MAC Non-Conference Scorecard

Each year, we take a few minutes before (or, this year, just after) conference play starts to review and see how the MAC performed in non-conference play.  The answer is that it is good, if not great for the conference so far this year.

The good news is that the MAC is the 13th ranked conference using RPI...within a couple of years ago the MAC was 19th, but they have been slowly working that down until they are where they are, which is somewhere near the high point of the conference's rankings.

The MAC won 44% of its non-conference games, which neither the best nor the worst.  A couple of years ago, BG was at 37% and has been as high as 47%, so 44% is right in the normal amount.  The RPI would tell you that this year's 44% came against a stronger schedule.

A few notes.  First, the remainder of this post uses the rankings on kenpom.com, which I believe are better and less of a drain on the moral fiber in this dark corner of the American Experiment.  Anyway, first, let's look at where the MAC stands.  There are two elite teams in the MAC--Akron and OU--and one good team, Kent.  The remainder of the teams are average or below, more or less.

1. Akron 43
2. Ohio 62
3. Kent 110
4. Buffalo 169
5. WMU 175
6. Toledo 183
7. BG 197
8. CMU 214
9. Miami 229
10. Ball 271
11. EMU 296
12. NIU 311

Top 5 MAC Non-Conference Wins to Date
(All 5 represent home games for the MAC Team)

1. Akron beating Middle Tennessee State (42)
2. Akron beating Princeton (81)
3. OU beating Richmond (82)
4. EMU beating Purdue (85)
5. BG beating Detroit (100)

(Detroit has beaten UT and Akron at Calihan Hall)

Top MAC Non-Conference Road Win

Kent winning @Younstown State (120)

Five Worst MAC Non-Conference losses

1. Nebraska-Omaha beating NIU (334)
2. Chicago State beating UT (316)
3. UWM beating NIU (302)
4. North Dakota beating BG (291)
5. IUPUI beating BG and Ball State (282)

Finally, a look at how the MAC did against the conferences, which you can see below ranked by RPI.

First, the MAC has 4 BCS wins and 3 against the Big Ten, which does not normally happen.

As always, the MAC has played the most games against the Horizon conference, and the Horizon has won the series 14-10.  The best conference the MAC has a winning record against is the West Coast, followed by the CAA.  As always, things get better as you work your way down the list, but the two losses to the Big South and the NEC can't be viewed positively.

MAC vs. Conferences, ranked by RPI

1. Big Ten 3-9
2. Big East 1-4
3. Big 12 0-2
4. SEC 0-1
5. Mountain West
6. ACC 0-3
7. A-10 2-14
8. Missouri Valley 1-6
9. C-USA 1-2
10. Pac 12 0-3
11. West Coast 2-0
12. WAC 1-1
13. MAC
14. Ivy League 1-4
15. Horizon 10-14
16. CAA 4-0
17. Summit League 5-6
18. MAAC 2-1
19. Sun Belt 2-0
20. Atlantic Sun 0-1
21. Ohio Valley 3-1
22. Patriot 0-1
23. SoCon 4-0
24. NEC 2-2
25. Big Sky 1-1
26. Big South 3-2
27. Southland 1-0
28. MEAC 6-0
29. Great West 2-1
30. SWAC 5-0