MAC All Conference

Nate Davis is the logical choice but if you are looking for pure production, look at Hiller's numbers. He bests Davis in every category. What a good year for the MAC with Ball State trying for the undefeated, Turner Gill arriving on the scene, W Michigan and C Michigan still garnering attention.

QB Tim Hiller, Western Mich. QB JR
RB James Starks, Buffalo RB JR
RB MiQuale Lewis, Ball St. RB JR
WR Naaman Roosevelt, Buffalo WR JR
WR Jamarko Simmons, Western Mich. WR SR
WR Antonio Brown, Central Mich. WR SO
OL Eddie Adamski Northern Illi OL JR
OL Zack Anderson, Akron OL JR
OL Jason Onyebuagu Northern Illi OL JR
OL Robert Brewster Ball St OL SR
OL Jon Brost Northern Illi OL SR

DL Larry English, Northern Ill. DL SR
DL Diyral Briggs, Bowling Green DL SR
DL Junior Galette, Temple DL JR
DL Frank Zombo, Central Mich. DL JR
LB Justin Winters, Buffalo LB SO
LB Nick Bellore, Central Mich. LB SO
LB Derek Burrell, Kent St. LB SR
DB Brian Lainhart, Kent St. DB SO
DB Sean Baker, Ball St. DB FR
DB P.J. Mahone, Bowling Green DB JR
DB Louis Delmas, Western Mich. DB SR

K Igor Iveljic, Akron K SO
P Jacob Richardson, Miami (Ohio) P SR
KR Travis Shelton, Temple WR SR
PR B.J. Hill, Ball St. DB SR

Bowl Results

For the record, here's how the conferences fared in bowl games this season. Selections in red indicate the conference's signature win. Selections in blue indicate the conference's worst loss.

J.Pike's Bowl Picks Record: 17-17 (50%)
BCS Bowl Picks Record: 3-2 (60%)

1. PAC-10
Record: 5-0 (100%)
Results
Las Vegas Bowl: Arizona 31, BYU 21
Emerald Bowl: California 24, Miami 17
Holiday Bowl: Oregon 42, Oklahoma State 31
Sun Bowl: Oregon State 3, Pittsburgh 0
Rose Bowl: USC 38, Penn State 24

2. SEC
Record: 6-2 (75%)
Results
Music City Bowl: Vanderbilt 16, Boston College 14
Peach Bowl: LSU 38, Georgia Tech 3
Outback Bowl: Iowa 31, South Carolina 10
Citrus Bowl: Georgia 24, Michigan State 12
Cotton Bowl: Ole Miss 47, Texas Tech 34
Liberty Bowl: Kentucky 25, East Carolina 19
Sugar Bowl: Utah 31, Alabama 17
National Title Game: Florida 24, Oklahoma 14

3t. BIG EAST
Record: 4-2 (66.7%)
Results
St. Petersburg Bowl: South Florida 41, Memphis 14
Meineke Car Care Bowl: West Virginia 31, North Carolina 30
Pizza Bowl: Rutgers 29, N.C. State 23
Sun Bowl: Oregon State 3, Pittsburgh 0
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech 20, Cincinnati 7
International Bowl: Connecticut 38, Buffalo 20

3t. CONFERENCE USA
Record: 4-2 (66.7%)
Results
St. Petersburg Bowl: South Florida 41, Memphis 14
New Orleans Bowl: Southern Miss 30, Troy 27 (OT)
Texas Bowl: Rice 38, Western Michigan 14
Armed Forces Bowl: Houston 34, Air Force 28
Liberty Bowl: Kentucky 25, East Carolina 19
GMAC Bowl: Tulsa 45, Ball State 13

5. MOUNTAIN WEST
Record: 3-2 (60%)
Results
New Mexico Bowl: Colorado State 40, Fresno State 35
Las Vegas Bowl: Arizona 31, BYU 21
Poinsettia Bowl: TCU 17, Boise State 16
Armed Forces Bowl: Houston 34, Air Force 28
Sugar Bowl: Utah 31, Alabama 17

6. BIG XII
Record: 4-3 (57.1%)
Results
Alamo Bowl: Missouri 30, Northwestern 23 (OT)
Holiday Bowl: Oregon 42, Oklahoma State 31
Insight Bowl: Kansas 42, Minnesota 21
Gator Bowl: Nebraska 26, Clemson 21
Cotton Bowl: Ole Miss 47, Texas Tech 34
Fiesta Bowl: Texas 24, Ohio State 21
National Title Game: Florida 24, Oklahoma 14

7. ACC
Record: 4-6 (40%)
Results
Eagle Bank Bowl: Wake Forest 29, Navy 19
Meineke Car Care Bowl: West Virginia 31, North Carolina 30
Champs Sports Bowl: Florida State 42, Wisconsin 13
Emerald Bowl: California 24, Miami 17
Pizza Bowl: Rutgers 29, N.C. State 23
Humanitarian Bowl: Maryland 42, Nevada 35
Music City Bowl: Vanderbilt 16, Boston College 14
Peach Bowl: LSU 38, Georgia Tech 3
Gator Bowl: Nebraska 26, Clemson 21
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech 20, Cincinnati 7

8. WAC
Record: 1-4 (20%)
Results
New Mexico Bowl: Colorado State 40, Fresno State 35
Poinsettia Bowl: TCU 17, Boise State 16
Hawaii Bowl: Notre Dame 49, Hawaii 21
Independence Bowl: Louisiana Tech 17, Northern Illinois 10
Humanitarian Bowl: Maryland 42, Nevada 35

9. BIG TEN
Record: 1-6 (14.3%)
Results
Champs Sports Bowl: Florida State 42, Wisconsin 13
Alamo Bowl: Missouri 30, Northwestern 23 (OT)
Insight Bowl: Kansas 42, Minnesota 21
Outback Bowl: Iowa 31, South Carolina 10
Citrus Bowl: Georgia 24, Michigan State 12
Rose Bowl: USC 38, Penn State 24
Fiesta Bowl: Texas 24, Ohio State 21

10. MAC
Record: 0-5 (0%)
Results
Motor City Bowl: Florida Atlantic 24, Central Michigan 21
Independence Bowl: Louisiana Tech 17, Northern Illinois 10
Texas Bowl: Rice 38, Western Michigan 14
International Bowl: Connecticut 38, Buffalo 20
GMAC Bowl: Tulsa 45, Ball State 13

CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES

MAC CHAMPIONSHIP
Buffalo 42, Ball State 24

Congratulations to Turner Gill and Buffalo. The Bulls defense forced five turnovers and returned two fumbles for touchdowns late in the third quarter. Ball State suffered their first loss of the season thanks in large part to the Buffalo pass/catch duo of quarterback Drew Willy and wide receiver Naaman "The President" Roosevelt. I hope all the schools with head coaching vacancies took note: Turner Gill deserves a good job in a BCS conference. If Syracuse isn't falling all over themselves to get to Gill, they don't deserve to win another game ever.

CONFERENCE USA CHAMPIONSHIP
East Carolina (8-4) at Tulsa (10-2)
(Saturday, 11 am, ESPN 2)

East Carolina started the season with a bang, earning victories over preseason top 25 teams Virginia Tech and West Virginia. But injuries began to take their toll over the course of the season (not to mention an ill-advised quarterback switch in mid-season that has since been rectified), and the Pirates managed to compile four losses. Tulsa isn't nearly as good as their statistics indicate (49 points and 579 yards per game), as evidenced by consecutive losses to Arkansas and Houston in early November by a combined score of 100-53. Todd Graham's Golden Hurrican are still potent offensively, though, and have the advantage of playing the title game on their home field. Quarterback David Johnson and receiver Brennan Marrion will hook up for at least two long touchdowns today.
J.Pike's Pick: Tulsa 42, East Carolina 27

ACC CHAMPIONSHIP
Boston College (9-3) vs Virginia Tech (8-4)
@ Tampa, FL
(Saturday, noon, ABC)

Well well well, whaddya know. After all the chaos and upsets and parity in the ACC this year, BC and Virginia Tech, the same two teams that played for the title last year, will meet in a rematch. All the so-called "experts" picked Boston College to finish in the bottom two of the Coastal Division because of the loss of Matt Ryan. But if you were paying attention to Pikes Picks [LINK], you would have known better. Much like in 2007, Boston College won the regular season matchup, but the Hokies have the advantage here. BC quarterback Chris Crane broke his collarbone two weeks ago, and the offense is limited without him. Dominique Davis will be a fine quarterback in the future, but he's still young and doesn't have the same feel for the offense Crane did. I love the Boston College defense, and Mark Herzlich in particular. But Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor is arguably the most elusive quarterback in the nation. He'll be able to pick up first downs off scrambles and keep the chains moving in what should be a low scoring affair.
J.Pike's Pick: Virginia Tech 14, Boston College 10

SEC CHAMPIONSHIP
Alabama (12-0) vs Florida (11-1)
@ Atlanta, GA
(Saturday, 3 pm, CBS)

This is the big one. The winner here probably gets a shot to play for the national championship. Nick Saban has rejeuvinated Roll Tide more quickly than anybody expected. How he got a team that lost to Louisiana-Monroe last last year to play as well as they have this year is a coaching feat that is unmatched in 2008. However, Bama must face their stiffest challenge of the season in Urban Meyer's Florida Gators. The Gators bring a ton of speed to the Georgia Dome, probably as much collective speed that turf has ever hosted. Alabama has become the new Nebraska in that they are easily the most physical team in the nation. I think their physical nature will neutralize Florida's team speed and allow the Tide to control the trenches on both sides of the ball. Florida is a heavy favorite in Las Vegas, but that's because even the gamblers have forgotten that football is ultimately won in the trenches.
J.Pike's Picks: Alabama 30, Florida 17

Wednesday Night Football

#23 Ball State (10-0) at Central Michigan (8-2)

(Wednesday, 6 pm, ESPN)
This game features two of the best junior quarterbacks in the nation. Central Michigan’s Dan LeFevour put up Tim Tebow-like numbers a year ago, running and passing for a combined 46 touchdowns. His production has dropped off significantly this season, but he is still capable of putting the Chippewas on his back and carrying them to victory.

Ball State’s Nate Davis is one of the leading candidates for the Faulk Trophy. His steady play has led the Cardinals to a perfect 10-0 record despite the loss of the best receiver in the MAC, Dante Love, who suffered a severe spine injury in the fourth game of the season.

Without Love in the lineup, head coach Brady Hoke has leaned more on the running game than expected. MiQuale Lewis responded to the challenge in a big way, with his 1,273 yards and 17 td pacing the MAC’s top rushing attack.

The Ball State offensive line has been excellent in 2008 so far, but they’ll have their hands full trying to block Frank Zombo. The senior Chippewa pass rusher has 8 sacks, which matches the total the Cardinals line has allowed all season.

If Zombo can break through and cause some disruption in the backfield, it will take a lot of pressure off the porous CMU secondary. The Chippewas allow a league-worst 273.7 yards passing per game, which isn’t good going up against one of the top quarterbacks in the nation.

One other chance Central has for generating some momentum is the play of Antonio Brown. Not only does Brown lead the team in receptions, he’s also one of the top punt returners around.

Overall I give Ball State the edge. Despite the fact that the game will be played in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, Hoke has the better overall team in all three phases of the game. The Cardinals don’t beat themselves, and I don’t believe the Chippewa defense will be able to contain Nate Davis.
J.Pike’s Pick: Ball State 31, Central Michigan 23

WEEK SEVEN - Preview

Now it’s time for our weekly look at the games that are flying under the national radar. TCU is on upset alert this weekend as they travel to Colorado Springs to face a new coach and a team that appears to be improving every week. And two matchups in the MAC should have a direct impact on the conference title game in that conference.

TCU @ Colorado State
New head coach Steve Fairchild is doing a good job so far at Colorado State. The Rams are 3-2 and have been steadily improving every week. Wide receiver Rashaun Greer (6th nationally with 570 receiving yards) has been a key component in an offense averaging a respectable 260.8 passing yards per game, and he’ll give TCU’s stout defense something to think about. TCU’s running game is strong this year, averaging 246.7 yards per game, but the passing game isn’t going to scare anybody. There’s also the look-ahead factor for the Frogs as they have nationally ranked BYU on the schedule next week. If Colorado State can load up the box and take away the TCU ground game, they’ll be able to put enough points on the board to give Fairchild his first big win.
J.Pike’s Pick: Colorado State 28, TCU 24

Western Michigan @ Buffalo
Western Michigan is 4-1 and looking like a serious contender in the MAC. Quarterback Tim Hiller leads an offense that is clicking right now, averaging 32.2 points per game. But Hiller doesn’t always play well on the road. Buffalo head coach Turner Gill will make it difficult on Hiller to sit back in the pocket and without being pressured, and that will knock him off his game. Meanwhile, Drew Willy and the offense will produce the knockout punch and climb back into the thick of the MAC race.
J.Pike’s Pick: Buffalo 31, Western Michigan 27

Temple @ Central Michigan
Ever since quarterback Dan LeFevour stepped on campus, the Chippewas have been the big shots in the MAC. LeFevour put up incredible numbers a year ago (compare them to Tim Tebow if you like), and he’s one of the better non-BCS quarterbacks around. Temple though brings a very good, very experienced defense to the table. The Owls are limiting opponents to only 18.5 points per game (3rd in the MAC) and will challenge LeFevour and the offense from start to finish. Unfortunately Temple doesn’t have enough offense to pull the upset though.
J.Pike’s Pick: Central Michigan 21, Temple 14

Best Non-BCS Conference RBs

1. Ian Johnson, Boise State
Everybody knows who Ian Johnson is thanks to Boise State's big upset victory over Oklahoma two seasons ago in the Fiesta Bowl. Johnson's the guy who scored the winning points on a Statue of Liberty two-point conversion run and then subsequently proposed to his girlfriend. Johnson had some injury problems in 2007 and didn't play in two regular season games and only got 4 carries in the bowl game. He's the best all around back not in a BCS conference, with impressive career numbers of 3,418 yards and 45 touchdowns.

2. Damion Fletcher, Southern Miss
Fletcher is hot on Johnson's heels though with a bit more speed and two more seasons of eligibility to go. In two seasons in Hattiesburg he has surpassed the 100 yard mark in 16 games. Fletcher has an impressive 2,974 yards and 26 touchdowns already in his career.

3. Eugene Jarvis, Kent State
Pound for pound Eugene Jarvis has to be mentioned among the discussion of best running backs in the nation. Jarvis stands only 5-foot-5 and weighs in at only 170 pounds, but he's quickly establishing himself as one of the most feared backs in the nation. After being passed on in recruiting by all the BCS conference schools in the area, Jarvis has a chip on his shoulder and is out to prove all the recruiters that he can play big time football despite his size. With his quickness and ability to hide behind his offensive line and explode when a hole opens up, he'll be a nightmare for MAC defensive coordinators for the next two seasons.

4. Darrell Mack, Utah
5. Tyrell Fenroy, UL-Lafayette

OTHERS TO WATCH
Deonte Jackson, Idaho
Luke Lippincott, Nevada

Best Non-BCS Conference QBs

1. Brian Johnson, Utah

Brian Johnson is the kind of dual threat quarterback a team like Michigan could really use right about now. Johnson's not just a dazzling runner though - he's got a great arm as well. If he can stay healthy for a full season, don't be surprised to see Utah a player in the BCS bowl race.

2. Nate Davis, Ball State
After leading Ball State to their first bowl game in 11 years, Nate Davis is back for only his junior season. After putting up big numbers (3,667 yards, 30 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions), beating Navy and taking Nebraska down to the wire in Lincoln, what will Davis do for an encore? A MAC championship is within reach.

3. Donovan Porterie, New Mexico
While it's true Porterie is still struggling with his consistency, the junior quarterback has one of the bigger upsides of the non-BCS quarterbacks. He's tall (6'3"), athletic, and has a solid arm.

4. Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan
The Chippewas were wildly inconsistent in 2007, but LeFevour was far from it. He literally carried the offense both through the air (3,652 yards, 27 tds) and on the ground (1,122 yards, 19 tds).

5. (tie) Rusty Smith, Florida Atlantic / Max Hall, BYU

Others to Watch:
Patrick Pinkney, East Carolina
Justin Willis, SMU