Conference Outlooks: Mountain West Looks to Outshine the Pac-12 Again

 The Mountain West went 7-5 against their Power 5 neighbors, the Pac-12 from top to bottom, and look to crush their spirit so much that they invite them to join their conference in 2024. The top of this conference is as competitive as any, so much so, that they won't be able to crack any New Year's bowl games, but nobody wants to see them at any point in the season.

2022 will be the final season for the divisions in the Mountain West as they will turn to a rotation schedule and offer the championship to the top two teams. The MWC is the only Group of 5 conference that has a positive Power Index at +2 with 5 schools in the Top 5. Here's a look at the best conference west of the Rocky Mountains.

Mountain:

Boise State:

Head Coach: Andy Avalos (2nd Season, 7-5)

Last Year Rank: 49 (7-5)

Preseason Rank: 36

Prediction: 9-3

It was a bit of a down year for the Broncos in 2022 and they didn't get a chance to add to their win total after pulling out of the Arizona Bowl due to COVID issues on the team. It was the second time in the last four seasons that they weren't able to play in their bowl (2018, lightning). Is this the year that quarterback Hank Bachmeier breaks out and leads the Broncos back to their dominating performances prior to his arrival? The non-conference is light and their toughest games will all be played on the blue turf in Boise.

Utah State:

Head Coach: Blake Anderson (2nd Season, 11-3)

LYR: 18 (11-3)

PR: 45

Prediction: 8-4

The Aggies' shocking season began with an upset of Washington State and finished with a Mountain West Championship and a victory over Oregon State in the LA Bowl. Logan Bonner returns behind center and his workhorse running back Calvin Tyler looks to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark this season. The schedule is much tougher than other top-tier conference schools as Utah State leaves the comfort of home to take on Alabama, BYU, and Boise State.

Air Force

Head Coach: Troy Calhoun (16th Season, 111-75)

LYR: 23 (10-3)

PR: 44

Prediction: 8-4

Another stunner in the Mountain West was the Falcons who rattled off four wins to close out the season, including a win over an ACC school (Louisville) in their bowl game. Troy Calhoun remains a steady hand as one of the longest-tenured coaches in college football. The triple-option was near unstoppable as Brad Roberts ran for over 1,300 yards and quarterback Haaziq Daniels added another 800 on the ground and threw for nearly 1,200 yards.

Wyoming:

Head Coach: Craig Bohl (9th Season, 40-50)

LYR: 55 (7-6)

PR: 82

Prediction: 3-9

The Cowboys went from winning a bowl game to losing most of their important starters to either graduation or the transfer portal. Wyoming put out ads looking for a quarterback and may have found one in Andrew Peasley who comes over from Utah State, but the schedule is brutal and they have a lot of question marks this season.

Colorado State:

Head Coach: Jay Norvell (1st Season)

LYR: 110 (3-9)

PR: 99

Prediction: 5-7

In what seemed like a lateral move, Jay Norvell left Nevada to head north and take the vacancy left by Steve Addazio. Norvell did very well for himself guiding the Wolfpack to several bowl games. He inherits a program in disarray and he has just one returning starter on offense.

New Mexico:

Head Coach: Danny Gonzales (4th Season, 5-14)

LYR: 112 (3-9)

PR: 126

Prediction: 2-10

The Lobos have been terrible since Gonzales took over, especially on offense where they ranked dead last in the nation. Fortunately, no one really returns and the defense brings back some studs in the secondary, but it looks like another losing season in the desert.

West:

Fresno State:

Head Coach: Jeff Tedford (4th Season, 26-14 *resigned in 2019 for health reasons, hired at the end of 2021)

LYR: 20 (10-3)

PR: 25

Prediction: 9-3

The Jeff Tedford era returns after he won a school-best 12 games in 2018, but had to resign due to health reasons the following season. Unlike the first time when the Bulldogs won just one game the season before, the 2021 Bulldogs won ten games and finished with six wins in their final seven games. Quarterback Jake Haener was a big reason for that success and he gets some big weapons at his disposal once again. They'd love to embarrass USC and Oregon State, but they need to look out for the trap game in their opener as Cal Poly has 5 wins over FBS schools since 1997.

San Diego State:

Head Coach: Brady Hoke (5th Season, 29-18)

LYR: 8 (12-2)

PR: 37

Prediction: 9-3




The Aztecs were feeling good about their bowl dreams when Utah State snatched the MW Crown and they settled for a Frisco Bowl win against the equally surprising UTSA. There are not a lot of offensive starters returning, but the defense brings some big names back and linebacker Caden McDonald welcomes his brother Cooper from Washington. Can they make it back-to-back seasons with wins against Utah and Arizona? Stay tuned.

Nevada:

Head Coach: Ken Wilson (1st Season)

LYR: 48 (8-5)

PR: 84

Prediction: 4-8

The Wolfpack looked lost without head coach Jay Norvell in their bowl game against Western Michigan and it may look the same in year one of Ken Wilson's tenure. Toa Taua and Deonte Lee provide great stability at the running back position, but they're about the only known things on offense. The defense will also have a lot of new faces and if Nevada doesn't start 3-0 against a soft non-conference schedule before heading into Iowa in Week 4, then it's going to be a really long season in Reno.

San Jose State:

Head Coach: Brent Brennan (6th Season, 20-37)

LYR: 93 (5-7)

PR: 90

Prediction: 5-7




The Spartans took a major step back from their breakout season and will have to rebuild the offense with Hawaii transfer Chevan Cordeiro at QB and Nevada transfer Elijah Cooks hoping to find his 2019 success in the backfield. The defense is stacked with talent including the 2020 MWC Defensive Player of the Year Cade Hall. 

Hawai'i:

Head Coach: Timmy Chang (1st Season)

LYR: 82 (6-7)

PR: 110

Prediction: 4-9

After the team turned on head coach Todd Graham towards the end of last season it was time for a change in Honolulu. Enter a very familiar face to Rainbow Warriors fans and anyone watching college football in the early 2000s, Timmy Chang. Chang set NCAA records for passing yards, attempts, and completions during the glory days of the WAC. To this date, no one has thrown more passes (2,436) or interceptions (80) than Chang. He was a gambler looking to make big plays in college and now with limited coaching experience, it will be interesting if the team takes on that persona. He'll have to build from scratch as most of the starters are gone from last season, but at least the view is nice.

UNLV:

Head Coach: Marcus Arroyo (3rd Season, 2-16)

LYR: 118 (2-10)

PR: 124

Prediction: 3-9

The Rebels looked to be headed towards another losing season and at one point carried the nation's longest losing streak before they snapped it with back-to-back wins against New Mexico and Hawaii. They nearly made it three straight with a 28-20 loss to San Diego State before having no way of stopping the Air Force option in the last week. They've got a lot of transfers coming in at key positions and the quarterback role is not 100 percent certain.

Conference Outlooks: Bearcats Face Tough Challengers in the American

 The Cincinnati Bearcats became the first Group of 5 schools to storm the party that is the College Football Playoffs. Haters will say they didn't deserve to be there, but outside of Ohio State, no other school would have done better against Alabama. Houston, SMU, UCF, and potentially Memphis could all make things harder for the Bearcats to repeat in 2022. This will also be the final year for this year's top 3 schools in the conference. The conference changes from 11 members in 2022 to 14 in 2023 despite the loss of those three schools. Here's a look at the realignment set for next year.

IN: UTSA, UAB, Rice, North Texas, Florida Atlantic, and Charlotte

OUT: Cincinnati, Houston, UCF

Here's a look at the conference that is balanced with top-tier squads, but also features some real duds.

Cincinnati:

Head Coach: Luke Fickell (6th Season, 48-15)

Last Year Rank: 3 (13-1)

Preseason Rank: 8

Prediction: 9-3

The Bearcats lost an unimaginable 9 starters to the NFL Draft this past offseason and it could've been 10 if tight end Josh Whyle would've declared. The big question will be, who is going to get him the ball? Evan Prater is a top recruit and watched Desmond Ridder play last season, but Ben Bryant is back in the Queen City after spending last season at Eastern Michigan. Perhaps an even bigger question is how will the secondary recover after losing Coby Bryant and Sauce Gardner? Luke Fickell has done a great job at recruiting, especially in the state of Ohio, and the rich talent from the city itself. It might take a slight drop this season, but they'll be ready to hang with the Big 12 in 2023.

Houston:

Head Coach: Dana Holgorsen (5th Season, 19-15)

LYR: 10 (12-2)

PR: 15

Prediction: 10-2

While the Bearcats had a great season last year, the Cougars were also getting it done. After a Week 1 loss to Texas Tech, their only other loss came against Cincinnati in the American Championship. This year might tip the other way as the Cougars return more starters, including quarterback Clayton Tune, and two members of 'Sack Avenue', Derek Parish and Donovan Mutin. The beginning of Holgorsen's tenure in Houston was tumultuous, but he's got them where he wants them and they'll also be good to go when they transition to the Big 12.

UCF

Head Coach: Gus Malzahn (2nd Season, 9-4

LYR: 37 (9-4)

PR: 39

Prediction: 9-3

Another squad returning plenty of starters to challenge UC, the Golden Knights have plenty of offensive firepower to score and the defense isn't too shabby either. Johnny Richardson and Isaiah Bowser provide a one-two punch in the backfield and provide Mike Keene plenty of support. The balanced attack should give him plenty of time to find his favorite target in Ryan O'Keefe. It'll be interesting to see which of these three can keep up their success in the Big 12.

SMU:

Head Coach: Rhett Lashlee (1st Season)

LYR: 40 (8-4)

PR: 40

Prediction: 9-3

SMU is a wild card in the American as Rhett Lashlee takes over a successful program from Sonny Dykes. The Mustangs have Tanner Mordecai back behind center and he'll look to lead some upsets at home against Houston, Cincinnati, and TCU. If they'd like to do that, they'll need to find a more balanced attack and not just rely on the arm of Mordecai.

East Carolina:

Head Coach: Mike Houston (4th Season, 14-19)

LYR: 51 (7-5)

PR: 63

Prediction: 6-6

It seems like Holton Ahlers has been at ECU for 10 years, but this is his senior year and he'll look to make the Pirates a nuisance in this crowded AAC. Midway through the season, they face a nightmare stretch that begins with hosting Memphis and UCF, then travel to BYU and Cincinnati, before returning home for Houston.

Memphis:

Head Coach: Ryan Silverfield (3rd Season, 14-10)

LYR: 69 (6-6)

PR: 74

Prediction: 8-4

The Tigers bring back offensive weapons galore for quarterback Seth Henigan. His favorite targets James Ivory and Eddie Lewis are joined by Rodrigues Clark in the backfield. Jeyvon Ducker transferred from Northern Illinois where he ran for over 1,100 yards and should provide great relief for Clark.

Tulsa:

Head Coach: Phillip Montgomery (8th Season, 38-46)

LYR: 60 (7-6)

PR: 95

Prediction: 5-7

The Golden Hurricane salvaged last season by winning four straight including their bowl game to finish with a winning record. The offense brings back a handful of starters including quarterback Davis Brin, but the defense will have a lot of fresh faces in the starting lineup.

Tulane:

Head Coach: Willie Fritz (7th Season, 31-43)

LYR: 124 (2-10)

PR: 111

Prediction: 4-8

The Green Wave were abysmal last season despite giving Oklahoma a run for their money in Week 1. Tulane lacked consistency and another poor showing could spell the end for Fritz in New Orleans. Michael Pratt will be back under center and has most of his line returning to protect him in 2022.

Navy:

Head Coach: Ken Niumatalolo (15th Season, 105-75)

LYR: 98 (4-8)

PR: 112

Prediction: 2-10

Ken Niumatalolo is one of the longest-tenured coaches in the country and he returns starting quarterback Tai Lavatai to lead the offense. There are not many returning starters though and the depth of the conference might be too much for the Midshipmen to overcome. They'll make a trip to Baltimore in November when they host the Fighting Irish.

South Florida:

Head Coach: Jeff Scott (3rd Season, 3-18)

LYR: 119 (2-10)

PR: 114

Prediction: 3-9

The Bulls have lots of depth to work with for Jeff Scott, but until the Big 3 leave, it will probably be another tough year in Tampa. Xavier Weaver and Jaren Mangham should be the top playmakers for USF.

Temple:

Head Coach: Stan Drayton (1st Season)

LYR: 109 (3-9)

PR: 117

Prediction: 3-9

Can Stan Drayton find success in a Temple program that's trending downward? Quarterback D'Wan Mathis will try and help him resurrect the Owls, but it will be tough sledding in 2022.

Conference Outlooks: Realignment Means Abandon Ship for Conference USA Schools

 Conference USA shrinks from 14 squads in 2021 to just 11 in 2022. In 2023, the conference will be hardly recognizable with just 9 teams and only 5 remaining from 2021. He's a breakdown:

2022:

IN: None

OUT: Southern Miss, Old Dominion, Marshall (Sun Belt)

2023:

IN: New Mexico State (Independent), Liberty (Independent), Sam Houston State (FCS), and Jacksonville State (FCS)

OUT: UTSA, UAB, North Texas, Rice, Florida Atlantic, and Charlotte (AAC)

As a result of all this shuffling, there will be no more divisions and the top two teams will play for the conference championship. Here's a look at what is rapidly cementing itself as the worst of the worst.

UTSA:

Head Coach: Jeff Traylor (3rd Season, 19-7)

LYR: 9 (12-2)

PR: 26

Prediction: 9-3

The Roadrunners shocked everyone to an 11-0 start before they were upended by North Texas in the last regular season game. Still, Frank Harris gave UTSA their best season ever and is back for more. The non-conference schedule is a little tougher, but the conference itself is not, so it should be easy pickings for the Roadrunners and a second straight appearance in the conference championship.

UAB:

Head Coach: Bill Clark (7th Season, 49-26)

LYR: 35 (9-4)

PR: 64

Prediction: 9-3

The Blazers finished their strong season with a stunning victory over BYU in the Independence Bowl. Now they look to build on that with Dylan Hopkins who was in the top ten in passing efficiency in the entire country. They have a favorable schedule until an end-of-the-season smackdown awaiting them in Baton Rouge. This team has been winning consistently since they were brought back in 2017, two years after they had disbanded the football program altogether.

Western Kentucky:

Head Coach: Ty Helton (4th Season, 23-16)

LYR: 42 (9-5)

PR: 67

Prediction: 8-5

It will be tough to replace the insanely talented Bailey Zappe but the Hilltoppers welcome transfer Jarret Doege. Doege originally spent two seasons at Bowling Green but is coming over from West Virginia. His playing style fits at Western Kentucky, but perhaps he wanted to get a free trip to Hawai'i which gives WKU an extra game to play. He'll also get a chance to upset the Hoosiers in Week 3.

UTEP:

Head Coach: Dana Dimel (5th Season, 12-33)

LYR: 67 (7-6)

PR: 83

Prediction: 6-6

The Miners trusted the process with Dimel and finally found a winning season and a bowl appearance. They'd like to avoid the falloff from last season when they finished losing five of their last six. They balance a trip to Oklahoma and a visit from Boise State with games against the two New Mexico schools.

Florida Atlantic:

Head Coach: Willie Taggart (3rd Season, 10-11)

LYR: 90 (5-7)

PR: 87

Prediction: 8-4

I think this is the year things come together for Willie Taggart at FAU after some disappointing seasons. N'Kosi Perry can make plays as he had his best season in four years (split between Miami and FAU). He'll have his two favorite targets back, but consistency is key for the Owls in 2022.

North Texas:

Head Coach: Seth Littrell (7th Season, 37-38)

LYR: 80 (6-7)

PR: 96

Prediction: 5-7

The Mean Green rallied from a 1-6 start to end up in a made-up bowl game to accommodate the two extra teams that were bowl eligible. They were drubbed by Miami (OH), but still have to feel good about those end results. Austin Aune is back under center and he's got most of his offensive line back to protect him from the middling defenses of CUSA.

Middle Tennessee State:

Head Coach: Rick Stockstill (17th Season, 101-98)

LYR: 68 (7-6)

PR: 101

Prediction: 6-6

Only Mike Gundy, Kyle Whittingham, and Kirk Ferentz have been around longer than Stockstill at MTST. His steady hand continues to guide his teams to bowl wins and he added another with a Bahamas Bowl victory against Toledo. The offense is going to need a makeover as most of the starters have left, but Stockstill has shown that if not this year, then next year, they'll be ready to make noise.

Charlotte:

Head Coach: Will Healy (4th Season, 14-17)

LYR: 94 (5-7)

PR: 108

Prediction: 4-8

The 49ers needed to win just one game in their last three, but failed to do so and missed their bowl bid. They've got some leadership on offense, but can they shake off a likely slow start.

La Tech:

Head Coach: Sonny Cumbie (1st Season)

LYR: 113 (3-9)

PR: 115

Prediction: 5-7

The Skip Holtz era fizzled out with seven losses in their final eight games, so Sonny Cumbie comes in to ramp up the offense. With no clear quarterback or running back, it might be tough in Ruston, but receiver Smoke Harris can provide some flash.

Rice: 

Head Coach: Mike Bloomgren (5th Season, 11-31)

LYR: 103 (4-8)

PR: 120

Prediction: 2-10

It's now or never in year five for Bloomgren as Texas boosters at any school don't tolerate losing for long. With big holes at the skills position including quarterback, it could be another long year in Houston.

Florida International:

Head Coach: Mike MacIntyre (1st Season)

LYR: 130 (1-11)

PR: 128

Prediction: 2-10

With Butch Davis accusing the school of not caring about football, I'm sure MacIntyre feels great about taking over the reins of one of the nation's worst programs in 2021. Maybe they win a few more games because of a weak schedule, but with few starters returning to build off of, the Panthers will be starting from scratch.

Conference Outlooks: The Sun Belt Expands

 One of the few changes that occur this season regarding realignment is in the Sun Belt Conference. They've bumped up James Madison from the FCS and brought in three Conference USA schools: Old Dominion, Marshall, and Southern Miss. This brings the conference total up to 14 overall and that number could jump if Conference USA finds it challenging to keep up and schools just outright leave the conference in the next 5-10 years. The Sun Belt has been one of the better Group of 5 conferences as of late, but the additions of some questionable members outside of Marshall temporarily bring them down a notch.

The top is represented by three schools in the Top 50 (Appalachian State, Louisiana, and Coastal Carolina), but has 8 schools ranking in the 100s to begin the season for a power conference index of -5. Here's a look at the two branches of the Sun Belt.

West:

Louisiana:

Head Coach: Michael Desormeaux (1st Season, won bowl game)

Last Year Rank: 2 (13-1)

Preseason Rank: 29

Prediction: 10-2

Billy Napier is off to Florida and the Desormeaux era begins in Lafayette. He'll have to find a new quarterback to replace Levi Lewis who led the Ragin' Cajuns to their best finish as only Georgia had a better record in 2021. There are some skill players returning to support the new QB and then the defense has a chunk returning. The schedule is pretty favorable as they'll miss both Coastal Carolina and Appalachian State, but do have a second to last week's visit to Tallahassee.

Troy:

Head Coach: Jon Sumrall (1st Season)

LYR: 92 (5-7)

PR: 92

Prediction: 6-6

Chip Lindsey is out and the Jon Sumrall era begins in Troy. He'll get a lot of starters returning to try and make some noise in the West, but the schedule is unkind with trips to Ole Miss, Louisiana, and App State.

South Alabama:

Head Coach: Kane Wommack (2nd Season, 5-7)

LYR: 95 (5-7)

PR: 104

Prediction: 3-9

The Jaguars lose Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year Jalen Tolbert but bring in D.J. Thomas as a transfer from Ole Miss. There's a lot of talent returning on both sides of the ball, but the quarterback situation is still unsolved. It's going to be difficult to make noise without a QB, but at least the view is nice in Mobile.

Arkansas State:

Head Coach: Butch Jones (2nd Season, 2-10)

LYR: 121 (2-10)

PR: 116

Prediction: 6-6

The first year for Butch Jones in Jonesboro was a bit rough, but he'll have more time to work with James Blackman (formerly a starter at Florida State) and work through some kinks in the offense. The defense does not return many starters, but it is stacked with upper-classmen. An easier schedule helps get them near bowl eligibility, but they'll likely get throttled in Columbus, Lafayette, and Memphis.

Southern Miss:

Head Coach: Will Hall (2nd Season, 3-9)

LYR: 117 (3-9)

PR: 119

Prediction: 5-7

The Golden Eagles were such a mess last season that they had no quarterback that could function near the end of the season. Their solution was an interesting one as they decided to just direct snap to playmaker Frank Gore Jr. He ran for over 800 yards, added another 150 in receiving, and even threw a few touchdowns. Ty Keyes will get the nod to start the season, but Gore will be waiting for his chance to make a play.

Louisiana-Monroe

Head Coach: Terry Bowden (2nd Season, 4-8)

LYR: 97 (4-8)

PR: 122

Prediction: 3-9

The Warhawks may be without a starting quarterback, but they do have a receiver named Boogie Knight and you can hear all about it when they are getting mopped up Texas and Alabama.

Texas State:

Head Coach: Jake Spavital (4th Season, 9-27)

LYR: 97 (4-8)

PR: 123

Prediction: 2-10

The seat is getting hot in San Marcos for Spavital who hasn't shown much in the three seasons so far. Calvin Hill will be the workhorse for the Bobcats as he ran for over 700 yards. Marcell Barbee, who I enjoyed watching during the pandemic season when Texas State was the only thing on, will be in his final year and looks to make a splash with his flashy catches.

East:

Appalachian State

Head Coach: Shawn Clark (4th Season, 20-7)

LYR: 29 (10-4)

PR: 32

Prediction: 9-3

That 11th win was an elusive one as the Mountaineers lost a close Sun Belt Championship, but were no match for the pass-happy Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky in the Boca Raton Bowl to finish the season with back-to-back losses. Luckily, a lot of key pieces return and nobody snatched their head coach in the offseason, so the Mountaineers could return to glory. They've been the Chanticleers' kryptonite, winning four of their first five meetings. Chase Brice has found a home after bouncing from Clemson to Duke before landing in Boone.

Coastal Carolina:

Head Coach: Jamey Chadwell (5th Season, 30-19)

LYR: 15 (11-2)

PR: 34

Prediction: 10-2

Is this the year Coastal Carolina can finally dethrone the Mountaineers for the East title? It's been three straight seasons of watching App State face off against Louisiana for the Sun Belt crown, but if Grayson McCall can stay healthy they have a chance. He'll have to do more lifting than in the past as the offense and defense are light on returning starters.

Marshall:

Head Coach: Charles Huff (2nd Season, 7-6)

LYR: 66 (7-6)

PR: 63

Prediction: 8-4

Rasheen Ali is a name that Sun Belt fans are going to get to know as the running back amassed over 1,800 yards from scrimmage as a Freshman in 2021. The Thundering Herd, like Southern Miss and Old Dominion, forced the issue to join the Sun Belt this season and could be a pain in the neck for some. They'll get a chance to shine on national TV in week two when they head to Notre Dame.

Georgia State

Head Coach: Shawn Elliott (6th Season, 30-30)

LYR: 45 (8-5)

PR: 79

Prediction: 7-5

The Panthers got off to a slow start at 1-4 but showed great potential when they nearly upset Auburn. After getting throttled by App State, the Panthers won 7 of their final 8, including an upset of Coastal Carolina on the road. Darren Grainger is a playmaker at quarterback and the offense and defense are comprised of upper-classmen from a team that played well.

Old Dominion

Head Coach: Ricky Rahne (2nd Season, 6-7)

LYR: 84 (6-7)

PR: 102

Prediction: 4-8

The Monarchs will transition to the Sun Belt after notching a bowl appearance in 2021. Old Dominion didn't miss a beat after not playing in 2020, but they've got a lack of returning skills players, especially to catch the ball. A much tougher schedule will make it difficult for a second straight bowl appearance.

James Madison

Head Coach: Curt Cignetti (4th Season, 33-5)

LYR: Played in FCS

PR: 113

Prediction: 4-7 

The Dukes are making the transition to the FBS level, 6 years after winning their National Championship. James Madison has been a powerhouse in that time with the Dukes only losing five games in the last three seasons. There are a lot of changes on offense, but one question remains, can Colorado State transfer Todd Centeio can be the guy who throws the ball to Kris Thronton down the field? One odd note is that the Dukes play just 11 games and will not be eligible to win the Sun Belt or appear in a bowl game this season.

Georgia Southern

Head Coach: Clay Helton (1st Season)

LYR: 116 (3-9)

PR: 125

Prediction: 3-9

Clay Helton had a tumultuous ride at USC but will be reinventing the wheel at Georgia Southern as the Eagles will move on from their traditional option attack to something more modern and balanced. It will be interesting to see if he has the personnel to do it in year one, but likely this will be a rough transition for the Eagles. Kyle Vantrease transfers in from Buffalo to give them a better fit at QB.

Conference Outlooks: Get Ready for MACtion

The MAC was rumored to be expanding earlier this year with some schools from Conference USA, but ultimately the MAC will remain the same with 12 schools for the foreseeable future. Toledo and Northern Illinois lead the way in the West, while Miami and Kent State will navigate a much weaker East. Overall, the conference has no teams in the preseason top 50 but does have 5 schools in the 100s. Here's a look at arguably the toughest conference to prognosticate.

MAC West:

Northern Illinois:

Head Coach: Thomas Hammock (4th Season, 14-18)

Last Year Rank: 41 (9-5)

Preseason Rank: 55

Prediction: 9-3

While some may be letting Toledo get all the accolades, Rocky Lombardi and the Huskies have other plans. Thomas Hammock seems to have NIU headed in the right direction and imagine how rocking DeKalb will be when they knock off Vanderbilt at Huskie Stadium.

Toledo

Head Coach: Jason Candle (8th Season, 45-27)

LYR: 65 (7-6)

PR: 69

Prediction: 9-3

The Rockets bring back a lot of returning starters and look to wreak havoc on the MAC and maybe cause some chaos in big stadiums and exotic locations. Toledo gets back-to-back weekends of a paycheck game in Columbus and then a trip to the west coast against San Diego State. Dequan Finn is just a Sophomore, so the Rockets could be towards the top for the next few seasons.

Central Michigan

Head Coach: Jim McElwain (4th Season, 20-13)

LYR: 33 (9-4)

PR: 72

Prediction: 7-5

The offense returns a lot of firepower, but the defense will have to learn on the job. The Chippewa's can give the top two a run for their money and they'll need to get conference wins to become bowl eligible as they have trips to Oklahoma State and Penn State planned early in the season. Upsets at one or both can only be possible if Lew Nichols III can find running lanes and work his way to another 1,800-yard campaign.

Eastern Michigan

Head Coach: Chris Creighton (37-57, 9th Season)

LYR: 64 (7-6)

PR: 75

Prediction: 6-6

Most coaches 20 games under .500 in 8 seasons are usually on the hot seat or long gone, but this is Ypsilanti, and the recent string of bowl game appearances has Creighton welcome to stay at Eastern for a lifetime. Some key pieces on the offense return in running back Darius Boone Jr. and receivers Hassan Beydoun and Dylan Drummond. However, both starting quarterbacks left via the transfer portal, but Taylor Powell comes in from Troy and will likely assume the role as starting QB. The defense has a lot of depth with returning starter Jose Ramirez leading the way. What's concerning is the unknown of special teams as punter Jake Julien and kicker Chad Ryland both graduated and had been two of the best in school history. There's no Big Ten school to upset this year, but who knows in a couple years maybe Arizona State will join the Big Ten or their win will be vacated after the NCAA's investigation.

Western Michigan

Head Coach: Tim Lester (6th Season, 32-25)

LYR: 43 (8-5)

PR: 88

Prediction: 5-7

The Broncos lose a lot of talent on offense that waxed Nevada in the Quick Lane Bowl, but Corey Crooms returns and looks to have a bigger role on offense, but the top of MAC West seems too strong for the Broncos to make it out, of course, they could find at least one more win and make it to a bowl game because after all, this is the MAC and some weekends nothing makes sense.

Ball State

Head Coach: Mike Neu (7th Season, 26-41)

LYR: 76 (6-7)

PR: 100

Prediction: 3-9

Maybe I'm hating on Ball State or I'm overvaluing the MAC West strength, but when I look at the schedule on paper, I see a lot of close games that don't go their way. They've got some skill players returning, but quarterback is a question mark and in football, that's never a good thing.

MAC East

Miami

Head Coach: Chuck Martin (9th Season, 39-52)

LYR: 63 (7-6)

PR: 76

Prediction: 8-4

Miami will benefit from a weaker half of the MAC and get most of their tougher conference games at home. Brett Gabbert, younger brother of NFL QB Blaine, would love to show off his skills with an upset of the Bearcats at Paul Brown Stadium and has plenty of returning starters on both sides of the ball to do it. The Redhawks lost four games last year by five points or less including two by just one point, so they should hopefully be able to carry that experience forward in 2022.

Kent State

Head Coach: Sean Lewis (5th Season, 19-24)

LYR: 72 (7-7)

PR: 93

Prediction: 7-5

The Golden Flashes used grit to knock off Miami for a spot in the MAC Championship, but Northern Illinois bulldozed the Flashes for the title and then Kent State got lassoed by Wyoming in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. There's no doubt that Kent State has gone and scheduled the toughest non-conference schedule for perhaps anyone in college football. The season starts with trips to Seattle, Norman, OK, and Athens, GA with a visit from Long Island (FCS) to sprinkle in some hope for a likely 1-3 start, but a lot of cash brought in. Marquez Cooper will try and help take the pressure off a new quarterback and duplicate his 1,200-yard performance from last season.

Buffalo

Head Coach: Maurice Linguist (2nd Season, 4-8)

LYR: 105 (4-8)

PR: 106

Prediction: 4-8

The Bulls lost their starting quarterback and running back to the transfer portal after a miserable season in Buffalo. Luckily, EMU transfer, Quian Williams is staying after leading the Bulls in receiving with over 800 yards in 2021. He's about the only one as Buffalo lacks offensive experience and the defense isn't much better. 

Bowling Green

Head Coach: Scott Loeffler (4th Season, 7-22)

LYR: 100 (4-8)

PR: 118

Prediction: 4-8

There are a lot of returning starters for the Falcons including all-conference tight end Christian Sims, but BG hasn't been to a bowl game since 2015 and I don't think they'll break that streak this season. The biggest problem is that they'll see the three best teams from the West and take trips to L.A. and Mississippi State.

Ohio

Head Coach: Tim Albin (2nd Season, 3-9)

LYR: 107 (3-9)

PR: 121

Prediction: 4-8

The Bobcats were terrible to start last season, but what do you expect when your head coach of nearly 20 years suddenly retires before the season starts? Albin found his legs and the Bobcats won two of their last four games, both against bowl-eligible teams. There's not much left from that team as they'll need to find new skill players for Kurtis Rourke who is trying to lead Ohio to their first MAC title since 1968.

Akron

Head Coach: Joe Moorhead (1st Season)

LYR: 123 (2-10)

PR: 127

Prediction: 2-10

Joe Moorhead takes over as the new head ball coach after previously coaching at Mississippi State. He'll inherit a lot of returning starters on both sides of the ball, but that was a team that was abysmal. On top of that, they'll need to learn a new system before they head into East Lansing and Knoxville.