One thing is for sure – someone will come out of nowhere and become a player.
Northern Illinois went from worst-to-first last season, and it’ll be another team that screws up all of the predictions and projections this year as it all comes together for …
Akron? That would be the biggest shocker.
Bowling Green? That’s more likely, but still a big stretch.
That’s what makes the MAC so much fun – it’s unpredictable in some ways, but the stars still usually show up.
The problem is the uneven level of the divisions. Unlike other conferences, the MAC won’t go to a no-division format – at least not yet – and in the preseason predictions, the West is far, far stronger than the East.
Those are the breaks in the crazy league, and again, there’s always a team that rises up to make everything more interesting. Here are the 2022 predictions for every MAC game.
– 2022 CFN College Football Preview of Every Team
MAC Preseason Predictions: East
MAC East Predicted Finish
T1. Kent State
T1. Miami University*
T3. Bowling Green
T3. Buffalo
T3. Ohio
6. Akron
*MU predicted to win East tie-breaker
Akron Zips
2022 Preseason Prediction: 1-11
2022 MAC Prediction: 0-8
2021: 2-10, Prediction: 2-10
2020: 1-5, 2019: 0-12, 2018: 4-8
Sept 1 Saint Francis W
Sept 10 at Michigan State L
Sept 17 at Tennessee L
Sept 24 at Liberty L
Oct 1 Bowling Green L
Oct 8 at Ohio L
Oct 15 at Central Michigan L
Oct 22 Kent State L
Oct 29 Miami University L
Nov 5 OPEN DATE
Nov 8 Eastern Michigan L
Nov 19 at Buffalo L
Nov 26 at Northern Illinois
L
Akron Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
Bowling Green Falcons
2022 Preseason Prediction: 4-8
2022 MAC Prediction: 3-5
2021: 4-8, Prediction: 2-10
2020: 0-5, 2019: 3-9, 2018: 3-9
Sept 3 at UCLA L
Sept 10 Eastern Kentucky W
Sept 17 Marshall L
Sept 24 at Mississippi State L
Oct 1 at Akron W
Oct 8 Buffalo W
Oct 15 Miami University W
Oct 22 at Central Michigan L
Oct 29 OPEN DATE
Nov 2 Western Michigan L
Nov 9 Kent State L
Nov 15 at Toledo L
Nov 22 at Ohio L
Bowling Green Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
Buffalo Bulls
2022 Preseason Prediction: 5-7
2022 MAC Prediction: 3-5
2021: 4-8, Prediction: 6-6
2020: 6-1, 2019: 8-5, 2018: 10-4
Sept 3 at Maryland L
Sept 10 Holy Cross W
Sept 17 at Coastal Carolina L
Sept 24 at Eastern Michigan L
Oct 1 Miami University W
Oct 8 at Bowling Green L
Oct 15 at UMass W
Oct 22 Toledo L
Oct 29 OPEN DATE
Nov 1 at Ohio L
Nov 9 at Central Michigan L
Nov 19 Akron W
Nov 26 Kent State W
Buffalo Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
Kent State Golden Flashes
2022 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2022 MAC Prediction: 5-3
2021: 7-7, Prediction: 6-6
2020: 3-1, 2019: 7-6, 2018: 5-7
Sept 1 at Washington L
Sept 10 at Oklahoma L
Sept 17 Long Island W
Sept 24 at Georgia L
Oct 1 Ohio W
Oct 8 at Miami University L
Oct 15 at Toledo L
Oct 22 Akron W
Oct 29 OPEN DATE
Nov 1 Ball State W
Nov 9 at Bowling Green W
Nov 16 Eastern Michigan W
Nov 26 at Buffalo L
Kent State Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
Miami University RedHawks
2022 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2022 MAC Prediction: 5-3
2021: 7-6, Prediction: 6-6
2020: 2-1, 2019: 8-6, 2018: 6-6
Sept 3 at Kentucky L
Sept 10 Robert Morris W
Sept 17 vs Cincinnati L
Sept 24 at Northwestern L
Oct 1 at Buffalo L
Oct 8 Kent State W
Oct 15 at Bowling Green L
Oct 22 Western Michigan W
Oct 29 at Akron W
Nov 5 OPEN DATE
Nov 8 Ohio W
Nov 16 at Northern Illinois L
Nov 22 Ball State W
Miami Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
Ohio Bobcats
2021 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2021 MAC Prediction: 5-3
2018: 9-4 2019: 7-6 2020: 2-1
2022 Preseason Prediction: 5-7
2022 MAC Prediction: 3-5
2021: 3-9, Prediction: 6-6
2020: 2-1, 2019: 7-6, 2018: 9-4
Sept 3 Florida Atlantic W
Sept 10 at Penn State L
Sept 17 at Iowa State L
Sept 24 Fordham W
Oct 1 at Kent State L
Oct 8 at Akron W
Oct 15 at Western Michigan L
Oct 22 Northern Illinois L
Oct 29 OPEN DATE
Nov 1 Buffalo W
Nov 8 at Miami University L
Nov 15 at Ball State L
Nov 22 Bowling Green W
Ohio Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
MAC Preseason Predictions: West
MAC West Predicted Finish
T1. Northern Illinois
T1. Toledo
T1. Western Michigan*
4. Central Michigan
5. Eastern Michigan
6. Ball State
*WMU predicted to win West tie-breaker
Ball State Cardinals
2022 Preseason Prediction: 4-8
2022 MAC Prediction: 2-6
2021: 6-7, Prediction: 7-5
2020: 7-1, 2019: 5-7, 2018: 4-8
Sept 3 at Tennessee L
Sept 10 Western Michigan L
Sept 17 Murray State W
Sept 24 at Georgia Southern L
Oct 1 Northern Illinois L
Oct 8 at Central Michigan L
Oct 15 UConn W
Oct 22 Eastern Michigan W
Oct 29 OPEN DATE
Nov 1 at Kent State L
Nov 8 at Toledo L
Nov 15 Ohio W
Nov 22 at Miami University L
Ball State Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
Central Michigan Chippewas
2022 Preseason Prediction: 7-5
2022 MAC Prediction: 5-3
2021: 9-4, Prediction: 6-6
2020: 3-3, 2019: 8-6, 2018: 1-11
Sept 1 at Oklahoma State L
Sept 10 South Alabama W
Sept 17 Bucknell W
Sept 24 at Penn State L
Oct 1 at Toledo L
Oct 8 Ball State W
Oct 15 at Akron W
Oct 22 Bowling Green W
Oct 29 OPEN DATE
Nov 2 at Northern Illinois L
Nov 9 Buffalo W
Nov 16 Western Michigan L
Nov 25 at Eastern Michigan W
CMU Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
Eastern Michigan Eagles
2022 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2022 MAC Prediction: 4-4
2021: 7-6, Prediction: 5-7
2020: 2-4, 2019: 6-7, 2018: 7-6
Sept 2 Eastern Kentucky W
Sept 10 at Louisiana L
Sept 17 at Arizona State L
Sept 24 Buffalo W
Oct 1 UMass W
Oct 8 at Western Michigan L
Oct 15 Northern Illinois W
Oct 22 at Ball State L
Oct 29 Toledo W
Nov 5 OPEN DATE
Nov 8 at Akron W
Nov 16 at Kent State L
Nov 25 Central Michigan L
EMU Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
Northern Illinois Huskies
2022 Preseason Prediction: 7-5
2022 MAC Prediction: 6-2
2021: 9-5, Prediction: 4-8
2020: 0-6, 2019: 5-7, 2018: 8-6
Sept 3 Eastern Illinois W
Sept 10 at Tulsa L
Sept 17 Vanderbilt L
Sept 24 at Kentucky L
Oct 1 at Ball State W
Oct 8 Toledo L
Oct 15 at Eastern Michigan L
Oct 22 at Ohio W
Oct 29 OPEN DATE
Nov 2 Central Michigan W
Nov 9 at Western Michigan W
Nov 16 Miami University W
Nov 26 Akron W
NIU Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
Toledo Rockets
2022 Preseason Prediction: 8-4
2022 MAC Prediction: 6-2
2021: 7-6, Prediction: 9-3
2020: 4-2, 2019: 6-6, 2018: 7-6
Sept 3 Long Island W
Sept 10 UMass W
Sept 17 at Ohio State L
Sept 24 at San Diego State L
Oct 1 Central Michigan W
Oct 8 at Northern Illinois W
Oct 15 Kent State W
Oct 22 at Buffalo W
Oct 29 at Eastern Michigan L
Nov 5 OPEN DATE
Nov 8 Ball State W
Nov 15 Bowling Green W
Nov 25 at Western Michigan L
Toledo Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
Western Michigan Broncos
2022 Preseason Prediction: 7-5
2022 MAC Prediction: 6-2
2021: 8-5, Prediction: 7-5
2020: 4-2, 2019: 7-6, 2018: 7-6
Sept 2 at Michigan State L
Sept 10 at Ball State W
Sept 17 Pitt L
Sept 24 at San Jose State L
Oct 1 New Hampshire W
Oct 8 Eastern Michigan W
Oct 15 Ohio W
Oct 22 at Miami University L
Oct 29 OPEN DATE
Nov 2 at Bowling Green W
Nov 9 Northern Illinois L
Nov 16 at Central Michigan W
Nov 25 Toledo W
WMU Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
