MAC Football picks: UT and OU to win their divisions

Just a few weeks to go before college football season starts. The MAC looks very competitive. Here are my predictions for the two divisions.

East

1.      Ohio U.  — 7-1 in the MAC, 10-2 overall. Bobcats are defending East champs and have plenty of talent to win it again.

2.     Miami — 5-3 MAC , 6-6 overall. Redhawks will challenge for the top spot after they get whacked by Ohio State in the season opener.

3.     Bowling Green — 5-3 MAC, 7-5 overall. What a way to start the conference season: at Toledo.

4.     Kent State — 3-5 MAC, 4-8 overall. As always with the Flashes, you can mark them down for another sub-.500 season.

5.     Buffalo — 2-6 MAC, 3-7 overall. Bulls will host the Rockets October 27 and should provide UT with an easy win.

6.    Akron — 1-7 MAC, 1-11 overall. Bobby Bowden’s kid, Terry, takes over a program mired in the crapper.

7.     UMass — 1-7 MAC, 1-11 overall. Minutemen will upset Central Michigan in last game of the season for their only win.

West

1.      Toledo — 7-1 MAC, 10-2 overall. Despite Eric Page leaving early for the NFL and RB Adonis Thomas graduating, the Rockets should have a good offense. Will they play decent enough defense to win the West? School’s out on that question.

2.     Western Michigan — 7-1 MAC, 9-3 overall. Broncos lose the tiebreaker to the Rockets with a loss to UT in Kalamazoo.

3.     Northern Illinois — 5-3 MAC, 7-5 overall. Despite an upset win over the Rockets, the Huskies will still lack enough offense to get a MAC title shot. NIU might just upset Charlie Weis’ Kansas Jayhawks in DeKalb, though.

4.     Eastern Michigan — 4-4 MAC, 5-7 overall. Eagles still can’t get past the better teams in the West.

5.     Ball State — 2-6 MAC, 2-10 overall. Cardinals continue to stay on a downward flight pattern.

6.     Central Michigan — 1-7 MAC, 2-10 overall. The Dan LeFevbre and Gang days of winning are now fond memories for a program that is downer than down.