(07-12-2018 02:17 PM)UofToledoFans Wrote: RED---> NO CHANCE
YELLOW---> WINNABLE BUT UNDERDOGS
BLUE---> PICKEM
GREEN---> BETTER NOT LOSE
AKRON:
@NEBRASKA
MORGAN STATE
@ NORTHWESTERN
@ IOWA STATE
BALL STATE:
CCSU
@NOTRE DAME
@INDIANA
WKU
BGSUcks:
@OREGON
MARYLAND
EASTERN KENTUCKY
@GEORGIA TECH
BUFFALO:
DELAWARE STATE
@TEMPLE
@RUTGERS
ARMY
CMU:
@KENTUCKY
KANSAS
MAINE
@MICHIGAN STATE
EMU:
MONMOUTH
@PURDUE
@SDSU
ARMY
KENT STATE:
@ILLINOIS
HOWARD
@PENN STATE
@OLE MISS
MIAMI:
MARSHALL
CINCINNATI
@MINNESOTA
@ARMY
NIU:
@IOWA
UTAH
@FLORIDA STATE
@BYU
OHIO:
HOWARD
@VIRGINIA
@CINCINNATI
UMASS
TOLEDO:
VMI
MIAMI
NEVADA
@FRESNO STATE
WMU:
SYRACUSE
@MICHIGAN
DELEWARE STATE
@GEORGIA STATE
so most big MAC fans do some version of this before the season starts. my take is that early in the year any decent to good MAC team can beat a weaker P5 team and usually a several MAC teams (not necessarily the best in the league) will have a chance to beat an average to good P5 team. you can write off the weak MAC teams winning these games. so...
Kent isn't gonna beat anyone decent. I like the vibe around their new coach but beating
ole miss, penn state [b]or even Illinois ins't gonna happen.
[b]ball st and bg are not gonna be strong teams but each has a chance of being decent. the talent level this year is probably not there for Ball St to beat
Indiana, and
WKU is gonna be a pretty tough game. BG
doesn't have a shot at oregon and
ga tech is a tough matchup for anyone who doesn't tackle and scheme well dline through free safety.
maryland is improved and bg is down so that looks real iffy but it's a big home game so if some breaks go BG's way there's a shot.
buffalo is an underdog in all their D1 matchups but has some good players and I like their coaching too.
Army, Temple, and Rutgers would be good MAC teams who won't overwhelm UB but will be challenging. so, if UB can rise to the occasion as a team they could come out of the non-conf at 3-1 and position themselves for a bowl game, but 2-2 is the smart money.
CMU hosting Kansas should be a good game and the chips have proven they can sneak up on real good teams now and then. i know there's some question marks at QB so we'll see, but I would still watch all their games against kansas, MSU and Kentucky
EMU has a sneaky tough schedule and few guys that will physically out match you, but that program in a modest way is real solid. they've got average guys who do their part and play as a team and if some playmakers step up they could surprise
Purdue or SDSU although both those teams are better and will be favored. the
army game should be close.
miami is competitive but martin always seems to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, although i think this is the year they get some revenge on cincy. in a sense they have one of the best non conf schedules with
Marshall, Cincy and Army all in a way name opponents who are still beatable,
Minnesota might be good in the Big 10 but they weren't scary last yr and Miami will be familiar with Fleck's schemes. i'd say minnesota wins that game 4 out of 5 times but you only play it once so there's a shot.
NIU has a massive schedule,
Utah at home is a really tough physical defense to score on.
BYU has a huge home field advantage and will be favored.
florida state will probably end up as a top 20 team but they are bringing in new schemes and have their share of player and staff turnover. too bad NIU doesn't get them in week 1 or 2, by the time they play FSU should have a few kinks worked out and talent should take over.
iowa is pretty good but not so talented to be unbeatable and has a history of struggling with MAC teams. i expect NIU to either win or come close in one or two of those games, so anything between 0-4 and 2-2 is possible.
OU should win their 2 home games and usually schedules reasonable challenges. at
Cincy is a toss up and Virginia will be favored but OU certainly has a chance there and if they win that game a 4-0 non conf and some buzz is possible.
as a Rocket fan this is my longest and most informed commentary:
toledo's schedule is deceptive. lots of MAC fans are gonna pick that home game against
Miami as an upset. the rockets did play them pretty well at their place last yr, but woodside was spectacular in that game and UT may well need a few games to figure out what their new qb situation iooks like. Miami is their first D1 opponent and has one of the nation's best defenses and really good run game bringing back a rusher toledo couldn't tackle last yr and now the nation's #2 rb recruit. the rockets have really worked on adding talent and size to their defensive front 7, but there are no proven playmakers in those positions. the development of that part of the team will play a big part in whether they give miami a game and can win at one the MW favorites,
Fresno. plus, with Nevada improving and that game coming off the emotional miami showdown ... toledo could go 1-3 but still challenge for the MAC, 2-2 is the even money, 3-1 would mean either a win over Miami or a sweep of solid MW competition so that would be the realistic hope. 4-0 would put UT at the front of the G5 new year's bowl convo, but will require UT's new QB to be good right away and the immediate emergence of some run stuffers on defense.
WMU has some question marks but potentially a strong running game and that alone can beat people if it is clicking. i guess WMU wins the FCS game and a close one at
Ga State, Syracuse is pretty good but not invincible and is coming to Waldo.
at UM will be fun if western can run on that huge blue chip UM run defense, but that will be a challenge and I don't think they can do a lot of damage on UM's secondary with their receiver group. You know Michigan will break some big run plays at least and will be very dangerous in the return game too. 3-1 with fairly competitive performance at UM would be great.
