Tag: Mid-American Conference

Crystal ball prediction for Notre Dame 2026 offensive lineman recruit

Gotta love how this is going.

Notre Dame is ready to shore up its offensive line for its 2026 recruiting class. With quarterback [autotag]Noah Grubbs[/autotag] and receiver [autotag]Dylan Faison[/autotag] already having committed, the Irish are ready for someone in that recruiting class to protect those guys.

Enter Sullivan Garvin, a three-star offensive lineman recruit from Allegan, Michigan. The Irish presented him an offer during his visit to campus, which took place on the day of the win over Louisville.

Despite Garvin also having offers from Indiana, Minnesota and several Mid-American Conference programs, [autotag]Joe Rudolph[/autotag] clearly presented a convincing case to him because Tom Loy and Allen Trieu of 247Sports both have made crystal ball predictions for the Irish.

If you need further evidence of the Irish trending in the right direction here, Gavin’s mother posted a video of her son walking out of Notre Dame Stadium indicating that the offer was his. You don’t see these types of videos often, and it’s cool to see:

 

We’ll see how the rest of Garvin’s college visits work out, but this looks very promising.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89

Notre Dame offers 2026 three-star Michigan offensive lineman recruit

Would you like him on the Irish?

Just because Notre Dame had a football game Saturday didn’t mean it wasn’t working to attract future talent. In this case, it was Sullivan Garvin, a three-star offensive lineman recruit from Allegan, Michigan, which is about a 90-minute drive from South Bend.

Garvin took in the Irish’s win over Louisville, then announced on social media that the Irish had extended him an offer. It was easily the most prominent offer Garvin has received thus far as the other ones he currently has on the table are from Indiana, Minnesota and six Mid-American Conference programs.

The Irish’s only two commits for 2026 so far are quarterback [autotag]Noah Grubbs[/autotag] and receiver [autotag]Dylan Faison[/autotag], so Garvin accepting this offer would be consistent with that class to this point. If he became a star for the Irish, he would be the latest in a line of Irish offensive linemen who have done so. He seems to hope that happens, too:

Best of luck to Garvin as he ponders his college decision.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89

2026 three-star Michigan running back recruit to visit Notre Dame

Would he intrigue you?

Chances are you haven’t heard of running back recruit [autotag]Jayden Terry[/autotag].

He’s currently the 14th-ranked 2026 recruit in Michigan per 247Sports. He’s only a three-star recruit, but he clearly has interest in Notre Dame.

The interest is so great that the 5-foot, 1-inch and 185-pound back will be visiting campus for the Irish’s home opener against Northern Illinois.

What’s interesting about visiting during this particular weekend is that the Irish will be playing a team from the Mid-American Conference, which is where most of Terry’s current offers are from.

Notre Dame themselves have not extended him an offer yet, but they currently only have two commits in its 2026 class, so maybe he’ll eventually be an option.

 

Terry is about to play his junior season at Grandville. As a sophomore, he ran for 1,713 yards and 24 touchdowns on 207 carries. He ran for at least 100 yards in eight of his 10 games and also had three receptions for 151 yards and two more touchdowns.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Notre Dame shuts Bowling Green down in second half for win

Another nonconference game, another win.

Don’t be fooled by this final. It looked for a while like Notre Dame was going to let another inferior opponent hang around until the end. While Mid-American Conference member Bowling Green comes from a league slightly better than the Irish’s other nonconference opponents to this point, a loss to this program at Purcell Pavilion still would have been embarrassing. Fortunately, the Irish only have to think about an 82-66 win.

Although the Irish (5-0) led for most of the game, they couldn’t seem to shake the Falcons (2-3) completely. A [autotag]Nate Laszewski[/autotag] 3-pointer at the first-half buzzer gave the Irish a two-point lead, but the Falcons’ persistence continued into the second half, and they went in front, 61-59 near the frame’s halfway point. That’s when the Irish completely took over, outscoring the Falcons, 23-5, the rest of the way. They scored their final 17 points unanswered with the Falcons not scoring again until their final possession with seconds to play.

[autotag]JJ Starling[/autotag] had the best game of his young career with 23 points, six rebounds and three steals. Laszewski was just behind with 22 points, including four 3s. [autotag]Ven-Allen Lubin[/autotag] scored 12 off the bench, and [autotag]Dane Goodwin[/autotag] added 11. [autotag]Trey Wertz[/autotag] dished out a game-high six assists.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz1mmy7gev0xbr player_id=none image=https://fightingirishwire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Central Michigan statistical leaders through two games

Here’s who to watch for on the opposition Saturday.

Notre Dame and the Mid-American Conference seem like an odd match. It definitely is historically speaking considering that you can count on your hands the number of times the Irish have played those teams. Still, it’s a legitimate relationship for the foreseeable future, and that includes the Irish facing Central Michigan on Saturday. It’s a game that NBC Sports has decided is only worthy of putting on Peacock instead of the main network, but that’s another story.

The Chippewas have a couple of heavy hitters on their nonconference schedule. They already got blown out when they visited Michigan State, and now, they have to deal with a surging Irish team. While the players might appreciate the opportunity to play such prominent programs on the road, they would be lying to themselves if they said they matched up with them on paper.

Despite the odds, the Chippewas will come to Notre Dame Stadium, and here are the best players they have lined up to face the Irish:

Tale of the Tape: Notre Dame defense vs. Central Michigan offense

The Irish have shown so far that their D is darn good.

A major message for Notre Dame opponents so far this season has been good luck trying to do anything against the defense. That unit has done a fantastic job locking everyone down so far, and all signs point to it happening again against Central Michigan. As you’ll see below, the Irish are ranked very highly in some major defensive categories nationally. We don’t know how long that will keep up, but it’s a good feeling in the meantime.

The Chippewas have an offense that could qualify as passable for a Mid-American Conference team. However, that doesn’t mean a thing when it comes to facing a program like Notre Dame. If it has to go up against an offense like that, it’s going to require a few prayers to pull off the upset in an unforgiving environment. Fortunately for the Chippewas, they’ll be visiting a Catholic university, so those prayers might actually work.

Here’s a look at how the Irish’s defense matches up with the Chippewas’ offense:

MAC releases complete 2023 football schedule

Find out when you can get in on the MACtion in the 2023 season.

The Mid-American Conference, most commonly known as the MAC released the complete 2023 master schedule for the conference and its’ 12 members on Wednesday morning.

Notable non-conference matchups on the schedule include Ohio helping open the 2023 college football season in week zero on August 26 on the road against San Diego State. Then in week one, Buffalo takes on the Wisconsin Badgers in the Badgers’ first game under new head coach Luke Fickell. Toledo, the defending MAC champions travel to Champaign to battle the Illinois Fighting Illini who look to build upon a first successful year under Bret Bielema. Also, Kent State will open the Kenni Burns era by making a trip to the Bounce House in week one to play UCF.

In week two, Ball State will travel to Athens to take on the defending back-to-back Georgia Bulldogs. Week three of the season features Bowling Green traveling to Michigan, Miami (OH) taking on Cincinnati, and Central Michigan traveling to Notre Dame. Last season, the then No. 8 ranked Fighting Irish were upset by the Sun Belt Conference’s Marshall Thundering Herd 26-21.

Other intriguing non-conference matchups include; Northern Illinois vs Nebraska and Western Michigan vs Iowa in week three. Akron taking on Indiana in week four as well as Bowling Green vs Georgia Tech in week five.

Key in-conference matchups on the schedule this year include;  Buffalo versus Bowling Green on October 14, both programs were among the top in the conference last season and will have a chance to once again be at the top in 2023.

Ohio and Buffalo, the top two teams in the MAC East last season face off on November 7 in what could possibly decide the East Division in 2023. Toledo and Eastern Michigan were separated by one game in 2022 and their matchup just one day later on November 8 could also be another decisive game this upcoming season in the MAC’s West division.

Finally, one of the conference’s best rivalries, the Battle of I-75 between Bowling Green and Toledo is scheduled to take place in week 12 on November 14. Both teams should be battling for bowl eligibility in 2023 and the mid-November matchup could have even more on the line with potentially sending one team bowling and the other home for the offseason.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=15]

[mm-video type=video id=01gtbyzdp62jazvxtdmq playlist_id=01gq2fszf7mxxc88k4 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gtbyzdp62jazvxtdmq/01gtbyzdp62jazvxtdmq-3991c790daac5daea9d54dd2aa8620f0.jpg]

Notre Dame defeats Western Michigan in final nonconference game

Just a ho-hum victory before Christmas.

Notre Dame passed its final test before ACC play begins in earnest, defeating Western Michigan, 85-57, in an early Wednesday game. [autotag]Maddy Westbeld[/autotag] was the key player with game highs of 23 points and eight rebounds. [autotag]Sonia Citron[/autotag] scored 16 points, and [autotag]Kylee Watson[/autotag] had 10 on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting. [autotag]Olivia Miles[/autotag] also shined with 12 assists, two shy of her career high.

The Irish (9-1) enjoyed considerable advantages in many areas, including rebounding (44-20), second-chance points (13-0), fast-break points (16-3) and points in the paint (48-20). In short, it was just what one would expect of a fifth-ranked team against a Mid-American Conference opponent. Even a win in which the Irish squeaked by would have been concerning, but that wasn’t the case.

It’s nothing but conference opponents from here on out for the Irish, and that really will be a test of how good they really are. Until that happens, here are some photos from their latest win:

Back 4 MAC teams in Week 12: Mid-American Conference’s best bets

Analyzing Mid-American Conference betting odds and lines for Week 12, with picks and predictions for the best MAC bets to make.

The Mid-American Conference (MAC) season is winding down, with just 2 more weekends remaining in the regular season. Toledo has already punched its ticket to the Dec. 3 title game at Ford Field in Detroit. But several teams have plenty left to play for down the stretch.

Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook‘s lines around the MAC’s Week 12 slate, and make our expert college football picks and predictions.

Check out: AFCA Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports

Stream select live college football games and full replays: Get ESPN+

MAC best bets for Week 12

– All games listed are ET unless noted

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 7:04 a.m. ET.

Ohio -4 (-113) at Ball State – Tuesday, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

The Bobcats (7-3, 5-1) are in the driver’s seat in the East Division, controlling their own destiny. If Ohio keeps winning, it will represent the East in Detroit against Toledo in the MAC Championship Game.

The Cardinals (5-5, 3-3) are simply playing for bowl eligibility, needing 1 win in the next 2 games to qualify for the postseason. Ball State fell 28-21 against the Rockets in Toledo, but the Cardinals did cover the 13.5-point number.

The Bobcats have covered each of the last 6 outings, while going 6-0 ATS in the last 6 MAC games, too. Ohio is also 4-1 ATS in the last 5 appearances on Tuesday, too.

On the flip side, the Cardinals have covered just once in the last 6 games against teams with a winning overall record, and it is 3-9 ATS in the last 12 home games against teams with a winning record, too.

Claim your risk-free bet up to $350. Catch the excitement and start betting with Tipico Sportsbook! New customer offer in CO and NJ. 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. Bet now!

Bowling Green +15 (-111) at Toledo – Tuesday, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)

The Falcons meet the Rockets in the annual Battle of I-75 at the Glass Bowl. Toledo (7-3, 5-1) has already clinched the West Division title, and will be playing in Detroit. It’s possible, with a win here, Bowling Green (5-5, 4-2) could meet its rivals, Toledo, in the MAC Championship Game for much bigger stakes.

Toledo holds a 42-40-4 lead in the series, but the Rockets have dominated lately with 11 wins in the previous 12 meetings. The Falcons haven’t won in Toledo since a 38-10 victory on Nov. 28, 2008.

While the Falcons are just 3-7-1 ATS in the last 11 trips to Toledo, the road team is 6-2-1 ATS in the last 9 in the series, too.

Bowling Green is worth taking with the points, as it still has plenty left to play for, while Toledo has already clinched a division title. While the Rockets would certainly like to spoil the chance of their rivals joining them in Detroit, Toledo has a little less to play for here.

Western Michigan +10 (-108) at Central Michigan – Wednesday, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)

The Broncos hit the road to meet the Chippewas, and Western Michigan will be playing for nothing but pride in this rivalry game.

Western Michigan (3-7, 2-4) can knock Central Michigan (4-6, 3-3) out of contention for a bowl with a win here, giving it a little extra incentive at Kelly/Shorts Stadium on Wednesday.

The Broncos are worth backing, too, as they’re 6-2 ATS in the last 8  appearances on Wednesday, while going 5-2 ATS in the last 7 games on the road. In addition, WMU is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 trips to Mount Pleasant, with the road team 9-1 ATS in the last 10 in the series.

Central is an amazing 15-1-1 ATS in the past 17 appearances on Wednesday, so you’ll be picking against that history. But, more importantly, CMU is just 1-5-1 ATS in the last 7 home games, and 1-6-1 ATS in the last 8 against losing teams. CMU is also 0-4-1 ATS this season as a favorite of 6 or more points, too.

Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!

Akron +16.5 (-108) at Buffalo – Saturday, 3:30 p.m. (CBS Sport Network)

The Bulls (5-5, 4-2) are still alive for the East Division title, but it needs to keep winning. That shouldn’t be a problem against Akron, a team which has managed just 1 win overall, and none inside conference play to date.

However, the Zips (1-9, 0-6) have actually been pretty competitive lately, falling just 34-28 against Eastern Michigan last week, its 3rd 1-score loss in the last 4 outings. Akron ran for 163 yards while passing for 223 yards, outgaining EMU in each category. Akron also had 25 first downs to just 22 for EMU.

The Bulls have been tripped up in a pair of games against Central Michigan and Ohio, both on the road, damaging their hopes for an East Division title. The pair of non-covers also splashed cold water on a 5-0 SU/ATS run.

Backing Akron will have you bucking some trends, as Akron is 0-4 ATS in the last four meetings, and 0-5 ATS in the last 5 trips to Buffalo.

Want some action on these or any other NCAA football games? Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, SportsbookWire’s official sportsbook partner in CO and NJ. Bet now!

If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:

Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC / Wisconsin / College Football News

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]

Back 4 MAC teams in Week 10: Mid-American Conference’s best bets

Analyzing Mid-American Conference betting odds and lines for Week 10, with picks and predictions for the best MAC bets to make.

We flip the calendar from October to November on Tuesday, and that means we’re in the stretch run toward the holidays, we’re rounding the corner of the college football regular season, and, in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), we get the now traditional Tuesday and Wednesday slate of games.

Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook‘s lines around the MAC’s Week 10 slate, and make our expert college football picks and predictions.

Check out: AFCA Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports

Stream select live college football games and full replays: Get ESPN+

MAC best bets for Week 10

– All games listed are ET unless noted

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 7:52 a.m. ET.

Ball State at Kent State OVER 61.5 (-112) – Tuesday, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)

The Cardinals invade Dix Stadium for this Tuesday night affair, looking to bounce back after a disappointing 20-16 loss in Muncie against Eastern Michigan.

The Golden Flashes are looking to build on the momentum of a Wagon Wheel rivalry game win over Akron 33-27 last week, while trying to keep alive their flickering bowl hopes.

These teams haven’t met since Nov. 23, 2019, a 41-38 win by the Golden Flashes in Kent. Ball State has won 2 of the last 3 meetings, and it leads the all-time series 21-8.

Both teams have struggled on defense, as Ball State yields 28.1 PPG and has been gouged for 185.4 rushing yards per game, while Kent State has coughed up 32.1 PPG and has been pounded for 454.8 total yards per game. We should see quite a mid-week shootout in Northeast Ohio.

Claim your risk-free bet up to $350. Catch the excitement and start betting with Tipico Sportsbook! New customer offer in CO and NJ. 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. Bet now!

Buffalo at Ohio (+125) – Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

The Bulls head to Peden Stadium in Athens with an unblemished record and 1st place in the standings of the East Division at 4-0. The Bobcats can take over the top spot by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker with a win. This will be a fun one in Southeast Ohio.

Buffalo edged Toledo last time out 34-27, winning and covering for the 5th consecutive outing. The Bulls have improved greatly after an 0-3 start, including a stunning setback against FCS Holy Cross back in mid-September.

Ohio has been doing a little winning and covering of its own lately, though, picking up 3 straight wins, and 4 consecutive covers. That includes a solid 24-17 win as a 3-point underdog against Northern Illinois last time out.

Buffalo won last season’s meeting 27-26, but Ohio grabbed the cover. The Bobcats have won 5 straight home meetings against the Bulls dating back to  2008, and on Tuesday it will keep the win streak alive in this high-stakes game in the East Division.

Central Michigan at Northern Illinois -3.5 (-120) – Wednesday, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)

Central Michigan was dumped 34-18 by Bowling Green at Kelly/Shorts Stadium last time out, and the Chippewas have dropped 4 of the last 5 games overall, while failing to cover in each of the previous 4 outings.

Northern Illinois showed some fight at Ohio last Saturday, falling 24-17 in Athens. After a slow start to the season, the NIU defense has shown some improvement and allowed just 34 total points in the last 2 games

Neither of these teams are very good, and the loser of this game will no longer have the chance to win out and become bowl eligible.

The edge here goes to NIU, since it is at home, and the Huskies can run the ball with authority, while also stop the run when on defense. The Chips are decent against the rush, so the Huskies won’t be able to run away with the game. But NIU is playing a little more consistently lately, and it will grab a late score and cover to keep its fleeting bowl hopes alive.

Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!

Western Michigan at Bowling Green -3.5 (-105) – Wednesday, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

The Falcons are flying high with back-to-back wins over Miami-Ohio and Central Michigan, and Bowling Green is very much still in contention for the East Division title.

The Broncos stopped a 2-game slide with a 16-10 win at Miami-Ohio, keeping its flickering bowl hopes alive. It enters this game just 2-4 SU/ATS in the last 6 games.

Western Michigan’s offense has been terrible, averaging just 305.5 yards per game to rank 119th out of 131 FBS teams.

Bowling Green also struggles on offense, but scored 34 in its win at Central Michigan last time out, its high in any conference game this season. BGSU has also covered in consecutive games after opening 1-4-1 ATS in the 1st 6 outings.

This is a lot of points to lay for the Falcons, especially since they haven’t topped the Broncos at Doyt Perry Stadium since 2004. But this is a new day and age of Falcons football, and they get it done in front of the home faithful to keep their division and bowl hopes alive.

Want some action on these or any other NCAA football games? Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, SportsbookWire’s official sportsbook partner in CO and NJ. Bet now!

If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:

Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC / Wisconsin / College Football News

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]