CSNbbs

Quote:Tom Dienhart
I am excited to see how the MAC sorts out this year. Last season was a disappointment because no MAC team finished in the Top 25. I think that will change this fall. The reason? There are many good, veteran quarterbacks.

It all starts with Central Michigan's Dan LeFevour. But some think Ball State's Nate Davis could have a better season. And only the college football cognoscenti knows about Bowling Green's Tyler Sheehan, Eastern Michigan's Andy Schmitt, Buffalo's Drew Willy, Western Michigan's Tim Hiller and Toledo's Aaron Opelt.

In all, 12 of the MAC's 13 teams welcome back starting quarterbacks. The others are Northern Illinois' Dan Nicholson, Temple's Adam DiMichele, Akron's Chris Jacquemain, Kent State's Julian Edelman and Miami's Daniel Raudabaugh. The only school breaking in a new passer: Ohio.

What's it mean? Expect at least one – if not two – MAC teams to be in the final polls. Central Michigan, Miami, Ball State and Bowling Green are the schools primed to breakthrough in what is going to be a fun race. The MAC is back, baby!

Quote:Mike Huguenin
Conference USA and the MAC also have some intrigue..the MAC because of all the experienced players returning.

Quote:David Fox
But the MAC will have the most week-to-week intrigue outside of the major conferences.

The league is coming off a down season, punctuated by an embarrassing 0-3 performance in the bowls - but that should change in 2008. After a league-wide youth movement, the average MAC team returns more than 16 starters. Central Michigan's Dan LeFevour and Ball State's Nate Davis are big-play, dual-threat quarterbacks that Big Ten coaches wouldn't mind having on their teams. Miami University and Bowling Green aren't returning to their respective Ben Roethlisberger/ Urban Meyer eras, but they could make things interesting for the top of the league.

In the bottom half of the league, Temple's Al Golden and Buffalo's Turner Gill will be names to watch for big-time coaching vacancies. After last season, Golden was mentioned for the UCLA job and Gill for the position at Nebraska, his alma mater. They have brought respectability to moribund programs, and both schools have outside shots at reaching a bowl this season.

The MAC isn't likely to field a BCS-bound team, but there's plenty of drama ahead for the league, capped by the Nov. 19 game between Ball State and Central Michigan.