College Football Preview: the Mid-American Conference Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY Sports August 19, 2015

College football preview: The Mid-American Conference Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY Sports August 19, 2015

The theory that then-offensive coordinator Matt Campbell was the biggest key to Tim Beckman's success at Toledo is supported by the numbers: Toledo scored a school-record 549 points in 2012, Beckman's final season before moving to Illinois, and has gone 26-13 since promoting Campbell to the top spot at the tail end of that season.

The idea that on-field success can be tied directly to recruiting success is supported by Western Michigan's rebound under third-year coach P.J. Fleck, who rode a pair of sterling signing classes to a seven-win leap in his second season with the Broncos.

The asinine suggestion that great coaches don't exist off the Power Five landscape is disproved by Campbell, Fleck, Ball State's Pete Lembo and Buffalo's Lance Leipold — the initial threesome seemingly committed to their current stops for the long term, and the latter fresh to the Football Bowl Subdivision ranks after an historic run of success at Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater.

When it comes to the Mid-American Conference, these three indisputable truths about are joined by a fourth: When it comes to pure dominance of an FBS league, no program can match Northern Illinois' active five-year run in the MAC.

The Huskies bring into this fall a 15-game road winning streak in league play, not counting appearances in the conference championship game. The program's last league road loss during the regular season came in a 48-41 loss to Central Michigan on Oct. 1, 2011.

Toledo coach Matt Campbell congratulates preseason Toledo coach Matt Campbell congratulates preseason All-MAC player Trent Voss (43) for a big play. (Photo: Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports) NIU has also won 57 games during the last five seasons, which doesn't merely dwarf the rest of the MAC — and the rest of its Illinois-state brethren, by the way — but ranks fourth in the FBS, trailing Oregon (60 wins), Ala- bama (58) and Florida State (58).

But only NIU and the Ducks have won at least 11 games in each of these five years.

Consider another two details of note. For starters, the Huskies have been this dominant despite playing under three different coaches: Jerry Kill in 2010, Dave Doeren in 2011 and 2012, and Rod Carey since 2013.

Then there's this: NIU is 57-13 overall but a whopping 41-4 against league foes — a ridiculous 91.1% winning percentage. That's not just insane; in this era of college football, that's unprecedented.

Thanks for playing, everyone. NIU runs the MAC with an iron fist, leaving a very talented and well-coached group — Toledo, Ball State, Western Michigan and others — battling for second place. This shouldn't change in 2015.

Predicted order of finish

(WITH 1-128 RANKING) EAST 1. Bowling Green (No. 62) 2. Ohio (No. 83) 3. Akron (No. 86) 4. Buffalo (93) 5. Massachusetts (No. 109) 6. Kent State (No. 122) 7. Miami (Ohio) (No. 113)

WEST

1. Northern Illinois (No. 39) 2. Toledo (No. 53) 3. Western Michigan (No. 55) 4. Ball State (No. 75) 5. Central Michigan (No. 111) 6. Eastern Michigan (No. 123)

Trivia question

(NO GOOGLING ALLOWED) By reading this sentence, you have agreed to a strict no-Googling rule in finding your answer.

Three MAC coaches have reached the College Football Hall of Fame based solely on their work inside the conference: Bowling Green's Doyt Perry, Central Michigan's Herb Deromedi and Sid Gillman of both Miami (Ohio) and Cincinnati — all but one Gillman's seasons at Cincinnati came with the Bearcats in the conference — are in the Hall of Fame for coaching accomplishments as part of the MAC.

On the other hand, seven members of the Hall of Fame at one point in their careers coached for a MAC program but earned their stripes elsewhere. Can you name those seven individuals who also served as a head coach at a non-MAC school on their way to the Hall of Fame?

National conference rank

WHERE DOES THE MAC RANK AMONG FBS CONFERENCES? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. American Athletic Conference 8. Conference USA 9. Mid-American Conference 10.

Best case, worst case EACH TEAM'S RANGE OF POSSIBILITY Bowling Green

Best case: Splitting its four non-conference games sets a great tone for the rest of the way, as Bowling Green goes 7-1 in conference play to defend its East Division championship.

Worst case: The Falcons go 0-4 in non-conference play and lose to Ohio, Western Michigan, Toledo and Ball State to finish well outside of bowl play.

Ohio

Best case: Beating Bowling Green on Nov. 4 hands Ohio the tiebreaker it needs to win the division.

Worst case: Ohio stands at 5-3 entering November, but four losses in a row — including one ugly home loss to Kent State — prevent the Bobcats from reaching bowl eligibility.

Akron

Best case: After a sluggish start, topping Louisiana-Lafayette on Sept. 26 propels Akron into six wins in its final eight games — which lifts the Zips to the top of the division and into the postseason.

Worst case: Once again, injuries stymie Akron's quest toward notching six-plus wins and making a bowl game. That's painful, in more ways than one.

Kent State coach Paul Haynes. Kent State coach Paul Haynes. (Photo: Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports) Massachusetts

Best case: Eight wins and the East title, making UMass the surprise of the MAC and one of the best stories na- tionally.

Worst case: Not yet, Minutemen. UMass makes clear strides but still tops out at four wins.

Buffalo

Best case: Everything clicks in Lance Leipold's debut season, as Buffalo's underrated talent level works in tandem with the new staff's philosophies to carry the Bulls to eight wins.

Worst case: No one doubts the program's long-range potential, but Buffalo is a disappointment at 3-9.

Kent State

Best case: No one is expecting any miracles, but six wins and a top-three finish in the East Division could potentially be described as miraculous.

Worst case: Three wins, with two coming against Delaware State and Miami (Ohio).

Miami (Ohio) Best case: The long road back toward respectability continues, but getting to five wins in Chuck Martin's second season is a nice omen for the near future.

Worst case: The RedHawks need a last-second field goal to beat Presbyterian in the opener, so it comes as no surprise when they lose every game from that point forward.

Northern Illinois

Best case: Sixth verse, same as the first, second, third, fourth and fifth. NIU wins the MAC West, beats Bowling Green in the conference title game and contends for an access-bowl bid.

Worst case: The Huskies lose to Toledo and Western Michigan, not only failing to defend their conference crown but finishing tied for third in the division.

Toledo

Best case: Toledo goes 3-1 in non-conference play and sweeps through the MAC, finally defeating Northern Il- linois and entering the postseason holding a national ranking.

Worst case: Northern Illinois 49, Toledo 17.

Western Michigan coach P.J. Fleck. Western Michigan coach P.J. Fleck. (Photo: Reese Strickland, USA TODAY Sports) Western Michigan

Best case: Riding a ridiculously talented roster, the Broncos go undefeated in MAC play and top Bowling Green in the title game.

Worst case: As expected, drawing both Toledo and NIU away from home eliminates WMU's chances of taking another step forward. Additional losses to Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan makes this a disappointing season.

Ball State

Best case: As he's done many times in the past, Pete Lembo pushes all the right buttons in piloting Ball State to double-digit wins.

Worst case: Another round of inconsistent quarterback play dooms Ball State's offense, which in turn places un- due strain on a defense lacking in one standout unit.

Central Michigan

Best case: Beating Kent State and Eastern Michigan to end the year lifts CMU to six wins and maintains the program's three-year streak of reaching bowl eligibility.

Worst case: Two wins: Monmouth and Buffalo.

Eastern Michigan Best case: EMU takes a nice step forward to four wins despite taking on what appears to be the most difficult schedule in the MAC.

Worst case: Winless, though the Eagles come close to knocking off Army on Sept. 26.

Preseason all-conference team

THE BEST AT EACH POSITION Ohio defensive lineman Tarell Basham. Ohio defensive lineman Tarell Basham. (Photo: Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports) Offense

QB: Drew Hare, Northern Illinois RB: Jarvion Franklin, Western Michigan RB: Kareem Hunt, Toledo WR: Corey Davis, Western Michigan WR: Tajee Sharpe, UMass TE: Rodney Mills, UMass OL: Willie Beavers, Western Michigan OL: Andrew Ness, Northern Illinois OL: Nick Beamish, Central Michigan OL: Alex Huettel, Bowling Green OL: Mike McQueen, Ohio

Defense

DL: Pat O'Connor, Eastern Michigan DL: Orion Jones, Toledo DL: Tarell Basham, Ohio DL: Trent Voss, Toledo LB: Jovan Santos-Knox, UMass LB: Great Ibe, Eastern Michigan LB: Jartavis Brown, Akron CB: Paris Logan, Northern Illinois CB: Cheatham Norrils, Toledo S: Nate Holley, Kent State S: Marlon Moore, Northern Illinois

Specialists

K: Tyler Tate, Bowling Green P: Anthony Melchiori, Kent State RET: Devin Campbell, Buffalo

Best units POSITION BY POSITION Quarterback: Northern Illinois. There may be better individual quarterbacks in the conference, or at least quarterbacks set to put forth stronger passer numbers, but NIU's overall excellence at the position — going back several years — moves the Huskies to the front of the pack.

Western Michigan running back Jarvion Franklin. Western Michigan running back Jarvion Franklin. (Photo: Sandra Dukes, USA TODAY Sports) Running back: Western Michigan and Toledo (tie). After such an outstanding rookie campaign, there's really only one question: What can Jarvion Franklin do for an encore? But the Rockets have the MAC's best backfield depth.

Wide receiver and tight end: Toledo. The MAC's most prolific receivers play elsewhere, but the Rockets house the league's deepest unit.

Offensive line: Ball State. If you're looking for a reason why Ball State will be a sneaky contender in the West Division, look no further than an offensive line that returns all five starters, including a two-time all-conference pick in center Jacob Richard.

Defensive line: Toledo. With two likely all-conference picks anchoring the unit, Toledo may be able to control the point of attack against the run — but we'll see if the Rockets can finally stop NIU.

Linebacker: Northern Illinois. The Huskies might be down one returning starter without Rasheen Lemon, who is suspended indefinitely, but there's still enough returning experience to trot out a very qualified two-deep.

Secondary: Northern Illinois. NIU always seems to have aggressive, ball-hawking defensive backfields; this year should be no different.

Special teams: Bowling Green. The Falcons have the MAC's best kicker in Tyler Tate and perhaps its most effec- tive punter in Joe Davidson, though I gave Kent State's Anthony Melchiori first-team honors above.

Video

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg breaks down the Mid-American Conference, including the game of the year and which player is going to break out in 2015. USA TODAY Sports

Fact check

TIDBITS, NOTES AND NUMBER Let's get a few Northern Illinois-related items out of the way to start, beginning with this: NIU brings into this fall a 15-game road winning streak in league play, not counting appearances in the conference championship game. The Huskies' last conference road loss during the regular season came in a 48-41 loss to Central Michigan on Oct. 1, 2011.

The Huskies have also won 57 games during the last five seasons, which ranks fourth in the FBS behind Oregon (60 wins), Alabama (58) and Florida State (58). But only NIU and the Ducks have won at least 11 games in each of these five years.

To put this five-year run in perspective, consider two details of note. For starters, the Huskies have been this dominant despite playing under three different coaches: Jerry Kill in 2010, Dave Doeren in 2011 and 2012, and Rod Carey since 2013. In addition, NIU is 57-13 overall but a whopping 41-4 against league foes — a ridiculous 91.1% winning percentage. That's not just insane; in this era of college football, that's unprecedented.

New Buffalo coach Lance Leipold compiled a stunningly New Buffalo coach Lance Leipold compiled a stunningly strong record at Wisconsin-Whitewater. (Photo: Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports) The only thing sillier than NIU's run of MAC dominance may be first-year Buffalo coach Lance Leipold's eight- year run at Wisconsin-Whitewater. There was a 7-3 finish in 2012, when the Warhawks tied for second place in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Otherwise, Leipold compiled a 99-3 record with five Division III national championships and six appearances in the Division III championship game. As an aside, Leipold's best hire is wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Rob Ianello, who quite easily ranks as one of the premier recruiters in all of college football.

Massachusetts played its first football game in 1879, making it the oldest program in the Mid-American Confer- ence and, along with Michigan, the fourth-oldest program in the entire FBS. Last year's 3-9 finish dropped the Minutemen's all-time record to 561-557-51, meaning any season with more than eight losses would drop the program's career winning percentage below 50% for the first time in many, many years.

After making just seven sacks in 2013, P.J. Fleck's first year with the program, Western Michigan finished third in the MAC with 28 sacks a season ago. That 21-sack leap was the largest year-to-year leap in the FBS in 2014.

Much should be made of Western Michigan's back-to-back road trips to Northern Illinois and Toledo to end the season. For a young team — yes, the roster is still young — still learning how to put together a complete season, those road matchups will knock the Broncos into third in the West Division, in my opinion. Nor has history been kind in such seasons: WMU hasn't defeated the Rockets and Huskies on the road in the same season since 2007, has won at Toledo just twice since 1989, and has just one win at NIU since 2000.

USA TODAY Why Buffalo coach Lance Leipold's leap to FBS was inevitable Ohio is the only program in the FBS to have had the same head coach, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator in each of the last 10 seasons. Led by Frank Solich, offensive coordinator Tim Albin and defensive coordinator Jimmy Burrow, the Bobcats have won 71 games, posted six winning seasons and reached six bowl games during this decade-long span. In the 40 years prior to the staff's arrival, Ohio went 119-228 with seven winning seasons and zero bowl appearances.

On Jan. 22, mere weeks before national signing day, Dan Enos elected to resign his spot as Central Michigan's head coach to become Bret Bielema's offensive coordinator at Arkansas. On Feb. 9, CMU hired longtime NFL assistant John Bonamego as his replacement. If we use very basic criteria — that a coach was in the NFL when he was hired — Bonamego is one of six active FBS head coaches to be picked off the professional ranks, joining Temple's Matt Rhule, Tulane's Curtis Johnson, Iowa's Kirk Ferentz, Michigan's Jim Harbaugh and Florida Inter- national's Ron Turner.

National award candidates BEST OF THE BEST Doak Walker Award (best running back): Jarvion Franklin, Western Michigan and Kareem Hunt, Toledo (tie). Franklin took home the conference accolades last fall, but let's remember that Hunt led the MAC in rushing despite missing several games in midseason. Both will have the numbers to perhaps advance as Doak Walker semifinalists.

Biletnikoff Award (best wide receiver): Corey Davis, Western Michigan. As much as any national award, the Biletnikoff embraces overall production instead of focusing entirely on quality of competition. That's good news for Davis. If healthy, he'll lead the MAC in every major statistical category.

Lou Groza Award (best kicker): Tyler Tate, Bowling Green. The best kicker in the MAC is clearly in the race for the Groza. It might be nice if Tate could make all of his extra-point tries as a senior.

Butkus Award (best linebacker): Jovan Santos-Knox, UMass. There's no shortage of MAC linebackers with great numbers — see EMU's Great Ibe or Akron's Jatavis Brown — but let's give Santos-Knox a slight edge heading into fall camp.

Superlatives

MOST LIKELY TO ... Have 1,000 yards receiving: Corey Davis, Western Michigan. Barring injury, Davis is a lock for the 1,000-yard mark. If he continues to develop, there may be some All-American consideration in his future.

Throw for 3,500 yards: Zach Terrell, Western Michigan. He might not be the only quarterback to crack this mark — Blake Frohnapfel at UMass, Central Michigan's Cooper Rush and Bowling Green's Matt Johnson may do so as well — but Terrell should eventually lead the MAC in passing yards.

Western Michigan wide receiver Corey Davis (84). Western Michigan wide receiver Corey Davis (84). (Photo: Brian Losness, USA TODAY Sports) Lose his job: Paul Haynes, Kent State. No one expected Haynes to continue the pace set by his predecessor, Dar- rell Hazell, but the Golden Flashes are now 6-17 during his two seasons at the helm.

Be coaching in a Power Five conference in 2016: Pete Lembo, Ball State and P.J. Fleck, Western Michigan (tie). Lembo's been close before, meaning it's just a matter of time before he finds the right opportunity. Fleck's rising fast, so a power program in the area — say, Illinois — may see him as the solution.

Have 1,500 yards rushing: Kareem Hunt, Toledo. The last time Hunt didn't gain at least 91 yards rushing in a single game was on Oct. 5, 2013. When healthy, Hunt is even more productive than Western Michigan's Jarvion Franklin. He needs to stay healthy, however.

Be a first round pick in 2016: Davis, Western Michigan. There may be an Eric Fisher-like offensive lineman hid- ing in the MAC, known only to a select few NFL scouts and personnel folks, but we won't know for sure until September or October. A safer pick — though still a long shot — is Davis, who has the size and numbers but would need to show NFL-caliber speed in testing.

Beat a Power Five team in non-conference play: Bowling Green and Toledo (tie). Toledo draws Iowa State at home on Sept. 19, while the Falcons travel to Purdue on Sept. 26. Toledo running back Kareem Hunt (3). Toledo running back Kareem Hunt (3). (Photo: Raj Mehta, USA TODAY Sports) Lead the conference in scoring offense: Northern Illinois and Western Michigan (tie). After struggling at times in league play last fall, I expect NIU to put together a more well-rounded offense — not just running but through the air — in 2015. The Broncos, meanwhile, return the lion's share of production from last year's top attack.

Lead the conference in scoring defense: Toledo. I love the front four and have high hopes for the secondary, espe- cially if cornerback Cheatham Norrils returns from injury and regains his all-conference form. Linebacker play is a potential weak link, but the Rockets have enough talent surrounding the position to thrive.

Exceed expectations: Ball State. Losing seasons don't often happen for Lembo, so it's only safe to project the Car- dinals to move back into bowl eligibility behind a more experienced starting cast. That's at a minimum; the Car- dinals may do what they've done in the recent past and challenge NIU and Toledo for West Division supremacy.

Disappoint: Western Michigan and Bowling Green (tie). Expectations have been steadily climbing at WMU since Fleck's arrival prior to the 2013 season. With road games at NIU and Toledo on the docket, the Broncos may not be ready to take home the division. The Falcons are the favorite in the East Division, but last year's team held similar preseason billing and was largely underwhelming throughout.

Returning starters

THE NUMBERS, TEAM BY TEAM

Ranking the starting QBs

NEW BUFFALO STAFF HELPED BY LICATA Not every program in the conference has a clear-cut starter in advance of fall camp. Bonus points for those schools without a major competition, let alone those with an accomplished and trustworthy returning starter.

Central Michigan quarterback Cooper Rush (10). Central Michigan quarterback Cooper Rush (10). (Photo: John Rieger, USA TODAY Sports) 1. Drew Hare, Northern Illinois. It doesn't matter who's taking the snaps: the Huskies' quarterback almost always is going to top this list. Hare will be even better in his second season as the starter.

2. Zach Terrell, Western Michigan. The numbers speak for themselves: 3,443 yards, 26 touchdowns, 67.9% completion percentage and 9.4 yards per attempt. Terrell will be the guy for the Broncos, but P.J. Fleck may try to get redshirt freshman Chance Stewart involved.

3. Joe Licata, Buffalo. He has quietly put together one of the finest careers by a quarterback in school history. Licata is set for a breakout season as a senior.

4. Matt Johnson, Bowling Green. After his breakthrough in 2013, it will be very interesting to see how Johnson bounces back from the injury that cost him all but the first game of last season.

5. Blake Frohnapfel, UMass. The former Marshall transfer might have been the most pleasant quarterbacking surprise in last year's MAC. Let's how he fares with another season of experience in Mark Whipple's system. USA TODAY UMass's Blake Frohnapfel is the best QB you've never heard of 6. Cooper Rush, Central Michigan. His statistical leap between his freshman and sophomore seasons — 12 more touchdowns, two fewer interceptions, nearly an additional yard per attempt — bodes well for Rush's final two seasons with the Chippewas.

Akron quarterback Kyle Pohl. Akron quarterback Kyle Pohl. (Photo: Charles LeClaire, USA TODAY Sports) 7. Kyle Pohl, Akron. Injuries slowed Pohl down a year ago, but the Zips' staff has full confidence that he can put together an all-conference senior season. Terry Bowden thinks his team would have reached bowl eligibility had Pohl remained healthy in 2014.

8. Reggie Bell, Eastern Michigan. Bell certainly brings some excitement to the position, even if his dual-threat production didn't translate into victories in Chris Creighton's debut season. But the sophomore has serious potential.

9. Phillip Ely, Toledo. The former Alabama transfer won a tight quarterback battle heading into last fall but was lost for the season after two games. I still think the job is his to lose, but Ely's lack of overall game experience remains his biggest question mark.

10. Zach Milas, Ball State. The Cardinals will need to be patient with Milas as he continues to learn under Pete Lembo's careful tutelage.

11. Derrius Vick, Ohio. Vick gives Frank Solich more reliability than J.D. Sprague, judging by what we saw a year ago, as well as more athleticism.

12. Colin Reardon, Kent State. Reardon was more ineffective as a junior than a sophomore, which is cause for concern. The staff would be wise to get him more involved in the running game.

13. Drew Kummer, Miami (Ohio). I'd give Kummer the edge over redshirt freshman Gus Ragland due to Rag- land's limited on-field experience — Kummer, a senior, has thrown for more than 300 during the past two seasons. But Ragland's time is coming, perhaps as soon as September and October.

Top newcomers

PLUS POTENTIAL BREAKOUT PLAYERS Northern Illinois WR Kenny Golladay. The Huskies do return Tommylee Lewis, an undersized return special- ist and receiver who missed last season with a foot injury. But NIU coaches hope to team Lewis with Golladay, a 6-foot-4 former transfer who came in from North Dakota and sat out last season.

UMass offensive tackle Tyrell Smith. UMass offensive tackle Tyrell Smith. (Photo: Timothy T. Ludwig, USA TODAY Sports) UMass OT Tyrell Smith. He moved out to left tackle last fall after spending the first two years of his career inside at guard. That led to a few growing pains, but Smith's play down the stretch paints the junior as the strongest piece along the Minutemen's offensive line and a potential all-conference selection in 2015. Eastern Michigan WR Lemar Harris. Do you remember the last EMU had a receiver who tested MAC defensive backs? Yeah, me neither. Maybe Harris, a redshirt freshman who moved from quarterback, can give the Eagles a boost at a position long lacking in anything of consequence.

Toledo OT Mike Ebert. The former tight end will be asked to handle right tackle as one of five new starters along the Rockets' offensive front. Ebert's not a 325-pound mauler, but his quickness should come in handy.

Akron CB Larry Hope. The Zips have been welcoming to major-program transfers throughout Terry Bowden's tenure. Hope, a cornerback over from Miami (Fla.), is just the latest example. Though Hope didn't play much with the Hurricanes — mostly in a reserve role in 2013 — he'll be expected to grab a starting role.

Western Michigan OT Chukwuma Okorafor. The starting lineup awaits for Okorafor, a Big Ten-caliber prospect who should anchor the Broncos' offensive line for the next three seasons. And keep an eye on a newcomer, freshman tackle Wesley French, who arrives with Okorafor-like hype.

Ball State DE Joshua Posley. Ball State's had great success with local transfers in the past. Posley, who comes over from Cincinnati, will help beef up last year's mediocre pass rush.

Assistants on the rise

COACHING NAMES TO KNOW Toledo offensive line coach Tom Manning. Toledo offensive line coach Tom Manning. (Photo: Andrew Weber, USA TODAY Sports) Toledo offensive line coach Tom Manning. Last year's group wasn't quite as strong as expected, but Manning can make a name for himself by rounding this season's inexperienced cast into form before the calendar turns to MAC play.

Bowling Green defensive coordinator Brian Ward. Bowling Green's Dino Babers dipped into the Football Cham- pionship Subdivision well to grab Ward, who most recently spent three very successful seasons in the same capacity at Western Illinois.

Akron offensive coordinator A.J. Milwee. One of the youngest coordinators in the country, Milwee has been learning on the job while showing the talent and intelligence to eventually land on the major-conference radar.

Western Michigan special teams coordinator Rob Wegner. While he also leads the Broncos' defensive ends, Weg- ner's greatest work has come on special teams. Last year's group made enormous strides after ranking among the nation's worst in 2013, so it's safe to assume another step forward this fall.

Eastern Michigan defensive coordinator Brad McCaslin. EMU's entire staff remain unknowns, largely thanks to their FCS, NAIA and Division III backgrounds. But McCaslin proved while the coordinator at Drake University that he knows how to put together a stout defense.

Ball State defensive coordinator Kevin Kelley. Though the early returns weren't overly positive for Kelley, who joined the Cardinals prior to last season, the former Georgetown head coach will get things turned around in 2015. Games of the year

THE MAC'S APPOINTMENT VIEWING Michigan State at Western Michigan, Sept. 4. Getting the Spartans at home is a nice bonus for the Broncos, even if beating Mark Dantonio's gang is a different story altogether. Maybe — just maybe — WMU can catch Michi- gan State napping in advance of its matchup with Oregon a week later.

Toledo at Arkansas (in Little Rock), Sept. 12. Toledo won't win this game, but the rest of the MAC — particularly the West Division — will be paying attention. If the Rockets can run the ball effectively on Arkansas, doing the same in conference play shouldn't be a problem.

Bowling Green at Purdue, Sept. 26. For Bowling Green, moving beyond eight wins and reaching its full potential demands a non-conference win against an eminently beatable opponent. In addition to Purdue, the Falcons take on Tennessee, Maryland and Memphis in September.

Ohio at Akron, Oct. 3. The Zips close with UMass, Miami (Ohio), Buffalo and Kent State in November, so a 3-1 or 4-0 final month is very much a possibility. Beating Ohio in October would move this team even closer to securing just the second bowl bid in program history.

Northern Illinois at Toledo, Nov. 3. The Rockets are still looking for their first win against the Huskies this decade. At least last year's defeat never got out of hand. Again, don't sleep on NIU's long road winning streak in conference play.

Bowling Green at Ohio, Nov. 4. The Bobcats have two positives in their corner: one, they get the Falcons at home, and two, they're coming off a bye week. Those factors may be enough to get Ohio into the win column, which could in turn decide the East Division.

Western Michigan at Northern Illinois, Nov. 18. WMU emulates Northern Illinois' unparalleled run of success in this conference, even if the Broncos have gone about setting a foundation in a wholly different manner — with a level of recruiting never before seen in the MAC, not a foolproof system of offensive ingenuity and player devel- opment.

Western Michigan at Toledo, Nov. 27. Though Toledo gets both NIU and Western Michigan at home, the Bron- cos take on the Rockets and Huskies on the road. That's a bad thing. Yet there's still reason to think WMU will be within striking distance of Toledo heading into the final Saturday of November.

All-time all-conference team

THE MAC'S ULTIMATE FANTASY TEAM For the efforts of this exercise, let's play under the following rules:

Though the MAC was formed in 1947, only a handful of teams have membership dating back to the league's early days. Several, such as Akron and Buffalo, joined within the last 25 years; another, Northern Illinois, was a MAC member from 1973-85 and again since 1997. This list doesn't include players from Akron and Buffalo from before joining the MAC, nor any NIU players from before 1973 or from 1986-96. Make sense?

To cite an example below, former Cincinnati offensive lineman Bill Shalosky is listed on this team because he played for the Bearcats from 1950-52, when they were part of the MAC. Punter Kevin Huber is not, since he played from 2005-8, when the Bearcats played in the Big East Conference. In addition, if any conference shift occurred during a player's career — as in the case of Marshall, for example, which was a member twice, most recently from 1997-2004 — he will be considered for the league in which he had his greatest or most memorable success. So the all-time MAC team doesn't include former Marshall center John Wade, who spent the 1997 season in the MAC but played most of his career in the Southern Conference.

QB: George Bork, Northern IllinoisQB: George Bork, Northern Illinois (Photo: Northern Illinois Athletics) Fullscreen QB: George Bork, Northern Illinois RB: Jerome Persell, Western Michigan RB: Travis Prentice, Miami (Ohio) WR: Randy Moss, Marshall WR: Jordan White, Western Michigan TE: Gary Arthur, Miami (Ohio) OL: John Greco, Toledo OL: Bill Shalosky, Cincinnati OL: Heath Wingate, Bowling Green OL: Al Kilgore, Kent State OL: Ken Carmon, Ohio K: Gary Gussman RET: Dri Archer, Kent State DL: Brian Pillman, Miami (Ohio) DL: Mel Long, Toledo DL: Roosevelt Nix, Kent State DL: Jason Babin, Western Michigan LB: Bob Babich, Miami (Ohio) LB: Jack Lambert, Kent State LB: Khalil Mack, Buffalo CB: Ron Johnson, Eastern Michigan CB: Joe Callan, Ohio S: Barry Church, Toledo S: Robert Jackson, Central Michigan P: Brad Maynard, Ball State Next Slide

Trivia answers

THE PAYOFF The question, in shortened form: Can you name the seven members of the College Football Hall of Fame who served as a head coach at both a MAC school and at least one other FBS program?

It's not an easy question, I know. But they're not supposed to be easy. If you thought that a few had to work at Miami (Ohio), you're on the right track. They are …

Don Nehlen, who went from Bowling Green to West Virginia. Don James, from Kent State to Washington. John Heisman, who sandwiched a stint at Akron — then known as Buchtel College — around stays at Oberlin, Au- burn, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Pennsylvania, Washington & Jefferson, and Rice. There's three.

And then there's the RedHawks' contingent. Woody Hayes went from Denison to Miami (Ohio) to Ohio State. George Little, from Cincinnati to Miami (Ohio) to Michigan to Wisconsin. Ara Parseghian, who started at Miami (Ohio), went to Northwestern and capped his career at Notre Dame. And then Bo Schembechler, who started with the RedHawks before heading to Michigan.

Best chance at the Playoff

THE TEAM CIRCLING DEC. 6 ON THE CALENDAR Before you ignore the MAC's shot at putting its champion in an access bowl, remember: Northern Illinois reached the Bowl Championship Series three years ago, and two seasons ago stood one win away — a loss to Bowling Green in conference title game — from repeating as the non-BCS conference participant in the anti- quated postseason format. It's not such a stretch to consider that the Huskies could do so again, basically.

And that same team is the league's best hope of a spot in one of the New Year's Six bowls: NIU, boom or bust, because the Huskies remain the class of the league despite the annual hope in other MAC-area circles that the window for this particular dynasty has closed. No such luck. As noted earlier, this run by NIU isn't merely jaw- on-the-floor impressive; it's unprecedented in the recent era of college football. Northern Illinois players celebrated another MAC championship Northern Illinois players celebrated another MAC championship in Dec. 2014. (Photo: Rick Osentoski, USA TODAY Sports) I'm high on Toledo, as are most, and the Rockets do have opportunities to make noise in September — against Arkansas, most notably. It's also easy to fall in love with Western Michigan, thanks to the accumulation of talent P.J. Fleck has corralled during his short stint in Kalamazoo. At the same time, however, let's not forget that the Broncos must take on Toledo and NIU on the road; so long, divisional title.

Don't put any national stock into the East, even as Bowling Green eyes a leap forward in Dino Babers' second season, Frank Solich continues to do yeoman's work at Ohio, Akron prepares for a bowl game, Lance Leipold puts juice into Buffalo, and UMass puts scares into teams across both divisions. It's a solid, well-contested league, but there's no team with the potential to crack double-digit wins in the regular season.

This is Northern Illinois' league — has been, five years and counting, and will be again. But can NIU make another major-bowl run? It'll demand a perfect record in league play, complete with a win at Ford Field in Decem- ber, but that wouldn't be new for the Huskies. Here's the biggest game: Boston College.

NIU won't — and can't — sniff Ohio State, and no one is expecting anything more than a lopsided loss. But Boston College, on the other hand … While a loss in that game dooms the Huskies' fate, what with Boise State potentially making a run at perfection, a loss to Ohio State can be offset by defeating the Eagles and running the table in the MAC. Then we're looking at a scenario where one-loss NIU might challenge for an access bowl.