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We are just over a month away from kickoff and quite frankly it can't come fast enough. Between the end of the NCAA base ball season and August I just kind of sit in a corner, huddled in a ball, rocking back and fourth, mumbling to myself.
Carter from Eagle Totem has generously volunteered to run the table this season and went around poking all of the MAC football bloggers with a stick. The goal? Make your predictions for the upcoming season so that when December rolls around we call all point and laugh at the guys who are completely off the mark.
So here we go..
My MAC Championship game has NIU taking on Bowling Green with The Falcons pulling off the upset.
Why NIU - Quality team with a dynamic Quarterback and the only real personnel losses to speak of were positions at which the Huskies had impressive depth. Lynch is still Lynch and the Oline is the same so you ahve to worry about him running. On top of that the receivers stepping up this season are solid enough to make MAC teams respect the pass.
I don't exactly think they are BCS bound again but they should prevail in the West despite the fact Ball State will be nipping at their heels.
Why BGSU - The three D's will help Bowling Green Prevail in a tight MAC East. Defense, depth, and the discipline of an experienced team gives them the edge. Their defense will keep them in pretty much every game and the offense should be slightly improved.
Their Ability to stuff the run especially up the middle of the field is maybe the biggest threat in the conference that NIU will face.
My prediction for MAC defensive player of the year?
Khalil Mack - The guy is going to break one, maybe two all time NCAA records and was just listed as perhaps the 19th best player in college football. If he stays healthy he has every reason to punish UB's opponents.
My prediction for MAC offensive player of the year?
Jordan Lynch - If anything the fact he has two new receivers will only maky Lynch a bigger part of the offense, especially in the early weeks of the season. He will also be playing with a chip on his shoulder from the poor showing at the Orange Bowl last season.
My MAC Power Rankings
| Rank | Team | Thoughts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | NIU | Until someone knocks them off they are the odds on favorite with Lynch Returning |
| 2 | Ball State | The Cards have been Quietly building to this season. They have guys on four national watch list and good depth pretty much everywhere. Lembo was the best MAC hire of the past 4 seasons. |
| 3 | BGSU | Getting a lot of love from everyone because they are deep and experienced. The East could be a horse race this season and usually in horse races the team with the best defense wins. |
| 4 | Toledo | Toledo produces impressive teams year after year but they can't quite rise as high as NIU |
| 5 | Buffalo | Maybe it's the blue tinted glasses But UB has all the tools to win. They only question is the right side of the offensive line and how they handle a beater of a schedule. |
| 6 | Kent | The Flashes handled a coaching transition better than most MAC teams have managed recently. In a tight East division they could prevail |
| 7 | Ohio | The Bobcat's are sorta like Toledo. They are cranking out magnificently consistent quality but not getting over the top. |
| 8 | Miami | Losing their star receiver really hurts Miami's chances this year. |
| 9 | WMU | Things can either go pretty well or horrifically bad when you're breaking in a new QB and Coach. I'll miss the Cuibt Cycle, Bronco fan's probably wont. |
| 10 | CMU | No MAC team has ever had to contend with losing a #1 overall draft pick before. |
| 11 | Akron | Last season, despite the pain of losing to Umass, Akron took some steps towards getting out of the basement. |
| 12 | EMU | I love the Eagles to death but I am really starting to Believe they are cursed. This might be Ron's last stand. |
| 13 | UMass | No shame in starting here for a team in their second FBS season. UMass is making solid moves but it takes time. |