Nick's 2005 MAC Football Picks - Week #5 Picks

The Mid-American Conference: "The Cradle of Coaches"

TUESDAY - September 27

Toledo (3-0, 1-0 MAC) @ Fresno State (1-1, 0-0 WAC) - 9 pm ET - ESPN2

Game Notes:

Toledo and Fresno State have never faced each other in football, but the Rockets twice played in Bulldogs Stadium, at the 1981 and 1984 California Bowls
This is the 16th time the Rockets have been on national TV since Tom Amstutz became head coach in 2001 - Amstutz is 8-7 on national TV
Toledo starts the season 3-0 for the first time since the 2001 team began with a 5-0 mark
Fresno State has won three straight bowl games, including a 37-34 overtime win against Virginia in last year's MPC Computers Bowl
FSU has beaten I-AA Weber State 55-17 and lost at Oregon State 37-34
This game will be televised on ESPN on Tuesday night at 9pm EST
Toledo ’s Bruce Gradkowski is questionable for this game meaning that redshirt freshman Clint Cochran may be the starter
Toledo is the only MAC team without a loss this season

Nick’s Pick: Fresno State 41 – Toledo 27

Line: Fresno State by 10

Comment: This is a huge game for Toledo and the MAC. Aside from Ohio ’s home win over a 1-3 Pitt team, the MAC has absolutely no marquee non-conference wins and a victory in Fresno would certainly count as a marquee win. FSU is battling the injury bug and Toledo may not have a healthy Bruce Gradkowski due to a hit he took at Temple nine days ago. FSU is a terrific team at home a 41,000 plus wearing red can be quite intimidating. Without any doubt, this is Toledo ’s most difficult game of the season and unless the defense forces mega turnovers, a depleted Rocket offense will struggle in the “valley” and FSU and the WAC will get their second straight home win over a top MAC team in as many weeks.

WEDNESDAY - September 28

Cincinnati (2-1, 0-0 Big East) @ Miami (1-2, 0-1 MAC) - 7 pm ET - ESPN2

Game Notes:

The winner takes home the prized Victory Bell, Miami and Cincinnati first met in 1888 and this is the oldest Division I-A college football rivalry west of the Allegheny Mountains
This season the rivalry will be played in front of a nationally-televised audience for the first time ever on ESPN2 Wednesday evening
Thus far Cincy has beaten EMU 28-26 and I-AA Western Carolina 7-3, and lost at Penn State 42-24
Miami leads the overall series 58-44-7 and has won three of the last four meetings
Three members of Cincinnati's football coaching staff have Miami ties: offensive coordinator Don Treadwell is a 1982 Miami graduate; defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi, was a former defensive coordinator and graduate assistant at Miami and UC tight ends and tackles coach Mark Staten is a 2001 Miami graduate
WRs Martin Nance and Ryne Robinson both averaging over 100.0 yards receiving per game and Brandon Murphy posting 106.0 yards rushing per game - Miami is the only team in Division I-A to have two 100.0 yard per game receivers and a 100.0 ypg rusher

Nick’s Pick: Miami 31 - Cincinnati 23

Line: Miami by 12

Comment: This is a very good rivalry that the whole country finally gets to see in Miami ’s newly refurbished stadium. The RedHawks have started the season out slowly with an expected loss at Ohio State and a surprising loss at home to CMU. Miami looks to beat a team that upset them last year. Cincy graduated several players on both sides and thus far this season have struggles offensively. Look for Miami to jump out of the gate early and hold off a late Bearcat rally.

Related VanDelaySports.com Links:

The Mid-American Conference: "The Cradle of Coaches"

SATURDAY - October 1

Ball State (0-3, 0-1 MAC) @ Boston College (3-1, 1-1 ACC) - 1 pm ET

Site: Chestnut Hill, Mass. - Alumni Stadium (44,500/Field Turf)

Series: BC leads 2-0 ... the Eagles won last year in Muncie 19-11 and in 2003 at BC 53-29.

Coaches: BSU-Brady Hoke (6-20 3rd season); BC-Tom O'Brien (60-40, 9th season).

Game Notes:

This is the fourth consecutive game for Ball State vs. a team that won a bowl game last year-Iowa (Capital One), Bowling Green (GMAC), Auburn (Sugar) and BC (Continental Tire)
The Cardinals have lost five in a row dating back to last year.
BC won at Clemson last week, 16-13 in overtime.
BSU had an open week and is coming off a 63-3 loss at Auburn Sept 17.
Cardinals QB Joey Lynch is fifth in the MAC in passing efficiency at 135.6 (44-of-67, 448 yards, 4 TDs, 2 int.).

Nick’s Pick:
Boston College 56 – Ball State 0

Line:
Boston College by 35

Comment:
This is the end of ‘murderous row’ as Ball State continues to play a ridiculously difficult schedule this season. Ball State will have over a dozen players from their two-deep line up out for this contest serving a school imposed suspension. Even with these players BSU would likely get drilled. This game will get ugly as this BC team may be better than Auburn or Iowa. Coach Brady Hoke deserves better.

Kent State (1-3, 0-1 MAC) @ Eastern Michigan (2-2, 1-1 MAC) - 2 pm ET

Site: Ypsilanti, Mich. - Rynearson Stadium (30,200/Field Turf)

Series: Kent State leads 13-12 ... this is the first meeting in Ypsilanti since 1997 ... the Golden Flashes won last year's meeting 69-17.

Coaches: KSU-Doug Martin (6-9, 2nd season); EMU-Jeff Genyk (6-9, 2nd season).

Game Notes:

EMU has a chance to start 2-0 in the MAC for the first time since 1995.
Last week the Eagles had a 19-play, 76-yard drive that led the Andrew Wellock's game-tying field goal on the last play of regulation.
Wellock later kicked the game winner in overtime, his 41st career field goal, one shy of the school record and the 18th highest total in MAC history.
QB Matt Bohnet tied a school record with 36 completions with Eric Deslauriers grabbing 10 passes.
KSU suffered six interceptions in its 35-32 loss at Ohio but returned one of the favors with a 73-yard pick for a score by Jon Sessler, the fifth longest interception return in the nation this season.
KSU WR Najah Pruden had 200 receiving yards, the second highest total in the MAC this season.

Nick’s Pick: Eastern Michigan 31 – Kent State 28

Line: EMU by 4

Comment: Last season Kent State really hammered EMU and the Eagles have not forgotten that beating. This year both teams are very evenly matched by EMU has the confidence factor going there way with the OT win last week at Central. Add to that that the Eagles have the best place kicker in the league and the nod goes to the home team in a thriller.

Temple (0-4, Independent) @ Bowling Green (1-2, 1-0 MAC) - 4 pm ET

Television: CN8/Comcast Local (Brian Webber, play by play; Bill Osborne, analyst; Gregg Murphy, sideline.).

Site: Bowling Green, Ohio - Doyt Perry Stadium (23,724/Natural Grass)

Series: BGSU leads 5-2 ... the Falcons won last year in Philadelphia 70-16 ... BG has won 5 of the last 6 meetings.

Coaches: TU-Bobby Wallace (19-64, 8th season at Temple; 101-100-1, 18th season overall).

Game Notes:

Bowling Green plays its home opener after games at Wisconsin, Ball State and Boise State.
For the Owls this is the third of three straight MAC opponents (Toledo and Western Michigan at home).
Temple lost last week to WMU 19-16 on a field goal as time expired.
BG has won its last five home games and its last 18 regular season home games.
QB Omar Jacobs has 13 TDs and just two interceptions - Charles Sharon became BG's career leader in receiving yards (2,756) last week with 97 yards at Boise State.
Temple's four losses are to programs that have a combined 12-3 record, including nationally ranked Arizona State and Wisconsin.
Owls QB Mike McGann made his first career start in 2001 at Perry Stadium, a 42-23 Falcons' win.
Temple has had two different backs rush for 100-plus yards the last two weeks - Umar Ferguson vs. WMU (110 yards, 33 carries) and Michael Billops vs. Toledo (121 yards, 18 carries).

Nick’s Pick:
BGSU 59 – Temple 14

Line:
BGSU by 29

Comment:
After suffering an embarrassing loss at Boise State where the Falcon offense never really got going, look for BG to make their 2005 home opener a real laugher against an offensively challenged Temple squad.

Central Michigan (1-3, 1-1 MAC) @ Akron (2-1, 1-0 MAC) - 6 pm ET

Site: Akron, Ohio - Rubber Bowl (31,000/Astro Play)

Series: Tied 9-9-1 ... Akron won the most recent meeting 40-28 in 2003 in Mount Pleasant ... CMU had won the previous 3 games in the series.

Coaches: CMU-Brian Kelly (5-10, 2nd season at CMU; 123-45-2, 15th season overall); UA-J.D. Brookhart (8-6, 2nd season).

Game Notes:

Dating back to last year, CMU's last six conference game have included three overtime contests (one of four overtimes) and one-point margins in two other games.
The Zips seek their first 2-0 league start since 2001.
UA has won seven of its last nine games dating back to last year.
In the 48-42 win over Northern Illinois, Luke Getsy passed for 406 yards and a school-record five touchdowns and DL Jermaine Reed had 3.5 sacks, the most by an Akron player in a game since joining the MAC in 1992.
UA's Domenik Hixon ranks second nationally in all-purpose yards at 220.0 ypg.
CMU features one of the top surprises in the MAC this year in freshman RB Ontario Sneed, who has rushed for 387 yards for an average of 96.8 ypg, the third highest total in the MAC.
QB Kent Smith has both a 300-yard passing game and a 100-yard rushing game to his credit.

Nick’s Pick: Akron 35 – CMU 23

Line: Akron by 11

Comment: To quote “The Monkeys” and “Smashmouth,” ‘I’m a believer’ when it comes to JD Brookhart and his Akron team. The home win over a very good NIU team was huge for this program as during the Lee Owens era, that would have been the type of game the Zips lost instead of won in OT. Central is reeling from a home loss to intra-state rival EMU. Look for Akron to win by a good margin.

Related VanDelaySports.com Links:

The Mid-American Conference: "The Cradle of Coaches"

Buffalo (0-3, 0-0 MAC) @ Western Michigan (2-2, 0-1 MAC) - 7 pm ET

Site: Kalamazoo, Mich. - Waldo Stadium (30,200 NeXturf)

Series: WMU leads 2-0 ... the Broncos won 45-17 in 1999 in Kalamazoo and 31-17 in 2002 in Buffalo.

Coaches: UB-JimHofher (7-42, 5th season at UB; 51-78, 13th season overall); WMU-Bill Cubit (2-2, 1st season at WMU; 36-20-1, 6th season overall).

Game Notes:

WMU has won two in a row after losing their previous 12 games dating back to last season.
The last time WMU won three in a row was in 2001.
Buffalo has scored just three points this year.
Defensively, the Bulls rank fourth in the league in scoring defense (28.7 ppg allowed) and second in total defense (399.0 ypg allowed).
DE Aaron Sanders ranks second in the MAC in tackles for a loss (6.5).
WMU QB Ryan Cubit (65-of-108, 674 yards, 6 TDs) is out for the season and will be replaced by Robbie Haas (37-of-58, 307 yards, 0 TDs, 2 int.).
The Broncos won Saturday at Temple 19-16 on a Nate Meyer field goal on the final play of the game.

Nick’s Pick: Western Michigan 28 – Buffalo 10

Line: Western by 16

Comment: This is one of the few games that UB has any chance to win this season and they did have two weeks to prepare for this contest. Western is coming off an emotional victory in Philadelphia last week but may struggle against a Bull’s defense that is not that bad. Western should pull away in the 2nd half.

Related VanDelaySports.com Links:

The Mid-American Conference: "The Cradle of Coaches"