FAVORITE TEAMS

The MAC faltered against non-conference/Power 5 opponents once again, but Akron defeated Northwestern, Eastern Michigan defeated Purdue, and Toledo defeated Nevada. The focus of the Underrated Review is to look back on my picked teams’ performance in 2018-2019 season. I’ll explain the conference itself before I get to my picks. Let’s get started!

The MAC West was in control by Toledo and Western Michigan, but a roster change and injuries sent them sliding and Northern Illinois regain control of the division. Eastern Michigan bounced back and were pesky against their opponents. They played a lot of close games and didn’t know the definition of surrender. Central Michigan sank from 8 wins to a horrible 1 win. Ball State didn’t perform well due to injuries, but their roster has potential for next season, but quarterback Riley Neal’s health is a concern.

The East had Miami (OH), Ohio, and Buffalo battling for the division title, but Buffalo won by the skin of their teeth from the Bobcats’ claws. Despite going 6-2 in their division, Miami (OH)’s 0-4 non-conference shows they weren’t eligible as a 6-win team. Ohio quarterback Nathan Rourke is the reason Ohio was successful, and that includes defeating MAC East champ Buffalo and won as the only MAC team in the 2018 bowl game. Akron’s last season showed that their 2017 season was a fluke. Kent State’s still nowhere ready yet, but four losses by a touchdown or less with a young roster could mean something for their future. Bowling Green has a quarterback, but the rebuilding process is ongoing.

Buffalo was my risky, but plausible, pick. They had a 10-win season for the first time in program history and took the East division. Coach Lance Leipold had an offense led by quarterback Tyree Jackson, receivers Anthony Johnson and K.J. Osborn, and freshmen backs Jarret Patterson and Kevin Marks. Their defense, however, couldn’t pull their weight in some games. Bad tackling and time of possession punished the team overall. 3 of 4 losses came when allowing 40 plus points, and all four were against good defenses. Overall, they had a historical year and should be proud of their 2018 accomplishments.

Northern Illinois checked off my predictions of their 2018 season. They were awful in non-conference with just one win over BYU 7-6, but they controlled the MAC and won the West and MAC title off a 2nd half comeback against Buffalo. Marcus Childers slightly improved, but the Huskies’ defense dominated under Sutton Smith’s leadership. With some of their players returning, the Huskies could challenge for the MAC title in 2019.