The MAC West did its best to pack a full season's worth of MACtion and tight finishes into an abbreviated half-season. Five of Ball State's six regular-season games were decided by one score, and CMU, WMU and EMU each played four such games.
BSU won four of its five close games and earned a division title -- and an opportunity to upset Buffalo in the MAC championship, deservedly so. But with most of the division's best players coming back, we could see a repeat in the drama department. And what more could we ask for in life?
Every week through the summer, Bill Connelly will preview another division from the Group of 5 and Power 5 exclusively for ESPN+, ultimately including all 130 FBS teams. The previews will include 2020 breakdowns, 2021 previews and a brief history of each team in one handy chart. The series has thus far covered the Conference USA East and West, as well as the MAC East.
Jump to a team: Northern Illinois | Eastern Michigan | Western Michigan | Central Michigan | Toledo | Ball State
Northern Illinois Huskies
Though competitive at times, NIU went 0-6 in the abbreviated 2020 season. After nine winning seasons in 10 years, the Huskies have started just 5-13 under Thomas Hammock.
2021 Projections
Projected SP+ rank: 112th
Projected record: 4-8 (3-5)