The editor's desk: The season is alive
Sometimes predictions can come back to bite you.
Seth Newman, Aaron McMann, Jeff Papworth and myself all felt that as none of us expected Central Michigan to go down to Athens and beat Ohio.
Seth called himself a prophet, Jeff said there is no reason to believe the Chippewas could win this game or any other in the next two weeks and I said the only way they could win is if the head coach and starting quarterback couldn't make the game.
Well Frank Solich and Tyler Tettleton showed up and they still lost, 26-23.
When I heard about the upset the first thing that went through my head was, 'Wow, I can't believe they pulled it off,' then I quickly remembered what I wrote and immediately regretted it.
I didn't give CMU a chance, nobody did, and it's a good lesson that no game is won on paper, by past games or by preseason polls.
The Chippewas didn't have junior wide receiver Titus Davis, along with a plethora of other key contributers that have been lost of the season as the weeks have passed. On paper, they didn't stand a chance, but a healthy dose of the run by sophomore running back Saylor Lavallii combined with solid game from redshirt freshman quarterback Cooper Rush was too much for the Bobcats defense.
Rush found 11 different receivers on Saturday, I wasn't even aware there were even 11 options this season with how many yards Davis has tallied this season.
Ohio was coming off a four-game winning streak after being beat down by Louisville to begin the season. Maybe we should've noticed that those four teams were weak (Marshall, Austin Peay, Akron and North Texas). The Chippewas could have won four-straight during that stretch.
The Mid-American Conference East favorites at the beginning of the season, Ohio had a lot to live up to this year. Now it can still win the MAC East, but perhaps we learned that the MAC East is the weaker half with the MAC West promoting No. 23 Northern Illinois, Toledo, Ball State and apparently Central Michigan.
As for the rest of the season, this team is looking at another season of being bowl eligible. The season everyone thought was over after Michigan is still being played. Upsets happen, this is why you play the games.
The Chippewas have UMass and EMU at home and a road game to WMU that they should be favored.
I still don't expect much of a game at homecoming against the Huskies of NIU, but Ball State on the road isn't a stretch, 7-5 this season isn't a stretch and 6-6 is likely.
Then again, a blowout loss to Ohio was likely as well.
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