Is the MAC attack back and in full force, or are they just a shadow of their former selves? Does David Letterman lay awake at night wondering where his beloved Gonads fit into the picture? And can Miami make it 13 straight winning seasons in 2006? Stay tuned, answers to follow.
Here is my take on the MID AMERICAN CONFERENCE for 2006. Coming up next: the MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE. Enjoy…
AKRON
The MAC’s 2004 Coach of the Year actually improved his team’s lot when J.D. Brookhart led the Zips to its 1st league title and Division 1-A bowl berth last season. He did so despite the fact that 67% of his roster contained either freshmen or sophomores. To cap it off, Brookhart enjoyed the best recruiting class in the MAC this past winter. Better, some say, than some Big 10’s. To top it off, Akron returns 39 of its 51 lettermen, including SR. QB Luke Getsy who tossed for 3,455 yards last year, 2nd in school history to NFLer Charlie Frye. We’ll look to Zip it up again in ’06.
PLAY ON: vs. Penn State - (9/2)
BALL STATE
Like David Letterman, Ball State will hope to open their act with a lot of enthusiasm this fall. That’s because, following last year’s 0-4 start, the Cardinals closed with a rush winning three of their final four games (the loss was in overtime) to conclude their ‘late show’. In fact, they were the only team to beat both MAC division champs in 2005. A brutal non-conference schedule saw them come up virtually empty when they were outscored 152-3 in losses at Iowa, Nebraska and Boston College last year. As a result, 54 returning lettermen (there’s that word, again), including 10 starters on offense, will look to make their own ‘headlines’ (apologies to Jay Leno) in 2006.
PLAY ON: as dog vs. Central Michigan (10/14)
BOWLING GREEN
Despite tying for MAC East Division honors last season, the Falcons were home for the holidays for the first time in three years when they lost at home against Toledo in their season finale. Nonetheless, Bowling Green has become a conference force as their 35-14 record the last four seasons is the best mark by nay MAC team in that span. Included is a rock-solid 18-6 record in conference games under head coach Gregg Brandon. The Falcons were hit hard by player losses from last year when star QB Omar Jacobs opted to leave early for the NFL. “We have a lot of new faces,” warns Brandon. Eight games away from home won’t help.
PASS
BUFFALO
In a complete reversal from the professional football team from Buffalo, it’s out with the old and in with the new as Turner Gill, the former Heisman-finalist at Nebraska, replaces Jim Hofher on the sidelines this season. Try as he may, Hofher couldn’t cut the mustard as the Bulls sent him packing with a paltry 8-49 record. Knowing that, Gill had better prepare himself for a taste of something he’s never swallowed – losing (Gill never lost a conference game as a starter). He brings along three assistant coaches that have won national championships, so the pieces are in place. The players are another matter.
PLAY AGAINST: vs. Auburn (9/23)
CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Yet another blue-collar team whose record belied the effort put forth on the playing field last season (6-5 Chips won the stats in 7 of 11 games). That’s what happens when four of your five losses occur by a touchdown or less. As a result, head coach Brian Kelly hired three new assistants as he looks to improve on his 51-18 win-loss record the last five years. The loss of QB Kent Smith and WR Justin Harper, a 4-year starter, will certainly be big shoes to fill. In addition, seven road games will also put back-to-back winning seasons to task. Somehow, though, Kelly figures to ‘git-r-done’. PLAY ON: vs. Western Michigan (11/12)
EASTERN MICHIGAN
For a while the Eagles flapped their wings mightily in Jeff Genyk’s 2nd season at Ypslianti in 2005, starting off 3-2 before leveling off to a second successive 4-7 finish. Looking inside the numbers we count two 1-point, one 2-point and one 7-point loss on their ledger. QB Tyler Jones completed 41 of 65 tosses last season as Matt Bohnet’s backup. His number one target will be WR Eric Deslauriers, who tops the nation in active receivers. PK Andrew Wellock was the Lou Groza Award runner-up in 2004. If they can escape the wrath of five road outs in their first six games, the Eagles just may take flight in ’06.
PLAY ON: vs. Ball State (8/31)
KENT STATE
It’s not often a 1-10 team finds itself excited about the prospects of the season ahead. An exception to the rule this year might be the Golden Flashes, who lost only 13 lettermen. So what if the Flashes were outgained in every contest they played last season. They welcome18 starters, including 6’6” JR QB Michael Machen – who happens to carry the highest GPA of all players on the squad. Head coach Doug Martin will likely be rewarded for having to play 26 Division 1-A rookies, including 14 freshmen, last season (only Arkansas played more). Rest assured, this team will take a step forward in ’06. They may be baby steps, but progress nonetheless.
PASS
MARSHALL
Head coach Mark Snyder’s 4-7 rookie season with the Thundering Herd last year netted Marshall’s smallest win total since in 1983. Snyder knew the cupboard was empty in 2005 when he inherited only three starters on each side of the ball, while fielding the 2nd youngest team in the country. Despite being undermanned, his team developed a knack for keeping things close as over half of their games were decided by less than a touchdown. Hence, it was no surprise they won the stats in six of their eleven games. Unlike last year, the shelves will be rather well stocked in 2006, led by RB Amad Bradshaw. They’ll be mining for gold when they invade Morgantown.
PLAY ON: vs. West Virginia (9/2)
MIAMI OHIO
Shane Montgomery realizes Miami’s skein of 12 straight winning seasons is in serious peril this year. A veteran squad in 2005, the RedHawks graduated 19 seniors, including eight all-MAC players. Suddenly, a team that has won or shared in each of the last three MAC East Division championships appears in jeopardy with only seven starters back from last year’s team. They will be lead by RB Brandon Murphy, a 5’8” dynamo who landed 2nd team conference honors in 2005. The key loss is that of QB Josh Betts, who lead the MAC in passing yards in ’05. The MAC’s all-time winningest program looks to be in hot water in 2006.
PASS
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
10 seconds. One play. That’s how close the Huskies came to winning its first outright MAC title since 1983 when they fell, 31-30, to Akron on the final play of the game in the conference championship game last year. That heartbreaking loss caused head coach Joe Novak to inspire a ‘You Never Forget’ philosophy for 2006. On the heels of six consecutive winning seasons for the first time in NIU’s Division 1-A tenure, they’ll open at Ohio State to kick of the 2006 campaign. “Men, it’s 161 days until the Buckeyes… we’ve go a lot of work ahead,” declared Novak at the opening of spring camp this year. You’d best believe they’ll be fully focused this season.
PLAY ON; vs. Ohio State (9/2)
OHIO U
The Bobcats learned quickly that having a two-time Big 12 Coach of the Year does not automatically guarantee success. While Ohio’s 4-7 mark mirrored 2004’s ledger, the fact of the matter is they declined drastically in the stats as their numbers plummeted on both sides of the ball. An abundance of returning starters, lead by JR RB Kalvin McRae (first team all-MAC last year) holds promise. So too does the prospect of former Illinois QB Brad Bower winning the job from incumbent Austen Everson. The defense is anchored by 6th year SR lineman Shane Yates. They’ll need to shuck off last year’s effort before we brand them the Ohio Cornhuskers.
PLAY AGAINST: as favorite vs. Buffalo (10/21)
TEMPLE
The Bobby Wallace era is officially over at Temple. And while a 19-71 record is reason enough the fact of the matter is Wallace is a fine coach coach who never really had a chance to succeed. 36-year old Al Golden, the defensive coordinator at Virginia the past five seasons, takes over with 10 full-time assistants – five former players at Penn State - that average 35.8 years old. Included is new defensive coordinator Mark D’Onofrio. “We talk to our guys about finishin'…’Philly Style’. We want to be known around the country and the MAC for being a physical team that will play anyone, anytime and anywhere.” said Golden. Ah, youthful enthusiasm, there’s nothing like it.
PASS
TOLEDO
The Rockets were on target most of last year when they won nine games, including a convincing 32-point bowl victory over UTEP. For Tom Amstutz it was business as usual as his teams have averaged exactly nine wins per season during his five-year tenure in the Glass City. We’ll bet you didn’t know their 55-19 record since 2000 is better than Auburn, Florida, Michigan and Oregon over the same span. They refuel with 44 lettermen this year, with virtually all wide receivers, tight ends and offensive linemen back in tact. Amstutz is seldom outsized or outscored. A 34-2 SU mark at home, and a well-lettered squad, should find them bowling again in ’06.
PLAY ON: vs. Central Michigan (10/7)
WESTERN MICHIGAN
Rookie coach Bill Cubit made a solid debut with the Western Michigan last season, guiding the Broncos to a solid 7-win season. It snapped a four-year losing skein and earned Cubit Coach Of The Year honors in the MAC. WMU returns 16 starters from last year’s club, including SR QB Ryan Cubit (coaches son) who was injured most of the season last year. He may not get the starting nod, however, as Tim Hiller – the MAC Freshman of the Year – is back after tossing 20 TD’s last season. They’ll put it in the hands of WR Greg Jennings, the MAC Offensive Player of the Year. Look for the Broncos to continue kicking their heels in 2006.
PLAY ON: vs. Northern Illinois (10/14)
This article was extracted from the 2006 PLAYBOOK FOOTBALL HANDICAPPERS' YEARBOOK magazine. To order your copy of this 248-page best selling football preview click here www.playbook.com or call 1.800.PLAYBOOK for instant service.
Marc Lawrence has enjoyed success as a handicapper since 1975. He publishes the Playbook Football Handicappers Yearbook magazine and the weekly Playbook Football and Playbook Basketball newsletters. He is also a featured columnist for Football News.
In addition, he hosts Right on the Line, a 30-minute nationally syndicated cable TV show that airs Saturday mornings during the football season, and the 60-minute Right on the Line radio show, heard every weekend on over 100 radio stations across America, including the Sirius satellite radio network.
You can watch and listen to Right on the Line at www.playbook.com.
