2011 College Football Conference Previews- Mid-American Conference
The Mid American Conference (MAC) is one of the more competitive Mid-Major conferences with 13 teams broken down into a seven-team East Division and a six-team West Division. The top schools in the MAC continue to be a thorn in the side of some major conference programs that often look to pad their early season schedule by adding one of them to the list.
The following is a brief preview of each team in the MAC along with their current odds to win the conference title this season as provided by BetUS.com.
East Division
Akron +1000
Head Coach Rob Ianello’s first year at the helm for the Zips was a forgettable one after posting a 1-11 record in 2010. This team played better than its record and could actually end up a .500 ball club if he can coax a bit more productivity from some of the youthful talent on this team. The quarterback position is still wide open, but look for Clayton Moore to emerge as the starter by opening day.
Bowling Green +2000
The Green Falcons were another bottom-feeder in the MAC last season with two wins against 10 losses. They finished near the bottom of Division I in both offensive yards and points per game, but have to hope that sophomore QB Matt Schilz can use last season’s baptism by fire as a stepping stone to a better performance in 2011.
Buffalo +1500
The Bulls also suffered through a 10-loss season against just two wins. They do return nine starters on offense including WR Marcus Rivers, who led the team with 690 receiving yards last year. Buffalo’s defense will be littered with new faces as just three starters are back from last season.
Kent State +4000
The Golden Flashes did show some flashes of greatness in 2010, but they were not nearly consistent enough to avoid a losing season at 5-7. This is to be expected for a program that has only had two winning seasons since 1977. The prospects for this year point to pretty much the same results as Darrell Hazell will be hard-pressed to produce a winner in his first season as head coach.
Miami (OH) +300
The RedHawks were the story of the year in the MAC last season after going from 1-11 in 2009 to 10-4 and a 35-21 victory over Middle Tennessee in the GoDaddy.Com Bowl last year. Austin Boucher finished the season as Miami’s starting quarterback and went a perfect 4-0, but will need to compete with former starter Zach Dysert for the job this season.
Ohio +1000
Frank Solich begins his seventh season as the Bobcats head coach, but is still searching for his first win in a bowl game after last season’s 48-21 loss to Troy in the New Orleans Bowl dropped his postseason record to 0-3. He will have seven starters back on offense but will be breaking in a new QB in Tyler Tettleton, who is coming off a very impressive spring practice.
Temple +250
The Owls have flourished in the MAC over the past few seasons after struggling as an independent for a number of years, but will have to try and continue to succeed under the guidance of Steve Addazio, who took over the head coaching duties after Al Golden decided to accept an offer to coach at Miami (FL.) Addazio will have 13 starters back from last year’s team that finished 5-3 in the conference and 8-4 overall.
West Division
Ball State +3000
Just two seasons ago the Cardinals were in the MAC Championship with a perfect 12-0 record, but could not sustain that success; falling to 4-8 last season overall and 3-5 in conference play. They return 10 starters on offense and seven on a defense that was torched for an average of 30.4 points a game last year.
Central Michigan +1000
Instability at the head coaching position has hurt the Chippewa’s over the past five years as both Brian Kelly and Butch Jones decided to leave the program for greener pastures. Dan Enos took over in 2010 and promptly led this team in the wrong direction with just three wins. He will have to squeeze all the talent he can out of a team that returns 14 starters from 2010 to try and turn things around.
Eastern Michigan +4000
The Eagles have not won more than six games a season since 1995 and with a 2-10 record in 2010; Head Coach Ron English starts this season already on the hot seat. The defense was simply atrocious last year, giving up an average of 43.9 points a game. ESU will look to QB Alex Gillett to lead an offense that was almost equally bad at scoring; averaging just 19 points a game.
Northern Illinois +200
A traditional power in the MAC West, the Huskies will once again be the team to beat after going a perfect 8-0 in conference play last year. They will have to do it with Dave Doeren at the helm after Jerry Kill decided to take the head spot at Minnesota. Making matters a bit more difficult, Doeren inherits a team that returns seven starters on offense, but just two on defense.
Toledo +375
The Rockets were 8-5 overall last season, but an impressive 7-1 in the MAC. They lineup as potential heirs to the West throne, should the Huskies trip up this year. Back is RB Adonis Thomas, who rushed for 1,098 yards last year, and WR Eric Page, who caught 99 balls for 1,105 yards. The big question is who will be Toledo’s signal caller as both Austin Dantin and Terrance Owens are vying for the starting role.
Western Michigan +1000
Head Coach Bill Cubit has just two losing seasons in his six-year tenure at Western Michigan, so it is easy to see how last year’s 6-6 record was far below the expectation level for this team. The Broncos return seven starters on an offense that was ranked 27th in the nation in scoring with an average of 32.3 points a game. QB Alex Carder is back after passing for 3,334 yards and 30 TD’s last year. He will have his favorite target, WR Jordan White back as well. White led the team in 2010 with 94 receptions for 1,378 yards.
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