The MAC has had a couple of pretty interesting weeks, despite having games scattered across nearly every night in November. Things are wrapping up in a tidy little package for their final week and the Championship Game on December 4th. Central Michigan clinched the West division by watching Ohio take down Northern Illinois on TV, while Ohios win sets up a final game against Temple for all the Eastern marbles. Either way, two of those three teams will make for a great conference championship game.
MAC Standings
| East | ||
| Conf | Overall | |
| Temple | 7-0 | 9-2 |
| Ohio | 6-1 | 8-3 |
| Bowling Green | 5-2 | 6-5 |
| Kent State | 4-3 | 5-6 |
| Buffalo | 2-5 | 4-7 |
| Akron | 1-6 | 2-9 |
| Miami | 1-7 | 1-11 |
| West | ||
| Conf | Overall | |
| Central Michigan* | 7-0 | 9-2 |
| Northern Illinois | 5-2 | 7-4 |
| Western Michigan | 4-3 | 5-6 |
| Toledo | 3-4 | 5-6 |
| Ball State | 1-6 | 1-10 |
| Eastern Michigan | 0-7 | 0-11 |
This Week
Bowling Green 36, Akron 20- Bowling Green continues its run and is now bowl eligible, one win away from the all important 7-5 record for postseason life. Akron kept things close throughout a 10-9 first half, but the Falcons extended the lead to 13 late in the third quarter and their edge never fell below 10 after that.
Toledo 47, Eastern Michigan 21- This one was never close, as Toledo went up 16-0 early in the second quarter and the Eagles were never in the game. Toledo faces a streaking Bowling Green team with a chance to get their record up to 6-6 after a frustrating up-and-down season.
Temple 47, Kent State 13- Kent State grabbed a first quarter lead and led at halftime, but a 38 point run for Temple through the 3rd and 4th quarters ended Kent State’s hopes of surviving with the upset. If you’re scoring at home, Temple has not lost since September 19th, against Penn State. Kent State has gone from division title hopeful to the wrong side of the bowl eligibility equation with only one game to get there.
Ohio 38, Northern Illinois 31- Four lead changes in the second half brought this one down to the wire, but Ohio pulled away late and the Huskies couldn’t recover a last minute onside kick to finish a big comeback at the end. The loss means that this week’s game against Central Michigan won’t affect the division title race, but NIU appears to be in line for one of the MAC’s bowl bids.
MAC Week 12 Power Rankings
- Temple
- Central Michigan
- Ohio
- Northern Illinois
- Bowling Green
- Western Michigan
- Toledo
- Kent State
- Buffalo
- Akron
- Ball State
- Miami
- Eastern Michigan
Conference Championship Outlook
The MAC Conference Championship Game is Friday, December 4, at 8 PM Eastern. Central Michigan has clinched their berth, and the winner of Temple at Ohio on Friday will take the other spot. That game is set for 11 AM Eastern on ESPNU, and we’ll try to preview it on Wednesday.