10 things you need to know before watching Midweek MACtion

The calendar has flipped to November, and the Tuesday night lights have never shined brighter. The stage is set, meaning it's time for the Mid-American Conference to become the center of the college football world on weeknights.

Midweek MACtion is back.

The conference recognizes 1999 as the origin of Midweek MACtion, but the popularity and the term itself grew substantially in the early 2010s. Several high-scoring shootouts in 2011 and Jordan Lynch's Heisman campaign were among the moments that vastly increased the popularity of Tuesday and Wednesday night football, long before Conference USA began showcasing midweek October games.

Here at the By the Belt, we've watched every single MAC game since Eastern Michigan and Sacramento State battled at The Factory on Aug. 29. But we also recognize many viewers will be tuning in to the conference for the first time this Tuesday.

So whether you’re a diehard or a casual, here are 10 things to know about the 2026 MAC before the midweek festivities begin:

1) No MAC champion has repeated since 2011-12

No conference has a greater claim to being the conference of parity than the MAC.

Northern Illinois, which fled the conference in July in favor of the Mountain West, is the last team to repeat as MAC champion, doing so in the 2011 and 2012 seasons. In the 13 years following, not a single MAC team has been able to replicate that feat.

The defending champ has qualified for the conference title game five times since 2013, but has not been able to prevail at Ford Field in a second-straight season. This year, the target is on Western Michigan, which defeated Miami (OH) 22-13 in Detroit last December. The Broncos, equipped with head coach Lance Taylor and the most returning starters in the conference, remain in the picture with three games remaining, hoping to snap that trend.

2) There is still one perfect and one winless team

While the MAC is the conference of parity, there are still teams with extreme conference records. Ohio is the only 4-0 team. Akron is the only 0-4 team. And Ohio vs. Akron is the first Midweek MACtion contest of the year, kicking off at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 3 from InfoCision Stadium.

Ohio is the MAC's hottest team. Under first-year head coach John Hauser, the Bobcats ride a five-game win streak and remain perfect against their conference peers. Starting quarterback Nick Poulos returned from an injury Oct. 17, and that has done wonders for the Ohio offense which is 31st nationally in rushing. Defensively, the Bobcats are surrendering just 12.8 points per game in MAC play. But they've been contested, finishing 3-1 in one-score games this year.

Akron is the MAC's coldest team. The Zips have dropped six consecutive games, including four against MAC opponents. In fact, their only win this season was against FCS Robert Morris when a fan was selected to serve as offensive coordinator for the opening drive. Six of Akron's seven losses came by at least 15 points, and the Zips are struggling most in a multitude of areas, ranked 127th in scoring offense, 130th in turnovers committed, 138th in sacks, 132nd in fourth down offense, and 135th in fourth down defense.

3) Messiah Burch has become unstoppable

Every year, there are a few MAC superstars to keep an eye on. Last year, they were primarily on defense. This season, one offensive superstar is taking the conference by storm: Buffalo running back Messiah Burch.

The Bulls are a completely different team than they were in September, and that's due to unleashing Burch in the backfield. The running back has eclipsed 100 yards in five consecutive weeks, and the Bulls are 4-1 in that span — coming up one yard short against Western Michigan on the final play of that lone defeat.

Burch's last five games include performances of 146, 106, 137, 172, and 184 rushing yards, contributing five touchdowns over that timeframe. He is 13th nationally and first in the MAC with 105.6 yards per game and has transformed Buffalo into a bona fide contender. The Bulls already claimed a tiebreaker win over Toledo and only face one more team with a .500+ record, taking on Miami (OH) on Nov. 4.

4) Toledo's reload effort has gone swimmingly

Toledo is the symbol of stability in the MAC. The Rockets have not finished below .500 since 2009, and the only teams that boast longer streaks are Boise State, Georgia, and Alabama.

However, the Rockets were at a crossroads in the offseason. For the first time in the NIL/transfer portal era, Toledo underwent a head coaching change. Jason Candle left for UConn, and the Rockets made an under-the-radar hire in Mike Jacobs, who consistently won conference championships at the Division II and FCS levels, spending his most recent stint at Mercer.

Despite losing all but one starter in the offseason (and that starter, guard Stephen Gales, hasn't even played), Toledo remains Toledo. The Rockets are bowl eligible at 6-2 and one win away from extending the streak to 17 consecutive seasons .500 or better. Quarterback John Alan Richter, one of the few holdovers from the Candle era, is 10th nationally in passing and leads the MAC by a country mile. Defensive end Andrew Zock is fifth nationally in sacks and fourth in forced fumbles.

Toledo ranks 10th in total offense and 38th in total defense as arguably the most balanced team in the conference.

5) Miami is still alive for a fourth-straight MAC title game

Miami (OH) is always the quiet lurker, which gets more dangerous as the season progresses. We've seen this same song and dance every year under head coach Chuck Martin, who has regularly overcome slow starts to compete for conference titles. He has won two MAC championships and participated in four title games since 2019, including each of the last three.

At 5-3 overall and 3-1 in MAC play, Miami can realistically become the first time to qualify for the MAC Championship Game in four straight seasons since Northern Illinois made it every year from 2010-15. The only other team to qualify for four straight was 1997-02 Marshall, another team no longer in the conference.

Miami's title odds took a severe hit when it lost emerging star redshirt freshman quarterback David McComb for the year in Week 4. However, the RedHawks are winners of three in a row, and they'll have homefield advantage for games against fellow contenders Buffalo and Ohio.

6) Western Michigan doesn't always win pretty, but they win

Western Michigan sits on the throne of the MAC. The Broncos are 6-3 (or 7-2 if we count that officiating error against Michigan as a win), and they've been on a tear since Week 4 of the 2025 season.

Western Michigan has won 13 of its last 15 matchups against MAC opponents, and those two losses were both by single digits on the road — at Miami (OH) in 2025 and at Toledo in 2026.

The Broncos prioritize winning, and they're good at it. But they don't always win in the most aesthetically pleasing fashion. Three of their five wins this year were by single digits, and they have only surpassed 28 points twice in seven games against FBS competition.

Their identity is slightly different this year. Last year, Western Michigan was a pound-the-rock, control-the-clock team, ranking 16th in rushing and 12th in time of possession. This year, they are the closest team to 30 minutes in time of possession and check in at 55th in rushing, utilizing reigning MAC Offensive Player of the Year Broc Lowry more as a passer than a dominant runner. The result has still worked to a degree, as Western Michigan has the same record entering November as it did last season.

7) UMass is one win away from its best season ever

UMass was one of the biggest stories of September in college football. The long suffering Minutemen were fresh off an 0-12 season where absolutely nothing went right. And on Thursday night of Week 1, they provided hope to an entire community by shocking Rutgers in Piscataway, dominating the Scarlet Knights in a multitude of areas en route to a 37-21 upset.

The Minutemen jumped to a 4-0 start and were one of the last 22 remaining unbeatens. They matched their highest win total in their 15 seasons as an FBS program, peaking at 4-8 in 2017 and 2018.

However, that elusive fifth win has not come to fruition. UMass rides a four-game losing streak, which includes falling to Miami (OH) 20-19 on a game-ending two-point attempt and dropping an overtime thriller to Buffalo. The Minutemen have Ball State, Toledo, Akron, and Bowling Green remaining. Win one, and it is the best UMass season ever, according to the standings.

8) Bowling Green could have two national leaders

2026 has not been a kind season for Bowling Green. The Falcons failed to attain bowl eligibility for the second-straight season under Eddie George, marred by a slow start featuring a loss to FCS Tarleton State.

But one thing is clear: Bowling Green has sharply improved from September. While the Falcons are 2-7, they have several individuals performing at a high level.

Defensive end Myles Bradley is currently third nationally in sacks with 9.0, only trailing Texas defensive end Colin Simmons (10.5) and Indiana defensive end Tobi Osunsanmi. Bradley has notched a share of a sack in six of his eight games this year, generating 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles against South Florida.

Inside linebacker Dorian Pringle is tied for second in the FBS in tackles with 86, only trailing San Diego State outside linebacker Sione Hala (89). Pringle opened the season with a 16-tackle showing and has managed at least seven stops in every game, recording double-digits in three of his last five. He also has 7.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles as another star defender on the Falcon defense.

9) Midweek MACtion has now reached California

The ever-stable MAC had two interesting conference realignment moves this summer. When the league lost one of its iconic brands in Northern Illinois to the Mountain West, it simultaneously added a geographic outlier in Sacramento State from the FCS ranks.

Sacramento State secured its first-ever MAC victory last Friday night, upsetting Kent State in 31-10 fashion. With the Hornets in the conference, that means Midweek MACtion shifts to California for the first time ever.

Sacramento State will participate in two midweek games. It hosts Toledo at Hornet Stadium on Wednesday, Nov. 4 before traveling to Mount Pleasant on Wednesday, Nov. 11.

We happily welcome the Golden State to the Midweek MACtion scene.

10) Luster, Smith among fan favorites

Every year, fan favorites and cult heroes emerge from Midweek MACtion games. Sometimes they're players that are simply dominant like Jordan Lynch, Jaret Patterson, Sutton Smith, Maxx Crosby, or Harold Fannin Jr. Sometimes they're stars with fun personalities or backstories like Carson Steele or Gideon ESPN Lampron.

Who are the fan favorites to keep an eye on for the 2026 midweek slate?

Ball State quarterback Keldric Luster can be an electrifying watch. The 5'10", 250 pound Texas State transfer is one of the more mobile quarterbacks in the conference, and he has a knack for shedding tacklers and hurdling defenders. In his last two games, Luster has 429 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, 193 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns.

Another fun player to watch is Miami (OH) true freshman wide receiver/kick returner Scoop Smith. Smith stands 5'5" and weighs 150 pounds, but the Pittsburgh native can be a magician with the football in his hands. He's used as a receiver, a rusher, and a return specialist, scoring a touchdown in all three departments this season.