(01-09-2012 09:32 PM)DICK Wrote: FWIW, today on a late afternoon sports talk show in Dayton on 980, the host actulaly talked aobut the NIU game and the MAC for about 10 minutes and talked about what a "brilliant move" the MAC had made in playing all those November night games and getting all that national exposure and now with the 4-1 Bowl record that this should go down as one of the great seasons in MAC history and should get them more national respect and help with recruiting, because kids know when they go to Toledo or NIU or Miami they are going to play a lot of games on national TV.
Best MAC bowl year ever at 4 wins.
2003 was a crazy year for MAC football with 3 schools finishing in the top 25 (Miami, BG, NIU). This year 3 MAC schools finished in the votes receiving category (NIU, Temple, Ohio).
Ohio, Temple and NIU needed to win their BCS games which didn't happen.
The conference has gone in peaks and valleys. 2007 was a really weak year for MAC football with Miami wining the East at 6-7 and not receiving a bowl game. Bowling Green was absolutely drilled in the GMAC while WMU and CMU lost their bowl games.
From the 2008-2011 seasons Ohio, Temple and Northern Illinois have steadily improved their programs. Ohio was 4-8 and Temple 5-7 in 2008 with Temple beating Ohio in OT. In 2009 & 2010 the two schools are in contention for a MAC East title. In 2011 both schools win in bowl games.
I hope this year was not another peak for the conference but I'm kind of left wondering with Temple's graduation losses, Harnish graduating at NIU, Beckman leaving Toledo for Illinios ect. A few of the 9 to 11 game win teams may be stepping back some in 2012.