2022 MAC Season Wrap-Up

[PoopyRhinoPickle]

 

Final Standings

West Team	Conf Rec	Overall Rec		East Team	Conf Rec	Overall Record
Western Michigan	6-2	12-3

Bowling Green

9-0

11-3

Central Michigan

6-3

10-4

Akron

5-3

8-5

Eastern Michigan

5-3

8-5

Buffalo

4-4

5-7

Ball State

4-4

6-7

Miami (OH)

3-5

5-7

Northern Illinois

2-6

4-8

Ohio

2-6

4-8

Toledo

2-6

3-9

Kent State

1-7

3-9

 

Conference Championship Game:

Bowling Green - 17

Central Michigan - 13

 

Final Power Rankings

:kentstate:

12. Kent State (3-9); Preseason: 8

Kent State had a very poor season, and if it weren't for 2 shocking wins at the end of the year it would have been even worse. To give you an idea of the scale of these upsets, in Week 11 Kent State beat a Nebraska team pushing for bowl eligibility and in Week 13 they beat an LSU team that was still a possible division champ at that time. In the week between those games they lost to Miami (OH) 46-0. The Golden Flashes had a bad offense, only scoring 11.2 ppg, combined with a bad defense, giving up almost 412 yards per game. ILB Chase Britton set a MAC season record with 105 total tackles, largely due to the fact the defense was always on the field.

Best Win: LSU 34-28; Worst Loss: Miami (OH) 0-46

MVP: ILB Chase Britton; 105 total tackles, 22.5 TFLs

 

:toledo:

11. Toledo (3-9); Preseason: 9

In my preseason Power Rankings I predicted an improved Toledo team over last year. Technically that happened as Toledo went only 2-10 in 2021, but they didn't take the step I thought they might. RB Taylor Abreu was solid this season but led the conference with 7 fumbles. Combine that with QB Eric Diekman throwing 15 interceptions and you had a turnover-prone team with a defense that wasn't good enough to bail them out. The 2022 defense even took a step back from how they performed in 2021, giving up the most points (284) in the conference.

Best Win: Pitt 30-6; Worst Loss: Northern Illinois 10-27

MVP: RB Taylor Abreu; 1264 rush yards, 5 rush TDs, 358 rec yards, 4 rec TDs

 

:ohio:

10. Ohio (4-8); Preseason: 5

Thinking back on Ohio in 2021, you had one of the most prolific offenses in the entire country. In 2022 it couldn't have been any further from that. An offense that averaged 8.2 ppg (worst in MAC) and only 253 ypg (worst in MAC) didn't help a defense that was actually about average (7th in points allowed and 4th in yards allowed). Poor QB play from senior Devonte' Wesley (1799 pass yards, 8 pass TDs, 17 Ints) plus a below average RB in Ervin O'Malley (only 3.52 yards per carry and more fumbles than rush TDs) led to an offense that was abhorrent. OLB Xavier Gipson and DE Shawn Dominguez were the lone bright spots in a very, very dark season for the Bobcats.

Best Win: Syracuse 16-9; Worst Loss: Kent State 3-24

MVP: OLB Xavier Gipson; 47 total tackles, 14.5 TFLs, 7 sacks, 1 FF

 

:northerillinois:

9. Northern Illinois (4-8); Preseason: 7

Expectations were high for Northern Illinois this season, as they had the 2nd most A overall players in the conference with 8. Things never really clicked on offense with QB DJ Falk never quite figuring out how to master the playbook. RB Patrick Onwuasor and TE Delino Bertolet carried the offense as much as they could but 20 picks from Falk often let the team down. The defense allowed only 16.2 ppg this season, good enough for 3rd in MAC and had a couple stars in OLB Zak Martin and DT Cayson Rodgers who both wreaked havoc in opponent's backfield, combining for 28 TFLs and 13 sacks.

Best Win: Arizona 23-3; Worst Loss: Miami (OH) 0-33

MVP: RB Patrick Onwuasor; 1309 rush yards, 6 rush TDs, 343 rec yards, 1 rec TD

 

:miamiu:

8. Miami (OH) (5-7); Preseason: 12

Miami was truly one of those teams where you didn't know what you were going to get week to week. On offense it was difficult to figure them out. QB Randy Weiser threw 18 pass TDs while throwing just 5 picks yet only completed 52.8% of his passes. They ran the ball a lot (2nd in MAC with over 220 rush yards per game) and for good reason, RB Jeff Needham and FB Brandon Travis were #1 and #2 in the conference in yards per carry for players over 900 rush yards. So why didn't they win more games? Well, they were 2nd in the MAC in points scored per game but 3rd in points allowed per game. When their defense failed, they failed big, giving up 55 points to both Western Michigan and Bowling Green. Weiser and Travis are back next year, so look for a more stable team in the future.

Best Win: Temple 30-10; Worst Loss: Cincinnati 27-31

MVP: RB Jeff Needham; 1210 rush yards, 10 rush TDs, 276 rec yards, 5 rec TDs

 

7. Buffalo (5-7); Preseason: 11

Buffalo is that team that has a pretty good defense (3rd in MAC in yards allowed) but couldn't quite cut it on the offensive side of the ball. Too many times they were shut down by opponents, only scoring 3 points against Texas Tech, Ole Miss and 0 against Ohio. They ran a Double Wing Option offense, which makes sense given their personnel, but QB Jeff Whitehead just couldn't get the offense clicking and they were probably too one-dimensional and predictable. ILB Justin White commanded the defense well, but they just couldn't make enough plays to change games. Their sack-leader was DE Pedro Castillo with just 4 sacks and CB Kevin Currie led the way with 4 interceptions.

Best Win: Akron 27-0; Worst Loss: Ohio 0-15

MVP: ILB Justin White; 90 total tackles, 16.5 TFLs

 

6. Ball State (6-7); Preseason: 3

For different reasons than last season, Ball State will be kicking themselves for how the year went. Ball State had 1 point losses to Toledo and Ohio, two of the worst teams in the Conference. Combine that with a 3 point loss to Central Michigan and we could have been talking about a very different season for the Cardinals. They were still able to reach bowl eligibility but the inconsistency of the season can largely be attributed to the team's youth on offense. Redshirt freshman Scott Romero had an above average year statistically and will be a force to reckon with in the future but there were games when he didn't show up. He'll be happy to have RB Garett Cordier back next season. The defense wasn't lacking for playmakers with DT Scott Hall, OLB Zach Collins, and SS Robert Ervin all able to leave an impact on the game.

Best Win: Eastern Michigan 26-20; Worst Loss: Toledo 9-10

MVP: RB Garett Cordier; 1389 rush yards, 8 rush TDs, 839 rec yards, 5 rec TDs

 

:easternmichigan:

5. Eastern Michigan (8-5); Preseason: 10

If you went to an Eastern Michigan game this year, you were at least guaranteed a lively game. Eastern Michigan had an entertaining offense, led by QB Tyler Clarkson (4202 pass yards, 21 pass TDs, 16 Ints), that was 3rd in the conference in total yards at 441 per game. They also had the worst defense in the conference, allowing over 440 per game. They proved they could play with most teams, putting up 34 points on Michigan State and even beating a Central Michigan team with a top defense. They had some individual standouts on defense with DT Jimmy Amukamara and DE Malik Giavotella combining for 14 sacks, and FS Mike Christian putting out fires all over the field, but ultimately this Eagles team should be very proud of what they were able to accomplish this season.

Best Win: Central Michigan 21-19; Worst Loss: Ball State 20-26

MVP: WR Keenan Briscoe; 1465 rec yards, 10 rec TDs

 

4. Akron (8-5); Preseason: 6

Akron was pretty good in 2021, going 9-4, and they followed it up with yet another solid season. Led by the best RB in the league Devontae Harrison, Akron had one of the best offenses in the MAC, and it was by far the most balanced with 277 pass yards per game and 180 rushing. Sophomore QB Quandre Quintanilla was a pleasant surprise with 3598 pass yards, 23 TDs, and 20 Ints, he'll be the top returning passer in the MAC next season. While their defense didn't do them any favors, it's worth mentioning their ILB duo of Jesse Wieland and Avery Gonzalez combined for 176 tackles and 38.5 TFLs. They lose their top RB and WR but look for Q-squared to keep this team in a lot of games the next couple years. Top off the season with an impressive 58-14 win over a good Louisiana Tech team in the Bahamas Bowl and Akron has to feel good about the season.

Best Win: Louisiana Tech 58-14; Worst Loss: Buffalo 10-27

MVP: RB Devontae Harrison; 1902 rush yards, 11 rush TDs, 766 rec yards, 3 rec yards

 

3. Central Michigan (10-4); Preseason: 2

Central Michigan finally realized the potential of the talent they have on the roster, but I think this team still could have accomplished more. Easily the most talented team in the conference, CMU will take pride in winning the division and making the College Football Playoffs, but will probably be kicking themselves for losing twice to Bowling Green and once to Eastern Michigan. The Chippewas wanted to beat you by pounding the rock with RB Mark Davis and suffocating opponents with a great defense. Average QB play led to many games being closer than they really should have been. It was very difficult to run the ball against Central Michigan, giving up under 89 yards per game on the ground, largely thanks to an uber talented front 7. Their defensive line of DT Miguel Peterson, and DEs Casey Jeffress and Rico Jones combined for 62.5 TFLs and 14.5 sacks. Talent is returning as well with 5 star OLB David Brown Jr and 5 star CB Ryan Herget both coming back next year.

Best Win: Western Michigan 22-14; Worst Loss: Eastern Michigan 19-21

MVP: DT Miguel Peterson; 66 total tackles, 28.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 1 FF

 

2. Bowling Green (11-3); Preseason: 4

How do you rank the conference champs at #2? Well with Western Michigan making a run in the playoffs and finishing as National Champ Runners-Up, I thought they finished the season stronger than the Falcons. Bowling Green players have to be very proud of what they accomplished this year, knocking off #1 Western Michigan in Week 10, MAC Conference champs, finishing as the #2 seed in the CFP, all of this with a not-spectacularly talented roster. It started with QB Dexter Reed, who finished 9th in the Heisman race. Reed was able to get the ball into the hands of the weapons he had at WR and RB. Speaking of RB, Frank Robinson (a converted QB) had an underrated year, running for 1173 yards in an Air Raid offense and accumulating 19 total TDs. The defense took a step back from 2021 but still saw good individual performances from players like DT Phillip Bell (70 tackles, 22 TFLs, 5 sacks), ILB Evan Mangen (97 tackles, 19.5 TFLs), and of course true freshman CB Donald Dingus (53 tackles, 9 Ints). The defense only had 3 senior starters so look for the unit to improve in the offseason.

Best Win: Western Michigan 34-17; Worst Loss: Northwestern 35-50

MVP: QB Dexter Reed; 4679 pass yards, 34 pass TDs, 17 Ints

 

:westernmichigan:

1. Western Michigan (12-3); Preseason: 1

There were some high expectations on this Western Michigan squad coming in to the season and it's safe to say they met nearly all of them. None of their accomplishments can be recognized without acknowledging the play of Heisman Trophy winner Theo Scribner, who lead the country in both pass yards and pass TDs. Everyone knew what Western Michigan was going to do on offense and very few teams were capable of stopping them. WRs Durham Simmons and Andy Anderson both deserve credit for incredible seasons, going #1 and #2 in the conference in receptions, receiving yards and TDs. All this praise for their offense, yet it shouldn't be ignored the part their defense played in all this. They led the MAC in only 326 yards allowed per game and were absolute monsters in the opponent's backfield. Bronco defenders accounted for 4 of the top 8 sack artists in the conference, with DT Paul Reed, DEs Will Lee and Nicky Wilson, and true freshman OLB Seantrel Garate combining for 29 total sacks. Reed was the MAC Defensive Player of the Year adding in a MAC record 29.5 TFLs. They'll be disappointed in dropping another game to thorn-in-the-side rival Central Michigan, preventing them from having a shot at a conference championship, but I think a lot of coaches would exchange that for an appearance in the National Championship Game.

Best Win: Tennessee 34-26; Worst Loss: Central Michigan 14-22

MVP: QB Theo Scribner; 6737 pass yards, 49 pass TDs, 12 Ints

 

 

Bowl Games

Arizona Bowl:

Ball State - 14

New Mexico - 38

 

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl:

Eastern Michigan - 20

Florida International - 9

 

Bahamas Bowl:

Akron - 58

Louisiana Tech - 14

 

Gator Bowl (CFP Round 1):

Central Michigan - 24

UCLA - 45

 

Peach Bowl (CFP Quarterfinal):

Bowling Green - 23

Alabama - 34

 

Fiesta Bowl (CFP Quarterfinal):

Western Michigan - 27

Louisville - 10

 

Rose Bowl (CFP Semifinal):

Western Michigan - 34

Tennessee - 26

 

NCAA National Championship Game:

Western Michigan - 7

Alabama - 14

 

Year-to-year changes:

 

Best

School	2021 Wins	2022 Wins	Difference
Western Michigan	8	12	+4
Bowling Green	7	11	+4
Eastern Michigan	5	8	+3
Central Michigan	8	10	+2
Ball State	5	6	+1
Buffalo	4	5	+1
Toledo	2	3	+1

Worst

School	2021 Wins	2022 Wins	Difference
Ohio	12	4	-8
Kent State	5	3	-2
Northern Illinois	5	4	-1
Akron	9	8	-1

MAC in the Polls

Coaches Poll (16 total polls)/Playoff Committee (9 total polls)

School	Weeks Ranked	Peak Rank	First Rank Appearance
Central Michigan	16/9	Week 2: #3/Week 14: #6	Preseason: #6/Week 7: #24
Western Michigan	14/9	9 weeks at #1/3 weeks at #1	Week 2: #11/Week 7: #2
Bowling Green	9/9	Week 13: #7/Week 15: #2	Week 7: #19/Week 7: #19
Northern Illinois	0	RV: Preseason, Week 3, Week 6	N/A
Ball State	0	RV: Week 1	N/A
Akron	0	RV: Week 1	N/A

 

Player Awards

MAC Offensive Player of the Year: Theo Scribner - Western Michigan - QB

 

MAC Defensive Player of the Year: Paul Reed - Western Michigan - DT

 

All-Conference Teams

 

First Team Associated Press All-Americans

QB: Theo Scribner, senior, Western Michigan

WR: Durham Simmons, senior, Western Michigan

C: David Sanchez, senior, Miami (OH)

K: Eric McCullers-Sanders, senior, Central Michigan

 

Second Team Associated Press All-Americans

WR: Andy Anderson, senior, Western Michigan

OG: Ian Kerrigan, junior, Buffalo

C: John Hurst, senior, Kent State

DT: Paul Reed, senior, Western Michigan

 

PoopyRhinoPickle's Awards:

 

QB of the Year: Western Michigan Theo Scribner; 6,737 pass yards, 49 pass TDs, 12 Ints, 67.77 comp %

 

RB of the Year: Akron Devontae Harrison; 1,902 rush yards, 5.3 ypc, 11 rush TDs, 766 rec yards, 3 rec TDs

 

WR of the Year: Western Michigan Durham Simmons; 148 recs, 2,269 rec yards, 16 rec TDs

 

TE of the Year: Northern Illinois Delino Bertolet; 47 recs, 572 rec yards, 6 rec TDs

 

OL of the Year: Buffalo OT Trevon Ingram; 13 pancakes (2.35% pancake %), 0 sacks allowed

 

DL of the Year: Western Michigan DT Paul Reed; 68 tackles, 29.5 TFLs, 8 sacks, 1 FF

 

LB of the Year: Ball State OLB Zach Collins; 41 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, 7.5 sacks, 2 FFs, 3 FRs

 

DB of the Year: Bowling Green CB Donald Dingus; 53 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FF, 1 FR, 9 Ints

 

ST Player of the Year: Central Michigan K Eric McCullers-Sanders; 32/33 FGs, 28/31 XPs, Long: 47

 

Offensive Freshman of the Year: Ball State QB Scott Romero; 3,109 pass yards, 14 pass TDs, 12 Ints, 61.93 comp %

 

Defensive Freshman of the Year: Bowling Green CB Donald Dingus; 53 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FF, 1 FR, 9 Ints