Did you know: Western Michigan is the first team in MAC history to win all its league games by 14+ points? #dominance #gROWh16her

— WMU Football (@WMU_Football) November 28, 2016

Nationally, the story-lines would be 1. Navy now has a clear path to Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day and 2. The MAC is overrated and weak.

Navy playing in the Cotton Bowl is not guaranteed if they can't beat both Temple and Army. Neither of those are foregone conclusions.

Unfortunately, Ohio is down to their 4th string kitchen sink thrower and WMU will be unfazed by Albin's insistence to run kitchen sink up the middle repeatedly.

 

I'm sure everyone has seen this but along those same lines we can beat The team up 33.

Ohio beat Toldeo, Toledo Beat Central, Central beat Oklahoma State,OK State beat Pitt, Pitt beat Penn State, PSU beat OSU.

Just basic math and fax.

Seriously? Have you seen their passing game...well, at least last week vs. WMU...their qb and receiver are good.

Well if you watch the Frank Solich press conference, their running game is the point of emphasis. And ultimately that allows them to choose when to throw (which they've done well).

Also, statistically their passing offense is #44, behind CMU, #28, and behind their rushing offense (#13).

I was wrong to say "weapon" in the post above. I should've said strength.

The four teams in the MAC that have given up the least yards/carry rushing this year are:

Ohio 3.0
Miami 3.9
Kent St 4.2
EMU 4.3

WMU hasn't yet played Ohio and didn't play Miami this year. They beat Kent State by 16, and beat EMU by 14. The only other MAC team to lose to WMU by less than 20 was NIU, who lost by 15.

My opinion is that WMU is the best MAC team since the Miami team of 2003, I think it was. There is no chance of beating them unless you have a great run defense, but if you do, you can stay in the game. Ohio has a great run defense, and that means that of all the MAC teams, they probably have the best chance of making it a game.

Another stat, though, is that WMU has scored at least 37 against all MAC competition. Meanwhile Ohio has scored over 37 only once, that being against Texas State.

Phil Steele's evaluation from ESPN:http://www.espn.com/chalk/insider/story/_/id/18168530/col...

Frank Solich is 7-1 ATS as an underdog and has one of the Mid-American Conference's best defenses, led by a super defensive front seven. Surprisingly, the defensive numbers are close, with Western Michigan holding foes to 39 yards per game below their season average and Ohio holding opponents to 33 below. Offensively, this isn't close, as Western Michigan averages 105 yards per game more than their conference opponents allow and Ohio's offense averages 57 yards per game fewer than their opponents normally allow. The special teams are even. The Bobcats have lost four games, and four of their eight wins have been by six points or fewer. The Broncos have won all but one game by at least 14 points, and their average win in Mid-American Conference play is by a score of 45-18. Style points are still needed for Western Michigan, as they're trying to land a Cotton Bowl berth.

ATS pick: Western Michigan
Score: Western Michigan 38, Ohio 13



Mark Schlabach's evaluation from ESPN: http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/18164983/...

What's at stake for Western Michigan: With a victory over the Bobcats, the Broncos can finish 13-0 and probably punch their ticket to the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. By finishing undefeated, the Broncos would likely be the highest-ranked champions from a Group of 5 conference, ensuring them a trip to a New Year's Six bowl game. Western Michigan is seeking its first MAC title since 1988.

What's at stake for Ohio: The Bobcats would love to spoil Western Michigan's undefeated season. Ohio, which has won four its past five games, is seeking its first MAC title since 1968. The Bobcats would also greatly enhance their chances of playing in the Dollar General Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, with an upset win.

Who to watch for Western Michigan: Zach Terrell ranks seventh among FBS quarterbacks with an 84.5 Total QBR, completing 228 of 318 passes for 3,086 yards with 30 touchdowns and only one interception. He's on pace to break the FBS single-season record for lowest interception rate among quarterbacks with at least 350 pass attempts, set by Boise State's Kellen Moore (three interceptions in 431 attempts) in 2009.

Who to watch for Ohio: Kicker Louie Zervos has kicked 25 field goals this season, which tied the NCAA record for most in a season by a freshman. He ranks third among FBS kickers with 2.08 field goals per game and 31st in scoring with 106 points.

Matchup to watch: Western Michigan OT Chukwuma Okorafor vs. Ohio DE Tarell Basham

Okorafor, a 6-foot-6, 333-pound junior, didn't start playing football until after his family moved to the U.S. from the Republic of Botswana in 2010. He'll have his hands full blocking Basham, who set an Ohio record with 29 career sacks and tied a school record with 11 sacks this season.

Prediction: Western Michigan 34, Ohio 21

...and Ohio would want to enhance their chances of playing in the Dollar General Bowl because???