Just as quickly as Central Michigan imploded to their first-ever one-win season, the Chippewas exploded for the biggest single-year win improvement in program history. And they did so with a first-year head coach making one-ninth the amount of money as his final season at Florida.
Jim McElwain and his $590,000 salary delivered a seven-win improvement—the biggest in the FBS last season and one of the biggest single-year improvements in MAC history—and their first appearance in the MAC Championship in 10 years. Entering year two, the Chippewas must answer a big question at quarterback but return loads of two-deep production, including three starting receivers, a 1,000-yard rusher, and four starting defensive backs.
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Central Michigan, ranked 97th in the HERO Sports Preseason College Football Rankings, must at least split their non-conference games, though that's not guaranteed with a much-improved San Jose State program visiting Mount Pleasant for the opener. They must split…but they could also go 3-1 or 4-0 with two winnable Big Ten games on the schedule. But even if they split, it's hard to see eight more wins on this schedule:
| Date | Opponent | Prediction |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 5 | vs. San Jose State | Win (1-0) |
| Sept. 12 | at Nebraska | Loss (1-1) |
| Sept. 19 | at Northwestern | Loss (1-2) |
| Sept. 26 | vs. Bryant | Win (2-2) |
| Oct. 3 | at Eastern Michigan | Loss (2-3) |
| Oct. 10 | at Northern Illinois | Win (3-3) |
| Oct. 17 | vs. Western Michigan | Loss (3-4) |
| Oct. 24 | vs. Miami (OH) | Loss (3-5) |
| Nov. 4 | vs. Ohio | Win (4-5) |
| Nov. 11 | at Toledo | Loss (4-6) |
| Nov. 18 | vs. Ball State | Win (5-6) |
| Nov. 24 | at Kent State | Loss (5-7) |
