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MAC Power Rankings: Week 8

#1 Central Michigan: Stop me if you have heard this one: Dan LeFevour topped one hundred yards. He has run for more yards than all but seven MAC halfbacks.CMU may get a few more top 25 votes after this week but Beating BC next week would be a boost for their poll standing.
#2 Temple: Having Pierce in this game was huge, 100 yards on the ground very early in the second quarter (and just kept piling it up from there) helped put Temple in a position to win the game. Temple has finally beaten a team with a winning record (and one likely to finish with a winning record). And as the weeks go on This season for Temple is looking a lot like, dare I say it, a break out.year for the Owls.
#3 Northern Illinois: NIU ran well, passed well and played relatively solid defense but it was only Miami. About the only downer for the huskies was their pass defense, Dysert had a career day and if your front seven puts a quarterback on his rear eight times and he still drops 350 yards, and three touchdowns on you then your secondary is as bad as you've feared.
#4 Toledo: When you're most important offensive weapon sits, and your opponents starts their MVP the team is already starting from behind. And while they fought back well teams with a one dimensional offense don't weather injury well enough to beat a solid defense.
#5 Western Michigan: The Bronco's played a good offensive game through a ton of injuries. Their defense nearly gave the game away in the second half but they can thank UB special teams for WMU still having a shot to Bowl. That you needed overtime to put away Buffalo, at home says that a ranking behind NIU and Toledo is appropriate.
#6 Bowling Green: Strong effort against the Chips but if you're going to beat a team at CMU's level you have to find more than one weapon. Even if Barnes is superman, and I think he is pretty close, you have to have either a running game or another receiver to take some pressure off. Oh yea and don't fumble inside the 10.
#7 Kent State: Nice road win against one of the better teams in the division. Coach Martins is doing his best to continue his tenure for the Flashes. If Kent really is the team they have look to be then a 6-6 season is almost a given, 7-6 is certainly possible.
#8 Ohio: Getting crushed by Kent takes the shine off of Ohio, how can you battle Tennessee & Uconn, and then get throttled by the Flashes. Well just rush for -9 yards on the ground Thats how.
#9 Buffalo: UB has the worst special team in the conference, the worst in the FBS, and maybe the worst if placed among FCS schools. The fact they gave up 500+ yards and still made it to overtime says *something* about grit, but no bowl committee gives a fat rats behind about grit and at this point fans could care less as well.
#10 Akron: Not a stellar effort for Akron but this unofficially became something of a rebuilding season for them several weeks ago. At this point Zip fans can take comfort that Patrick Nicely, in two and a half weeks, is looking to already be a solid quarterback.
#11 Ball State: Well normally, unless you're Army, if you only complete two passes in a game you're going to lose. But when your top back rushes for 300 yards and his backup runs for 200 you don't need to pass. Anyone left on Ball States schedule has to look at them as being something more than their 1-7 record, Lewis is back.
#12 Miami: Respectable game against NIU. Still like the Eagles Miami is running out of chances to keep their new head coach from starting 0-12.
#13 Eastern Michigan: No movement for the cellar dwellers who game up a seven point half time lead and five hundred rushing yards. The only remaining game the might be winnable is Akron.