Fansided

Dark horse contenders for every college football conference in 2019

By Michael Collins

(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
(Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Mid-American Conference

Favorites: Ohio, Toledo
Liked by some: Buffalo
Dark-horse:

Crazy to predict a former last-place team to make the jump into hyperspace and land in a conference champions galaxy? Normally yes, but Jim McElwain is in an ideal spot taking over the rebuilding of this program.

Love him or hate him, there are few coaches in college football who are better at doing more with less than Jim McElwain. His innovative approach to offense will suit former Houston and Tennessee transfer QB Quinten Dormady just fine.

It won’t be easy, and CMU will have to pull more than a few upsets along the way if they want to be taken seriously. Their two biggest out of conference games are against Wisconsin and Miami. McElwain would love to find a way to win at least one of those games. Outside of that, the back end of their schedule is brutal – with games against Buffalo (road), NIU (home), Ball State (road) and Toledo (home) to close out the season.

Chances are we see a middling 6-6 season from the Chips this year, but never count out a McElwain coached team.

Also in CMU’s favor is the fact that the MAC hasn’t had a repeat champion since 2011-2012, so why not let the Chippewas have a little of this community gold?