NCAAF: MAC Preview

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

The Straggler

Tonight's bowl game is like the fat kid who's at the back of the pack when the class is running the mile in PE. The last non-BCS game was four days ago; why this bowl (which is being sponsored by GMAC- good move sponsoring this bowl, guys) is being played so late, I do not know.

Last night's game got more attention than I had figured. Iowa's win gave the Big 10 its fourth of the bowl season, and here's the stat for the night: the Big 10 won four bowl games, all against teams in the Top 15. Guess who the last conference to do that was. The SEC? Pac-10? Try the Big 10, in 1998. Maybe the media will finally lay off this conference.

Tonight is the teaser for the national championship. I actually have a little bit of interest because if Central Michigan wins, then I lock up the win in my College Bowl Mania group. Also, a girl I know from school is going there next year, so I told her I'd root for them.

GMAC Bowl
Central Michigan vs. Troy

Central Michigan should dominate this game. They have the best team offense and defense in the MAC, and Chippewas QB Dan LeFevour can score with both his feet and his arm. The kid has 41 touchdowns this season (27 passing and 14 rushing), and is the NCAA leader in career touchdowns (sure, the record is broken just about every year now, but that's not the point). However, don't write off Troy completely. Florida Atlantic was able to beat Central Michigan in their bowl game last year when they were huge underdogs. If Troy can make this a low scoring game, then they have a chance. I have Central Michigan for 31 points in the College Bowl Mania game, so I'm pretty confident in the Chippewas.

Final Score: 38-27 Central Michigan



- K. Becks

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