PoopyRhinoPickle's Preseason MAC Power Rankings

[PoopyRhinoPickle]

Good evening all. The 2021 season is right around the corner so I am going to be taking a look at the MAC conference rosters and try to assess where these teams stack up against each other. Much is unknown about many of these teams and where they will finish at the end of the season. In my eyes 10-12 are pretty tight, while not a lot separates 2-9. Let's take a look at how the rosters look:

 

12. Toledo - @DeanCraigPelton

 

Based on roster alone, Toledo is easily the worst team in the conference. They have the fewest 4 star players (8) suiting up for them, and with only one A overall player (3 star CB Lou Hechavarria), @DeanCraigPelton has his work cut out for him this season. Look for a rushing attack that includes RB Jerald Garner and FB Hunter Fulton to try and push the ball down field. Is sophomore QB Jeremy McNitt the leader this team will need to win some games? Only time will tell. The defense will struggle to keep offenses at bay so it could be a long season for the Rockets.

 

11. Northern Illinois [Vacant]

With only two players who are A overall, the Huskies will find it difficult to come out on top in too many games this season. The Northern Illinois offense will be led by senior QB Darius Paredes who will have his work cut out for him to find a reliable target or a running game to take the pressure off of him. Keep an eye out for junior TE Delino Bertolet as a potential favorite of Paredes' this year. Speed rusher Michael Dyson will look to anchor the front 7, which will be the strength of this defense. Punter Miguel Belnome is a leading candidate for MAC Punter of the Year.

 

10. Eastern Michigan [Vacant]

 

This year might be too early for Eastern Michigan to make a big impact on the conference as they have solid junior and sophomore classes. The overall youth of the team will likely lead to inconsistent performances all year long. The biggest question mark for the offense is who will be their QB? If no one steps forward, look for the Eagles to struggle moving the ball. They will get some good performances from their defense, led by freshman team All-American ILB Eddie Wisniewski, but lack of experience will hurt them against teams who have a strong identity.

 

9. Akron [Vacant]

 

Akron has some talented players but will their lack of depth come back to hurt them over a long, grueling MAC season. QB Josh Pennel will have some weapons to try and get the ball to in WR J'Mon McCoy and TE Joe Clemens, but they could struggle to find a RB who will keep defenses honest. FS Matt Perez and DE Ben Storen will look to anchor a defense without a lot of expectations and will struggle to keep the Zips in the hunt for a bowl game.

 

8. Miami (OH) [Vacant]

 

Miami will have one of the best players in the conference in FB Danny Kipnis, who is a preseason 1st team All-American, but the RedHawks will need to utilize Kipnis perfectly for him to win them any number of games this year. Couple that with the fact that no QB seems to want to win the starting position and Miami will be a tough team to read this year. The good news is that Kipnis will have OG Jordan Stanley and OT Carson Montelus to anchor the line and clear a path for him. OLB JC Curry will likely lead this defense in tackles and Kipnis will try to drag the team to a bowl game.

 

7. Ohio - @Osu

 

Most teams know what Ohio will try to do on offense: have QB Yusei Asencio get the ball to WR Jerald Paulsen as many times as possible a game. This combo has the talent to beat some teams by themselves. Big OG Austin Cingrani is a all-conference caliber guard in the interior of the line. The Bobcat defense, led by CB Craig Satin, has the potential to keep them in a lot of games, but the lack of running game to keep defenses honest might prevent Ohio from competing for an East Division title.

 

6. Buffalo [Vacant]

 

Buffalo will be carried by their defense, as it will likely be either the #2 defense in the MAC this year. Most teams will be looking to avoid throwing against CB Darrius Marks and FS Hunter Smith, but if they try to move the ball on the ground, they'll run right into DE Yoel Bender and DT Patrick Jones up front. While they have talent on the offensive side of the ball, it is young talent, who will likely struggle to find consistency. Look for QB Jeff Whitehead and FB Craig Crosby to lead a rushing attack that can take the Bulls to a bowl game in year 1.

 

5. Ball St - @npklemm

 

Ball St will be a tough team to gameplan against, with talented QB Jay Larkin leading a balanced offensive attack alongside speedster RB Anthony Fisher and youngster RB Garett Cordier. Larkin will have OT Archie Mbah a Moute protecting his back and giving him enough time to get the ball to WR Isaac Beachy. This offense will give a lot of defenses fits, but is it enough to win the West Division and make it to the MAC championship game? I don't think they're there yet. The defense should be able to keep them in enough games to have the Cardinals challenging for a 10 win season.

 

4. Bowling Green - @PoopyRhinoPickle

 

Senior QB Jurickson Elflein's performance will likely define Bowling Green's success this season. Elflein, who is essentially a RB at the QB position, has difficulty passing the ball but can torch defenses on the right day. 2nd team All-American OT Elijah Green leads the best O-Line in the conference, who will look to steamroll defenses up and down the field. A stingy front 7 on defense can perform well but youth on that side of the ball can leave some scratching their heads after some games. With the East Division much more wide-open than the West, the Falcons will be looking to push towards the Championship game.

 

3. Kent St [Vacant]

 

Kent St. is a darkhorse to challenge for the MAC title and will be looking to find success through RB Jalen Johnson, who could end the season leading the MAC in rush yards. Most of his success will be behind a strong interior offensive line, particularly OG Gonzalez Roberts, who pro scouts are eyeing as a potential early entry after this season. DE Robin Burwell will be looking to make opposing QB's lives a nightmare off the edge and CB Walter Guy will keep his side of the field locked down. It's difficult to not mention the best player on the team, 5 star K Russell Wright, who will be looking to put points on the board anytime the Golden Flashes get the ball into the opponent's half.

 

2. Western Michigan - @Jieret

 

Few QBs across the country should be as happy as Broncos' Theo Scribner. Why? Scribner has 2 of the best WRs in the conference and a steady OT in Justin Paul protecting him. Junior WR Durham Simmons has NFL scouts salivating and he might be the 2nd best WR on the team. Senior WR Marcus Ekstrom will be just as eager to prove he can play at the next level, we'll see if Scribner can keep them both happy with targets. What will prevent this team from reaching the next level? Likely the lack of a running game and inconsistency on defense. CB Nolan Nickerson could be an interception machine, and a stout, but young interior defensive line will cause havoc for opposing RBs. Look out for Broncos games to light up the scoreboard.

 

1. Central Michigan - @Tazer

 

When evaluating the rosters, it's clear there is a team that is a cut above the rest and it's Central Michigan. There are five 5 star players in the conference and the Chippewas have 3 of them. It's also worth noting that all 3 of them are underclassman. They're ranked in the Preseason Top 25 for a reason and their defense is incredibly strong with playmakers at each level. Nose Tackle Miguel Peterson will be stopping the rush at the point of attack and FS Kyle Headley will be roaming the secondary, giving QBs headaches. But the real star of the defense is sophomore OLB David Brown Jr., who was a Preseason All-American snub. If there is a weakness on this team is has to the QB position, with leading candidate being the inexperience Brandon Alexander. WR David Young leads a talented, deep WR corps who will be looking for Alexander to feed them consistently. Central Michigan's goal should be to win the MAC conference and, depending on their out-of-conference success, push for a playoff appearance.

Tomorrow: All-MAC teams

Edited June 16, 2021 by PoopyRhinoPickle

[DeanCraigPelton]

[PoopyRhinoPickle]

Clearly Jeremy McNitt is not the leader this team needs since you redshirted him

[DeanCraigPelton]

After looking it over I decided to build for the future and take the hit for this year in hopes I can coach the team to some victories.