2016 Race to Detroit

[Balsy]

Here's how it currently looks.  Feel free to use this post to talk about MAC matchups in the East and West that might impact the standings.

 

East

Akron 4-3 (2-1)

Ohio 4-3 (2-1)

Kent State 2-5 (1-2)

Miami 1-6 (1-2) 

Buffalo 1-5 (0-2)

Bowling Green 1-6 (0-3)

 

West

Western Michigan 7-0 (3-0)

Toledo 5-1 (2-0)

Central Michigan  5-2 (2-1)

Eastern Michigan 5-2 (2-1)

Ball State 4-3 (1-2)

Northern Illinois 1-6 (1-2)

[kreed5120]

Given that a** kicking we just received at home, the last thing I want to think about is facing WMU for a 2nd time.

[skip-zip]

6 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

Given that a** kicking we just received at home, the last thing I want to think about is facing WMU for a 2nd time.

 

I'm getting tired of hearing "Why would we want to play WMU again"?   I'm hoping that our team and coaches are DYING to earn the opportunity to play them again.  

[kreed5120]

8 minutes ago, skip-zip said:

 

I'm getting tired of hearing "Why would we want to play WMU again"?   I'm hoping that our team and coaches are DYING to earn the opportunity to play them again.  

Give me a few weeks of feasting on MAC East cupcakes to raise my spirits. Saturday felt like a swift kick in the balls. I need time to recover.

[GJGood]

So, should we root for the arch rivals this week?

[skip-zip]

2 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

Give me a few weeks of feasting on MAC East cupcakes to raise my spirits. Saturday felt like a swift kick in the balls. I need time to recover.

 

I understand.  I think that's a very fair response.  

[ZippyRulz]

I'm wishing for a race to healthy key players

[Balsy]

14 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

Given that a** kicking we just received at home, the last thing I want to think about is facing WMU for a 2nd time.

 

I can't wait to play WMU play again.  Now that is the Gold and Blue Colored glasses, but I think a Tommy Woodson lead offense would be a far more interesting and close game.

 

 

[MDZip]

Looking at the East standings I just don't see any way the East title doesn't come down to Akron at Ohio on the last game of the regular season. Miami and Kent are the next two teams in the standings and both have already lost to the Zips (Ohio plays at Kent this weekend). I can't see any way any of the bottom four can rise up enough to challenge either Akron or Ohio. They all have tough west schedules too because every team in the West is tough. So if it comes down to the Zips and Ohio, both could have a few more losses going into that game. The Zips will have a hard time against Toledo and could possibly slip up against BGSU (although I expect a win there). OU still has to go to Toledo and CMU so they have it rough in the west. I just can't see much of a chance that the Zips and Bobcats will be separated by more then a game going into that final game. And in the event of a tie that game would decide it.

[kreed5120]

40 minutes ago, MDZip said:

Looking at the East standings I just don't see any way the East title doesn't come down to Akron at Ohio on the last game of the regular season. Miami and Kent are the next two teams in the standings and both have already lost to the Zips (Ohio plays at Kent this weekend). I can't see any way any of the bottom four can rise up enough to challenge either Akron or Ohio. They all have tough west schedules too because every team in the West is tough. So if it comes down to the Zips and Ohio, both could have a few more losses going into that game. The Zips will have a hard time against Toledo and could possibly slip up against BGSU (although I expect a win there). OU still has to go to Toledo and CMU so they have it rough in the west. I just can't see much of a chance that the Zips and Bobcats will be separated by more then a game going into that final game. And in the event of a tie that game would decide it.

 

I agree there is a very high probability that the final week of the season will decide the MAC East. The only scenario that I can see that it wouldn't be the case is if Akron or OU goes 1-2 vs. the MAC West and beats BGSU, UB, Kent, and Miami, meanwhile, the other goes 0-3 vs. the MAC West and slips up against one of the previously mentioned MAC East opponents. 

Edited October 20, 2016 by kreed5120

[zipsoutsider]

Our games left:

• Buffalo
• Toledo
• BGSU
• - Bye -
• Ohio

Ohio games left:

• Toledo
• Buffalo
• - Bye -
• CMU
• Akron

We both have a bye week in front of us, but I think Ohio has a tougher road ahead of them. I see them losing to Toledo and CMU before they get to us. I think beating Toledo for us is also a reach. I can see why we are still favored to win the MAC East. That Tuesday night game before Thanksgiving is going to be a real barn-burner.

 

I bet the kids are looking forward to being able to be at home for Thanksgiving, though.

[LZIp]

I think it's going to come down to the Ohio game no matter what.

 

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but even if we happen to have a 1 game better record than then going into that game, it won't matter because if they win against us, they'll own the tiebreaker. That really is the game of the season. The bye week so late kind of sucks due to injury circumstances, but on the other side it is nice that it is the week before that game.

[zippy5]

12 minutes ago, LZIp said:

I think it's going to come down to the Ohio game no matter what.

 

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but even if we happen to have a 1 game better record than then going into that game, it won't matter because if they win against us, they'll own the tiebreaker. That really is the game of the season. The bye week so late kind of sucks due to injury circumstances, but on the other side it is nice that it is the week before that game.

Yup. Unless they lose to say, Toledo and CMU and we win out going into the OU game, it'll come down to that one. Would have been nice if Kent would have beaten them today. Oh well, it'll be fun to watch a big game. 

[GJGood]

Both the Zips and Bobcats will be favored against Buffalo but underdogs to Toledo. If those games follow those "expectations" then what happens in the Akron-BGSU and Ohio-CMU games won't have tremendous importance as far as the MAC East title because no matter their outcomes the Akron-OU winner will go to Detroit either by virtue of being ahead in the standings or by winning the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Now if the Zips just hold serve against Buffalo and upset Toledo it is feasible that the Zips could clinch a trip to Detroit by beating BGSU if Ohio falls to both Toledo and CMU.

If I were a gambler I'd bet on the game in Athens being the decider.

[zippy5]

Really wish that last game was in Akron 

[feetg10]

Is there an organized road trip to Athens?

[Balsy]

Current Standings:

 

East

 

Ohio 6-3 (4-1) 

Akron 5-4 (3-4) 

Miami 2-6 (2-2)

Buffalo 2-6 (1-3)

Kent 2-6 (1-3) 

BG 1-7 (0-4)

 

West

 

Western Michigan 8-0 (4-0)

Toledo 6-2 (3-1)

Central Michigan 5-3 (2-2)

Eastern Michigan 5-3 (2-2)

Northern Illinois 2-6 (2-2)

Ball State 4-4 (1-3)

 

Toledo may have played itself out of contention by losing to the Bobcats last night.  The Zips also look to have played themselves out of a MAC Championship appearance as well.  The Zips however still have a chance to control their own destiny in the East.  If the Zips win out they're in the MAC Championship game without a doubt.

 

Akron's Remaining schedule:

 

Toledo

Bowling Green

Ohio

 

Ohio's Remaining Schedule:

 

Buffalo

Central Michigan 

Akron

 

Looking at face value you'd say that both teams have one cupcake and one decent team before meeting each other, Ohio with the slight edge because Central Michigan isn't quite Toledo.  But Ohio showed that Toledo can be beat, and no better game would we want to have Warren Ball back for...but that's another conversation.  Conversely, Buffalo showed that they're not going to just roll over and die.  

 

 

 

 

[zippy5]

Last night's loss does nothing to Toledo, they had to beat WMU either way.

[zippy5]

We need CMU to beat OU and then we can afford a loss to UT.

[kreed5120]

39 minutes ago, Balsy said:

Current Standings:

 

East

 

Ohio 6-3 (4-1) 

Akron 5-4 (3-4) 

Miami 2-6 (2-2)

Buffalo 2-6 (1-3)

Kent 2-6 (1-3) 

BG 1-7 (0-4)

 

West

 

Western Michigan 8-0 (4-0)

Toledo 6-2 (3-1)

Central Michigan 5-3 (2-2)

Eastern Michigan 5-3 (2-2)

Northern Illinois 2-6 (2-2)

Ball State 4-4 (1-3)

 

Toledo may have played itself out of contention by losing to the Bobcats last night.  The Zips also look to have played themselves out of a MAC Championship appearance as well.  The Zips however still have a chance to control their own destiny in the East.  If the Zips win out they're in the MAC Championship game without a doubt.

 

Akron's Remaining schedule:

 

Toledo

Bowling Green

Ohio

 

Ohio's Remaining Schedule:

 

Buffalo

Central Michigan 

Akron

 

Looking at face value you'd say that both teams have one cupcake and one decent team before meeting each other, Ohio with the slight edge because Central Michigan isn't quite Toledo.  But Ohio showed that Toledo can be beat, and no better game would we want to have Warren Ball back for...but that's another conversation.  Conversely, Buffalo showed that they're not going to just roll over and die.  

 

 

 

 

 

I just hope we can win a game for bowl eligibility.

[skip-zip]

Miami playing well against EMU, and could be tied with us for 2nd in the East today.

 

WTF has happened to CMU?  Just LOST to Kent.  

[Blue & Gold]

What a bizarro week in the MAC.

 

Buffalo upsets Akron 41-20

Ohio upsets Toledo 31-26

Miami upsets EMU 28-15

K.e.nt upsets CMU 27-24 (!?!?)

[skip-zip]

I know.  All unexpected results.    I'm sure I would have thought that all 4 of those games would have gone the other way.

 

Unfortunately, the real impact is that Everyone in the MAC East won....except us.  

[GJGood]

On ‎10‎/‎29‎/‎2016 at 8:13 PM, Blue & Gold said:

What a bizarro week in the MAC.

 

Buffalo upsets Akron 41-20

Ohio upsets Toledo 31-26

Miami upsets EMU 28-15

K.e.nt upsets CMU 27-24 (!?!?)

I know it is frustrating for us in this particular case but overall that is why I really enjoy the MAC.

 

In every P5 conference there are a couple of programs you know will likely be at the top every year and a couple at the bottom every year. That makes them far more predictable, and in my book, boring.  I like that in the MAC you can go from last to first or first to last very quickly. Nobody can rest on their laurels because they are so clearly ahead of half of the conference year after year. Just look at last year's MAC football Championship game participants this year, would that ever happen in the Big Ten or ACC to both of the prior year's championship participants?

 

I like the feeling that every year and, for the most part every conference game, there is at least a legitimate fighting chance at success.

[MDZip]

OU beat Buffalo last night (and pretty handily). The only path for the Zips to win the East now is they must beat BGSU at home and OU must lose at CMU. Both are possible. Then the Zips must beat the Bobkittens at OU. That's a tall order from the way things are looking now. And there's also the little wrinkle that Miami must lose a game in there somewhere or if all those things happen and Miami beats CMU, Buffalo and Ball State Miami wins the East!

Edited November 4, 2016 by MDZip