Ohio Bobcats (9-3, 6-2 MAC) vs. Northern Illinois Huskies (9-3, 7-1 MAC)
Friday, December 2, 2011 • 7:00 pm ET • Detroit, Mich. • Ford Field (65,000)
ESPN2 • Announcers: Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Rodney Gilmore (analyst), Jeannine Edwards (sideline reporter)
Nick’s Pick: Ohio 27 – NIU 23 (Smart guys in the desert suggest a 37-34 Husky victory)
Notes:
Chandler Harnish leads FBS in QB rushing leading into the MACC (NIU Today)
Ohio makes its third trip to Mid-American Conference Championship game in the last six years.
Ohio has won three out of the last six MAC East titles.
The Bobcats are in search of their first MAC Championship game title.
Ohio has racked up over 500 yards-or-more of total offense in three of its last five weeks.
Bobcats set Nine Team Records in 2011 which includes Ohio scored 383 points surpassing the previous mark of 376 set back in 1968; 5,524 yards of total offense smashed the previous school record of 4,599 set back in 2000; averaged 460.3 yards per game which surpassed the previous school standard of 418.7 set in 2000.
Ohio’s 17 seniors were honored prior to the Bobcats’ final home game of the season against Miami. This year’s class has been responsible for one of the best periods in Ohio football history. Since 2007, the Bobcats have posted a 36-27 record, have made two bowl appearances and have won a pair of MAC East titles. Read the rest of this entry →
Nick’s Picks went 7-0 last week and now stand at 77-22 on the season…
Eastern Michigan (6-5, 4-3 MAC) at Northern Illinois (8-3, 6-1 MAC)
Friday, November 25, 2011 • 11:00 am ET • DeKalb, Ill. • Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium (24,000); ESPNU; Series: Northern Illinois leads 25-14-2 Nick’s Pick: NIU 38 – Eastern 27
Comment: EMU coach Ron English is the hands down favorite to win the MAC Coach of the Year honors…two years removed from an 0-12 season the Eagles have a shot at a 7-5 record if they can win in DeKalb. NIU needs to win to play in the MACC and they have been playing the best football over the past month in the league so expect them to win on Friday.
Kent State (5-6, 4-3 MAC) at Temple (7-4, 4-3 MAC)
Friday, November 25, 2011 • Noon ET • Philadelphia, Pa. • Lincoln Financial Stadium (68,532); Streamed live via ww.mac-sports.com; Series: Temple leads 3-2 Nick’s Pick: Temple 27 – Kent State 17
Comment: Two of the better defenses the MAC have to offer will be on display at “the Linc” but expect more offense than advertised. KSU is averaging 26-points per game over their past four outings, all wins; while Temple has put up 42 points against Army and 38 against Maryland this year.
Nick’s Picks went 5-1 last week and now stand at 70-22 on the season…
Ball State (6-4, 4-2 MAC) at Northern Illinois (7-3, 5-1 MAC)
Tuesday, November 15, 2011 • 8:00 pm ET • DeKalb, Ill. • Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium (24,000); ESPNU Series: Ball State leads 20-16-2 Nick’s Pick: NIU 45 – Ball State 27
Comment: The Huskies are determined to win their first MAC title since 1982 and are playing terrific football. Ball State, like Eastern Michigan, is the surprise of the league. Don’t be stunned if this game goes down to the wire, the Cardinals have playmakers on both sides of the ball.
Ohio (7-3, 4-2 MAC) at Bowling Green (4-6, 2-4 MAC)
Wednesday, November 16, 2011 • 8:00 pm ET • Bowling Green, Ohio • Doyt L. Perry Stadium (24,000); ESPN; Series: Bowling Green leads 36-24-2 Nick’s Pick: Ohio 27 – BGSU 16
Comment: The Bobcats have not won the MAC since 1968, they like NIU are eyeing up a MAC title for the first time in several decades.
Northern Illinois (6-3, 4-1 MAC) at Bowling Green (4-5, 2-3 MAC)
Northern Illinois QB Chandler Harnish.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011 • 8:00 pm ET • Bowling Green, Ohio • Doyt L. Perry Stadium (24,000) ESPN2; Series: Bowling Green leads 10-6
Nick’s Pick: NIU 45 – BGSU 35
Comment: Will this be an encore performance for the Huskies as they return to NW Ohio for the second consecutive Tuesday? When the Huskie offense gets humming like they did last week at Toledo they are unstoppable within the MAC. Husky QB Chandler Harnish is just a winner.
Western Michigan (5-4, 3-2 MAC) at Toledo (5-4, 4-1 MAC)
Tuesday, November 8, 2011 • 8:00 pm ET • Toledo, Ohio • Glass Bowl (26,248) ESPNU; Series: Toledo leads 37-28
Nick’s Pick: Toledo 44 – Western 40
Comment: How will the Rockets respond to yet another let down in a big game? Going back to last season’s Little Caesars/Motor City Bowl, UT has floundered four games in the past ten months they should have won. Western is the league’s true Jeckell & Hyde team so who knows which Bronco team will get off the bus at the Glass Bowl. We can expect a lot of points for certain.
Nick’s Picks went 4-1 last week and now stand at 65-20 SU on the season…the rest of the previews for Week 11 and notes from last week’s games after the jump.
Miami QB Zac Dysert completed 80 percent of his passes (20-for-25), throwing for 313 yards and a record-tying five touchdowns in a convincing 41-13 victory over Buffalo; Dysert now has 7,166 career passing yards, ranking second behind only RedHawk legend Ben Roethlisberger (10,829).
Western Michigan WR Jordan White became the Broncos career receptions leader in a 45-35 win over Ball State with nine catches for 172 yards and two touchdowns; White holds the record with 261 career receptions and is over 1,000 yards for the season (1,164), making him only the third Bronco receiver to have back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in program history (Greg Jennings, Steve Neal).
Bowling Green WR Kamar Jorden finished with 12 catches for 203 yards and one touchdown in the Falcons’ 27-15 loss at Kent State. Jorden had five catches that were at least 20 yards.
Central Michigan RB Anthony Garland ran for a career-high 141 yards on 19 carries in the Chippewas’ 23-22 win at Akron; his 58-yard run in the final minute of the first half was Central Michigan’s second longest run of the season.
Akron WR Marquelo Suel posted a season-high 11 catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns in the Zips’ 23-22 loss to Central Michigan. Eight of his receptions and both scores came during Akron’s fourth-quarter comeback. Read the rest of this entry →
