Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

Yeah, I was going to say I would put them in two different categories because I think we got a sense of where Rutgers might finish in a G6 conference when they got blown out by UMass in the first game.

I think Arkansas, worst team in the SEC, would probably still win the Sun Belt, would probably still win Conference USA, would probably still win the MAAC.

Yeah.

Maybe the Mountain West.

And then they came out and looked...

Pretty inept against Boston College, too, like right after it.

But I think Rutgers would win the Sun Belt in Conference USA and the MAAC, even though, you know, you can say, you know, UMass is in the MAAC.

I still think at the end of the day, because they have some high-level talent and a lot of big bodies, I still think they'd probably

Okay, so certainly the Ivy League is going to be a fun race.

Let's move over to the Metro Conference, formerly known as the MAAC with two A's, and this preview has to start with the Fairfield Stags, the three-time reigning champions, and led by Carly Tebow-Dudonis, they have been sensational the last four years, or the last five years, really, going back to Joe Frager's last year winning championship the conference championship going out on top.

Then Thibaut Doudanas comes in and she elevates that.

Goes three in a row.

Kayla Rain Tucker, eight points, eight rebounds.

a block and a half a game, also named the All-Metro second team.

So them, along with some younger players and some transfers, if they can develop and Shiro can continue to score the ball the way she did last year, I do think Siena is going to be a team that will compete in this Metro Conference.

I like a lot what the Saints have on this roster heading into this year.

That being said, the flip side of this is like the caliber of teams they have gotten to to get to this point.

You've got the worst Big Ten team, two FCS teams, then the worst MAAC team.

Then you're going up against, I guess, the second worst MAAC team this week.

I think you have Ball State next.

You're lining up like the worst.

UMass 9.

Again, we talked about UMass earlier already.

Their wins include the worst Big Ten team, two FCS teams, and then the worst MAAC team that just came to FBS.

South Florida is 4-0.

And in the MAAC, everybody's got a loss, right? Except for UMass.

How about freaking UMass? 4-0, baby.

How about UMass? They beat Rutgers, Sacred Heart, Stonehill, and Sacramento State.

I think.

The American is 1-11.

That was Tulsa beating Oklahoma State, right? The MAAC is 1-16.

That was UMass over Rutgers.

It's great to have you with us for the first ever over-the-air national telecast of a Mid-American Conference football game in the 54-year history of the league, and certainly its exposure that is long overdue.

In recent years, the MAAC has demonstrated it can play football against the power conferences, most notably this season.

Look at the impressive out-of-conference wins.

Toledo went to Happy Valley and beat Penn State.

They avenged that loss earlier this season in the regular season with a 30-10 win over Marshall, ending Marshall's 33-game home winning streak.

I'm joined by Ed Cunningham and Ed.

The big factor in that Western Michigan win here earlier this season was the player of the year in the MAAC, Robert Sanford.

203 yards Robert Sanford had against Marshall.

It's not like when Sunbelt teams, certain Sunbelt teams go for their payday or Conference USA teams go somewhere for their payday.

The MAAC teams, for the most part, generally show up and at least try.

So I'd expect Central Michigan to give you effort here.

And probably for that reason, I would prefer the plus 41, 41.5, whatever it is.

So I'll stay away.

I do think the look ahead here is important because I do think Miami will be pointed toward Clemson.

That's an interesting concept, the MAAC teams giving effort.

I think you're on to something there.

Totally agree there.

So it looks like Howard, once again, should be the team to beat, at least then during the season in the MAAC tournament.

Let's move over.

Let's drop the E and go to the Mac.

That's in our men's preview on the men's side, because they were quite a story last year, but so were the women 16 and two in the Mac last year.

28-7, winning the conference championship, going dancing, and they have several key pieces back once again this year.

Red Hawks looking really solid in the MAAC.

Yeah, you look at some of these players, like you mentioned, that are back, Amber Tretter, big part of this entire team last year, 14.5 points, eight boards a game.