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2021 Mid-American Conference football season

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Sports season
2021 Mid-American Conference football season
LeagueNCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision
SportFootball
DurationSeptember 2 - December 4
Number of teams12
Regular season
Season MVPDustin Crum
East Division championsKent State
West Division championsNorthern Illinois
MAC Championship Game
ChampionsNorthern Illinois
  Runners-upKent State
Finals MVPOffense: Jay Ducker (RB, Northern Illinois)
Defense: C. J. Brown (DB, Northern Illinois)
Special Teams: John Richardson (PK, Northern Illinois)
Seasons
← 20202022 →
2021 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
Kent State xy   6 – 2     7 – 7  
Miami (OH)   5 – 3     7 – 6  
Ohio   3 – 5     3 – 9  
Bowling Green   2 – 6     4 – 8  
Buffalo   2 – 6     4 – 8  
Akron   1 – 7     2 – 10  
West Division
Northern Illinois xy$   6 – 2     9 – 5  
Central Michigan x   6 – 2     9 – 4  
Toledo   5 – 3     7 – 6  
Ball State   4 – 4     6 – 7  
Eastern Michigan   4 – 4     7 – 6  
Western Michigan   4 – 4     8 – 5  
Championship: Northern Illinois 41, Kent State 23
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant

The 2021 Mid-American Conference football season was the 76th season for the Mid-American Conference (MAC), as part of the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season.

The provisional schedule was released on February 26, 2021. The season was scheduled to begin September 2, 2021, and ended with the MAC Football Championship Game on December 4, 2021.

Previous season

Main article: 2020 Mid-American Conference football season

The 2020 Mid-American Conference football season saw a delayed start and shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with only 6 regular season games. The Buffalo Bulls won the East Division, while the Ball State Cardinals won the West Division. In the 2020 MAC Championship Game, the Cardinals defeated the Bulls 38–28. The Cardinals would go on to the Arizona Bowl, where they defeated the San Jose State Spartans 34–13.

Preseason

Preseason Media Poll

The Preseason Media Poll was announced on July 20. Kent State was voted the favorite to win the East Division, while Ball State was voted as favorite for the West Division. Ball State was also the favorite to win the conference championship game.

East
Predicted finish Team Points (votes for first place)
1 Kent State 112 (11)
2 Ohio 96 (2)
3 Miami (OH) 94 (5)
4 Buffalo 93 (4)
5 Akron 39
6 Bowling Green 28
West
Predicted finish Team Points (votes for first place)
1 Ball State 114 (11)
2 Toledo 104 (7)
3 Western Michigan 103 (4)
4 Central Michigan 68
5 Eastern Michigan 44
6 Northern Illinois 29

Preseason awards

The following list contains MAC players included on watch lists for national awards.

Award Head coach/Player School Position Link
Maxwell Award Kevin Marks Buffalo RB
Preston Hutchinson Eastern Michigan QB
Dustin Crum Kent State QB
Kaleb Eleby Western Michigan QB
Bednarik Award James Patterson Buffalo LB
Troy Hairston Central Michigan DE
Troy Brown Central Michigan LB
Desjuan Johnson Toledo DT
Ralph Holley Western Michigan DT
Davey O'Brien Award Dustin Crum Kent State QB
Doak Walker Award Darius Boone Eastern Michigan RB
Bryant Koback Toledo RB
Kobe Lewis Central Michigan RB
Kevin Marks Buffalo RB
Lew Nichols III Central Michigan RB
Fred Biletnikoff Award Justin Hall Ball State WR
John Mackey Award Thomas Odukoya Eastern Michigan TE
Ryan Luehrman Ohio TE
Rimington Trophy Braydon Patton Northern Illinois C
Bryce Harris Toledo C
Butkus Award James Patterson Buffalo LB
Outland Trophy Curtis Blackwell Ball State C
Mike Caliendo Western Michigan C
Jake Fuzak Buffalo OT
Bryce Harris Toledo C
Bronko Nagurski Trophy Troy Brown Central Michigan LB
Ralph Holley Western Michigan DT
Desjuan Johnson Toledo DT
Brandon Martin Ball State LB
Lou Groza Award Marshall Meeder Central Michigan K
Paul Hornung Award Justin Hall Ball State WR
Kalil Pimpleton Central Michigan WR
Clint Ratkovich Northern Illinois RB
Wuerffel Trophy Bubba Arslanian Akron LB
Brandon Martin Ball State LB
Bryce Cosby Ball State DB
Tariq Speights Eastern Michigan LB
Isaac Vance Kent State WR
Sam Allan Kent State OL
Bailey Flint Toledo P
Mike Calidendo Western Michigan OL
Walter Camp Award Dustin Crum Kent State QB
Manning Award Dustin Crum Kent State QB
Kaleb Eleby Western Michigan QB
Drew Plitt Ball State QB
Ray Guy Award Bailey Flint Toledo P
Dom Dzioban Miami (OH) P
Jake Julian Eastern Michigan P
Luke Elzinga Central Michigan P
Matt Ference Northern Illinois P
Matt Naranjo Bowling Green P
Nick Mihalic Western Michigan P
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Dustin Crum Kent State QB
Drew Plitt Ball State QB
Kyle Vantrease Buffalo QB

Head Coaches

Lance Leipold, who had been head coach of Buffalo since 2015, left the MAC to take the head coach position with the Kansas Jayhawks of the Big 12 Conference. Leipold was replaced by interim head coach Rob Ianello during the school's search for a new permanent coach. However, Ianello and several other Buffalo assistant coaches were tabbed to join Leipold at Kansas, leaving a temporary vacancy at the team's head coaching position. Michigan co-defensive coordinator Maurice Linguist was later hired as Buffalo's new permanent coach.

On July 14, Frank Solich announced his retirement from the head coach position at Ohio after 16 seasons with the school. Tim Albin was promoted to head coach to fill Solich's vacancy.

Team Head coach Previous Job Years at school Overall record MAC record MAC titles
Akron Tom Arth Chattanooga 3 50–38 (.568) 1–13 (.071) 0
Ball State Mike Neu New Orleans Saints (QB Coach) 6 22–34 (.393) 13–25 (.342) 1
Bowling Green Scot Loeffler Boston College (Off. coordinator/QB coach) 3 3–14 (.176) 2–11 (.154) 0
Buffalo Maurice Linguist Michigan (Co def. coordinator) 1 0–0 (–) 0–0 (–) 0
Central Michigan Jim McElwain Florida 3 55–36 (.604) 9–5 (.643) 0
Eastern Michigan Chris Creighton Drake 8 166–97 (.631) 18–36 (.333) 0
Kent State Sean Lewis Syracuse (Co Off. Coordinator) 3 12–17 (.414) 9–11 (.450) 0
Miami Chuck Martin Notre Dame (Off. coordinator/QB coach) 7 106–53 (.667) 28–23 (.549) 1
Northern Illinois Thomas Hammock Baltimore Ravens (running backs coach) 3 5–13 (.278) 4–10 (.286) 0
Ohio Tim Albin Ohio (associate head coach) 1 25–8 (.758) 0–0 (–) 0
Toledo Jason Candle Toledo (Off. Coordinator) 6 38–21 (.644) 25–13 (.658) 1
Western Michigan Tim Lester Purdue (QB Coach) 5 54–43 (.557) 18–12 (.600) 0

Mid-season changes

  • On November 4, Tom Arth was fired as head coach at Akron after posting a 3–24 record with the school in 3 years. Oscar Rodriguez, who was formerly the school's inside linebacker coach and associate head coach, was named interim head coach. On December 4, the school announced Oregon offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead as the new permanent head coach.

Rankings

Main article: 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
  Pre Wk
1		 Wk
2		 Wk
3		 Wk
4		 Wk
5		 Wk
6		 Wk
7		 Wk
8		 Wk
9		 Wk
10		 Wk
11		 Wk
12		 Wk
13		 Wk
14		 Final
Akron AP
C
CFP Not released
Ball State AP RV RV
C RV RV
CFP Not released
Bowling Green AP
C
CFP Not released
Buffalo AP
C
CFP Not released
Central Michigan AP
C
CFP Not released
Eastern Michigan AP
C
CFP Not released
Kent State AP
C
CFP Not released
Miami AP
C
CFP Not released
Northern Illinois AP RV
C
CFP Not released
Ohio AP
C
CFP Not released
Toledo AP RV
C
CFP Not released
Western Michigan AP RV
C RV
CFP Not released
Legend
    Improvement in ranking
  Drop in ranking
  Not ranked previous week
  No change in ranking from previous week
RV Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll
т Tied with team above or below also with this symbol

Schedule

Index to colors and formatting
MAC member won
MAC member lost
MAC teams in bold

All times Eastern time.

Week 1

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance Ref.
September 2 7:00 p.m. Western Illinois Ball State Scheumann Stadium • Muncie, IN ESPN+ W 31–21   13,149
September 2 7:00 p.m. Wagner Buffalo UB Stadium • Buffalo, NY ESPN3 W 69–7   13,063
September 2 8:00 p.m. Bowling Green Tennessee Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, TN SECN L 6–38   84,314
September 3 7:00 p.m. Saint Francis Eastern Michigan Rynearson Stadium • Ypsilanti, MI ESPN3 W 35–15   16,461
September 4 12:00 p.m. Western Michigan Michigan Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI ESPN L 14–47   109,295
September 4 3:30 p.m. Miami (OH) No. 8 Cincinnati Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, OH (Victory Bell) ESPN+ L 14–49   37,978
September 4 4:00 p.m. Central Michigan Missouri Faurot Field • Columbia, MO SECN L 24–34   46,237
September 4 7:00 p.m. Norfolk State Toledo Glass Bowl • Toledo, OH ESPN3 W 49–10    
September 4 7:00 p.m. Akron Auburn Jordan–Hare Stadium • Auburn, AL SECN L 10–60   83,821
September 4 7:00 p.m. Syracuse Ohio Peden Stadium • Athens, OH CBSSN L 9–29   23,904
September 4 7:30 p.m. Northern Illinois Georgia Tech Bobby Dodd Stadium • Atlanta, GA ACCN W 22–21   33,651
September 4 8:00 p.m. Kent State No. 6 Texas A&M Kyle Field • College Station, TX ESPNU L 10–41   97,339
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 2

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance Ref.
September 11 11:30 a.m. No. 18 (FCS) VMI Kent State Dix Stadium • Kent, OH ESPN3 W 60–10   16,785
September 11 12:00 p.m. Miami (OH) Minnesota TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, MN ESPNU L 26–31   43,372
September 11 1:30 p.m. Wyoming Northern Illinois Huskie Stadium • DeKalb, IL ESPN+ L 43–50   11,334
September 11 2:00 p.m. Duquesne Ohio Peden Stadium • Athens, OH ESPN3 L 26–28   19,411
September 11 2:30 p.m. Toledo No. 8 Notre Dame Notre Dame Stadium • South Bend, IN Peacock L 29–32   62,009
September 11 3:00 p.m. Robert Morris Central Michigan Kelly/Shorts Stadium • Mount Pleasant, MI ESPN3 W 45–0   16,128
September 11 3:30 p.m. Ball State No. 11 Penn State Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA FS1 L 13–44   105,323
September 11 3:30 p.m. Buffalo Nebraska Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE BTN L 3–28   85,663
September 11 3:30 p.m. Temple Akron InfoCision Stadium • Akron, OH ESPN+ L 24–45   14,474
September 11 4:00 p.m. South Alabama Bowling Green Doyt Perry Stadium • Bowling Green, OH ESPN+ L 19–22   15,105
September 11 5:00 p.m. Illinois State Western Michigan Waldo Stadium • Kalamazoo, MI ESPN3 W 28–0   18,122
September 11 7:00 p.m. Eastern Michigan No. 18 Wisconsin Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI FS1 L 7–34   70,967
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 3

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance Ref.
September 16 8:00 p.m. Ohio Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA ESPN L 14–49   17,709
September 18 12:00 p.m. No. 16 Coastal Carolina Buffalo UB Stadium • Buffalo, NY ESPN2 L 25–28   16,739
September 18 12:00 p.m. Western Michigan Pittsburgh Heinz Field • Pittsburgh, PA ESPN3 W 44–41   40,581
September 18 12:00 p.m. Northern Illinois No. 25 Michigan Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI BTN L 10–63   106,263
September 18 3:30 p.m. Kent State No. 5 Iowa Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA BTN L 7–30   61,932
September 18 3:30 p.m. Eastern Michigan UMass Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium • Amherst, MA FloSports/NESN+ W 42–28   7,012
September 18 3:30 p.m. LIU Miami (OH) Yager Stadium • Oxford, OH ESPN+ W 42–7   12,036
September 18 3:30 p.m. Bryant Akron InfoCision Stadium • Akron, OH ESPN3 W 35–14   8,779
September 18 4:00 p.m. Ball State Wyoming War Memorial Stadium • Laramie, WY Stadium L 12–45   23,467
September 18 4:00 p.m. Colorado State Toledo Glass Bowl • Toledo, OH ESPNU L 6–22   21,365
September 18 5:00 p.m. Murray State Bowling Green Doyt Perry Stadium • Bowling Green, OH ESPN3 W 27–10   20,097
September 18 7:30 p.m. Central Michigan LSU Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA SECN L 21–49   92,547
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 4

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance Ref.
September 25 12:00 p.m. FIU Central Michigan Kelly/Shorts Stadium • Mount Pleasant, MI ESPN+ W 31–27   18,382
September 25 12:00 p.m. Bowling Green Minnesota TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, MN ESPNU W 14–10   46,236
September 25 12:00 p.m. Ohio Northwestern Ryan Field • Evanston, IL BTN L 6–35   27,129
September 25 12:00 p.m. Miami (OH) Army Michie Stadium • West Point, NY CBSSN L 10–23   24,045
September 25 2:00 p.m. San Jose State Western Michigan Waldo Stadium • Kalamazoo, MI ESPN+ W 23–3   12,317
September 25 2:00 p.m. Toledo Ball State Scheumann Stadium • Muncie, IN ESPN+  TOL 22–12   14,902
September 25 2:00 p.m. Texas State Eastern Michigan Rynearson Stadium • Ypsilanti, MI ESPN+ W 59–21   14,253
September 25 2:30 p.m. Maine Northern Illinois Huskie Stadium • DeKalb, IL ESPN3 W 41–14   10,076
September 25 3:30 p.m. Kent State Maryland Maryland Stadium • College Park, MD BTN L 16–37   30,117
September 25 6:00 p.m. Buffalo Old Dominion S.B. Ballard Stadium • Norfolk, VA ESPN+ W 35–34    
September 25 7:30 p.m. Akron No. 10 Ohio State Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH BTN L 7–59   95,178
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 5

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance Ref.
October 2 12:00 p.m. Toledo UMass Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium • Amherst, MA FloFootball/NESN W 45–7   9,456
October 2 12:00 p.m. Western Michigan Buffalo UB Stadium • Buffalo, NY CBSSN  WMU 24–17   17,344
October 2 2:30 p.m. Eastern Michigan Northern Illinois Huskie Stadium • DeKalb, IL ESPN+  NIU 27–20   10,034
October 2 3:30 p.m. Bowling Green Kent State Dix Stadium • Kent, OH (Anniversary Award) ESPN+  KSU 27–20   20,537
October 2 3:30 p.m. Central Michigan Miami (OH) Yager Stadium • Oxford, OH ESPN+  M-OH 28–17   12,616
October 2 3:30 p.m. Ohio Akron InfoCision Stadium • Akron, OH ESPN3  OU 34–17   12,616
October 2 5:00 p.m. Army Ball State Scheumann Stadium • Muncie, IN ESPN+ W 28–16   13,713
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 6

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance Ref.
October 9 12:00 p.m. Akron Bowling Green Doyt Perry Stadium • Bowling Green, OH ESPN+  AKR 35–20   17,797
October 9 12:00 p.m. Northern Illinois Toledo Glass Bowl • Toledo, OH CBSSN  NIU 22–20   21,284
October 9 3:30 p.m. Ball State Western Michigan Waldo Stadium • Kalamazoo, MI ESPNU  BSU 45–20   11,403
October 9 3:30 p.m. Central Michigan Ohio Peden Stadium • Athens, OH ESPN+  CMU 30–27   20,928
October 9 3:30 p.m. Miami (OH) Eastern Michigan Rynearson Stadium • Ypsilanti, MI ESPN+  EMU 13–12   15,664
October 9 7:00 p.m. Buffalo Kent State Dix Stadium • Kent, OH ESPNU  KSU 48–38   12,105
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 7

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance Ref.
October 16 12:00 p.m. Ohio Buffalo UB Stadium • Buffalo, NY ESPN+  UB 27–26   12,909
October 16 2:00 p.m. Ball State Eastern Michigan Rynearson Stadium • Ypsilanti, MI ESPN+  BSU 38–31   15,258
October 16 2:30 p.m. Akron Miami (OH) Yager Stadium • Oxford, OH ESPN+  M-OH 34–21   11,042
October 16 3:30 p.m. Toledo Central Michigan Kelly/Shorts Stadium • Mount Pleasant, MI CBSSN  CMU 26–23   20,112
October 16 3:30 p.m. Bowling Green Northern Illinois Huskie Stadium • DeKalb, IL ESPN+  NIU 34–26   7,854
October 16 3:30 p.m. Kent State Western Michigan Waldo Stadium • Kalamazoo, MI ESPNU  WMU 64–31   18,716
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 8

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance Ref.
October 23 12:00 p.m. Eastern Michigan Bowling Green Doyt Perry Stadium • Bowling Green, OH ESPN+  EMU 55–24   10,875
October 23 12:00 p.m. Northern Illinois Central Michigan Kelly/Shorts Stadium • Mount Pleasant, MI ESPNU  NIU 39–38   15,232
October 23 1:00 p.m. Kent State Ohio Peden Stadium • Athens, OH ESPN+  KSU 34–27   15,854
October 23 3:30 p.m. Miami (OH) Ball State Scheumann Stadium • Muncie, IN (Red Bird Rivalry) ESPN+  M-OH 24–17   15,703
October 23 3:30 p.m. Western Michigan Toledo Glass Bowl • Toledo, OH CBSSN  TOL 34–15   19,906
October 23 3:30 p.m. Buffalo Akron InfoCision Stadium • Akron, OH ESPN+  UB 45–10   8,635
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 9

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance Ref.
October 30 12:00 p.m. Bowling Green Buffalo UB Stadium • Buffalo, NY CBSSN  BGSU 56–44   13,163
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 10

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance Ref.
November 2 7:00 p.m. Ball State Akron InfoCision Stadium • Akron, OH CBSSN  BSU 31–25   7,683
November 2 7:30 p.m. Eastern Michigan Toledo Glass Bowl • Toledo, OH ESPN2  EMU 52–49   14,997
November 2 7:30 p.m. Miami (OH) Ohio Peden Stadium • Athens, OH (Battle of the Bricks) ESPNU  OU 35–33   15,940
November 3 7:00 p.m. Central Michigan Western Michigan Waldo Stadium • Kalamazoo, MI (Victory Cannon / Michigan MAC Trophy) ESPNU  CMU 42–30   13,137
November 3 7:00 p.m. Northern Illinois Kent State Dix Stadium • Kent, OH ESPN2  KSU 52–47   6,076
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 11

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance Ref.
November 9 7:00 p.m. Akron Western Michigan Waldo Stadium • Kalamazoo, MI CBSSN  WMU 45–40   8,443
November 9 7:00 p.m. Buffalo Miami (OH) Yager Stadium • Oxford, OH ESPNU  M-OH 45–18   10,069
November 9 8:00 p.m. Ohio Eastern Michigan Rynearson Stadium • Ypsilanti, MI ESPN2  OU 34–26   13,636
November 10 7:00 p.m. Ball State Northern Illinois Huskie Stadium • DeKalb, IL (Bronze Stalk Trophy) ESPN2  NIU 30–29   7,894
November 10 7:00 p.m. Toledo Bowling Green Doyt Perry Stadium • Bowling Green, OH (Battle of I-75) CBSSN  TOL 49–17   18,349
November 10 8:00 p.m. Kent State Central Michigan Kelly/Shorts Stadium • Mount Pleasant, MI ESPNU  CMU 54–30   9,213
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 12

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance Ref.
November 16 7:00 p.m. Toledo Ohio Peden Stadium • Athens, OH ESPN+  TOL 35–23   9,716
November 16 7:30 p.m. Western Michigan Eastern Michigan Rynearson Stadium • Ypsilanti, MI (Michigan MAC Trophy) ESPN2  EMU 22–21   15,272
November 16 8:00 p.m. Bowling Green Miami (OH) Yager Stadium • Oxford, OH ESPNU  M-OH 34–7   10,269
November 17 7:00 p.m. Central Michigan Ball State Scheumann Stadium • Muncie, IN ESPNU  CMU 37–17   5,602
November 17 7:00 p.m. Northern Illinois Buffalo UB Stadium • Buffalo, NY ESPN2  NIU 33–27   13,097
November 20 12:00 p.m. Kent State Akron InfoCision Stadium • Akron, OH (Wagon Wheel) ESPN+  KSU 38–0   8,879
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 13

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance Ref.
November 23 7:00 p.m. Western Michigan Northern Illinois Huskie Stadium • DeKalb, IL ESPNU  WMU 42–21   7,156
November 23 7:00 p.m. Buffalo Ball State Scheumann Stadium • Muncie, IN ESPN+  BSU 20–3   6,112
November 26 12:00 p.m. Eastern Michigan Central Michigan Kelly/Shorts Stadium • Mount Pleasant, MI (rivalry / Michigan MAC Trophy) ESPNU  CMU 31–10   7,708
November 26 12:00 p.m. Ohio Bowling Green Doyt Perry Stadium • Bowling Green, OH CBSSN  BGSU 21–10   9,339
November 27 12:00 p.m. Akron Toledo Glass Bowl • Toledo, OH ESPN+  TOL 49–14   11,282
November 27 12:00 p.m. Miami (OH) Kent State Dix Stadium • Kent, OH ESPN+  KSU 48–47   8,378
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

MAC Conference Championship Game

See also: 2021 MAC Championship Game
Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance Ref.
December 4 12:00 p.m. Kent State Northern Illinois Ford Field • Detroit, MI ESPN  NIU 41–23   10,317
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Postseason

Bowl Games

See also: 2021–22 NCAA football bowl games
Legend
  MAC Win
  MAC Loss
Bowl game Date Site Television Time (EST) MAC team Opponent Score Attendance
Bahamas Bowl December 17 Thomas Robinson Stadium • Nassau, Bahamas ESPN 12:00 p.m. Toledo Middle Tennessee L 24–31 13,596
Cure Bowl December 17 Exploria Stadium • Orlando, FL ESPN2 6:00 p.m. Northern Illinois Coastal Carolina L 41–47 9,784
LendingTree Bowl December 18 Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL ESPN 5:45 p.m. Eastern Michigan Liberty L 20–56 15,186
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl December 21 Albertsons Stadium • Boise, ID ESPN 3:30 p.m. Kent State Wyoming L 38–52 10,217
Frisco Football Classic December 23 Toyota Stadium • Frisco, TX ESPN 3:30 p.m. Miami (OH) North Texas W 27–14 11,721
Camellia Bowl December 25 Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, AL ESPN 2:30 p.m. Ball State Georgia State L 20–51  
Quick Lane Bowl December 27 Ford Field • Detroit, MI ESPN 11:00 a.m. Western Michigan Nevada W 52–24 22,321
Sun Bowl December 31 Sun Bowl • El Paso, Texas CBS 12:00 p.m. Central Michigan Washington State W 24–21 34,540
  • Central Michigan was originally slated to play in the Arizona Bowl on December 31 against Boise State, but the bowl was cancelled when Boise State was forced to withdraw due to a COVID-19 outbreak within their team. Central Michigan was then invited to play in the Sun Bowl on the same date to replace Miami (FL), who had withdrawn from that bowl due to COVID-19 as well.

MAC records vs other conferences

2021–2022 records against non-conference foes:

Power Conferences 5 Record
ACC 2–1
Big Ten 1–10
Big 12 0–0
Pac-12 0–0
BYU/Notre Dame 0–1
SEC 0–5
Power 5 Total 3–17
Other FBS Conferences Record
American 0–2
C–USA 2–0
Independents (Excluding Notre Dame) 3–1
Mountain West 1–3
Sun Belt 1–3
Other FBS Total 5–9
FCS Opponents Record
Football Championship Subdivision 11–1
Total Non-Conference Record 23–27

Mid-American vs Power 5 matchups

This is a list of games the MAC has scheduled versus power conference teams (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, BYU, Notre Dame and SEC). All rankings are from the current AP Poll at the time of the game.


Date Conference Visitor Home Site Score
September 2 SEC Bowling Green Tennessee Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, TN L 6–38
September 4 Big Ten Western Michigan Michigan Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI L 14–47
September 4 SEC Central Michigan Missouri Faurot Field • Columbia, MO L 24–34
September 4 SEC Akron Auburn Jordan–Hare Stadium • Auburn, AL L 10–60
September 4 ACC Syracuse Ohio Peden Stadium • Athens, OH L 9–29
September 4 ACC Northern Illinois Georgia Tech Bobby Dodd Stadium • Atlanta, GA W 22–21
September 4 SEC Kent State No. 6 Texas A&M Kyle Field • College Station, TX L 10–41
September 11 Big Ten Miami (OH) Minnesota TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, MN L 26–31
September 11 Independent Toledo No. 8 Notre Dame Notre Dame Stadium • South Bend, IN L 29–32
September 11 Big Ten Ball State No. 11 Penn State Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA L 13–44
September 11 Big Ten Buffalo Nebraska Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE L 3–28
September 11 Big Ten Eastern Michigan No. 18 Wisconsin Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI L 7–34
September 18 SEC Central Michigan LSU Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA L 21–49
September 18 Big Ten Northern Illinois No. 25 Michigan Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI L 10–63
September 18 ACC Western Michigan Pittsburgh Heinz Field • Pittsburgh, PA W 44–41
September 18 Big Ten Kent State No. 5 Iowa Kinnick Stadium • Iowa Stadium, IA L 7–30
September 25 Big Ten Akron No. 10 Ohio State Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH L 7–59
September 25 Big Ten Bowling Green Minnesota TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 14–10
September 25 Big Ten Kent State Maryland Maryland Stadium • College Park, MD L 16–37
September 25 Big Ten Ohio Northwestern Ryan Field • Evanston, IL L 6–35

Mid-American vs Group of Five matchups

The following games include MAC teams competing against teams from the American, C-USA, Mountain or Sun Belt.

Date Conference Visitor Home Site Score
September 4 American Miami (OH) No. 8 Cincinnati Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, OH L 14–49
September 11 Mountain West Wyoming Northern Illinois Huskie Stadium • DeKalb, IL L 43–50
September 11 American Temple Akron InfoCiscion Stadium • Akron, OH L 24–45
September 11 Sun Belt South Alabama Bowling Green Doyt Perry Stadium • Bowling Green, OH L 19–22
September 16 Sun Belt Ohio Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA L 14–49
September 18 Mountain West Ball State Wyoming War Memorial Stadium • Laramie, WY L 12–45
September 18 Mountain West Colorado State Toledo Glass Bowl • Toledo, OH L 6–22
September 18 Sun Belt No. 16 Coastal Carolina Buffalo UB Stadium • Buffalo, NY L 25–28
September 25 C-USA FIU Central Michigan Kelly/Shorts Stadium • Mount Pleasant, MI W 31–27
September 25 Sun Belt Texas State Eastern Michigan Rynearson Stadium • Ypsilanti, MI W 59–21
September 25 Mountain West San Jose State Western Michigan Waldo Stadium • Kalamazoo, MI W 23–3
September 25 C-USA Buffalo Old Dominion S.B. Ballard Stadium • Norfolk, VA W 35–34

Mid-American vs FBS independents matchups

The following games include MAC teams competing against FBS Independents, which includes Army, Liberty, New Mexico State, UConn, or UMass.

Date Conference Visitor Home Site Score
September 18 Independents Eastern Michigan UMass Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium • Amherst, MA W 42–28
September 25 Independents Miami (OH) Army Michie Stadium • West Point, NY L 10–23
October 2 Independents Toledo UMass Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium • Amherst, MA W 45–9
October 2 Independents Army Ball State Scheumann Stadium • Muncie, IN W 28–16

Mid-American vs FCS matchups

Date Visitor Home Site Score
September 2 Western Illinois Ball State Scheumann Stadium • Muncie, IN W 31–21
September 2 Wagner Buffalo UB Stadium • Buffalo, NY W 69–7
September 3 St. Francis Eastern Michigan Rynearson Stadium • Ypsilanti, MI W 35–15
September 4 Norfolk State Toledo Glass Bowl • Toledo, OH W 49–10
September 11 VMI Kent State Dix Stadium • Kent, OH W 60–10
September 11 Duquesne Ohio Peden Stadium • Athens, OH L 26–28
September 11 Robert Morris Central Michigan Kelly/Shorts Stadium • Mount Pleasant, MI W 45–0
September 11 Illinois State Western Michigan Waldo Stadium • Kalamazoo, MI W 28–0
September 18 Bryant Akron InfoCiscion Stadium • Akron, OH W 35–14
September 18 Murray State Bowling Green Doyt Perry Stadium • Bowling Green, OH W 27–10
September 18 LIU Miami (OH) Yager Stadium • Oxford, OH W 42–7
September 25 Maine Northern Illinois Huskie Stadium • DeKalb, IL W 41–14

Awards and honors

Player of the week honors

East Division

Week Offensive Defensive Special teams
Player Team Position Player Team Position Player Team Position
Week 1 (September 6) Kyle Vantrease Buffalo QB Darren Anders Bowling Green LB Josh Smith Kent State P
Week 2 (September 13) Matt McDonald Bowling Green QB Bubba Arslanian
Montre Miller 		Akron
Kent State 		LB
CB 		Graham Nicholson Miami (OH) K
Week 3 (September 20) DJ Irons Akron QB Taylor Riggins Buffalo DE Jonah Wieland Ohio P
Week 4 (September 27) Matt McDonald Bowling Green QB Brock Horne Bowling Green LB Matt Naranjo Bowling Green P
Week 5 (October 4) De'Montre Tuggle Ohio RB Will Evans Ohio DE Nate Needham Bowling Green K
Week 6 (October 11) Dustin Crum Kent State QB Tyson Durant Akron CB Graham Nicholson (2) Miami (OH) K
Week 7 (October 18) Dylan McDuffie Buffalo RB James Patterson Buffalo LB Nate Needham (2) Bowling Green K
Week 8 (October 25) Dustin Crum (2) Kent State QB Manny Lawrence-Burke Kent State LB Alex McNulty Buffalo K
Week 9/10 (November 8) Dustin Crum (3) Kent State QB Nico Bolden Kent State S Andrew Glass Kent State K
Week 11 (November 15) Brett Gabbert Miami (OH) QB Kam Butler Miami (OH) DE Michael Mathison Akron WR/KR
Week 12 (November 22) Dustin Crum (4) Kent State QB CJ West Kent State DL Andrew Glass (2) Kent State K
Week 13 (November 29) Xavier Williams Kent State RB Montre Miller (2) Kent State CB Nate Needham (3) Bowling Green K

West Division

Week Offensive Defensive Special teams
Player Team Position Player Team Position Player Team Position
Week 1 (September 6) Harrison Waylee Northern Illinois RB Lance Deveaux Jr. Northern Illinois LB Matt Ference Northern Illinois P
Week 2 (September 13) Harrison Waylee (2) Northern Illinois RB Dyontae Johnson Toledo LB Bailey Flint Toledo P
Week 3 (September 20) Kaleb Eleby Western Michigan QB Zaire Barnes Western Michigan LB Nathan Snyder Ball State P
Week 4 (September 27) Rocky Lombardi
Ben Bryant 		Northern Illinois
Eastern Michigan 		QB
QB 		Ali Fayad Western Michigan DL Chad Ryland Eastern Michigan K
Week 5 (October 4) Skyy Moore Western Michigan WR Dillon Thomas Northern Illinois LB Justin Hall Ball State WR/RS
Week 6 (October 11) Drew Plitt Ball State QB Bryce Cosby Ball State S John Richardson Northern Illinois K
Week 7 (October 18) Kaleb Eleby (2)
Jay Ducker 		Western Michigan
Northern Illinois 		QB
RB 		Bryce Cosby (2) Ball State S Marshall Meeder Central Michigan K
Week 8 (October 25) Rocky Lombardi (2) Northern Illinois QB Desjuan Johnson Toledo DT Kanon Woodill Northern Illinois K
Week 9/10 (November 8) Trayvon Rudolph
Hassan Beydoun 		Northern Illinois
Eastern Michigan 		WR
WR 		Jose Ramirez Eastern Michigan DE Kalil Pimpleton Central Michigan KR
Week 11 (November 15) Lew Nichols III Central Michigan RB Jamal Hines Toledo LB Chad Ryland (2)
John Richardson (2) 		Eastern Michigan
Northern Illinois 		K
K
Week 12 (November 22) Lew Nichols III (2)
Bryant Koback 		Central Michigan
Toledo 		RB
RB 		C. J. Brown Northern Illinois S Chad Ryland (3) Eastern Michigan K
Week 13 (November 29) Skyy Moore (2) Western Michigan WR Jamal Hines (2) Toledo LB Jake Julien Eastern Michigan P

MAC Individual awards

The following individuals received postseason honors as voted by the Mid-American Conference football coaches at the end of the season.

Award Player School
Offensive Player of the Year Lew Nichols III Central Michigan
Defensive Player of the Year Ali Fayad Western Michigan
Special Teams Player of the Year Kalil Pimpleton Central Michigan
Freshman Player of the Year Jay Ducker Northern Illinois
Vern Smith Leadership Award Dustin Crum Kent State
Coach of the Year Thomas Hammock Northern Illinois

All-Conference Teams

The following players were listed as part of the All-Conference teams.

Position Player Team
First Team Offense
WR Kalil Pimpleton Central Michigan
WR Dante Cephas Kent State
WR Jack Sorenson Miami
WR Skyy Moore Western Michigan
OL Sidy Sow Eastern Michigan
OL Bernhard Raimann Central Michigan
OL Luke Goedeke Central Michigan
OL Bryce Harris Toledo
OL Mike Caliendo Western Michigan
TE Christian Sims Bowling Green
QB Dustin Crum Kent State
RB Lew Nichols III Central Michigan
RB Bryant Koback Toledo
PK Nate Needham Bowling Green
First Team Defense
DL Troy Hairston Central Michigan
DL Kameron Butler Miami
DL Jamal Hines Toledo
DL Ali Fayad Western Michigan
LB Darren Anders Bowling Green
LB James Patterson Buffalo
LB Troy Brown Central Michigan
LB Ivan Pace Jr. Miami
DB Bryce Cosby Ball State
DB Elvis Hines Kent State
DB C.J. Brown Northern Illinois
DB Samuel Womack Toledo
DB Tycen Anderson Toledo
P Nathan Snyder Ball State
First Team Specialists
KRS Justin Hall Ball State
PRS Kalil Pimpleton Central Michigan
Position Player Team
Second Team Offense
WR Konata Mumpfield Akron
WR Justin Hall Ball State
WR Hassan Beydoun Eastern Michigan
WR Trayvon Rudolph Northern Illinois
OL Curtis Blackwell Ball State
OL Jake Fuzak Buffalo
OL Bill Kuduk Kent State
OL Nolan Potter Northern Illinois
OL Brayden Patton Northern Illinois
TE Tristian Brank Akron
QB Kaleb Eleby Western Michigan
RB Marquez Cooper Kent State
RB Sean Tyler Western Michigan
PK Chad Ryland Eastern Michigan
Second Team Defense
DL Daymond Williams Buffalo
DL Lonnie Phelps Miami
DL Desjuan Johnson Toledo
DL Ralph Holley Western Michigan
LB Jaylin Thomas Ball State
LB Matthew Salopek Miami
LB Jonathan Jones Toledo
LB Zaire Barnes Western Michigan
DB Jordan Anderson Bowling Green
DB Devonni Reed Central Michigan
DB Sterling Weatherford Miami
DB Dorian Jackson Western Michigan
P Jake Julien Eastern Michigan
Second Team Specialists
KRS Trayvon Rudolph Northern Illinois
PRS Devin Maddox Toledo
Position Player Team
Third Team Offense
WR Quian Williams Buffalo
WR Dallas Dixon Central Michigan
WR JaCorey Sullivan Central Michigan
WR Mac Hippenhammer Miami
OL Jack Klenk Buffalo
OL Brian Dooley Eastern Michigan
OL Nathan Monnin Kent State
OL Logan Zschernitz Northern Illinois
OL Vitaliy Gurman Toledo
TE Thomas Odukoya Eastern Michigan
QB Brett Gabbert Miami
RB Dylan McDuffie Buffalo
RB Clint Ratkovich Northern Illinois
PK Andrew Glass Kent State
Third Team Defense
DL Karl Brooks Bowling Green
DL Jose Ramirez Eastern Michigan
DL Dominique Robinson Miami
DL James Ester Northern Illinois
LB Lance Deveaux Northern Illinois
LB Bryce Houston Ohio
LB Dyontae Johnson Toledo
LB Corvin Moment Western Michigan
DB Devin Tyler Bowling Green
DB Jordan Gandy Northern Illinois
DB Tariq Drake Ohio
DB Maxen Hook Toledo
P Matt Naranjo Bowling Green
Third Team Specialists
KRS Ron Cook Buffalo
PRS Marion Lukes Central Michigan

All-Americans

For the complete All-America selections, see 2021 College Football All-America Team.

The 2021 College Football All-America Teams are composed of the following College Football All-American first teams chosen by the following selector organizations: Associated Press (AP), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Walter Camp Foundation (WCFF), The Sporting News (TSN), Sports Illustrated (SI), USA Today (USAT) ESPN, CBS Sports (CBS), FOX Sports (FOX) College Football News (CFN), Bleacher Report (BR), Scout.com, Phil Steele (PS), SB Nation (SB), Athlon Sports, Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Yahoo! Sports (Yahoo!).

Currently, the NCAA compiles consensus all-America teams in the sports of Division I-FBS football and Division I men's basketball using a point system computed from All-America teams named by coaches associations or media sources. The system consists of three points for a first-team honor, two points for second-team honor, and one point for third-team honor. Honorable mention and fourth team or lower recognitions are not accorded any points. Football consensus teams are compiled by position and the player accumulating the most points at each position is named first team consensus all-American. Currently, the NCAA recognizes All-Americans selected by the AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN, and the WCFF to determine Consensus and Unanimous All-Americans. Any player named to the First Team by all five of the NCAA-recognized selectors is deemed a Unanimous All-American.

Position Player School Selector Unanimous Consensus
First Team All-Americans
K Nate Needham Bowling Green FWAA
Position Player School Selector Unanimous Consensus
Second Team All-Americans
OL Bernhard Raimann Central Michigan TSN

NFL draft

The following list includes all MAC players who were drafted in the 2022 NFL draft.

Player Position School Draft
Round 		Round
Pick 		Overall
Pick 		Team
Skyy Moore WR Western Michigan 2 22 54 Kansas City Chiefs
Luke Goedeke T Central Michigan 2 25 57 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bernhard Raimann T Central Michigan 3 13 77 Indianapolis Colts
Tycen Anderson S Toledo 5 23 166 Cincinnati Bengals
Samuel Womack CB Toledo 5 29 172 San Francisco 49ers
Dominique Robinson DE Miami (OH) 5 31 174 Chicago Bears

References

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Mid-American Conference football
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