MAC Blogger Roundtable, My Responses....

Our questions this week come from Hustle Belt...

1. It's rivalry week with Bowling Green taking on Toledo and Miami taking on Ohio. What is the best rivalry in your opinion in the MAC and why?

Well, I'm a little biased, but I think the BG-UT rivalry is a great one...lots of history, a heated rivalry, passion on both sides, long-standing competition.  BG and UT are not OSU-UM in terms of history, but the rivalry is every bit as intense.  Having said that, I suspect everyone else has their favorite, and Miami-OU and Kent-Akron certainly are also big rivalry games.  The underrated one might be CMU-WMU.  From what I see, those guys really don't like each other.

2. NIU has opened up in the 18 spot in the last-first BCS standings, albeit behind Fresno State. If both teams manage to win out, should both teams bust the BCS or just one of them and which one? (put aside the MAC bias for a moment)

Well, I don't think both teams end up busting in, but I didn't think one would last year and I was wrong about that.  The biggest thing for Fresno is that they have the win over Boise for the conference games are pretty soft.  NIU won at two Big 10 teams--albeit bottom tier teams.  If I had to guess, though, I think the formula would put Fresno in.

3. What has been your biggest surprise/storyline thus far this season and why?

For the MAC, or for BG?

For BG, it has been the emergence of Matt Johnson and Travis Greene to perform as well as they have while replacing long-time starters.

For the MAC, I'd say it is the absolute suckitude of WMU.  Thought it might be a tough year, but this is beyond what I would have expected.