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Photo: Paul Nelson

Conference play heats up as well with Bowling Green taking on Temple in the Falcons' home opener while Kent State and Akron meet in the annual battle for the Wagon Wheel Trophy at the Rubber Bowl.

Also on tap are games against teams from the WAC and Mountain West and all three Michigan MAC schools are hosting games against FCS teams.

We have previews of every game and of course our fearless, and occasionally correct, predictions.

Remember When?
It's happened fourteen times, but only most recently in 2003.

Teams from the MAC have defeated ranked, non-conference opponents on fourteen different occasions, including five times during the 2003 season. The highest ranked team ever defeated by a MAC squad was 6th-ranked Kansas State which was downed by Marshall 27-20 in 2003.

Below is a list of MAC wins over ranked, non-conference teams.

source: Mid-American Conference

Just For Kicks
The Ray Guy Award, given annually to the top collegiate punter in the nation, recently expanded its watch list of candidates and five MAC punters appear on the recently expanded list.

The Ray Guy Award is determined by a national selection committee made up of sports writers, college football coaches, sports information directors, past Ray Guy Award winners, and members designated by the Greater Augusta Sports Council. Among the statistics used to identify the Ray Guy Award winner are total yardage punted, number of times a punt is downed or kicked out of bounds inside the opponents 20-yard line, net average, average returned yardage, and percentage of punts not returned.

The Ray Guy Award watch-list will be narrowed to ten semi-finalists, to be announced in early-November. The national voting body will then vote for the top three finalists who will be announced at the end of November. The award will be presented live on ESPN Dec. 6, 2007 during the Home Depot College Football Awards Show.

Below are the MAC's candidates with punting average and national ranking:

Eastern Michigan's Zach Johnson was a top ten finalist for the award in 2006.

MAC Teams in Top Ten
Last week in our weekly preview we spotlighted individual MAC players in the top ten nationally in various statistical categories. This week we focus on MAC teams that appear in the top ten nationally.

GAME PREVIEWS

Saturday, September 22
Temple (0-3, 0-1 MAC) at Bowling Green (1-1, 0-0 MAC), Noon ET
Site: Doyt Perry Stadium
Series: Bowling Green leads 6-3 (Last meeting: Temple 28, Bowling Green 14 in 2006).
Television: ESPN Plus -  List of Affiliates
Outlook: Prior to last season's meeting between these two schools, Bowling Green rolled up 70 points on the Owls in each of the preceding two seasons behind a high-octane passing-oriented offense. Last season Temple exacted a measure of revenge when the Owls scored a 28-14 win over the Falcons for their only victory in 2006. The Falcons have been quietly pointing toward this year's rematch ever since then which is probably bad news for the Owls as the Falcons have not only had two weeks to prepare for this game, they have also returned to their passing ways. Sophomore QB Tyler Sheehan tops the MAC in passing yards and is among the nation's leaders in total offense and completions per game. Temple meanwhile is coming off a heartbreaking loss at Connecticut, 22-17. In their contest against the Huskies, the Owls appeared to have scored the go-ahead touchdown but despite some compelling video evidence, the Big East video replay official did not overturn the on-field call and the Owls fell to 0-3. Temple has shown signs of improvement this season but QB Adam DiMichele must improve his TD-Int ratio if the Owls are to be a threat. This season DiMichele has thrown three TD's and five picks. Temple's offense is ranked 11th overall in the MAC with only 248.7 yards per game. Stat of note: Bowling Green is a perfect 4-4 in the red zone this season. Temple has the lowest ranked red-zone defense in the MAC, with opponents scoring on 10-10 red zone opportunities.
Prediction: Bowling Green 38, Temple 17.

Kent State (2-1, 0-0, MAC) at Akron (1-2, 0-0 MAC), Noon ET
Site: Rubber Bowl
Series: Akron leads 27-20-2 (Last meeting: Kent State 37, Akron 15 in 2006).
Television: ESPN Regional - List of Affiliates
Outlook: It may not have the national recognition of the Little Brown Jug or the longevity of the Victory Bell, but the Wagon Wheel trophy will be on the line when these two cross-town rivals collide in Akron. The teams have split the last four meetings with Akron winning the past two matchups at the Rubber Bowl. The Zips opened the season with a win against Army but have dropped two straight against Big Ten foes. QB Carlton Jackson came off the bench last week and sparked a valiant comeback effort, before the Zips fell to Indiana, 41-27, throwing for 200 yards and recording three touchdowns, earning the start this week for the Zips. The Zips hope that Jackson can spark an offense that ranks last in the MAC in total offense and is averaging just 2.7 yards per rushing attempt. Zips WR Jabari Arthur however is having a solid season, and is third in the MAC, averaging 91.7 yards receiving per game. Kent State enters the contest coming off a home-opening win over Delaware State, 38-7. The Flashes posses the MAC's top rushing offense, led by MAC rushing leader Eugene Jarvis and QB Julian Edelman who combined are averaging 192 yards on the ground. Kent State also leads the MAC in total defense and have been particularly stingy against the pass, allowing only 146.7 yards through the air. A victory would give Kent State its first 3-1 start since 1987. The Flashes have been impressive in the early going and have to be considered early favorites for a MAC East title.
Prediction: Kent State 31, Akron 26.

Ball State (2-1, 1-1 MAC) at (24)Nebraska  (2-1, 0-0 Big 12), 12:30 pm ET
Site: Memorial Stadium
Series: First Meeting
Outlook: Coming into the season Ball State was considered to have a potent offense and, now, three weeks into the season, the Cardinals are living up to expectations. Ball State currently sits atop the MAC in scoring offense (28.3 ppg) and total offense (445.3 ypg) and second in rushing offense (185 ypg). What may surprise some people though is that the Cardinals also rank atop the MAC in scoring defense (20.3 ppg) and pass defense (112.3 ypg) as well. Ball State is coming off a thrilling 34-31 overtime win on the road at Navy. Ball State's super sophs, quarterback Nate Davis and running back MiQuale Lewis, currently rank second in the MAC in passing and rushing respectively, averaging 260.3 yards per game passing and 108.3 yards rushing per game. The Cardinals will be completing a three-game road swing when they visit 24th-ranked Nebraska. The Cornhuskers were throttled last week by top-ranked USC, 49-31 after defeating Wake Forest, 20-17. Nebraska QB Sam Keller has thrown for 840 yards but has thrown five interceptions and only four touchdowns in Nebraska's first three games. RB Marlon Lucky is averaging 118.7 yards rushing per game for Nebraska. The 'Huskers have struggled at times this season and could be looking past Ball State and toward their conference opener against Iowa State. If so, the Cardinals, and their offense, could keep things interesting.
Prediction: Nebraska 41, Ball State 28.


Wyoming (2-1, 0-0 Mountain West) at Ohio (2-1, 0-0 MAC), 3:00 pm ET
Site: Peden Stadium
Series: First Meeting
Television: ESPN Game Plan
Outlook: Both Ohio and Wyoming opened the season 2-0 but suffered setbacks in last week's contests. The Bobcats traveled to Virginia Tech last week and fell to the Hokies, 28-7 after taking a 7-0 lead and forging a halftime 7-7 tie. The Bobcats were limited to five first downs and only 114 yards in total offense in their loss to the Hokies. RB Kalvin McRae remains the clear focus of the Bobcats' offensive attack, topping Ohio in both rushing and receiving, but the Bobcats will be challenged by a strong Wyoming defense that is allowing only 83.7 yards rushing per game and 144 yards passing. In many ways these teams are mirror images of each other with the Bobcats limiting opposition to only 58 yards rushing per game. The Cowboys opened the season with a 23-3 win over Virginia and then topped Utah State 32-18 before falling last week to Boise State, 24-14 and are led by junior tailback Devin Moore who is averaging 5.3 yards per carry this season. Don't expect a lot of scoring in this contest with two strong defenses going up against struggling offenses. Wyoming is averaging only 15 points per game.
Prediction: Ohio 23, Wyoming 16.


Howard (0-2, 0-0 MEAC) at Eastern Michigan (1-2, 1-1 MAC), 3:30 pm ET
Site: Rynearson Stadium
Series: First Meeting
Television: Comcast Local
Outlook: The Eagles are coming off a 21-19 victory over Northern Illinois and in the process snapped a seven-game losing streak, an eight-game road losing streak and a six-year losing streak against the Huskies. Eastern Michigan may have found an answer to their offensive woes in the play of sophomore wide receiver DeAnthony White who scored last week on a 68-yard reverse and the week before on a 65-yard reception. The Eagles, with a win, would reach the .500 mark for the first time since starting the season 2-2 in 2005. Howard, which plays in the FCS (formerly 1AA) has opened the season with two losses, most recently dropping a 30-17 decision to Florida A&M. The Bison will be the first FCS team to visit Rynearson Stadium since 2004 when the Eagles were defeated by visiting Eastern Illinois, 31-28. Howard though is not a top-level FCS squad and are still getting acquainted with the spread offense under first year head coach Carey Bailey. Eastern Michigan should have little trouble recording rare back-to-back victories before hitting the road in consecutive weeks against Vanderbilt and Michigan.
Prediction: Eastern Michigan 37, Howard 10.

Northern Illinois (0-3, 0-1 MAC) at Idaho (1-2, 0-0 WAC), 4:00 pm ET
Site: Kibbie Dome
Series: Tied 2-2 (Last meeting: Idaho 25, Northern Illinois 24 in 1975).
Outlook: The Huskies are reeling after dropping their third straight game to start the season, losing 21-19 to Eastern Michigan. Northern Illinois starting QB Dan Nicholson is struggling mightily and has tossed seven interceptions and only three touchdowns as the NIU offense is averaging only 17.7 points per game. TB Justin Anderson had a breakout game however last week against EMU with 168 yards and is fourth in the MAC, averaging 83 yards per game. Not surprisingly, considering the number of interceptions thrown, the Huskies are last in the MAC in turnover ratio. The Huskies have been hit hard by the injury bug on defense as LB Tim McCarthy, DT Craig Rusch and DE Anthony Antonacci have all suffered knee injuries. Meanwhile, Idaho's only win this season was over FCS member Cal Poly in the second week of the season, 20-13. Their win was sandwiched between defeats against PAC 10 members USC (38-10) and Washington State (45-28). The Vandals have also been prone to turnovers this season as they turned the ball over five times in their loss to Washington State, three on interceptions thrown by QB Nathan Enderle. The Vandals are likely to try to establish the run behind redshirt freshman Deonte Jackson who has had back-to-back 100-yard rushing games and opened the season by rushing for 99 yards against USC. Northern Illinois has not started a season 0-4 since 1999. Until now.
Prediction: Idaho 24, Northern Illinois 17.


Baylor (2-1, 0-0 Big 12) at Buffalo (1-2, 1-0 MAC), 6:00 pm ET
Site: UB Stadium
Series: First Meeting
Outlook: Buffalo, despite losing two out of its first three games, has been a pleasant surprise this season. After a tough opener on the road against Rutgers, the Bulls rolled over Temple and then gave Penn State a battle, including scoring the first offensive touchdowns of the season against the Nittany Lions. Bulls' QB Drew Willy is having a solid season and tops the MAC in completion percentage and against Penn State passed for a career-best 330 yards as the Bulls actually outgained the Nittany Lions. The Bulls though will need for the pass defense to step up to stop Baylor as the Bears have scored all eleven of their touchdowns this season through the air as QB Blake Szymanski has passed for over 400 yards in each of the last two weeks. But the Bears have been a bit of an enigma so far. Baylor opened the season getting shutout by TCU, 27-0, defeated Rice 42-17 and then last week struggled to defeat FCS member Texas State, 34-27, which was defeated the week before by Abilene Christian, 45-27. Baylor will be playing its first game this season outside of the state of Texas. If the Bulls can get off to another quick start as they have against Temple and Penn State, an upset is not impossible here. In fact, we are going to take a chance and go out on a limb by picking the Bulls to defeat their first-ever BCS opponent. Hey, we've made wilder picks and Baylor is hardly an upper-echelon BCS team. 
Prediction: Buffalo 27, Baylor 24.


Iowa State (1-2, 0-0 Big 12) at Toledo (0-3, 0-1 MAC), 7:00 pm ET
Site: Glass Bowl
Series: Iowa State leads 1-0 (Last meeting: Iowa State 45, Toledo 43 - 3OT in 2006).
Outlook: A generation of Rockets fans have grown up without seeing Toledo start the season 0-4 yet there is a real possibility of that occurring as Iowa State visits the Glass Bowl Saturday night. The Rockets, who have not started the season with four straight losses since 1978, are allowing a ghastly 49.7 points per game, are 12th in the MAC in pass defense (271 ypg) and 10th in rushing defense (231.3 ypg). You won't win many games giving up 50 points and 502 yards per game. Iowa State opened the season with a home-loss to Kent State and then followed that up by losing to Northern Iowa. However the Cyclones defeated Iowa last week on five field goals from PK Bret Culbertson, 15-13. The Cyclones are hardly an offensive juggernaut and have scored fewer points in their first three games combined (42) than Toledo is giving up per game. Their eight red-zone chances are the fewest of any Big 12 team. Even the Rockets should be able to contain the Cyclones anemic offense but need to be concerned about an Iowa State defense that allowed only 233 yards against Iowa.
Prediction: Iowa State 27, Toledo 23.

Central Connecticut State (2-1, 0-0 NEC) at Western Michigan (0-3, 0-0 MAC), 7:00 pm ET
Site: Waldo Stadium
Series: First Meeting
Outlook: Western Michigan finally gets a breather. After opening the season with three straight games against BCS competition, including road contests at third-ranked West Virginia and Missouri, the Broncos return home to face FCS member Central Connecticut State which plays in the Northeast Conference. The Blue Devils wins have come against Southern Connecticut State (56-34) and Merrimack (45-7) after opening the season with a 20-10 loss to Towson. The Broncos' battered defense, ranked 118th nationally, allowing 50.3 points per game, should get healthy against CCSU and SS Louis Delmas should be back to full health as well after suffering a concussion earlier this season. WMU WR Jamarko Simmons tops the MAC with 38 receptions and Tim Hiller has settled in as the Bronco's starting QB. Mark Bonds may have reclaimed the starting role at TB after rushing for 82 yards on 14 carries and scoring once against Missouri. The Broncos should roll after a rough opening three weeks.
Prediction: Western Michigan 45, Central Connecticut State 17.

On Tap
The schedule for the week ahead: 

Saturday, September 29
Northern Illinois at Central Michigan, Noon ET
Temple at Army, Noon ET
Akron at Connecticut, Noon ET
Buffalo at Ball State, 1:00 pm ET
Kent State at Ohio, 3:00 pm ET
Syracuse at Miami, 3:00 pm ET
Eastern Michigan at Vanderbilt, 6:00 pm ET
Western Kentucky at Bowling Green, 6:00 pm ET
Western Michigan at Toledo, 7:00 pm ET