Around the MAC

Bowling Green at Ohio State

The Falcons (3-2, 2-1 MAC) will be the second Mid-American Conference team to travel to Ohio Stadium to take on The Associated Press' No. 1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten).

Bowling Green will rely on its dual threat backfield of quarterback Anthony Turner and quarterback/running back Freddie Barnes in its upset attempt. The Buckeyes come into Saturday afternoon's match-up after an impressive 38-17 win over the nationally-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes. Ohio State will look for quarterback Troy Smith to continue on his Heisman caliber season, as he has thrown for 1070 yards and 12 touchdowns while managing a 163.7 passing rating.

Western Michigan at Ohio

Riding a three-game winning streak, Western Michigan (3-1, 1-0 MAC) hopes to extend its string of successes against the Bobcats. The Broncos have recorded victories over interdivision rival Toledo, the Atlantic Coast Conference's Virginia and Temple.

WMU will be led offensively by running back Mark Bonds, who has 400 rushing yards and five touchdowns so far this season. Ohio (2-3, 1-1 MAC) will not only be looking to break the Broncos' current streak but also bust out of its own slump. The Bobcats have lost three consecutive games after starting the season off with two victories.

Akron at Cincinnati

After they failed to defeat rival Kent State last week in the Battle of the Wagon Wheel, the Zips look to get back on track versus the Cincinnati Bearcats of the Big East.

Akron (2-3, 0-2 MAC) will have senior Luke Getsy at quarterback. He has thrown for 1212 yards and nine touchdowns this season. The Bearcats (2-3, 0-1 Big East) will be facing their second MAC team in the last two weeks, as they beat the Miami (OH) Redhawks last weekend, 24-10.

Kent State at Temple

In what is a surprise to many, the Kent State Golden Flashes (3-2, 3-0 MAC) currently find themselves in first-place in the MAC East Division going into this week's game against the Temple Owls (0-5).

Kent State has pulled off three straight victories over conference opponents after beginning the season with two losses. Wide receiver Najeh Pruden has proven to be a valuable threat for the Golden Flashes, hauling in 23 catches for 542 yards and three touchdowns this season. The Owls, who will be a football-only member of the MAC next season, are currently riding a 17-game losing streak, dating back to the 2004 season.

Central Michigan at Toledo

The Chippewas of Central Michigan sit on top of the MAC West Division as they travel to Toledo on Saturday night.

CMU (2-3, 2-0 MAC) has had a rollercoaster season, with close wins over last year's MAC Champions the Akron Zips and their interstate rivals the Eastern Michigan Eagles. However, the Chippewas have tasted defeat in close games against Boston College and Kentucky. Central Michigan's quarterback, Dan LeFevour, has been the team's offensive spark with 1095 combined yards and 10 total touchdowns. The Rockets (2-3, 0-1 MAC) will be looking to secure their first conference win of the season after losing to Western Michigan earlier in the year, 31-10.

Northern Illinois at Miami (Ohio)

Playing a rare Sunday night game, the Northern Illinois Huskies (3-2, 2-1 MAC) will travel to Oxford, Ohio to collide with the Miami Redhawks (0-5, 0-1 MAC).

NIU's running back Garrett Wolfe is on pace to break Barry Sanders' NCAA Division I-A single-season rushing record, already gaining 1,181 yards and 12 touchdowns through just five games. The Redhawks will be searching for their first win of the season.