FalconBlog--Triumphs and Trials in the BGSU Falcon Nation

The MAC...so now we know


OU wins the East, CMU wins the West. And congratulations to all. Both are programs on the rebound, under the power of what I consider to be the single most important element in building a winning college football program--the Head Coach.

I have liked Brian Kelly. Even liked him for the job when UM left. He is a proven winner with great ties in this area. I am not entirely surprised to see him win, though I am little surprised it happened this soon.

Frank Solich wins at OU. Again, not a surprise. He didn't get to the head job at Nebraska because he didn't know what he was doing. And, he took his team to a 1-loss MAC season (to date), and an 8-3 record to date. That is not to discount, of course, that I didn't actually FORSEE Frank doing it this year. It still isn't a surprise.

Of course, in the MAC your challenge is what comes next? Any winning coach is a target for larger programs, except Amstutz. Kelly has been rumored to be leaving CMU, though nothing has happened yet. Solich rumored nowhere, but I don't believe he is long for OU. I think eventually some outlaw school like South Florida (or, Florida INTL, where Don Strock is leaving) snap him up for more $$ than he is getting in Athens.

Now for the painful part. At the start of the season, I posted a complete review of where I thought the MAC would end up this year. With great humility, let us review my basic conclusions...:

• UT and NIU would be the class of the MAC. WRONG!
• Akron had only one tough road game and would win the East...WRONG!
• Miami would be 5-3 in the MAC. WRONG!! WRONG!! WRONG!!
• BG would be 4-4 in the MAC...WRONG!! (Note that I expected many Falcon fans to think I was being negative. Yet, there you go).
• Didn't see Kent coming. NO, I did not.
• Nailed Buffalo right on. True dat.
• I did, in fairness, concede that there was a chance that OU might be good, though I didn't think it would happen.
• Same for CMU--I felt it they were good, it could really impact the race. I saw them going 6-2.
• I had WMU going 1-7 in the MAC (with a possible 4-4 season). Nice job, genius.

Here was how I finished that post....

This will be a total laugh to read around Christmas time.

OK Laughing Boy. Laugh On.