MAC thoughts: Another win over B1G brother

In the college football season’s second week, the MAC went 4-6. Two of the wins were against FCS schools, but the league did knock off a Big Ten school — again — and Buffalo downed Temple. Here are three notes from the week of play.

Eastern Michigan kicker Chad Ryland, left, reacts after his field goal as time ran out lifted the Eagles to a 20-19 victory over Purdue on Saturday

■ The conference might be more open than we thought. Northern Illinois has a great defense but isn’t scaring anyone offensively; the Huskies have 13 combined points in losses to Iowa and Utah. The opposite is true for Buffalo, which is 2-0. Ohio looked very shaky in Game 1; Toledo is breaking in a new quarterback. The gap between middle and top of the MAC looks non-existent.

■ Another win versus the Big Ten. The league has scored a win against B1G Brother every year since 2006 after Eastern Michigan beat Purdue on Saturday. It’s a golden era for upset hopefuls.

■ Anthony Johnson is going to be a problem for the MAC. The Buffalo receiver caught another touchdown in the win against Temple, and the NFL prospect’s 11 MAC touchdowns last year might be just the beginning.

Contact Nicholas Piotrowicz at: npiotrowicz@theblade.com, 419-724-6110, or on Twitter @NickPiotrowicz.