Mid-American Conference: West Division Sneak Preview

The Mid-American Conference (MAC) has 13 teams in the league, seven in the East Division (Ohio, Kent State, Miami OH, Akron, Bowling Green, Buffalo, & Massachusetts & 6 in the West Division (Northern Illinois, Ball State, Toledo, Central Michigan, Western Michigan, & Eastern Michigan).

Last year the MAC’s champion, Northern Illinois played in a BCS Bowl, The Orange Bowl against Florida State, while falling 31-10, the real story was the fact that a MAC Team made it to a BCS Bowl! No small feat … for a Non-BCS Conference Team!

The BCS is heading into the sunset after the 2013 season, as for myself, I liked the work it did …. giving the “Little Guy” a shot @ the ‘Big Time’. Utah, TCU, Hawaii, & Boise State would not have had an opportunity to play in the Sugar, Fiesta, & Rose Bowls if not for the BCS!!. The Bowl Championship Series’ intent was to have one play two … that is all it was intended to do … chalk up the mess, that somehow focused on the BCS process (#1 vs #2) to Contracual agreements between the 6 Automatic Qualifying Conference & the Bowl Games they had agreed to play in at the end of each season (Rose Bowl PAC 12 /Big Ten; SEC Sugar, Big 12 Orange and so on…. Oh yeah; do not forget ….Greed! You know … in good old U. S. of A. … we fix the blame … not the problem! The BCS was about #1 vs #2 … Period ….all the other babble was just that … misdirected noise!

In 2014 the BCS is out &, this four team playoff is in… good luck with 4 … more like 4 on a golf course … the masterminds of this better learn to duck… oops…I forgot… they are already skilled of dodging reality while assigning blame!

The Bowl system has served college football for over a century and is struggling because of the unrealistic economic demands via payouts. I have a novel idea… let the payout reflect the actual revenue the Bowl Game generates … a little incentive for the participating Conferences & Universities to promote the game! Just a thought…

OK… I digress… but it does have a connection to the MAC and other Non-BCS Affiliates! That preached, let’s take a peek @ MAC projections!

West Division

Northern Illinois

Non-Conference Games: NIU opens its season @ Iowa and then visits Idaho (FBS Independent) & Purdue (Big Ten) before returning home to take on Eastern Illinois @ Huskie Stadium! (FCS team from the Ohio Valley Conference). YS thinks 2-2, NIU falls to Iowa & Purdue while beating Indiana State & Idaho. OS concurs, 2-2 winning & losing to the identical teams.

Divisional Games: The Huskies play @ Central Michigan & Toledo & host Eastern Michigan, Ball State, & Western Michigan in divisional battles. YS thinks 5-0, Jordan Lynch, from Chicago’s own, Mount Carmel, will be to much for MAC defenses to deal with in 013. OS says, not so fast my friend, 4-1, as the Rockets from Toledo derail the Huskie team in the Glass Bowl (Toledo home stadium).

Conference Cross-Over Games: NIU lines up against 3 teams from the East Division, thay play @ Kent State & U-Mass (Massachusetts) and welcome Akron to Huskie Stadium. YS believes, 3-0 vs lower tear clubs from the East Division, OS agrees … with conviction … 3-0 in conference cross-over games for NIU!

Overall Record: YS has the Huskies @ 10-2 in 013; while OS thinks, not quite, 9-3 are the 2013 numbers.

Toledo

Non-Conference Games: The Rockets will attempt to ‘Buzz Bomb’ Florida & Missouri while iviting Eastern Washington & the Naval Academy to the the Glass Bowl. YS thinks 2-2, falling to the Mighty SEC teams, Florida & Missouri, while beating up on Eastern Washington & finding a way against the Midshipmen. OS says ‘hold the presses, 1-3 is the state of things for UT, in their Non-Conference Tilts, beating only Eastern Washington.

Divisional Games: Toledo travels to Ball State & Central Michigan and plays host to Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan & Northern Illinois. YS projects the Rockets @ 4-1 beating the Michigans’ Western & Eastern at home and Central on the road, while surviveing Ball State in Muncie, however, the Rockets go down to NIU. OS agrees with 4-1, but not how they arrive at those numbers, UT beats NIU @ home but falls to Ball State @ Scheumann Stadium in Muncie, Indiana.

Conference Cross-Over Games: UT takes on Bowling Green and Akron away from home while entertaining Buffalo in the Glass Bowl. YS has UT @ 2-1, beating Buffalo & Akron but losing to Bowling Green! OS says right on, 2-1 it is, as Bowling Grenn is poised to have its best season in years.

Overall Record: YS thinks 8-4 are the correct numbers for UT in 013, OS believes 7-5 is as high as the Rockets fly in the coming season!

Ball State

Non-Conference Games: The Cardinals take on Illinois State (FCS Team from the Missouri Valley), Army (FBS Independent), both at home and travel to North Texas (C-USA this year, formally were members of the Sun Belt) & conclude their NC schedule at Scott Stadium against Virginia (ACC). YS forecasts BSU @ 3-1, falling to only Virginia in Charlottesville. OS agrees, 3-1 for the Cardinals in 013, losing to only the Cavaliers!.

Divisional Games: BSU plays 3 of its divisionals game on the road, @ Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan & NIU in DeKalb, while hosting Toledo & Central Michigan. YS believes it is 3-2 for the Cardinals, beating the Michigan schools and stumbling to the Illinois and Ohio schools, NIU & UT. OS says ‘put the lights back on’, its 4-1 for Cardinals; BSU handles the Michigan bunch and takes care of the Ohio school … but goes down in Dekalb to the Huskies!

Conference Cross-Over Games: Ball State lines up at home against Kent State & Miami of Ohio and hits the road to battle Akron. YS  thinks 3-0, BSU runs the table in its conference cross-over . OS says yap, 3-0, with a really tough game in Muncie against Kent State (BSU’s Homecomming)

Overall Record: YS has the Cardinals finishing the 2013 season at 9-3, while OS thinks 10-2, althought before eyeballing each opponent … would have never thought the Cardinals would have that many wins in 2013!

Western Michigan

Non-Conference Games: The Broncos take on Michigan State, Northwestern, & Iowa (Big Ten) all on the road, while welcoming Nichollis State (FCS / Southland Conference) to Kalamazoo! YS Believes AD should be fired… “if you need money that bad go to a bank and get a loan you dope”!! Playing up 3 times, all on the road, is a little (to alot) crazy… 1-3… at best! OS Agrees, the Broncos have traveled to 8 Big Ten Areans in the past 4 years, you guessed right, 0-8, … it will be …. 1-3 for WM in NC games, as they take out their frustration on Nichollis State!

Divisional Games: WM travels to Toledo, Eastern Michigan, & NIU and has sent invitations from Waldo Stadium to Ball State & Central Michigan. YS believs the Broncos go 2-3 in divisional play, losing to NIU, Ball State, & Toledo! OS concurs, 2-3 are the numbers, as the Broncos handle their in-state rivals, Eastern & Central!

Conference Cross-Over Games: WM plays Kent State & Buffalo at Waldo Stadium and then head East to take on U-Mass! YS says 2-1 in cross-over games for WM, they beat Kent State & U-Mass, but fall to Buffalo for the second year in a row. OS thinks YS is right on, 2-1, this is Buffalo’s best team and they find, not only a way in Waldo Stadium,… but they find Waldo, in route to their second bowl game ever!! 

Overall Record: YS & OS agree, 5-7 for WM in 2013 and home for the second season!

Central Michigan

Non-Conference Games: CM (Central Michigan) battles Michigan, UNLV, & NC State away from Kelly/Shorts Stadium and and opens its Stadium’s door wide for New Hampshire (FCS / Colonial Athletic Association) YS thinks 1-3, beating only New Hampshire, CM rarely travels to Non-BCS schools, so the trip to Las Vegas is unusual and will not end well for the Chippewas. OS agrees, CM plays well in the Desert, but not well enough, as the Chippewas finish their NC schedule @ 1-3.

Divisional Games: The Chippewas battle three divisional foes @ home in Kelly/Shorts Stadium; Toledo, NIU & Eastern Michigan and then hit the dusty trail to challenge Ball State & Western Michigan. YS beleives it will be 1-4 for the Chippewas in 2013 divisional play, beating only in-state rival, Eastern Michigan! OS says, right on, 1-4, same losses … same win!

Conference Cross-Over Games: CM plays two of its three cross-over games on the road, @ Miami of OH & Ohio, while welcoming U-Mass to Mt. Pleasant. YS thinks 2-1 beating Miami and U-Mass while falling to Ohio. OS says ‘hold the horses’, CM goes 1-2 in conference cross-over games, stopping only U-Mass!

Overall Record: YS has the Chippewas @ 3-9; OS agrees, 3-9 are the correct numbers in the correct order!

Eastern Michigan

Non-Conference Games: EM battles Penn State (Big Ten), Rutgers (AAC) & Army (FBS Independent) all on the road and has Howard University (FCS Team / MEAC) over to Renearson Stadium for lunch! YS Thinks 1-3, falling to PSU, Rutgers & Army; OS Concurs, 1-3 beating only Washington DC’s Howard University

Divisional Games:In their divisional match-ups, EM travels to NIU, Toledo, & CM while playing host to Ball State & Western Michigan. YS & OS agree, 0-5 for the Eagles in 013! This team’s attendance numbers are pathetic, they averaged 3,923 at home games a year ago. How they remain an FBS Entity is really a question for the Ghost Busters!!

Conference Cross-Over Games: EM plays at Buffalo and hosts Ohio & Bowling Green in Ypsilanti. YS says this ain’t right, the three cross-over games are against the three best teams in the East … 0-3 for the Eagles and it will not be pretty! OS agrees, 0-3 in 013; the good news is there won’t be a whole lot of fans on hand to suffer through this @ Rynearson Stadium!

Overall Record: YS & OS are reading from the same book, page, paragraph, sentence, & line … 1-11!!