What I did this week, based mainly on peer pressure from the rest of my college blogging brethren, is to scan the NCAA Football 12 ratings as posted by EA Sports on their TeamBuilder tool. We're using overall ratings only. Maybe later we can dig down deep and spy who has the best specific abilities. You may be surprised at some of the highest rated players.
I'm not what you call an "owner" of an Xbox 360 or a PlayStation 3, so I won't be able to tell you how these CGI-based proxies of MAC football players will actually stack up, nor am I an expert at what the ratings "mean" (other than 99 is the best, 40 is lucky to have a scholarship), but just in case you were building that super-MAC team to see how they'd do in the Big Ten, be my guest.
QUARTERBACK
86: Alex Carder, WMU
85: Chandler Harnish, NIU
85: Zac Dysert, Miami
RUNNING BACK
89: Adonis Thomas, Toledo
88: Bernard Pierce, Temple
87: Matt Brown, Temple
WIDE RECEIVER
88: Eric Page, Toledo
84: Nick Harwell, Miami
84: Kamar Jorden, BGSU
84: Cody Wilson, CMU
TIGHT END
74: Kendrick Bruton, Miami
74: Jordan Thompson, OHIO
74: Danny Noble, Toledo
LEFT TACKLE
85: Anthony Parker, WMU
81: Trevor Olson, NIU
LEFT GUARD
83: Pat Boyle, Temple
74: Jonathan Lechner, OHIO
CENTER
77: John Palumbo, Temple
75: Chris Anzevino, Kent State
RIGHT GUARD
80: Joe Pawlak, NIU
76: Chip Robinson, BGSU
RIGHT TACKLE
79: Joe Flading, OHIO
75: Jordon Roussos, BGSU
75: Keith Otis, NIU
75: John Morookian, Toledo
75: Dann O'Neill, WMU
LEFT END
74: Max Plunkett, Kent State
74: Steven Means, Buffalo
74: Curtis Meyers, OHIO
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
78: Drew Nowak, WMU
77: Carl Jones, OHIO
77: Travonte Boles, WMU
RIGHT END
82: Roosevelt Nix, Kent State
78: Paul Hazel, WMU
LEFT OUTSIDE LINEBACKER
83: Isaiah Ballard, Toledo*
80: Tahir Whitehead, Temple
MIDDLE LINEBACKER
89: Dan Molls, Toledo
85: Jerrell Wedge, Miami
RIGHT OUTSIDE LINEBACKER
84: Eric Benjamin, OHIO
82: Evan Harris, Miami
CORNERBACK
83: Lewis Toler, WMU
80: Travis Carrie, OHIO
79: Dayonne Nunley, Miami
79: D.J. Brown, Miami
FREE SAFETY
80: Pat Hinkel, Miami
80: Tommy Davis, NIU
STRONG SAFETY
83: Justin Gildea, Temple
79: Jahleel Addae, CMU
KICKER
85: Brandon McManus, Temple
82: Matt Weller, OHIO
PUNTER
78: Peter Fardon, Buffalo
78: Ryan Neir, NIU
78: Paul Hershey, OHIO
78: Vince Penza, Toledo
* - Dismissed from the team, but his video game avatar lives on.
Highest-rated offensive player: RB Adonis Thomas, Toledo (89)
Highest-rated defensive player: LB Dan Molls, Toledo (89)
Highest-rated special teams player: K Brandon McManus, Temple (85)
So not a 90 rating in the flock. (By comparison, Alabama has 11 90-plus players on their roster, and most of 'em are on defense. As a team, the linebackers and skill positions could hold their own, but the defensive line is thin.
Of course, video game ratings are only useful when playing football in a video game setting. Having Carder one point better than Harnish doesn't make him one point better than Harnish in real life, and I'd definitely disagree that Carder's the best quarterback in the conference. But video games are fun! Just like sports.