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2025 WESTERN MICHIGAN FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Fri. Aug. 29 @ Michigan State 7 PM FS1
Sat. Sept. 6 vs. NORTH TEXAS | BUSTER'S TAILGATE CONCERT 3:30 PM ESPN+
Sat. Sept. 13 @ Illinois 7:00 PM FS1
Sat. Sept. 20 vs. TOLEDO* | FAMILY WEEKEND
Sat. Sept. 27 vs. RHODE ISLAND | COMMUNIVERCITY 6:30 PM ESPN+
Sat. Oct. 4 @ UMASS*
Sat. Oct. 11 vs. BALL STATE* | HOMECOMING/HALL OF FAME
Sat. Oct. 25 @ Miami (OH)*
Sat. Nov. 1 vs. CENTRAL MICHIGAN* | THE BATTLE FOR THE VICTORY CANNON
Tues. Nov. 11 vs. OHIO* 7:30 PM
Tues. Nov. 18 @ Northern Illinois*
Tues. Nov. 25 @ Eastern Michigan*

*Conference game

Looks like we posted it at the same time. I'll delete my thread and put my comments here.


The MAC schedule looks tougher than last year, with Toledo, Miami, and Ohio in there.

There's a lot to like, though. 6 homes games, hosting North Texas, 3 home games in September, only 1 home MACtion game, BYE week in the middle of the season, and WMU/CMU game is at home on a Saturday!

We do end the season with 3 Tuesday games, but that's life in the MAC.

Non-conference schedule is interesting. No elite program like Ohio State. Illinois is good, MSU is decent, UNT is probably at about our level, and URI is a good FCS program.

There are no gimme games and no body bag games. Every week we'll have to earn that win. There isn't one unwinnable game on the schedule. Looking forward to what the season brings!

Why is NIU still there? One last game there.

I see 6-6 but it's a good home schedule.

5-7

(03-05-2025 01:39 PM)Bronco14 Wrote:  Why is NIU still there? One last game there.

I see 6-6 but it's a good home schedule.

They move in 2026. We better win one last time at that dump

So who do we think has the easiest and hardest conference schedules?

Easiest: BG or Kent State -- both only play 3 MAC teams who played in bowl games last season. Although Kent State missed both 2024 MAC championship participants.

Hardest: EMU - with Ohio, Miami, NIU, WMU, BG, and Buffalo. Play both 2024 MAC championship participants and six of the MAC bowl teams last season. Miss the bottom three--UMass, Kent State, and Akron.

If i scanned the schedule correctly, only NIU, Ball State, EMU, and WMU play both 2024 MAC championship participants.

Only one MAC team plays six MAC bowl teams last season--EMU. Ball State plays 5.

As we suspected, definitely a much harder conference schedule than 2024. It would have been nice to play Akron or Kent instead of Ohio, Miami, or No Ill.

Nice to see CMU back on a Saturday.. kind of wish it was earlier in the season though. Nov 1 weather could go either way

Best home schedule in years. Nice to see 6 home games and CMU back on a Saturday.

Tougher than last season, as expected; But as others have mentioned, a pretty attractive schedule structure overall. Lots of Saturdays, 6 home games including CMU (it's late in the season but it won't overlap with UM-OSU or UM-MSU).

CMU's schedule is kinda weird. First three all on the road at good-to-very good teams (no home game till Sept 20) and then what looks like a very soft MAC schedule.

8-4 or bust!

So much of next years schedule prediction depends on the play of a new quarterback. Defense has to improve in the area of tackling and secondary coverage. Just guessing, but a gut feeling is 6-6.

4-8 we don’t have a D1 level quarterback

(03-06-2025 01:19 PM)GRBRONCO Wrote:  4-8 we don’t have a D1 level quarterback

Too early to say but possible

Impossible to make reasonable predictions until after Spring Practice and the ensuing 30-day Portal.

I don't follow it as closely as some do, but just from the whispers around here, sounds like Brady Jones has some serious upside.

I was pretty high on Lowry and thought he might have an inside track. But the background story about how he had to "relearn" his technique after losing it at Indiana sorta felt like a red flag.

I don't know anything about any others in the mix.

But I'm sure I'm not alone in hoping someone pops again soon. It's been pretty uneven after Eleby. Salopek washed out quickly. Hrabowski was a weird fit for our system. Wolff was a bit of a rollercoaster and seemed to falter in the bigger games. Water under the bridge but Bourguet might've had potential here if he were the anointed one.

Like others have said, it's impossible to predict anything in the transfer portal era. Over half of the coaching staff is new. Most of the offensive starters need to be replaced. I like the RBs we brought in, and we got experienced WRs and TEs in the portal. Buckley and Bosma will be back. But with a new QB, even one with upside, things may be a little rough. And with the entire OL being replaced, too, it will take time to gel. Despite the turnover, I'm actually a little more bullish on the offense with OC in his 2nd year and I like a lot of the talent that's coming in.

Defense I'm more worried about. D-line has plenty of experience, but no proven top tier game changer type of guys. Some guys will need to step up. Pass rush desperately needs to get better. LB group is maybe my biggest concern on the whole team. Not much experience there. Secondary should be okay, but the same issue as rest of defense, no proven game changers. Maybe Hallock, but he got burned in coverage way too many times. He's just not fast enough to cover speedier receivers.

I like a lot of the incoming coaches and players, but there's a ton of questions marks. I guess we can take solace in the fact that every MAC team is dealing with the same issues, and the MAC is wide open. All the best players get poached by P5 teams thanks to the portal, and we just do our best to backfill. I mean, Bowling Green doesn't even have a head coach right now. Things are so crazy and weird in CFB.

(03-05-2025 04:45 PM)wmubroncopilot Wrote:  Nice to see CMU back on a Saturday.. kind of wish it was earlier in the season though. Nov 1 weather could go either way

Nov. 1 can be 32 degrees with a drizzle of rain with gusting 24 mph chilly cold air breeze from Canada. Or it can be a warm late fall day to die for.

(03-09-2025 07:26 PM)Dirty Ernie Wrote:  

(03-05-2025 04:45 PM)wmubroncopilot Wrote:  Nice to see CMU back on a Saturday.. kind of wish it was earlier in the season though. Nov 1 weather could go either way

Nov. 1 can be 32 degrees with a drizzle of rain with gusting 24 mph chilly cold air breeze from Canada. Or it can be a warm late fall day to die for.

The only certain thing is the night before will be light snow and a biting wind between 4-7pm.