2024 MAC Football Power Rankings: After Week 11

Weeknight games have only sown more chaos into the equation as we approach the halfway point of the month.

Welcome to the 11th edition of our blog’s Power Rankings!

We gave the rankings some time off so the schedule could transition into a more palatable flow; it would not have made very much sense to put out rankings of 13 teams based off two games in Week 10.

Now that every team has at least one game under their belt since the start of November, we review where the blog thinks every team stands right now.

Let’s get right into the new and (hopefully) improved rankings!

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13. Kent State Golden Flashes (LW: 13)

• High vote: 12 (once)
• Low vote: 13 (four)
• Average vote: 12.8

We didn’t learn anything about Kent State we didn’t already know over the past 10 days. They’re 0-8 and have no good results to fall back on to take heart on a week-to-week basis. The regression has been bleak to say the least, and at this point, their losing streak could extend into 2025.

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12. UMass Minutemen (LW: 12)

• High vote: 12 (four)
• Low vote: 13 (once)
• Average vote: 12.2

UMass was on their second BYE week last week coming off a big loss to Mississippi State. They managed to get the slip on the Bulldogs to start, building a double-digit lead, but the bottom fell out and they wound up losing once again. They’re set to take on a reeling Liberty team.

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11. Akron Zips (LW: 11)

• High vote: 10 (once)
• Low vote: 11 (four)
• Average vote: 10.8

Akron is officially out of the bowl picture after taking one too many losses, with the last one to Buffalo. It was a back-and-forth affair— one the Zips had multiple chances to win— but their continued insistence on stepping on their own feet once again took away a stellar opportunity. They take on NIU next.

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10. Central Michigan Chippewas (LW: 10)

• High vote: 10 (four)
• Low vote: 11 (once)
• Average vote: 10.2

Things are looking bleak in Mt. Pleasant, as injuries all over the roster are limiting their ability to pull together a complete game. They’re on a four-game slide dating back to their rousing home win against San Diego State, and are out of the postseason for the third season in a row if they lose to Toledo on Tuesday night.

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9. Ball State Cardinals (LW: 9)

• High vote: 8 (twice)
• Low vote: 9 (three)
• Average vote: 8.6

Ball State has really turned up the pressure on two of the best teams in the conference to start the weeknight games, winning against NIU and taking Miami to the final possession of the game before losing. Their record isn’t the best, but they’ve been a scrappy team who could play spoiler moving forward, with Buffalo, BGSU and Ohio remaining on the schedule.

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8. Eastern Michigan Eagles (LW: 8)

• High vote: 7 (once)
• Low vote: 9 (once)
• Average vote: 8

Eastern put up a spirited effort against Toledo but lost on a crucial two-point conversion after a Hail Mary, which even if it was a cool sequence, was still a pair of desperation decisions which pulled the score much closer than it actually was by the end. They’ve lost three of the last four and now play Ohio, as EMU still tries to clinch a bowl game after getting off to a hot start.

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7. Buffalo Bulls (LW: t-6, down 1)

• High vote: 4 (once)
• Low vote: 7 (three)
• Average vote: 6.2

Buffalo got away with one against Akron, taking advantage of their opponent’s mistakes late in the game to slip by with an 11-point victory. Much like NIU, this is a team which continues to mystify our voters due to a lack of consistency. They’ve already exceeded last year’s season, though, and that’s a positive step forward. They take on Ball State this week.

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6. Northern Illinois Huskies (LW: t-6)

• High vote: 4 (twice)
• Low vote: 7 (once)
• Average vote: 5.2

NIU just continues to throw a wrench into the proceedings, foiling Western Michigan’s undefeated effort with a rousing defensive performance under the weeknight lights. The win muddies the MAC table, but doesn’t really do anything for NIU, who would have to win out and hope for cannibalism to even have a chance at Detroit. They next play Akron.

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5. Toledo Rockets (LW: 3, down 2)

• High vote: 3 (once)
• Low vote: 6 (twice)
• Average vote: 5

The Rockets should probably count their lucky stars EMU couldn’t get the job done last week. Toledo let the foot off the gas late in the game, allowing the Eagles to make a comeback rally to try and steal a win. UT are now 2-2 over the last four games and have looked vulnerable going all the back to October. They look to get right against a hobbling CMU.

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4. Western Michigan Broncos (LW: 1, down 3)

• High vote: 1 (five)
• Low vote: 2 (twice)
• Average vote: 1.28

The Broncos had their worst conference outing at exactly the wrong time, getting dunked on 42-28 by NIU in a game which could have given the Broncos total control of the league. Now, they have to beat BGSU in order to stay relevant in the title race with three games remaining and that will be no easy task considering they also have a good defense like NIU does. The rest of the season could snowball if they can’t get this one.

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t-2. Ohio Bobcats (LW: 4, up 2)

• High vote: 2 (once)
• Low vote: 5 (once)
• Average vote: 3

Ohio just can’t lose right now, ripping the guts out of a Kent State team which was already in low supply of such things last week. The 41-0 win was a statement of intent, as the Bobcats scored in several phases and now sit at 4-1 with a share of first place. They’re the most balanced team in the MAC at present, and will be a hard out. They take on EMU next.

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t-2. Bowling Green Falcons (LW: 5, up 3)

• High vote: 2 (twice)
• Low vote: 5 (once)
• Average vote: 3

BGSU didn’t have the cleanest game in the world against Central Michigan, but they did enough to take home the proper result, dominating most of the contest with a stifling defense to ensure the game was never in serious danger. With WMU losing to NIU last week, BGSU now controls their own destiny if they can win vs. the Broncos this week.

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1. Miami RedHawks (LW: 2, up 1)

• Unanimous #1

We had all but buried Miami early in the season, and we had plenty of reason to do so considering the results of some of those performances they had early on. However, since the turn of the calendar to the MAC season, Miami has been the team we were promised, going 4-1 in-league with four-straight wins— all of which were won by 10 or more points.

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For transparency, here is our anonymous chart for this week. Did we get it right? Did we miss the mark? Let us know on Twitter or in the comments section!