As I see it:(I think a case could be made to have NIU, BG and Ohio 2nd)

Toledo
NIU
BGSU
Ohio
Ball St
Buffalo
CMU
WMU
Akron
EMU
Kent
Miami
UMass

Indeed, our collective MAC OOC W/L record doesn't tell the whole story.

We remember the darker, down years the MAC sometimes experiences, where gobs of games are over by halftime. Ugly stats about not crossing the 50 yard line or making a first down until deep in the game. Or the only points scored during 'garbage time.'

This season saw a ton of competitive games well into the fourth quarter, with plenty of shoulda woulda coulda. In what other season have games against the #1 and #2 ranked teams been in doubt until the waning minutes?

Definitely an uptick in MAC strength this year. Makes me more nervous for the Broncos conference schedule.

Toledo's #26 in this week's AP Poll! Almost there, Rockets! Keep climbing!!!

(09-27-2015 01:31 PM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  Toledo's #26 in this week's AP Poll! Almost there, Rockets! Keep climbing!!!

#27 is Oregon.

UT is in the high rent district.

I would put NIU #4

NIU plays Number one to a near stand-off and loses to an ACC team on the road. I'm not listening to anybody saying it's a down year.

(09-27-2015 01:31 PM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  Toledo's #26 in this week's AP Poll! Almost there, Rockets! Keep climbing!!!

While it's selfish of me, I hope they fall back out after Saturday.

Sorry!

(09-27-2015 03:27 PM)Frozenbaugh Wrote:  

(09-27-2015 01:31 PM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  Toledo's #26 in this week's AP Poll! Almost there, Rockets! Keep climbing!!!

While it's selfish of me, I hope they fall back out after Saturday.

Sorry!

Glad we are not ranked! I think the last two times we have been ranked we have lost to the Cards

I would put BG ahead of NIU at least. We saw what happened the last time we played BG with Matt Johnson. We can't stop a good QB like that.

Bg looks to have the best offense so far. Toledo the best D. A combo of both could win it this year. About 8 teams have a real shot.

NIU is somewhere in the middle this year, the talent is there to be higher, but its not being utilized. I rank teams based on what they do, not what talent they have so in my world its

1) Toledo
2) BGSU
3) Ohio
4) WMU
5) CMU
6) NIU

Given how good the teams are and how the schedule is shaping up, the only real threat to Toledo in the west is CMU, and that could very well be a real threat.

My standing theory is that in any year you can divide the MAC into 1/3s, the top 4 can hang with P5 teams and are in the hunt for Detroit and are consistently good, usually only losing to each other. The middle 4 are unpredictable, one week they'll go out and knock off a top 1/3 team, the next week they'll lose to a bottom 1/3. And the bottom 4 teams are just really bad and most of their wins come from head to heads within the group. That leaves odd 13 out. My theory is that which 1/3 the 13th team goes into decides how good the MAC is- 5 teams in the top 1/3 is a good year, 5 in the bottom is bad.

So, with that in mind, here's how I see the MAC so far-

Top 1/3 (alphabetical order)
- BGSU
- NIU
- Ohio
- Toledo

Middle 1/3
- Akron
-Ball St
- Buffalo
- CMU
- Kent State
- WMU
- UMass

Bottom 1/3
- EMU
- Miami

My model is falling apart because I don't know who else goes in the bottom 1/3. UMass? They're 0-3 but hung with ND for a half and nearly beat Temple. WMU? They played MSU close but them go embarrassed by Ga Southern.

I don't know at this point. The good news is that it looks like a good to great year for the MAC because the 13th team will be in the middle or top 1/3. Also good to note is that typically the bottom 1/3 of the MAC is 4 of the worst teams in the country, that's not a given this year. Our weakest links are getting stronger.

Toledo looks stronger and stronger with each passing week, and could see its strength of schedule benefit from NOT playing an FCS school after the Stony Brook cancellation. Here are my thoughts on the Rockets, as well as Ohio, Bowling Green, NIU, and the rest of the Group of Five hopefuls in my Week 4 Access Bowl Power Rankings: http://sportsunbiased.com/ncaa/college-f...rs-scores/

1. Toledo (after Ark State, made them more legit)
2. BGSU (lacks a D, and you can stop their O... on a drive here and there)
3. Ohio
4. NIU (where's the O? This isn't just based on OSU & BC that indicates it's lacking)
4. CMU (best surprise team)
4. WMU (where's the lack of penalties, and where's the chemistry/cohesion?)
7. Ball State
7. Akron
7. Kent State
7. Buffalo
11. UMass (unimpressive; I figured they'd climb a bit; no D)
11. EMU (better; up a notch)
13. Miami-OH

(09-27-2015 03:28 PM)T4C8 Wrote:  

(09-27-2015 03:27 PM)Frozenbaugh Wrote:  

(09-27-2015 01:31 PM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  Toledo's #26 in this week's AP Poll! Almost there, Rockets! Keep climbing!!!

While it's selfish of me, I hope they fall back out after Saturday.

Sorry!

Glad we are not ranked! I think the last two times we have been ranked we have lost to the Cards

I think my favorite BSU - Toledo memory was the 3 holding calls in a row inside the 20 and then the Corey Parchman KR.

(09-27-2015 06:31 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  NIU is somewhere in the middle this year, the talent is there to be higher, but its not being utilized. I rank teams based on what they do, not what talent they have so in my world its

1) Toledo
2) BGSU
3) Ohio
4) WMU
5) CMU
6) NIU

Not sure what WMU has accomplished. I'd put them below NIU until they show something better than not getting blown out at tOSU.
Central may very well be better than Ohio.

(09-28-2015 07:08 AM)Frozenbaugh Wrote:  

(09-27-2015 03:28 PM)T4C8 Wrote:  

(09-27-2015 03:27 PM)Frozenbaugh Wrote:  

(09-27-2015 01:31 PM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  Toledo's #26 in this week's AP Poll! Almost there, Rockets! Keep climbing!!!

While it's selfish of me, I hope they fall back out after Saturday.

Sorry!

Glad we are not ranked! I think the last two times we have been ranked we have lost to the Cards

I think my favorite BSU - Toledo memory was the 3 holding calls in a row inside the 20 and then the Corey Parchman KR.

My favorite BSU-UT memory is Homecoming '93. With BSU behind 30-3 with 4:10 to go in the 3rd, QB Mike Neu led the Cards to four touchdowns in the remaining quarter and change to gain a 31-30 victory, capped by a TD pass with no time remaining. BSU had UT's number for a good many years, and especially in years when UT was very good. Hoping for a good game next week, but the Rockets look outstanding right now.

(09-27-2015 06:43 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  Given how good the teams are and how the schedule is shaping up, the only real threat to Toledo in the west is CMU, and that could very well be a real threat.

Quote:I'd put them below NIU until they show something better than not getting blown out at tOSU.

Well, our formerly good kicker totally shanked 2 FGs (one was long, but still), and missed an XP. The latter led to go for 2 which missed (14 instead of 12 + 1 FG to be fair = 17pts). Add to it a dump-off pass right to a big OSU D-man behind the line of scrimmage -- an unforced error to run it back for a TD.

Should have been 17-10 at the half. Then to win 31-17. Instead, 38-12. And no, that's not counting other legit things people could parse -- instead, I was just referring to a few just basics one would expect whether they're playing Miami-OH or Miami-FL. Anyway, wouldn't have been as down-to-the-wire as the NIU/OSU game of course -- but would have been more respectable from the channel-flipper's eye.

Anyway, here's the NIU vs WMU comparison when playing OSU:

1st Downs: NIU 10, OSU 14
3rd Down Eff: 6-20, 2-13
4th Down Eff: 0-2, 0-2

Passing: NIU 14-31-2 INT, OSU 16-29-3 INT
Yards: 80, 136
YPP: 2.3, 4.7

Rushing: NIU 110, OSU 162
YPR: 2.6, 4.4

Penalties: NIU 4-26, OSU 7-44
Turnovers: NIU 2, OSU 5

Total Yards: NIU 190, OSU 298
T.O.P: NIU 32:26, OSU 27:34
----------------------------------------

1st Downs: WMU 20, OSU 25
3rd Down Eff: 7-17, 8-13
4th Down Eff: 1-1, 0-0

Passing: WMU 18-33-1 INT, OSU 20-36-2 INT
Yards: 169, 288
YPP: 4.8, 7.8

Rushing: WMU 169, OSU 223
YPR: 4.1, 6.6

Penalties: WMU 8-74, OSU 12-86
Turnovers: WMU 1, OSU 2

Total Yards: WMU 338, OSU 511
T.O.P: WMU 37:14, OSU 22:46