MAC

With just a week until the kick off of the 2009-2010 college football season I am going to knock out the BEST preview and predictions. I am in three college pick pools this year, last year I finished in the top 3 of all of them. Due to some conference and team bias I missed being number one ( I am in a pool with a SEC fan).



To Start the Preview I am going to start with the MAC. To me the MAC is one of the biggest players in D-1 or Bowl Division Series, despite not having a team in thought of "sneaking" into the BCS bowls. The MAC is a player because they schedule SEC teams and create bumps in the Big Ten. It's pretty funny listening to the pundits down here rip the Big Ten's Schedule. They think that since a couple SEC teams are going against top tier teams in the big 12 / pac 10 teams they all are playing these great schedules. Well, the Gators open with Charleston Southern and Ole' Miss opens with Memphis. This is the first year since I've been down in Georgia they aren't opening against Georgia Southern. The Mac put five teams into a bowl game last year and are regulars in Big Ten schedules. The MAC is just like your MWC and WAC but play in the Mid-West and compete with the Big Ten like the other two compete with Pac-10 and Big 12. The only non-automatic BCS conference that the SEC competes with is the Sun Belt (the ACC is like a 2nd cousin to the SEC; Gators play FSU and UGA plays Tech for the same reason you go to family reunions, you have to). So here it goes;



Records: This is not the year the MAC produces an undefeated team nor one loss team. Just based on non-conference and with the competitiveness among the conference no team will have less then a three loss season. Central opens against Zona, then MSU, and then faces BC (which they could win, but they have Buff and Western too). Buffalo, last year MAC conference championship team plays Pitt (at home, which could cause Pitt trouble), @ UTEP, @ UCF, then starts the conference run @ Temple (hail mary) and then visits Western. Don't look for Ball State to be even close to what they were, coaching changes, and they lost basically everyone.



The Obvious: Central Michigan, Western Michigan and Buffalo are the ones to look at. They are all returning off a bowl game and bringing QB's back with great experience. Western has the more favorable schedule, they open at Michigan where they could make a quick statement. Then they go play a weak IU team. I'd think WMU could break into the top 25 with two road wins vs big 10 teams. They have CMU and Buff at home, the only unfortunate thing is they play MSU at Spartan Stadium, instead at Ford Field. WMU upset the Fighting Illini at Ford Field, in one of the most under played / under sought games last year. CMU is the Tebow of the MAC and has been there before. The MAC has 5 new coaches, but remember, the MAC is a breading ground of coaches. Saban and Urban both coached in the MAC and now hot prospect Kelly. Buff's Gill is the next hot coach if he can win, never believe a coach when they say they are here to stay.



Look Out: Eastern Michigan; Why? They uprooted CMU two years in a row and their new head coach. Here is why, English has a pretty good balance of young guys and vets. If and I strongly emphasis If they can beat Army at home and go into Northwestern and win they'd be 2-0. English is familiar with NW, being the brains of the UofM Def. The third game is a visit back to the team that wanted nothing to do with him. Toledo shocked them at the Big House and don't tell me it's different this year ( look for this during the big ten preview). Eastern could very well come out 2-1, before opening with the other up and coming Temple. Like I said the MAC is a coaching breeding ground. He improved L'ville's D last year, their head coach is the reason they struggled. UofM's D was not the same last year as it was with him. Eastern Michigan makes a statement this year with a upset victory at ARK. (Why? English practiced a whole year with ARK.'s new QB, Mallet).

East: Buff
Temple
BGSU
Ohio
Akron
Kent State
Miami (OH)

West: Central
Western
Eastern
Northern Ill.
Toledo
Ball State

Conf. Champs: Central

Bowl Teams: CMU, WMU, Buff, Temple, Eastern