2016 MAC Football Predictions

[BGSU33]

MAC EAST
1. Ohio
2. Bowling Green
3. Akron
4. Buffalo
5. Kent State
6. Miami

MAC WEST
1. Western Michigan
2. Toledo
3. Northern Illinois
4. Central Michigan
5. Ball State
6. Eastern Michigan

MAC Championship Game: Western Michigan vs. Ohio

MAC Champion: Western Michigan

Predictions:
- For the first time in 4 years, you won’t see a BG-NIU match-up in Detroit.
- BG’s 3-year streak of winning the East and NIU’s 6-year streak of claiming the West will come to an end.
- The West will still be better than the East this year.
- Toledo will extend its winning streak to 7 straight over BG.
- Toledo will end its 6-year losing streak to NIU.
- The MAC will win 2 games vs Power 5 schools this year: Ohio will beat Kansas and WMU will beat either Illinois or Northwestern.
- Ohio will win the East being aided by hosting both BG & Akron.
- WMU will win the West being aided by hosting both Toledo & NIU.
- WMU will win its first MAC Championship since 1988. All of those impressive recruiting classes Fleck compiled in Kalamazoo will finally pay off. He’s built the kind of quality depth you rarely see in the MAC behind a very solid core of seniors and returning starters. WMU is loaded on offense with Terrell back at QB, a stable of talented and versatile RB’s in the backfield and Davis at WR (MAC POY candidate). They also return 4 OL. This will finally be the year Western Michigan wins the MAC.

I'm curious to see everyone else's predictions.

[MarkL]

Here are my predictions ....

- EMU will be a much improved team by the eye test and stats, though it will not be reflected in their record. They finally have some depth and an offensive line.
- BSU will be stuck in neutral. Coincidentally, I know very little about BSU at this point.
- CMU will be in the MAC West chase down to the buzzer. They are a solid team with one of the top tier QBs. Probably still a year away depth-wise but nothing would surprise me.
- UT will have some first-year-coach-itis. They will naturally take a step back but will still be a solid team.
- BGSU33's optimism level will not change from recent years.
- NIU will be better than last year and they certainly should not have the injury problems that hurt them down the stretch. It would be foolish to bet against NIU given their record. And I'm going to be foolish.
- WMU is the best team in the west and has a great chance at sweeping the MAC schedule. With most of their big players returning, they have an explosive offense that completes more drives than not and a good enough defense to give them separation. They have the best offensive backfield the MAC has seen in many years, possibly going back to when we had Jacobs/Harris and Pope. And if you look at their schedule, you can't help but wonder if 13-0 is in play. And if they do manage to get to 13-0, they won't get within a sniff of the playoff. Why? Look at their schedule.
- MU is still building. They'll be on par with EMU.
- Kent will have one of the conference's best defenses. If they could find an offense, they could be 2012 Bowling Green - offensive line wears out the opposing defense and the defense suffocates the opposing offense. But they won't put it all together and may let Haynes go.
- Buffalo will have improvements in many places but replacing some big seniors in key spots from last year keeps them from taking a big step forward. Watch out for what Leipold is doing.
- MarkL writes really long and complicated previews that most people skim over.
- Akron's season depends on the quality of their new defensive starters. They have to replace much of their front 7 and most of their top tacklers, and if they do they are in the east hunt. If not, a lot will have to go their way to have another winning season.
- Ohio will be good and will beat Akron in the season finale but we beat them for the fifth straight year to keep them clawing all season long.
- Bowling Green has the conference's best offensive line which helps the new playmakers develop. The O starts out rusty but finishes strong. The defense is outstanding in a 4-2-5 alignment which takes a lot of pressure off the offense. BG beats UT on the road en route to winning the fourth straight east title. It would likely mean a fourth straight east sweep.
- The Bowling Green / NIU game in DeKalb plays a crucial role in both division races.
- The MAC title game will be Bowling Green vs Western Michigan.
- I'll look stupid in December when NIU wins the west again.

[gmartin]

My prediction is someone will win the East. Someone will win the West. They will face each in the MAC Championship game with the winner being MAC Champs. The winners of the East and West will each get a bowl bid.

[Falconfreak90]

BGSU goes 12-0 in the regular season, wins the MAC title game and gets royally snubbed for the CFP. A rematch with osu in a NY's day bowl game results in a 2nd win over Urbie and the bucks. Last night I dreamt it happened so that's what I'm sticking with...

[jpfalcon09]

My way too early to care prediction is 9-3 and 7-1 in conference. Split the OOC schedule with Ws against MTSU and ND, lose to NIU in conference.