MAC vs FCS & Power Conferences

The Mac heads into the 2014 season with 13 teams (7 in the East Division & 6 in the West), this will be the last year with that number, as U-Mass has announced that they will be leaving the MAC for the 2015 campaign. The Minuteman claim that they will continue as an FBS program, but where, in what conference, as an Independent? They have not stated definitively where they are heading. It will be interesting to see what becomes of the U-Mass football program in the next few years!

For clarification as you review the MAC, keep in mind that Power Conferences (PC) include: Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big 12 (B-12), Big Ten (B-10), Pacific Coast Conference 12 (PAC-12) & the Southeastern Conference (SEC). While the Group of Five, (GF) is made up of five conferences: American Athletic Conference (AAC), Conference-United States of America (C-USA), Mid-American Conference (MAC), Mountain West Conference (MWC)’ Sun Belt Conference (SBC). Their are four Independents: Notre Dame (affiliated with the ACC & PC) BYU, Army & Navy are aligned with the GF!

That said, let’s start in the East Division:

Bowling Green: takes on two Power Conference (PC) Teams, Indiana at Home & @ Wisconsin from the B-10, one GF @ Western kentucky out of the C-USA, one one FCS Virginia Military Institute (VMI) from the SoCon at Home!

Ohio: The Bobcats line up against one PC, @ Kentucky, a Southeastern Conference (SEC) team; 2 GF, @ Marshall (C-USA) & at Home vs Idaho, a team from the Sun Belt Conference (SBC), and play one FCF team, Eastern Illinois from the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC).

Akron: The Zips challenge two teams from the Power Conferences, Penn State from the Big-10 (B-10) & Pitt Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), both games are on the road, one Group of Five team @ Marshall, & one FCS club, Howard University that resides in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).

Buffalo: The Bulls play two FCS teams (only one of these games can count toward the needed 6 wins to become bowl eligible … so not sure why they would schedule 2?) Duquesne from the Northeast Conference (NEC) & Norfolk State out of the MEAC.  Buffalo also has set a date with Baylor, a PC team that plays in the Big-12 (B-12) and one team from the GF, @ Army!

Kent State: The Golden Flashes play two PC opponents, both on the road, Ohio State (B-10) & Virginia (ACC) and 2 teams from the GF, both at home, Army & South Alabama. KSU does not play a FCS team this year!

Miami of Ohio: the Redhawks travel to Michigan to battle the Wolverines (B-10) in their only encounter with a PC in 2014.  Miami battles two teams from the the Group of Five @ Cincinnati (AAC) & home vs Marshall (C-USA) and one FCS opponent, Eastern Kentucky from the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC)

University of Massachusetts: U-Mass is taking on four PC teams in 2014, the Minutemen play Boston College (ACC) & Colorado (PAC 12) at home and travel to Penn State (B-10) and Vanderbilt (SEC). Thus the weakest team in the MAC East is playing, without question the most difficult non-conference schedule in the division!

Now the West Division:

Toledo: the Rocket meet two teams from the PC world, they welcome Missouri (SEC) to Glass Bowl Stadium and journey west to Ames, Iowa to confront Iowa State (B-12). UT takes on Cincinnati (AAC) from the GF and host one FCS team, New Hampshire, from the Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA).

Northern Illinois: The Huskies travel to Northwestern (B-10) & Arkansas (SEC) for dates with PC teams, fly to “Sin City” to gamble for a win against UNLV (MWC) a GF squad, and finally get a home game, as they welcome a FCS team to DeKalb, Presbyterian, from the Big South Conference (BSC)

Ball State: plays one PC team, Iowa, in Iowa City, 2 FCS opponents Indiana State out of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) & Colgate from the Patriot League (PL).  As stated, only one win over a FCS opponent counts towards bowl eligibility .. in other words … if the Cardinals beat both FCS teams, they will have to win 7 not 6 games to be eligible for post-season play! They round out the Non-conference (NC) schedule against GF Independent, Army at West Point!

Central Michigan: the Chippewas have scheduled 3 PC teams for the coming season; @ Purdue (B-10) & kansas (B-12) while playing Syracuse (ACC) at home. They do not battle a GF and play one FCS opponent, Chattanooga (SoCon) @ home.

Western Michigan: will travel to Purdue (B-10) & Virginia Tech (ACC) both PC opponents. The Broncos play one GF team Idaho, out there and have invited Murray State (OVC) to Waldo Stadium for their one NC home game.

Eastern Michigan: heads south to take on Florida (SEC) and then down the road to battle Michigan State (B-10), neither of these games will be pretty! The also play GF opponent Old Dominion on the road, while welcoming Morgan State (MEAC) to Ypsilanti. Eastern is averaging about 35 hundred a game … let me say again … 3,500, they have the poorest attendance in all of FBS programs.

So here is what the MAC NC schedule looks like in 2014: 

VS the Power Conferences: ACC: 5 Games; B-12: 3 dates; B-10: 11 Tilts; PAC-12: 1 contest; & SEC: 5 meetings; Independents: the MAC does not play ND! A total of 25 battles with Power Conferences Teams, that break down as follows: 6 games at home, 19 dates on the road, and zero games at Neutral sites!

VS the Group of Five: The MAC takes on the GF 14 times in 2014, 5 in MAC Arenas and 9 at their opponents house. They battle the AAC: twice, C-USA: Five times, MWC: Once, SBC: 3 games, & Independents: Army 3 battles.

VS FCS Teams: The MAC plays 13 games, all at home, against 63 scholarship teams. Buffalo & Ball State play 2 FCS opponents each & U-Mass and Kent State do not play a FCS team in 2014! Here is the breakdown of MAC vs FCS Conferences: SOCon 2 games, OVC 3 dates, MEAC 3 contests, NEC, Once, CAA: 1 tilt, BSC: 1 game, PL: one meeting, MVC: 1 game.