The 2022 Mid-American Conference football season was the 77th season for the Mid-American Conference (MAC), as part of the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The season began on September 1 and concluded with its conference championship game on Saturday, December 3 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Ohio won the East Division with a conference record of 7–1 and Toledo won the West Division with a 5–3 conference record. Toledo won the championship over Ohio by a final score of 17–7.
Preseason
Preseason polls
Media Poll On July 26 the MAC announced the preseason media poll. Defending MAC champion Northern Illinois was named the preseason favorite.
East 1 Miami 139 (20) 2 Kent State 116 (3) 3 Buffalo 78 4 Ohio 72 5 Bowling Green 71 (1) 6 Akron 28 West 1 Northern Illinois 122 (11) 2 Toledo 120 (9) 3 Central Michigan 112 (4) 4 Western Michigan 56 5 Eastern Michigan 52 6 Ball State 42
Media poll (MAC Championship) 1 Northern Illinois 9 2 Toledo 6 3 Miami 5 3 Central Michigan 4
Coaches Poll On August 29 the MAC released the coaches poll. Defending champion Northern Illinois was favored to win the west while Kent State was selected as a slight favorite to win the East. Northern Illinois received 4 of the 12 MAC championship votes.
East 1 Kent State 61 (5) 2 Miami 60 (6) 3 Buffalo 43 4 Bowling Green 36 (1) 5 Ohio 35 6 Akron 16 West 1 Northern Illinois 61 (6) 2 Toledo 51 3 Central Michigan 50 (2) 4 Western Michigan 45 (3) 5 Eastern Michigan 24 6 Ball State 21 (1)
Coaches poll (MAC Championship) 1 Northern Illinois 4 2 Kent State 3 3 Miami 2 3 Western Michigan 2 5 Ball State 1
Individual Award Preseason Watchlists
Lott Trophy noneDodd Trophy noneMaxwell AwardDequan FinnToledoQBBrett GabbertMiamiQBHassan BeydounEastern MichiganWRMarquez CooperKent StateWRLew Nichols IIICentral MichiganRBSean TylerWestern MichiganRBDavey O'Brien AwardBrett GabbertMiamiQB Doak Walker AwardLew Nichols IIICentral MichiganRBSean TylerWestern MichiganRBSamson EvansEastern MichiganRBAntario BrownNorthern IllinoisRBHarrison WayleeNorthern IllinoisRBBiletnikoff AwardHassan BeydounEastern MichiganWRDante CephasKent StateWRJayshon JacksonBall StateWRQuain WilliamsBuffaloWRTrayvon RudolphNorthern IllinoisWRJohn Mackey AwardKris LeachKent StateTEChristian SimsBowling GreenTERimington TrophyJacob GideonWestern MichiganCButkus AwardDarren AndersBowling GreenLBJames PattersonBuffaloLBJim Thorpe AwardCJ BrownNorthern IllinoisSJordan AndersonBowling GreenSDorian JacksonWestern MichiganCB
Bronko Nagurski TrophyCJ BrownNorthern IllinoisSDarren AndersBowling GreenLBJames PattersonBuffaloLBJamal HinesToledoLBOutland TrophyDesjuan JohnsonToledoDT Nolan PotteNorthern IllinoisTSidy SowEastern MichiganTDaymond WilliamsBuffaloDT Lou Groza AwardJohn RichardsonNorthern IllinoisKRay Guy AwardDom DziobanMiamiPLuke ElzingaCentral MichiganPNick MihalicWestern MichiganPPaul Hornung AwardHassan BeydounEastern MichiganWRRon Cook Jr.BuffaloRBDevin MaddoxToledoWRTrayvon RudolphNorthern IllinoisWRSean TylerWestern MichiganRBJalen WalkerMiamiWRWuerffel TrophyBrandon MartinBall StateLBAustin OsborneBowling GreenWRMatt McDonaldBowling GreenQBMax MichelBuffaloLBTariq SpeightsEastern MichiganLBIsaac VanceKent StateWRNick RattinNorthern IllinoisLBMitchell BergToledoOLBoone BonnemaWestern MichiganLB
Walter Camp AwardDante CephasKent StateWRBrett GabbertMiamiQBLew Nichols IIICentral MichiganRBBednarik AwardJames PattersonBuffaloLBCJ BrownNorthern IllinoisSJose RamirezEastern MichiganDLJamal HinesToledoLBRotary Lombardi AwardDarren AndersBowling GreenLBJamal HinesToledoLBPatrick Mannelly Award none Earl Campbell Tyler Rose AwardPolynesian College Football Player Of The Year AwardManning AwardBrett GabbertMiamiQBJohnny Unitas Golden Arm AwardDequan FinnToledoQBRocky LombardiNorthern IllinoisQBDaniel RichardsonCentral MichiganQBKurtis RourkeOhioQBTed Hendricks Award
Head coaches On November 4, 2021, Akron fired head coach Tom Arth after posting a 3–24 record during his tenure with the school. The school hired Oregon offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead as the new head coach for the 2022 season.
Team Head coach Previous Job Years at school Overall record MAC record MAC titles Akron Joe Moorhead Oregon (Off. Coordinator) 1 0 Ball State Mike Neu New Orleans Saints (QB Coach) 7 1 Bowling Green Scot Loeffler Boston College (Off. Coordinator/QB Coach) 4 0 Buffalo Maurice Linguist Michigan (Co def. coordinator) 2 0 Central Michigan Jim McElwain Florida 4 0 Eastern Michigan Chris Creighton Drake 9 0 Kent State Sean Lewis Syracuse (Co Off. Coordinator) 4 0 Miami Chuck Martin Notre Dame (Off. Coordinator/QB Coach) 8 1 Northern Illinois Thomas Hammock Baltimore Ravens (running backs coach) 4 1 Ohio Tim Albin Ohio (Associate Head Coach) 2 0 Toledo Jason Candle Toledo (Off. Coordinator) 7 1 Western Michigan Tim Lester Purdue (QB Coach) 6 0
Post-season changes On November 28, Western Michigan announced that they had fired head coach Tim Lester. Lester posted a record of 37–32 over six years at the school. On December 8, Western Michigan announced that they had hired Louisville offensive coordinator Lance Taylor to be the new head coach. On December 5, Kent State head coach Sean Lewis was announced as the new offensive coordinator at Colorado in the Pac-12 conference. On December 14, Kent State announced Kenni Burns as the new head coach for the 2023 season.
Rankings
Pre Wk1 Wk2 Wk3 Wk4 Wk5 Wk6 Wk7 Wk8 Wk9 Wk10 Wk11 Wk12 Wk13 Wk14 Final Akron AP C CFP Not released Ball State AP C CFP Not released Bowling Green AP C CFP Not released Buffalo AP C CFP Not released Central Michigan AP C CFP Not released Eastern Michigan AP C CFP Not released Kent State AP C CFP Not released Miami AP C CFP Not released Northern Illinois AP C CFP Not released Ohio AP RV C RV CFP Not released Toledo AP C RV CFP Not released Western Michigan AP C CFP Not released
+ Legend Improvement in ranking Drop in ranking Not ranked previous week No change in ranking from previous week RV Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll т Tied with team above or below also with this symbol
Schedule The schedule for the 2022 MAC football season was released on February 25, 2022.
Index to colors and formattingMAC member wonMAC member lostMAC teams in bold All times Eastern time.
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
MAC Conference Championship Game
Postseason
Bowl Games
The MAC finished with a 4–2 bowl record which was good enough to win the Bowl Challenge Cup
Legend MAC Win MAC Loss
Bowl gameDateSiteTelevisionTime (EST)MAC teamOpponentScoreAttendance Bahamas Bowl December 16 Thomas Robinson Stadium • Nassau, Bahamas ESPN 11:30 a.m. Miami (OH) UAB L 20–24 12,172 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl December 20 Albertsons Stadium • Boise, ID ESPN 3:30 p.m. Eastern Michigan San Jose State W 41–27 10,122 Boca Raton Bowl December 20 FAU Stadium • Boca Raton, FL ESPN 7:30 p.m. Toledo Liberty W 21–19 20,622 Quick Lane Bowl December 26 Ford Field • Detroit, MI ESPN 2:30 p.m. Bowling Green New Mexico State L 19–24 22,987 Camellia Bowl December 27 Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, AL ESPN 12:00 p.m. Buffalo Georgia Southern W 23–21 15,322 Arizona Bowl December 30 Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ Barstool Sports 4:30 p.m. Ohio Wyoming W 30–27 OT
Selection of teams Bowl eligible (6): Bowling Green, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Miami (OH), Ohio, Toledo Bowl ineligible (6): Akron, Ball State, Central Michigan, Kent State, Northern Illinois, Western Michigan
MAC records vs. other conferences 2022–2023 records against non-conference foes:
Regular season Power Five ConferencesRecordACC0–1Big 120–3Big Ten1–6BYU/Notre Dame0–0Pac-12 1–2SEC 0–7Power 5 Total2–19Other FBS ConferencesRecordAmerican 0–2C–USA 1–0Independents (Excluding BYU/Notre Dame) 4–1Mountain West 0–2Sun Belt 1–4Other FBS Total 6–9FCS OpponentsRecordFootball Championship Subdivision 10–2Total Non-Conference Record 18–30
Postseason
Power Five ConferencesRecordACC0–0Big 12 0–0Big Ten0–0BYU/Notre Dame0–0Pac-12 0–0SEC 0–0Power 5 Total0–0Other FBS ConferencesRecordAmerican 0–0C–USA 0–1Independents (Excluding BYU/Notre Dame) 1–1Mountain West 2–0Sun Belt 1–0Other FBS Total 4–2Total Bowl Record4–2
Mid-American vs Power 5 matchups This is a list of games the MAC has scheduled versus power conference teams (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, BYU, Notre Dame and SEC). All rankings are from the current AP Poll at the time of the game.
Date Conference Visitor Home Site Score September 1 Big 12 Central Michigan No. 12 Oklahoma State Boone Pickens Stadium • Stillwater, OK L 44–58 September 1 SEC Ball State Tennessee Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, TN L 10–59 September 2 Big Ten Western Michigan No. 15 Michigan State Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI L 13–35 September 3 Pac-12 Bowling Green UCLA Rose Bowl • Pasadena, CA L 17–45 September 3 Big Ten Buffalo Maryland Maryland Stadium • College Park, MD L 10–31 September 3 Pac-12 Kent State Washington Husky Stadium • Seattle, WA L 20–45 September 3 SEC Miami (OH) No. 20 Kentucky Kroger Field • Lexington, KY L 13–37 September 10 Big Ten Akron No. 14 Michigan State Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI L 0–52 September 10 Big 12 Kent State No. 7 Oklahoma Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK L 3–33 September 10 Big Ten Ohio Penn State Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA L 10–46 September 17 SEC Akron No. 15 Tennessee Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, TN L 6–63 September 17 Pac-12 Eastern Michigan Arizona State Sun Devil Stadium • Tempe, AZ W 30–21 September 17 SEC Vanderbilt Northern Illinois Huskie Stadium • DeKalb, IL L 28–38 September 17 Big 12 Ohio Iowa State Jack Trice Stadium • Ames, IA L 10–43 September 17 Big Ten Toledo No. 3 Ohio State Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH L 21–77 September 17 ACC No. 23 Pittsburgh Western Michigan Waldo Stadium • Kalamazoo, MI L 13–34 September 24 SEC Bowling Green Mississippi State Davis Wade Stadium • Starkville, MS L 14–45 September 24 Big Ten Central Michigan No. 14 Penn State Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA L 14–33 September 24 SEC Kent State No. 1 Georgia Sanford Stadium • Athens, GA L 22–39 September 24 Big Ten Miami (OH) Northwestern Ryan Field • Evanston, IL W 17–14 September 24 SEC Northern Illinois No. 8 Kentucky Kroger Field • Lexington, KY L 23–31
Mid-American vs Group of Five matchups The following games include MAC teams competing against teams from the American, C-USA, Mountain West or Sun Belt.
Date Conference Visitor Home Site Score September 3 C-USA Florida Atlantic Ohio Peden Stadium • Athens, OH W 41–38 September 10 Sun Belt South Alabama Central Michigan Kelly/Shorts Stadium • Mount Pleasant, MI L 24–38 September 10 Sun Belt Eastern Michigan Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA L 21–49 September 10 American Northern Illinois Tulsa H. A. Chapman Stadium • Tulsa, OK L 35–38 September 17 Sun Belt Marshall Bowling Green Doyt Perry Stadium • Bowling Green, OH W 34–31 OT September 17 Sun Belt Buffalo Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC L 26–38 September 17 American Cincinnati Miami (OH) Paul Brown Stadium • Cincinnati, OH (Victory Bell) L 17–38 September 24 Sun Belt Ball State Georgia Southern Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA L 23–34 September 24 Mountain West Toledo San Diego State Snapdragon Stadium • San Diego, CA L 14–17 September 24 Mountain West Western Michigan San Jose State CEFCU Stadium • San Jose, CA L 6–34
Mid-American vs FBS independents matchups The following games include MAC teams competing against FBS Independents, which includes Army, Liberty, New Mexico State, UConn, or UMass.