MACtion Arrives: MAC Contenders

There are only two MAC games this Saturday in the first weekend of November because a great college football tradition will resume next week with weeknight MAC football, affectionately known as MACtion. The next four weeks through November will be filled with Tuesday and Wednesday games in the MAC ahead of the MAC Championship December 7 in Detroit. Here is a breakdown of the current MAC contenders.

Western Michigan Broncos 5-3 overall 4-0 MAC

Western Michigan has allowed 32 points per game in MAC play, but the Broncos are the only 4-0 team in the conference. Western Michigan was a popular play-on team in MAC futures over the summer and veteran quarterback Hayden Wolff has done his part completing nearly 69 percent of his passes with 15 touchdown throws. Western Michigan has also posted 5.0 yards per rush this season, including 6.6 yards per rush over the past three games. This is not a trustworthy defense however and the 4-0 start has come while facing some of the expected worst teams in the conference. Western Michigan will be in MACtion in the next three weeks before a Saturday finale with rival Eastern Michigan to close the regular season. The upcoming home game with Northern Illinois and the November 12 game at Bowling Green will have a significant impact in the race.

Miami OH Redhawks 4-4 overall 3-1 MAC

Miami won the MAC title last season and has recovered from a 1-4 start this season to reach 4-4 with three straight MAC wins since losing the opener at Toledo. The non-conference schedule was difficult, losing reasonably competitive games with Northwestern, Cincinnati, and Notre Dame. The current run features a 30-20 head-to-head win over Ohio which could prove to be an important tiebreaker. Last week Miami won 46-7 over Central Michigan and the next two games are against Ball State and Kent State, two of the lesser teams in the conference. Miami is led by veteran quarterback Brett Gabbert in his sixth season with the team, though his numbers have not been quite as strong as last season. Miami is currently the #2 scoring defense in the conference allowing just under 18 points per game and the Redhawks have the edge in most power ratings as the top team in the conference. 

Ohio Bobcats 5-3 overall 3-1 MAC

Ohio picked up a 47-16 win over Buffalo last week to stay in the MAC race, bouncing back from a head-to-head loss at Miami. The remaining schedule for Ohio is favorable with Kent State, Eastern Michigan, Toledo, and Ball State remaining, but the Toledo game will be on the road where Ohio is 1-3 overall this season with the only win by two points at Central Michigan. Quarterback Parker Navarro doesn’t have great numbers but is the #4 MAC quarterback in QB Rating, ahead of Brett Gabbert and Ethan Hampton. Anthony Tyus is the second leading rusher in the MAC as Ohio is a top 15 team nationally in yards per carry, averaging 5.5 yards per rush, while only allowing 3.9 yards per rush for appealing numbers in the ground game. The Bobcats have a balanced team that could find their way to the title game.

Bowling Green Falcons 4-4 overall 3-1 MAC

The Falcons took on a tough non-conference schedule starting 1-3 but the losses were all one-score games including at Penn State and at Texas A&M. Bowling Green won at Toledo with 41 points in its last MAC game but did lose to Northern Illinois in October at home. The Falcons offense that has been productive managed just seven points and 205 yards in that game, though they still led at the start of the 4th quarter. The win over Toledo featured the Falcons being outgained while adding late scoring for a more convincing final than the game deserved. Connor Bazelak has been one of the better quarterbacks in the conference, but Bowling Green has featured an inconsistent defense. In the past three games the Falcons have allowed just 4.4 yards per play for excellent recent results. The remaining schedule is likely the toughest among the contenders however as the Falcons have games with both Western Michigan and Miami OH remaining. Both games are at home however and the Falcons will be in the MACtion spotlight the next two Tuesdays. 

Toledo Rockets 5-3 overall 2-2 MAC

The typical favorite in the MAC Toledo must still be included on this list at 2-2 as they do have a win over Miami. The remaining schedule is favorable for the Rockets and the toughest game left will be at home hosting Ohio November 20. Tucker Gleason has good numbers at quarterback even with some interceptions while backup John Alan Richter led the team to the win at Northern Illinois. A big difference this season for Toledo has been the decline of the rushing attack, down from 5.3 yards per carry and 199 yards per game last season to just 3.1 yards per carry and just 105 yards per game rushing this season. Toledo still has a capable defense allowing only 4.9 yards per play overall, third best in the MAC. This hasn’t looked like one of Jason Candle’s better teams, but the Rockets are still likely to be favored in every remaining game as reaching 6-2 with a title path is possible.