Time for another MAC Blogger Roundtable, This week it's being hosted by "Falcon Blog"
1. Northern Illinois is having a nice season and appears to be getting stronger. Do you think NIU is a Top 25 team as of today?
I've actually had them in the top 25 since they pasted Temple, it would be really hard to see them not creeping up in there more more ballots with the destruction of Toledo on ESPN.
I would argue that Temple is also probably a top 25 team. Since they made the change at QB their offense is finally what it should be. If they beat out Ohio this week they may start to turn a few more heads.
Finally Ohio is probably floating in the low 30's if they win out they may fight for the top 25.
2. We talk a lot about skill players, but the game of football is often won and lost on the front line. Evaluate your offensive and defensive fronts, including your best players.
UB's offensive line has doomed this season. Cutting over from a pro set to a all out spread in one season has scuttled this season. We have the wrong body types on the line and that has meant no running game which has in turn doomed the passing Game. Those struggles are amplified by injury. UB has only two extra o-linemen in any give game.
Peter Bittner is one of the leaders on this team and has done better in the changeover its going to be really hard going forward without him after this season.
On defense the adjustment has went way better. Rather than completely give over into the 3-4 Coach Inge has wisely went with more of a hybrid to take advantage of some of our very big linebackers.
Steven Means is consistently the on guy who can disrupt a passing game.
3. Similarly, special teams are an often overlooked part of football. Evaluate your special teams thus far this season and what contribution they have made to winning....or losing.
UB just had its first all around good day on special teams since 2008. Last season the special teams killed us, but this year our offense has been so brutal that I don't thin their awful play has been a determining factor.
4. To date, what is your best memory of this season? And what memory are you currently seeing therapy to block from your memory.
The best was seeing Rivers and Neutz play so well in wee one... The Therapy is everything that has happened since.
5. BG and Toledo have their rivalry game this week, and your team has has one on the schedule somewhere. Do you think rivalries are important to the quality of play in the MAC, or are they a distraction that make it harder to get up for other games.
I thin rivalries are one of the things that define college football as a whole, and they are one thing that the UB program lacks. Buffalo has a mild hatred for Temple but nothing that approaches what Toledo has with Bowling Green or Akron has with Kent.
Rather than less rivalry I think the MAC needs more. Look at the Big 10. Most teams have two more more big 'rivals'. It adds to fan enthusiasm.
6. Rank 'em.
1) NIU
2) Temple
3) Ohio
4) Toledo
5) Miami
6) Kent
7) WMU
8) CMU
9) Bowling Green
10) Ball State
11) EMU
12) Akron
13) Buffalo