Looking at this week's slate of games from the "let's crack the Top 25" perspective, there are a few intriguing match ups. Penn State over Northwestern would kill 2 birds with one stone, in knocking off an unbeaten Wildcats club AND bolstering our Strength of Schedule. But another game I noticed was Cincinnati and...that team in Oxford we don't care much for. With UC sitting just outside the AP Top 25 and at #23 in the USA poll, is it time we did the unthinkable?

Should we *shudder* root for Miami this weekend?

It's gonna be hard for UC, Rutgers and Louisville to go undefeated. That league is more erratic than the MAC most years. Which is why what Brian Kelly did at UC was such an anamoly and proved how good of a coach he was. Best case scenario, they all beat each other and finish with at least one loss. Syracuse, for as bad as their record shows, has been competitive in every game. I wouldn't sleep on that team at all this year and someone in the Big East will. South Florida is also one of those erratic teams, you never know what you'll get.

So I'm not rooting for them this weekend. Maybe later, but not yet.

+1

I always root for Oxford Tech to win every non-conference game but lose in the conference.  I hate to admit it but some of my best memories of big MAC victories have come at the hands of the Redchickens, particularly their three Tangerine Bowls in a row -- wins over Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.  Remember watching those games on black and white TV.  The win over Florida was particularly noteworthy as Gators top running back was consistently tackled in his own backfield.  UF negative or very close to negative rushing yards for the whole game, and their big RB (who also had a big mouth pre-game), had negative yardage going into the 4th quarter.  I can't remember if he eventually finished with a small positive yardage total or not.  It was complete domination by the Miami defense.  Let's hope we see that on Saturday against UC.  More likely, though, we'll see another shootout, with a final score of 45-40.  Just hope Preppy Techies can be on the winning side.  That's not likely, but hopes always springs eternal.   

I always root for the MAC team because a win elevates the conference.  So far this year non-AQs have beaten AQs 17 times and the MAC has six of them.  We're not being discussed as the dregs of 1A anymore; they're now saying the MAC is a conference to at least respect when you play them.