2018 MAC Power Rankings Week Eight: Finally, Some Stability From Buffalo, NIU and WMU
After a few weeks of mass shifting and shuffling in the Power Rankings, we are starting to see some teams take firm hold of their positions.
Free on Saturday’s Week Eight Power Rankings
1. Buffalo Bulls
Last Week’s Rank: 1
Week Five Result: Won vs Akron 24–6
The Bulls are the best team in the MAC right now. They pass the eye test with all the talent on offense and defense and have the stats to back it up. Buffalo is fourth in the conference in yards per play on offense and trail only Northern Illinois in the same measure on the defensive side. Can you believe the Bulls are doing all of this with Anthony Johnson limited?
2. Northern Illinois Huskies
Last Week’s Rank: T-3
Week Five Result: Won vs Ohio 24–21
NIU’s gameplan is simple: Score 24 and dare the other team to score more. In MAC play alone, the Huskies have hit this mark three times, and have three wins to show for it (the other win being a 26–23 win over EMU). A bye week before heading to BYU for a nice MAC break is coming up, but NIU’s MAC West hopes will come down to its final three games…if the rest of the division doesn’t implode by then.
3. Western Michigan Broncos
Last Week’s Rank: T-3
Week Five Result: Won @ Bowling Green 42–35
The Broncos survived the Bowling Green offense and promptly got Mike Jinks fired (as far as we know right now). Up next is a crucial three-game stretch of Central Michigan, Toledo, and Ohio. All three games are over a 12-day span, and if WMU can navigate that stretch 2–1 or better, they are set-up to have a clean shot at the MAC West Title in the season finale against NIU.
4. Miami RedHawks
Last Week’s Rank: T-5
Week Five Result: Won vs Kent State 31–6
Guess who the second highest rated MAC team in S&P+ is? That’s right, the goddamn Miami RedHawks. Chuck Martin’s team was basically left for dead after opening the season 1–4, but it has since dismantled Akron and Kent State heading into its final non conference game against Army. Miami’s defense is carrying it once again. Is there some more late season magic left in this program?
5. Eastern Michigan Eagles
Last Week’s Rank: 7
Week Five Result: Won vs Toledo 28–26
The curse is over! The Eagles finally got over the one-score hump by beating the snot out of Toledo in the first half, then holding off a strong comeback attempt by the Rockets. Eastern still appears to be dead in the water after a 0–3 start to MAC play, but bowl eligibility is still up for grabs. The much easier half of the MAC slate is due up as well, as the three MAC West contenders and Buffalo are done, leaving the bottom of the East and West in the Eagles’ path.
6. Ohio Bobcats
Last Week’s Rank: T-5
Week Five Result: Lost @ Northern Illinois 24–21
I’m still not sure whether giving up 24 points to NIU means your defense is good or bad, since everyone seems to do it. Either way, the Bobcats missed a gigantic opportunity in DeKalb over the weekend, somehow only losing by three despite coughing up the ball three times and boasting an average starting field position of their own 19 yard line.
7. Toledo Rockets
Last Week’s Rank: 2
Week Five Result: Lost @ Eastern Michigan 28–26
Someone had to lose to Eastern, right? This is a tough loss for Toledo not only because a loss at Eastern Michigan is never good for a program but because of how the loss was achieved. Sure, the final score was close, but the Rockets trailed the entire game and were held to under five yards per play. That’s almost unheard of for this program. If Toledo doesn’t figure out how to get its offense back in motion, it could struggle to find enough wins to get back to Ford Field and defend its crown.
8. Ball State Cardinals
Last Week’s Rank: 8
Week Five Result: Won @ Central Michigan 24–23
The Cardinals were actually underdogs in their game against Central Michigan and, well, that didn’t look so crazy for most of the day Saturday! It’s great for Ball State that it was able to escape Mount Pleasant alive, but it’s looking like maybe there’s one more year to go before we start looking at Ball State as a contender.
9. Central Michigan Chippewas
Last Week’s Rank: 11
Week Five Result: Lost vs Ball State 24–23
I will continue to say that Central is going to get a MAC West win this season. It sure looked like Saturday was the day, but now the Chippewas set their sights on another home game against Western Michigan. CMU’s defense is playing very well, and if the offense ever figures it out this could be a dangerous football team.
10. Akron Zips
Last Week’s Rank: T-9
Week Five Result: Lost @ Buffalo 24–6
Akron’s deal with the devil clearly had an expiration date. Since beating Northwestern in week three, the Zips have had a brutal power outage on offense. Akron’s scored 13 points against Iowa State, 17 points against Miami and just six against Buffalo. The Zips were out gained by 200 yards and averaged less than four yards per play against the Bulls. Ouch.
11. Kent State Golden Flashes
Last Week’s Rank: T-9
Week Five Result: Lost @ Miami 31–6
It was fun while it lasted, right? The Flashes went from wired to tired in a, uh, well, in a flash. Justin Rankin has been a bright spot for Sean Lewis’ team this season, coming in at third in the conference in total rushing yards with 511 at 5.4 yards per attempt.
12. Bowling Green Falcons
Last Week’s Rank: 12
Week Five Result: Lost vs Western Michigan 42–35
Bowling Green had WMU on the ropes multiple times, but couldn’t finish the job. A day later, Mike Jinks was fired as head coach. While the story about leaving a player in the hospital in Atlanta might’ve been the final nail for the administration, the writing was on the wall after Jinks never had a .500 season, and really never was close.
