Week 6 Power Rankings
With a little help from a few of our friends from the Sidelines Sports MAC school account runners, we are presenting the first power ranking of the year.
12. Akron (12.0 average)
Not really surprising, right? Their lone win was against Saint Francis (PA) out of the FCS, and it nearly resulted in a loss. Akron has some great pieces and was pretty competitive with BGSU and (for a while), Ohio, but near wins are still losses. DJ Irons is looking good but this team is absolutely going to struggle with growing pains this year. Akron continues its season seeking its second win, this time against Central Michigan on Saturday.
11. NIU (10.25 average)
Well, this isn’t what Huskies fans were hoping to see. Back-to-back losses to MAC opponents and a 1-5 overall record don’t bode well for a repeat title run. Now, it's fair to mention that the offense is struggling without Rocky Lombardi, but it does not excuse surrendering an average of 38+ points a game. NIU gets a crack at Eastern Michigan this weekend.
10. BGSU (9.5 average)
The Falcons are perplexing this year. An upset win over Marshall was preceded by a 7 OT loss to Eastern Kentucky. The defense was a bright spot coming into the season, however in the MAC they rank second to last in yards per game (492.3) and dead last in points surrendered, averaging 41.0 yielded to opponents. Matt McDonald and the offense can’t do it all themselves. BGSU gets Miami (OH) at home, and a shot to save their season and MAC title hopes on Saturday.
9. WMU (8.75 Average)
Replacing Skyy Moore and Kaleb Eleby was always going to be a tough task. Jack Salopek is doing fine, and Sean Tyler and Corey Crooms are working hard, but we knew WMU was going to regress. They are 1-1 in conference play, but the beating from last weekend tells us that A) EMU is really good when they are on or B) WMU has a lot to figure out offensively. Six more games to go, and everything is still within reach. The march to Detroit doesn’t get easier as the Broncos host Ohio on Saturday.
8. CMU (8.5 Average)
What is happening with the Chippewas? Lew Nichols, the nations leading rusher a year ago has less than 150 rushing yards in the last two games COMBINED. Daniel Richardson has nearly 1,600 yards through the air, but that’s partially due to playing catch-up in the second half of most of their games. The magic of last season is certainly lacking this year, but as it's still early, the season is not completely lost and they travel to Akron this weekend to try to move to 1-2 in MAC play.
7. Ohio (6.5 Average)
The Bobcats got a much-needed win over Akron last weekend and Kurtis Rourke is settling into a groove. Ohio is averaging 334 yards through the air, good for 8th in the nation, and Sam Wiglusz is the leading beneficiary of that, racking up 434 yards and five scores. If the defense can be decent, then Ohio has a real shot at getting to Detroit. The Bobcats are just three wins away from becoming bowl eligible and will look to pick up one of those against WMU this weekend.
6. Ball State (6.25 Average)
After losing to WMU in Week 2, the Cardinals have won three of their last four, including their last two MAC games, thanks to a strong defensive effort, and the bruising ability of Carson Steele (He allegedly has a dog in him). John Paddock is starting to come into his own, but defensively, Clayton Coll, Jordan Riley, and Cole Pearce have combined for 10 pass deflections and 126 tackles, and a forced fumble. Ball State is not out of the running in the ever-changing landscape of the MAC and looking to get back above .500, taking on UConn this weekend.
5. Kent State (5.75 Average)
The Flashes had the hardest non-conference schedule of anyone in the MAC, and it wasn’t even close. We knew this team would be battle-tested, and every conference game would be a grind. A 3-point loss to Miami (OH) and a 7-point home win against Ohio have proven us right so far. Collin Schlee is doing his part in taking over for Dustin Crum, thanks to the help of his supporting cast, headlined by Marquez Cooper and Dante Cephas while Nico Bolden anchors the defense with 49 tackles. Their season continues against Toledo in the Glass Bowl on Saturday.
4. EMU (3.75 Average)
The Eagles are one of just two MAC schools with a winning record on the year. At 4-2, Chris Creighton has the guys in a good position to compete for the MAC West title, sitting in 3rd place. Taylor Powell is getting healthy, and Samson Evans is looking like a breakout star for this team, it's clear that if EMU can control the tempo, they can win ball games. With a receiving corp including Tanner Knue, Hassan Beydoun, and Darius Lassiter, the only thing stopping the Eagles will be themselves (which they can do). EMU entertains NIU on Saturday.
3. Miami (OH) (3.5 Average)
The pre-season MAC East favorite has put together quite the campaign after losing starting QB Brett Gabbert. Going 3-2 under Aveon Smith, the RedHawks are doing better than expected. A strong defense coupled with a smart offensive game plan has Chuck Martin’s guys very much in a position to compete in the MAC East. The lone setback to Buffalo could be the difference maker, as the Bulls are 3-0 in MAC play, but anything can happen in the next six weeks. Miami (OH) plays BGSU at Doyt Perry this weekend.
2. Buffalo (2.25 Average)
Here come the Bulls! Talk about a surprise in the rankings. Buffalo struggled BIG TIME out of the gate, including an ugly loss to FCS Holy Cross, most people had written them off on the year. It seems as if Coach Mo had a talk with his guys about continuing to fight, and now they are riding a three-game winning streak. Cole Snyder has looked excellent as of late, while the duo of Mike Washington and Ron Cook have combined for almost 750 yards on the ground and 8 scores, Buffalo started to fly under the radar until blasting BGSU 38-7 last week. Buffalo gets their final OOC game out of the way as they host UMass on Saturday.
1. Toledo (1.0 Average)
Well, well, well, how the tables turn. Toledo was not picked to win the MAC this year for the first time in what feels like a century, and yet here they sit at the top of the power rankings with a unanimous vote. If you follow the MAC at all, you don’t have to dig too much to see why. Dequan Finn and Jacquez Stuart headline the MAC’s best-scoring offense, while Dallas Gant and Dyontae Johnson anchor the stout defense. If Jason Candle is to be believed, this team is just warming up after back-to-back 20+ point wins over conference rivals. Toledo welcomes Kent State to the Glass Bowl this weekend.
*THIS WEEKS POWER RANKINGS VOTERS*
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