Hello everyone and welcome back!
Last week saw a lot of tumult, with five teams now sitting at 4-2 with two games remaining on the schedule (for every team except Akron) to settle the question of who gets
the opportunity to play for the MAC championship.
Without further ado: the rankings!
13. UMass Minutemen (Last Week: 13)
- Unanimous #13
We really try not to pile too much on UMass; the fanbase and outside gawkers have certainly done more than enough in that respect. It’s understood they were always going to have challenges in re-adapting to being a conference member, and that this is a long-term play for the MAC. But even we can’t look at what happened against NIU and say nothing. Their performance was perhaps one of— if not the— worst we’ve seen in a decade-plus of covering MAC football, and that’s saying a lot considering some of the infamous basement-dweller teams of the 2010s and 2020s.
There doesn’t seem to be an end in sight, either, as the administration has essentially put a band-aid on an amputation and washed their hands of the matter. It’s unfair to the student-athletes on the field who are pouring their literal lives into the program. It’s unfair to UMass’ hardcore fanbase, who has endured hundreds of losses in the hopes of seeing a program with strong tradition return to winning ways. It’s unfair to a coaching staff to have to carry the burden of years of bad decisions coming home to roost— even if they haven’t helped matters on-field.
As a proponent of adding UMass due to their latent potential and performance in other sports, it is disheartening to see the administration not take football— the driving lifeforce behind Division I athletics, whether one cares to admit it or not— seriously and instead treat it as an obligation. I genuinely hope they can turn it around. One only needs to look at Kent State or Eastern Michigan to see it’s entirely possible so long as everyone is on the same path.
12. Northern Illinois Huskies (LW: 12)
- High vote: 10 (once)
- Low vote: 12 (four)
- Average vote: 11.6
Speaking of NIU, there are no changes from last week, as they stay at #12 with the same exact scores. One would like to give them more praise for beating an opponent so soundly and reward them for their effort, but at the same time… they beat UMass, who checks in as a 32.5-point underdog against Ohio in their next game. This was an expected win and they got it. If there’s a positive to take away, they created a gameplan and stuck to it, with Arkansas-Pine Bluff transfer Jalen Macon overtaking QB duties and leading an aggressive running attack in the victory. It wasn’t perfect, but it certainly looked more like the Huskies of old.
11. Bowling Green Falcons (LW: 11)
- High vote: 10 (once)
- Low vote: 12 (once)
- Average vote: 11
It hurts watching a team which started the season with such promise plummet down the standings like this, but the reality was that there were going to be some growing pains with Bowling Green in the first year of a new coaching staff with many of the players who made them successful departing the program. The aspect which is especially galling is that they have been fairly competitive even despite their flaws. They were in it ‘til the last minute against Kent State and Eastern Michigan over the last three weeks, and a healthier version of the Falcons might have had a chance against a vulnerable Buffalo team as well.
10. Eastern Michigan Eagles (LW: 10)
- High vote: 8 (once)
- Low vote: 11 (once)
- Average vote: 9.6
The Eagles have shown signs of the team we were more or less expecting when previewing the 2025 campaign over the last few weeks, reeling off wins against both Bowling Green and Ball State to put their postseason hopes in peril— or in BG’s case, outright eliminate them. Their recent form is thanks to much-improved play from a defense which was previously pacing to be one of the worst MAC units in recent memory to a league-average one. It is, of course, disappointing they under-performed compared to expectations, but if they can win their game next week against a strong WMU team, that is a massive credit to the players and staff for not giving up when the going was tough.
9. Ball State Cardinals (LW: 8, down 1)
- High vote: 7 (once)
- Low vote: 11 (twice)
- Average vote: 9
Ball State took a tumble against a resurgent Eastern Michigan team last week, with a number of questionable game management decisions which ultimately took them out of contention. It’s a tad disappointing, as it was likely the Cards’ best chance at a win to try and qualify for the postseason and also breaks their undefeated streak at home. Now it’s an uphill climb to try and earn an extra game, as they’ll have to win against both Toledo and Miami on the road to keep the dream alive.
8. Akron Zips (LW: 7, down 1)
- High vote: 7 (once)
- Low vote: 9 (once)
- Average vote: 8
It’s been great to see the Zips have life inside them in 2025; we haven’t felt this optimistic about the on-field product in Akron in nearly a decade. There were moments during their game with the Golden Flashes where you could feel the embers of something greater stirring within the team, and the fact you can say that about them now is incredible considering where they were even two years ago. Unfortunately, they did lose in overtime, ending their chances at a .500 record. Despite that, they should still be proud of how far they’ve gotten despite the challenges. They have one last chance at achieving their best overall record since 2018 against Bowling Green this week.
7. Kent State Golden Flashes (LW: 9, up 2)
- High vote: 7 (twice)
- Low vote: 8 (three)
- Average vote: 7.6
What else can you say about the job Mark Carney has done pulling this team together? It is genuinely awe-inspiring to see how quickly Carney and his staff have brought belief back into the program after a decade of wandering the desert. Prior to this year, KSU was largely seen as a dead-end job with depleted resources and a lack of structure in a highly-competitive recruiting area. But now? KSU has control of their postseason destiny, needing two more wins to qualify for a bowl game for the first time since 2021. Whether this is a dead cat bounce or something more concrete is yet to be seen, but we have to give flowers where they’re due considering the state of the program in the offseason.
6. Buffalo Bulls (LW: 6)
- High vote: 5 (twice)
- Low vote: 6 (three)
- Average vote: 5.6
It is shocking to see how unprepared and undisciplined the Bulls have been in recent weeks. Like, not in the “oh, that’ll happen sometimes” way of being shocked but in the “was everything we thought we knew about this team wrong?” kind of way. The Bulls have given the ball away 11 times in three games— including five times in two losses— and have not been able to get any sort of coordinated effort going if the circumstances aren’t perfect. They’re this high in the rankings at this point for lack of better options; they’re technically still alive for the MAC championship and can clinch a bowl bid with one more win. That said, the vibes aren’t great right now, and UB fans have a right to be anxious with both Miami and Ohio on the schedule.
5. Miami RedHawks (LW: 2, down 3)
- High vote: 4 (once)
- Low vote: 6 (twice)
- Average vote: 5.2
Vibes aren’t great in Oxford either, as the RedHawks took a horrible loss to Toledo last week and now find themselves on the outside looking in on both the MAC championship and the postseason. Matters have been further complicated by the departure of staring quarterback Dequan Finn, who was scratched before the game after also missing practice during the week. Whether he left to prepare for the professional ranks or was unceremoniously released doesn’t particularly matter here; what matters is that the offense looked awful without him, squandering one of the defense’s best performances of the year to lose by two scores. They must win vs. Buffalo and Ball State to clinch the postseason.
t-3. Toledo Rockets (LW: 4, up 1)
- High vote: 3 (three)
- Low vote: 4 (twice)
- Average vote: 3.4
The Rockets finally won a road game in 2025, which at this point, is a minor miracle considering their overall splits. The win was certainly not perfect; the defense turned in a fantastic effort while the offense did enough to take advantage, but it was a crucial win for their overall ambitions. The going won’t be easy by any stretch, as they’ll have to put their undefeated home record on the line against a punchy Ball State team and then finish their campaign on the road against Central Michigan— who has yet to lose at Kelly/Shorts Stadium— in a game which will likely have an impact on who goes to Detroit.
t-3. Central Michigan Chippewas (LW: 5, up 2)
- High vote: 1 (once)
- Low vote: 5 (once)
- Average vote: 3.4
Raise your hand if you had Central Michigan— a 4-8 team in 2024— fighting for a MAC title berth in Week 12 of the 2025 season under a first-year head coach. Now put it down, because you’re probably lying.
The Chips were designated as the ninth-best team both in the official MAC preseason polling and in our own (much more official) preseason rankings. To instead clinch a bowl bid before the final week of the season and have a chance at finishing with eight wins and a potential championship game appearance is real “Coach of the Year” material for former Army OL coach Matt Drinkall.
The job isn’t over, though, as CMU will need to end Kent State’s postseason hopes on the road and defend home turf against a powerful Toledo team to end the season. Can they do it? It’s certainly possible, as they’ve shown more offensive wrinkles in the last few weeks to keep opponents on guard.
2. Ohio Bobcats (LW: 1, down 1)
- Unanimous #2
We expressed some concern on if Ohio could hold on to the #1 spot last week considering the Broncos were next on the schedule. Those turned out to be founded in reality, as the Bobbies once again stumbled to an uneven performance and looked out of sorts in what would turn out to be a loss. This Ohio team has as much— if not more— potential than last season’s unit, but something has been off all year, and the imperfections came to the fold against a better-prepared WMU squad. They’re still good, and they’re still in the title chase, but they’re no longer in control of their destiny, which doesn’t feel great at this point in the season.
1. Western Michigan Broncos (LW: 3, up 2)
- High vote: 1 (four)
- Low vote: 3 (once)
- Average vote: 1.4
WMU has been one of the pleasant surprises of the 2025 season, finally reigning in the on-paper potential into on-field results in a way that has been dominant. Earlier in the year, we were skeptical of a handful of their results due to previous seasons, but retrospectively, their performances against Michigan State, North Texas and Toledo have proven to be accurate in indicating what sort of team this is.
They’ve won games with a smothering defense in conference play, allowing only 260.5 yards and 12.5 points in six contests. Combine that with Broc Lowry, one the more explosive dual-threat quarterbacks in the country, commanding a physical, time-of-possession offense, and you’ve got the makings of a potential champion.
The question will be if they can hold on to the crown; they’ve fallen out of this spot multiple times this season and also faded down the stretch in recent years. They face two resurgent teams on the road in Northern Illinois and Eastern Michigan to end the regular season.
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 @HustleBelt or in the comments section below!
