MAC Blogger Roundtable

1.) This far into the season, what has been the single biggest disappointment from your respective team? 

That's a good question.  Given what was expected, I guess I can't be too disappointed with being 3-3 at this point.  I guess if I had to pick one thing, it would be the loss to Wyoming, which didn't have to happen, followed closely by a non-competitive loss to WMU.  I'm disappointed that we are continuing to get blown out by teams in our own conference.

 2.) If the first season to this point was replayed without any injuries or personnel loses to your squad, how different would your team’s position be at this point in the season? Would having everyone healthy and available drastically change where you sit now and the potential for the rest of the season? 

Honestly, I don't think injuries have impacted the Falcons too much this year.  There have been guys here and there, but that's to be expected.  The Falcons are increasingly their depth and this helps when people are injured.  Certainly compared to last year's injuries on the line and at QB, this year's team is pretty healthy.

 3.) We predicted winners in each division and a MAC champion at the start of the season - based on what we’ve seen of the teams now, revise your picks for MAC East, MAC West, and MACC winners. 

This is a LOT easier, we should do this every year.

West
1)  UT
2)  WMU
3)  NIU
4)  BSU
5)  CMU
6)  EMU

East

1)  OU
2)  Temple
3) BG
4) Buffalo
5) Miami
6)  Kent
7)  Akron

MAC Champion--whoever wins the UT-WMU game, which I see as UT at this point.

 4.) Announcements are surfacing this week that the Peace Pipe will be discontinued as the trophy for the victor of the Toledo / BGSU rivalry, but the rivalry will be rebranded the “Battle for I-75” and include a new trophy. Speak about what the loss of tradition and traditional rivalries would mean to your team and whether a trophy/name change, for example, would diminish from the rivalry. 

Traditional rivalries are vital to the college game.  The BG-UT rivalry adds a great deal to every season, gives teams something to play for even in a down year, and creates tremendous fan interest.  One of the worst parts about the conference alignment is that often times traditional games like OU-Nebraska, Penn State-Pitt, etc.

As for the trophies, I think that the news ones are dumb.  I thought the Peace Pipe was dumb.  They add nothing by the presence nor detract with their absence.

 5.) Rank ‘em.

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