VanDelaySports.com > MAC Football > 2008 MAC Football Preview

2008 MAC Football Pigskin Preview

VanDelay Sports is well known for its annual MAC football recruiting analysis, Pigskin Preview and weekly MAC football picks. With the 2008 college football season set to kick off shortly, we present our 2008 MAC football preview below. Our predicted 2008 MAC football standings are below and be sure to click on the team names to visit the individual team previews.

2008 MAC Bowl Game Bid Predictions

1. GMAC Bowl - Ball State

2. Motor City Bowl - Western Michigan

3. International Bowl - Buffalo

4. Congressional Bowl - Miami

2008 MAC Championship Thoughts

The strength of the MAC continues to be in the west division. Central Michigan looks for a rare “three-peat” of MAC titles, something that hasn’t been done since Marshall turned the trick in the late 1990s. The Chips’ do have the offense and hotshot quarterback Dan LeFevour to pull it off, but a very suspect defense and a ridiculous non-conference schedule of Georgia, Purdue and Indiana (all on the road) will likely take it’s toll.

Western Michigan will be much improved and look for the fruits of their late season victory at Iowa to carry over into the 2008 season and push this team into a bowl bid in 2008. Road trips to both Central Michigan and Ball State will likely halt a divisional title for the upstart Broncos.

Therefore, this publication is going to pick Ball State team to win their first MAC title since 1996. The Cardinals return almost everyone from a stacked offensive juggernaut that could possible lead the nation in scoring offense in 2008. The Cards finally get a break from the schedule master too, no longer playing non-conference games against a murderous row of Missouri, Clemson, Pitt, Auburn, Boston College and Nebraska like recent seasons. This year Ball State pulls in cream-puffs Northeastern and Western Kentucky, along with Navy and Indiana. Going 4-0 in those contests is not out of the question. Within MAC play, their final three games (at Miami, at Central and at home to Western) will determine if they travel to Detroit in early December or await a MAC at-large bowl bid. This publication sees Ball State winning 10-games and making a serious run at a Top-25 national ranking by season’s end.

MAC East 2008 Thoughts

The MAC East couldn’t be more of a crap-shoot with all seven teams having a legitimate shot at winning the division. Miami gets the nod due to their defense. The RedHawks, along with Temple, should have the top overall defensive unit in the MAC. If the RedHawks get any offense this season – look out. Who would have thought that Buffalo would be picked #2 by this publication? In the ten previous seasons, we have never picked the Bulls higher than 5 th but this team may surprise with an abundance of ‘no-name’ players who have bought into Turner Gill’s program.

Both Kent State and Temple should be much improved and each will contend for winning seasons. With a few breaks, each has the ability to pull off a nice non-conference victory too. Bowling Greenand Ohio each may be headed down the standings unless they find some play-makers in strategic areas. BG must replace some solid offensive linemen and play the MAC’s most demanding non-conference schedule (Pitt, Minnesota, Boise State & Wyoming) while Ohio must replace (nearly 4,400 rushing yards) workhorse tailback Kalvin McRae.

Akron may be picked last but like so many off the MAC East teams that each have a unique flaw entering the 2008 season, the Zips do have an abundance of transfers that on paper look to be immediate contributors. Depending upon how quickly they jell will determine if Akron returns to the top of the division or remains a bottom-feeder.

MAC West 2008 Thoughts

As stated above, the MAC West has the power again on their side of the ledger. The top three teams are noted above but each need to be aware of Toledo, NIU and Eastern Michigan. The Rockets have the offensive talent to stand toe to toe with anyone in the MAC and if their atrocious defense can do anything this year, UT may end two straight years of football frustration.

Former NIU coach Joe Novak was a favorite of this publication and did wonders in DeKalb. Unfortunately the injury bug took a huge bite out of the Huskies in 2007 but new coach Jerry Kill, the reigning FCS (formally I-AA) Coach of the Year should have them back in contention immediately. The Eagles won the ‘Michigan MAC Trophy’ in ’07 beating both Western and Central Michigan, but EMU will need to be more consistent on offense and replace standout Jason Jones along the defensive line.

2008 Preseason All-VanDelay Team

All-MAC Preseason 1ST Team OFFENSE

Pos Name Ht. Wt. Class School

QB Dan LeFevour 6-3 226 Jr. Central Michigan

RB Eugene Jarvis 5-5 170 Jr. Kent State

RB James Starks 6-2 210 Jr. Buffalo

WR Dante Love 5-8 179 Sr. Ball State

WR Stephen Williams 6-5 204 Jr. Toledo

TE Darius Hill 6-6 236 Sr. Ball State

C Alex Derenthal 6-4 294 Sr. Temple

OL Robert Brewster 6-5 310 Sr. Ball State

OL Chris Kemme 6-6 305 Sr. Akron

OL Andrew Hartline 6-5 297 Sr. Central Michigan

OL Augustus Parrish 6-5 305 Sr. Kent State

All-MAC Preseason 1st Team DEFENSE

Pos Name Ht. Wt. Class School

DL Diyral Briggs 6-4 230 Sr. BGSU

DL Andre Neblett 6-2 290 Jr. Temple

DL Jameson Hartke 6-4 262 Sr. Ohio

DL Larry English 6-3 254 Sr. NIU

LB Clayton Mullins 6-2 235 Sr. Miami

LB Bryant Haines 6-5 223 Sr. Ball State

LB Daniel Holtzclaw 6-1 246 Sr. Eastern Michigan

S Barry Church 6-3 212 Jr. Toledo

S Davonte Shannon 6-1 190 So. Buffalo

CB Londen Fryar 5-11 192 Sr. Western Michigan

CB Antonio Smith 5-10 180 Sr. BGSU

All-MAC Preseason 1st Team Specialists

Pos Name Ht. Wt. Class School

PK Alex Steigerwald 5-11 179 Jr. Toledo

Punter Chris Miller 6-2 211 Sr. Ball State

KR Bryan Williams 6-0 200 Sr. Akron

PR Andre Jones 5-11 185 Sr. Akron

All-MAC Preseason 2nd Team OFFENSE

Pos Name Ht. Wt. Class School

QB Nate Davis 6-2 217 Jr. Ball State

RB Brandon West 5-10 175 Jr. Western Michigan

RB Justin Anderson 5-11 222 Jr. NIU

WR Bryan Anderson 6-5 205 Jr. Central Michigan

WR Jamarko Simmons 6-2 234 Sr. Western Michigan

TE Andrew Mooney 6-3 233 Sr. Ohio

C Josh Perry 6-2 295 Sr. Kent State

OL Jared DeWalt 6-4 318 Jr. Toledo

OL Jeff Niedermier 6-3 310 Sr. Buffalo

OL Dave DiFranco 6-4 300 Sr. Miami

OL Jon Brost 6-6 304 Sr. NIU

All-MAC Preseason 2nd Team DEFENSE

Pos Name Ht. Wt. Class School

DL Brandon Crawford 6-3 260 Jr. Ball State

DL Terrance Knighton 6-4 295 Sr. Temple

DL Almondo Sewell 6-2 260 So. Akron

DL Zach Davidson 6-2 243 Sr. Western Michigan

LB Joe Hudson 6-2 240 Sr. Miami

LB Kevin Grant 6-2 245 Sr. Akron

LB Derek Burrell 6-2 240 Sr. Kent State

S P.J. Mahone 5-11 201 Jr. BGSU

S Louis Delmas 5-11 196 Sr. Western Michigan

CB B.J. Hill 5-7 180 Sr. Ball State

CB Mark Parson 5-10 192 Sr. Ohio

All-MAC Preseason 2nd Team Specialists

Pos Name Ht. Wt. Class School

PK Sinisa Vrvilo 6-1 234 Sr. BGSU

P Jake Richardson 6-1 197 Sr. Miami

KR Antonio Brown 5-11 175 So. Central Michigan

PR B.J. Hill 5-7 180 Sr. Ball State