(Updated through Tuesday games)
MAC teams are coming out of their break for exams. As Kent State prepares to resume play Wednesday, it’s worth taking a minute to see how the MAC is shaping up.
Seven of the conference’s 12 teams have winning records. Three more are at .500. The conference is 21st among 33 Division I conferences in RPI rating, and the overall conference schedule strength is only 26th.
Akron (91st) and Western Michigan (97th) are the only MAC team in the top 100. Central Michigan (106) Ohio (135), Toledo (101), and Eastern Michigan (181(are between 100 and 200. Aa total of 349 teams are ranked. (RPI is according to a site called RealTimeRPI, some of which is public.) Kent State is 302nd.
Akron is the only undefeated conference team at 8-0. Central Michigan, pre-season pick to win the western division and the tournament, is 4-3 but has played a very tough schedule. Surprise team is Ohio, which tied with Kent and Miami for last place last year. The Bobcats are 6-2.
Here’s a look at each team:
THE EAST
AKRON (8-0) — Five of Akron’s victories have come at home; two of its other three wins were at a neutral site, and its schedule strength is among the weakest in the conference. It hasn’t beat a team that currently has a winning record. Still, the Zips lost their top two scorers from last year and were picked to finish only third in the East. Akron beat Belmont, the only team Kent has defeated this year, 73-58 at a neutral site in a Thanksgiving tournament. An interesting upcoming match-up will come Dec. 29 against Youngstown State, which beat Kent at Kent and is still undefeated. (We’ll look at how Kent’s opponents have fared another time.)
OHIO (6-2) — Like Akron, OU hasn’t beaten a team with a winning record, and six of its eight games have been at home. But five of its six victories were by at least 13 points. Best win was against Detroit (4-5) by three, in Athens. Its only losses were by seven points to James Madison (8-1), the No. 1 team in Mid Major rankingby eight points to Eastern Kentucky, which is 6-2. The Bobcats have been boosted by a transfer from Michigan State and a star freshman; they’re still doing far better than anyone predicted.
BOWLING GREEN (5-2) — The Falcons were 30-6 last year but lost three starters to graduation. They too haven’t beaten anyone with a winning record. But BG’s two losses game by a total of only four points — 53-52 in its opener at home against Bucknell (now 5-3) and 51-48 at Loyola Marymount (now 2-6).
BUFFALO (5-3) — The Bulls were picked to win the eastern division. After losing two of their first their (both at home, they’ve won three in a row and came up with a big win Tuesday, beating St. Boneventure (then 7-2) 51-44 at home.
MIAMI (2-5) — The Redhawks have beaten only Cincinnati Christian, a non-Division I school, and Valparaiso, which is 3-7. Both wins were at home. Miami came close to University of Illinois at Chicago (now 7-1), losing by three points in Oxford.
THE WEST
Western division records aren’t as good but the quality of competition is much greater.
EASTERN MICHIGAN (6-3) — The Eagles have beaten some real cupcakes — Hillsdale, Madonna and — try this — Kent State-Tuscarawas. But the Eagles also lost to No. 14 Michigan State by only eight at MSU. They beat Cleveland State (now 5-3) by three at home. Kent State lost to CSU by two in Cleveland.
WESTERN MICHIGAN (4-3) — The Broncos have lost to three very good teams on the road — Michigan (by 27), Green Bay (by 15) and Ohio State (by 37). At home, they’ve beaten North Dakota State at home by 15 (Kent lost to NDSU by 10 in its opener). They’ve also beaten Massachusetts (now 5-4).
CENTRAL MICHIGAN (4-3) — The Chippewas return a strong team and scheduled some very tough teams. They came within five points of No. 8 Kentucky (now 10-1) at home and lost to Memphis (5-5) by two and Dayton (6-3) by 10 on the road. They play No. 1 South Carolina at a tournament later this month.
TOLEDO (4-4) — The Rockets have played the MAC’s toughest schedule (62nd in the country according to Real Time RPI) and beaten the biggest name opponents. They beat Virginia (now 6-2) and Arizona (now 6-3) at a holiday tournament in Miami. They beat St. Bonaventure (now 7-3) and Idaho (now 5-5) at home. They lost at Cleveland State (5-3), No. 24 Purdue (4-4), Dayton (6-3) and Detroit (4-5).
BALL STATE (4-4) — The Cardinals lost their home opener to Purdue (4-4) by just six and at No. 10 Louisville by 12. They’ve beaten Evansville (4-4), Murray State (3-6) and Oakland (3-4) at home. They lost by 20 points in Muncie to Duquesne, a team that beat Kent State by 26 in Pittsburgh.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS (2-5) — The Huskies have beaten only Chicago State (0-7) and Delaware State (1-7). They did almost upset Missouri (8-2) at Missouri Sunday, losing 47-44.