Okay, it's almost February. You know what that means? The doldrums of the college football blogosphere. There has been about zero stuff worth posting with regards to football.
But, how about we gaze into our crystal ball and analyze any chance that a MAC team has at crashing the BCS party? Feel free to tell me how wrong I am in the comments.
Candidate #2: Western Michigan.
Candidate #3: Central Michigan.
Candidate #5: Ball State.The always reliable CFN rankings came out the other day (yes, that's sarcasm, folks). Anyway, they consider themselves to be experts and here's how the MAC was ranked (BTW, this is my commentary, not what CFN said). (In the Notable Teams part, the "ahead" means teams that the MAC Team X was ranked ahead of; "behind" means they finished behind these teams):
#113: Northern Illinois
Notable Teams: Ahead-Minnesota, Duke; Behind-UAB, Rice, UL Lafayette
NIU was the lowest ranked MAC team this year and with good reason. The Huskies weren't a good team at all to begin with considering Garrett Wolfe was the entire offense last season. If you add onto the fact that they didn't have enough talent to compete for the MAC championship, their defense, specifically the line, was decimated by injuries.
#102: Kent State
Notable Teams: Ahead-Baylor, Tulane, Syracuse; Behind-Army, Colorado State, Middle Tennessee
Kent State was rolling early on looking a bit like they did in 2006, but the loss of Julian Edleman really hurt the running game. KSU had a ton of injuries at the QB position this year putting them in a tough spot. They did drop the final seven games, but the defense played pretty decent overall. The main reason the Golden Flashes ended the year as cold as they did was the lack of efficiency from the QBs. You have to give Doug Martin a pass here for having to throw almost all of the QBs on the roster out on the field at some point in time.
#99: Temple
Notable Teams: Ahead-Marshall, Iowa State; Behind-Notre Dame (by a spot), San Diego State, Louisiana Tech
Hey, they delivered by beating expectations, didn't they? I know Al Golden must be happy with the progress that Temple has been making. Not only did they save face in a lot of games that would have been total blowouts for the previous two seasons, but they even won four games. Golden showed just how committed he was to the program by staying at Temple and declaring himself not-interested in the UCLA job. Temple was able to do it by playing about as good defensively as anybody in the MAC down the stretch.
#93: Buffalo
Notable Teams: Ahead-Notre Dame, Colorado State; Behind-North Carolina, San Jose State
WOW. That's pretty much what I have to say. It's an absolute amazing turnaround. The Bulls were one of the worst teams in the nation during the 2006 season, just God-awful. But Turner Gill must have seen something in this crew. Now, you can argue all you want about the strength of the conference, but the very fact that this Bulls team competed with Baylor and Syracuse might have just been the most positive things to ever happen to this team at the FBS level.
#90: Akron
Notable Teams: Ahead-SJSU, North Carolina; Behind-Stanford, UTEP
J.D. Brookhart is supposed to be one of the best coaches in the conference. So, it leaves one to ponder, what happened? Akron took a step back from their MAC championship from 05 in the 2006 season, but this year was an unmitigated disaster for the Zips. Things looked like they were coming together for a while with a win against Army and arch rival Kent State along with solid showings against Ohio State and Indiana. Even with the miracle against Western Michigan, things really did take a turn for the worse going 1-5 down the stretch. I thought CFN brought up a good point about how Akron was competitive in most of their losses, but they included defeats against Buffalo and Temple (which are never good things, no matter how improved they might be).
#89: Eastern Michigan
Notable Teams: Ahead-Same as Akron; Behind-Same as Akron
I thought this ranking was a little high. Although, when you think about it, Eastern Michigan was a competitive football team. I know I'm a pathetic MAC homer trying to find the good in all of these teams when the conference was terrible this year, but they were able to find ways to compete with Northwestern, Michigan, Ohio, and Bowling Green. Also, don't forget, these guys won the three-way race to be declared MAC champion of the state of Michigan. They stunningly beat both Western and Central this year.
#88: Miami OH
Notable Teams: Ahead-Same as Akron; Behind-Same as Akron
Miami wasn't very good this year. I know they slammed Bowling Green, but the Falcons didn't have their heads screwed on for that game. The RedHawks basically were dealt a killer non-conference scheduling having to play Vanderbilt, Syracuse, Colorado, Minnesota, and Cincinnati. They were champions of the East, but they failed to qualify for a bowl game. The issue with Miami was offensive injuries. They took hit after hit on that side of the ball and you have to wonder what might have been if those guys remained healthy. They would probably be looking at bowl season...
#87: Toledo
Notable Teams: Ahead-Same as Akron; Behind-Same as Akron
Toledo was supposed to really break through and become legitimate competitors for the MAC West. Well, that didn't happen. The main reason was the defense; it was atrocious. But that side of the ball aside and even though next year should be the season things start to click again for this usual MAC powerhouse, they had a wonderful stretch during the middle of the year. They skated past Liberty and lost by 10 to Buffalo before they went on an offensive rampage. Ohio, Eastern Michigan, and Northern Illinois got torched giving up an average of 55 points a game! Even with that great offensive stretch, they lost hopes of going bowling by poor showings during the final two games against Ball State and Bowling Green.
#80: Western Michigan
Notable Teams: Ahead-Vanderbilt, Washington State, Ole Miss; Behind-Memphis, Wyoming, Nevada
If you're looking for the most disappointing team for the 2007 season, look no further from the guys from Kalamazoo. This team was projected by many to win the Mid-America Conference. The setback of the season occurred when Akron won the game on that miracle lateral on the kickoff. However, they really did make a strong finish to the year by hanging on against Central Michigan, spoiling Iowa's season, and defeating Temple. Look for these guys to get back on track in 08.
#77 (tied): Ohio
#64: Central Michigan
#63: Bowling Green
#58: Ball State
In just a few seasons, Grand Valley State head coach, Brian Kelly, was able to turn around CMU football. The previous regime of Mike DeBord was just an absolute debacle and one that is taboo around Mt. Pleasant. But Kelly revived the once dead football school and generated a buzz not seen around mid-Michigan for quite some time.
But, when Kelly decided to leave for the greener pastures of Cincinnati and the Big East, CMU thought it would be a good idea to hire Butch Jones. The consequence would be felt by the Chippewa defense.
Let's compare stats here: CMU was 58th in scoring defense under Kelly in 2006, but with Jones at the helm, CMU ranked 111th in scoring defense. I'm not sure if there was a larger dropoff in defensive production in the entire nation. The offense saw some improvement, by about five points a game, actually. But that doesn't change the fact that CMU was just lost on the defensive side of the ball. Not to mention horrid games which displayed an unpreparedness unseen since DeBord getting whipped against Kansas, Purdue, Clemson, and North Dakota State.
The Fiesta Bowl was what caused this to happen. Interim head coach Bill Stewart was able to take the interim part off of his title when West Virginia offered him the job. Of course that had a ripple effect on Central Michigan's program. Unfortunately for us Chippewa fans, we can still see more of the same from one of the most fundamentally unsound defenses in the nation for the next few years. Hooray.
Background Info & History CMU Storyline Purdue Storyline Match ups of the Game Keep an Eye on... Must-See-Ometer Prediction
The history of the Motor City Bowl has its roots in the Cherry Bowl which only lasted a few seasons. A bowl game in Detroit was resurrected in 1997 and it was played in the Pontiac Silverdome until 2001. The first ever game in the bowl's history was a 34-31 win for Ole Miss against Marshall. As a matter of fact, after that loss, the Thundering Herd went on to win the next three Motor City Bowls. Probably the best Motor City Bowl game to this date was the Northwestern/Bowling Green game played in 2003 where Josh Harris led the Falcons to a 28-24 victory. The most recent game, in 2006 (which yours truly attended), CMU defeated at-large Middle Tennessee State in front of a 54,000+ record crowd.
You want to talk about schizophrenic football teams? Look no further than Central Michigan.
The Chippewas were downright awful against their non-MAC foes. The average score of their OOC games against Purdue, North Dakota State, Clemson, and Kansas was 52.75 to 14.25 (this doesn't count their victory against Army). In MAC games, CMU won on average 47.9 to 33.1. So something is screwy there.
Who knew Kansas was going to be so good? When I first saw that score, as a CMU fan, I began freaking out thinking that Butch Jones was a complete and total failure. I thought North Dakota State would beat Central Michigan, but the way they did it was extremely shocking. Let's just say CMU looked like a sinking ship.
Once MAC play was on the schedule, it was much smoother sailing for this vessel. The CMU offense cut through the helpless arm-tackling of lesser MAC defenses like a hot knife through butter on their way to a second consecutive MAC West title.
This team faced off against Miami OH for a MAC championship game. The RedHawks were hanging in there for a while, but you have to give the Central defense credit for playing the best defensive game all year.
Another year, more failed expectations for Purdue.
Much of this is pinned on Joe Tiller. Speaking of Tiller, this is a homecoming for the head coach. He's from the Toledo area and used to be a big fan of the Detroit Lions who used to own the NFL which may come as a surprise to non-NFL historians.
Anyway, Purdue was a hot football team. They ran into Ohio State and Michigan, two teams the Boilermakers have been able to avoid for the last two seasons. The game against Iowa was the real litmus test as to whether or not the team was for real. Northwestern and Iowa got smoked so it looked like this team was on the right track.
Uh-oh. This is when Purdue took a turn for the worst. Penn State smothered the offense and controlled the game on both sides of the ball. Then, Brian Hoyer showed unprecedented success at QB as Michigan State won, 48-31. If not for the heroics of Austin Starr, Purdue would have the Old Oaken Bucket and a plane ride to Phoenix.
Purdue Passing Game vs. Central Michigan Pass Defense-If you've been following Central Michigan at all this year, you should be able to pick up that they can't defend the pass at all, especially one as potent as Purdue's 18th ranked passing offense. The Boilermakers will come at the Chippewa secondary with Dorien Bryant, Selwyn Lymon, Dustin Keller, and Greg Orton.
CMU Passing Game vs. Purdue Pass Defense-Now, just read what I said about Purdue's offense and CMU's pass defense and flip it around. While Purdue doesn't have as bad of a secondary as the Chips possess, Dan LeFevour has a tremendous target in Bryan Anderson with whom he'll hook up a couple of big plays tonight.
Dan LeFevour. Think of him as a poor man's Tim Tebow (which is a good thing). LeFevour obviously wasn't playing as many quality opponents as Tim Tebow has, but his stats are almost as impressive. He's the only QB in the NCAA that has ran for 1000+ and threw for 3000+ joining Vince Young in that category.
LeFevour will be a load for the Purdue defense to handle mainly because of his dual-threat status. The sophomore has a good-sized arm and he's not lightning quick but he will hurt you on the ground. Purdue is merely average against the run but they are shaky against the pass (ranked 70th).
This is probably your third best match up of the game right here. Cliff Avril is an excellent pass rusher and the best player for Purdue defensively.
He averages half a sack per game, but, the Central Michigan offensive line has proved to be rather sturdy.
CMU ranks 16th in sacks allowed. Part of that is LeFevour's escapability and quick-decision making, but the Chippewas have the best offensive line in the Mid-America Conference.
If Avril has a big day, CMU's offense won't be as explosive as most project it to. If CMU can handle Avril's pass rushing ability, they'll move down the field with ease.
The Motor City Bowl receives a 6 out of 10 on the Must-See-Ometer. If you like offense, you've come to the right place.
Even though these two teams have met already, there are a few reasons to believe this will be a better football game:
• CMU is playing in their own backyard.
• CMU is the hotter team. Purdue has dropped three straight going from 7-2 to 7-5.
• Motivation. CMU is bound to be the more excited team. Can you imagine Purdue being pumped up for this?
The three items mentioned above only point to this being a closer game. When Purdue and Central met in September, the game was 38-0 in the third quarter. The final score is a bit misleading.
The bottom line is whether or not CMU's defense will play like they did against Miami OH. Granted, Miami OH is no Purdue, but it was their best defensive game of the season. If the CMU offense stays hot, look for this to be closer than last meeting.
Regardless, Purdue has too much offensive firepower and more athletes on defense compared to Central Michigan. Look for Purdue to pull away big in the 4th quarter. Boilermakers win, 45-31.
Sorry for not being able to post in a while, slow day in MAC football news. These schedules are via NationalChamps.net:
Akron:
8-30-08 at Wisconsin
9-6-08 at Syracuse
9-13-08 at Kentucky
9-20-08 ARMY
9-27-08 CINCINNATI
Initial Thoughts: It's tough. The Zips haven't really been shy in terms of scheduling BCS teams. Wisconsin and Cincinnati are basically out of the question, but with Kentucky's loss of Andre Woodson, they should become exponentially easier to beat. Syracuse is Syracuse and that should be a close game. The only home games that Akron gets on their non-conference schedule are those against Army and Cincinnati.
Bowling Green:
9-6-08 MINNESOTA
9-20-08 at Wyoming
9-27-08 at Boise State
TBA at Pittsburgh
Initial Thoughts: The Falcons have also had to settle for a plethora of road games. The Minnesota game might be a revenge trip for the Golden Gophers for what BGSU did to them last year. The road game against Wyoming is winnable if they can figure out that Cowboy defense. Boise State on the Smurf Turf probably won't be that close and the same can be said against Pittsburgh.
Buffalo:
8-28-08 UTEP
9-6-08 COLGATE
9-20-08 at Missouri
Initial Thoughts: Buffalo still has one opening left as well. If there's any time you want to play UTEP, it's late in the year where it appears the team begins to melt down, but Turner Gill's crew will have to take them on during week one. Colgate is very winnable but a little dangerous at the same time. If Buffalo isn't colossally worse compared to last year and they show up, they should win. The Missouri game will be a outright beatdown.
Kent State:
8-28-08 BOSTON COLLEGE
9-6-08 at Iowa State
Initial Thoughts: Kent State still needs two more non-conference opponents, but these two are tough enough. The game against Boston College will be played at home. If we rewind to 2006 for a second, you might recall that Central Michigan gave BC a run for their money. The Golden Flashes will make a return trip to Ames to face the Cyclones who have been struggling over the last two seasons.
Miami:
8-28-08 VANDERBILT
9-6-08 at Michigan
9-20-08 at Cincinnati
10-4-08 WESTERN KENTUCKY
Initial Thoughts: The RedHawks will get to take on two of the same BCS conference teams they played in the 2007 season. This time though, Vanderbilt will make the trip to Oxford. That's a trap game for the Commodores, should be a fun one to see. Call me nuts if you wish, but if Michigan doesn't snatch Terrelle Pryor and they're still learning that Rich Rodriguez spread system, Miami might be able to challenge them. During October, Miami wraps it up against Western Kentucky which is a dangerous game. The Hilltoppers redshirted a bunch of players with experience last year and they weren't half bad anyway.
Ohio:
8-30-08 at Wyoming
9-6-08 at Ohio State
9-20-08 at Northwestern
Initial Thoughts: Ohio, like Bowling Green, will have to make the trip to Laramie. It's going to be tough to go out there because Joe Glenn's bunch is always difficult to beat at home. Ohio also gets to face two Big 10 teams in Ohio State and Northwestern. There's still an opening left on this schedule.
Temple:
9-6-08 CONNECTICUT
9-20-08 at Penn State
9-27-08 at Kentucky
11-1-08 at Navy
TBA at Army
Initial Thoughts: If there's any game that might be for retribution, it could be the Temple/UConn game. It was quite obvious that Bruce Francis came in bounds and that Temple beat UConn, but it appears that wasn't the case. Temple gets another shot at Penn State and Navy this time on the road.
Ball State:
9-6-08 NAVY
9-20-08 at Indiana
10-11-08 at Western Kentucky
TBA Army @Chicago, IL
Initial Thoughts: The Cardinals were just listed as the Dark Horse sleeper of the NationalChamps.net Early Bird Top 25 and for good reason. They won't really get tested in the non-conference slate though. Navy and Indiana won't be easy, but those are games Ball State should win. If the Cardinals can get by these two teams, or even split the two games, they might be looking at a 9 or 10 win season.
Central Michigan:
9-6-08 at Georgia
9-20-08 at Purdue
Initial Thoughts: CMU still has two openings left, but it's not like the schedule isn't difficult enough. The Chippewas have two great opportunities to make some national noise against probable top 5 Georgia next season and, you guessed it, Butch Jones & Co. have to take on Purdue yet again. That would be the third time in two seasons.
Eastern Michigan:
9-6-08 at Michigan State
9-20-08 at Maryland
Initial Thoughts: If Eastern wanted to get to a bowl game, they would have to schedule a soft non-conference schedule. Turns out that's not what they're doing. The Eagles will get to participate in an intrastate battle between their rivals from East Lansing and they get to hit the road into ACC territory to battle the Terps. There are still two openings and, for the sake of not embarrassing themselves, they should try to get Florida International and North Carolina A&T or something :D .
Northern Illinois:
8-30-08 at Minnesota
10-4-08 at Tennessee
11-22-08 NAVY
Initial Thoughts: The Huskies still have an opening left, but they'll probably lose all three of these games. The game against Minnesota might be interesting, but they'll most likely fall short there. They get to face Navy this time at home. Jerry Kill will have this team a lot better if they can stay healthy, but they're still not good enough to go bowling.
Toledo:
9-6-08 at Arizona
9-20-08 FRESNO STATE
9-27-08 FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
10-11-08 at Michigan
Initial Thoughts: If you like offensive shootouts, tune in if you can for the Toledo/Arizona game. It's somewhat bizarre, which adds a little excitement to the game; it's pretty rare that the MAC gets to take on the Pac-10. The FIU game should be a blowout and the Fresno State match up could be one of the better ones in 2008, seriously.
Western Michigan:
8-30-08 at Nebraska
9-13-08 at Idaho
Initial Thoughts: Western Michigan still needs a couple teams on this schedule, but the game against Nebraska could be a huge trap game. That would be Bo Pelini's debut and Nebraska was atrocious defensively last season. The Broncos have to travel to Moscow, Idaho to face the Vandals which should be anything but a stiff test.
I'm going to take two players from each postseason MAC opponent and shed some light on them. Chances are, you're already aware of the best MAC players, but what about some guys on Rutgers, Purdue, or Tulsa that might change the game?
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Offense: Ray Rice
Obviously, you've probably heard of this Heisman candidate once already. Even though Rutgers has gotten a lot more done through the air than they had in 2006, Rice is still the main focus of the offense.
We're talking about a guy that was ranked third nationally in individual rushing yard with close to 145 per game! That's impressive and it's going to be difficult for Ball State to contain in the International Bowl.
Rice's only 200+ yard game came against Army, but the Scarlet Knight RB was close to 200 many times. The only time he didn't run for over 100 yards was their game earlier in the season against Norfolk State and coach Schiano didn't want to run the risk of him getting hurt.
Defense: Jamaal Westerman
Westerman didn't have a monster year as expected, but he was a factor in most of the games he played.
This junior DE had 6 sacks all year long with about 95 yards lost for the opposing offense in his TFL.
Jamaal comes in at 6'3 and weighs 252 pounds. He's going to be a load for Ball State's offensive line to handle. It'll be very interesting to see if the Cardinals, who rank 47th in sacks allowed, will be able to neutralize Westerman.
Purdue Boilermakers
Offense: Dorien Bryant
The Boilermakers are all about the pass as Central Michigan has learned first-hand.
Bryant, a probable NFL prospect, leads the way for the Purdue passing attack. Even though Joe Tiller's spread offense utilizes multiple receivers, Bryant is the biggest attention-grabber.
Dorien is currently tied for 18th in receptions per game which is pretty impressive considering how much Purdue likes to spread the ball around to all possible targets.
Bryant is also dangerous in the return game as he ranks 15th in the country!
Defense: Terrell Vinson
Cliff Avril may very well be the best player on Purdue's defense, but Vinson will probably have the most pressure of any player.
If you stop and think, Central Michigan passes and passes and passes. Even though Avril's pressure on LeFevour will be a huge factor, Vinson is the top cover-corner on the football team.
Vinson ended the year with five INTs even though he hasn't managed to find one for the last three games. He's also found his way to the QB for two sacks and Terrell also has defended 11 passes. That's a good thing meaning the QBs shy away from him.
Possibly the best one-on-one matchup in the Motor City Bowl will be Terrell Vinson on Bryan Anderson.
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Offense: Paul Smith
There has to be a reason why Tulsa has the best statistical offense in the nation and besides Gus Malzahn's brilliant mind, QB Paul Smith would be the next answer.
Smith currently leads the #3 passing game in the nation and he ranks, individually, third in total offense.
Not impressive enough? Consider the fact that Smith has tossed 42 TDs and only 19 picks (which is pretty decent when you take into account all of his pass attempts).
Of course he wouldn't be able to do this without talented wideouts like Brennan Marion and Trae Johnson, but the rapid speed at which Smith picked up this new offense is something worth noting.
Defense: Tulsa LBs
Even though Tulsa's defense has given up a bunch of yards and a bunch of points, they have some defensive talent that could be the difference in the GMAC Bowl outcome.
First, Alain Karatepeyan ranks 26th individually in tackles for loss per game. That's somewhat impressive.
Then, LB Chris Chamberlain has himself about 11 tackles a game which ranks sixth in the country.
And a congrats to Central Michigan on winning the MAC title! I'll share some thoughts on the bowl pairings later this week. But as for now....
Motor City Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Purdue
International Bowl: Ball State vs. Rutgers
GMAC Bowl: Bowling Green vs. Tulsa
When: 11:00 AM, ESPN2
Central Michigan: The Chips are finally getting an opportunity to do what they've been aiming for all season long. The MAC title game is finally here and we might get to see a focused Central Michigan team for the first time since their exciting victory against Western Michigan.
The Chips stumble into the title game with a loss to Eastern Michigan and one of those closer-than-it-should-be games against Akron (and the Zips just about outplayed them).
This game will probably come down to Dan LeFevour. The sophomore QB runs for about 70 yards a game individually in rushing which shows his ability to get out the pocket. The Chippewa offense focuses on a lot of short to mid-range passes which allows LeFevour to often hit those with high accuracy. This could be a problem for Miami.
As for the rest of the offense, Justin Hoskins has really developed into the premier back of the CMU offense. Ontario Sneed is also very effective when called upon as shown in the game against Akron last week when he ran for 100 yards. The offensive line is 14th in the nation in sacks allowed which tops the MAC.
However, with all of the praise the offense has been receiving, there's some negative news to pass along regarding the defense. A Pop Warner team might find a way to score 10 points so let's just say that Miami might be able to score. Comparing the scoring defenses, CMU gives up TWO more touchdowns than Miami does! That's an alarming stat and Jones really needs to find some solutions to this defense if the Chips plan on taking the next step into Boise State/Hawaii/BYU territory. Red Keith is the only guy on the defense that is really stepping it up.
Miami RedHawks: Obviously, the biggest story about Miami this season has been the injuries on offense. Miami isn't really as bad as their 20 points per game mark might make it look like because these guys have been absolutely devastated by ailments.
The QB situation is now, if you haven't heard, in the hands of Daniel Raudabaugh. The running game has struggled for most of the year, but Cory Jones and Austin Sykes have done the best they can. Currently, Miami is only rushing for 137 yards per game. Even though the Miami offense hasn't been great, Eugene Harris and Dustin Woods are pretty explosive targets.
The defense has done its job with the offense struggling due to injuries. This team is 47th in scoring defense and they should hold up better than most expect to against the explosive Central Michigan offense. It's very possible that the game could be won or lost in the middle of the field. Miami has a few field generals at LB in Joey Hudson and Clayton Mullins. If they can disrupt the intermediate passing game of CMU, the RedHawks should be in good shape to become 2007 MAC champions.
Prediction: Central will be able to move the football, but they don't do so at will. Miami's defense will come up with a surprising performance. Also, something to chew on until Saturday, you have to gauge Miami's motivation factor. If they drop to 6-7, it will be Ball State going to the GMAC Bowl. Miami's bowl destiny is in their own hands and they will take advantage. I'm sure you've heard the cliche of "defense wins championships." CMU has no defense. Miami wins in a close one, 34-30.
Hey, sorry fellow MAC fans! I've been getting sort of lazy with the blog plus I've got this basement that will occupy me all winter. Big thanks to GMoney and Don though for helping me out!
Anyway, I have to admit I watched only part of the CMU/Akron game and only part of the Bowling Green/Toledo game and I'm probably not the most fit to comment. I was watching the Colorado/Nebraska, Mississippi State/Ole Miss, and LSU/Arkansas games more attentively.
So, I'm just going to throw some random MAC items floating around in this blogger's head:
This was from the article on NIU's official Web site:
"I feel good about this decision," Novak said. "It's time. It's the right time for me personally, for my wife [Carole] and family, and for this program. Everyone says you know when it's time and this is it for me.
"Overall, it's been a wonderful ride," he continued. "There have been good days and bad days, but a lot more good than bad. I'm leaving the program in better shape than I found it, which you always want to do. We accomplished some things, but there are some things we didn't get done, too."
Also, if you didn't see over at Saturday Sound Offs, Brian Kelly has my full support to become the next head coach at Michigan.
DISAPPOINTING LOSS AT THE BOWL CLOSES OUT '07
Disappointing? You bet. Zips fans, this one anyway, were looking for one thing, just one thing, to take as a positive as the current season comes to a close. Unfortunately, the one positive I found is leaving -- Jabari Arthur. Once again, Arthur came up big, keeping the Zips in the ball game until the defense collapsed in the final minutes allowing Central to drive down the field two times for a score.
Chris Jaquemain, once again, struggled and made rookie mistakes. Crediting him with making a few big passes to Arthur, he still is holding on to the ball too long and throwing into double coverage when other receivers are open.
What made the Central Michigan loss especially hard to take was that the defense, the Zips strong-point, imploded. Chippewa quarterback Dan LeFevour did just about whatever he wanted in the closing minutes of the game. Granted, LeFevour is a talented quarterback. I guess his talent level is higher than that of our defense.
Another season at the Bowl has come to an end. The Zips, once again, hover around the .500 mark with a 4-8 record. And, once again, the season that just ended leaves Zips fans with a dissatisfying taste in their mouths.
Video Replays...ESPN
Akron -Central Michigan Box Score
Akron-Central Michigan Game Stats
AKRON DROPS SEASON FINALE...GoZips.com
ZIPS LOSE LATE 12-POINT LEAD
MAC West champ Central Michigan rallies...The Beacon Journal
Area college football results...Canton Repository
LeFevour leads Chippewas past Zips...The Plain Dealer has to use a wire story to report on the Zips game played a half hour away from Cleveland. The New York Times -- NOT.
(photo: Ken Love, Akron Beacon Journal)
I've got more basement work to do, so I'll just link the previews:
Saturday Sound Offs
When: 7:00 PM ET
Why You Should Care: Does Eastern Michigan have any fight left in them? The season has pretty much gone according to plan, but the Eagles must not be happy. They might be able to catch a team that has already clinched the MAC West title (and probably a Motor City Bowl bid). The Chips don't have anything left to play for besides pride against their in-state rival.
Eastern Michigan Will Win Because...: They have been able to move the ball somewhat against bad defenses. They have shown this over the last two weeks against Toledo and Bowling Green. Luckily for them, the Chippewa defense has been atrocious all season long and if they're looking for a game that could inject some life into the EMU offense, this is the game that they want to play.
Central Michigan Will Win Because...: They're a lot better. This team looks like last year's CMU team (in MAC play). The offense is clicking on all cylinders right now and they're not having any issues scoring with Dan LeFevour back there. The Eagles have played a little bit of defense at different points in the season, but overall, this isn't a very good unit we're talking about here.
Keep an Eye on...: Dan LeFevour. He should be able to torch the EMU defense with his legs and his arm.
Prediction: Central Michigan will have way too much firepower at home to be stopped. In a pretty boring game due to the lack of competitiveness, CMU will win 38-18.
First off, if you didn't see it, you really missed out on a special game. Just about everything in the game was really fun to see (well, besides maybe the second quarter).
It starts off very heated because it is indeed a rivalry game. Things are a little chippy, Hiller spoke of a "clean" hatred for one another, and of course the biggie tonight and the probable game-changer for the Broncos: Jamarko Simmons' ejection.
Simmons was ejected for "kicking" (more like a "get-away-from-me" kind of shove and he happened to have his foot entangled) Red Keith, the Central Michigan linebacker. He sort of did an acting job because there's no way he was shoved that hard by somebody's foot and it didn't look like he exerted enough force on Keith to really move him that far. Anyway, the ref saw this and ejected Simmons. Simmons couldn't control his frustration and was sent to the lockeroom.
Western Michigan did start out strong scoring early and taking a 7-0 lead. The Broncos had a shot at taking a 10-0 lead off of a Dan LeFevour INT, but the snap was bobbled and they lost possession. Central responded with a FG near the middle of the second quarter. The receivers were not helping Hiller or LeFevour out at all. Both teams suffered a ton of dropped passes all of the way until the third quarter. Also, I haven't seen either team play as well defensively as these teams did for the first three quarters of the game. It was refreshing to see because CMU has been getting torched and Western has totally stunk defensively so far this season. I did notice one thing and Ray Bentley pointed out was the fact that CMU didn't burn a timeout which caused all sorts of confusion. They were in the red zone and had to settle for a FG instead of a TD.
The fourth quarter was when things really began to heat up. Western knocked a FG through the uprights to tie things up at 10 a piece. At this point in the game, Dan LeFevour starting ripping through the Western defense. It really wasn't pretty, but the Broncos did respond time and time again on offense. The spearing penalty really hurt Western on one of CMU's scoring drives and Bryan Anderson really stepped up to the plate being the only Chippewa who could catch a pass longer than 5 yards tonight....
Anyway, a great rush prevented Tim Hiller from making a wise choice, so he flung a football right at Calvin Hissong. He couldn't take it into the endzone though and CMU had to settle for a FG. I turned the channel over to Dennis Miller's new show on Versus for a second because even I had lost hope for the Broncos. The instant I flip it back to ESPN2, I see a fantastic catch by Herb Martin which put the Broncos within three points.
And, with a bit of foreshadowing in the mix, LeFevour failed to call a timeout (audibling instead) while the play clock was running low which caused all kinds of confusion. The blockers on the left side didn't pick up their blocks and LeFevour fumbled the ball right into Western's hands. Western scored on a dash from Brandon West which included two hideous arm tackles.
So, the score is now 31-27 and it looks like all hope is lost. After all, it's about time that something goes Cubit's way.
Turns out that wasn't the case. Wilson bit on a combo of the LeFevour pump fake and the great route running by Bryan Anderson. One accurate bomb later from the sophomore QB, CMU was setting up shop inside the one yard line with a little under a minute to go. CMU tried a QB sneak that probably was a TD and, after much reviewing, was ruled incorrectly due to lack of substantial evidence to overturn the call. The Chippewas tried it one more time (reminding me of the "Bush Push" which Bentley pointed out) and that should've been stopped due to FORWARD PROGRESS. It's clear that he was stuffed and the refs should have blown the whistle. Instead, LeFevour gets pushed into the endzone and after yet another review, the play stood.
But wait! It's not over. After a failed lateral on the kickoff return, the Broncos had two seconds. They were actually pretty successful on some of the laterals after a Tim Hiller completion and I started thinking, "Hmmmmmmm........Trinity/Millsaps, perhaps?" But, it didn't work out that way. Western suffered yet another devastating blow.
There are a few things we can take away from this game. Central Michigan finally played some defense which I suppose is newsworthy. Western Michigan played a little bit of that too by not getting steamrolled in the early going. I think both teams have some good resolve and they know how to bounce back from adversity. The Broncos had nothing to play for in this game besides embarrassing a despised rival and they played with an amount of intensity I haven't seen before. Central Michigan never lost faith that they could win and I think the coach, Butch Jones, deserves some credit for that.
One thing is for sure: This game cracks my all-time favorite-game list. No, it's not just because they're MAC teams, this was just a great rivalry game that won't be forgotten up here at least.
When: 7:30 PM ET, ESPN2
Why You Should Care: Is Western Michigan going to roll over in this game? Trying to cap off a disappointing season (and a tough early OOC schedule), they could at least stop a little bit of the bleeding with a win over hated rival, Central Michigan. CMU has been great in MAC play, but awful out of it and, obviously, this is a conference game (meaning good CMU might show up).
Central Michigan Will Win Because...: The Chips aren't keen on running the football, but when they do, expect some fireworks. Western Michigan had a good rushing defense last year, but for some reason in 2007, they're just awful. Standing at 96th against the run, Justin Hoskins should have a good day. Plus, any time you've got Dan LeFevour, you have a chance to win football games. Western's offense has really been sputtering over the last few games here and Tim Hiller isn't getting a lot of help around him.
Western Michigan Will Win Because...: It's tough to say with the way they played against Eastern, but these guys have a real good chance to stick it to the defending MAC champions and play spoiler for a little bit. Ball State is still alive if they can defeat the Chips tonight. Hiller has some skill, it's just a matter of getting him in the right situations. They need to establish the running game as well. Also, Central Michigan's defense has done absolutely next to nothing all season long getting trounced when offenses execute halfway decently.
Keep an Eye on...: Red Keith. The guy just makes plays all over the place. By far and away the best CMU defender, Keith has a chance to keep the Bronco offense from doing too much tonight.
Prediction: This might be a little lower scoring than predicted. I think the weather situation might have an effect on that. The forecast calls for below-freezing temps (low 30's, high 20's), 10+ mph wind, and sleety/rainy/snowy forms of precipitation. However, this won't stop Dan LeFevour cold in his tracks (no pun intended). He'll be able to run and run and run and run against the Broncos and Hoskins has the potential for a big game. Still, with this being an in-state rivalry and all, Western won't roll over as badly as they did against Eastern. It'll be a battle, but Central will wind up on top at Waldo Stadium by a score of 34-28.
Ah, yes, it's Tuesday once again and it's time for your old pal, GMoney, to drop some MAC knowledge on all you fools. Needless to say, I'm giddy as hell after the Redhawks win over Buffalo this past Saturday. I got back to the bar from Hineygate just in time to see Drew Willy fumble away his hopes and dreams and celebrated with 2 quick shots of Goldschlager and an Irish Car Bomb...not good.
Anyway, I survived and today I've got something special for you. That's right, insider information!!! For that, I've enlisted the help of Scott Rex, assistant Sports Information Director at Central Michigan. Scott and I played high school football together and since I succeeded in not letting him get sacked too much, I figured he owed me an interview. Here we go, sit back and learn about the Chips.
1. Brian Kelly left last season to be the head cheese at Cincinnati. In response, CMU hired West Virginia WR's coach, Butch Jones, to run the show. What kind of different things are the Chips doing on offense and defense under the new regime?
The biggest difference, I think, is on offense. It is a very up-tempo style that really limits a defense's ability to substitute. The scheme is not in the same mold of the run-and-shoot Buffalo Bills of our youth, but it is a no-huddle, spread attack that often uses four or five receivers. We lost a pair of deep threats in Damien Linson and Obed Cetoute from last year's team, so there is more of a focus on the intermediate passing game and creating mismatches with our receivers. I think there is also more of a commitment to the running game this season, which may sound strange with having a player like Dan LeFevour at quarterback.
The average fan probably does not see a huge difference in our defensive scheme from the past, but our linebackers are asked to do a lot both in coverage and in putting pressure on the quarterback. Our entire defense has really struggled with injuries all season. We have had nine different players start at least one game in the secondary alone this year, and that is almost exclusively due to injuries.
The great thing about Butch is that he was here before as an assistant, so a lot of our older players were already familiar with him. He also helped recruit Dan LeFevour before going to West Virginia.
2. I would say that last year was QB Dan LeFevour's coming out party. The guy was unstoppable. But it appears, at least through the box scores, that he's had an up and down sophomore season. What has changed? Has he been dinged up at all? Also, I love the way he plays. He kind of reminds me of a Tebow-type, doesn't mind the contact QB. You are a former high school quarterbacking great, who does LeFevour remind you of?
Dan's been healthy all year. His greatest attribute is his intelligence, but even he admits that worked against him a little early in the year and he was over-thinking in some situations. He has gotten more comfortable with the offense as the year has gone on and our retooled offensive line has not allowed a sack in four games entering Tuesday night's game at Western Michigan. Of the five starters up front, by the way, two are redshirt freshmen, one is a junior in his first season as a starter, and another is a junior who started at right tackle the last two years but moved to left tackle this season.
Back to LeFevour though. He is such a methodical player that a lot of times you don't realize the type of numbers he's putting up until you look at the box score at the end of the game. He just works his way through his progressions and is willing to take a 5-yard throw underneath if that is what is there. I wouldn't say that we design a lot of runs for him, but he can pick his spots and is faster than you would expect when he's in the open field.
It's tough to compare him with any one quarterback. He is the equivalent of a basketball gym rat in that he is always studying tape and seems to be ready for anything a defense will show him on any given week. Like I said before, he is an extremely smart kid and has this calmness about him on the field that is uncanny for a sophomore. He was a running back growing up, but moved to quarterback as a high school sophomore and was a varsity backup. This really is just his fourth season as a starting quarterback, so he is still continuing to grow into the position.
3. CMU is having somewhat of a strange season. The Chips are playing great in the MAC, but when they go out of conference, it's been pretty ugly. Now, I'm not going to say that they are terrible because losing at Purdue, Clemson, and Kansas is nothing to be ashamed of. But losing 44-14 to North Dakota State at home??? Come on, explain that one. Also, being an Ohioan, Kansas is never on tv yet I keep telling everyone I know that they are for real (Why, I have no idea). Are the Fightin' Mangino's the real deal?
North Dakota State came into our place with something to prove. They are a great football team, and I would expect them to win a I-AA national title sooner rather than later. They were big up front, physical, and had excellent athletes at the skill positions.
I think Clemson is a very underrated football team. Everybody knows about the running backs, but their defense is as fast as I've seen. The gameday atmosphere there is incredible too. As for Kansas, yeah I think they are for real. Reesing does a good job of managing their offense and they can run the ball pretty well. Obviously they have the ability to throw it too, which Nebraska found out last weekend. The defense is fast and physical. Aqib Talib could play for anyone in the country. Unfortunately for him, I think he gets lost in the mix a little bit because there are still a lot of people that just don't want to believe in the Jayhawks.
4. Finally (I said this would be quick), I've been to a few football games, in my younger days, up in Mt. Pleasant but it's been awhile. One thing that always stood out was the exubernace and intensity of the students at the game. It's refreshing that at least one school in the MAC has students that care! My question is, is it still like that? And if it is, do you think any of them would transfer to Miami to wake up our students? FIRE UP CHIPS!
Our student support is the best in the MAC. Their tailgating lot opens three hours before kickoff, and they start lining up to get into the lot at least an hour before that. The student seating section is now in the south end zone (closed end of the stadium), and they always fill those sections and spill around the corners of the end zone as well. When our players take the field before the game, they run out of the locker room in the north end zone all the way to the student section in the south end to help get the students fired up. It's a pretty cool thing to see. We led the MAC in attendance last season, and our students were a big reason for that. I hope that no one here ever takes the support we get for granted, because we do have a loyal fan base both on campus and in the community and surrounding areas.
Thanks a lot for your time, Scotty, time for you to focus on beating up on those Broncos. I hope to be going to head-to-head with you over the MAC title come December.
