BroncoBlitz picks the MAC: Week Two
The first week is in the books, and while it's very close between our three staff members, what's clear right now is that Vegas knew what they were doing in week one. Now we move on to a week with some real intrigue as well as a few FCS tune-ups.
SU = Straight up
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ATS = Against the spread
David James: 10-2 SU, 5-4-1 ATS
D.J. Duckett: 9-3 SU, 4-6 ATS
Brian Persky: 10-2 SU, 5-4-1 ATS
Ball State at Clemson (-28)
David: I think BSU keeps this one relatively close. Their chances of actually winning are slim, but Wenning and co. move the ball. Clemson by 17
D.J.:I think there is no chance that this one is close. Clemson seems to be too much for any MAC team to handle. I think Ball State will have a lot of trouble stopping their week 2 opponents. Clemson by 35
Brian: Clemson is coming off a huge win against SEC opponent Auburn, while Ball State is coming off an emotionally charge in-conference victory against Eastern Michigan. At first glance, this game appears to have classic "let down game" potential written all over it. Ball State fans probably remember the scare they gave to Michigan fans in the Big House several years ago. But I just don't see that happening against a team with Clemson's size and speed. After an early scare, I like the Tajh Boyd and the Tigers to eventually take control. Clemson by 18
Illinois State at Eastern Michigan (no line)
David: EMU will come out a little upset after last week. ISU isn't a bad FCS team, but I don't think they'll hang. EMU by 24
D.J.: Illinois State had no problem scoring points in week one, but I think that changes against EMU this week. Eagles certainly had their hands full with Jahwan Edwards and the Ball State offense, but I think they turn things around and get the win at home. EMU by 16
Brian: Illinois State is no slouch. They had two 100-yard rushers last week and a quarterback that completed 65% of his passes and threw for 3 touchdowns. I think the Redhawks keep it fairly close, but in the end, Eastern Michigan's defense is too strong. EMU by 14
Southern Illinois at Miami (no line)
David: SIU lost to Eastern Illinois by 21 last week. Jimmy Garappolo and the EIU passing game is decent, but it's not Dysert and Harwell. Miami by 35
D.J.: I like Miami in this match up. I think they will bounce back after the big loss at Ohio State. Redhawks win in their home opener. Miami by 13
Brian: I expect the Redhawks to get back on track here with a big win against the Salukis. Zac Dysert and the receiving corps have HUGE games and Miami rolls. Miami by 35
Indiana (-14) at UMass
David: Indiana's opener didn't inspire all that much, but UMass just doesn't look to have much FBS-level talent. Nice home game for them, but I don't think it'll be all that close. Indiana by 21
D.J.: I don't think the MAC will show well against the Big Ten in this one. I just don't see how UMass can handle the size of the Hoosiers. Much like UConn was last week, I think Indiana will be too much to handle for UMass. Indiana by 20
Brian: This is an intriguing game. Indiana barely sqeuaked by FCS opponent Indiana State last weekend and now they are playing former FCS opponent UMass in Foxboro's Gillette Stadium. After gaining only a miniscule 59 total yards on offense last week against UConn, the Minutemen will look to get things back on track against the lowly Hooisers. My heart wants to pick UMass in an upset, but my brain just won't let me. Indiana is still a Big Ten and is much bigger and stronger. Indiana by 24
Michigan State (-20) at Central Michigan
David: A big day for Mt. Pleasant, no doubt. I actually think CMU keeps this one close for a while before Le'Veon Bell puts it away for good with a couple long drives in the second half. MSU by 22
D.J.: All week I have heard multiple people saying how hyped up the Chips are going to be for this game, I just don't see it making much of a difference. MSU has too much talent for this to be close. The Spartan offense moved the ball too effectively against Boise for me to even consider picking an up set here. MSU by 24
Brian: This will not even be close. Expect Le'Veon Bell to run rampant all day, until D'Antonio is forced to bring in the reserves. In which case, I also expect running backs Larry Caper and Nick Hill to have big days. After some of the first quarter adrenaline wears off, this one could get ugly. MSU by 42
Toledo at Wyoming (-2.5)
David: Toledo, I believe, is a better team than Wyoming. And too good of a team to start out with two losses. Toledo by 4
D.J.: Toledo showed very well last week, eventually losing in overtime to Arizona. I think they bounce back and win a close one at Wyoming. Toledo by 10
Brian: This has the makings to become a shootout. The first team to score 40 points probably wins this game. I think the combination of Brett Smith and Robert Herron makes things difficult for the Rockets, so I like the Cowboys to come out on top here at home. Wyoming by 4
Akron at FIU (-23.5)
David: It's hard for me to pick this, other than FIU winning. Akron was listless against UCF, but FIU wasn't even that competitive against lowly Duke. Gotta pick something.. FIU by 14
D.J.: To be honest, I struggled a lot with picking this one; I just don't know which way to go. Neither team looked particularly good in week one, and they seem to be about evenly matched. I'll root for the good of the conference in this match up. Akron by 3
Brian: I expect this game to be very similar to last week's Akron vs. UCF game, only maybe a bit closer. This will continue to be a tough year for new head coach Terry Bowden's squad. FIU by 21
Morgan State at Buffalo (no line)
David: After Branden Oliver proved last week he can run on Georgia, Morgan State might be in for a long day. Buffalo by 28
D.J.: Buffalo didn't look bad against Georgia; in fact they put up a good amount of points considering their opponent. I think their offense continues to click this week as they host Morgan State. Buffalo by 17
Brian: Buffalo certainly surprised some people with their effort against the Georgia Bulldogs this week. I don't see them having too many problems against Morgan State. The Bulls run game will have a big day here. Buffalo by 21
Tennessee-Martin at Northern Illinois (no line)
David: NIU is pretty solid on both sides of the football. UT-Martin is riding high after a 20-17 win over Memphis, but the Huskies are a different animal. NIU by 24
D.J.: Don't see this one being much of a contest here. I think Northern Illinois will out match Tenn.-Martin and win by a bunch. NIU by 28
Brian: Don't sleep on Tennessee-Martin, who just came off a last second victory against respectable Conference-USA opponent Memphis with a 43-yard game-winning field goal. I don't know if they've got enough magic for another one though. NIU's offense will be awfully tough for the Skyhawks to stop. NIU by 21
New Mexico State at Ohio (-21.5)
David: The Bobcats may have a bit of a letdown this week. They'll take care of business, though. Ohio by 15
D.J.: Ohio was very impressive in their upset of Penn State last week. I think they will be just as excited to get to play at home after winning that game. New Mexico catches Ohio at a bad time, and frankly, a bad year. Ohio wins big. Bobcats by 24
Brian: The Aggies have a strong passing game, however the Bobcats have an even stronger defensive unit. I think the Bobcats win in a little bit of a more high-scoring fashion than they are typically accustomed to. Ohio by 21
Idaho at Bowling Green (-17)
David: While Bowling Green was going toe-to-toe with Florida, Idaho was busy losing 20-3 to Eastern Washington. BGSU by 20
D.J.: Bowling Green was able to hold the Florida Gators to 27 point last week, while putting up 14 of their own. I think they continue the things they were able to do well in their match up with Idaho this week. Bowling Green by 10
Brian: Much like Buffalo, the Bowling Green Falcons turned some heads last week against the Florida Gators of the SEC. Idaho's offense is really struggling early on and Bowling Green looks to be pretty solid defensively this season. I like the Falcons at home in a relatively low scoring affair. BGSU by 10
Kent State at Kentucky (-7)
David: As good of a time as any for KSU to get a BCS win. Kentucky is reeling and Kent may have its best team in years. Kent State by 3
D.J.: KSU takes a trip down to SEC country to take on Kentucky, and I don't see them coming back with a victory. They had a nice game last week against Towson, but I think they will have a tougher time this week. Kentucky by 20
Brian: Last week, it was the Kent State special teams that made a huge impact in the game. They'll need a lot more than that to beat the Kentucky Wildcats of the SEC. I think sophomore quarterback Maxwell Smith has a field day against the Golden Flashes. Kentucky by 25