Every summer since 2007 I have created an intricate set of college football predictions for each upcoming season.  This year is no exception, as I will be using my blog over the next few hours to publish my 19th annual college football preview guide which will contain 19 entries in all. The records below reflect each team’s predicted regular season overall record followed by their conference record.  These records include conference title games for the top two teams but exclude bowl games which will be previewed later on in a separate column on this blog.  The teams marked in bold font are the ones predicted to gain bowl eligibility.  Without further ado, here are my predictions for the Mid-American Conference in 2025, which adds a new member (UMass) for the first time in a long while.

1	Ohio (9-4, 7-1)– regular season champ/conference runner-up

Last Year’s Record: 11-3 (My 2024 prediction: 4-8)- I was way off on the Bobcats last season!

Positional Strength: Quarterback

Positional Weakness: Linebacker

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. West Virginia (September 6)- the Bobcats will be up for a rare visit from a Power 4 opponent!

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Western Michigan (November 11)

Bottom Line: I am calling for the Bobcats to return to the MAC Title Game for the second consecutive season, but this time fall short of the conference crown. Ohio does have a new head coach in Brian Smith, but he has been part of the staff for the past three seasons so you won’t so much change in schemes or personnel. Dual threat quarterback Parker Navaarro should have a big season as well, as this program pushes towards its fourth straight 10 win season.

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1	Buffalo (10-3, 7-1)– conference champion

Last Year’s Record: 9-4 (My 2024 prediction: 2-10)- As you can see, some of my MAC picks in 2024 were less than stellar.

Positional Strength: Linebacker

Positional Weakness: Wide Receiver

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Miami-OH (November 19)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. UConn (September 27)

Bottom Line: I am calling for the Bulls to lose their season finale to Ohio on the day after Thanksgiving but then come back the following week and get revenge over the Bobcats in the MAC title game. I have always loved Pete Lembo as a coach, and I think this season he can win his first conference title on the FBS level with this veteran squad led by former UConn/K-State quarterback Taquan Roberson.

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3	Miami-OH (8-4, 6-2)

Last Year’s Record: 9-5 (My 2024 prediction: 9-4)- I almost correctly predicted a repeat Redhawk conference title in 2024

Positional Strength: Quarterback

Positional Weakness: Running Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Toledo (November 12)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Buffalo (November 19)

Bottom Line: This team has a great, veteran coach and an immense amount of talent, but the Rehawks only returns only one offensive starter from 2024. The lack of experierence will be this squad’s downfall.

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3	Central Michigan (7-5, 6-2)

Last Year’s Record: 4-8 (My 2024 prediction: 7-5)- I have incorrectly picked the Chippewas to make a bowl game each of the past two seasons and apparently I haven’t learned my lesson.

Positional Strength: Linebacker

Positional Weakness: Wide Receiver

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Toledo (November 29)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Western Michigan (November 1)

Bottom Line: The Chippewas have underperformed my predictions for them in each of the the past two seasons, but I think 2025 is the year this team gets back to a bowl game. The surprisingly lackluster tenure of Jim McElwain is now over and Matt Drinkall comes in with some fresh energy and enthusiasm. The defense should be elite, and the program has the experience, talent, and resources to win immediately.

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5	Toledo (9-3, 6-2)

Last Year’s Record: 8-5 (My 2024 prediction: 11-2)

Positional Strength: Defensive Back

Positional Weakness: Linebacker

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Northern Illinois (November 5)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Central Michigan (November 29)

Bottom Line: The Rockets should improve upon last year’s disappointment 8-5 campaign, but I think they will fall just short of a third conference title game appearance within a four year span. They return eight starters on offense so they are plenty experienced, but in a run-first league like the MAC where line play is so important, I have concerns about their front seven defensively.

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6	Northern Illinois (8-4, 5-3)

Last Year’s Record: 8-5 (My 2024 prediction: 7-5)- another spot on prediction!

Positional Strength: Defensive Line

Positional Weakness: Wide Receiver

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at Mississippi State (September 20)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. Miami-OH (October 4)

Bottom Line: Thomas Hammock will always always field a competitive team in this league, but with just five total returning starters, 2025 will likely be somewhat of a rebuilding season for the Huskies.

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7	Western Michigan (5-7, 4-4)

Last Year’s Record: 6-7 (My 2024 prediction: 6-6)- another spot on prediction!

Positional Strength: Wide Receiver

Positional Weakness: Quarterback

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Ohio (November 11)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Eastern Michigan (November 25)

Bottom Line: There are major question marks at quarerback entering this season for Lance Taylor’s squad, but if they can figure out that position, then the Broncos have the talent to return to a bowl game.

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8	Eastern Michigan (4-8, 3-5)

Last Year’s Record: 5-7 (My 2024 prediction: 8-4)

Positional Strength: Wide Receiver

Positional Weakness: Defensive Line

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Western Michigan (November 25)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. UL-Lafayette (September 20)

Bottom Line: Chris Creighton has done fantastic work in his 11 years in Ypsilanti, but you have to wonder if NIL and the transfer portal have made this already difficult job nearly impossible to succeed in. This program has declined in wins in each of the past two sesaons, and I am predicing that trend to continue in 2025 due to an inexperienced defense that lost its top 11 tacklers from 2024.

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9	Bowling Green (4-8, 3-5)

Last Year’s Record: 7-6 (My 2024 prediction: 6-6)- another great 2024 prediction for me!

Positional Strength: Offensive Line

Positional Weakness: Running Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Akron (November 18)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Eastern Michigan (November 8)

Bottom Line: The Falcons have consistently found themselves in the 6-7 win range in each of the past three seasons, but I am calling for them to take a step back in 2025. This squad in going through a coaching change, a scheme overhaul, and only returns one defensive starter. The hire of Eddie George seems like one of those boom or bust moves that will either be wildly successful or a complete disaster. I am initially leaning towards the latter of these outcomes.

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10	Akron (3-9, 2-6)

Last Year’s Record: 4-8 (My 2024 prediction: 2-10)

Positional Strength: Quarterback

Positional Weakness: Running Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at Ball State (October 18)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. UMass (November 4)

Bottom Line: Everyone keeps waiting for Joe Moorhead to have a breakthrough year at Akron, but this program has been bad for so long you have to start to wonder if it is ever going to happen. The Zips still lack the talent and experience, especially defensively, to approach .500 this season.

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11	Kent State (3-9, 2-6)

Last Year’s Record: 0-12 (My 2024 prediction: 3-9)- I predicted Kent State to win a total of 5 games over the past two seasons and in both season I overrated them!

Positional Strength: Running Back

Positional Weakness: Offensive Line

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at Ball State (November 5)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Akron (November 11)

Bottom Line: It is hard to classify a team you are predicing to be 3-9 as a surprise team for an upcoming season, but given how bad the Golden Flashes have been the past two years, this would be a breakthrough season for Kent State if my prediction holds. Their starting quarterback, Devin Kargman, should be returning are getting shut down for the season after an injury on the second play of their season opener in 2024. Also, two of their top three tacklers are returning for a defense that actually has some talent at each level. Don’t get me wrong, the Flashes won’t be challenging for a bowl bid in 2025, but I am predicting they win multiple football games for the first time since 2022.

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12	UMass (2-10, 1-7)

Last Year’s Record: 2-10 (My 2024 prediction: 2-10)- another spot-on prediction in 2024!

Positional Strength: Defensive Back

Positional Weakness: Linebacker

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at Akron (November 4)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Kent State (October 11)

Bottom Line: Conference affiliation, even if not geographically logical, should help this program in the long term. In the short term, however, this is still a team that lacks talent and experience on both sides of the ball and also must adjust to a new coaching staff with new schemes and philosophies. All in all, this will be another long year on the gridiron in Amherst.

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13	Ball State (0-12, 0-8)

Last Year’s Record: 3-9 (My 2024 prediction: 5-7)- I will definitely not be overrating this team for the second consecutiave year

Positional Strength: Defensive Line

Positional Weakness: Quarterback

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: None

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. Kent State (November 5)

Bottom Line: In a league featuring several really bad teams, I think the Cardinals are actually the worst of the bunch. This program has nose dived since their improbable run to a MAC title in 2020, and there aren’t many signs indicting that is going to change anytime soon. Bringing in a marginally successful FCS coach in Mike Uremovich could be a step in the positive direction for the long haul, but in the immediate future, this is a team that lacks talent and experience at every position on the football field in 2025.

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