There was a time during the last decade that the MAC was one of the better mid major conference, then there came another time where it fell far behind the WAC, Conference USA, and even had the Sun Belt start to nip at its heels. Realignment has fixed that, solidified UMass and/or Temple, and made Al Golden wish he were still in the MAC.
Big East officially invites six schools - NYPOST.com
As reported exclusively in The Post last week, the Big East announced yesterday it was extending six invitations to reconfigure a league nearly decimated by the stunning departures of Pittsburgh and Syracuse to the ACC, the understandable move by TCU to the Big 12 and the contentious exit of West Virginia to the Big 12.
First, the Sargins:
With the changes factored in the MAC goes from mid major number four to number three. MOre impressively the gap between conference USA and the MAC has went from almost three Sargins points down to just .23 points. Believe it or not the real winner is the WAC who becomes the highest ranked middy around.
And the Biggest loser is the mountain west who falls below the belt.
| Conference | Average | With Losses |
|---|---|---|
| 8 CONFERENCE USA | 66.51 | 63.27 |
| 9 MOUNTAIN WEST | 66.37 | 58.26 |
| 10 WESTERN ATHLETIC | 63.95 | 63.95 |
| 11 MID-AMERICAN | 63.04 | 63.04 |
| 13 SUN BELT | 58.64 | 58.64 |
Then there is Al Golden, who suddenly is not so high on south beach.
Report: Al Golden approached by Miami Hurricanes about contract changes - ESPN
"I know he was teed off. He had come there with great aspirations, the way recruiting class was shaping up," Senior said of Golden. "He likes to coach football and likes to lead young men. This is something he shouldn't have had to deal with and should have been made aware of."
Hookie, on of UBFan.com's Finest called this last year as soon as Al Golden took the job
Most of the Hokie faithful are breathing a sigh of relief over this hire... because, as Randy Shannon has proved, without an Erickson/Johnson/Davis type coach who will let the inmates run the asylum (read - blow thick lines of coke off of South Beach hookers, rape, pillage and stay crunkin all the time), Miami just doesn't work that well for college football. -- Hookie200Proof
Speaking of Organized Crime:
The NCAA Is Basically Organized Crime, Says Congressman - From Our Editors - SBNation.com
I think we can all agree the NCAA is shady and driven to profit off of the work done by amateur student-athletes. That said, I'm fairly certainly they haven't been responsible for murder.
While I am generally disgusted with thinks like pay for play the NCAA does a really good job herding that cats that are big schools, big boosters, big media, and big money. Being driven by profit does not a member of the mafia make.
Blog Pollin'
The SBNation top 25 Poll is out!
College Football BlogPoll, Week 10: LSU, Alabama Will Meet As Top Two Teams - SBNation.com
To no one's surprise, idle LSU and Alabama didn't see their standing diminished in the Week 10 BlogPoll. The SEC leviathans continue on their collision course as the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the BlogPoll, making their hegemony at the top two spots in the Week 10 college football rankings a near-universal agreement, from the BCS standings to the major human polls to some of the most knowledgeable writers in the blogosphere.
How do you score 60 points and lose a game?
Northern Illinois Vs. Toledo Final Score: Rockets Score 60 And Lose - SBNation.com
Well, we joked that the MAC had center stage tonight thanks to David Stern and the NBA lockout, but little did we know that a basketball game would break out on the football field. Northern Illinois topped the Toledo Rockets 63-60. If only Toledo could have hit those free throws...
NIU 63, Toledo 60: On That Day, The World Was Changed Forever - Hustle Belt
We now live in a strange new world where not only did 22 defensive players get kidnapped and/or had their thumbs taped to their palms, but Toledo is no longer on pace to be a runaway juggernaught in the MAC. An actual no-foolin' loss to the Huskies puts them back down to 4-1 in the MAC, tied with the very Northern team that bested them; Eastern Michigan sits right there at 3-1 and are darn near close enough to be considered tied for first in the division. NIU did this. Applaud them. Or blame them.
201111021799 | Huskies prevail in Glass Bowl scoring fest | Football
Chandler Harnish threw his sixth touchdown pass of the game, a four-yard completion to Perez Ashford with 19 seconds left, and the Huskie defense stopped Toledo in the final seconds, giving Northern Illinois a 63-60 win over Toledo at the Glass Bowl Tuesday night before a national television audience on ESPN2.
Should Coach Quinn start warming up next seasons Quarterback?
I've been saying that since the Temple game but it seems that finally there are others singing my tune.
Time for University at Buffalo football to look to the future | Sports | Metrowny.com
But the bottom line is this: Anderson has three games worth of college football eligibility remaining and the Bulls are dead in the water. It’s time to rely on the team’s mantra, "Next Bull in."
October Surprise?
UB Sports' October in Review - Sports - The Spectrum - University at Buffalo
It's been quite a month for UB sports. Buffalo's two soccer teams made the Mid-American Conference tournament to bookend their incredible seasons. However, success wasn't contagious. While those two teams flourished under pressure, other teams collapsed – namely volleyball and football. The teams saw their seasons slowly slip away as the month continued.