Another week, another set of MAC football wins against non-conference opponents. This week, it was No. 21 ranked Cincinnati that fell to Toledo, 29-23, and also Army, who witnessed a 48-38 win by Eastern Michigan. Who will it be next week?
The 2012 regular season has been a special one for the Mid-American Conference. It started with the opening weekend of college football and Ohio's 24-14 road win at Penn State and has continued throughout the eight weeks of the regular season. Along the way, Big Ten, Big East, Conference USA, Big 12 and Independent non-conference opponents have witnessed first hand the improvement of MAC football.
The conference currently has four teams with one loss or less as Ohio currently ranks No. 25 in the Associated Press poll at 7-0 overall. In addition, Northern Illinois (7-1), Toledo (7-1) and Kent State (6-1) all have only one loss this season and are all four programs are already bowl eligible. Knocking on the door are both Ball State (5-3) and Bowling Green (5-1), as both programs need only one more win to become bowl eligible.
Dating back to the 2000 season, the MAC's most number of wins against opponents from other FBS conferences was 14 regular season wins during the 2008 season. This season, the MAC already has tied that mark with 14 non-conference wins against opponents from the other FBS conferences with three more non-conference games remaining on the regular season schedule. Next week, the MAC will face Army, Rutgers and Vanderbilt on the road.
On the heels of what the confernece did last bowl season by winning the ESPN Challenge Cup with a 4-1 record in bowls. It's exciting to see what the final four weeks of the regular season and the upcoming bowl season will see from MAC football.
MAC Regular Season Football Wins vs. non-conference FBS opponents:
Year: Wins; FBS Programs Defeated:
2012: 14; Penn State; Wyoming; Idaho; New Mexico State; Army (3); Marshall; Indiana; UConn; South Florida; Kansas; Iowa; Cincinnati
2011: 10; Indiana; Army (4); UConn; Idaho; New Mexico State; Marshall; Maryland
2010: 7; Minnesota; Purdue; Marshall; Colorado State; Louisiana-Lafayette; UConn; Army
2009: 9; Michigan State; Purdue; Colorado; Florida International; Troy; UTEP; North Texas; Army; Navy
2008: 14; Navy; Indiana (2); Western Kentucky; Michigan; Idaho; Illinois; Syracuse; Army (3); Pittsburgh; Wyoming; UTEP
2007: 10; Navy; Army (2); Idaho; Iowa State (2); Iowa; Minnesota; Syracuse; Louisiana-Lafayette
2006: 11; Temple (5); Kansas; Virginia; North Carolina State; North Texas; Florida International; Illinois
2005: 9; Army; Louisiana-Lafayette; Temple (4); Middle Tennessee State; Cincinnati; Pittsburgh
2004: 3; Temple (2); Kentucky
2003: 9; Kansas State; Northwestern; Colorado State; Cincinnati; Purdue; Maryland; Alabama; Iowa State; Pittsburgh
2002: 10; Rutgers; Troy; North Carolina; Cincinnati; UConn; Missouri; Kansas; Wyoming; Wake Forest; UNLV
2001: 11; UConn (2); Army; Cincinnati; Missouri; Temple (2); Northwestern; South Florida; Minnesota; Navy
2000: 9; Central Florida (2); Vanderbilt; Minnesota; UConn (2); Penn State; Navy; Iowa