s regular season.
Overview
The Mid-American Conference may not always have the most talented group of teams in the nation, but it is a great conference to watch if you want to become aware of some of the best up-and-coming coaches in the game. Names like Brian Kelly, Turner Gill, and Butch Jones (all of whom now coach at major college programs) have previously coached in the MAC, and their success in the conference was probably a major contributor to them being offered jobs at their current schools. That, as well as the fact that the MAC can be very unpredictable from year to year, is one good reason why paying attention to this conference isn’t a waste of time.
Team(s) With the Best Shot at a National Championship Bid
None
The MAC has yet to send a team to a BCS bowl. With that being said, there are no MAC teams that have a truly realistic shot at playing for the national title. It’s not all bad though, right? Some of the places that MAC teams could be playing at during bowl season include Detroit and Washington D.C. (outdoors). Nice, huh?
Watch Out! (Team That Could Surprise)
Toledo
They have an absolutely brutal early season schedule. Actually, they have an absolutely brutal first half of the season. They get to play four teams in the first six weeks (Arizona, Ohio, Wyoming, and Boise State) that participated in a bowl game last season. What’s worse is that four of their first seven games are on the road. If they can somehow pull off a victory against one or two of these teams, you may see the Rockets on the bowl schedule at the end of the season.
Out-Of-Conference Game To Watch
Ohio vs. Marshall (September 25th)
This game is a rematch of last year’s Little Caesers Pizza Bowl (Marshall won 21-17), and it’s also a matchup that used to be a MAC conference game. With this being said, Ohio will be looking for revenge, and may have the upper hand this time around. Although this game isn’t going to be on national television, try to watch it online, or if you live in the Midwest, see if there is a regional or radio broadcast of the game. This is a classic MAC vs. C-USA showdown that always seem to generate excitement.
In-Conference Game To Watch
Ohio vs. Temple (November 16th)
There is a good chance that this game will determine who wins the MAC East Division and gets a chance to play in the MAC Championship game. Both Temple and Ohio have strong defenses, so this game probably won’t be an offensive shootout that is characteristic of a MAC game. Another reason this will probably be a defensive struggle is that both teams come into the season with uncertainties at the quarterback position. Whichever team is more stable behind center near the end of the season will likely have the upper hand in this battle.
Conference Predictions
East Division
1. Temple (9-3, [7-1])
2. Ohio (9-3, [6-2])
3. Kent State (7-5, [5-3])
4. Akron (5-7, [3-5])
5. Bowling Green (3-9, [2-6])
6. Buffalo (3-9, [2-6])
7. Miami (1-11, [1-7])
West Division
1. Northern Illinois (9-3, [7-1])
2. Toledo (5-7, [5-3])
3. Central Michigan (6-6, [5-3])
4. Western Michigan (5-7, [4-4])
5. Ball State (3-9, [1-7])
6. Eastern Michigan (0-12, [0-8])
Championship Game (Northern Illinois vs. Temple)
Winner: Temple
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– K. Becks
wheres the love kyle?? i mean i understand this post counting out akron, but counting out cinci in the big east? im sorry a one loss season isnt good enough to earn your respect. sure they lost their main qb, but the next in line is pretty damn good too.
haha ok i dont even believe they can have another incredible season, but i havnt commented in a while so i needed something to complain about.
The one loss season was last year. Not only did they have Tony Pike (who you mentioned is gone), but they also lost receiver Marty Gilyard and of course, Brian Kelly. The team this year will have a pretty different look from the team that got destroyed by Florida in the Sugar Bowl.
Yes, Collaros is a pretty good quarterback, and since the Big East is so even in my opinion, there is the distinct possibility that they will do pretty well. However, I think that Pitt is the class of that conference, and will be able to beat Cinci at Cinci.
However, after Cincinnati did well in the weak Big East (which, other than Pitt, is pretty much the same story this year) and subsequently got punished by their first tough opponent that season, it's hard to give them the same respect that Cinci fans think they deserve…that being, respect on the level of another Ohio team…
Miami rocked Floridas shit, there gonna win the MAC