The additional minutes for Bean and Campbell of late will prove extremely valuable for a 3-games-in-3--days-type run in Cleveland.

Ted, thanks for putting this together and -- while I'm at it -- for all you do for this site.

I just realized I have concert tickets at The Q the night after the MAC championship.

NO PRESSURE TO GET TO THE TITLE GAME, BOBCATS!

I've taken a look at the six legitimate contenders for the the byes and their respective schedules to see who might have the inside track. I also computed the strength of schedule for each team for both games played and games remaining.  In my computations I removed each team's games against that opponent. (example: Miami has an overall record of 5-7 in conference but we beat them head-to-head so their record against other opponents is 5-6)

Toledo (9-3)
Record of Opponents played so far: 67-63
Record vs Big 6: 3-3
Record Remaining: 26-40
Games against Big 6 Remaining: 2 (both at home)

@BG
Ball State
@NIU
 WMU
@CMU
EMU

Western Michigan (9-3)
Record of Opponents played so far: 65-65
Record vs Big 6: 3-2
Record Remaining: 30-36
Games against Big 6 Remaining: 3 (1 at home)

@Ohio
EMU
@Ball State
@Toledo
NIU
@CMU

Akron (9-3)
Record of Opponents played so far: 60-68
Record vs Big 6: 3-2
Record Remaining: 38-30
Games against Big 6 Remaining: 3 (2 at home)

@Buffalo
Ohio
@Miami
BG
Buffalo
Kent

Ohio (8-4)
Record of Opponents played so far: 68-62
Record vs Big 6: 3-3
Record Remaining: 38-30
Games against Big 6 Remaining: 3 (2 at home)

WMU
@Akron
Buffalo
Kent
@BG
@Miami

Buffalo (8-4)
Record of Opponents played so far: 56-72
Record vs Big 6: 2-2
Record Remaining: 39-29
Games against Big 6 Remaining: 3 (1 at home)

Akron
@Kent
@Ohio
Miami
@Akron
BG

Eastern Michigan (7-5)
Record of Opponents played so far: 67-61
Record vs Big 6: 2-4
Record Remaining: 30-38
Games against Big 6 Remaining: 2 (0 at home)

@NIU
@WMU
CMU
NIU
Ball State
@Toledo

What this tells me is that Toledo has the best road to the #1 seed. 

Wednesday night struggles continue, now 4 and 7.  67% of our losses have come on Wednesday night.  The good news...no more Wednesday games this regular season (and hopefully in the Tournament as well!)

If the MAC Tourney started today - we will be watching other teams playing Friday - PERIOD.

As much as I think TJ still looks hurt, he's in a real slump right now and I think the appropriate cure is some good minutes along with confidence. Ideally, give him 10 mins, let Trav/Setty play a bunch and hopefully the playing time TJ gets is effective (offensively, mainly).

You never say never, but the #5 seed or lower is for all intents, the basketball seasons death sentence.  The only scenario I see where we "rest up" for the MAC Tournament is Saturday's game vs. Miami.   If there was any doubt (which I don't think there is), we're going to play all out Tuesday night vs. BG.  If we lose Tuesday night and Akron wins, then the #5 seed is gone and you "could" rest your injured guys Saturday.  The other scenario is if we both win Tuesday, then we wait on Akron's game Friday night.  If Akron wins Friday night vs. Kent (after having won on Tuesday night as well), then the #5 seed is gone again, hence making Saturday potentially a rest game. 

The only other consideration is what EMU, etc.. do and if we could potentially fall below the #5, which would also warrant playing to win both games.  I'm still looking ahead and not looking at whose behind us, so I'm not sure how "not being caugh"t plays out.  Bottom line, if we enter Saturday's game with no chance of getting the #4 and no chance of falling below the #5, I could see us bagging that game.  I think there's a 99% chance we play both games with our very best lineups, but there is a scenario where Saturday at Miami is deemed meaningless.

For now let's win Tuesday night vs. BG and hope Buffalo (very possible) beats Akron.  Then suddenly we're back in business.

Let us hope, right?  I feel like OUr team as a whole desperately needs that bye.

for those saying a 5 seed or below is a death sentence you realize we were like the 8 or 9 seed when we won the MAC tourney and went on to beat Georgetown?  not saying this team has the same run in them, just saying never say never.

Has anyone recently went back and looked at the 2005 MAC Tournament seeding? We got lucky getting the #4 seed, but man that tournament was insane. The top nine seeds were 10-8 or better in the conference. Miami, the #1 seed, was 12-6. So there was a full two-game difference between #1 and #9. Buffalo was a #7 seed. How in the hell did Ohio make it out of THAT alive? Especially having to go through Miami and Kent? This was before the top four seeds had byes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_MAC_Men's_Basketball_Tournament