With plenty of MAC Championship contenders this late in the season, there should be lots of intrigue into what appears to be a wild race for a championship berth.
The MAC has scrapped division play, so the top teams will compete in the conference championship. Last year, Miami (Ohio) beat Toledo 23-14 in the MAC title game.
Miami earned its berth by virtue of winning the East Division, going 7-1, while Ohio was second at 6-2. Miami had beaten Ohio 30-18 in the regular season. With the head-to-head advantage over Ohio, Miami clinched the East Division in its second-to-last game, a 23-10 victory over Buffalo.
Toledo won the West Division with an 8-0 mark, with Northern Illinois (5-3) the next closest team.
So, as it turns out, the best two teams ended up playing in the MAC title game, but the races weren’t overly exciting.
This year seems like a much different story.
The Expected MAC Contenders
Western Michigan (3-0)
MAC wins: Ball State, Akron, and Buffalo
MAC losses: None
Remaining games: Kent State, Northern Illinois, at Bowling Green, at Central Michigan, and Eastern Michigan
Outlook: While this is not an easy remaining schedule, the Broncos miss out on facing Miami (Ohio) or Toledo. The final four games are difficult, so the Broncos have a lot of work still to do.
Eastern Michigan (2-1)
MAC wins: Kent State and Central Michigan
MAC loss: Miami (Ohio)
Remaining games: at Akron, Toledo, at Ohio, Buffalo, and at Western Michigan
Outlook: Take out Akron and the final four games are against teams that are 9-3 in the MAC. Unless the Eagles earn a few upsets, they could find difficulty staying in the race.
Toledo (2-1)
MAC wins: Miami (Ohio) and Northern Illinois
MAC loss: Buffalo
Remaining games: Bowling Green, at Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, Ohio, and at Akron
Outlook: The Rockets have already played three talented MAC teams with more to come, including this week against Bowling Green. Toledo likely has to go at least 4-1 for the rest of the regular season to stay in contention, something that is very possible.
Buffalo (2-1)
MAC wins: Northern Illinois and Toledo
MAC loss: Western Michigan
Remaining games: at Ohio, at Akron, Ball State, at Eastern Michigan, and Kent State
Outlook: Saturday’s game at Ohio seems like it’ll end up being a key battle. Buffalo has done a lot of heavy lifting and having both winless MAC teams (Akron and Kent State) on the schedule won’t hurt. The Bulls should be major contenders, especially if they can win at Ohio this week, which is no easy feat.
Ohio (2-1)
MAC wins: Akron and Central Michigan
MAC loss: Miami (Ohio)
Remaining games: Buffalo, at Kent State, Eastern Michigan, at Toledo, and Ball State
Outlook: Like Buffalo, this week’s game with the Bulls will be a key to Ohio’s playoff chances. The second-to-last game with Toledo could be another crucial contest for both teams to remain in the hunt.
Bowling Green (2-1)
MAC wins: Akron and Kent State
MAC loss: Northern Illinois
Remaining games: at Toledo, at Central Michigan, Western Michigan, at Ball State, and Miami (Ohio)
Outlook: The Falcons have their work cut out for them since their two wins are over winless teams in MAC play. Two of their next three games will likely determine the Falcons’ fate, against Toledo and Western Michigan. Ending with a matchup against Miami could be crucial to both teams’ chances.
Miami (Ohio) (2-1)
MAC wins: Eastern Michigan and Ohio
MAC loss: Toledo
Remaining games: Central Michigan, at Ball State, Kent State, Northern Illinois, and at Bowling Green
Outlook: The toughest two games are expected to be the last two – against Northern Illinois and Bowling Green. If Miami doesn’t lose in its next three games, the RedHawks should be a major contender for one of the two championship berths.
Northern Illinois (1-2)
MAC win: Bowling Green
MAC losses: Buffalo and Toledo
Remaining games: at Ball State, at Western Michigan, Akron, at Miami (Ohio), and Central Michigan
Outlook: This is the only team with a 1-2 record in conference play on this list. The losses to Buffalo and Toledo were by a total of 10 points. Plus, NIU is the only team to defeat Notre Dame (by a 16-14 score). It’s possible the Huskies may have to run the table to stay in contention, but with the MAC’s top scoring defense (16.6 points per game allowed), NIU should be in every game.
