2017 MAC Pick’em — Week 12
Two weeks left in the regular season, and the race for the lead is getting intense
Excuse me for being short today. I’m getting over a very long weekend of drinking and gambling and my head hurts. Was it fun? You betcha. Does my bank account hate me? It’ll get over it.
Last week was not kind to all, as a couple surprises kept everyone from having a perfect week. Still, with 12 points, Nick McCarthy and Justin Coffin are your winners. Full standings here. If you think you deserve your bonus point, email me with proof of sharing before Tuesday’s game and I will adjust accordingly.
We enter Week 12 with only two games of real note and another game that will have some bowl eligibility questions. We do have the I-75 Rivalry, but meh. One bonus point for sharing. Next week will have three, I promise.
Central Michigan vs Kent State — The Chippewas still need a lot of help to win the MAC West due to its loss to Toledo, but with a relatively easy trip to Kent State before a big Black Friday slate, this should be a gimme before they wait to see if BG can help them out on Wednesday.
Ohio vs Akron — Ohio wins, and the MAC East race is done. Akron wins, and its just a win against a bad Kent State team from a trip to Detroit. Having Thomas Woodson back will help the Zips look better than they did against Miami last week, but Ohio just looks otherworldly right now. Bobcats roll to Detroit.
Eastern Michigan vs Miami — Stupid Eagles. Apparently, they still didn’t learn how to win after the Ball State game, because they dropped their seventh game since the Week 3 bye to CMU to ensure a bowl-less season. The RedHawks looked much better with Gus Ragland at QB against Akron, and I like their odds to get through this before a lay-up against Ball State to earn bowl eligibility.
Toledo vs Bowling Green — The Battle for I-75 has been one-sided in recent history. The Rockets have won seven straight match-ups, and look for a pair of five straight recruiting classes put up a goose eggs for their respective schools as Toledo gets another win. That said, look for this game to be closer than expected as the Falcons always seem to keep it interesting.
Western Michigan vs Northern Illinois — Elimination game in the West. Whomever wins has a big Black Friday game on the road. The Huskies head to face CMU, who could be out of the MAC West race if Toledo beats BG. The Broncos head to Toledo which could be a winner-take-all game sans one exception: CMU winning out. This has huge implications. But you know something? It won’t be a game. Reece Goodard has 150 throwing yards in roughly two games’ worth of playing time, and the Huskies’ defense will swallow him and the Bronco run game whole in a win.
Buffalo vs Ball State — You have other things to do on Thursday? Do them. Ball State is bad and Buffalo will roll with a healthy Tyree Jackson. My only hope is he sits the 2nd half so I win my fantasy match-up. With a win, Buffalo would be one game away from bowl eligibility heading into a Black Friday show-down at home. The opponent? Ohio. Hope you participate in Cyber Monday.
Game of the Week — Eastern Michigan vs Miami: I think this game could go either way depending on which Brogan Roback shows up. When he’s on, he’s fun to watch. When he’s not, you get what happened in Mt. Pleasant last week. With nothing on the line and him not being a real pro prospect, I have no idea what’ll happen. Maybe the pressure is finally off and he can go full “screw it, Imma sling it” mode. And don’t forget that this is the last true test for Miami to get bowl eligible since Ball State shouldn’t muster a fight in Week 13.
