2024 MAC Football Power Rankings: Week 13

The final week of the regular season is upon us; it’s time to set the table for what should be a great week of games.

Welcome to the 13th edition of our blog’s Power Rankings!

This week’s game eliminated three of the league’s contenders for the title, while another hangs on for dear life with the hope a litany of technicalities can save them. Three teams remain with control of their destiny, with a win likely getting them the coveted ticket to Detroit. Two of those teams directly play one another as well, making for a great final weekend of regular season #MACtion!

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

20 losses. That is a lot of losses. Like, good gravy, that is a near-impossible amount of losses to have in a row. Prospects don’t look any better this week, as they face a Buffalo team who is very much technically (kind of, sort of) alive for the MAC title game.

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12. UMass Minutemen (LW: 12)

• High vote: 10 (once)
• Low vote: 13 (once)
• Average vote: 11.8

The Minutemen played admirably in an expected loss to Georgia under interim head coach Shane Montgomery. UMass punched Georgia in the mouth early, taking an early lead in the first quarter and keeping the Bulldogs within distance through deep in the third quarter, but were ultimately out-talented in a game where the scoreboard wasn’t indicative of the game’s pace.

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11. Akron Zips (LW: 11)

• High vote: 10 (twice)
• Low vote: 12 (once)
• Average vote: 10.8

The Zips won another game and now sit at three wins on the season— already making 2024 one of the most successful campaigns in nearly a decade. It’s a grim sentence to consider, but at the same time, the team has certainly looked noticeably improved despite the losses. They have a chance to get to four wins for the first time since the Terry Bowden era if they take down Toledo this week.

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10. Ball State Cardinals (LW: 9, down 1)

• High vote: 9 (twice)
• Low vote: 11 (once)
• Average vote: 9.8

The bottom finally fell out of Ball State this week, as they just could not hold up to Bowling Green’s firepower even with the home field advantage. They kept it closer than expected for a bit, but the momentum completely flipped when the Cardinals squandered an interception in BG territory by tossing another one right to them on a trick play. They never recovered, losing by 25 points. They end their season with a trip to Ohio, who seeks to clinch a bid to Detroit.

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9. Central Michigan Chippewas (LW: 10, up 1)

• High vote: 8 (once)
• Low vote: 11 (once)
• Average vote: 9.6

Central Michigan won one for the Jimmer last week, taking the Victory Cannon home for the first time since 2021 in what turned out to be Jim McElwain’s final home game as a head coach in college football. They not only won, but looked like the better team in the effort, limiting WMU’s offense to seven points on offense. They can’t go bowling this year, but they’re a highly-motivated squad looking to send their coach out right against NIU this Saturday.

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8. Eastern Michigan Eagles (LW: 8)

• High vote: 8 (four)
• Low vote: 9 (once)
• Average vote: 8.2

The Eagles just can’t stop losing, now on a four-game skid leading up to this week’s confrontation against rival Western Michigan. Early season skepticism about the strength of EMU’s record was ultimately proven right by their performance on the field and now the Eagles will have to take their bowl bid by force, nearly a month removed from their fifth win of the season.

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7. Western Michigan Broncos (LW: 6, down 1)

• Unanimous #7

WMU has looked like a totally different football team in November, going from one of the highest-scoring offenses in the league to averaging 16 points per game over the last three contests— about a 50 percent downturn. The passing game has largely been solved, forcing WMU to be a one-dimensional offense with their three running backs. The defense was never a world-beater either, which doesn’t help. They fight for their postseason lives vs. EMU this Saturday.

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6. Northern Illinois Huskies (LW: 5, down 1)

• Unanimous #6

The Huskies offense grounded to a complete halt against the Miami RedHawks this week, exposing a lot of their innate flaws out in the open. The defense held up admirably, limiting Miami to 20 points, but the inability to move down the field while also giving up turnovers this late in the season— especially in a must-win game— is an indictment on coaching. They get a chance to finish strong against a vulnerable CMU team.

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5. Toledo Rockets (LW: 4, down 1)

• Unanimous #5

The Rockets’ losses in the offseason have definitely been felt in the latter part of the conference season, as their ability to be put in a box on offense has limited their ability to put their stamp on games. That came to roost in a three-score loss to Ohio in a game they needed to stay alive in the MAC title race. The defense has been excellent in causing turnovers, which has kept them competitive, but it’s certainly not the Toledo of old we’ve seen recently. They hope to get to eight wins this week against Akron.

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4. Buffalo Bulls (LW: 7, up 3)

• Unanimous #4

The Bulls are 5-2 in league play and extremely technically in the race for the MAC title, but they would need an impossible amount of circumstances to go right for the opportunity. Even so, the mere fact they’re already in this position under the first year of Pete Lembo is a testament to the hard work the team has put in— especially considering they were a popular pick to be near the bottom of the league. They’ve already qualified for a bowl game, and can improve their standing with a win against Kent State.

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3. Bowling Green Falcons (LW: 3)

• High vote: 2 (twice)
• Low vote: 3 (three)
• Average vote: 2.6

Bowling Green keeps on rolling, winners of their last five games after a hellacious result over a Ball State squad which was trying to rally together under an interim head coach. The team is firing on all cylinders, checking in as the MAC’s second-best offense and fourth-best defense after this week’s results. Their recent play has earned them the opportunity to win a spot into the MAC title game if they can get a head-to-head result over Miami this week— though at this point, they’re probably frustrated dropping an early game to NIU.

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2. Ohio Bobcats (LW: 2)

• High vote: 1 (twice)
• Low vote: 3 (twice)
• Average vote: 2

The Bobbies have been a dynamo in MAC play, checking in with the league’s second-best offense and defense at this point in the season. The last calendar month has been incredible, as Ohio has outscored their four opponents by a margin of 147-58. On the season, all of Ohio’s wins but one (27-25 against CMU) have been by at least three possessions. They’re 6-1 heading into this week’s contest against a Ball State squad in the process of winnowing under an interim coach.

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1. Miami RedHawks (LW: 1)

• Unanimous #1

The RedHawks are up top once again, but for the first time in a few weeks, they are not unanimous.

This is no disrespect to Miami, but rather a reflection of other teams stepping up to the plate this week as the games have gotten more stakes attached. Miami is at their most vulnerable in their upcoming regular-season contest, as they take on a BGSU team who has won their last five games. Miami themselves have won their last six contests thanks in part to their wreak-shop defense, which allows merely 17.8 points per game and is third in forcing interceptions and recovering fumbles. The offense will be a question moving forward, as they’re one of the least efficient in the league, but credit where it’s due: they’ve buckled down after taking an early loss to Toledo.

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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!