As the frenzy of Mid-week MACtion continues, the race for the Mid-American Conference (MAC) title game gives a clear picture of what top contenders need to do in order to keep their hopes alive.
Here the potential outlooks for the fight to get to Detroit in this week’s newest addition of around the MAC.
Win and In- Western & Central Michigan
In the near eight decades since the MAC’s inception, there has never been a conference title game that features two teams from, but that’s a real possibility with the Western Michigan Broncos (6-4, 5-1) and Central Michigan Chippewas (6-4, 4-2) being at the top of the standings.
After a 17-13 victory against the defending conference champion Ohio Bobcats (6-4, 4-2), the Broncos now stand alone as the only one-loss team in MAC play. WMU will next travel to Delkalb, Illinois, to face the Northern Illinois Huskies (3-7, 2-4) for their final time as a conference opponent.
Central Michigan powered past the Buffalo Bulls (5-5, 4-2) with a dominant 38-13 win to climb to second place. The next step on their path to the promised land – a road trip to Dix Stadium to square off against the Kent State Golden Flashes (4-6, 3-3) Wednesday night.
If both programs keep stacking wins, fans could see a Great Lakes State showdown in Detroit.
Must Be Careful- Ohio, Toledo
The aforementioned Bobcats had hoped for a better result the previous week, but the time for reflecting on what could’ve been is cut short, as the chances now relies heavily on winning out the last two games.
While the week 11 game against the Massachusetts Minutemen (0-6, 0-10) looks manageable on paper, the following week, they face Buffalo (5-5, 4-2) – a matchup that could decide the defending champions fate.
The Toledo Rockets (6-4, 4-2) regained momentum with a 24-3 win over the Miami RedHawks (5-5, 4-2). The victory helped Jason Candle’s team stay in the hunt while still boasting the best offense and defense in the conference.
The route for Candle and Toledo rides through their final Saturday game of the season against the Ball State Cardinals (4-6, 3-3), and ends with a tough challenge in the Chippewas the following week on Nov. 29.
Outside Looking In- Miami, Buffalo
When the RedHawks took the field this past week, they did so without their starting quarterback as backup senior Henry Hesson led the charge. Two days later, head coach Chuck Martin and the Miami staff announced that = starter, senior Dequan Finn, had departed from the entire program in the middle of the title chase.
“Dequan’s moving on.” Martin said in his weekly press conference. “We had 11 good months with him; we appreciate what he did for us and we wish him the best.”
With the sudden departure, Hesson now carries full responsibility for the offense. In his first start of the year against the Rockets, he completed 11 for 38 on passing attempts for 147 yards and three interceptions on the night.
Buffalo returns home this week to face Miami with hopes of bouncing back from its loss in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Led by senior linebacker Red Murdock, the Bulls-who lead the MAC in forced fumbles-will try to pressure Hesson and disrupt a Miami offense averaging 23.1 points per game.
Regardless of the outcome, one of the programs will continue their charge to the promise land, while the other will be knocked out of contention.
