A look at the MAC in 2010

I’m hearing a lot of doom and gloom after the MSU game, and a lot of talk that “Cubit is tired, and isn’t getting it done anymore.”

Cubit has admitted that this is a rebuilding year, and that a bad recruiting class in 2007 put them in a position of playing a lot of freshmen, and being thin in terms of depth at other positions. Bad is right, as 11 members of that class have left or have been shown the door. Cubit and his staff own that one.

Many fans on message boards have predicted the worst for WMU in 2010. I disagree. UM and MSU were not winnable. UM was too early in the year, and MSU is likely a top two team in the Big Ten barring some strange officiating against Iowa.

Indiana was a totally winnable game. A last minute fumble secured the win for IU. Is that Bill Cubit’s fault?

Against NIU Tim Hiller was throwing to a brand new crop of receivers, as his starters were all out injured. Same at Kent, although the defense was simply awful. Those games were not going to be won. The Kent game was a mystery, and hopefully not an indicator of the character of this team or program. If they lose at EMU and against Ball State, then the words “quitters” will certainly be bantered around.

CMU went from a game to “game over” in the span of two minutes as Western’s defense refused to roll up it’s corners, and Lefevour and Anderson played pitch and catch down the field. The game was sealed with a perfect strike to Nick Bellore as Tim Hiller threw under enormous pressure. That game was winnable.

The Buffalo win was a solid win, considering the receivers on the field were mostly freshmen. On that day those freshmen were able to step up and get it done. That was not the case at NIU or Kent.

Wins over EMU and BSU will give the Broncos a 5-3 record in the MAC. Respectable and something to build on. In the “if and could have” department IU should have been a W, and CMU was winnable. Now you’re 6-2 and 8-4. As they say, it’ a game of inches, and those inches will be the difference in 6-6 and 8-4.

So are the Broncos a lost cause in 2010 as many on the message boards think? I doubt it. This stuff is all cyclical. You’re on top one day, and you’re in the cellar the next. Ask Miami, who only yesterday was a Top 20 team with an NFL bound QB in Dan Rothlensberger. WMU doesn’t lose much in terms of numbers, and they may be better at positions such as running back and O-line with the additions of some very good freshmen. The rest of the league loses players as well—in some cases a lot of players.

Who loses what

CMU loses 5 on defense and 3, possibly 4 on offense. The three they lose are the nucleus. (6-7)
Key losses include Dan LeFevour, Frank Zambo, Josh Gordy, Bryan Anderson, and possibly Antonio Brown.

Western loses 3 on offense and 3 on defense, 2 of the 3 on offense being the nucleus of the offense. In my opinion West will be replaced by better backs than him, no offense to him. (8-8)
Key losses include Tim Hiller, Brandon West, and Cody Ceilinski

UT loses 6 on offense and 7 on defense, although their back up QB has played well. (5-4)
Key losses include Aaron Opelt, Stephan Williams, Buster Garrett, DaJuane Collins, and Bary Church

NIU loses 2 on offense and 3 on defense, and get back a solid QB and a great running back. (9-8)
Key loss is Eddie Adamski.

BSU loses 2 on offense and 4 on defense. They lose a solid RB, but are knee deep at QB with Page and Aaron Mershman. Their O-line is bad regardless of what they return. (9-7)
Key losses include MiQuale Lewis and Brandon Crawford.

EMU loses 6 on offense and 3 on defense. (5-8)
Key losses include Andy Schmitt, Terrance Blevins, Dontayo Gage, and Andy Fretz.

Experience matters in this league; always has. So for the doom and gloomers, it’s not as bad as you think. WMU will return a solid nucleus and has some very good freshmen coming up in Brian Fields and Antoine Scriven. David Box looked very good in the fall, but was knocked out by injury. If he returns the loss of Cody Ceilinski will be eased. Waymon Ross should be back from injury as well, and will add additional speed at linebacker. Dallas Walker will be back from injury as well. Dan O’Neill will be a HUGE addition to the offensive line.

Quarterback is certainly a big question. I think it will come down to Alex Carder and freshmen Tyler VanTubbergen, who has looked very good on the scout team. But worst case scenario is Cubit starts a senior QB in Drew Burdi. While inexperienced, it’s always nice having a senior available. If your fallback position is starting a senior than you’re not in bad shape. Cubit will have different options with this group of QB’s, and that may be a good thing.

Let’s hold off on the mutiny until the season ends. A couple of wins will quell some of the hysteria I’m hearing out there. While 5-3 in the MAC was not what some projected, there are at least 8 teams in the league that will finish the same or worse.