Deposit Instantly Using Your Credit Card at Sportsbook.com!

2009 MAC Football Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

MAC 61709 I’ve given you the quick rundown on the MAC below, ranking all 13 teams in their respective divisions. If you would like to read my full report on each team, be sure to check out my college football betting articles archive. And also, be sure to take advantage of our $500 match bonus at BetUS!

MAC West – 1st Place: Central Michigan Chippewas – Led by Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year candidate quarterback Dan LeFevour, and a defense which returns 10 starters, the Chipps are expected to be the cream of the crop in the league.

2nd Place: Western Michigan Broncos – The Broncos could boast one of the more exciting offenses in the league behind quarterback Tim Hiller, who is coming off a 36-touchdown season, but with only one returning starter on the defense, I don’t think the Broncos will be able to bring home the MAC West title.

3rd Place: Northern Illinois Huskies – Losing seven defensive starters, including two-time MAC MVP defensive end Larry English will be too much for the Huskies to overcome on their title run. Getting back to a bowl game is still a strong possibility, however.

4th Place: Toledo Rockets – The Rockets finished the 2008 season last in the MAC in sacks with only 10 and the team will continue to struggle until it can find ways to put some heat on the many solid quarterbacks in the league. With that said, I do believe first year head coach Tim Beckman has what it takes to get Toledo back to the program that won four West titles from 2001-2005.

5th Place: Ball State Cardinals – Ball State is coming off one of the best seasons a MAC team has had in recent years, winning 12 games, but the Cards won’t be able to overcome the loss of five first-team All-MAC performers this season.

6th Place: Eastern Michigan Eagles – First year head coach Ron English has his work cut out for himself, inheriting a program which ranked 109th in the nation in points allowed. Another last place finish seems inevitable, but you have to love the heart this team showed when it beat Central Michigan 56-52 in last year’s season finale.

MAC East – 1st Place: Buffalo Bulls – With Turner Gill still on board, I expect the Bulls to capture their third straight MAC East title. You’ll be hearing running back James Starks’ name plenty this season following a 1,333-yard and 16-touchdown campaign.

2nd Place: Ohio Bobcats – The Bobcats have enough talent and experience on both sides of the football to contend in the perennially wide open MAC East, but the team will have to quit turning the ball over and racking up so many penalty yards on offense to get the job done.

3rd Place: Akron Zips – Akron returns nine starters from an offense which averaged 30.0 points per game in 2008, but a defense which was torched by the run (allowing 187.2 yards per game) figures to keep the Zips from title contention.

4th Place: Bowling Green Falcons – With no returning starters on the defensive line and with the offense having to adjust to head coach Dave Clawson’s West Coast offense hybrid scheme from the spread, growing pains are inevitable. September looks like it will be a tough month for the Falcons with games against Troy, Mizzou, and Boise State.

5th Place: Temple Owls – Opposite of most MAC teams, the Owls’ strength lies on the defensive side of the football, but I don’t see this team being able to get the job done offensively with do-it-all QB Adam DiMichele no longer under center.

6th Place: Kent State Golden Flashes – Without QB Julian Edelman, who accounted for nearly two-thirds of the Kent State offense last season, it’s tough to think the Golden Flashes can contend in the East.

7th Place: Miami Ohio RedHawks – Miami ranked 107th in the land in points per game last season (18.4) and 101st in points allowed (32.7). With seven teams on the schedule that played in bowl games last season, it looks like a long season for the RedHawks.

Bet the MAC at BetUS and get up to 145% in sign up bonuses!

Beat the NCAA football lines this season with the help of Jimmy Boyd’s expert football picks!

Winning football picks are always just a click away!

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in: