Weis Guy Blog
MAC-daddies no more
By Michael Weisman, Senior Sports Writer
September 27, 2007 | 4:08 p.m.
Not that long ago, the Mid-American Conference was respectable in both football and men’s basketball. It had diamond-in-the-rough-turned-superstar athletes making it in the professional leagues and teams being nationally ranked annually. Not anymore!
Those were the days of Miami University’s Wally Szczerbiak (now with the Seattle SuperSonics) and Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers); Northern Illinois University’s Michael Turner (San Diego Chargers); Ball State University’s Bonzi Wells (Houston Rockets); and Ohio University’s own “Shaq of the MAC” Gary Trent and Brandon Hunter. Kent State University had its magical run to the Elite Eight in 2002, and Miami managed to get to the Sweet 16 in 1999, but a MAC school hasn’t won an NCAA Tournament game since Central Michigan University defeated Creighton University in 2003. To make matters worse, the conference hasn’t even received an at-large bid to the Big Dance since Miami was invited in ’99. Central Michigan’s Chris Kaman was the last MAC basketball player to be drafted back in 2003, and prior to the Chippewas’ offensive lineman Joe Staley’s being selected 28th overall this year in the NFL draft, Roethlisberger was the last first-round choice to come out of the MAC in 2004. With talent levels declining in the conference in both football and men’s basketball, the MAC needs to step up its game and once again make itself known.
There’s no reason why MAC schools can’t become the likes of University of Utah or Boise State University and win a Bowl Championship Series game, despite being from a non-BCS conference. Likewise in basketball, the MAC could be getting three or four bids to the Big Dance, like the Missouri Valley Conference and the Colonial Athletic Association, but as of late, they’re not. It’s quite simple to see why the MAC is falling farther and farther from the top. The level of competition isn’t there anymore, and adding teams like University at Buffalo and Temple University doesn’t boost a conference’s power rating.
Temple, who would be a nice addition for basketball, is only playing football in the MAC, while remaining in the Atlantic 10 Conference in all other sports. The Owl’s record over the last five years is 8-50, making it an undesirable member of a conference, and they’re off to a 0-4 start in their debut season in the MAC. Temple became the 13th team in the MAC, forcing one division to have seven teams (East) while the other has six (West). Because of that, some MAC schools play seven conference games, while others play eight. Buffalo, on the other hand, joined the MAC for all sports in ‘97, but in football, they’re 7-51 over the last five years with two losses to 1-AA schools. This year, they’re 1-3 with the lone win over Temple. The Bulls have never been to a bowl game, while the Owls haven’t been since 1979.
In 2003, the MAC went 2-0 in bowl games, beating University of Louisville and Northwestern University. A year ago, conference teams only managed a 1-3 record. To turn the sinking ship around that is the MAC, they must dispose of Buffalo and Temple. That creates the problem of an uneven number of teams again, making the total 11. However, there’s a simple solution for that: add Western Kentucky University. The Hilltoppers are set to make the jump from 1-AA to 1-A next year in football and already have an established basketball tradition. They won the 1-AA championship in 2002 and geographically fit with the rest of the teams in the conference. The MAC did something similar to this a few years back with Marshall University. It joined the MAC in ‘97 hot off two 1-AA championships and three losses in the title game—all during the ‘90s. Then it jumped in the MAC and won the conference its first four years in it and five times overall (and five bowl games) until they moved up to Conference USA after the 2004 season. It also managed to bring some talented players to the MAC like Chad Pennington, Byron Leftwich and Randy Moss. Adding Western Kentucky would give the conference 12 teams, boost both football and men’s basketball and add another state to the conference, which also helps all schools with recruiting in other states.
Another way the MAC can reassert itself as a conference is scheduling winnable games against BCS schools. Playing Michigan University and Ohio State University annually in football do no good because they’re guaranteed losses. Playing middle- to bottom-level teams from BCS conferences that are scheduled at home is a better strategy. Miami has had University of Iowa, Northwestern, and Syracuse University all come to Oxford over the last five years, and OU did it two years ago with University of Pittsburgh. Those are the games in which the MAC needs to establish some pride and get its name heard, rather than 40-point losses to the Wolverines and the Buckeyes. MAC schools don’t need to be playing 1-AA opponents.
With the family of ESPN networks, the MAC is seen on TV regularly, which can only help. This year, the MAC has had some success in football, with Bowling Green State University winning at University of Minnesota and Kent State and University of Toledo both defeating Iowa State University (Toledo did it at home), showing perhaps the conference is turning the corner. They’ve also endured close calls as Ball State lost by one at University Nebraska and Miami lost in overtime to Minnesota. However, until the bottom feeders are set free and the conference adds another Marshall, the conference can’t reach the level of Utah, Boise State, the MVC or the CAA. Once the conference makes the move in the right direction, the star athletes will reappear, the teams will improve, along with the crowds, and the MAC will be a better brand of football and men’s basketball for all.