Ball State 31, Central Michigan 17: I'm So, So Sorry

Without a hint of animosity, I really thought that the Ball St. Cardinals was a team with no fight, no talent, and no hope.

Maybe they are; this win could've been an aberration. But to do it against the Central Michigan Chippewas in Mount Pleasant not easy, even if CMU is not the CMU of the last four years. In fact, it's their first loss at Kelly/Shorts since 2008 when Ball State — then ranked No. 17 in the country — took 'em down 31-24.

But nevertheless, I'm very sorry. It looks like Ball State won't be inept this year. Just pretty bad.

A two-score victory over the Chips is a far reach from a home loss against Liberty, or a curious lack of scoring chances against Iowa. (Zero. Zero chances.) But look at what they did to Central Michigan, who did unspeakable things to EMU and practically an unmentionable feat against Northwestern: The final score was not indicative of how much a beatin' the Cardinals put on CMU. The score through three? 28-3.

Let's start with Robert Eddins, who had 4½ sacks. Oh my goodness. They had only three through the first four games. We can then mention David Brown's 80-yard touchdown, Jason Pinkston's two interceptions, and Keith Wenning's remarkable facsimile of a college quarterback. Makes you wonder how CMUChippewas.com was able to put together a highlight reel of only positive CMU plays with a straight face.

So now BSU is 2-3, just like CMU. The difference, however, is that Ball State is 1-0 in MAC play, with their victims falling to an alarming 1-2. Doesn't look like the division will be their anytime soon.