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Alright, now that the MAC season is over, lets start talking about next year. Congrats to Miami for the great championship season BTW.

It seems to me the front runners for the 2004 MAC title will be, in no particular order...

Miami, OH
Toledo
Marshall
Bowling Green
NIU (maybe)

No offense to anyone else in the MAC, but I see it between these 5 teams. Each of these teams have some questionmarks though. If Ben does not go pro, then Miami is most likely the clear favorite. If Hill is healthy, and we find another reciever to play next to Davis, then Marshall may have a chance to beat Miami, especially since the game should be in Huntington. If Hill is not healthy or we don't find another go to receiver, it could be ugly. If Miami loses Ben to the NFL, then it may be a different story.

Toledo has a fairly young team this year, and it showed at times. Against some teams they were very impressive, and at other times they weren't. If they come together it could be quite a fight.

Bowling Green (Harris) and NIU (Turner) both lose the main superstars of their respective teams. If they find someone to fill the gaps like Marshall did with Leftwich replacing Pennington, they could be tough too.

If I had to make a wager right now, I'd say that Toledo wins the West, and Marshall wins the East, provided Ben goes pro. If Ben sticks around, then it will be a heck of a dog fight in the East. What does everyone else think?
Miami and UT are the early frontrunners next year. Marshall is that neighborhood as well, sort of a bridge level between them and BG and NIU.

A Falcon fan would be in best position to comment on them...but I expect them to be right back in the 3 way west fight. I'm sure they've got a solid QB in the pipeline for next year.

As for NIU...losing Turner is not as big a deal as it seems. If AJ Harris is our next back, he's put up 100 yard games when he's gotten significant playing time. He's a different style runner, less punishing, more speed; he's got 1500 yard potential w/ almost our whole line back.

It's the defensive graduations that are more damaging.
I'm excited about BG's chances for next year.

They do lose Harris, but Jacobs is supposed to be as good. Even if he's just 'good', that will do. Consider that Sharon is a redshirt-So and will be back, Magner is a Jr and will be back. Sanders and McGrady should also be back. At RB, Pope is a So and will be back.

On the DL- All starters, and top back-ups were underclassmen: fr and sophomores! M. Leinenger is a So. Parks at DE returns and should make good strides.

Losing Patton and Hewitt isn't great, but there are more underclassmen than Sr's. There are plenty of secondary guys w/ experience. 3/5 top LB's (2/3 starters) should return.

They could use some bigger guys on the interior of the line and maybe a bigger LB, but there is alot of youth on YOUR MAC-E champ team. Remember, these are the recruits from the Meyer/Brandon era. And what is coming are the recruits who saw BG's success. If Jacobs produces, they should be the favorites to repeat.
I agree with Toledo..BG will still be tough, have some gaps to fill on defense..offense if Omar Jacobs can fill Harris's shoes then we will be in good shape. We don't lose any running backs, I believe we lose 1 off our OL, but Haley had some injuries this year that kept him from playing so some of the younger guys got some playing time, and our receiving corp is still in tact. Omar is a Josh body double. He is the same type of QB that Harris is and unless you didn't know their jersey number, you would of thought Josh was in the entire game during part of the OOC schedule when Omar got playing time.

In the East I am going off the deep end but something in my gut is telling me.... Kent State. Don't ask me why, I just think Cribbs is going to go ape chit next year on the field.
I think Toledo and NIU will be the top teams in the West next year. BG will be up there too, but they will have inexperience at QB and they will have to play at NIU and at Toledo.

NIU will be in it, because even though they lose some good players they will have Toledo and BG at home.

I might be biased, but I see the talent at Toledo and think they will win the West.


In the East it will probably be between Miami and Marshall. With Stan Hill back the Herd will be tough and they will have Miami at home. I don't know if that will be enough to beat Miami though, with or without Roethlisberger.

I think it will be Miami and Toledo in the MACC next year.
Falcon Frenzy Wrote:In the East I am going off the deep end but something in my gut is telling me.... Kent State. Don't ask me why, I just think Cribbs is going to go ape chit next year on the field.
:eek:
What? Someone who isn't predicting the same teams as this year?
Are the rest of you guys predicting the Yankees next year, too?
The Flashes got blown out by Pitt and Penn St. without Cribbs and we had a bad loss to Ball St.
But:
Who played Miami toughest this year and scored more points on them than ANYONE?
Who ran up 500+ yds of offense on BG?
We played with a very young defense this year with kids starting a year sooner than they would have except for the housecleaning Pees did on last year's team. If the defense develops the expected maturity and uses its experience from this year and if former All-MAC (2001) RB David Alston is healed up and can play next year, no defense will contain us and we will be able to contend. It's no pipe dream.
Falcon Frenzy Wrote:In the East I am going off the deep end but something in my gut is telling me.... Kent State.  Don't ask me why, I just think Cribbs is going to go ape chit next year on the field.
I just completed a lengthy post on the Kent board about Kent's new attitude and confidence level. I stated that Kent will beat both Miami and Bowling Green next year. Of course I am counting on Roethlisberger not coming back. Others may think I have lost my mind but it is nice to get validation from a poster of another MAC school.
[quote="nashvillegoldenflash"] [quote="Falcon Frenzy"]In the East I am going off the deep end but something in my gut is telling me.... Kent State.
I just followed up to the post on the Kent board. I feel the same way. We must be crazy.....
MAC tOAMU Wrote:I just followed up to the post on the Kent board. I feel the same way. We must be crazy.....
Somebody ought to tell the Kent administration. They might try marketing the program for once.
I think it will be a dog fight with UT, BG, and NIU again in the West. All three have some areas to shore up. UT does get BSU at home; a huge advantage for us.

In the East, if Ben stays, Miami. With out Ben the edge to Marshall because they have the Redhawks in Huntington. UCF could be a dark horse as there is talent.

I see no one else capable of making a run, but several capable of playing the spoiler. OU, CMU, and EMU will fight it out for worst. UB is making strides IMO.

Guest

Toledo, provided they improve defensively, will be very tough to beat.
BG has an offense built around a player who graduates this year, that'll hurt, but they'll still be a good team.
Miami will be the top dog in the East.
Marshall is in a slide, and they should expect to have a schedule from Hell. No dice.
Kent needs to provide a bit more of a supporting cast, but if they do, look out.
NIU will remain tough.

My 100% unbiased pic for MAC champs is Toledo, however. Unless Ben stays another year. Then it'll be Toledo anyway. 03-wink
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

I agree with the idea of Kent State being one of the best teams in the East though.
Do we have to go to H-ton? Why not have them come on back to Oxford again?? Hey, I'm not kidding.
Toledo will definitely have one of the best offenses next year. Our question will be defense again.

Look at some of the players we have back on offense (I have them listed as the class they will be in next year):

QB
JR Bruce Gradkowski (6-2, 204)
SR Cedric Stevens (6-4, 217)
R-FR Michael Faulds (6-3, 200)
R-FR Marquis Council (6-3, 175)

RB
JR Trinity Dawson
JR Astin Martin
JR Quinton Broussard
SO Jeremy Wright
SO Scooter McDougle (From what I hear he should have his grades up and be able to play)

WR
SR Lance Moore
SO Steve Odom
SR Terrance Hudson
SR Chris Charleton
JR Pete Lepley (Transfer that redshirted this season)
SO Kenley Horton
SR Corterris Reese
SO Lance Long
R-FR David Washington (6-5 and 215 lbs from Baytown, Texas)

TE
SR Andrew Clarke
SR Chris Holmes
SO Josh Powell
R-FR Terrance Partee (6-6 and good speed for a TE from Lexington, NC)

OL
SR Nick Kazur (6-5, 320)
SR Wael Jarbou (6-5, 296)
SO Jesse Anderson (6-5, 289)
SO Jerry Aguwa (6-5, 270)
SO Hassen Adebesin (6-2, 275)
JR Chris Wakeman (6-5, 250)
SR Mike Sacco (6-7, 280)
R-FR John Greco (6-5, 290)
R-FR Justin Tharp (6-5, 280)
SO Chad Diggs (6-4, 285)
R-FR David Perkins (6-2, 270)

Those young OL's are going to be much bigger in size next year. I also like the verbal we have from Toledo-St. John's standout, Andrew Decker. He is 6-4 and 284 pounds, but yet he still runs a 5.1 40.....not bad for that size and an offensive lineman.
DrTorch Wrote:Somebody ought to tell the Kent administration.  They might try marketing the program for once.
Wouldn't that be nice!!! :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

Guest

[QUOTE]Marshall is in a slide, and they should expect to have a schedule from Hell. No dice.

8-4 and we are on the slide.I take that as a compliment.Look for Marshall to finish 10-2 or 9-3 next year depends on if Big Ben leaves.If he stays another year no one will beat the Redhawks.Kent State has always scored alot of points but so does whoever they are playing.NIU and BG will struggle trying to replace key players.


I believe it will be Toledo and Marshall with one catch.Mr Chryst will make Marshall play at Toledo for the championship.However if Boston College heads to the ACC early then it won't matter.Marshall won't be here
:D
Why does everyone assume that, if Marshall's CUSA membership begins in 2005, it automatically follows that they will play in the MAC in 2004?
Moreover, why is it assumed that if they do play a MAC schedule, they'll be allowed to compete for the title? There's no way the conference is going to allow the *possibility* that a departing team to host the MACC or take one of the league's bowl bids...
I certainly don't.
I think the scheduling wheels will begin to spin in the new year all over the eastern half of the U.S.
NOBODY wants lame ducks--neither teams' old nor their new conferences.
Watch it happen.
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