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#1 Central Michigan: While the stakes were a lot lower this year getting 'back' at Ball State had to feel good. Next week they have NIU which is probably enough of a quality opponent to bring the Chips into the top 30, if they win out (NIU, MACC, Bowl) I think they are a lock for the top 25. |
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#2 Temple: The difference between a good coach and a great coach is the ability to make solid adjustments. It's a minor miracle Kent was not up by two touchdowns at the half but the 24 points the owls ripped off in the 3rd quarter was all about nice adjustments by Golden. |
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#3 Ohio: Strong game, especially defensively against the run. This is a game NIU should have won but a couple of bonehead plays and very predictable calls on 3rd (and 4th) and short gave Ohio all the help they would need. Next week they play for the east. |
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#4 Northern Illinois: Heart breaking loss, and in doing so CMU cinches up the West. Without the division to play for NIU can always focus on the fact that eight wins will get them a better bowl game. |
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#5 Bowling Green: Falcon Blog has summed up their season pretty well, Bowling Green has beaten the teams they are supposed to (Miami / Akron / Ball ) and pulled out the games against teams near or at their level (Buffalo / Kent) This and their upset of Troy in week one puts them in a great place for a Bowl Selection committee, all the need to do is take care of business next week against Toledo. |
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#6 Kent State: Note to Kent: When your first three drives get into the red zone and you walk away with only three points you're probably in for a long day. The Flashes had a chance to make this a game and the frittered it, and their chance at the east, away. |
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#7 Western Michigan: It's extremely unlikely that the Bronco's will get to bowl with a 6-6 record but it would still feel a whole lot better than 5-7. WMU was slated to either win, or finish second in the West but they have seemed to play flat more often than not and their record shows it. |
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#8 Buffalo: Taking Miami to the woodshed is not exactly something to be proud of, unless that is you have drooped your last three games by a total of seven points. As much as this year might seem like a setback for UB if they can beat Kent their 5-7 record would be tied for the second best of the decade and at 5-7 they may get to keep Turner Gill in Buffalo for a season or two. |
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#9 Toledo: All around this has been a great first season for coach Beckman. It could have been better but through some pretty key injuries they are now out of the Bowl Picture. The Rockets have had an exciting and competitive season, The still have a chance to spoil Bowling Greens run towards a bowl next week they will finish 6-6 (three more wins than least years squad). |
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#10 Ball State: Ball state is a team with a lot of experience losing but no team, not even Auburn, destroyed the Cardinals the way that CMU did. Early in the year the MAC Media poll picked BSU to finish last in the MAC West at the time that seemed absurd but it is only two points away from being true. They face a WMU team with Bowl Aspiration next week so win #2 is not likely. |
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#11 Akron: Next week against EMU could be JD Brookharts last game as the coach of Akron. The Bowling Green game was a template for their entire season, everything looks nice starting out (10-9 at the half) but once the pressure is applied the fall to pieces |
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#12 Miami: I was a bit surprised how close the line was on Buffalo, I was even more surprised that 3 out of seven MAC blogs picked the Hawks. Then I got to see Dysert play. Miami could be a team making noise in the East in the next year or two if they put any kind of a line in front of him. |
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#13 Eastern Michigan: EMU has squandered away two chances for wins this year (NorthWestern and Ball State) now there is just one more shot for Ron English to net that elusive first win in 2009. As much as Akron is probably the weakest team on their schedule if EMU plays Eagle football they will go be winless on the year. |
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