March MACtion 2020: Only 8 remain
Looks like we've got ourselves a Cinderella team, too.
Hello, hello, I hope everybody’s having a happy and safe quarantine. Let’s keep distracting ourselves from our irresponsible federal govenement and keep trying to see which MAC team in the 2010s was the best one of all.
We are two rounds in, and now we’ve got eight teams left and six of them are former MAC Champions. The runners up from the 2013 and 2015 MAC title games are still in this thing, and deservedly so.
RESULTS: ROUND TWO
THERE WAS A TIE, BUT THERE ARE NO TIES IN THIS OPERATION.
Since we desperately need a new president in this country anyways, I think I’ll step in and be our temporary president to figure this mess out. I only voted once and my vote in 2012 Kent State vs. 2018 Buffalo went to the Bulls. In my mind, these two teams could find themselves in a shootout, but I think it’d be Buffalo that could set the pace with the Flashes playing keep-up. Plus, in the years immediately following both of their MAC East title runs, Buffalo’s program is and has been in better shape while keeping its head coach.
The top two seeded teams won their matchups with no problem, while other games saw more disagreements.
And with that, here’s our updated bracket, and the buttons for you to go in and vote right now. Remember, vote as much as you want and tag your friends in to vote against the teams you hate most.
MARCH MACTION 2020: ROUND THREE
PROGRAMMING NOTE: ROUND THREE OF VOTING BEGINS NOW AND RUNS THROUGH FRIDAY AT MIDNIGHT. OUR FINAL FOUR TEAMS REMAINING WILL BE ANNOUNCED SATURDAY.
1 vs. 17: 2016 WMU Broncos (13-1, 8-0) vs. 2018 Buffalo Bulls (10-4, 7-1)
2016 WMU Broncos (13-1, 8-0)
MAC Champions (won 29-23 over Ohio)
All-MAC players (12): QB Zach Terrell, RB Jarvion Franklin, WR Corey Davis (Offensive Player of the Year), TE Donnie Ernsberger, OL Chukwuma Okorafor, OL John Keenoy, OL Taylor Moton, LB Asantay Brown, LB Robert Spillane, CB/KR/PR Darius Phillips (Special Teams Player of the Year), DB Keion Adams, DB Justin Ferguson
Coach of the Year: P.J. Fleck
More wins: 22-21 at Northwestern, 34-10 at Illinois, 49-31 vs. Georgia Southern, 55-35 vs. Toledo, 45-30 vs. NIU
Only loss: 24-16 vs. No. 8 Wisconsin (Cotton Bowl)
2018 Buffalo Bulls (10-4, 7-1)
MAC East Champions (lost 30-29 to NIU in MAC Championship)
All-MAC players (11): QB Tyree Jackson (Offensive Player of the Year), RB Jaret Patterson (Freshman of the Year), WR Anthony Johnson, WR/PR K.J. Osborn, TE Tyler Mabry, OL James O’Hagan, OL Evin Ksiezarczyk, DE Chuck Harris, LB Khalil Hodge, DB Cameron Lewis
MAC Coach of the Year: Lance Leipold
Key wins: 36-29 at Temple, 35-28 vs. EMU, 42-13 at Rutgers, 31-17 at Toledo, 51-42 vs. Miami, 44-14 at BGSU
Losses: 42-13 vs. Army, 52-17 at Ohio, 42-32 vs. Troy (Dollar General Bowl)
2 vs. 7: 2012 NIU Huskies (12-2, 8-0) vs. 2013 NIU Huskies (12-2, 8-0)
2012 NIU Huskies (12-2, 8-0)
MAC Champions (won 44-37 [2OT] over Kent State)
All-MAC players (7): QB Jordan Lynch (Vern Smith Award, Offensive Player of the Year), WR Martel Moore, OL Tyler Loos, DL Sean Progar, DL Alan Baxter, LB Tyrone Clark, S Jimmie Ward
Key wins: 30-23 vs. Kansas, 55-24 vs. CMU, 35-23 at Ball State, 31-24 vs. Toledo
Losses: 18-17 vs. Iowa (at Soldier Field), 31-10 vs. No. 13 Florida State (Orange Bowl)
Finished No. 22 in the AP Poll, No. 24 in Coaches
2013 NIU Huskies (12-2, 8-0)
MAC West Champions (lost 47-27 to BGSU in MAC Championship)
All-MAC players: QB Jordan Lynch (Vern Smith Award, Offensive Player of the Year), WR Da’Ron Brown, Tommylee Lewis, OL Tyler Loos, OL Jared Volk, DL Ken Bishop, DL Joe Windsor, LB Jamaal Bass, S Jimmie Ward, DB Dechane Durante
MAC Coach of the Year: Rod Carey
Key wins: 30-27 at Iowa, 55-24 at Purdue, 48-27 vs. Ball State, 35-17 at Toledo, 38-24 at Kent State
Other loss: 21-14 vs. Utah State (Poinsettia Bowl)
3 vs. 6: 2015 BGSU Falcons (10-4, 7-1) vs. 2017 Toledo Rockets (11-3, 7-1)
2015 BGSU Falcons (10-4, 7-1)
MAC Champions (won 34-14 over NIU)
All-MAC players (11): QB Matt Johnson (Vern Smith Award, Offensive Player of the Year), RB Travis Greene, WR Roger Lewis, WR Gehrig Dieter, WR Ronnie Moore, OL Alex Huettel, OL Jacob Bennett, LB Austin Valdez, LB Trent Greene, P Joe Davidson, PR Ryan Burbrink
Key wins: 48-27 at Maryland, 35-28 at Purdue, 41-27 at WMU, 62-38 vs. UMass, 48-0 at Kent State
Losses: 59-30 at No. 25 Tennessee, 44-41 vs. Memphis, 44-28 vs. Toledo, 58-27 vs. Georgia Southern (GoDaddy Bowl)
2017 Toledo Rockets (11-3, 7-1)
MAC Champions (won 45-28 over Akron)
All-MAC players (9): QB Logan Woodside (Vern Smith Award, Offensive Player of the Year), RB Terry Swanson, WR/PR/KR Diontae Johnson, OL Elijah Nkansah, OL Brant Weiss, DL Ola Adeniyi, K Jameson Vest
MAC Coach of the Year: Jason Candle
More wins: 48-21 vs. Akron (regular season), 37-17 vs. NIU, 30-10 at CMU, 20-15 vs. EMU, 37-10 vs. WMU
Losses: 52-30 at No. 14 Miami-FL, 38-10 at Ohio, 34-0 vs. Appalachian State (Dollar General Bowl)
4 vs. 5: 2013 BGSU Falcons (10-4, 7-1) vs. 2010 NIU Huskies (11-3, 8-0)
2013 BGSU Falcons (10-4, 7-1)
MAC Champions (47-27 over NIU)
All-MAC players (10): RB Travis Greene, TE Alex Bayer, OL Chief Kekuewa, OL Alex Huettel, OL Dominic Flewellyn, DL Ted Ouellet, LB D.J. Lynch, LB Gabe Martin, DB BooBoo Gates, PR Ryan Burbrink
More wins: 49-0 vs. Ohio, 24-7 vs. Buffalo, 31-14 vs. Akron
Losses: 42-10 at Indiana, 21-20 at Mississippi State, 28-25 vs. Toledo, 30-27 vs. Pitt
2010 NIU Huskies (11-3, 8-0)
MAC West Champions (lost 26-21 to Miami in Championship)
All-MAC players (13): QB Chandler Harnish, RB Chad Spann (Vern Smith Award, Offensive Player of the Year), WR Landon Cox, TE Jason Schepler, OL Scott Wedige, OL Trevor Olson, OL Joe Pawlak, DL Jake Coffman, DL Sean Progar, LB Devon Butler, LB Alex Kube, DB Chris Smith, KR Tommy Davis
Key wins: 34-23 at Minnesota, 65-30 vs. Toledo, 40-17 vs. Fresno State (Humanitarian Bowl), 31-17 vs. Temple, 28-21 at WMU
Losses: 27-10 at Iowa State, 28-22 at Illinois
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