Season is almost here, let's make some terrible projections.

West

Toledo
CMU
NIU
WMU
EMU
Ball St.

Thought CMU was the best team by the end of last year (and Nichols is the MACs best player), but Toledo brings more back. I know NIU has a ton of returning production but I think their close game luck runs out a bit. UT has by far the best defense and good pieces on offense as well. WMU is a wild card.. have them above EMU basically because they get the Eagles at home.

East

BGSU
Miami
Kent St.
Buffalo
Ohio
Akron

Put the top 4 or 5 teams in a blender and you have just as good of a shot. I like what Loeffler has been building honestly and they return a ton so I'll go with the mild surprise. Miami is a consistent contender at this point and Lewis' KSU is making moves. But there's just so little separating anyone in this division.

Champ: Toledo
MVP: Nichols
COTY: Loeffler

West

1. NIU - Hammock really seems to be on to something. He won the MAC with a VERY young team. They bring just about everyone back. Hard not to see a repeat.
2. Toledo - Loads of talent, great defense. Candle hasn't proven much though. Two preseason injuries on the OL might spell trouble.
3. CMU - Good players in Nichols and Richardson, but outside of those two this team is vulnerable. Huge question marks at WR, LB and in the secondary. New OC. They have a pretty easy schedule, so should be able to rack up wins barring injuries to key players.
4. WMU - Plenty of talent, has statistically been the best team in the MAC the last 3 years. Consistently underperform under Lester. Late season collapses, second half flops, questionable coaching decisions. New QB, new receivers, new OL, new O coordinator. Offense is an unknown, but defense should be very good.
5. EMU - Darkhorse candidate for a title? All hinges on the new QB. Creighton has built them into a respectable program, something I never thought I'd see at EMU again after years (decades?) of terribleness.
6. BSU - Replace a lot of key players from last year. Neu has been very up and down, really not sure what to think of this team.

Honestly 1 through 5 in the West are almost interchangeable. Gonna be a fun year.

East

1. Miami - They've been the most consistently solid team in the East in recent years.
2. Kent - Flash fast offense, atrocious defense. That's what we've come to expect.
3. Bowling Green - They bring back EVERYONE from last year. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing.
4. Ohio - Going through a major reset in the post-Solich era, but they have been good for so long, I can't see them finishing below 4th.
5. Buffalo - Another team going through a hard reset, replacing quite a few contributors.
6. Akron - It's Akron.

There's so much parity in the MAC, it's hard to rank these teams. Sometimes all that separates them is one or two key playmakers.

(08-23-2022 12:35 PM)ColinApocalypse Wrote:  West

1. NIU - Hammock really seems to be on to something. He won the MAC with a VERY young team. They bring just about everyone back. Hard not to see a repeat.
2. Toledo - Loads of talent, great defense. Candle hasn't proven much though. Two preseason injuries on the OL might spell trouble.
3. CMU - Good players in Nichols and Richardson, but outside of those two this team is vulnerable. Huge question marks at WR, LB and in the secondary. New OC. They have a pretty easy schedule, so should be able to rack up wins barring injuries to key players.
4. WMU - Plenty of talent, has statistically been the best team in the MAC the last 3 years. Consistently underperform under Lester. Late season collapses, second half flops, questionable coaching decisions. New QB, new receivers, new OL, new O coordinator. Offense is an unknown, but defense should be very good.
5. EMU - Darkhorse candidate for a title? All hinges on the new QB. Creighton has built them into a respectable program, something I never thought I'd see at EMU again after years (decades?) of terribleness.
6. BSU - Replace a lot of key players from last year. Neu has been very up and down, really not sure what to think of this team.

Honestly 1 through 5 in the West are almost interchangeable. Gonna be a fun year.

East

1. Miami - They've been the most consistently solid team in the East in recent years.
2. Kent - Flash fast offense, atrocious defense. That's what we've come to expect.
3. Bowling Green - They bring back EVERYONE from last year. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing.
4. Ohio - Going through a major reset in the post-Solich era, but they have been good for so long, I can't see them finishing below 4th.
5. Buffalo - Another team going through a hard reset, replacing quite a few contributors.
6. Akron - It's Akron.

There's so much parity in the MAC, it's hard to rank these teams. Sometimes all that separate them are one or two key playmakers.

I think Eastern Michigan should be higher. Creighton is a great coach for EMU and sooner or later he gets it done.
.

(08-23-2022 01:06 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  I think Eastern Michigan should be higher. Creighton is a great coach for EMU and sooner or later he gets it done.

Like I said, 1 through 5 are interchangeable to me. It's going to be a dogfight in the West.

Here's mine. I'm guessing that all West teams are bowl eligible besides BSU, but only 2-3 East teams are.

West:
1. CMU - High on what the Chips and their staff have put together.
2. NIU - Very hard to repeat in the MAC, but they have a decent shot.
2. Toledo - Good roster on paper but UT usually finds a way to stumble late in the season.
4. EMU - Would like to see them win the West one day.
4. WMU - Unfortunately for Bronco fans they've typically underachieved under Lester.
6. Ball State - Like others said they're rebuilding, but at least they got a championship out of their run.

East:
1. Miami - Returns a great offense and we get KSU at home. Need Gabbert to stay healthy.
2. Kent State - Strong offense, optional D.
3. BG - Will flirt with a bowl imo but it'll be down to the wire.
4. OU - Not high on the post-Solich regime, we'll get a decent hint if they'll rebound based on Week 1 against FAU.
5. Buffalo - Shame that UB lost Leipold, he was building a really strong program.
6. Akron - Moorhead is a good hire but it'll be a season or two for the Zips to turn things around.

(08-23-2022 12:04 PM)wmubroncopilot Wrote:  East

BGSU
Miami
Kent St.
Buffalo
Ohio
Akron

Put the top 4 or 5 teams in a blender and you have just as good of a shot. I like what Loeffler has been building honestly and they return a ton so I'll go with the mild surprise. Miami is a consistent contender at this point and Lewis' KSU is making moves. But there's just so little separating anyone in this division.

Wow. Bold pick. From your lips to God's ears.

My best guess is Bowling Green finishes 6-6 and in second place in the East, but it won't be easy given the schedule.

(08-23-2022 01:06 PM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  

(08-23-2022 12:35 PM)ColinApocalypse Wrote:  West

1. NIU - Hammock really seems to be on to something. He won the MAC with a VERY young team. They bring just about everyone back. Hard not to see a repeat.
2. Toledo - Loads of talent, great defense. Candle hasn't proven much though. Two preseason injuries on the OL might spell trouble.
3. CMU - Good players in Nichols and Richardson, but outside of those two this team is vulnerable. Huge question marks at WR, LB and in the secondary. New OC. They have a pretty easy schedule, so should be able to rack up wins barring injuries to key players.
4. WMU - Plenty of talent, has statistically been the best team in the MAC the last 3 years. Consistently underperform under Lester. Late season collapses, second half flops, questionable coaching decisions. New QB, new receivers, new OL, new O coordinator. Offense is an unknown, but defense should be very good.
5. EMU - Darkhorse candidate for a title? All hinges on the new QB. Creighton has built them into a respectable program, something I never thought I'd see at EMU again after years (decades?) of terribleness.
6. BSU - Replace a lot of key players from last year. Neu has been very up and down, really not sure what to think of this team.

Honestly 1 through 5 in the West are almost interchangeable. Gonna be a fun year.

East

1. Miami - They've been the most consistently solid team in the East in recent years.
2. Kent - Flash fast offense, atrocious defense. That's what we've come to expect.
3. Bowling Green - They bring back EVERYONE from last year. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing.
4. Ohio - Going through a major reset in the post-Solich era, but they have been good for so long, I can't see them finishing below 4th.
5. Buffalo - Another team going through a hard reset, replacing quite a few contributors.
6. Akron - It's Akron.

There's so much parity in the MAC, it's hard to rank these teams. Sometimes all that separate them are one or two key playmakers.

I think Eastern Michigan should be higher. Creighton is a great coach for EMU and sooner or later he gets it done.
.

It's hard for a WMU fan to put EMU ahead of their team...even tough EMU has won 3 straight in the series, returns 4 OL, all the receivers, all the RBs, has enhanced the defense through the portal, and has a former P5 QB with experience. Add in CMU, TOL, and NIU as home games.

West:
Toledo -
EMU - have em beating UT, but dropping 2 or 3 others.
CMU - tie breaker loss to EMU
NIU - competitive
WMU - below .500
BSU - battling WMU for 5th

East:
Miami -
Kent -
BG -
UB -
Akron
Ohio -

(08-23-2022 06:53 PM)TheWoodenNickle Wrote:  It's hard for a WMU fan to put EMU ahead of their team...even tough EMU has won 3 straight in the series, returns 4 OL, all the receivers, all the RBs, has enhanced the defense through the portal, and has a former P5 QB with experience. Add in CMU, TOL, and NIU as home games.

Sheesh, my prediction made you that upset? I don't care about EMU one way or the other. I put CMU above us, so that should tell you something. Did you miss the part where I said 1 through 5 are interchangeable and EMU is a darkhorse for the championship?

Look mate, it's not personal. When's the last time EMU won the MAC? 3 winning seasons in the last 30 years, and those 3 were barely above .500. Forgive me for not seeing EMU as a powerhouse football program.

(08-23-2022 10:15 PM)ColinApocalypse Wrote:  

(08-23-2022 06:53 PM)TheWoodenNickle Wrote:  It's hard for a WMU fan to put EMU ahead of their team...even tough EMU has won 3 straight in the series, returns 4 OL, all the receivers, all the RBs, has enhanced the defense through the portal, and has a former P5 QB with experience. Add in CMU, TOL, and NIU as home games.

Sheesh, my prediction made you that upset? I don't care about EMU one way or the other. I put CMU above us, so that should tell you something. Did you miss the part where I said 1 through 5 are interchangeable and EMU is a darkhorse for the championship?

Look mate, it's not personal. When's the last time EMU won the MAC? 3 winning seasons in the last 30 years, and those 3 were barely above .500. Forgive me for not seeing EMU as a powerhouse football program.

Go easy on him, we'd probably have inferiority complexes too in their shoes

In all seriousness, it wouldn't be a surprise at all to me to see EMU finish above WMU. I really only picked them lower because of where the head to head is played this year. If it was in Ypsi I'd probably favor them and swap positions in the standings.

The West will be a toss up. CMU has a veteran, the nations leading rusher, an experienced OL, and some good WR's given the two transfers that came in. I am concerned on defense though. -- we lost so much.

I expect the MACW to be tight again. NIU can't possibly pull out all of those close games again, EMU usually plays spoiler and looks to be decent, UT is always good, WMU and BSU will be down, but WMU can cause the upsets. Probably another 6-2/5-3 MACW winner.

NIU
CMU
UT
WMU
EMU
BSU

It’s always NIU. They always win those close games.

MU
KSU
UB
BGSU
OU
UA

(08-24-2022 08:25 AM)george14 Wrote:  The West will be a toss up. CMU has a veteran, the nations leading rusher, an experienced OL, and some good WR's given the two transfers that came in. I am concerned on defense though. -- we lost so much.

I expect the MACW to be tight again. NIU can't possibly pull out all of those close games again, EMU usually plays spoiler and looks to be decent, UT is always good, WMU and BSU will be down, but WMU can cause the upsets. Probably another 6-2/5-3 MACW winner.

CMU fans think their OL and WR group is going to be just as good? You lost two tackles to the draft and couple of very good WRs (Pimpleton and Sullivan). Feel like Pimpleton was at CMU forever.

UT
EMU
NIU
CMU
BSU
WMU

MU
OU
KSU
BGSU
UB
UA

(08-24-2022 11:28 AM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(08-24-2022 08:25 AM)george14 Wrote:  The West will be a toss up. CMU has a veteran, the nations leading rusher, an experienced OL, and some good WR's given the two transfers that came in. I am concerned on defense though. -- we lost so much.

I expect the MACW to be tight again. NIU can't possibly pull out all of those close games again, EMU usually plays spoiler and looks to be decent, UT is always good, WMU and BSU will be down, but WMU can cause the upsets. Probably another 6-2/5-3 MACW winner.

CMU fans think their OL and WR group is going to be just as good? You lost two tackles to the draft and couple of very good WRs (Pimpleton and Sullivan). Feel like Pimpleton was at CMU forever.

We feel good about the OL because both of those tackles that were lost to the NFL draft sat out the Sun Bowl where CMU was able to beat Washington State. So the replacements that played in that game held their own after stepping in.

WRs (after returning Dixon) are a question mark as to who will step up, but we still have our QB and RB back this year so to say we are cautiously optimistic would probably be a better description.

The MAC West schools are getting feisty!.... I like it!

East

Miami
Kent St.
Buffalo
BGSU
Akron
Ohio

West

CMU
NIU
Toledo
EMU
Ball St.
WMU


CMU over Miami for the Championship

(08-24-2022 02:42 PM)Warhawks222 Wrote:  

(08-24-2022 11:28 AM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(08-24-2022 08:25 AM)george14 Wrote:  The West will be a toss up. CMU has a veteran, the nations leading rusher, an experienced OL, and some good WR's given the two transfers that came in. I am concerned on defense though. -- we lost so much.

I expect the MACW to be tight again. NIU can't possibly pull out all of those close games again, EMU usually plays spoiler and looks to be decent, UT is always good, WMU and BSU will be down, but WMU can cause the upsets. Probably another 6-2/5-3 MACW winner.

CMU fans think their OL and WR group is going to be just as good? You lost two tackles to the draft and couple of very good WRs (Pimpleton and Sullivan). Feel like Pimpleton was at CMU forever.

We feel good about the OL because both of those tackles that were lost to the NFL draft sat out the Sun Bowl where CMU was able to beat Washington State. So the replacements that played in that game held their own after stepping in.

WRs (after returning Dixon) are a question mark as to who will step up, but we still have our QB and RB back this year so to say we are cautiously optimistic would probably be a better description.

I really like Nichols. He's a good one. Do you think CMU rides him as hard this season? He had almost 350 carries on the season. That's a lot for any RB, especially one you want to keep healthy.

I feel NIU rode Harrison Waylee too hard and he got injured in the 5th game of our season. Then we went to more of a RB rotation.

I ain't a predictor. I cheer for my school. So my prediction is:

MAC East: Kent State will win it, who comes second through sixth doesn't matter.
MAC West: It will be won by the School that Kent State is going to beat in the CCG in Detroit.

(08-24-2022 03:54 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(08-24-2022 02:42 PM)Warhawks222 Wrote:  

(08-24-2022 11:28 AM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(08-24-2022 08:25 AM)george14 Wrote:  The West will be a toss up. CMU has a veteran, the nations leading rusher, an experienced OL, and some good WR's given the two transfers that came in. I am concerned on defense though. -- we lost so much.

I expect the MACW to be tight again. NIU can't possibly pull out all of those close games again, EMU usually plays spoiler and looks to be decent, UT is always good, WMU and BSU will be down, but WMU can cause the upsets. Probably another 6-2/5-3 MACW winner.

CMU fans think their OL and WR group is going to be just as good? You lost two tackles to the draft and couple of very good WRs (Pimpleton and Sullivan). Feel like Pimpleton was at CMU forever.

We feel good about the OL because both of those tackles that were lost to the NFL draft sat out the Sun Bowl where CMU was able to beat Washington State. So the replacements that played in that game held their own after stepping in.

WRs (after returning Dixon) are a question mark as to who will step up, but we still have our QB and RB back this year so to say we are cautiously optimistic would probably be a better description.

I really like Nichols. He's a good one. Do you think CMU rides him as hard this season? He had almost 350 carries on the season. That's a lot for any RB, especially one you want to keep healthy.

I feel NIU rode Harrison Waylee too hard and he got injured in the 5th game of our season. Then we went to more of a RB rotation.

Coming into last season, Nichols was expected to be part of a 1-2 punch, but the other guy hurt his knee in fall camp, and there was no one proven behind them. This season, we return two other guys (Myles Bailey and Marion Lukes) who saw a respectable amount of game action, so Nichols will hopefully get a bit more rest.