The MAC is Back!

[dencyguy]

You know the haters in Big Media just can't wait to pile on the MAC. They throw out terms like "mediocre talent," "low mid-major," and "fourteen-game bowl losing streak" like they actually mean something (and not as proof that they just hate the conference, which is the truth).

And lo and behold, look at the "inferior" MAC conference now!

--Not one, but two coaches hired from Central Michigan to run Cincinnati in the last three years. Add in Turner Gill at Kansas, and the "elite" conferences just can't keep their hands off of MAC talent--yeah, like they'd be all over themselves to hire a coach from a "mid-major" conference.

--Of the coaches that haven't yet been plucked to coach at "elite" schools, most are coached by guys who have either played for, worked at, or watched games played by BCS schools. If that's not talent, I don't know what is.

--And tonight, the crowning achievement, Cental Michigan beat Troy (commonly known as the Notre Dame of the Sun Belt).

Sure, the haters will want to point out the other MAC teams that lost, but that was against elite competition...I mean, UCLA easily could have gone 7-5 in the regular season, and Temple still kept it within two scores. And everybody's "last team left out of the BCS," South Florida, had to struggle to eke out that 24-point win over Northern Illinois.

I tell ya, anybody who doesn't see that the MAC is back just doesn't want to see the truth.

Dennis

[K-TownBrown]

And this is on the main BROWNS board why?

[Riffer X]

@k-townbrown said:

And this is on the main BROWNS board why?

Cuz Denise and Alo have a cute little Big Ten smartass fest going on.

Hey Dencyguys, when Tennessee is relevant again let us know K?

[Pumpkin Eater]

Pathetic attempt at humor.

[Mr. T]

Dont feel bad about the MAC sucking look at the ACC Conference, thsy Suck at football too!

The ACC is only 2 and 10 in BCS Bowl games over the past 10 years.

[ClevelandFanForLife]

i've been saying for a few years that the mac is gaining notoriety in the nfl. they don't produce players on the level that osu or florida does, but look at who they've produced: big ben, byron leftwich, chad pennington, randy moss, josh cribbs, james harrison, bruce gradkowski, and i know that there is a lineman also who starts for a playoff team but i can't remember his name. those are all or were (some longer than others) very noticeable names and most of them are pro bowlers. they can produce some very good if not great players.

[Alo]

I thought it was funny. Then again, the college team I root for isn't in a major conference and hasn't won a national championship since the Roaring Twenties, so I'm less emotionally invested in all the Buckeye/Big Ten squabbling.

However, I would note that it's been a fun year watching Big Ten draft prospects. Iowa's been very fun to watch, particularly their defense.

Of the top Big Ten guys, these ones interest me the most:

Brandon Graham

DE-OLB Michigan

O'Brien Schofield

DE-OLB Wisconsin

Jon Asamoah

OG Illinois

AJ Edds

OLB Iowa

Greg Jones

OLB Michigan State

Jared Odrick

DT Penn State

Navorro Bowman

OLB Penn State

I need to go back and watch some more of Thad Gibson. He would have been better off staying in school, though financial pressures might have forced him to leave now.

[Riffer X]

@clevelandfanforlife said:

i've been saying for a few years that the mac is gaining notoriety in the nfl. they don't produce players on the level that osu or florida does, but look at who they've produced: big ben, byron leftwich, chad pennington, randy moss, josh cribbs, james harrison, bruce gradkowski, and i know that there is a lineman also who starts for a playoff team but i can't remember his name. those are all or were (some longer than others) very noticeable names and most of them are pro bowlers. they can produce some very good if not great players.

It's real simple, the MAC can't play defense. They don't recruit well for it, just the way it is. Guys going to that level wanna play offense. I got a good buddy who coaches at Akron U so I know a thing or two about the MAC. Dency's attempt wasn't to make fun of the MAC, it was another of his little off cuff remarks directed at us Big Ten Buckeye blowhards that the whole country hates that aren't aren't our fans.

We're like Pittspuke fan, all lumped together in one lump of stupidity by others. Will always be that way.

[Riffer X]

@alo said:

I thought it was funny. Then again, the college team I root for isn't in a major conference and hasn't won a national championship since the Roaring Twenties, so I'm less emotionally invested in all the Buckeye/Big Ten squabbling.

However, I would note that it's been a fun year watching Big Ten draft prospects. Iowa's been very fun to watch, particularly their defense.

Of the top Big Ten guys, these ones interest me the most:

Brandon Graham

DE-OLB Michigan

O'Brien Schofield

DE-OLB Wisconsin

Jon Asamoah

OG Illinois

AJ Edds

OLB Iowa

Greg Jones

OLB Michigan State

Jared Odrick

DT Penn State

Navorro Bowman

OLB Penn State

I need to go back and watch some more of Thad Gibson. He would have been better off staying in school, though financial pressures might have forced him to leave now.

Thad is valuable for what he can do, his decision is probably the right one. Jimmy T would tell him to stay if he thought it was right. Thad is from Euclid and I'm sure could use the coin, I don't know too many Bucks fans surprised by this. More excited about Heyward coming back, although I wish Chekwa would have went, that dude sucks. Bmac thinks he hits like a puss.

[c-dawg]

Thanks for bringing up the mighty MAC!

@ ClevelandFanForLIfe Great list. You forgot our own Dave Zastudil, punter for the OU Bobcats. Also, there is a rookie safety from OU playing for the Raiders, Mike Mitchell. That is unheard of, a DB from OU in the 2nd round.

Remember when Marshall was in the MAC and went undefeated with Moss and Pennington on the team? What ranking did they end with? 12th? Those two are still at it. They were robbed.

[Alo]

@riffer-x said:

Thad is valuable for what he can do, his decision is probably the right one. Jimmy T would tell him to stay if he thought it was right. Thad is from Euclid and I'm sure could use the coin, I don't know too many Bucks fans surprised by this. More excited about Heyward coming back, although I wish Chekwa would have went, that dude sucks. Bmac thinks he hits like a puss.

I remember watching Chekwa get beat time after time in the Iowa game and thinking, "Umm...Why do people consider this guy a great draft prospect?"

Now, writers on some credible draft sites are talking him up as a potential 1st round pick. Then again, we heard some of the same stuff about Donald Washington last year.

[Thaak]

I think its great that mid-major conferences like the WAC, MWC, and MAC are all winning bowl games and doing well. It is a testament to great coaching and pure desire.

However, you can’t say the MAC is on the same league as the BCS conferences until one of the MAC teams runs the table, plays in, and wins a BCS bowl game much like the MWC and WAC have done recently.

[Riffer X]

@alo said:

I remember watching Chekwa get beat time after time in the Iowa game and thinking, "Umm...Why do people consider this guy a great draft prospect?"

Now, writers on some credible draft sites are talking him up as a potential 1st round pick. Then again, we heard some of the same stuff about Donald Washington last year.

Chekwa is horrible at every aspect of the game. He's got pics of Jim T or sumtin....Guy never gets turned around, misjudges the ball, takes horrible angles in the running game, can't catch a cold and refuses to hit anybody. Other than that, he's pretty good.

He pretty much caused the Iowa game to be close all by himself....that and the kick return breakdown, which for OSU has turned into an epidemic.

[Kosar_For_President]

@k-townbrown said:

And this is on the main BROWNS board why?

Wow 2 posts and this guy is dictating what the mods do. It's like a 10 year old trying to have sex.

[Riffer X]

@kosar_for_president said:

Wow 2 posts and this guy is dictating what the mods do. It's like a 10 year old trying to have sex.

I think it's cute!!!

[ClevelandFanForLife]

JosephSixpack said:

The MAC is no joke.

Name 3 players from the almighty SEC who've been bigger impact pros this decade than Roethlisberger, James Harrison and Randy Moss.

i think it's unfair to put harrison in there. i mean he's been really good the last couple of years but but he was unheard of until he slammed that browns fan in 2005 when he was on special teams.

[jrb12711]

@riffer-x said:

Chekwa is horrible at every aspect of the game. He's got pics of Jim T or sumtin....Guy never gets turned around, misjudges the ball, takes horrible angles in the running game, can't catch a cold and refuses to hit anybody. Other than that, he's pretty good.

He pretty much caused the Iowa game to be close all by himself....that and the kick return breakdown, which for OSU has turned into an epidemic.

finally, someone else sees the light! i have a close circle of about 5 buckeye friends, and everyone says Chekwa has the ability to be an NFL corner. I replayed the Iowa game and literally EVERY play iowa made for scores was on Chekwa getting burned. He is beyond garbage. Teams will run 4 receiver sets with 3 on one side, and immediately look on the short side the Chekwa is guarding. Jim knows it too, but for some reason he keeps him on the field. Worst corner i've seen play there EVER, i mean that seriously.

No joke, watching ohio state and Chekwa turned into a gamble every week with my friends. If he blew more than 5 plays, they bought the beer. I won 5 times.

[ClevelandFanForLife]

JosephSixpack said:

The MAC is no joke.

Name 3 players from the almighty SEC who've been bigger impact pros this decade than Roethlisberger, James Harrison and Randy Moss.

oh, and in this decade you could say percy harvin, jabar gafney and knowshawn moreno

[Thaak]

Shaun Alexander

Antwan Odom

Chris Samuels

Jamaal Anderson

Tony Ugoh

Karlos Dansby

Ronnie Brown

Carnell Williams

Rob Bironas

Brandon Jacobs

Fred Taylor

Jevon Kearse

Champ Bailey

Marcus Stroud

Hines Ward

Joseph Addai

Dwayne Bowe

Alan Faneca

Kevin Mawae

Deuce McAllister

Eli Manning

Patrick Willis

Donald Lee

Eric Moulds

Fred Smoot

Johnathan Joseph

Sidney Rice

Jamal Lewis

Jason Witten

Peyton Manning

John Henderson

Albert Haynesworth

and that's just of the 264 starters off the 2007 NFL active day rosters.

Pick any 3 you like... I happen to like Peyton over Big Gay Ben, Haynesworth over Harrison, and while you may have a point on Moss... Bowe, Harvin, and Rice have a chance to be better.

[BuckeyeBest2]

JosephSixpack said:

The MAC is no joke.

Name 3 players from the almighty SEC who've been bigger impact pros this decade than Roethlisberger, James Harrison and Randy Moss.

Peyton Manning, Fred Taylor (about 12,000 Rushing yard to moss 14,000 Recieving yards at a position yards are easier to get seeing how they have 1 or 2 maybe at most 3 defenders while a RB has between 3-9 defenders at a time), Javon Kearse

hm that was pretty easy

any more questions?