Three teams are battling it out within the Mid-American Conference (MAC) for the two available MAC championship football game spots.
While none of these teams play each other directly this week, it is still important they keep up their records of only one loss a piece.
Other teams are playing for other stakes. One example will come when Akron and Kent State play each other at 7 p.m. These two teams will battle it out for the “Wagon Wheel,” a rivalry between the two teams.
Kent State has found very little luck this season, still fighting for a win. The one bright spot for the Golden Flashes is the Zips of Akron, which only have one conference win this season and sit right above Kent State at the bottom of the MAC.
Junior quarterback for Kent State Tommy Ulatowski and redshirt junior quarterback for Akron Ben Finley both lead their teams offensively. However, Finley has over 1,100 more passing yards than Ulatowski this season.
Both teams are simply battling for a better record at this point, with bowl games out of reach. Will Kent State get their first win, or will Akron shut them out?
Western Michigan was once the only undefeated team in the MAC, but after their loss to NIU, things have not been going in favor of the Broncos. They should not be counted out of the MAC championship game quite yet, as they sit tied with Buffalo and Toledo for fourth, just one game behind the three-way tie for first.
They will take on Central Michigan on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
Redshirt sophomore running back Jalen Buckley for WMU has had several multi-touchdown games. Buckley leads the Broncos offensively.
On CMU’s side, they have had one of the toughest schedules in the MAC. Four of their five conference losses are to the top four teams in the MAC.
One advantage the Chippewas have is being at home. They have proven to play better at home than on the road, which is to be expected.
The Bronco’s win on Tuesday is vital to keep their chance of bowl eligibility alive.
Miami, OH, will play Northern Illinois on Tuesday at 8:00 p.m.
The RedHawks need this win to give them momentum as they face Bowling Green next week to decide who gets a spot in the championship.
NIU has been hit or miss all year. After beating #5 Notre Dame, they seemed to shut down, all the way until they took down previously undefeated within the conference Western Michigan by 14 points.
For Miami, senior running back Keyon Mozee has had five consecutive 100-plus-yard games. He is a driving force for the RedHawks.
While Miami has two more MAC wins than NIU, the Huskies have proven they can take down big teams when they need to, so this game is not likely to be a walk in the park.
On Wednesday, Buffalo and Eastern Michigan play at 7:00 p.m.
Buffalo is 4-2 in conference play and tied three-ways for fourth in the conference, not to be counted out of the championship just yet, while Eastern Michigan is 2-4.
EMU senior quarterback Cole Snyder has done a good job of spreading his throws to different receivers. In the past ten games, 17 different receivers have completed passes made by Snyder.
Interestingly enough, Snyder transferred from Buffalo to Eastern Michigan. This matchup should mean a little more to the starting QB for the Eagles.
Ohio will take on Toledo also at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
The Bobcats sit at the top of the conference, playing to keep their hopes of making it to the MAC championship game alive.
They will not encounter either of the two teams who are also competing for a spot in the championship. However, the Rockets can’t be counted out of the championship yet, either.
Since 1968, the Bobcats have a 1-16 record playing in the Glass Bowl at Toledo.
Head Coach Tim Albin is aware of this fact but says he is going to enter into the game the way he would any other.
“We’re going to prepare the way we have for any other game and try to play our best four quarters there.” He says.
Grad student quarterback Parker Navarro has been a bright spot for Ohio. In their last win against Kent State, Navarro accounted for four of the team’s five touchdowns.
Toledo is also led by a strong quarterback. Junior Tucker Gleason threw for one touchdown and ran for two more in the Rocket’s most recent game against Central Michigan.
With strong offensive leaders on both sides, this game could go either way.
Bowling Green will take on Ball State on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.
The Falcons are looking to keep their conference losses at one as they head into taking on Miami next week.
