We'll get right into the questions and my answers:
1) This week featured some out of conference games in which MAC schools had some strong showings but were unable to finish. Do these close calls do it for you or do these teams need to complete the upset to earn conference respect?
TFF: They need to complete the upset.
2) What Senior is really standing out as a pro prospect?
TFF: Adrian Robinson, rush endy. Will follow Muhammad Wilkerson or Jacquaiwn Jarrett as a first- or second-round NFL draft pick from the defensive side of the ball.
3) With CMU traveling to Kalamazoo to take on the Broncos this weekend I thought it fitting to ask, which MAC rivalry is most heated and why?
TFF: Kent and Akron used to be. I'm thinking CMU an WMU now. If Akon an Kent were ever 1-2, that would be it.
4) Which bottom feeder from last season has looked most improved?
TFF: Eastern Michigan. I know the sked is not OSU's, buit they are impressive. A lot is working against them, but Ron English is doing a much better job this year.
5) List your MAC power rankings
1-Toledo
2) Northern Illinois
3) Temple
4) Ohio
5) Bowling Green
6) WMU
7) CMU
8) Ball State
9) Miami
10) Kent State
11) Eastern Michigan
12) Buffalo
13) Akron
Temple Football Forever's picks this week:
(odds are from the New York Daily News, HOME team in CAPS)
FRIDAY
Boise State 31, TOLEDO 20 _ Rockets easily cover the 17 1/2.
SATURDAY
CINCINNATI 41, Akron 3 _ Bearcats cover the 30-point spread.
BOWLING GREEN 35, Wyoming 21 _ Falcons have no problem covering the 8 1/2.
TEMPLE 24, Penn State 20 _ Owls shock the world, but not their own fans who watched as they beat Fiesta Bowl-bound UConn by two scores last year. Temple is anywhere between a 9 1/2 to 8-point underdog.
Central Michigan 14, WESTERN MICHIGAN 7 _ Anything can happen in a rivalry game and I'm picking 6 1/2-point underdog Chips to win this one outright.
Miami 10, MINNESOTA 7 _ MAC champ, a 3-point underdog, pulls off the 3-point upset win on the road.
OHIO U. 24, Marshall 17 _ Bobcats might be Frank Solich's best team and the 2-point spread seems small to me.
BALL STATE 17, Buffalo 10 _ Cards beat Indiana and Buffalo isn't as good as Indiana. They cover the 4 1/2.
Season record straight up: 14-4
Season record against spread: 12-2
(A lot of MAC games have appeared with no lines and those are included in the straight-up record.)
Our only loss against the spread last week was USF covering the 22 against Ball State.
We correctly predicted a straight up and against the spread upset when we picked Louisiana Lafayette, a 6 1/2-point dog, to beat Kent State, 24-20. LL won, 20-12.
