MAC Blogger Roundtable....My answers

So, our MAC Blogger roundtable is back at work again.  This week, the questions come from our friends at Bull Run, who are sharpening their horns for the Ralph in one week.  Tim's a totally loyal Bull supporter and an early blogger...here are his questions this week and my answers.

1 - In my view has NIU finally smashed the myth that service provided recruiting rankings matter? Jordan Lynch was a two star recruit who landed during a time when the Huskie's recruiting classes were hardly eye popping.

In Buffalo we have Khalil Mack who had only one FCS offer. James Starks was in the same place and he is now playing for the Packers.

Where do you fall on the recruiting services rankings and who on your team proves that they are useless?

I agree 100%.  You can only really evaluate a recruiting class looking back.  The recruiting services don't do much actual video observation of MAC players and who says they know what they are looking at.  Even if they did, you are dealing with 17-18 year old men, and projecting what someone is going to be when they are 22 based on what they are when they are 17 is dicey person.  If you doubt it, consider yourself.  See?  So given limited attention and a practically impossible task, they get it wrong a lot.

On the Falcons, I would point you to Travis Greene.  Greene currently has the 4th best rushing season in school history--which includes former pros PJ Pope, Paul Miles and Dave Preston--and was unranked by ESPN (with his name spelled wrong) and a 2-star by Rivals.

2 - NIU is killing Fresno in the computer polls but human eyes are putting the Bull dogs and their "impressive win over Rutgers" well ahead of NIU. Is the mountain west a more powerful football conference this season and if so why?

That is pretty much bull.  Is the MWC better than the MAC...probably.  But not by a lot.  The MAC is hurt this year by the bottom third of the conference being absolutely awful, but its a matter of 4 awful MAC teams and 3 slightly less awful MWC teams.  As for the Rutgers win?  Are you serious?  Iowa is a much better win that that.  There is no doubt in my mind that NIU is being hurt because the voters chose them last year and now they want to give somebody a chance. Fresno is a good team and it is not a blow out, but NIU is better.

3 - With this season winding down What MAC team has surprised you the most. Conversely what did you see coming but it seemed to surprise everyone else?

The biggest surprise to me has been the collapse of the OU Bobcats.  I felt like OU had a very solid team that was well constructed and would improve based on the odds of staying healthy, compared to last season.  They did not...and the team seems to have some internal issues.  This has surprised me...I honestly thought that they were the MAC East's model program.

I would like to say I saw Kent coming.  They had a huge amount of breaks last year, generous turnover margin, etc and I thought they'd take a step back.  Which they did.