2008 Woodie Awards
Miami best matchup for CMU
By: Brian Manzullo
Issue date: 11/12/07 Section: Sports
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Maybe it is a little too early to look ahead.
But with CMU having clinched its berth in the Mid-American Conference Championship game, it would not be a bad idea to keep an eye on the MAC East.
It may not be until the final week of the regular season that we find out who will challenge the Chippewas on Dec. 1 at Ford Field. In the meantime, there are three teams to watch out for.
Miami University
Miami (5-5 overall, 3-1 MAC East) is tied atop the East with Buffalo (4-6 overall, 3-1 MAC East), but owns the tiebreaker because of its 31-28 win against the Bulls. Its last two opponents are Akron and Ohio.
Miami does not scare anybody with its offense - it ranks 10th in the MAC in scoring with 20.4 points per game. That should bode well for a CMU defense that ranks last in most defensive categories, including total defense (478.3 yards allowed per game).
And while MU makes up for that with the top scoring defense (26 points allowed per game), we already have seen the Chippewas face an "elite" MAC defense when they hung 41 points on Kent State.
Buffalo
The biggest surprise in the MAC East has been UB. The conference's perennial doormat is making a strong case for a bid in the championship game, having only lost to Miami in division play.
The Bulls would be a tougher matchup for Central, primarily because of sophomore running back James Starks, who has rushed for 726 yards and eight touchdowns in six MAC games.
However, Buffalo needs to win its remaining games against Bowling Green and Kent State while needing a Miami loss to face CMU.
Bowling Green
BGSU (6-4 overall, 3-2 MAC East) has an outside chance at the conference title, but will need to beat Buffalo and hope for at least one Miami loss to bring in tiebreakers.
Bowling Green actually could be CMU's worst matchup of the three. It features the MAC's top passing offense at 300.1 yards per game, led by quarterback Tyler Sheehan.
The team also does not make many mistakes and is effective when attempting field goals (13-of-16).
The Verdict
We already know what the Chippewas' offense can do - it can hang 30 to 40 points on the best MAC defenses. The biggest problem for them in MAC play has been keeping opposing offenses from scoring.
Either Miami or Buffalo, the two teams with the best shot at facing Central, will be a good matchup because neither have an elite passing offense. But Buffalo has a great runner in Starks and CMU has little success in stopping good MAC runners.
If Bowling Green finds a way to play at Ford Field, look out. But it should not happen - it needs too much help. And Buffalo, while it has been a pleasant surprise, will have a difficult time sweeping BGSU and Kent State.
Look for Miami to be the team out of the MAC East this year - and with it, the best matchup for Central.
bmanzullo@cm-life.com
But with CMU having clinched its berth in the Mid-American Conference Championship game, it would not be a bad idea to keep an eye on the MAC East.
It may not be until the final week of the regular season that we find out who will challenge the Chippewas on Dec. 1 at Ford Field. In the meantime, there are three teams to watch out for.
Miami University
Miami (5-5 overall, 3-1 MAC East) is tied atop the East with Buffalo (4-6 overall, 3-1 MAC East), but owns the tiebreaker because of its 31-28 win against the Bulls. Its last two opponents are Akron and Ohio.
Miami does not scare anybody with its offense - it ranks 10th in the MAC in scoring with 20.4 points per game. That should bode well for a CMU defense that ranks last in most defensive categories, including total defense (478.3 yards allowed per game).
And while MU makes up for that with the top scoring defense (26 points allowed per game), we already have seen the Chippewas face an "elite" MAC defense when they hung 41 points on Kent State.
Buffalo
The biggest surprise in the MAC East has been UB. The conference's perennial doormat is making a strong case for a bid in the championship game, having only lost to Miami in division play.
The Bulls would be a tougher matchup for Central, primarily because of sophomore running back James Starks, who has rushed for 726 yards and eight touchdowns in six MAC games.
However, Buffalo needs to win its remaining games against Bowling Green and Kent State while needing a Miami loss to face CMU.
Bowling Green
BGSU (6-4 overall, 3-2 MAC East) has an outside chance at the conference title, but will need to beat Buffalo and hope for at least one Miami loss to bring in tiebreakers.
Bowling Green actually could be CMU's worst matchup of the three. It features the MAC's top passing offense at 300.1 yards per game, led by quarterback Tyler Sheehan.
The team also does not make many mistakes and is effective when attempting field goals (13-of-16).
The Verdict
We already know what the Chippewas' offense can do - it can hang 30 to 40 points on the best MAC defenses. The biggest problem for them in MAC play has been keeping opposing offenses from scoring.
Either Miami or Buffalo, the two teams with the best shot at facing Central, will be a good matchup because neither have an elite passing offense. But Buffalo has a great runner in Starks and CMU has little success in stopping good MAC runners.
If Bowling Green finds a way to play at Ford Field, look out. But it should not happen - it needs too much help. And Buffalo, while it has been a pleasant surprise, will have a difficult time sweeping BGSU and Kent State.
Look for Miami to be the team out of the MAC East this year - and with it, the best matchup for Central.
bmanzullo@cm-life.com
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