Welcome to the 2017 MAC Football Preview. The league is looking at a competitive season where the West should be up for grabs as we predict three teams battling for that division while the East should stay in the hands of the Bobcats.
What's Inside
MAC Preview
MAC EAST
Ohio Bobcats – Change is coming to the offense that ranked 85th last year as they try to put the QB under center more. If the defense, which ranked 26th in scoring last year, can have a repeat, the Bobcats should be hard to beat.
Miami (OH) Redhawks – Ended 2016 with six straight wins before dropping their bowl game by 1 point. If the offense can improve from 114 with a returning QB, RB and O-Line, the Redhawks should win more.
Bowling Green Falcons – Won three straight to end the season. How much can they improve from tied-97th in Offense and tied-118th on Defense? That’s the key to the season.
Akron Zips – Experience on the O-line and at QB. Must improve turnovers where they were -8 last year and the scoring defense was 98th.
Kent State Flashes – Offense was 117th last year. Will the experience help it improve? Turnovers were +8 last season and must stay that way for them to be competitive in 2017.
Buffalo Bulls – The defense is anchored by the linebackers. With QB and 4 offensive linemen back, the offense has to do better than 126 in scoring from 2016.
MAC WEST
Central Michigan Chippewas – A team with a lot of experience will rely on a redshirt Freshman QB and new offensive coordinator.
Toledo Rockets – Tons of talent at skill positions. Can the defense improve from 48th? If so, a MAC Championship could be possible.
Western Michigan Broncos – Tim Lester is the new head coach. Can the offense stay top 10 in scoring this year? With a new QB and receivers it’s a probably drop off.
Northern Illinois Huskies – If the Huskies can find stability at QB after two seasons of injuries under center, they could bounce back. The defensive front is key to the defense improving from 80th in scoring last season.
Eastern Michigan Eagles – Come off a bowl game for first time in nearly 20 years. Key skill players and 3 starters on offensive line return. Defense needs players to step up to have a shot at returning to a bowl.
Ball State Cardinals – Schedule is tough. How big of a jump can they make in year two under coach Mike Neu? Offense was tied for 75th last season while the D was 78th.
2017 MAC Predictions
| Predicted Record | ||||
| MAC EAST | W | L | CONF W | CONF L |
| Ohio Bobcats | 12 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Miami (OH) RedHawks | 9 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| Bowling Green Falcons | 4 | 8 | 3 | 5 |
| Akron Zips | 4 | 8 | 3 | 5 |
| Kent State Flashes | 3 | 9 | 2 | 6 |
| Buffalo Bulls | 1 | 11 | 0 | 8 |
2017 MAC Football Championship Game Prediction
Ohio over Central Michigan
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