Third in an 11-part series. Read previous entries on the AAC and Conference USA.
New college football bowl game to feature MAC, Sun Belt and C-USA teams. Posted Nov 13, 2018. Western Michigan fans cheer on the the Broncos during the 81st annual Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Monday, Jan. The 2016–17 NCAA football bowl games were a series of college football bowl games which completed the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season.The games began on December 17, 2016, and aside from the all-star games ended with the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship which was played on January 9, 2017. Later in the season, Temple upset the #21 East Carolina Pirates for its first win over a nationally ranked opponent since 1998. Overall, the 2014 Temple Owls football team finished at a bowl-eligible mark of 6–6 but did not secure a bowl bid. Rhule's contract was extended until the 2019–20 season in July 2015.
The theory that national championships are won on national signing day has been reinforced by recent events: Alabama won another title in January and notched another consensus top-ranked signing class in February, repeating a cycle of success tying recruiting victories to on-field victories.
Try another example, albeit on a far smaller scale. If signing the best classes in the country helps build a national champion, would signing the best classes in, say, the Mid-American Conference create the foundation for the best team in the MAC?
I’d say so. Consider the case of Western Michigan, which has remade itself the old-fashioned way — not necessarily with coaching philosophies, Xs and Os, but rather by simply signing more talent, and better talent, than any rival in its conference.
Now, four years into his tenure, P.J. Fleck has accumulated the depth and experience needed to end Northern Illinois’ run of dominance in the MAC West Division and the league as a whole. Right?
Let’s touch base again in November. Yes, the Broncos are loaded, with enough in the tank to justify the preseason hype. But look out for Rod Carey and the Huskies, who, if nothing else, have history on their side: NIU has won seven in a row and 12 of the past 15 against Western Michigan.
Projected order of finish
Rank among the FBS' 128 teams in parentheses
EAST
1. Bowling Green (No. 68)
2. Ohio (No. 76)
3. Akron (No. 82)
4. Buffalo (No. 103)
5. Miami (Ohio) (No. 106)
6. Kent State (No. 125)
Terminal mac download. Getting Started1.
WEST
1. Western Michigan (No. 32)
2. Northern Illinois (No. 51)
3. Toledo (No. 70)
4. Central Michigan (No. 90)
5. Ball State (No. 114)
6. Eastern Michigan (No. 124)
Preseason all-conference team
OFFENSE
QB: Zach Terrell, Western Michigan
RB: Joel Bouagnon, Northern Illinois
RB: Kareem Hunt, Toledo
WR: Corey Davis, Western Michigan
WR: Kenny Golladay, Northern Illinois
TE: Mason Schreck, Buffalo
OL: Storm Norton, Toledo
OL: Ryan Hunter, Bowling Green
OL: John Keenoy, Western Michigan
OL: Josh Ruka, Northern Illinois
OL: Levon Myers, Northern Illinois
DEFENSE
DL: J’Terius Jones, Miami (Ohio)
DL: Treyvon Hester, Toledo
DL: Tarell Basham, Ohio
DL: Jamal Marcus, Akron
LB: Austin Valdez, Bowling Green
LB: Sean Wiggins, Ball State
LB: Brandon Berry, Buffalo
CB: Shawun Lurry, Northern Illinois
CB: Demetrius Monday, Kent State
S: Nate Holley, Kent State
S: DeJuan Rogers, Toledo
SPECIALISTS
K: Christian Hagan, Northern Illinois
P: Joe Davidson, Bowling Green
Wine for mac. RET: Aregeros Turner, Northern Illinois
Best units
Quarterback: Western Michigan and Central Michigan (tie). You’re in great shape either way, whether with Zach Terrell with the Broncos or Cooper Rush at CMU.
Running back: Northern Illinois and Toledo (tie). The Rockets get credit for having the league’s best individual back, Kareem Hunt, but the Huskies have the league’s most enviable depth at the position.
Wide receiver and tight end: Akron. An already impressive top group returning from a year ago is joined by Utah State transfer JoJo Natson, a multifaceted offensive weapon.
Offensive line: Toledo. Four starters return from 2015, including perhaps the MAC’s top individual lineman in senior tackle Storm Norton.
Defensive line: Akron. The Zips are strongest on the outside at end, where Jamal Marcus seems destined for all-conference honors.
Linebacker: Bowling Green. The Falcons have the league’s best linebacker tandem in Austin Valdez and Trenton Greene.
Secondary: Kent State. If healthy, both Nate Holley and Demetrius Monday will earn all-conference accolades — and when combined with a strong front four and a solid group of linebackers, Kent State’s defense as a whole should be fairly stout.
Special teams: Northern Illinois. With the MAC’s best returner and an improved kicking game, the Huskies’ special teams is undoubtedly a major positive.
National award candidates
Biletnikoff Award (best receiver): Corey Davis, Western Michigan. The most productive receiver in program history — by leaps and bounds — stands within range of being among the most productive pass-catchers in FBS history.
Jim Thorpe Award (best defensive back): Shawun Lurry, Northern Illinois. After putting himself on the national map a season ago, Lurry stands as the MAC’s most recognizable defender.
AFCA Coach of the Year: P.J. Fleck, Western Michigan. Look for Fleck to be in the mix for this national honor should the Broncos not just win the MAC but contend for an access-bowl bid to one of the New Year’s Six games.
Ranking the starting quarterbacks
1. Zach Terrell, Western Michigan. Again, you can’t go wrong picking between Terrell or his Central Michigan counterpart — but I’m giving Terrell the edge thanks to his stronger supporting cast.
2. Cooper Rush, Central Michigan. Like Terrell, Rush has played at a very high level without landing even an ounce of national attention. That should change for both quarterbacks in 2016.
3. Drew Hare, Northern Illinois. Keeping the senior healthy will be NIU’s top priority on the offensive side of the ball.
4. Logan Woodside, Toledo. Woodside returns to the starting lineup — he was the starter in 2014 before redshirting last season — and should pick up where he left off as a capable and productive passer.
5. Riley Neal, Ball State. The sophomore, who performed slightly better than expected as a true freshman last fall, has as much talent and potential as any recent MAC quarterback.
6. James Knapke, Bowling Green. There’s little chance Knapke will replicate Matt Johnson’s totals from 2015, but that’s fine: BGSU will lean on his steadiness and experience in transitioning to a new coaching staff.
What Mac Team Is In A Bowl Game 2016 Score
7. Brogan Roback, Eastern Michigan. The Eagles will be able to build the offense around Roback, a former top-rated recruit who is beginning to blossom in Chris Creighton’s physical system.
8. Thomas Woodson, Akron. At 240 pounds, Woodson has the physical strength to be a bullying runner between the tackles. Can he make the throws in the Zips’ passing game? There’s reason for optimism, though Woodson remains a bit of a project.
9. Grant Rohach, Buffalo. The Iowa State transfer will take on the intimidating task of replacing Joey Licata, the most productive passer in program history.
10. George Bollas, Kent State. Bollas is in the lead for the starting job as of the summer, but the Golden Flashes have two youngsters ready to assume the mantle should he continue to struggle as the starter.
11. Billy Bahl, Miami (Ohio). Bahl has the tools to be a successful starter in the MAC, but he’ll need ample time to develop after a rocky freshman season.
12. Greg Windham, Ohio. The redshirt senior is the Bobcats' best option following classmate J.D. Sprague's departure from the team Aug. 17. Windham, who appeared in nine games last fall and has completed 54.7% of his career attempts, reportedly has had a good preseason.
Top newcomers
Northern Illinois DE Alton Meeks. After making a few starts at Iowa State in 2014 and spending last season on the junior-college ranks, Meeks should at worst inhabit a key role in the Huskies’ line rotation.
Eastern Michigan DE Joe Keels. He was a total non-factor during a short and uneventful stint at Nebraska, but Keels should find a more manageable level of competition in the MAC.
Bowling Green WR Darrion Landry. The JUCO transfer is expected to play a major role for a receiver corps dinged by graduation and attrition.
Ohio DT Tom Strobel. Strobel will step into the starting lineup in the middle of Ohio’s defensive front after spending the first three seasons of his career as a backup at Michigan.
Akron RB Warren Ball. A one-year rental from Ohio State, Ball will carry the load for the Zips’ ground game.
Games of the year
Western Michigan at Northwestern, Sept. 3. A win on the road against a Big Ten Conference foe would quickly turn WMU into a national darling.
San Diego State at Northern Illinois, Sept. 17. The Aztecs have their owns plans on crashing the New Year’s Six, and would need to land an impressive win at NIU to keep those hopes alive.
Western Michigan at Central Michigan, Oct. 1. With the Broncos potentially looking a week ahead — see below — the rival Chippewas could sneak in and upend the MAC race.
Northern Illinois at Western Michigan, Oct. 8. The two best teams in the conference meet in early October; though there will be weeks to go until the league title game, this game should play an immense role in the final standings.
Toledo at Northern Illinois, Nov. 9. In case you were unfamiliar with recent history, NIU owns Toledo.
Toledo at Western Michigan, Nov. 25. If not already decided, this regular-season finale will settle the pecking order in a crowded West Division.
What Mac Team Is In A Bowl Game 2016 Free
Best chance at the playoff
What Mac Team Is In A Bowl Game 2016 Results
One thing is certain: No MAC team from the weaker East Division is factoring into the race for an access bowl. Bowling Green is again the preseason favorite in the division, again followed closely by Ohio and Akron. Yet this group, while certainly good enough for postseason play, won’t have the résumé to earn a spot in the New Year’s Six conversation.
When it comes to the MAC, the race comes down to Western Michigan and Northern Illinois — the two frontrunners in the West, and the two teams most capable of winning 10 or more games during the regular season.
NIU has been a national fixture for the better part of a decade; that shouldn’t change in 2016, especially if senior quarterback Drew Hare can remain healthy at the center of the Huskies’ offense. The program also has history: NIU has owned both WMU and Toledo, its two fiercest rivals in the division.
What Mac Team Is In A Bowl Game 2016 Liberty Bowl
That may very well change in 2016. There’s no ignoring Western Michigan’s talent, nor the rapid, rocket-like trajectory the program has undergone since Fleck’s rocky debut season. No team in the MAC has more talent; no team has a better chance at defeating Power Five opponents in league play and crafting a record worthy of reaching an access bowl.
It comes down to four games in particular: Northwestern and Illinois in September, and Toledo and NIU in MAC play. Splitting the Big Ten pair and sweeping through conference action would place WMU right alongside the champions of the Mountain West Conference and American Athletic Conference.
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