This week's MAC Roundtable Roundup takes a look at the different thoughts around the MAC Blogosphere, yo.  These privileged fellows include: Temple Football Forever, Fire Up Chips, Let's go Rockets, FalconBlog, Rasor on the Zips & Over The Pylon. OK, so maybe we don't have FUC's answers for this week yet.  Man, do I love their acronym though.

Read on for some Q&A, a coach lookalike Halloween contest and the vaunted MAC Power Poll.

1. Both Ball State and NIU took an early 1900's approach to offense in winning their games this weekend primarily through the ground game.  This brings the question:  Are you satisfied with the balance of your offense currently?  Would you like to see more passing or more rushing?

Toledo bloggers would like to see more of a running game because of the revolving door at QB and the deep talent that they have at the RB position.  FalconBlog wants to run more and looks to NIU's attack from 2004-06 for inspiration.

I think you be balanced even if you are a predominant passing team, so long as you can effectively keep the defense honest and run the ball if there are seven in the box, and convert a third and one when you need it.  Conversely, if you are a running team, you need to keep the safeties honest by going over the top.  The best example I can remember is the Garrett Wolfe NIU teams.  Very run heavy play selection, but the ability to go deep to really good receivers as your guys crept up to the line.

Temple FB Forever wants somebody else to touch the ball other than freshman stud RB Bernard Pierce.  Ball State bloggers...well they're a little handcuffed at the moment:

For Ball State, I couldn’t care any less about balance. I only care about the win. I am bloodthirsty for victories, and frankly, I don’t care about the sort of statistical oddities needed to win. The first part of the season, our offense was very balanced…. both the passing and rushing games sucked something awful. That led to an 0-7 start. When we become unbalanced, not by choice but by circumstance, we win. Therefore, by the transitive property the more unbalanced we become the more likely we are to win. It’s science.

2. The two best teams in the MAC in Central Michigan & Temple take on non-conf opponents in Boston College and Navy respectively.  What positives or negatives come from playing OOC opponents this late in to the season?

The consensus is that CMU needs this victory to boost themselves into the Top-25.  LetsGoRockets fears for Danny LeFevour's health:

Unfortunately, CMU risks sustaining injuries to key players facing an undoubtedly bigger team than they’re used to facing with MAC opponents. An injury to LeFevour and CMU suffers a huge set back for the rest of the year.

Mike Rasor believes that Temple just needs to focus on the conference and OTP sees the Temple Owls falling back to reality losing to Navy this weekend.

3. For fun, predict the outcome of the impending doom the 0-7 Eastern Michigan Eagles face as they travel to Arkansas this weekend.

FalconBlog's description of this game is just dripping in smart metaphors:

This is a little like predicting the outcome of deer hunting from the perspective of the deer.  I feel bad for Eastern.  They are sorta like GM, turnaround plan after turnaround plan, yet all that ever transpires is another turn around plan.

TFF is a little more optimistic than most:

Eastern Michigan will cover the 36 1/2-point spread and lose something like 45-17, 42-21.

Resident SEC expert OTP (They cover both Ball State & Kentucky) sees the other side of the spectrum:

If this was the Houston Nutt led Arkansas Razorbacks, then I would say EMU actually had a shot. Since they are led now by King o the Dickbags Bobby Petrino, I fully expect an ass stomping. And one that isn’t stopped simply because they’re up by 40. Arkansas-52, EMU-7.

4. If your team/coach were to wear Halloween costume, what would they be?

LetsGoRockets pretty much stole our costumes, as they want to be Dr. Jeckll/Mr. Hyde.  But what two players would wear those costumes?  I pick Aaron Opelt & Austin Dantin.

FalconBlog sees Dave Clawson either metaphorically or physically looking like The Professor from Gilligan's Island.

TFF likes Temple coach Al Golden as Tom Cruise.  Too easy:

As for OTP, sigh:

Let’s see… for Stan Parrish, it would have to be a character that has had great success in the past but has fallen on hard times now. It would need to be someone that is not necessarily the nicest guy in town. It would need to be someone who is age appropriate.Easy answer…

And Rasor's got some great stuff for Akron's coach:

There's no need to pile on poor J.D. Brookhart. I could say that his coaches could dress as a parole officer, paramedic and NCAA sleuth, but that would be over the top.

5. MAC Power Poll Time

1. CMU (unanimous)
   
2. Temple (unanimous)
   
3. NIU
4. Ohio
5. WMU
6. Toledo
7. Kent
8. Bowling Green
   
9. Buffalo
10. Ball State
11. Akron
12. Miami
13. EMU

The top-2 spots seem to be solid at least for a week or so because both of these teams play OOC, as noted above.  Ohio is still 4th after losing to Kent State?  OK...And also I feel Miami OH is very underrated and will get their first win this weekend against Toledo.