MAC race heating up: What to know about MACtion in 2024 as weeknight games begin on CBS Sports Network

The MAC has been the most unpredictable conference in college football this season as the league race heads into the home stretch. Weeknight MACtion debuts on CBS Sports Network at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday as Ball State travels to Buffalo in one of several games with conference title implications.

Five games into conference play, four teams are tied for first place in the MAC with identical 4-1 records in conference play: Ohio, Bowling Green, Miami (Ohio) and Western Michigan. Toledo and Buffalo are close behind at 3-2. With three games remaining in conference play, the battle for the MAC title is still anyone’s race.

No team has won back-to-back championships since Jordan Lynch’s Northern Illinois teams in 2011-12, but Miami can become the first to do it with a strong finish against a tough schedule. To the contrary, Bowling Green is searching for its first title since 2015 and Ohio is hoping to win its first since 1968.

Key games remaining

Ball State at Buffalo (Nov. 12): The Buffaloes hope to stay alive against Ball State’s passing offense, which ranks No. 4 in the MAC.
Western Michigan at Bowling Green (Nov. 12): Perhaps the two best offensive players in the conference vie with BGSU’s Harold Fannin Jr. against Western Michigan’s Jaden Nixon.
Ohio at Toledo (Nov. 20): The MAC’s leading passer, Toledo’s Tucker Gleason, faces off against the No. 2 defense in the MAC.
Miami at Bowling Green (Nov. 29): Potentially the two best teams in the MAC battle with a spot in the MAC Championship Game likely on the line.

Nation’s best tight end?

Each season, the MAC tends to develop a serious NFL prospect against all odds. Last year, it was Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, who ignored tampering from Big Ten and SEC schools to stick around and become a first-round NFL Draft pick. This year, it’s Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr.

With all due respect to Penn State’s Tyler Warren, by my money Fannin is the best tight end in the country. The junior ranks No. 4 in the nation in both catches (73) and yards per game (114.8), putting him on track to break the all-time tight end yardage record set by Texas Tech’s Jace Amaro (1,352 yards). No other tight end is even in the top 30 nationally.

In four MAC wins, Fannin has 32 catches for 466 yards and two touchdowns. In the lone loss, he had four catches for 25 yards and a touchdown against Northern Illinois. He can single-handedly swing the MAC Championship Game race.

Transfer portal giveth

Much has been made of the MAC losing contributors to bigger schools, but Western Michigan became one of the biggest winners of the portal. Every one of its 12 transfers has contributed, but the star of the show is running back Jaden Nixon, who came to WMU from Oklahoma State.

After contributing lightly in his first two games, Nixon has taken over since conference play started. The junior is averaging 94 yards per game and 7.3 yards per carry for the Broncos, and his 12 rushing scores rank top 15 nationally. Western Michigan is searching for its first conference championship since P.J. Fleck left for Minnesota.

Linebacker duo

It’s fitting that the school who can boast Khalil Mack, Buffalo, is rising back to prominence thanks to a truly special linebacker pairing. Linebackers Shaun Dolac and Red Murdock rank Nos. 1 and 3 nationally in tackles with a combined 227 between them. Buffalo is the only school with two 100-yard tacklers. Dolac earned Midseason All-America honors from CBS Sports.

Buffalo sits at 3-2 in MAC play and has winnable games against Ball State, Eastern Michigan and Kent State remaining to get back into the race.

Tiebreaker scenarios

With 12 members, the MAC should hopefully be insulated from the truly bizarre conference tiebreaker scenarios that larger leagues are facing. If there is a tie, though, here are the procedures: