Must Watch MAC Non-Conference Games in 2017

Brandon Fitzsimons
Aug 28, 2017 · 4 min read

With football season now less than three days away (as of this moment while writing), fans everywhere are dusting off their jerseys and grills and preparing for a three month cycle of propping up their tailgate setup on Saturday (or Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday night), cracking open a cold beverage, and engorging themselves on America’s new favorite pastime. The wait is almost over, and soon we’ll have our favorite teams in our favorite stadiums that carry a certain level of history and lore (OK maybe not you, Akron).

The end prize in the MAC is generally the MAC Championship. Rarely does a team get national attention, and once a team drops a non-conference game, it’s truly Detroit or Bust then. However, the non-conference slate can give us some great match-ups, and this year is no exception. Even if we may not experience another NY6 ride like Western Michigan last year, here are some great games to catch outside of MAC play.

Boston College @ NIU — Week 1 on a Friday night in DeKalb, and we get a “P5” school facing off against the former MAC West kings. Sure the Eagles are pretty garbage, but with the Huskies coming off a down year, this is a great test for both schools to show they aren’t bad this year!

Ohio @ Purdue — Another chance for the MAC to spring an upset against a Power Five school, this time on the road. Purdue isn’t great, but they are good enough to be the Bobcats’ most difficult game outside of MAC play. Win this, and Ohio could be looking to spring a perfect season.

Western Michigan @ Michigan State — The Broncos lose a lot from last year’s Cotton Bowl team, but still bring back most of its defense and its run game. The Spartans are coming off of a 3–9 season, and have had a tumultuous off-season to boot. An upset is a possibility, with the winner likely holding the crown to “2nd best CFB team in Michigan”.

Tulsa @ Toledo — Do you like offense? Do you like points? Do you like games that go 4 hours? Then boy do I have the match-up for you! After the Golden Hurricane destroyed Central Michigan in its bowl game last year, they are looking like a potent team on the G5 level. Toledo is looking to win the MAC, but a slip-up here could have people doubting if they can climb that mountain. This shoot-out will be on everyone’s Group of Five radar.

Cincinnati @ Miami — The RedHawks haven’t won the Victory Bell in 12 years. After closing 2016 with 6 straight wins in the MAC, they have the chance to change that this season. Chuck Martin has done an incredible job to return Miami into a formidable opponent, and winning the nation’s oldest non-conference rivalry game would do wonders for his resume.

Eastern Michigan @ Kentucky — The Wildcats made some strides last year, with the win over Louisville capping a solid bowl eligible season. However, I’m not entirely sold on them going into this season. The Eagles face a similar situation where they made a bowl last year, but you don’t know where to peg them this year. They do have Brogan Roback, and the running corps should be healthier for this game. While not a program changer, this would be big for Eastern Michigan.


The following aren’t necessarily “must watches” as a whole. However, for the six teams not mentioned above, they are the “must watch” games for their respective schools.

Central Michigan @ Kansas — CMU has a couple options here (Boston College & Syracuse), but I went with Kansas. The ‘Cuse game shouldn’t be close if Dino Babers improves on last year’s solid first season. BC is already covered. So CMU at Kansas presents my must watch to see if the Chippewas can (probably) avoid a 1–3 non-conference season.

Buffalo @ Army — Week 2, and Buffalo will have a tough Black Knights squad to face. This is Lance Leipold’s time to show everyone his Bulls are ready to compete in the MAC. The FAU game could be more interesting, but with both programs in the dumps, seeing Army helps boost the watchability out of any Buffalo game.

UAB @ Ball State — I covered this in the MAC Road Trip article, but ZOMBIE BLAZERS! Also, this is at home. Watching the Cardinals head to Illinois or Western Kentucky just doesn’t do it for me (and probably you as well).

Iowa State @ Akron — Welcome back to MAC Land, Matt Campbell! This is slightly winnable, though the Zips’ inconsistency last season leaves us wondering IF the Zips can win. They were a favorite in the MAC last year, and fumbled that chance away. A win here, and they could make a statement to Ohio and Miami that there will be company at the top of the MAC East.

Bowling Green @ Middle Tennessee State — Tough call here, as the Falcons have no good options for “must watch”. However, if you had to pick one game, pick the game against a fellow Group of Five team looking to make a name for itself. With a relatively weak schedule, the Blue Raiders could be undefeated coming into this one, and it’ll be interesting to see if the Falcons can stop Brent Stockstill.

Howard vs Kent State — lol, sorry Golden Flashes fans. Clemson? No. Louisville? No. Marshall? Maybe, but no. I go with Howard because if you’re going to watch Paul Haynes try to save his job, it starts with a win here. Reminder that the Golden Flashes lost its FCS game last year, so anything is possible.

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Brandon Fitzsimons

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I was on ESPN. WMU Class of 2014. I do IT stuff and talk sports

Free On Saturday

MAC Football, Saturdays Optional

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