2026 MAC Football Power Rankings: Week 1

Hello everyone and welcome back!

Some housekeeping before we start: we did not publish a preseason ranking due to the blog's overall transition resulting in some departures and changes in editorial priorities. As a result, we were unable to reach a quorum we typically like to get for these. Apologies to anyone who was anticipating them, and we will do our best to ensure the rankings continue throughout the season now that we are more settled.

Anyways... what about that first week, huh?

There were some genuinely stunning results in both directions, with UMass claiming their first-ever #FlyTheFlag victory over Rutgers in dominant fashion, Bowling Green swallowing a tough loss to Tarleton State and Western Michigan debatably winning (or losing, depending on who you ask) to the Michigan Wolverines on national TV.

So how did all that shake out in our rankings? Let's dive right in, shall we?

13. Bowling Green Falcons

• High vote: 12 (once)
• Low vote: 13 (four)
• Average vote: 12.8

Can't lose to a FCS team at home and look like the worse team doing it. Doesn't matter that you rallied in the second half and put yourselves in a position to win. Doesn't matter that Tarleton State is one of the best FCS teams in the country. It's unacceptable, and now they've got to look at themselves in the mirror as they get set to face Nebraska.

12. Ball State Cardinals

• High vote: 10 (once)
• Low vote: 11 (four)
• Average vote: 11.2

Ball State took an understandable pasting against Ohio State, losing by exactly 50 as 50-point underdogs. There were flashes here and there, especially on offense, but we're going to learn more about this team in the coming weeks. There's still a lot of work to be done with a clearly re-building roster.

11. Buffalo Bulls

• High vote: 9 (once)
• Low vote: 12 (once)
• Average vote: 10.4

Buffalo was very close to taking a disastrous loss to UAlbany to start the season last week, but managed to get out of their own way late to sneak victory from the jaws of defeat. Both sides of the ball looked good on paper as well, which makes this performance all the more confusing. Hopefully it was the result of adverse conditions more than an indication of form.

t-9. Sacramento State Hornets

• High vote: 8 (once)
• Low vote: 12 (once)
• Average vote: 9.8

Sacramento State picked up an emphatic first win as an FBS program last week, drumming Mississippi Valley State 52-0. It's a landmark victory, both for the program and head coach Alonzo Carter, but the Delta Devils aren't exactly known for being the most competitive of programs. They're 1-1 with a conference loss already on the ledger, and face their toughest test yet against Fresno State.

t-9. Kent State Golden Flashes

• High vote: 6 (once)
• Low vote: 12 (once)
• Average vote: 9.8

Kent State was blanked 57-0 against South Carolina, but largely walked away with a decently healthy outlook. The non-conference slate is always tough for the Flashes, so it will be tough to know what we're looking at with this crew for awhile. Either way, their margin for success will be slim upon entering the MAC portion of the schedule.

8. Akron Zips

• High vote: 7 (twice)
• Low vote: 9 (once)
• Average vote: 7.8

Akron's in a tough place; their projected starting QB, Reese Poffenbarger, was held out hours before kickoff with Wake Forest due to an eligibility concern. Not that it likely would have mattered to their hopes of an upset, but it clearly shook the team's confidence. Now they enter Week 2 against a feisty Robert Morris team with the eyes of the social media world looking upon them due to the Offensive Coordinator of the Game promotion reaching its fruition.

7. Central Michigan Chippewas

• High vote: 4 (once)
• Low vote: 9 (once)
• Average vote: 7

CMU melted down against New Mexico last week in a game where nothing seemed to go right from start to finish. Head coach Matt Drinkall took responsibility, saying he underestimated the environment and didn't get his players ready properly. It's admirable of him to say, but the amount of what went wrong was startling. This is a team with dark horse MAC title ambitions; they'll need to prove they belong with some strong performances in non-conference play.

6. Eastern Michigan Eagles

• High vote: 5 (twice)
• Low vote: 8 (once)
• Average vote: 6.2

Speaking of directional Michigans who fell apart: Eastern. After surviving a rock-fight in the first half, the Eagles were in position to keep the score tied at 7-7 into the halftime break– but an unsportsmanlike foul with two seconds left gave San Jose State an opportunity for a field goal instead, putting EMU down 10-7. It got worse from there, as the offense would only score one touchdown in the second half and go three-and-out on three-straight fourth-quarter possessions to fall 27-21. They have a MAC win over Sac State, so they're still highly rated, but that's a worrisome result considering SJSU was 3-9 last season.

5. Miami RedHawks

• High vote: 3 (once)
• Low vote: 6 (twice)
• Average vote: 4.8

Miami has a reputation for not winning in the non-conference slate, but this loss was perhaps one of the worst they've had under Chuck Martin. The Pitt Panthers set the pace early, limiting Miami to three three-and-outs to start the game while scoring touchdowns on four of their first five possessions in exchange and never let up in a 59-14 thrashing. There's still belief this team can pull it together when it matters, but safe to say this is a concerning enough result to where it could be a canary in the coal mines if the season goes topsy-turvy.

4. UMass Minutemen

• High vote: 3 (once)
• Low vote: 6 (once)
• Average vote: 4.4

No, your eyes do not deceive you. UMass is in the top five of our Power Rankings and by a decent margin. They absolutely put belt to butt on Big Ten foe Rutgers last week in one of the most shocking individual game results of the last decade of college football. We're trying not to overreact (it's one game after all), but UMass showed signs of life last weekend we've never seen from this program. Now the question is if they can maintain this momentum in a league that feels pretty wide-open at the moment.

3. Ohio Bobcats

• High vote: 2 (once)
• Low vote: 5 (once)
• Average vote: 3.4

The Bobcats took a tough loss to Nebraska that honestly is worse on paper than it was watching live. Ohio kept pace with the Cornhuskers all the way into the fourth quarter before the talent gap was too much to close. It was an encouraging result for the new coaching staff as well, showing the team has not lost a step despite a roster that has overturned at so many key positions. QB Nick Poulos looks like he can pick up right where his predecessors left off as well, which definitely helps.

2. Toledo Rockets

• High vote: 2 (four)
• Low vote: 3 (once)
• Average vote: 2.2

The Rockets in their first game under Mike Jacobs looked shaky to start against Michigan State, as they were clearly trying some things and getting used to game pace. But once they made their adjustments, it looked like the Toledo of old, scaring the assembled crowd at East Lansing late in the going with a firecracker Connor Walendzak touchdown from 71 yards out to take the lead. They lost in the end, but proved why they belong in the MAC title conversation all the same.

1. Western Michigan Broncos

• Unanimous #1

Look. We know what the official result is. They lost, officially, 13-12 to Michigan, and that's just how it is in this jerk of a world. Normally, we don't believe in the concept of the "moral victory", but if there was ever a textbook case, it was Western's 12-7 "win" before the second was added back to the clock. The ensuing chaos surrounding the result honestly stifled just how dominant and efficient the Broncos were in the 60 game minutes leading up to the Bail Mary. They doubled U of M in time of possession, limited the Wolverines to one touchdown on a scripted drive and marched down the field at will. Now, WMU is in the national eye as they mount a potential College Football Playoff run.

If a loss was ever a win, this one is it.

For transparency, here is our anonymous chart for this week. Did we get it right? Did we miss the mark? Let us know on Twitter @ByTheBelt, over on Bluesky at bythebelt.bsky.social, or in the comments section below!