MAC Marshall stuck in strange position

The Thundering Herd are predicted to finish behind Miami (Ohio).
By ROB MEYER
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
DETROIT -- For the first time since 1997, Marshall is not the favorite to win the Mid-American Conference. At the 2003 MAC Football Media Day on July 22, the Herd were predicted to finish second in the MAC East Division based on totals from 42 members of the MAC News Media Association.
Miami (Ohio) edged out Marshall by one point (254-253) in the voting. Northern Illinois was picked to win both the conference championship game and the MAC West Division.
But the sudden surge in competition doesn't bother Marshall coach Bob Pruett. The Herd have won the past six MAC East titles and have the nation's longest consecutive bowl streak at five straight, including wins at the last two GMAC Bowls.
"Maybe I'm over optimistic, but I'm no different than I've been in the years past," Pruett said. "When you play for championships, you don't make excuses for why you're not going to be good.
"You set the standard, and then you've got to reach that standard."
Race to the top
Along with Miami and Marshall, Central Florida figures to have a shot at winning the East crown. The Golden Knights, in their second season as MAC football members, were predicted to finish third, receiving 248 points, just six shy of first place. Akron was picked to finish fourth, followed by Kent State at fifth, Ohio University sixth and Buffalo seventh.
Miami coach Terry Hoeppner said that even though his team was predicted to win the East, the bull's-eye is still on Marshall's back.
"Right now, the championship still goes through Huntington, until somebody does something about it," Hoeppner said. "I've said for years, even though we might play higher-profile (non-conference teams), our toughest opponent is within the league."
Miami and Marshall will meet Nov. 12 at Miami's Yager Stadium. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN2.
West Division
The West Division should also be competitive in 2003. There was only a 28-point difference between first place Northern Illinois (269) and Toledo (238). Bowling Green, picked to finish third, was only six points behind Toledo with 232.
Northern Illinois, who won six of its last seven games last season to tie Toledo for the West crown, returns the nation's leading rusher in senior tailback Michael Turner. Turner rushed for a MAC record 1,915 yards in 2002. But the Huskies lost three of five starters on their offensive line and have to play games at Toledo and Bowling Green this season.
"I hope you're right," Northern Illinois coach Joe Novak said of the first place prediction. "I've been around this thing for quite a while -- not only this tenure but previous tenures -- and I think this year, our conference is probably as wide open as it's been in a long, long time.
"I think there's probably six, seven, eight teams legitimately that have a chance to win this whole thing."
Toledo is the two-time defending West Champions and has played in the last two Motor City Bowls. Bowling Green lost coach Urban Meyer to Utah in the offseason, but senior quarterback Josh Harris is a serious threat both on the ground and in the air.
After Bowling Green, Western Michigan was picked to finish fourth, Central Michigan fifth, Ball State sixth and Eastern Michigan seventh.
rmeyer@vindy.com