MAC Football Power Rankings: Western Michigan Continues to Cling to Top Spot

The 2026 college football campaign is in full swing and several MAC programs picked up notable wins this weekend!
From improbable wins to disappointing losses, check out the 2026 MAC football power rankings following Week 3.

1. Western Michigan Broncos (2-1, 0-0)

   Western Michigan picked up a second straight triumph with a 28-21 win at Rice behind running back Jalen Buckley’s 117 yards and one touchdown. Now, all eyes will be on Kalamazoo as Boise State visits Western Michigan in a big-time battle.

   Next: Boise State (September 26 at 3:30 PM)

2. UMass Minutemen (3-0, 0-0)

   UMass remained the only undefeated team in the MAC with a 36-14 beatdown of Stonehill last week. The Minutemen have been a pleasant surprise in the early stages of this season and now we’ll see if they can keep it going as MAC play kicks off.

   Next: Sacramento State (September 26 at 9:00 PM)

3. Toledo Rockets (2-1, 0-0)

   Toledo was on the verge of a loss to Temple before pulling off an improbable comeback in the final minutes — turning a 42-28 deficit into a 49-48 win in overtime, led by quarterback John Alan Richter’s career-high 429 yards and four touchdowns

   Next: San Diego State (September 26 at 12:00 PM)

4. Miami Ohio Redhawks (1-2, 0-0)

   Miami Ohio led in-state rival Cincinnati 28-7 at halftime but somehow allowed a program-defining win to slip through their hands. The Redhawks will have to lick their wounds and refocus with a difficult challenge against UConn coming up next.

   Next: UConn (September 26 at 3:30 PM)

5. Central Michigan Chippewas (2-1, 0-0)

   Central Michigan was underwhelming over the first two weeks of the season but the Chippewas responded with an impressive 24-10 win over Wyoming — improving to 2-1 behind quarterback Angel Flores’ 163 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

   Next: at No. 6 Miami (September 26 at 6:30 PM)

6. Ohio Bobcats (1-2, 0-0)

   Ohio hasn’t exactly lived up to expectations throughout the early stages of the season — narrowing escaping with an overtime win over Jacksonville State last week, before falling to 1-2 after suffering a disappointing 41-36 loss at South Alabama.

   Next: Stonehill (September 26 at 3:30 PM)

7. Buffalo Bulls (1-2, 0-0)

   Buffalo was predictably outmatched and outmuscled by No. 14 Penn State in a 55-13 loss to the Big Ten opponent last week. Luckily for them, the Bulls will get an opportunity to get back in the win column against Robert Morris on Saturday.

   Next: Robert Morris (September 26 at 3:30 PM)

8. Akron Zips (1-2, 0-0)

   Akron didn’t stand much of a chance in a 41-7 loss at Minnesota a week ago but the Zips have played relatively well this season. With that said, we’ll know a lot more about just how good Akron can be following a matchup with UNLV this week.

   Next: UNLV (September 26 at 12:00 PM)

9. Eastern Michigan Eagles (1-3, 1-0)

   Eastern Michigan suffered a third consecutive loss and second straight loss to a Big Ten opponent — falling 54-10 at Wisconsin. The Eagles actually held a 7-3 lead at the end of the first quarter, before getting outscored 28-0 in the second quarter.

   Next: Lindenwood (September 26 at 1:00 PM)

10. Sacramento State Hornets (1-3, 0-1)

    Sacramento State’s transition to the MAC hasn’t been very smooth and that was apparent in a 31-10 loss to North Dakota State. The Hornets will get an opportunity to shock the MAC this week as UMass brings an unbeaten record to Sacramento.

    Next: at Sacramento State (September 26 at 9:00 PM)

11. Ball State Cardinals (1-2, 0-0)

    Ball State was completely destroyed in a 51-15 loss at Liberty on the road. It was a disastrous performance from the Redhawks, allowing 7.2 yards per play as the defense continues to be a concern for Miami with MAC play getting started this week.

    Next: at Kent State (September 26 at 12:00 PM)

12. Kent State Golden Flashes (1-2, 0-0)

    Kent State was totally blown off the field in a 59-3 loss at No. 6 Ohio State last week. The offensive woes were on full display as the Golden Flashes are averaging just 13.0 points per game and are struggling to sustain drives week in and week out.

    Next: Ball State (September 26 at 12:00 PM)

13. Bowling Green Falcons (0-3, 0-0)

    Bowling Green continues to look like the worst team in the conference at this point in the season. The Falcons were obviously overpowered in losses to Nebraska (56-7) and Iowa State (55-7) but a loss to Tarleton State is much more disturbing.

    Next: South Florida (September 26 at 5:00 PM)