Sports
Mid-American Conference Football is entering a crucial stretch as MACtion begins
By: Andrew Bowlby
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – As the majority of the teams in the Mid-American Conference gear up for what is going to be a four-game sprint to the end of the regular season, there are still many teams fighting for a spot in Detroit and the conference Championship game.
The MAC is balanced this year, and aside from a winless UMass team, every team has been able to compete this season and pose a threat to higher ranked teams.
Here’s a look at where the MAC stands and the biggest games remaining in the regular season.
Conference Standings:
The only team that has made it through the first 5 weeks of conference play without a loss is Miami. The RedHawks have won each of the MAC games by at least 10 points. Their best win is easily last week’s over Western Michigan at home.
After Miami, the standings are jammed up. Four teams are tied for second, including the Ohio Bobcats. Of the current top five teams in the conference, Ohio will face three of them in their final four games.
Buffalo and Western Michigan were 3-0 in conference play entering last week; however, both suffered losses to Akron and Miami respectively.
Central Michigan has won back-to-back after a loss to Akron in early October holding their spot at the top of the standings.
Toledo begins the second stretch of teams with the same record. The Rockets have had a disappointing season and have not been able to win close games which could be the reason they are held out of the MAC Title game.
Ball State and Kent State are both tied with Toledo and have had solid seasons considering what the pre-season expectations were.
Akron sits at ninth in the MAC already having played five of their eight conference games.
Right behind the Zips are Bowling Green, Northern Illinois and Eastern Michigan. All are eliminated from the conference title game and only BG could climb to become Bowl Game eligible.
Rounding out the conference is a winless UMass team that had a chance to beat Buffalo but couldn’t execute late and is still winless.
Biggest Remaining Games:
Saturday Nov. 1 | 4:00 p.m. | Central Michigan at Western Michigan | ESPNU
CMU vs WMU is one of the MAC’s best rivalries and will have a lot on the line this season. With both sitting at 3-1 in MAC play and having eyes on the conference’s championship game this one could determine which team has a real shot and which doesn’t.
The Chippewas and Broncos have split their last four meetings with Central coming out on top last year. CMU has the fourth best scoring offense in the conference and will face off with the second-best scoring defense in the MAC from Western.
WMU edge rusher Nadame Tucker leads the MAC in tackles for loss and could play a big role in helping WMU bring the Victory Cannon back to Kalamazoo.
Tuesday Nov. 4 | 7:00 p.m. | Miami at Ohio | ESPN2
The Battle of the Bricks will return to Athens this year and be played under the lights for the first time since 2022. Ohio and Miami will meet after the Bobcats dominant victory in the MAC Championship Game 38-3. Last season, Miami won the regular season meeting in Oxford 30-20.
The RedHawks are the only team to earn a win at Peden Stadium since the field was named in Frank Solich’s honor.
This year’s rivalry matchup will be big for the MAC standings with Miami entering at a perfect 4-0 and Ohio coming in at 3-1.
Ohio and Miami both occupy top three offense in the conference which could make for a high-scoring game with both teams having revenge on the mind.
Tuesday Nov. 11 | 7:30 p.m. | Ohio at Western Michigan | ESPN2/ESPNU
A week after hosting Miami, Ohio will have to travel and face Western Michigan in yet another high-stakes showdown. Regardless of the results from the previous week, both teams will still be alive for the title game and that will make this MACtion meeting that much more exciting.
Ohio has won each of the last two meetings that occurred in 2022 and 2023. The latter was in Kalamazoo and Bobcats running back Sieh Bangura rushed for 77 yards and two touchdowns.
WMU quarterback Jack Salopek threw five interceptions to the Ohio defense in the game leading to an Ohio win 33-14.
If Western takes care of business against Central, they will carry a four-game winning streak into the matchup with Ohio.
Wednesday Nov. 12 | 7:00 p.m. | Toledo at Miami | ESPN2/ESPNU/CBSSN
The story of the season for Toledo has been an inability to win close games. The Rockets were picked first in the MAC preseason poll and still have one of the best offenses and defenses in the conference, however, their record wouldn’t tell you that.
Toledo will likely need to win out to have a chance at the MAC Championship game and things won’t be easy having to go to Oxford and take on Miami.
The RedHawks have won six straight at home against MAC opponents. The last loss came last season and against Toledo.
Wednesday Nov. 19 | 7:00 p.m. | Miami at Buffalo | ESPN2/ESPNU
Miami plays another Wednesday night MACtion game, this time on the road against Buffalo. For the Bulls, they do sit at 3-1 in MAC play but could easily be 0-4. In each of their conference games they have trailed and have been able to sneak by.
Their final four games of the season will be telling if they are a contender in the MAC or a pretender.
The last seven meetings in this head-to-head have been won by the home team, including three-straight by the Bulls in Buffalo. With only one game remaining for each team after this meeting, it could be the one that keeps postseason hopes alive or ends them.
Friday Nov. 28 | 12:00 p.m. | Ohio at Buffalo | ESPNU/CBSSN
Buffalo will then go on to host Ohio after welcoming Miami. It’s a difficult two-game stretch but they will control their own destiny and do it at home.
Ohio and Buffalo have met every season since 2015 and the Bobcats have been victorious in six of those 10 games. Their last loss came during the 2021 season and was a game that Ohio held a 26-10 lead entering the fourth quarter before Buffalo put up 17 unanswered to win.
There’s no way to know right now if this Black Friday meeting will mean anything, but it very well could and might be a win and in scenario for either team to get to the MAC Championship.
Saturday Nov. 29 | TBA | Toledo at Central Michigan | TBA
The final game to watch will take place on the final day of the MAC Regular season. Toledo traveling to Central Michigan to face the Chippewas.
There’s a decent chance this game means nothing and is simply the final regular season game of the year for these teams, however, if things shake out in their favor it could fall under the same win and in circumstances as the Ohio Buffalo game.
Toledo has won 13 of the last 15 against Central, so recent history will be on the side of the Rockets.