College Football is in action tonight, and it isn’t just action; it is MACtion. If you’re not a big college football fan, you may not realize that there are games almost every night at this point. That hasn’t always been the case; it seems like the MAC was the only conference that really played during the week. Either way, it starts tonight, and we have a good one brewing between Buffalo and Miami (Ohio).
The come into the game with a 5-3 record and a 3-1 mark in the conference. The Bulls were one of my favorite teams a few years ago, when they were running everyone ragged on the field. Their identity has changed a bit, but they still have built their team around a strong running game. Their main ball-carrier, Messiah Burch, has run for 845 yards for the season with five touchdowns. Averaging over 100 yards per game, no matter what conference you play in, is impressive.
So far, the Bulls have played some decent competition. They started the year with a game against UAlbany, and they won by four points. They probably should’ve had an easier time in that game, but I’ll excuse it since it was the first game of the season. The next two games were against Florida International and Penn State, both losses. Florida International beat them by 13, and Penn State routed them by 42. Buffalo really is only effective on the road, not even throwing for 200 yards in a game this season. Over the past five games, they’ve gone 4-1, beating Robert Morris, Toledo, Massachusetts and Bowling Green. Their lone loss was against Western Michigan.
On the other side of the field is Miami (Ohio) RedHawks. They are also 5-3 for the season and have a 3-1 record in the MAC. The parallels between the two teams don’t really end there. Miami Ohio is more of a run-first team, but they rely on their quarterback to scramble about as much as they are looking for their lead back to get them yards. Part of the issue is that their main quarterback coming into the season, David McComb, is injured. He was racking up passing yards in the first four games.
In the next four games, Caleb Heavner, their new quarterback, has thrown for a total of 579 passing yards. McComb had 646 in his final two games.
The RedHawks started the season against Pittsburgh and lost 59-14. They destroyed Holy Cross the next game, and then lost to Cincinnati on the road. They won against UConn, but lost their MAC opener to Bowling Green. Since then, they have won three straight against Massachusetts, Akron, and Central Michigan.
Tonight is a battle between two decent MAC teams. The Bulls are going to run the ball as much as possible, and that will likely milk the clock. I could see the under being a good look here. The RedHawks will run more often than throw as well. However, I think a lower-scoring game gives the Bulls a chance to win or at least cover. They are getting six points, and I think they are the correct side in this game. Give me the Bulls +6 tonight.
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