MAC football preview 2023: Toledo and Ohio remain the class of a league of wild cards

Year-in and year-out, you know what you’re going to get from the MAC: a lot of one-score games, some fun midweek scenes in November and no certainties about who will play for the conference championship.

In our Group of 5 fan survey, MAC fans were among the most pleased with the state of their league. It’s not perfect. The transfer portal era has hit the league hard. The conference continues to sit behind its peers in resources. It just lost another head coach to a Power 5 assistant job. Midweek games have their positives and negatives.

Advertisement

But as a conference, every game could go either way, making for some fun football once again in 2023, this time led by some great quarterbacks.

Read all of our conference previews: ACC | Big 12 | American | Pac-12| Mountain West |SEC | Sun Belt | 

What’s new in the MAC?

1. Two new head coaches. Sean Lewis left Kent State for the Colorado offensive coordinator job, so the Golden Flashes hired Kenni Burns from Minnesota. Western Michigan fired alum Tim Lester after a 37-32 record in six seasons, believing the program that reached the 2016 Cotton Bowl needs to win MAC championships, and hired Lance Taylor from Louisville.

2. Pretty much everything else at Kent State. After Lewis went to Colorado, almost every key player transferred, including QB Collin Schlee (UCLA); running back Marquez Cooper (Ball State); receivers Dante Cephas (Penn State), Ja’Shaun Poke (West Virginia) and Devontez Waker (North Carolina); cornerback Montre Miller (West Virginia); safety Dean Clark (Fresno State) and more.

3. Multiple starting running backs transferred out. Among the top six rushers in the MAC last year, four transferred: Ball State’s Carson Steele went to UCLA, Kent State’s Cooper went to Ball State, Western Michigan’s Sean Tyler went to Minnesota and Northern Illinois’ Harrison Waylee went to Wyoming.

4. Will recent history change in the championship game? Eight different teams have played in the last four MAC championship games, and eleven of 12 conference members have played in the game since 2015 (sorry, Eastern Michigan). The last time a MAC team won consecutive division titles was 2013 to 2015, when Northern Illinois and Bowling Green met in the conference title game three years in a row.

New MAC head coaches

Tier 1

Toledo

Nobody has repeated as MAC champion since Northern Illinois in 2011 and 2012. That’s the task in front of Toledo, which finally lived up to its talent level last year to win its first conference title since 2017. The Rockets bring back almost every major playmaker from the 2022 team on both sides of the ball. That includes quarterback Dequan Finn (32 total touchdowns last year), receivers Jerjuan Newton and Devin Maddox and running backs Jacquez Stuart and Peny Boone. The defense must replace some front-seven starters, but the secondary could be one of the best in the Group of 5, led by The Athletic preseason All-American cornerback Quinyon Mitchell. The nonconference schedule is very manageable, opening at Illinois. The Rockets also avoid Ohio in the regular season but play in the tougher West Division. They’re the favorite to win the MAC again, and for good reason.

Advertisement

Ohio

The Bobcats haven’t won a MAC championship in 53 years, but they’ve come oh so close. They reached their fifth MAC championship game last year but lost to Toledo, in part because quarterback Kurtis Rourke suffered a season-ending ACL injury late in the year. Rourke, the MAC offensive player of the year, missed the spring but should be back to start the season, and he has plenty of weapons to work with, led by first-team All-MAC receiver Sam Wiglusz (73 catches) and running back Sieh Bangura, the MAC freshman of the year. Defensively, there is a lot to like, but the experienced secondary must be better. The nonconference schedule is daunting but doable, with games at San Diego State, at FAU and vs. Iowa State, and the MAC schedule is favorable, with a trip to Buffalo as the toughest matchup. The Bobcats will be a heavy favorite to win the MAC East again if Rourke is healthy.

Tier 2

Eastern Michigan

After years of consistent success under head coach Chris Creighton, the Eagles finally broke through with a nine-win season last year, tied for the most wins in a season in program history. Only a loss to Toledo cost them a spot in the MAC championship game. Now entering Creighton’s 10th season, it’s been a remarkable run of success for a program that was long among the worst in the country. Austin Smith, who led EMU to a win over Arizona State last year, should take over at quarterback, and second-team All-MAC running back Samson Evans (1,166 rushing yards) will lead the offense. An influx of transfer receivers could help, but the offensive line needs to be rebuilt. The defense will have to generate a better pass rush to help a strong secondary. EMU plays Toledo on the road this year, but if enough one-score games go their way again, the Eagles could make another run at a division title.

Buffalo

The Bulls started 4-11 under head coach Maurice Linguist, who replaced Lance Leipold, but a switch flipped last year with a 7-3 close to the season. Quarterback Cole Snyder returns with talented running backs Mike Washington and Ron Cook Jr., but a new crop of receivers must emerge. The defense lost a few key players but should be one of the best in the MAC, led by safety Marcus Fuqua (seven interceptions in 2022) and linebacker Shaun Dolac (147 tackles). The nonconference schedule includes games at Wisconsin, vs. Liberty and at Louisiana. The Bulls also play Toledo and Ohio on consecutive Tuesdays in October, and Buffalo has lost five consecutive midweek MACtion games. If the momentum of last season continues, perhaps the Bulls could make a run, but a bowl game should be expected.

Miami (Ohio)

Chuck Martin enters his 10th season as head coach, and while Miami won a surprise MAC championship in 2019, the RedHawks haven’t stayed atop the league. They went 7-6 last year and beat Northwestern, but an injury to quarterback Brett Gabbert hampered the offense to finish 113th nationally in scoring. The good news is Gabbert is back for his fifth season. The bad news is he needs to find weapons around him. The defense was very strong last year (35th nationally in scoring), and nine starters are back. This group should carry the team while the offense works out the kinks. Miami plays Toledo and Ohio in back-to-back weeks in late October, and a season opener against Miami (Fla.) makes for a fun name matchup.

Starting QBs, 2023 vs. 2022

Tier 3

Ball State

The Cardinals played a remarkable eight one-score games last year, including narrow losses to Toledo and Eastern Michigan by a combined 11 points. The offense lost star running back Carson Steele (UCLA) and starting quarterback John Paddock (Illinois) to the portal, but it also added Kent State running back Marquez Cooper (1,331 rushing yards) and journeyman quarterback Layne Hatcher. The defense is loaded with experience across the board, and many of these players started on the 2020 team that won the MAC. The Cardinals will have to stay healthy and confident through games against Kentucky and Georgia to start the season.

Advertisement

Bowling Green

Three and a half years into the Scot Loeffler era at Bowling Green, there had been little reason for optimism. But suddenly, the Falcons turned a 2-4 start into a 4-2 finish in the regular season, including a last-second win against rival Toledo to reach a bowl game. This year’s team will be much different than last year’s, as most top players either graduated or transferred. Connor Bazelak, the former SEC freshman of the year who most recently played at Indiana, is now at Bowling Green. He has second-team All-MAC receiver Odieu Hiliare (747 receiving yards), but the rest of the offense is a question. The defense finished 114th in points allowed per game and lost its best talents up front. Nonconference games at Liberty, at Michigan and at Georgia Tech are tough, but the conference schedule is favorable, getting Toledo at home and avoiding Eastern Michigan. A bowl game is possible, but new faces will have to step up.

Central Michigan

The former MAC powerhouse has struggled since Jim McElwain took the Chippewas to the MAC championship game in 2019. Quarterback Bert Emanuel Jr. emerged late last year as a major threat, with three rushing touchdowns longer than 60 yards and 7 total touchdowns in four games. But he needs to win the job first, and there aren’t many weapons around him. Last year’s defense was very young, so the hope is more experience can provide a step forward in 2022. Nonconference games at Michigan State, Notre Dame and South Alabama make for a brutal slate. The Chips also close the regular season with Ohio and Toledo.

Northern Illinois

NIU followed up its MAC championship in 2022 with a 3-9 season last year. Quarterback Rocky Lombardi was injured for most of the year and returns for a seventh season, and All-MAC receiver Trayvon Rudolph is back after missing all of 2022 due to injury. Top running back Harrison Waylee transferred to Wyoming, but Antario Brown (689 yards) is back. The defense has to be much better after finishing 115th in scoring defense and allowing 52 points to Toledo. Nonconference games against Boston College, Southern Illinois, Nebraska and Tulsa could make for some surprises. The MAC schedule is also tough, with Toledo on the road and Ohio in a cross-division game.

Western Michigan

It looks like a rebuilding year for WMU after its first losing season since 2013 cost Lester his job as head coach. In comes Lance Taylor with his experience at Louisville, Notre Dame and Stanford. WMU’s leading rusher and receiver transferred to Minnesota to join P.J. Fleck, as did All-MAC linebacker Ryan Selig. Quarterback Hayden Wolff came in from Old Dominion after starting 22 games, including all 12 in 2022. Last year’s defense was the second-best in the MAC but must replace several all-conference players. There isn’t much time for Taylor to learn on the job, as the first six games include Syracuse, Iowa, Toledo, Ball State and Mississippi State.

Tier 4

Kent State

Lewis and almost every key playmaker left, so Kenni Burns comes in from Minnesota with a tall task for a program that had barely any success since the 1970s until Lewis arrived. The Golden Flashes added Kansas State transfer QB Jaren Lewis and Purdue QB Michael Alaimo, but it’s hard to predict much when every offensive starter must be replaced. The defense does have some experience in the middle. Opening with games at UCF and Arkansas won’t help.

Akron

It was a stunner when Joe Moorhead took the Akron job, and a 2-10 debut season fit with the history of the program, but there have been some bright spots. The Zips’ 6-foot-6 quarterback DJ Irons earned third-team All-MAC honors and finished top-30 nationally in passing yards per game. Former LSU transfer receiver Alex Adams was first-team All-MAC as well. The defense replaces a lot, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The program has a long way to go, but a favorable schedule could be a chance to show improvement.

Five-year performance and recruiting

(Key: “Sagarin rank” is the average national ranking in Jeff Sagarin’s all-Division I season ratings from 2018 to 2022, and “247 recruiting” is the average national ranking in the 247Sports Composite’s recruiting class rankings from 2019 to 2023. Winning percentages reflect the 2018-22 seasons.)

A coach breaks down the MAC

The parity in the conference is obvious, and coaches see it up close with all the one-score games. “Our league, every game’s a dogfight,” one MAC coach said. “It always comes down to those critical situations like two-minute, red zone.”

Advertisement

As for the title race, the coach said, “It all runs through Toledo. They’re talented at all levels. Finn’s an unbelievable quarterback. He’s gotten so much better over his time as a passer and obviously has the athleticism to run.”

But Rourke at Ohio stands out among quarterbacks: “That kid is phenomenal, best quarterback in our conference, hands-down, not even close. If I’m saying who is a no-brainer NFL quarterback, it’s that kid.”

As for other teams, “If (Ball State) makes a surprise run, it’ll be that defense. The front seven is the exact same from that 2020 team and now they have depth. That safety (Jordan Riley) is the best in the conference, he just doesn’t have the interceptions. Losing Carson Steele was a big blow but they still have one of the best backs in the conference with Cooper.”

“(Eastern Michigan) resembles their head coach. They’re a physical team that fights for four quarters. Whether they’re supposed to win or lose, they’re in it regardless. From what I see, that’s a group of guys that cares about each other.”

Safe prediction for the MAC in 2023

Toledo and Ohio meet for the MAC championship again.

Bold prediction for conference in 2023

Ball State finishes second in the MAC West.

Editor’s note: This is part of a series of State of the Conference previews of the 10 FBS conferences entering the 2023 season. Read the others here: Big Ten, Pac-12, AAC, ACC, Sun Belt, Big 12, SEC, Mountain West.

(Photo: Mike Mulholland / Getty Images)

ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57k3Bwa2plbnxzfJFsZmlwX2d%2BcLnAnGSfp5%2Bpr6K4y2aaqKaWmr%2BmusKeZKmqlau2psOMqamenJmYwaq7zaxkrKyRo7GqusasZg%3D%3D

• ← Previous Post
• Next Post →