IMO:  Bad weekend for the MAC

Disaster weekend would have had Ohio losing and either Kent or Central going down

Very bad would have been Ohio losing

Nice would have been Northern or Toledo or Western or BG joining Ohio

Since none of these others made it happen it was a bad weekend and some will put a footnote by the Ohio victory.

Hanging close for a couple quarters with the big boys means nothing, an L is an L when folks looking in on the MAC view it.   Unless you win, close means nothing.  When Ohio was a play or two away from beating O$U all I heard was how Sweater Vest would never try to run up the score or they didn't want to show too much or they played their 10th string or all the other BS.  Win and go to the next week.  For the particular program, playing a good game against tough competition is a boost, but not to the conference's reputation.  Look at the BigTenDozen--only two losses, they got it done--even Minnesota.  One MAC team getting it done means little.