Mid-American Conference

This Week’s MAC Football Schedule
Friday, November 24
Western Michigan at Toledo, 11:30 am ET (ESPNU)
NIU at Central Michigan, Noon ET (CBS Sports Network)
Ohio at Buffalo, 1:00 pm ET (ESPN3)

Tuesday, November 21
Akron 24, Kent State 14  Final
Eastern Michigan 34, Bowling Green 31  Final
Miami 28, Ball State 7  Final
 
FINAL DAY DETERMINES WEST DIVISION CHAMPION
The West Division title comes down to the final day of the regular season to determine if either Toledo or NIU will face East Division Champion Akron Zips. The 2017 Marathon MAC Football Championship Game is Saturday, Dec. 2 at Noon ET at Ford Field  in Detroit (ESPN). In the East Division, Akron defeated Kent State, 24-14, on Nov. 21st to clinch the East Division crown.  In the West Division, Toledo and NIU are tied for first with 6-1 league records, with Toledo holding the tiebreaker.  
 
MAC WEST DIVISION CLINCHING SCENARIOS
Toledo: Win over WMU (11/24) or loss by *NIU at CMU (11/24)
NIU: Win at CMU (11/24) and loss by Toledo vs. WMU (11/24)

*In a three-way tie (Toledo (6-2), NIU (6-2) and Central Michigan (6-2)), the multi-team tiebreaker is head-to-head record among tied teams: Toledo (2-0) wins the tiebreaker with wins over NIU and CMU; CMU (1-1) had a win vs. NIU and loss to Toledo; NIU (0-2) lost both games to Toledo and CMU.

• The MAC has six teams bowl eligible -- Toledo (9-2), Ohio (8-3), NIU (8-3), Central Michigan (7-4), Western Michigan (6-5) and Akron (7-5). Buffalo (5-6) needs one more victory to become bowl eligible.
• The final day of the 2017 regular season features three Conference games on Friday, Nov. 24 with Western Michigan at Toledo at 11:30 am ET (ESPNU), NIU at Central Michigan at Noon ET (CBS Sports Network) and Ohio at Buffalo at 1:00 pm ET (ESPN3).
 
MAC WEEKLY NOTES
• Northern Illinois defensive end Sutton Smith had 2.5 sacks to set the school record with 13 sacks in a single season in a 35-31 win over Western Michigan on Nov. 15. Smith has set the school’s mark of 27.5 tackles for loss in a single season.
• Toledo quarterback Logan Woodside threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns in a 66-37 win at Bowling Green on Nov. 15. Woodside’s two touchdown passes set the program record with 86 career passing touchdowns, surpassing Bruce Gradkowski’s mark of 85 from 2002-05.
• Western Michigan senior running back Jarvion Franklin totaled 115 yards rushing with one touchdown in a 35-31 loss at NIU on Nov. 15. Franklin has 1,176 yards rushing this season and ranks fifth on the MAC’s all-time career rushing yards list with 4,815 yards and his 52 career rushing touchdowns ranks tied for fourth on the MAC’s all-time career rushing touchdowns list.
• Ohio quarterback Nathan Rourke rushed for a career-high 165 yards and two touchdowns in a 37-34 loss at Akron on Nov. 14. Rourke tied Ohio’s single-season record with 19 rushing touchdowns and ranks second in the nation in this category.
• Buffalo quarterback Tyree Jackson threw for 350 yards and a career-high four touchdowns in a 40-24 win at Ball State on Nov. 16 to become the first quarterback in school history to throw for 300 yards in three straight games. Bulls wide receiver Anthony Johnson set a school record with four touchdowns with his seven catches for 153 yards receiving. Johnson ranks third in the nation with 1,201 yards receiving and is tied for third in the country with his 12 receiving scores.
  
MAC FOURSOME LEADS THE NATION IN QUARTERBACK SACKS
The MAC is home to the top four students in the nation in quarterback sacks. Northern Illinois sophomore Sutton Smith leads the nation with 13.0 sacks (1.18 per game), while Ball State senior Anthony Winbush ranks second in the country with 11.5 sacks (1.05 per game). Central Michigan senior Joe Ostman and Eastern Michigan sophomore Maxx Crosby are tied for third in the country with 11.0 sacks. In addition, NIU’s Smith leads the nation with 27.5 tackles for loss for an average of 2.5 per game. Central Michigan’s Ostman ranks fifth in the country with 16.5 tackles for loss for 1.8 per game.
 
BRONCOS’ OKORAFOR SEMIFINALIST FOR OUTLAND TROPHY
Western Michigan senior offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor is one of six semifinalists for the 2017 Outland Trophy, given to the nations best interior lineman in college football. Okorafor, 6-6 and 330 lbs., a three-year starter for the Broncos who has been ranked as the No. 4 offensive tackle by Mel Kiper Jr. going into the 2018 NFL Draft. A native of Southfield, Mich., Okorafor played right tackle his first two seasons then moved to left tackle at the beginning of the 2016 season and has been a fixture there since. He has started every game the last three seasons for a productive offense which has been among national leaders in rushing the past two years. Western Michigan has 26 rushing touchdowns this season and is averaging 236.5 yards rushing per game. Okorafor was a First-Team All-MAC selection last season.
 
MARATHON MAC FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP DEC. 2 AT NOON
The 2017 Marathon MAC Football Championship Game will kickoff on Saturday, Dec. 2 at Noon ET from Ford Field in Detroit and will be broadcast nationally on either ABC, ESPN or ESPN2. The 2017 Marathon MAC Football Championship game will feature the Champions from both the MAC East and West Divisions and will be the 21st Championship Game for the MAC and the 14th game played at Ford Field. Tickets for the Marathon MAC Football Championship Game are available at FordField.com, via phone at (877) 212-8898 and at the Ford Field Ticket Office. Tickets are available for $20 sideline, $15 corner and $10 general admission in the end zone.