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This game right here. This is why anybody who writes about college football in August should probably close their laptops and get some fresh air before being holed up for three months in front of televisions, screaming and clamoring and not making sense of what is being shown in front of them. The Ohio Bobcats were the undisputed top team in the MAC, with a complete offense and defense and one of the craftiest coaches in perhaps the country. Mostly injuries happened, but also a handful of plays tore down their 7-0 record and they finished on a 1-4 skid.
They may get a bowl, but for the edification of their health, perhaps it'd be best to just fall on their swords and prepare for 2013. The offensive line gave up eight sacks and could only execute on two field goals.
Meanwhile, Kent State is concerned over a Dri Archer leg injury which took him out of the game, but other than that the defense got the job done and will keep them ranked rolling into Ford Field.
A good game could've had a more dramatic finish as Ball State punted back to Miami, but Andy Cruse fumbled the catch and ... yeah, that was about it. We're still waiting a good season out of Don Treadwell in Oxford, win over Ohio be damned, but maybe they won't beat themselves up in their non-conference schedule anymore.
As for Ball State — and we knew this about a month ago — this is their best season since the 2008 MAC East championship and 12-0 regular season finish. No, they won't be playing for a title, because two other teams are having tremendous ones, but they're the de facto third best team in the MAC and will no doubt get themselves to a bowl, perhaps in Boise.
SNOOOOOOOOOOOW. Other than that, it's a better score than that 71-3 laugher two years ago. But perhaps for the charisma of everybody involved, EMU should stop playing a ranked Huskies team to the end of the season.
Akeem Daniels ran for four touchdowns and Jordan Lynch got another 100-100 game, and that's 10 in a row. What a ridiculous streak of games.
As for Ron English? Some say that a disappointing season like this could mean the end of his tenure in Ypsilanti, however:
Ron English: "I expect to be back next year; that's what I've been told." #EMUFB
— Eagle Totem (@eagletotemblog) November 23, 2012
I don't have any qualms with that. Not many people have ever won at EMU and English is one of the rare few. Letting him go would actually be beneficial to him, since another team would give him a better chance to win.
Once again it was the BGSU defense with a big day. They sacked the QB seven times and kept the Bulls under 200 yards on the day, including 48 yards in the first half and 64 through three quarters. Shaun Joplin had a tremendous tough catch as well — not anything like this, but still an incredible grab that didn't seem to be possible.
This almost looked like a UMass win. I know! They were tied at halftime, took a 21-14 lead in the third quarter and then a combination of Minutemen self-immolation and a man named Zurlon made the difference down the stretch. A.J. Doyle looked good in his first start under center for UMass, so let the quarterback debate rage on all offseason until their first official year in which they are eligible to win the MAC. Hey, they won a game.
But more to the point, CMU is bowl eligible! I'm sure the bowl committees will see this, and notice that it took a win over EMU, Miami and UMass to get to that mark. I am almost certain they will not get an invitation, but 6-6 is certainly better than I had this Chips team pegged.