Lots of good opportunites for MAC teams this weekend!
Let's hope we get serveral of these games below to go our way.
Baylor at UB
ISU at Toledo
NIU at Idaho
Miami at Colorado
NDSU at Central
Ball St at Nebraska
Wyoming at Ohio
http://www.vandelaysports.com/football/m...picks.html
Baylor @ Buffalo
Baylor (2-1, 0-0 Big 12 South) at Buffalo (1-2, 1-0 MAC East, 1-0 MAC overall) - 6 p.m.
SITE: UB Stadium (29,013/Sportexe Momentum) - Buffalo, N.Y.
TELEVISION: None.
SERIES RECORD: First meeting.
COACHES: Baylor-Guy Morriss (17-32, fifth season; 26-46, seventh season overall); UB-Turner
Gill (3-12, second season).
GAME NOTES: This is the Bulls home opener as well as the first-ever Big 12 team to play at UB Stadium ... the Bulls were defeated last week by No. 12 Penn State 45-24 despite having the edge in total offense yards by a 395-392 margin ... Drew Willy passed for 330 yards, the second most against a I-A opponent since UB moved up in 1999 and the seventh most in school history ... Willy leads the MAC with 72 percent pass completion rate ... Baylor has won two in a row, including last week’s 34-27 game against Texas State ... eight of Baylor’s 12 opponents this year earned a bowl bid last season ... despite being held to 16 yards on 10 carries at Penn State, Mario Henry is averaging 5.4 ypc on the season (190 yards, 35 attempts) ... Henry is ahead of the pace of UB’s leading rusher from last year, James Starks (58.7 ypg, 4.0 ypc) ... the Bears Blake Szymanski has 11 TD passes and 1,039 passing yards in just three games, although Baylor has not scored a rushing TD yet this year ... a UB win would equal the Bulls victory total from last year ... a Baylor win would give the Bears three victories, one shy of their 2006 total.
Nick’s Pick: Buffalo 23 – Baylor 21 (Upset Special)
Line: Baylor by 4
Comment: Baylor may not realize that this year’s UB squad is not “your same old Buffalo Bulls.” In fact, QB Drew Willy has become a very nice QB and there are playmakers on both sides of the ball. Last week UB had more total offense than Penn State. Baylor has been shut out against TCU, crushed a very poor Rice team, and beat I-AA (football championship subdivision) Texas State by a touchdown. Look for a big crowd for the Bulls home opener and a rare UB win over a BCS school. Since joining the I-A (football bowl subdivision) ranks in the late 1990s, Buffalo has only beaten two I-A non-conference teams, Rutgers and Temple (before they joined the MAC). Look for the Bears to be number three.
Ball State @ Nebraska
Ball State (2-1, 1-0 MAC West, 1-1 MAC Overall) at Nebraska (2-1, 0-0 Big 12 North) - 11:30 a.m. (CT)
SITE: Memorial Stadium (81,067/FieldTurf) - Lincoln, Neb.
TELEVISION: None.
SERIES RECORD: First meeting.
COACHES: BSU-Brady Hoke (17-32, fifth season); Nebraska-Bill Callahan (23-16, fourth season).
Ball State @ Nebraska - GAME NOTES: Ball State defeated Navy last week, 34-31 in overtime, for its third consecutive road win dating back to last season ... the highly ranked Huskers dropped a 49-21 decision at home to No. 1 ranked USC ... this marks the Cardinals third consecutive road game (Eastern Michigan , Navy) ... last week’s 539 yards of total offense at Navy is the seventh highest total in BSU history ... the Cardinals also blocked two field goal attempts by Navy as B.J. Hill and Brandon Murphy were credited with those defensive plays ... sophomore MiQuale Lewis rushed for his first career game of 100-plus yards (167) last week ... BSU will be challenged by the passing of Sam Keller (840 yards, 4 TDs) and running of Marlon Lucky (356 yards, 4 TDs) ... BSU leads the MAC in scoring offense (28.3 ppg), total offense (445.3 ypg) and scoring defense (20.3 ppg allowed) ... BSU QB Nate Davis has thrown one interception in 107 attempts this season and that pick came last week at Navy.
Nick’s Pick: Nebraska 42 – Ball State 33
Line: Nebraska by 22
Comment: Ball State needs to play more road games. Under Hoke, the ‘Cards have played very well on the road and very poorly at home. After a huge program and conference win last week at Navy, BSU travels to Nebraska and takes with them the #1 offense in this league and the MAC’s best QB. Nebraska was shell-shocked at home against top-ranked USC and may not realize the offensive arsenal that will be landing in Lincoln. While Ball State is no USC, they are no cream puff either. Just like last year’s near win at Michigan, look for ‘Brady’s Bunch’ to press the Cornhuskers until the end and make this a very interesting contest