two large plays and one small one for now....

[Full court press]

Now 5-1 on the big plays. This is the first week that I found more than one I really like. I will add some smaller plays later in the week.

Northern Illinois -10 vs. CMU ( I'm playing this 8X )

I think that this number gives CMU more respect than they deserve. Sure, the Chipps dominated the MAC over the last few years with a terrific QB but he's gone now and this years edition of the Chipps is just a shadow of last years squad. They were beaten at home last week by Miami O and two weeks ago by Ball St.

N. Illinois has emerged as the class of this conference and in my opinion nobody is even close to them. Harnish has got better and is making good decisions and Northern Illinois always has a stud RB. Over the last few years they had Garrett Wolfe, Michael the burner Turner among others. Spann appears to be every bit as good as those guys and fits perfectly for the Huskies offense.

If that's not good enough, Jerry Kill may well be the best coach in the conference along with Temple's Golden.

I think the Huskies win this by at least 17 pts.

Other big plays:

Ohio U -3 vs Miami O (5X)

Sure Miami O is home and beat CMU last week. I think that the results of that game speaks loudly of just how fast the Chipps have gone down hill rather than how much Miami has improved. OU has won the last 4 in the series and Frank will have them ready.

Bowling Green +1 (1 unit) Obviously a spot for a ML wager but it's not up yet.

Kent State favored on the road, wow. :mj07:
Pretty much a fade of the MAC'S poorest coach but I like this one because the Flashes will be playing their second straight on the road and they have not won on the road yet.

BG played a very good game at Temple last week and almost pulled it out. They are returning home after two straight on the road and should be ready for this one. The Falcons also have won 8 of the last 9 vs Kent

The only thing keeping me from making this a big play is the status of Willie Geter who is the largest force of BG's offense. I may upgrade this later if he's good to go.

 

[Doc Holiday 12]

FCP

FCP

I think B.G is the RIGHT side even without

Willie Geter. Good luck this week FCP.

 

[hawkeye]

Glad to see you all over N Ill--liking it a lot--gl

 

[hawkeye]

NIU down to 8 1/2??

 

[IE]

Early impressions: NIU vs. Central Michigan

--Huskerwire


At 2-5 overall and 1-3 in Mid-American Conference play, Central Michigan doesn't appear to have a team capable of living up to the Chippewas' recent dominance in the MAC.

But after watching film of CMU, which has lost four straight, NIU coach Jerry Kill said he doesn't notice much difference in the 2010 Chippewas and the CMU teams that won three MAC titles over the past four years. The Huskies (5-2, 3-0 MAC) have the opportunity to end a three-game losing streak against CMU as they host the Chippewas for a 3 p.m. kickoff on Saturday at Huskie Stadium.

"I've watched their defense a whole lot and their special teams, and it's the same type of Central team that I've seen," Kill said. "Defensively, they have a lot of returners, a lot of experience and they play very physical and very fast and very hard. I don't see a lot of difference. (CMU coach) Dan (Enos) is a very good football coach. They've lost a few close ball games."

A 2-1 start has been dismanted with losses to Northwestern (30-25), Ball State (31-17), Virginia Tech (45-21) and last week's last-minute, 27-20 home loss to Miami (Ohio).

The Chippewas look strong on the stat sheet, ranking third in the conference in scoring defense and fifth in scoring defense. But Enos, in his first year at CMU, said his team is turning the ball over too much (16 times through seven games) and is giving up too many big plays on defense and must improve in those areas to pull off the upset at NIU.

"I think they're very, very good," Enos said. "They're very physical. They're very sound with what they do, and they've got guys at key positions playing very well for them.

"I think right now, they're an outstanding team and they're the best (MAC) team I've seen."

 

[IE]

Every Monday until the end of the season, HuskieWire will release its MAC Power Rankings. For the second straight week NIU leads the pack, but there's a shakeup near the top and at the bottom.

Week 8 (Oct. 18) MAC Power Rankings:

1. NORTHERN ILLINOIS (5-2, 3-0 MAC) Last week ranking: 1

Last week: WIN, 45-14 over Buffalo

This week: vs. Central Michigan, 3 p.m.

? The Huskies followed three picturesque wins with another blowout. Even though it may not have been pretty as the three previous wins, NIU maintained momentum heading into its MAC West schedule.

Coach Jerry Kill: "We're playing hard. We still need to play a bit smarter at times, but defensively we continue to improve."

2. TOLEDO (4-3, 3-0 MAC) LW: 3

Last week: WIN, 34-21 over Kent State

This week: vs. Ball State, 6 p.m.

? The Rockets jump over Temple as they stick with NIU at the top of the MAC West. Toledo has beaten three quality MAC teams. Its Nov. 9 matchup at NIU could very well determine the MAC West representative in the conference championship game.

Coach Tim Beckman: "We're excited for the win to go 3-0 in the conference. We know we got a tough challenge with Ball State again this week in the Glass Bowl and we need that Glass Bowl full."

3. TEMPLE (5-2, 2-1 MAC) LW: 2

Last week: WIN, 28-27 over Bowling Green

This week: at Buffalo, 11 a.m.

? The Owls, the preseason favorite to win the MAC, almost saw its championship hopes fade against a struggling Bowling Green squad. Right now, Temple doesn't look like its capable of living up to the hype, though Bernard Pierce got going again after struggling with injuries with 106 yards on 15 carries.

Coach Al Golden: "Obviously, we need more production out of our offense. We can't be much worse than we are right now in terms of converting on third downs."

4. OHIO (4-3, 3-1 MAC) LW: 4

Last week: WIN, 38-10 over Akron

This week: vs. Miami (Ohio), noon

? Frank Solich's option offense was the bread and butter behind his success, including a national runner-up finish in 1999, in six seasons at Nebraska. But Solich's more balanced attack behind quarterback Boo Jackson has led the Bobcats to a quick start. They have a chance to take over the top of the MAC East standings in Saturday's rivalry game against Miami.

Coach Frank Solich: " I've always loved the passing game. At Nebraska we had a great system and we had the right personnel to run it. ...Once I came to Ohio, I wanted to establish more of a balanced offensive football team."

5. MIAMI OH (4-3, 3-0 MAC) LW: 5

Last week: WIN, 27-20 at Central Michigan

This week: at Ohio, noon

? Quarterback Zac Dysert's scrambling 71-yard touchdown pass to Andy Cruse with 19 seconds left propelled the RedHawks over CMU. Dysert, a sophomore completing 65.4 percent of his passes for 1,622 yards, looks like he has a bright future.

Coach Mike Haywood: "Guys are starting to believe in themselves, trusting themselves and starting to trust the players they play with."

6. WESTERN MICHIGAN (2-4, 1-1 MAC) LW: 6

Last week: WIN 44-20 loss at Notre Dame

This week: at Akron, 2:30 p.m.

? The Broncos were overmatched by the Fighting Irish, but sophomore quarterback Alex Carder, who leads the MAC with 286.8 total yards per game, will give WMU a chance in the MAC West.

Coach Bill Cubit: "We embellished it (playing at Notre Dame). I told the kids enjoy it but once the game starts it's you against them. They got all those top-10 recruits and recruiting classes. ...I saw our kids went after them pretty good."

7. KENT STATE (2-4, 1-2 MAC) LW: 7

Last week: LOSS, 34-21 at Toledo

This week: at Bowling Green, 2:30 p.m.

? The Golden Flashes blew a 21-7 halftime lead to Toledo on the road after being limited to minus-17 yards of offense in the second half.

Coach Doug Martin: "The game was disappointing form the standpoint in that we were a one half team. We really felt like our players really had a mental letdown in the second half."

8. CENTRAL MICHIGAN (2-5, 1-3 MAC) LW: 10

Last week: LOSS, 27-20 vs. Miami (Ohio)

This week: at Northern Illinois, 3 p.m.

? The Chippewas have now dropped four straight and are one of the major disappointments in the MAC so far as turnovers and miscues are taking their toll. Still, CMU has the veteran presence and defense to make a comeback down the stretch.

Coach Dan Enos: " We havent had any problems with our players playing hard. We're playing hard. We're just not making enough plays."

9. BUFFALO (2-4, 1-1 MAC) LW: 8

Last week: LOSS, 45-14 at Northern Illinois

Next week: vs. Temple, 11 a.m.

? Jeff Quinn wouldn't commit to a starting quarterback after playing Alex Zordich following Jerry Davis' 7-for-23 performance at NIU. But unless the Bulls make a change, things could go south quickly.

Coach Jeff Quinn: "Very challenging times at UB. We're going to keep doing the things that I know how to win and get our kids do it the same so we can continue to have some success in this football program."

10. BALL STATE (2-5, 1-2 MAC ) LW: 9

Last week: LOSS, 41-38 OT against Eastern Michigan

This week: at Toledo, 6 p.m.

? The Cardinals' win over CMU continues to be even more perplexing after a blowout loss to WMU and an embarrassing meltdown against EMU. BSU gave up a 21-0 cushion to a team that hadn't won in 18 games.

Coach Stan Parrish: "I'm extremely and bitterly disappointed, especially with our inability to hold the lead. If we have to make lineup changes, we got to search for guys that can finish games."

11. BOWLING GREEN (1-5, 0-3 MAC) LW: 11

Last week: LOSS, 28-27 at Temple

This week: vs, Kent State, 2:30 p.m.

? Bowling Green went all-in, going for a two-point conversion against Temple after scoring a touchdown with ten seconds remaining to claw back to a 28-27 deficit. But quarterback Matt Schilz's pass was batted down to give Temple the win.

Coach Dave Clawson: "I certainly was proud that our guys continued to compete hard. We made the decision to go for two, and it came down to a play. They made it and we didn't. We came up a play short."

12. EASTERN MICHIGAN (1-6, 1-3 MAC) LW: 13

Last week: WIN, 41-38 OT over Ball State

This week: at Virginia, 5 p.m.

? Eagles coach Ron English received a Gatorade bath from his players in the locker room after the Eagles finally ended an 18-game losing streak, the first victory under English.

Coach Ron English: "I like to sit back and watch and just watch the players (after a win). As you can imagine the players were jubilant, excited and relieved a bit I'm sure."

13. AKRON (0-7, 0-3 MAC) LW: 12

Last week: LOSS, 38-10 at Ohio

This week: vs. Western Michigan, 2:30 p.m.

? The Zips take over as the bottom feeder in the MAC after EMU's win. Akron has been outscored 116-41 in three conference games.

Coach Rob Ianello: "I think we're disappointed. I'm hopefuly I'll see a determined football team on the practice field today to do something about that disappointment."

 

[fatback]

Hey FCP, always respect your capping so just wanted to get your thoughts on NI dropping to 8.5? Thanks in advance

 

[Full court press]

Hey FCP, always respect your capping so just wanted to get your thoughts on NI dropping to 8.5? Thanks in advance

I have no real response for you and Hawk but obviously there has been lots of backing for CMU. There are some loose numbers in this conference from time to time and I feel that this is one of them. I think that its based on their performance over the last three years but this CMU team is nowhere close to the to the level of their past seasons and the play and coaching of NIU is far superior IMO. I'd like to think that I know this conference much better that most ( I saw both teams play their entire games last week) so I usually don't worry about the number moving against me. I actually took this lower number down to -2' on some teasers. I consider teasing them down to 2' is about as much of a gimme that I've seen.

Thanks for the reports IE... Good stuff and pretty much the same as I have it. Big big drop off from #1to the rest. NIU may be the most impressive MAC team on both sides of the ball that I've seen in a long, long time.

 

[LDB]

really like the N. ill play...

gl this week fcp

 

[Full court press]

really like the N. ill play...

gl this week fcp

Thanks

Adding a 6pt teaser and another big play at 5X

Western Mich -2
NIU - 2'

played a few teasers around NIU -2' but this is the largest and my favorite of them all.

This will be it for the week until some possible half time plays. I already have more invested for the week than I should. :scared

 

[Betone]

Thanks

Adding a 6pt teaser and another big play at 5X

Western Mich -2
NIU - 2'

played a few teasers around NIU -2' but this is the largest and my favorite of them all.

This will be it for the week until some possible half time plays. I already have more invested for the week than I should. :scared

GL, grew up around kalamazoo............In the arrow head conference in high school...:toast:

 

[Full court press]

Spent one night in Kzoo when we traveled for a basketball game. Didn't get to see much of the town but thought that Read Fieldhouse was a decent place to watch a game.

 

[el JB]

hey FCP...hope we get a good game with NIU ...
i have a three teamer now depending only on NIU to cash 3k and BTW i got it @-9

 

[hawkeye]

Gl;--I am liking W Mich alot

 

[kcwolf]

Good luck FCP on the big play.

That line movement has been strange. Someone hit Central Michigan hard on Monday, and on Northern Illinois by someone this afternoon. Crazy.

 

[Full court press]

Good luck FCP on the big play.

That line movement has been strange. Someone hit Central Michigan hard on Monday, and on Northern Illinois by someone this afternoon. Crazy.

I've been watching it and Northern came all the way back to 10'. I'm curious to see if the hard hitters come back on CMU before game time. It's a pattern I have seen many, many times.

Good luck KC :0008

 

[Master Capper]

Any idea on why the total in the Ball State and Toledo game is falling like a rock? Its moved nearly 5 points since it opened. The lose of Jeter worries me in the BG game, I am looking at the over as a possible play. You have to figure that BG is going to go to the air alot so the clock should be extended in this game.

 

[Full court press]

Any idea on why the total in the Ball State and Toledo game is falling like a rock? Its moved nearly 5 points since it opened. The lose of Jeter worries me in the BG game, I am looking at the over as a possible play. You have to figure that BG is going to go to the air alot so the clock should be extended in this game.

Got no clue ! Ball St leading rusher is on the injury report but they actually have some pretty good depth there. Toledo seems to have cleaned up their QB situation so thats some news. I suspect the fact that Toledo's defense is playing well led to the drop. Possible PM showers in the area are possible but not likely for both of these games.

Not much news coming out of BG in ref: to Jeter but I do know that he has participated in practice this week but I do not know to what degree. That is a low total for a BG game but I'm sure that you know that KSU is good against the run so BG may have to go to the air. BG also has lots of guys banged up and especially in their secondary so KSU will probably try to take advantage and throw a little more than usual.Your theory certainly does has some merit and I agree that it could well go over.

Just too many question marks for me, so I took BG flat for a small wager just because Doug Martin is a loser and the Flashes seldom win on the road. I suspect that Toledo will crush BSU as well. I favor just about all of the MAC chalk this week and we all know that can often spell trouble. :shrug:

Best of luck with those games.

 

[AR182]

Fcp....

Do you have any opinion on the total in the Temple / Buffalo game ?

Thanks....

 

[Full court press]

Fcp....

Do you have any opinion on the total in the Temple / Buffalo game ?

Thanks....

Tough call Al, Temple has given up more points than the usual and Buffalo has been doing it too.So on the surface it seems like a low number given the recent results of these two. Both teams are near the bottom of the MAC in total offense. and Temple's & Buffalo's defenses are pretty good by MAC standards. Both teams like to run it and it plays right into the strengths of both defenses.

I can easily see a grinder here. Gut feeling is that the game goes under but I am leaving it alone.