Last season, the MAC lost (probably a record) four games to 1AA teams: Fiama to Eastern Illinois; Buffalo to Albany; Kent to NCA&T; and NIU to Western Illinois. BG came close, beating North Dakota by only 27-26. Which MAC team(s) will likely lose to a 1AA opponent this season? Here's the schedule, chronologically, with the 1AA team's record from last season (EMU does not play a 1AA team this year):

Toledo: Elon (2-9)
Ohio: Hampton (5-6)
CMU: Rhode Island (2-9)
NIU: Eastern Illinois (6-5)
Fiama: Austin Peay (0-11)
Kent: Howard (2-9)
BG: South Dakota (4-7)
Akron: Ark Pine Bluff (1-10)
BSU: Tennessee Tech (5-6)
Buffalo: Colgate (5-5)
WMU: Wagner (6-5)


My most likely is BSU, followed by Buffalo and BG. Even though EIU is maybe the best 1AA team on the schedule, I can't see NIU losing two in a row. And Hampton appears to be good, but Solich always gets his teams prepped for 1AAs.

The MAC did a "good" job of scheduling bad FCS opponents. None are ranked in the preseason top 25 coaches poll. A few did receive votes, led by South Dakota, which comes in 37th with 14 points. Colgate had five points and Eastern Illinois two, which puts them in the top 50 of FCS preseason voting. Based on that info, I'd have to say BG since the Falcons' opponent seems to be the best, and BG probably won't be very good. Buffalo would be a reasonable pick as well.

Using last year's Sagarin ratings to predict the point spread, it looks like this

Akron -59 (Ark Pine Bluff had a rating of -.56)
Toledo -51
WMU -44
Kent -40
Ohio -40
Miami -35
CMU -33
NIU -22
Ball St -13
BG -1
Buffalo +1

Based on that, I'd expect either Buffalo or BG to lose, with Ball State also possible, but everyone else should be pretty safe.

And Bowling Green did lose to South Dakota 35-27. South Dakota built a 21-3 lead in the first quarter.

Yet this poster from anther thread is crowing about going back to Detroit. Sure do miss Monroe's balancing act. :)

OhioBobcat
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Member Since: 1/20/2006
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Message Not Read Trip back to Detroit looks like a lock
Posted: 9/10/2017 12:11:44 AM

Two weeks in and the rest of the MAC East looks pretty pathetic. I called for Ohio to make a return to the MACC last December, and two weeks into September, I feel even better about that prediction. No way Ohio doesn't get back to Detroit.

Can we just get on point here. The MAC is officially on the board here people.

That said, congrats to Eastern Michigan for knocking off Rutgers. Makes up for that lost

Any man with two hands has a fighting chance. - James Ellsworth