We are now at the effective halfway point; most teams still get some type of respite week, but with six games already on the standings, we've got a pretty good picture of what's going on, specifically:
The conference is wacked out like a Kubrick film.
Two winning records. Two winless teams. And that irritating Miami squad still sitting comfortably at 2-0 in the East. There are still, conceivably, eight teams that could play in the MAC Championship (I'm going to rule out the bottom four, for sanity's sake) and anything that isn't Temple-NIU is going to be a shock to the solar plexus. Maybe Toledo-OHIO would be digestible. But anything else would prove Sagarin's lovable computer ratings correct that two Championship Subdivision conferences are stronger.
There is a banner moment coming up this weekend, however: Notre Dame will play its first MAC opponent in over 90 years when it hosts Western Michigan. More on that game later, but I guess the Irish finally realized that they're going to have to start playing the MAC like everyone else. It's good for the soul. It also helps add to the photo archives.
| Team | Last Rank |
Last Week |
W-L (MAC) |
Riffraff | Next Game |
|
1 |
 |
2 | Temple W 31-17 |
4-2 (2-0) |
Well, Chandler Harnish understandably completed 80 percent of passes against Akron, but he also completed 80 percent against Temple. Consistency! | Buffalo |
2 |
 |
1 | @NIU L 17-31 |
4-2 (1-1) |
Third down conversion rate: 31.4 percent, 12th in the conference behind Ball State. Let's work on that. | Bowling Green |
3 |
 |
5 | BGSU W 49-25 |
3-3 (2-1) |
Last year OHIO had a +13 turnover margin, tops in the conference. Now they're a MAC-worst -5. Good thing they haven't played against a defense this month. | Akron |
4 |
 |
3 | @Boise State L 14-57 |
3-3 (2-0) |
And, lo, the Rockets become the final team to lose a game on the road. They're now 3-1 away from the Glass Bowl, and 0-2 inside it. STAY AWAY FROM HOME! | Kent State |
5 |
 |
4 | @Cincinnati L 3-45 |
3-3 (2-0) |
As awful as they've been pulverized by their nonconference opponents, they're not turning the ball over or making too many mistakes. I'm not saying they can't contend for the MAC East, but ... there's no nice way to finish this thought. | @CMU |
6 |
 |
6 | @Virginia Tech L 21-45 |
2-4 (1-2) |
Okay, so this is still a disappointing start for Mount Pleasanteers. However, they still have the No. 1 passing offense in the MAC. If, y'know, you ignore all the sacks. | Miami |
7 |
 |
8 | @Ball State W 45-16 |
2-3 (1-1) |
Placing this team ahead of one that didn't even get a chance to play last week? You might disagree because their two wins are big routs over Nicholls State and Ball State – two wins over FCS teams. | @Notre Dame |
8 |
 |
7 | BYE | 2-3 (1-0) |
Well, they picked the right week to miss action. That's tremendous foresight. | @NIU |
9 |
 |
8 | Akron W 28-17 |
2-3 (1-1) |
Roosevelt Nix: frontrunner for MAC Freshman of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and most Presidential Name of the Year. | @Toledo |
10 |
 |
10 | @OHIO L 25-49 |
1-5 (0-2) |
[sobs openly] | @Temple |
11 |
 |
11 | WMU L 16-45 |
2-4 (1-1) |
For whatever reason, they have the second most rushing yards in the MAC and the worst decision-making when faced with 4th and 1s. | EMU |
12 |
 |
12 | @Kent State L 17-28 |
0-6 (0-2) |
Just keep on trucking and pray that, somewhere on the schedule, is a game against Ball State. | @OHIO |
13 |
 |
13 | @Vanderbilt L 6-52 |
0-6 (0-3) |
As for our friends in Ypsilanti, they get their best crack at a win this week. Should that opportunity be squandered ... well, nacho lovers are still welcome to Rynearson. | @Ball State |