By Mark Pszonak
G5 programs are always looking for a program-building victory against a P4 opponent. MAC teams have multiple opportunities to accomplish this in 2025. Here are five games to watch that could produce huge wins for the conference:
Toledo at Kentucky (August 30)
The skinny: Jason Candle is a very good head coach who has made Toledo a top G5 program. During his time in charge of the Rockets, they have beaten Mississippi State, Pittsburgh, BYU, Iowa State and Arkansas. So, why not add another P4 win against a Kentucky team coming off a 4-8 season, continued questions at quarterback and a head coach on the hot seat? All the ingredients are there for an upset.
Northern Illinois at Mississippi State (September 20)
The skinny: Nobody will forget Northern Illinois’ victory at Notre Dame last season, but outside of Starkville, Mississippi and Toledo, Ohio, not many remember the Bulldogs’ 41-17 loss at home to the Rockets. So, when Northern Illinois visits Mississippi State in late September, can another MAC program travel into SEC country and pull off the upset?
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Buffalo at Minnesota (August 28)
The skinny: Coming off a 9-4 season and with an impressive number of important players returning, expectations are high in Buffalo. They travel to Minneapolis to play a Gophers team coming off an 8-5 season, but which will be dealing with quarterback question in 2025. In recent years the Gophers have had some struggles with MAC schools, including a home loss to Bowling Green in 2021. If the Bulls can answer their own quarterback questions, they can pull off the upset.
Miami-Ohio at Wisconsin (August 28)
The skinny: The RedHawks, who have quietly pieced together a 20-8 record over the last two seasons, have a victory over Cincinnati and near losses to the same Bearcats and also Northwestern over this time. The offense will undergo an overhaul but introduce quarterback Dequan Finn who will be eager to jumpstart his career after a failed transfer to Baylor. Prior to his lost season in Waco, Finn was one of the MAC’s most dynamic players at Toledo. As for Wisconsin, expectations are very tempered in 2025 coming off a 5-7 season that saw them miss their first bowl since 2001.
Ohio at Rutgers (August 28)
The skinny: The reigning MAC champions, Ohio will enter the season opener at Rutgers with a new head coach and hoping to replenish several important transfer losses. However, they do return quarterback Parker Navarro, who is one of the more underrated dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. He will be playing against a Rutgers defense which struggled during the second half of the season but reloaded with several transfers. How quickly the unit meshes will go a long way in determining the chances the Bobcats have in this game.
