Week 5 picks, preview: CMU hosts EMU in Michigan MAC Trophy opener
It's a light slate in the Mitten this weekend, with one big rivalry game dominating the slate.
Two games to pick this week, as Michigan and Michigan State are idle, and Central Michigan hosts Eastern Michigan.
Western Michigan rounds out Saturday with a 6:30 kickoff against FCS Rhode Island, certainly no slouches.
Picks went 4-1 last week and are 14-4 on the season.
Central Michigan vs. Eastern Michigan, 1 p.m., ESPN+ streaming
This matchup is fascinating, and for more than just the in-state rivalry and Michigan MAC Trophy implications.
It’s the start of conference play for both teams, and an early inflection point in their respective quests to make the postseason. And for CMU head coach Matt Drinkall, it’s his first taste of MAC play and this rivalry series, though history is on his side, as Central Michigan hasn’t lost in Mt. Pleasant since 2011.
As for the game itself, Eastern Michigan and head coach Chris Creighton enter Saturday off a win over Louisiana in which the Eagles defense made another stride forward. Now sitting at 1-3, the defense will need to keep improving to keep down a Central Michigan offense that just blitzed FCS Wagner. Some of what has helped is a five-down lineman set of looks to give advantages up front. That could be key against a run-centric Central Michigan offense.
But Drinkall and Co. know this, too, and are happy to get heavy and run out 13 and 14 personnel, surely, as well as take chances passing out of heavy personnel, betting on tight ends and running backs to win matchups against linebackers.
So much of this game will come down to the trenches on both sides, but the Chippewas seem to have a bit more defensive juice to force a takeaway or two and come up with the stops needed to win a big rivalry game and move to 3-2.
The pick: Central Michigan 38, Eastern Michigan 29
Western Michigan vs. Rhode Island, 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ streaming
Rhode Island is an FCS team, yes, but a damn good one. The Rams are undefeated and ranked in the Top 10 of the FCS, and present a stingy defense and dynamic rushing attack powered by former Maryland and Temple tailback Antwain Littleton Jr.
Suffice to say, Rhode Island can punish any team for sleeping on it, and the Broncos aren’t likely to do that coming off win No. 1 on the year and seeing what happened to Eastern Michigan against LIU earlier this year (Rhode Island has defeated LIU this season already, to bring it close to full circle.)
Western Michigan’s run game should get rolling downhill against with some talent advantages and Broc Lowry can continue establishing himself as the full-time quarterback in the offense. And the Broncos’ defense has been strong to start the season, coming off a season-best performance against Toledo this past weekend.
The Broncos should be able to grind the clock, get a decent lead, and lean on the run game and defense to get a second win of the season against a feisty FCS team, and an 0-3 start will start to feel further and further in the rearview.
The pick: Western Michigan 24, Rhode Island 7
