MAC Blogger Roundtable, Week 3

1) This week featured some out of conference games in which MAC schools had some strong showings but were unable to finish. Do these close calls do it for you or do these teams need to complete the upset to earn conference respect?

I don't believe even winning the games gets the conference any respect.  In fact, I don't think it matters how many games a MAC team wins, we will always be sitting at the little kids table.  It would take a sustained, Boise-like string of seasons before the MAC is respected, and, candidly, I'm not sure Boise is really respected by major college football fans.  (The Boise-Oklahoma game was in 2007!).

For example, if UT beats OSU Saturday, the major college world just says that OSU was weak due to suspensions and UT could never beat Big 10 teams if they had to play them every week.  I'm not advancing that argument, I'm just saying that is what people think.

By extension, a close call is sure to earn no respect.

2) What Senior is really standing out as a pro prospect? 


I'm going to say Jordan White, with Adonis Thomas as a close second.


3) With CMU traveling to Kalamazoo to take on the Broncos this weekend I thought it fitting to ask, which MAC rivalry is most heated and why?


I have to pick our own rivalry.  The BG-UT rivalry is just a great rivalry.  The schools are practically on top of each other, and there is a lot of dislike between them.  There is also lots of history of great games between the two teams.  There is nothing more enjoyable about being a Falcon fan than beating the Rockets, and nothing worse than losing.

 4) Which bottom feeder from last season has looked most improved? 


Define bottom feeder...OK, there were five teams with 1 or 2 MAC wins last season:  BG, Buffalo, Akron, CMU and EMU.  It is very hard to tell at this point of the season....most games to date have been to teams the MAC can't beat or shouldn't lose to.  To use the process of elimination, Akron has been pretty bad and EMU has only played FCS teams.  Of the remaining 3 teams, only BG has a FBS win, so I pick them.

 5) List your MAC power rankings

1. NIU 
2. UT 
3. Temple
4. Miami
5. WMU
6. Ball State 
7. OU
8. BG
9. CMU
10. Kent 
11. Buffalo
12. EMU 
13. Akron