MAC Power Rankings: Week 3

Everything sucks, unless you’re in DeKalb (which is saying something).

Photo edit by Alex Alvarado.

Through three weeks of college football, the Mid-American Conference:

• has a cumulative record of 18–17
• is 2–7 against Big Ten schools
• and is 4–11 against Power 5 schools.

The big news out of this week is that Northern Illinois’ defense put on a clinic at Nebraska and won 21–17. In the first quarter, Shawun Lurry and Jawaun Johnson both had interceptions returned for touchdowns to give their team the spark plug it needed to win.

Of course, that’s going to reflect in our rankings. The Huskies are now 2–1 with its only loss coming in the form of a three-point loss to Boston College in the home opener. Even if the offense isn’t pretty at this point, it doesn’t matter, because that defense is for real.

The Huskies are currently third in the MAC with 16.7 points per game allowed, tops in rush defense (96.7 yards per game), third in passing defense per attempt (5.1) and third in overall defense (303.3 yards per game).

Around the MAC (going from first to last in last week’s rankings):

• Toledo edged out Tulsa in a shootout 54–51;
• Eastern Michigan had a bye week;
• Miami was going to win but was nice enough to let Cincinnati hold onto the Victory Bell for like the hundredth year or something;
• Central Michigan lost at Syracuse because the Orange rushed for 300 yards;
• Ohio beat Kansas, but more importantly, Andrew Meyer had a dope catch;
• Ball State beat Tennessee Tech which is cool I guess;
• Western Michigan looked bad but beat Idaho at home;
• NIU beat Nebraska;
• Akron proved that it’s a soccer school and lost 41–14 to Matt Campbell;
• Buffalo beat Colgate 33–10 and Tyree Jackson is currently 4th in the MAC with 259 yards of total offense per game;
• Kent State was shutout at Marshall;
• Bowling Green lost a lot to a little at Northwestern.

FoSat MAC Football Recap: All is Well in DeKalb

Here’s how our (me, Brandon Fitzsimons and Justin Coffin) rankings looks through three weeks of non-conference football.

WEEK 3 POWER RANKINGS

1. Toledo (3 first-place votes), average rank 1
2. Northern Illinois, 2.67 (tie)
3. Ohio, 2.67 (tie)
4. Eastern Michigan, 3.67
5. Western Michigan, 5.33
6. Ball State, 5.67
7. Miami, 7
8. Central Michigan, 8
9. Buffalo, 9.33
10. Kent State, 10
11. Akron, 10.67
12. Bowling Green, 12