Big Ten looks to break .500 in the Quick Lane Bowl, as Minnesota faces Central Michigan

The Big Ten Conference opened the 2015-16 bowl season with an OT loss in the Pinstripe Bowl (Duke over Indiana) and a eight point win (Nebraska over UCLA) in the Foster Farms Bowl over the Christmas weekend. Next up: MAC vs. Big Ten, as the Big Ten faces its lone non-Power 5 match up of the bowl season.

The Huskers have appeared in a bowl game in 45 of the last 47 seasons

FOSTER FARMS BOWL: Nebraska 37, UCLA 29 - The Cornhuskers rushed for 326 yards and four touchdowns en route to a 37-29 victory over UCLA Saturday night in the Foster Farms Bowl. Quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. threw for 174 yards and a touchdown and carried the ball 10 times for 76 yards and another score on the ground in the contest. Recap

Indiana came up short against Duke at Yankee Stadium. IU was playing in only
second bowl, since 1994, with game in Pinstripe Bowl.

NEW ERA PINSTRIPE BOWL: Duke 44, Indiana 41 (OT) - Duke earned a 44-41 overtime victory in the 2015 New Era Pinstripe Bowl on Saturday, as Indiana closed out its first bowl game since 2007 and 10th in program history. The back-and-forth game featured nine lead changes and three ties. It also saw numerous offensive records set and six turnovers combined in a game where momentum seemed to be hanging in the balance throughout. Recap

Minnesota looks to get to 6-7, as Nebraska did as one of two Big Ten teams,
with losing records playing in 2015-16 bowls.

• QUICK LANE BOWL: Central Michigan (7-5) vs. Minnesota (5-7) - kickoff at 4:00 pm on ESPN2 * Big Ten preview

Five things the Golden Gophers would like you to know about the 2015 Quick Lane Bowl from Detroit ...

1. Minnesota will play Central Michigan in the 2015 Quick Lane Bowl at Ford Field in Detroit. Minnesota is 1-0 all-time against Central Michigan, as the Gophers won 30-10 at the Metrodome on Sept. 16, 1987. In that game, Rickie Foggie, Darrell Thompson and Gary Couch rushed for touchdowns and Chip Lohmiller kicked three field goals in the win. The Quick Lane Bowl marks Minnesota's first bowl game appearance in Michigan and is the Gophers first trip to the Great Lake State since it won 30-14 at Michigan on Sept. 27, 2014. 

The Golden Gophers are under first-year coach Tracy Claeys, who replaced Jerry
Kill mid-season, after Kill retired, due to ongoing health concerns.

2. Minnesota, which owns a 5-7 record, earned a bid into the Quick Lane Bowl this year based on the team's high APR mark of 975. The Quick Lane Bowl is the 18th bowl game that Minnesota will play in and is the fourth-straight bowl game for the Gophers. The four straight bowl games is the second longest stretch in team history, as Minnesota played in five straight bowl games spanning the 2002-06 seasons. Minnesota is 6-11 all-time in bowl games but has lost its last seven bowl games (five by four points or less). Minnesota's last win in a bowl game was a 20-16 victory against Alabama in the 2004 Music City Bowl where both Marion Barber III and Laurence Maroney rushed for more than 100 yards.

3. Minnesota has played one of the toughest schedules in the nation this year. The Gophers have faced (AP rankings at time of the game) No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 TCU, No. 8 Iowa, No. 15 Michigan and No. 16 Northwestern. Minnesota also played Wisconsin, who ended the season ranked No. 23. The Gophers faced three top-15 teams in Michigan, Ohio State and Iowa in three straight weeks. The last time Minnesota played three straight games against top 15 teams was 2002 when it played No. 6 Ohio State, No. 13 Michigan and No. 6 Iowa. Baylor was the only other team in the regular season to play three straight top-15 opponents, as it played No. 12 Oklahoma and No. 4 Oklahoma State and No. 15 TCU.

4. Minnesota was the only Big Ten team to play (rankings at time of game) No. 1 Ohio State, No. 8 Iowa, No. 15 Michigan, No. 16 Northwestern and Wisconsin this year. Those teams have a combined 51-10 record and Minnesota's seven defeats have come to teams (Iowa, Ohio State, Northwestern, TCU, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nebraska) with a combined 66-19 record (Nebraska has 7 of 19 losses). If Michigan and Wisconsin win their bowl games then the Gophers would have faced six teams (in addition to Iowa, Ohio State, Northwestern and TCU) who won at least 10 games this season.

5. Nine of Minnesota's 12 regular season opponents will play in a bowl game this year. Those nine opponents have a combined record of 81-28 and all won at least seven games. Minnesota posted a home win against Ohio (Bobcats ended season at 8-4) and ended Colorado State's school record nine-game home winning streak (Rams finished the season at 7-5). Minnesota's regular season opponents will play in the Rose Bowl (Iowa), Fiesta Bowl (Ohio State), Outback Bowl (Northwestern), Citrus Bowl (Michigan), Alamo Bowl (TCU), Holiday Bowl (Wisconsin), Foster Farms Bowl (Nebraska), Camellia Bowl (Ohio) and Arizona Bowl (Colorado State).

Friday Night College Football: Navy @ Central Michigan

The Chippewas get an opportunity to host the Midshipmen, after two previous meeting @ Navy.

Friday, October 12th


Navy at Central Michigan 7:00 p.m. ESPN2 (HD) / espn3

Saturday, the 13th, should be a great day in College Football, with some possible upsets on the horizon, as well.  

Iowa (3-2, 1-0 Big Ten Legends) @ Michigan State (4-2, 1-1 Legends) on Saturday with 11 a.m. kickoff on ESPN

 The Iowa Hawkeyes will prepare this week, coming off a bye week for #24 Michigan State, the defending Legends champion in'11.  Iowa should be healthy, with news RB Damon Bullock has been cleared to play.

Mark Dantonio Weekly Press Conference Coverage 

Spartans take on Iowa Saturday at noon (Eastern time) in Spartan Stadium on Homecoming.

News out of East Lansing is mixed, as the Detroit News is reporting.  MSU coach Mark Dantonio (pictured, left) will be missing junior TE Dion Sims, due to injury.  Sims has been first year starting QB junior Andrew Maxwell's main target in the passing game.  Further, Dantonio, who is in his sixth season as head coach for the Spartans, is making plenty of changes in the two-deep depth chart for MSU.

Entering the 2012 season, both the Hawkeyes and the Spartans returned five starters from '11 on defense.  On offense, the Spartans returned eight starters compared to Iowa's six, but injures have fallen to MSU's offense, with TE Sims the most recent victim.  The offensive line has been hit hard in '12.

Both teams played Central Michigan in the non-conference.  For Michigan State, the Spartans headed to Mt. Pleasant, MI to play @ Central Michigan, which finished in a 41-7 win for the Green.  After a bye week, Central Michigan traveled to Iowa City the following week.  The Hawkeyes finished on the short end of a 32-31 defeat, with the Chippewas scoring nine points in the final minutes to upset Iowa.

Of course, comparing common opponents can be risky in College Football.  However, it certainly should give people pause, as the odds makers saw Michigan State on Sunday, as a 11 point favorite over Iowa.  Iowa hasn't been a double digit underdog in the Big Ten, since the 2009 road game at Ohio State in what was termed a Big Ten title game that year.  Iowa didn't win, but gave a good showing, in a 27-24 OT loss to Ohio State.  By the way, that was Iowa's current QB, senior James Vandenberg's first start as a Hawkeye, during his redshirt freshman year, stepping in for an injured teammate.

The Iowa-Michigan State is typically a close, competitive series.  The series favors Iowa 22-19-2.  A win on Saturday would give Iowa a 10-10-1 record and move them to .500 in East Lansing.  Iowa won in East Lansing in '09 in a 15-13 game, which Iowa scored on the final play of the game, when then Iowa QB Ricky Stanzi hit departed WR Marvin McNutt on 4th down with 0:00 left on the clock.

Last year's game at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City was a 37-21 game in favor of the Spartans.  The Spartans jumped out to a 31-7  lead, scoring two touchdowns in a 36 second stretch late in the second quarters.

Michigan State will be celebrating Homecoming on Saturday, when they host Iowa.

Week 4 Recap: CIDSports Top 25 Ratings

The NFL needs some "REAL" officials, after watching the bizarre finish in the Green Bay-Seattle game on Monday Night Football.  Iowa fans are not happy about the mixed crew that worked the Iowa-Central Michigan game this past weekend.  Some bizarre moments indeed in Week 4 in College Football.

There were some outstanding Top 25 games in Week 4, with some of lower rated teams moving up.  Other games around the country saw the underdog or visitor taking care of business on the road!

Week 5 will kick-off play in the Big Ten Conference.  The conference has only three undefeated teams heading into conference play, with #16 Ohio State, Northwestern and Minnesota.  All three teams will play conference games, with the Buckeyes and Golden Gophers traveling.

Week 4 Top 25:

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (4-0, 1-0 SEC West) 1 - After opening SEC play in Week 3, the Crimson Tide went back outside the conference and took down Florida Atlantic 40-7 to remain #1 in the nation.  Week 5: vs. Mississippi (3-1), for the SEC home opener against the Rebels, who lost at home to # Texas in Week 3.

2. LSU Tigers (4-0, 1-0 SEC West) 2 - Yes, some people will say why keep the Tigers #2, but the defending SEC champs continue winning, with a road win @ Auburn 12-10 in the SEC '12 opener.  Week 5: vs. Towson State (2-1), a FCS program, as the Tigers enjoy the final OOC game of the season.

3 Oregon Ducks (4-0, 1-0 Pac 12 North) 3 - The Ducks opened the Pac 12 at home in '12 with a 49-0 white wash of new coach Rich Rodriguez former #20 Arizona.  Week 5: @ Washington State (2-2, 0-1 Pac 12 North), as the Cougars lost Pac 12 opener at home 35-34 to Colorado (1-3, 1-0 Pac 12 South).

4. Stanford Cardinal (3-0, 1-0 Pac 12 North) 4 - The Cardinal enjoyed a bye week, after a huge Pac 12 opening win 21-14 vs. USC in Week 3.  Week 5: @ Washington (2-1) on Thursday night on ESPN.

5. Florida State Seminoles 10 (4-0, 2-0 ACC Atlantic) 10 - The Seminoles win a huge Top 10 match at home vs. former #9 Clemson 49-37, as the Jimbo Fisher era in Year 3 starts '12 with a huge level of excitement.  Week 5: @ South Florida (2-2, 0-1 Big East), in the second all-time meeting and first outside Tallahassee.

6. South Carolina Gamecocks (4-0, 2-0 SEC East) 6 - The Gamecocks took care of business in the SEC home opener with a 31-10 win over Missouri to welcome the Tigers to SEC play.  Week 5: @ Kentucky (1-3, 0-1 SEC East), as the Gamecocks make second trip on the road in conference play.

7. Kansas State Wildcats (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) 13 - The Wildcats open Big 12 play with a 24-19 road win @ former #5 Oklahoma.  Week 5: Bye week, as the Wildcats will host in-state Kansas (1-3, 0-1 Big 12) in the Big 12 home opener in Week 6.

8. West Virginia Mountaineers (3-0) 7 - The Mountaineers finished non-conference play with a 31-21 win over Maryland to head into the new Big 12 undefeated.  Week 5: vs. #19 Baylor (3-0), in the Big 12 opener for both teams.

9. Georgia Bulldogs (4-0, 2-0 SEC East) 8 - The Bulldogs soundly defeated Vanderbilt (1-3, 0-2 SEC East) 48-3 to stay undefeated in SEC East play.  Week 5: vs. Tennessee (3-1, 0-1 SEC East), as the Bulldogs look to keep pace with the leading Gators in the SEC East.

10. Florida Gators (4-0, 3-0 SEC East) 16 - The Gators continue to lead the SEC East with a 38-0 home victory over Kentucky.  Week 5: Bye week, ahead of a inter-conference home game with #2 LSU in Week 6.

11. USC Trojans (3-1, 1-0 Pac 12 South) 11 - The Trojans rebounded from the opening Pac 12 loss with a 27-9 home win over California (1-3, 0-1 Pac 12 North).  Week 5: Bye week ahead of a Thursday, October 6 game @ Utah (2-2, 0-1 Pac 12 South) in Week 6 on ESPN.

12. TCU Horned Frogs (3-0, 1-0 Big 12) 12 - The Horned Frogs returned to non-conference play in Week 4 with a 27-7 win over Virginia.  Week 5: @ SMU (1-2) in the intra-city showdown

13. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-0) 18 - Three in a row over the Big Ten, as the Fighting Irish take care of business at home in South Bend with a 13-6 win over former #14 Michigan.  Week 5: Bye week ahead of Week 6 game vs. Miami-FL (3-1, 2-0 ACC Coastal), as the Irish get an earlier dose of ACC football.  The Irish have announced this week that the series with Michigan will be winding down, with the 5 game contract with the ACC contract.

14. Oklahoma Sooners (2-1, 0-1 Big 12) 5 - The Sooners opened Big 12 with a disappointing home loss to former #13 Kansas State.  Week 5: Bye week, ahead of returning to conference play with a road opener @ Texas Tech (3-0) in Week 6.

15. Texas Longhorns (3-0) 15 - The Longhorns completed non-conference play a week ago and enjoyed a bye week during Week 4.  Week 5: @ #21 Oklahoma State (2-1), who are also coming off a bye week.

16. Ohio State Buckeyes (4-0) 16 - The Buckeyes remain undefeated with a 29-15 win over UAB.  Week 5: @ #18 Michigan State (3-1), for a key inter-division opener in the Big Ten.

17. Clemson Tigers (3-1, 0-1 ACC Atlantic) 9 - The Tigers fell @ former #10 Florida State 49-37 in the ACC opener.  Week 5: @ Boston College (1-2, 0-1 ACC Atlantic), as the Eagles will have had two weeks to prepare for this one.

18. Michigan State Spartans (3-1) 22 - the Spartans struggled in the first half, but rebounded in the second half to win 23-17 over Eastern Michigan.  Week 5: vs. #16 Ohio State (4-0), in the Big 12 opener for '12.

19. Baylor Bears (3-0) 23 - The Bears traveled Friday night of Week 4 @ Louisiana-Monroe with a 47-42 win.  Week 5: @ #8 West Virginia (3-0), as both teams open up conference play in the new Big 12.

20. Louisville Cardinals (4-0) 24 - The Cardinals continued non-conference play with a 28-21 road win @ Florida International.  Week 5: @ Southern Miss (0-3, 0-1 C-USA East), as the Golden Eagles are coming off a rugged road loss @ Western Kentucky 42-17.

21. Oklahoma State Cowboys (2-1) 21 - The Cowboys enjoyed a bye week before opening Big 12 play in '12.  Week 5: vs. #15 Texas (3-0), as both teams look to get off to positive start in conference play.

22. Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-0, 1-0 SEC West) nr - The Bulldogs beat Auburn in Week 2 28-10 and won in Week 4 with a 30-10 win over South Alabama.  Week 5: Bye week ahead of opening October play @ Kentucky in Week 6.

23. Oregon State Beavers (2-0, 1-0 Pac 12 North) nr - The Beavers have knocked out two Top 25 teams to open '12, with the latest a 27-20 Pac 12 opener @ former #19 UCLA.  Week 5: @ Arizona (3-1, 0-1 Pac 12 South), in an important game for both teams early in Pac 12 play.

24. Boise State Broncos (2-1) nr - The Broncos took care of business in Week 4 with a 7-6 win over Brigham Young.  Week 5: @ New Mexico (2-2), in the MWC opener of the year for both teams.

25. Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-1) 25 - The Cornhuskers rolled in the final tune up before conference play with a 73-7 win over FCS Idaho State.  Week 5: vs. Wisconsin (3-1), the Badgers ruined the Cornhuskers debut in '11 in the Big Ten with a 48-17 win in Madison, so can coach Bo Pelini and Nebraska get the W at home?

Battle of unbeaten teams in Week 5: Texas Tech (3-0) @ Iowa State (3-0), each team is coming off a bye week and will open Big 12 play undefeated in '12.

Out of Top 25 after Week 4:

Former #14 Michigan Wolverines (2-2) - The Wolverines lost @ former #18  Notre Dame 13-6 heading into a bye week.  Former #19 UCLA Bruins (3-1, 0-1 Pac 12 South) - the Bruins lost 27-20 at home in the Pac 12 opener vs. Oregon State.  The Bruins travel to Colorado in Week 5.   Former #20 Arizona Wildcats (3-1) - the Wildcats lost 49-0 in the Pac 12 opener @ #3 Oregon.  The Wildcats host #23 Oregon State in Week 5.

FCS upsets for Week 4:

Breakdown of OOC records in Week 4 by conference and Notes:

SEC - 5-1 vs. OOC opponents, with wins vs. FCS (2), C-USA and Sun Belt (2), with loss vs. Big East.  SEC East is lead by Florida at 3-0, followed by Georgia and South Carolina at 2-0.  In the SEC West, Alabama, LSU and Mississippi State are all 1-0.

Big Ten - 7-3 vs. OOC opponents, with wins vs. FCS (2), C-USA (2), MAC and Big East (2), with losses vs. MAC, @ Independent and WAC.  The Big Ten opens conference play with 5 games, while Purdue (2-1) wraps up OOC play with Marshall (2-2).

Big 12 - 3-1 vs. OOC opponents, with wins vs. @ Sun Belt and ACC (2), while loss came @ MAC.  Right now, Kansas State and TCU have opened conference play and lead at 1-0.

Pac 12 - Week 4 was all in conference and after two weeks of conference play... Oregon, Stanford and Oregon State are all 3-0 in Pac 12 North play, while Arizona State and Colorado lead in Pac 12 South at 1-0.

ACC - 5-2 vs. OOC opponents, with wins vs. FCS, MAC, Independent and C-USA (2), with losses @ Big 12 (2).  In the ACC Atlantic, Florida State leads at 2-0, while in the ACC Coastal, Miami-FL is 2-0 and Virginia Tech is 1-0.

Big East - 3-4 vs. OOC opponents, with wins vs. FCS, @ SEC and Sun Belt, while losses @ MAC (2) and @ Big Ten (2).  Rutgers and Cincinnati are tied at 1-0 to lead.

MWC - 3-3 vs. OOC opponents, with wins vs. Independent and @ WAC (2), with losses vs. WAC (2) and C-USA.  Nevada and UNLV lead MWC right now at 1-0.

C-USA - 1-6 vs. OOC opponents, with win vs. MWC, with losses @ Big Ten (2), vs. SEC, @ ACC (2) and @ Sun Belt.  East Carolina and Marshall lead the C-USA East, while Tulsa leads C-USA West at 1-0.

Independents - 2-2 vs, OOC opponents, with wins vs. FCS and Big Ten, while losses @ MWC and @ ACC.  Notre Dame is only team undefeated and is 1-0 vs. other Independents.

WAC - 5-2 vs. OOC opponents, with wins over FCS (2), @ MWC (2) and @ Big Ten, while losses @ MWC(2).  USTA and Louisiana Tech are both undefeated, but no teams have opened conference play yet.

MAC - 6-3 vs. OOC opponents, with wins over FCS (2), @ Big Ten, vs. Big East (2) and vs. Big 12, with losses @ ACC, @ Big Ten and @SEC.  In the MAC East, Kent State and Miami-OH lead at 1-0, while in the MAC West, Ball State and Toledo lead at 1-0.

Sun Belt - 2-4 vs. OOC opponents, with wins vs. FCS and C-USA, while losses vs. Big 12, vs. Big East and @ SEC (2).  Louisiana-Lafayette and Middle Tennessee lead at 1-0 as Sun Belt play begins to be played.

Iowa falls at home to Central Michigan 32-31 due to FG in closing seconds

For the first time, since 2007, Iowa opens the season 2-2, after Central Michigan (2-1) comes into Kinnick Stadium to knock off the Hawkeyes 32-31.  One plus over 2007 is Iowa has not open play in the Big Ten Conference.

The real season begins Saturday vs. Minnesota, but Iowa will have to lick the wounds associated with the final non-conference game of the season.

Penalties, Weirdness Sidetrack Hawkeyes

Iowa falls to Central Michigan in final minute

The Hawkeyes opened the game 14-10 in the first quarter, but an ugly second quarter led to a Central Michigan taking a halftime lead of 23-14.  Iowa has made excellent halftime adjustments on defense all season and the CMU game was not any different.  Iowa rallied in the third and fourth quarters to take a 31-23 lead.

But, the closing minutes saw Central Michigan score nine points highlighted by a successful onside kick, then a successful 47 yard field goal with 0:03 remaining to complete the upset over the Iowa Hawkeyes.

It was Central Michigan's biggest non-conference win, since the 29-27 win at Michigan State in 2009.  The Chippewas are coming off back to back 3-9 seasons under third-year coach Dan Enos.  However, the Chippewas pulled off a solid win last year over MAC champion Northern Illinois.

Kirk Ferentz will need to rally the Iowa team heading into the Big Ten season and the trophy game with Minnesota on Saturday.  The Golden Gophers have won back to back games over the Hawkeyes up in Minnesota.  This year, Iowa will celebrate Homecoming with a 11 a.m. kickoff vs. Minnesota, with eyes on winning Floyd of Rosedale back.

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- University of Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz expects his team's string of close games to continue the rest of the season, making performance in the fourth quarter of games paramount.

"The thing for us is to do a better job, particularly in the fourth quarter of games and find a way to be victorious," Ferentz said Sunday during an exclusive interview with hawkeyesports.com "We did that in our opening ball game and as we look forward, that is going to be a decisive factor in how the season goes."

The Hawkeyes (2-2) open Big Ten Conference play against undefeated Minnesota (4-0) on Saturday inside Kinnick Stadium. Kickoff is 11 a.m. (CT).

"They are playing very, very well right now," Ferentz said of the Golden Gophers. "They have a staff in its second year and it looks like everyone is playing with a lot of confidence. They have done a great job. It will be good to be back in Kinnick, but that in itself won't win the game for us."

During the four-minute conversation, Ferentz talks about balanced offensive production, kicker Mike Meyer's record-breaking performance on PATs and a huge fourth-quarter field goal, improved production from the wide receivers, and the continued success of the ground game.

"A month ago we weren't sure what our run game was going to be or who our backs were going to be," Ferentz said. "Neither Mark (Weisman) nor Damon (Bullock) are veteran players at this stage, but they have shown they can do some good things out there on the field."

Week 4: Iowa Hawkeyes (2-1) vs. Central Michigan (1-1) on BTN

The Iowa Hawkeyes wrap up non-conference play hosting coach Dan Enos and Central Michigan in the final tune up, before heading into 2012 Big Ten Conference play.  The game will kick-off at 11 a.m. on the Big Ten Network.

Iowa's passing attack has not scored a touchdown in '12.  Iowa has moved their fullback to #1 running back, due to injuries at the position.

How will this Week 4 game play out for Iowa? 

Could this be a trap game?  In '09, Iowa struggled in the fourth OOC game beating Arkansas State only 24-21. 

The past two seasons saw Iowa beat Ball State 45-0 and ULM 45-17.

Our prediction is Iowa 38, Central Michigan 21 in Week 4 at Kinnick Stadium.

Iowa is a young team, especially on offense.  Senior quarterback James Vandenberg is playing up and down.  Success in the passing game would be healthy heading into Big Ten play next week.

Business first, is Iowa taking care of the Chippewas.  Iowa are 2-0 and won 38-0 in last meeting in 1998.

Iowa fans will have all eyes on #45 RB/FB Mark Weisman, who scored 3 TDs last week vs. UNI and ran for 113 yards.

Further, leading tackler #31 Anthony Hitchens needs to improve on his filling the hole, gap and pursuit.  He leads team and conference in tackles, but there continues to be room for improvement.

How will Iowa's pass rush be vs. Central Michigan O-Line and QB Ryan Radcliff?  Iowa only has three sacks this year and this is an area Iowa needs to improve in.

Game On!

Week 4 Saturday: Big Match ups in the ACC, Big 12 and Pac 12 as conference play hits the stage!

Week 4 - Saturday, September 22

Bowling Green at VIRGINIA TECH	11:00 a.m.	ESPNU (HD) / espn3
Central Michigan at IOWA	11:00 a.m.	BTN (HD) / btn2go.com
Maryland at WEST VIRGINIA	11:00 a.m.	FX (HD)
University of Massachussetts at MIAMI-OH	11:00 a.m.	ESPN-GP / ERTV (cable) / espn3
OLE MISS at Tulane	11:00 a.m.	FSN Affiliates (HD) / FCSC (cable)
Alabama-Birmingham at OHIO STATE	11:00 a.m.	BTN (HD) / btn2go.com
UTEP at Wisconsin	11:00 a.m.	ESPN2 (HD) / espn3
Virginia at TCU	11:00 a.m.	ESPN (HD) (3D) / espn3
Kentucky at FLORIDA	11:21 a.m.	SEC Network / ESPN-GP / espn3
ARMY at Wake Forest	11:30 a.m.	ESPN-GP / ACC Network (HD) / espn3
Miami-Florida at GEORGIA TECH	2:00 p.m.	FSN Affiliates (HD) / ESPN-GP / espn3
EAST CAROLINA at North Carolina	2:30 p.m.	ESPNU (HD)
Eastern Michigan at MICHIGAN STATE	2:30 p.m.	BTN (HD) / btn2go.com
Idaho State at NEBRASKA	2:30 p.m.	BTN (HD) / btn2go.com
Marshall at RICE	2:30 p.m.	CSBA / CSS (cable)
Missouri at SOUTH CAROLINA	2:30 p.m.	CBS (HD) / cbssports.com
Oregon State at UCLA	2:30 p.m.	ABC / ESPN2 (HD)
South Dakota at NORTHWESTERN	2:30 p.m.	BTN (HD) / btn2go.com
Temple at PENN STATE	2:30 p.m.	ABC / ESPN2 (HD)
VMI at Navy	2:30 p.m.	CBSSN (HD)
Colorado at WASHINGTON STATE	3:00 p.m.	FX (HD)
SOUTH FLORIDA at Ball State	3:30 p.m.	SNY / MASN / ESPN-GP / ERTV (cable) / espn3
Florida Atlantic at #1 ALABAMA	4:00 p.m.	ESPN-GP / PPV (AL, FL)
CALIFORNIA at Southern California	5:00 p.m.	PAC-12 Network (HD) / pac-12.com
#2 LSU at Auburn	6:00 p.m.	ESPN (HD)
Rutgers at ARKANSAS	6:00 p.m.	ESPNU (HD)
South Alabama at MISSISSIPPI STATE	6:00 p.m.	(ESPN-GP / espn3 / PPV (MS, AL))
South Carolina State at Texas A&M	6:00 p.m.	FS South (HD) / ESPN-GP
Akron at TENNESSEE	6:30 p.m.	ESPN-GP / (CSS / CST) (cable) / espn3
MICHIGAN at Notre Dame	6:30 p.m.	NBC (HD)
Vanderbilt at GEORGIA	6:45 p.m.	ESPN2 (HD)
KANSAS STATE at Oklahoma	6:50 p.m.	FOX (HD)
CLEMSON at Florida State	7:00 p.m.	ABC (HD)
FRESNO STATE at Tulsa	7:00 p.m.	CBSSN (HD)
LOUISIANA TECH at Illinois	7:00 p.m.	BTN (HD) / btn2go.com
SYRACUSE at Minnesota	7:00 p.m.	BTN (HD) / btn2go.com
AIR FORCE at University of Nevada-Las Vegas	9:00 p.m.	ALT
Utah at ARIZONA STATE	9:00 p.m.	PAC-12 Network (HD) / pac-12.com
NEVADA at Hawaii	9:30 p.m.	NBCSN (HD)
Arizona at #3 OREGON	9:30 p.m.	ESPN (HD)
Alcorn State at ARKANSAS STATE	6:00 p.m.	espn3
The Citadel at NORTH CAROLINA STATE	5:00 p.m.	espn3
Coastal Carolina at TOLEDO	6:00 p.m.	espn3
CONNECTICUT at Western Michigan	1:00 p.m.	espn3
Gardner Webb at PITTSBURGH	2:30 p.m.	espn3
Kansas at NORTHERN ILLINOIS	2:30 p.m.	espn3
LOUISVILLE at Florida International	6:00 p.m.	espn3
Memphis at DUKE	5:00 p.m.	espn3
NEW MEXICO at New Mexico State	7:00 p.m.	espn3
Norfolk State at OHIO U	1:00 p.m.	espn3
Northern Iowa at YOUNGSTOWN STATE	6:00 p.m.	espn3
Northwest Oklahoma State at UTSA	1:00 p.m.
SAN JOSE STATE at San Diego State	7:00 p.m.	KUSI (cable)
SOUTHERN MISS at Western Kentucky	6:00 p.m.	espn3
Stephen F. Austin at TEXAS STATE	6:00 p.m.
TROY at North Texas	6:00 p.m.	espn3
UTAH STATE at Colorado State	6:00 p.m.	(KTVD / KMYU) (cable)
Wyoming at IDAHO	4:00 p.m.	espn3

The State Unversity of Iowa: we can just call it uIowa today

Did you catch the Big Ten Network's debut of the new series 'The Big Ten Film Vault' with the opening title "1965: This is the Big Ten"?

The State University of Iowa had an enrollment of only 16 thousand back in 1965. During the Iowa segment of the show, the film highlighted the 1921 and 1922 undefeated teams at Iowa, along with the 'Ironman' team of 1939 starring American legend and Heisman Trophy winner Nile Kinnick. Evy's winning Rose Bowl teams of 1957 and 1959 were highlighted, along with a preview of the upcoming 1965 season for the Iowa Hawkeyes under coach Jerry Burns.

The show ends with a nice plug for the University of Michigan, the oldest of Big Ten schools or the old Western Conference, if you want to go there. In 1965 in football, it was Michigan State that finished the season champion. Is the Big Ten Network trying to say something about the 2010 football race?

The 2010 College Football season kicks off on Thursday, September 2Nd. Three Big Ten games will kick off, with Ohio State (vs. Marshall) and Indiana (vs. Towson) at home, while Minnesota travels to Middle Tennessee.

The Big Ten has four teams in the Top 25 and fans shouldn't forget about Michigan State, which could have an outstanding team in 2010, as well. The Big Ten race could get congested in 2010, like twenty years ago. Back in 1990, when Michigan State won a piece of their last Big Ten title, four teams finished tied for first place at 6-2 in 1990. Iowa beat all three at the top and represented the conference in the Rose Bowl.

It has been twenty years, since the Hawkeyes have traveled to Pasadena. Will the Hawkeyes get back there this season? They will most likely have to win the Big Ten in 2010, in order to accomplish a return trip to Pasadena.

peace

The BCS Title Game is one day away; tonight the final non-BSC Bowl, GMAC Bowl, between two conference champions

GMAC Bowl: MAC champion vs. Sun Belt champion

Central Michigan vs. Troy
from Mobile, Ala. and Ladd-Peebles Stadium
Jan. 6 at 6 p.m. Central Time on ESPN

This game is pretty irrelevent on the FBS scale, but it is always nice to see two conference champions playing in a bowl match up. Will anyone really watch it?

Last night at the FedEx Orange Bowl: Iowa 24, Georgia Tech 14

It was a very good year at Georgia Tech‎ - Atlanta Journal Constitution
Georgia Tech ran into a big, athletic defense that had had over 40 days to prepare. When quarterback Ricky Stanzi was healthy, Iowa was the best team in the ...

Post-game notes on Robinson's health, Tarpinian's stealth - Gazette Online (blog)
Iowa's Adam Robinson (32) leaps over Georgia Tech's Mario Butler (2) in the second half of the Orange Bowl on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2010, at Land Shark Stadium ...

Thursday Night at 7 p.m. Central Time on ABC
Citi BCS National Championship Game

BCS #2 Texas (13-0) vs. BCS #1 Alabama (13-0)
Pasadena, Calif.

Rose Bowl

peace

Our Take on the final Top 25 at end of the regular college football season and Final 2

What a regular season in 2009 ... five schools finish undefeated during the regular season, but only two can head to Pasadina for the BCS title game. Maybe this is the year that a +2 system for the BCS title game would better take care of business?

• Alabama
• TCU
• Texas
• Cincinnati
• Boise State

Clearly, everyone has Alabama #1 and at the top of the list after Alabama defeated Florida 32-13 in the SEC Championship game. Can we project RB Mark Ingram #1 in the Heisman ballots too?

The trouble comes for #2 in the final rankings. Who has Texas beat in 2009? Does the 2009 Big 12 Championship game with Nebraska warrant reconsideration for TCU, Cincinnati or Boise State as the #2 team, in place of Texas? Texas defeated Nebraska 13-12 on the final second with a 46 yard field goal in the Big 12 Championship game.

It would be more apparent today that the two non-BCS teams should get cracks at the BCS programs. Judging from the Texas-Nebraska game, TCU can be projected to be equal on defense to Nebraska and better on offense to the Cornhuskers. Place TCU in place of Nebraska vs. Texas and the projected outcome would be a TCU win over Texas. TCU beat Georgia Tech's final opponent (Clemson) on the road and took out Top 25 teams Brigham Young on road and Utah at home in MWC play.

The Big East conference game in a way came down to a miscue on a late extra point kick. Cincinnati defeated Pittsburgh 45-44 in the final minutes, after the Panthers missed their final extra point to take a six point lead. The Bearcats made all of their final possession marching down field to score their final touchdown and win by 1.

Boise State finished the regular season with a 42-7 win over New Mexico State in WAC play to finish undefeated in the regular season for the third time in four seasons. Boise State's marqee win was in the season opener at home vs. Oregon 19-8.

Congratulations to other conference championship game winners:

• Georgia Tech in winning the ACC Championship game in a 39-34 win over Clemson
• East Carolina in winning the C-USA Championship game in a 38-32 win over Houston
• Central Michigan in winning the MAC Championship game in a 20-10 win over Ohio U

The BCS Title Game would be better off as follows:

• #1 Alabama vs. #2 TCU, but most will project it a SEC vs. Big 12 affair again.
• We would suggest TCU would give Alabama a far better game than Texas.

Our Picks for the best BCS Bowl Lineup for the 2009-2010 season:

• BCS Title Game: Alabama vs. TCU
• Rose: Oregon vs. Ohio State
• Fiesta: Texas vs. Boise State
• Orange: Georgia Tech vs. Iowa
• Sugar: Florida vs. Cincinnati

Our final Top 25 teams at the conclusion of the 2009 regular season:

1. Alabama (13-0, 9-0* SEC)
2. TCU (12-0, 8-0 MWC)
3. Texas (13-0, 9-0* Big 12)
4. Florida (12-1, 8-1* SEC)
5. Cincinnati (12-0, 7-0 Big East)
6. Boise State (13-0, 8-0 WAC)
7. Oregon (10-2, 8-1 Pac 10)
8. Ohio State (10-2, 7-1 Big Ten)
9. Iowa (10-2, 6-2 Big Ten)
10. Georgia Tech (11-2, 8-1* ACC)
11. Penn State (10-2, 6-2 Big Ten)
12. Virginia Tech (9-3, 6-2 ACC)
13. LSU (9-3, 5-3 SEC)
14. Brigham Young (10-2, 7-1 MWC)
15. Arizona (8-4, 6-3 Pac 10)
16. West Virginia (9-3, 5-2 Big East)
17. Miami-FL (9-3, 5-3 ACC)
18. Pittsburgh (9-3, 5-2 Big East)
19. Oregon State (8-4, 6-3 Pac 10)
20. Oklahoma State (8-4, 6-3 Pac 10)
21. Utah (9-3, 6-2 MWC)
22. Stanford (8-4, 6-3 Pac 10)
23. USC (8-4, 5-4 Pac 10)
24. Wisconsin (9-3, 5-3 Big Ten)
25. Central Michigan (11-2, 9-0* MAC)

* Conference title game win or loss counted in conference record

Final kudos for one team for each conference in pecking order:

• ACC - Clemson (8-5, 6-3* runner-up)
• Big 12 - Nebraska (9-4, 6-3* runner-up)
• Big East - Rutgers (8-4, 3-4)
• Big Ten - Northwestern (8-4, 5-3)
• C-USA - East Carolina (9-4, 8-1* champion)
• Independents - Navy (8-4)
• MAC - Ohio U. (9-4, 7-2* runner-up)
• MWC - Air Force (7-5, 5-3)
• Pac 10 - California (8-4, 5-4)
• SEC - Mississippi (8-4, 4-4)
• Sun Belt - Troy (9-3, 8-0 champion)
• WAC - Nevada (8-4, 7-1)

* Conference title game win or loss counted in conference record

The 2009 regular football season had some wonderful moments. The Iowa Hawkeyes went 9-0 for the first time in the school's history, but injuries caught up to them in the tenth game. Overall, college football was down in many ways. Alabama appears to be clearly the team to beat nationally. They had an outstanding regular season and coach Nick Saban had his troups ready for every test this season. Congratulations to TCU, Texas, Cincinnati and Boise State for undefeated regular seasons as well.

peace

College Football '09: A look at the Mid-American Conference

Don't look for the Mid-American Conference to make any BCS noise with a surprise candidate in '09? That would be a first for this conference. How does the conference breakdown in '09 for MAC?

• The MAC is ranked #11 by Jeff Sagarin as a conference in FBS
• The MAC is a spoiler conference at best in '09
• Central Michigan looking for fourth straight bowl in '09
• Western Michigan, Northern Illinois, Ball State and Buffalo also all bowled in '08
• Buffalo attended first bowl ever under coach Turner Gill in '08

Ranked teams in the AP and Coaches' preseason polls:

none, but Central Michigan received votes in each poll ...

Preseason magazines don't like the MAC in the Top 25 preseason:

none

Teams rebuilding in the MAC in '09

• Ball State

Teams rated below the FBS mark of #120 in 2009?

• Temple
• Miami-Ohio
• Kent State
• Eastern Michigan

Will the MAC East Division finish this way in 2009??

1. Buffalo * (5-3 in '08) (0-1 in bowls)
2. Ohio U. (3-5) (0-3)
3. Akron (3-5) (0-1)
4. Bowling Green (4-4)
5. Temple (4-4) (1-1)
6. Kent State (3-5) (0-1)
7. Miami-Ohio (1-7) (4-4)

Will the MAC West Division finish this way in 2009?

1. Central Michigan (6-2 in '08) (1-4 in bowls)
2. Western Michigan (6-2) (0-4)
3. Toledo (2-6) (7-3)
4. Ball State * (8-0) (0-5)
5. Northern Illinois (5-3) (2-2)
6. Eastern Michigan (2-6) (1-0)

* denotes 2008 MAC division champs (source for above list)

Last BCS title winner

No MAC team has ever participated in a BCS bowl.

Kickoff Game of the Season

Thursday, September 4Th
Troy @ Bowling Green

Bowling Green, Ohio
TV: none

Final Look at the MAC teams, using the preseason Jeff Sagarin NCAA football ratings:

1. Ball State (#81 in Sagarin ratings) - Veteran coach Stan Parish remains head coach after taking over for departed Brady Hoke, who moved onto San Diego State. Parish lead the Cardinals in the 13-45 loss to Tulsa in the GMAC. The Cardinals return 36 letterwinners, with 4 OFF 7 DEF and their placekicker from their 12-2 season in '08. OOC games with North Texas, New Hampshire, @ Army and @ Auburn take place before the MAC schedule.


2. Central Michigan (#87) - Coach Butch Jones is entering his 3rd season for the Chippewas, after an 8-5 campaign in '08. The Chippewas return 44 letterwinners, including 6 OFF and 10 DEF plus both kickers from their team that lost 21-24 to Florida Atlantic in the Motor City. The Chippewas open '09 with @ Arizona, @ Michigan State, Alcorn State, then begin MAC play. Final OOC game is @ Boston College on Halloween.


3. Western Michigan (#88) - Coach Bill Cubit enters his 5Th season for the Broncos, after a 9-4 record in '08 and a disappointing 14-38 loss to Rice in the Texas. The Broncos return 32 letterwinners, including 7 OFF and 3 DEF plus both kickers for '09. They open '09 @ Michigan, @ Indiana, MAC opener at home, vs. Hofstra, then @ Michigan State on 11/7.


4. Bowling Green (#92) - The Falcons replace Gregg Brandon with new coach Dave Clawson, who was a successful HC at FCS Richmond after finishing 6-6 in '08. Clawson has 39 returning letterwinners, 7 OFF and 3 DEF and their punter back. The Falcons open in the OOC hosting Troy, @ Missouri, @ Marshall and hosting Boise State before opening MAC play for '09.


5. Northern Illinois (#99) - Coach Jerry Kill enters his 2Nd season at the Huskies helm. The Huskies finished 6-7 in '08 and return 45 letterwinners, with 7 OFF and 4 DEF plus returning PK will handle both duties this year. The Huskies lost 10-17 to LA Tech in the Independence. The Huskies open '09 in the OOC @ Wisconsin, vs. Western Illinois, @ Purdue and vs. Idaho before opeing MAC play on HC vs. Western Michigan.


6. Akron (#111) - Coach JD Brookhart is coming into his 6Th year at Akron and coming off 5-7 season. The Zips return 45 letterwinners, with 9 OFF and 6 DEF plus both kickers. The Zips open @ Penn State, vs. Morgan State, and vs. Indiana before opening MAC play. The final OOC game will be 10/24 at Syracuse.


7. Toledo (#113) - The Rockets have replaced coach Tom Amstutz with first year coach Tim Beckman, who is a former assistant at BG, but last 4 years at Ohio State and last 2 as DC at Okie State. The Rockets return 57 letterwinners, with 9 OFF and 7 DEF plus both kickers from the 3-9 '08 team. Toledo opens OOC play @ Purdue, vs. Colorado, vs. Ohio State in Cleveland and at FIU before opening on the road in MAC play.


8. Ohio U. (#114) - Former Nebraska head coach Frank Solich is entering his 5Th season for the Bobcats and they are coming off a 4-8 season in '08. They return 47 letterwinners, with 7 OFF and 7 DEF plus their punter in what could be a season to watch for the Bobcats. The Bobcats open in OOC play vs. UConn, @ North Texas, vs. Cal Poly and @ Tennessee, before opening conference play with back to back road games.


9. Buffalo (#115) - Coach Turner Gill is back for year four leading the Bulls. The Bulls return 53 letterwinners, with 6 OFF and 8 DEF plus both kickers from a 8-6 team that finished with a 20-38 loss to UConn in the International. Coming off the MAC title, the Bulls will not likely sneak up on anyone in '09. Buffalo opens '09 in OOC play @ UTEP, vs. Pittsburgh, @ UCF, then begin MAC play. HC is 10/10 vs. Garder Webb.


10. Temple (#125) - Coach Al Gordon is entering his 4Th season with the Owls and is coming off a 5-7 season in '08. The Owls return 51 letterwinners, with 6 OFF and 9 DEF plus both kickers. Could this be the breakout year after climbing from 1-11 to 4-8 to 5-7 the first three seasons? Temple opens '09 vs. Villanova, then bye week to prepare for @ Penn State. They open MAC play for 3 games, then HC vs. Army, with later trip @ Navy.


11. Miami-OH (#126) - The early part of the decade was successful for the Redhawks ('00 to '05), but new head coach Mike Haywood moves in after serving at Notre Dame under Charlie Weis. The past four years under Shane Montgomery have been a roller coaster, with a 2-10 record in '08. The Redhawks return 45 letterwinners, with 7 OFF and 5 DEF. The Redhawks open '09 with Kentucky in Cincinnati, then @ Boise State, 2 MAC road games, vs. Cincinnati and a road game @ Northwestern in a challenging OOC slate.


12. Kent State (#132) - Coach Doug Martin enters his 6Th year coming off a 4-8 record in '08 for the Flashes. The Flashes return 59 letterwinners, with 8 OFF and 7 DEF plus both kickers. The Flashes have one bowl game in their history and that was in '72 at the Tangerine. The '09 season opens with vs. Coastal Carolina, @ Boston College, vs. Kent State, MAC opener vs. Miami-OH, then final OOC game @ Baylor.


13. Eastern Michigan (#141) - The Ron English era begins in '09 for the Eagles. The former Michigan and Louisville DC will work with 45 letterwinners, with 9 OFF and 8 DEF plus both kickers back from last year's 3-9 squad. EMU has not had a winning season since '95 and there only bowl game was in '87. The Eagles open '09 with OOC games vs. Army, @ Northwestern, @ Michigan and a OOC game @ Arkansas on Halloween.

A look back at last year's statistics in the MAC.

peace

Motor City Bowl: Central Michigan (8-4) vs. Florida Atlantic (6-6)

The first post-Christmas bowl for the 2008-09 bowl season is the Motor City Bowl, absent a Big Ten team for this year's match up. This year's Motor City Bowl spotlights the MAC's Central Michigan Chippewas (8-4, tied for 2ND in MAC West) vs. Florida Atlantic Owls (6-6, tied for 5Th in Sun Belt).

Many preseason publications expected the Chippewas and Owls to finish high in the MAC and Sun Belt, respectively. But, Cidsports wasn't among them in August '08, projecting the another wrong team in the MAC and Troy in the Sun Belt.

Central Michigan is playing in their third straight Motor City Bowl. Last year, the Chippewas fell 48-51 to the Big Ten's Purdue. Florida Atlantic is playing in only their second bowl, since becoming a FBS program officially in '04. Last year, the Owls defeated Memphis 44-27 in the '07 New Orleans Bowl.

The Florida Owls are making their 2ND trip up to the State of Michigan this season, after a regular season 0-17 loss at Michigan State. Central Michigan will enjoy a home-state bowl game again, looking to get back on the winning track in the Motor City Bowl, after beating the Sun Belt's Middle Tennessee 31-14 in the '06 Motor City Bowl and ending the '08 regular season with back to back losses.

How much will home cooking play into this year's Motor City Bowl? It worked well for Central Michigan in the '06 game vs. a Sun Belt opponent. Can it work again this time vs. the Florida Atlantic Owls? Will the offenses get on track for a post-Christmas shootout warm inside in Ford Field?

Cidsports' prediction

Central Michigan 56

Florida Atlantic 52

cidsports

peace

Is the MAC ready for a breakout season in football in '08?

Like the Sun Belt Conference, the Mid-American Conference doesn't have a major 'mid-major' like the WAC or MWC that is likely to make noise for a BCS bid. But, is the MAC ready for a breakout season in football in '08?

There is no preseason consensus favorite for 13 member MAC in '08, which is broken into two divisions: East and West. Bowling Green and Miami-OH get the most love in the East, while Central Michigan and Ball State get the most love in the West. Western Michigan may be a sleeper to watch out for?

Central Michigan (6-1 in '07 in the West) beat Miami-OH (5-2 in the East in '07) in the '07 MAC Title Game 35-10. CMU has won back to back MAC titles games, so will '08 make it three in a row?

When I wrote my comments on the Sun Belt Conference yesterday, I failed to point out Phil Steele's Top 40 and Top 50 spots for the Sun Belt and MAC. Looking over page 29 of Phil Steele's 2008 College Football Preview: FAU was rated ahead of three MAC teams in the Top 50 nationally. Remarkably, Phil Steele had FAU #37 nationally and though Phil Steele doesn't pick Western Michigan to win the West, they are ranked #40 nationally. Rounding out the Top 50: Central Michigan #44 and Ball State #46 are in.

As PFW/College Football News speaks to on page 8 of their '08 Season Preview,
"Which conference other than your own should you care about. The MAC."

Top 21 OOC MAC football games in '08:

1. Central Michigan at Georgia
2. Central Michigan at Purdue
3. Miami-OH at Michigan
4. Toledo at Michigan
5. Western Michigan at Nebraska in season opener
6. Illinois vs. Western Michigan (in Detroit)
7. Bowling Green at Pittsburgh in season opener
8. Minnesota at Bowling Green
9. Kent State at Iowa State
10. Ball State at Indiana
11. Ohio U at Northwestern
12. Central Michigan at Indiana
13. Northern Illinois at Minnesota
14. Temple at Penn State
15. Ohio U at Ohio State
16. Boston College vs. Kent State (in Cleveland) in season opener
17. Eastern Michigan at Michigan State
18. Vanderbilt at Miami-OH
19. Northern Illinois at Tennessee
20. Akron at Wisconsin in season opener
21. Akron at Syracuse

Phil Steele (page 19) didn't have any Sun Belt teams among his 2008 Most Improved Teams, but the MAC has four teams on the list: #3 Northern Illinois, #8 Western Michigan, #14 Kent State, and #20 Miami-OH. Northern Illinois welcomes the conference's only new coach in Jerry Kill, who moves over from FCS Southern Illinois. Kill has coached at the Division II level, the FCS level and now the FBS level.

Miami-OH coach Shane Montgomery is entering his fourth season and it would be good to continue moving up the MAC ladder and find a way to garner a bowl game or MAC title in the near term. The RedHawks haven't bowled, since hiring their former OC to replace the late Terry Hoeppner, after the '04 season.

Who are the top teams in '08 for the MAC in football (my picks):

MAC East:

1. Miami-OH RedHawks (4-2 division, 5-2 MAC in '07) continue the move up the MAC ladder in '08.
2. Bowling Green Falcons (4-2 division, 6-2 MAC in '07) will battle to spoil the RedHawks climb.
3. Kent State Golden Flashes (1-5 division, 1-7 MAC in '07) makes the move back into top half of the MAC East.
4. Temple Owls (3-3 division, 4-4 MAC in '07) enter year two as a member of the MAC in football and third year with promising Al Gordon as head coach.
5. Buffalo Bulls (4-2 division, 5-3 MAC in '07) enter third season under coach Turner Gill and look to continue to build on improving as a football program.
6. Ohio U Bobcats (3-3 division, 4-4 MAC in '07) enter fourth season with former Husker head man Frank Solich at the helm.
7. Akron Zips (1-5 division, 1-7 MAC in '07) haven't had a winning season, since '05 title year.

MAC West:

1. Western Michigan Broncos (2-3 division, 3-4 MAC in '07) enter fourth season under coach Bill Cubit have talent, but lost three MAC games by less than 7 points in '07. My Surprise Pick
2. Central Michigan Chippewas (4-1 division, 6-1 MAC in '07) look for third straight MAC title, with everyone gunning for them in '08.
3. Ball State Cardinals (4-1 division, 5-2 MAC in '07) is becoming solid under coach Brady Hoke, who enters 6th season.
4. Northern Illinois Huskies (0-5 division, 1-6 MAC in '07) have a lot of ground to make up after downturn last year, but new coach should provide some fresh opportunities.
5. Toledo Rockets (2-3 division, 3-5 MAC in '07) last solid year was in '05.
6. Eastern Michigan Eagles (3-2 division, 3-4 MAC in '07) broke out of the cellar in '07, but will it hold in '08?

• Biggest Game in '08: Oct. 18th - Western Michigan at Central Michigan
• Biggest Game in MAC East: Oct. 18th - Miami-OH at Bowling Green
• MAC Title Game Prediction: Miami-OH over Western Michigan
• Coach of the Year: Shane Montgomery, Miami-OH

Do I agree that the MAC is a conference to watch other than the Big Ten and Big Twelve? Defense wins championships and I am not ready to say defense has become a trend in the MAC. The MAC plays some exciting football, but when your top team loses to a FCS division team (i.e. North Dakota State over Central Michigan, 14-44 in '07)... there is a chink in the armour.

peace