Week eight for the college football season in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) leaves a lot of question marks with some of the top contenders in the conference, a few surprises, and the program that currently sits at the bottom of being the worst amongst the rest.
Here are the ‘Falcon Four’ things to look out for Around The MAC for this upcoming weekend’s action.
Can Toledo bounce back?
After unable to complete all four quarters, the Toledo Rockets (3-3, 1-2) would fall short of back-to-back conference wins against their ‘Battle of I-75’ rival in the Bowling Green Falcons (3-3, 1-2) after maintaining a 21-0 lead in the first half when the Orange and Brown would storm back and win, 28-23.
Despite the bitter loss, being below the .500 margin in conference play and their second loss in three games is a tough sight to see for the program, which came in with the second-best odds for a shot at Detroit, Michigan.
Toledo will return home for a must-win game against the Kent State Golden Flashes (2-4, 1-1) to keep their hopes of a MAC title alive. If head coach Jason Candle and the Rockets fall short yet again, their hopes of making it could be dashed in a heartbeat.
How good is Western Michigan?
The Western Michigan Broncos (4-3, 3-0) sit not only with the best record in the MAC, but also have the best conference record as well, going undefeated. Having the second-best defense in the conference also helps our case very well.
However, many ponder the question of how good this Broncos team can be when the lights are the brightest. Those questions will be answered after a bye-week with their matchup against the experienced Miami Redhawks (3-3, 2-0) led by head coach Chuck Martin.
Less than two weeks from now will be a true test to see how Western Michigan will handle the pressure against a program that has made the MAC title game three out of the last four seasons.
Is Miami experiencing Deja Vu?
Sticking with the Redhawks, the program based out of Oxford, Ohio, has been experiencing a similar start to their season from a year before, starting out losing three straight games, but regaining momentum in week four and not looking back.
Martin and the RedHawks will look to continue the trend with a home battle against the Eastern Michigan Eagles (2-5, 1-2) on Saturday. Especially with a talented defense that has been on display the past two weeks.
“We’re not a finished product at all,” Martin said in his press conference. “They’re (Eastern Michigan) much different than Lindenwood, Akron, and Northern Illinois offenses in regards to running the ball.”
The worst team in the MAC
To say that the Massachusetts Minutemen’s (0-6, 0-2) return to the MAC has been nothing short of disastrous would be an understatement, as the Joe Harasymiak-led squad ranks near the bottom in every statistical category.
The hard road for UMass will only continue to get tougher, starting this Saturday against the second-ranked Buffalo Bulls (3-3, 2-0), which ranks in the top five in both offense and defense. UMass has not started a season out 0-8 since 2022.
