Eastern Michigan football has had program-changing season

Last Friday afternoon, Eastern Michigan football did something that the Eagles have not done since the mid-1980s: win eight games in a single season. Since 2016, Eastern Michigan has been taking huge strides as a program, and 2022 is just another step in the right direction.

For decades, EMU football was the laughingstock of the Mid-American Conference. The Eagles had recorded two bowl appearances in its history up until 2015, yet that all changed in 2016.

In the relatively short history of Eastern Michigan football at the FBS level, the Eagles only have one 10-win season — 1987. Since then, Eastern has seen nothing but failure aside from the past seven seasons.

From 1975 through 2015, EMU had six winning seasons and one bowl appearance. Since 2016 alone, the Eagles have had four winning seasons and have made a bowl game appearance in five of the past six full seasons (Covid-19 shortened the 2020 season).

To say what Chris Creighton has done with Eastern Michigan football is impressive would be a monumental understatement. Since 1975 Eastern had won seven or more games three times: 1977 (8-3), 1987 (10-2), and 1989 (7-3-1).

Since 2016, Chris Creighton has led the Eagles to four seasons with seven or more wins: 2016 (7-6), 2018 (7-6), 2021 (7-6), and 2022 (8-4). The 2021-2022 seasons are the Eagles’ first back-to-back winning seasons since 1988-1989.

While Eastern Michigan football is still yet to win a bowl game or a MAC Championship since 1987, the Eagles are trending in the right direction — this year’s results prove that.

Why is 2022 such a big deal?

The 2022 season is Eastern Michigan’s first eight-win season since 1987 — the program’s third since 1975. While the Eagles have been knocking on the door for quite some time now, they are yet to get to the next level.

In hindsight, Eastern Michigan’s 27-24 loss to Toledo is even more painful — the Rockets and Eagles are tied in conference play with a 5-3 MAC record.

If Eastern had won that game, the Eagles could claim an outright MAC West Title and a berth to the MAC Championship game in Detroit against Ohio (9-3, 7-1 MAC).

Instead, Eastern Michigan will get another considerable opportunity: win a bowl game.

The Eagles’ 8-4 record is excellent, but a 9-4 finish would be an even more significant accomplishment — especially with some hardware to go along with it.

Eastern Michigan football has long been a Power 5 killer — the Eagles have beaten Power Five teams on many occasions in the past few years. This season, the Eagles’ victim was Arizona State (Pac-12) on the road.

If Eastern can keep that level of play up over the next few years (and stop losing to random opponents across its schedule), the Eagles could quickly become a MAC powerhouse. I would love to see that happen, and I know the Ann Arbor-Ypsi area would love it just the same.

Why was the win over Central Michigan a big deal?

Eastern Michigan football knocked off Central Michigan last Friday, 38-19. The Eagles took a 14-13 lead into the half and quickly opened things up to close the game.

While the Eagles’ win over Central got them to 8-4 — the most games Eastern has won in 35 years — it also won Eastern Michigan football the 2022 Michigan MAC Championship. There are five D1-FBS programs in Michigan (Michigan, Michigan State, Eastern, Western, and Central).

Three of these schools (the three directional schools) are in the MAC.

As Eastern Michigan beat Western earlier this season and closed the season with a win over Central, the Eagles have been crowned Michigan MAC Champions.

The 2022-23 bowl game schedule has not yet been announced; however, the Eagles are bowl eligible and will have a shot at going 9-4 later this year.