Football preview: Laying out the MAC West

First of all, check out the CMU Football Preview in Wednesday's edition of CM Life. It took two weeks of work to get everything together and throw it into one big section, so we hope you enjoy it!

Picking the Mid-American Conference West Division was one of the toughest things I’ve had to do in awhile. CMU coach Butch Jones had it right — this division looks as competitive as it’s been in at least a few years. No team really lost that much from last season, except maybe a starting running back here and there.

What I managed to do was separate the pretenders from the contenders and rank each of the teams from 6 to 1. Even separating the two groups wasn't easy — for example, I could’ve easily picked Toledo as a contender and put Western as a pretender. But in the end, this was what I came up with... feel free to comment with your thoughts, if you wish:


THE PRETENDERS

6. EASTERN MICHIGAN EAGLES (2-6, 1-4 MAC West)
It’s frustrating to pick EMU to finish last in the division at 1-4, because it looks like a team that easily could improve off of last season, when they went 3-2 and knocked off WMU and CMU for the Michigan Mid-American Conference crown. Problem is, every other team in the division has a foundation to build from, too. The Eagles return quarterback Andy Schmitt and wideout Jacory Stone, but it loses top runner Pierre Walker. They do get three home divisional matchups — against Toledo, NIU and CMU — and should win one of them. But I don’t see enough real improvements for them to move upward in the MAC West this season.

5. NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES (3-5, 1-4 MAC West)
Good news: The Huskies return all but four starters this season, including quarterback Dan Nicholson and tailback Justin Anderson. Bad news: They bring in a new coaching staff. That’s not to say coach Jerry Kill won’t have an impact on this program — he turned both Saginaw Valley State and Southern Illinois from pretenders to contenders over the last couple decades — but don’t expect a turnaround in his first season. Especially not with one of the worst rushing defenses (210.1 yards allowed per game) and passing offenses (202.4 yards per game).

4. TOLEDO ROCKETS (5-3, 3-2 MAC West)
Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Toledo finished higher in the MAC West. After years of dominating this division, I doubt they’re going to continue losing. Quarterback Aaron Opelt has a year under his belt, and while the team does lose running back Jalen Parmele, they come back with DaJuane Collins, who ran very well when he had the chance last year (99 carries, 649 yards, seven touchdowns). Their schedule also is favorable: They get both Ball State and CMU at home this year, plus two of their three crossover games. This Oct. 25 showdown could be Central’s biggest challenge and possibly its only loss.


THE CONTENDERS

3. WESTERN MICHIGAN BRONCOS (5-3, 3-2 MAC West)
A very good sleeper pick to make the MAC Championship this year. Last year was a complete fluke season for Western. Take away one amazing kick return from Akron and tight one-yard runs from Ball State’s Frank Edmonds and CMU’s Dan LeFevour and the Broncos could’ve finished 6-1 in the conference. It was one close letdown after another and it leaves a huge chip on this team’s shoulders, especially guys like quarterback Tim Hiller and wideout Jamarko Simmons. Unfortunately for the Broncos, though, they get both CMU and Ball State on the road this year and neither team looks like they’re going to lose.

2. BALL STATE CARDINALS (6-2, 3-2 MAC West)
A lot of outlets are picking this team to win the MAC for a reason. The potential of this year’s Cardinals team is scary. They lost virtually nobody on offense — quarterback Nate Davis gets all of his weapons back, including wideout Dante Love and tight end Darius Hill, and could get even better this season as a mirror image of Dan LeFevour. In fact, Ball State could have the best offense in the MAC this season! It also has a fairly easy schedule, its toughest game being at Indiana. I was pretty close to picking this team to represent the MAC West, but a couple of factors changed my mind to...

1. CENTRAL MICHIGAN CHIPPEWAS (7-1, 4-1 MAC West)
You’re probably thinking, “Of course a CMU football blog is going to pick Central to win.” You might be right. But there are plenty of logical reasons to pick Central. They get their two toughest opponents — Western Michigan and Ball State, both of which they beat last season — at Kelly/Shorts this year. Every critical offensive piece to last year’s championship team, right down to each offensive coach on the sideline, is back. If Jones’ bantering on Carl Volny is anything like that of Antonio Brown last year, CMU might have a consistent running game to add to that. Sure, the defense lost several leaders, but it brings potential with linebacker Nick Bellore and defensive tackle Sean Murnane. Although the schedule isn't the greatest, with two three-game road trips, CMU should be able to overcome that and make a return trip to the MAC Championship. If they can make it that far, a three-peat, to me, is in the books.


On one final note, expect plenty of football coverage on cm-life.com and right here on this blog during and after Thursday's CMU and EIU game. We're trying a lot of new things this year to keep you guys informed, so please leave any comments or suggestions. We encourage them.