Much like the SEC and Big Ten (just with extremely less coverage, knowledge, and national interest) it's time to preview and predict some good ol' fashioned Mid-American Conference football. Note: good ol' fashioned MAC football is currently a 17 point home underdog.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3
7:00 p.m. — Troy at Bowling Green (TV: BCSN)
No one can succinctly question that the popularity of Troy University football is partially due to when Brad Pitt portrayed blue-chip quarterback Josh Achilles in the movie Varsity Blues. I think I got that right. BGSU 31, Troy 27
7:00 p.m. — Villanova at Temple (TV: Nope)
I keep forgetting that Villanova has a football team. That says a lot about their basketball program or nothing at all about their football. Temple 31, Villanova 10
You may not find a better mascot vs. mascot matchup in all of the Week 1 games (Chanticleers and Golden Flashes). And no, a Chanticleer is not that thing that dangles from the ceiling. It's a rooster from Canterbury Tales, immediately making everyone at the University a bona fide nerd. And given how jocks bully nerds, perhaps a Chanticleer is something that dangles from the ceiling. Kent State 28, Coastal Carolina 14
7:30 p.m. — North Texas at Ball State (TV: ESPNU)
It could be the Letterman Factor, or the fact that they nearly went undefeated last year, or maybe we're all eight years old, but Ball State is incredibly popular online. Meanwhile, UNT remains extremely popular among those who can still remember the "Mean" Joe Greene Coca-Cola ads. The advantage is clear. Ball State 38, UNT 21
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
12:00 p.m. — Akron at #9 Penn State (TV: BTN)
You know, maybe Akron should just sit out from playing Big Ten opponents:
2008: Lost to Wisconsin, 38-17
2007: Lost to Ohio State 20-2 ("Two!? Well, I can't figure out just two!")
2007: Lost to Indiana, 41-24
2006: Lost to Penn State, 34-16
2005: Lost to Purdue, 49-24 (and this was their MAC championship season)
2004: Lost to Penn State, 48-10
2003: Lost to Wisconsin, 48-31
2002: Lost to Iowa, 57-21
2001: Lost to Ohio State, 28-14
2001: Lost to Purdue, 33-14
1999: Lost to Penn State, 70-14
Article comments
1 - Dexter Fishmore
Is Villanova the most low-profile program ever to produce a great NFL running back? (I speak of Brian Westbrook, of course.)
It's got to be either 'Nova or Jackson State.
2 - barga
you made a giant mistake with the WMU UM game
3 - Matthew T. Sussman
Wrong, Dexter. The answer would be Jerome Bettis.