The West just got SUPER tight

[WhiteBarksdale]

With TSUN's collapse at home against NIU, there is now a 4-way shootout for the West.

And I can't say it enough: I AM TIRED OF PLAYING NIU in the MACC. Two times is enough. The matchup is just not interesting to me. I am tired of seeing them in Detroit. We can blame TSUN for that, for losing to NIU 6 straight times. Hopefully we dont suffer the same sort of fate on November 17th.

So as of now. Western (4-0), TSUN (4-1), NIU (4-1), Central (4-1)

I would say that while Western is in the lead, they clearly have the toughest remaining schedule.

Western Michigan (4-0)
Ball State, BGSU, @NIU, @TSUN

Toledo (4-1)
@Central Mich, @BGSU, Western Mich

Northern Illinois (4-1)
@Buffalo, Western Mich, Ohio

Central Michigan (4-1)
Toledo, @Kent State, Eastern Mich


I am almost certain that each of these games are on National TV. Which is great.

It is also very possible that we could have a 4 way tie at the end with each team being (6-2)!! This means the end of the MAC football season could very well look like the end of last MAC Basketball season. Gotta love the MAC, keeping things interesting.


fu**ing MACTION!

[Falcon137]

What are the tiebreakers with multiple teams finishing with the same record?

Here is basically how each team could get to 6-2

WMU - W (5-0) ; L (5-1) ; W (6-1) ; L (6-2)
UT - W (5-1) ;L (5-2) ; W (6-2)
NIU - W (5-1) ; L (5-2) ; W (6-2)
CMU - L (4-2) ; W (5-2) ; W (6-2)



Central Michigan should be huge BG fans from here on out.

[MarkL]

Honestly I want to play NIU and I believe it will happen again. I want NIU for a few reasons ....
- I do not want UT because rivalry games should only be played once
- NIU and BG have each proven themselves to be the best divisional programs
- We ruined their dream season two years ago. They made us look like an FCS team last year as they were clearly fueled by vengeance. Now our team is going to be vengeance fueled.
- I do not want a repeat MAC title game of a game already played that season. So besides not wanting to play UT twice, I also don't want to play WMU again.
- NIU / BG has become one of the MAC's best rivalries. There was no history between the two until 2002. We have each since 20023 ruined each other's seasons a few times. I am glad we are in separate divisions so the teams have the opportunity to face each other to decide it all.
- I would also enjoy playing CMU, but the problem is fat punter aside, there is no real history between BG and CMU and certainly no recent history.
- Nothing tastes sweeter than UT tears. Nothing wrong with schadenfreude among fans, right? For your rival fans, knowing their biggest two rivals play for the conference title while they stay at home awaiting the possibility of playing a bowl game in Idaho while their biggest two rivals could end up in Boca Raton or Alabama or even the Bahamas is about the sweetest feeling you can get at the end of the season.
.... - Well, one thing might taste sweeter than UT tears. And that will be buckeye tears ... and lots of them ... after getting whipped by Harbaugh's Michigan team.

Point is, I could not be happier with the results yesterday. Now our team needs to take care of business tonight and then blast four straight MAC west teams. And along the way bury UT into as deep a crater as possible.

(OK, I've had my fan fun. I hope Babers and the team are as focused as possible and not screwing around like me!)

[Falcon137]

Losing Hare for the season and Lewis going down again is going to be tough for NIU to overcome. At Buffalo will be no gimme for them.

I think playing Central would be fun, their fan base travels great to Detroit and BG hasn't played them in 6 years.

[WhiteBarksdale]

Considering that we have never played TSUN for the championship is enticing to me. Also, no one on the current BG team has EVER beaten TSUN, so I think beating them twice in season, once for a championship will suffice.

I will say, youre reasons for wanting to play NIU again softened me a bit on my anti-NIU stance. Thanks.

[jpfalcon09]

I don't see NIU getting there without Hare and possibly Lewis. WMU is now in the driver's seat as they have head-to-head games against NIU and Toledo and have already defeated CMU. Toledo can still get there but it would likely mean they beat BG in two weeks with them beating BG and WMU...I don't see that happening.

How Toledo recovers from this loss will be very interesting. They have a decent chance at losing out their remaining games.

[Flipper]

Actually...there was a bit of a history with NIU in the early 80's. They beat us by a point in 1983 (as did UT) to win the MAC. We finished 7-2 in the conference (as did UT) and they were 8-1. I never did like them...I always hated red and black. Michael Jordan and NIU just made that hate more visceral

[Rollo83]

Actually...there was a bit of a history with NIU in the early 80's. They beat us by a point in 1983 (as did UT) to win the MAC. We finished 7-2 in the conference (as did UT) and they were 8-1. I never did like them...I always hated red and black. Michael Jordan and NIU just made that hate more visceral

The name Allan Rayhorn still disgusts me...

[Falconfreak90]

I would love another crack at NIU...Should be a GREAT race to end the year in the West. Don't sleep on the Chips.

[Critical Thinker]

Looking at schedules, CMU and NIU have one more "difficult" game left on their schedules (I suppose NIU could lose to UB, but I don't see that happening), while Toledo and Western have several brutal games in front of them. So here's the way I see it:

If CMU beats Toledo, I'm 90% confident CMU wins the west.
If NIU beats Western AND CMU loses to Toledo, I'm 90% confident NIU wins the west.
If CMU loses to Toledo AND NIU loses to Western, the west is going to be really, really, really interesting.