Group of Five: Week 7 Access Bowl Power Rankings

After they moved up the AP Top 25, I seriously considered moving Western Michigan up this week above Boise State after they routed Akron on the road. The Broncos held the Zips under 300 total yards of offense, snagging two interceptions along the way. Zach Terrell threw for 207 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another 34 yards and two scores. Workhorse running back Jarvion Franklin led all WMU rushers with 281 yards and a touchdown on 33 carries, helping extend drives and contributing greatly to the disparity in time of possession. (Western Michigan had the ball for over 37 minutes against Akron.) On the day the WMU offense nearly finished with 600 total yards of offense, more than doubling the yardage gained by their opponents in the shutout effort.

After Northwestern’s big win over Michigan State, the Broncos’ win over the Wildcats looks even better. They also have the win over Illinois on their resume and can boast of being 2-0 against the Big Ten this year. P.J. Fleck’s team ranks in the top 15 in both scoring and points allowed per game, a dangerous combination of efficient offense and stifling defense. Given that they are performing on such a high level, the Broncos should be favored in every remaining game. Their only two road games left are at Ball State and at Kent State. Eastern Michigan and Buffalo have to come to Kalamazoo, as does Toledo for the regular-season finale. That Thanksgiving weekend showdown will probably determine which team wins the MAC West and heads to Detroit with a chance to win the conference.