The final installment of the MAC Attack has a look at the top three teams in the MAC West, and perhaps the top three teams in entire Conference. Each team opens with a major conference opponent in week one, and each has enough talent to warrant, if nothing else, a longer look from you as you break down the NCAA card in week one. Without further ado...

Toledo and coach Tom Amstutz have long been the class of the MAC West and I expect a return to the top after a disappointing 5-7 season a year ago. For starters they return eight on both sides of the football, including what I think will be the MAC's most dynamic RB in Jalen Parmele. Last season he rushed for a 5.5 ypc average and 1131 yards with eight TDs. Parmele has the benefit of four returning starters on the O-Line and two QBs with starting experience. Amstutz has always had great offensive football clubs and despite dropping to less than 24 ppg last year I suspect some continuity amongst this group and a return to a 28-30 ppg average this year. Defensively the unit struggled with injuries and poor field position thanks to an underachieving offensive unit. Assuming both of those problems are fixed heading into the season, there is no reason to believe this unit won't improve dramatically. With most of their key games (W. Michigan, Ohio, N. Illinois) at home at the Glass Bowl (where the Rockets are 38-4 SU in their last 42) I expect them to win the MAC West and greatly improve an ATS record that has been less than .500 over the past two years…Western Michigan is a team I would like to name No. 1 in the West but with a tough game at Toledo in September, I think they will fall just short. They get back Tim Hiller at QB who had to redshirt last season, and most will forget about his production as a frosh. Hiller threw 20 TDs to just three INTs in six games two years ago before getting injured, leading the NCAA in pass efficiency. He has a beefy offensive line with a boat load of experience (allowed the least sacks in the MAC last year) and a 1000 yard rusher in Mark Bonds, who may lack flair but is a work horse. They also return eight starters to a stop unit that shaved 12 ppg off their scoring average last year and held opponents to a 2.6 ypc average, on way to out gaining opponents by a margin of nearly 61 yards per game. Under HC Bill Cubit the Broncos have gone 9-1 on their home turf, but have struggled to a 5-7 road record. With only three conference road games at Eastern Michigan, Toledo and Northern Illinois I expect that to improve. The rest of the schedule is manageable, they will go to a bowl game, and if they knock off Toledo, they will win the West…Based on talent it is tough to downgrade Central Michigan much coming off a MAC Championship last season. But they have a tough road slate highlighted with games at Ball State, Kent State, Western Michigan. They get Toledo at home which is good news, but not enough to top the league once again. QB Dan LeFevour returns along with talented, but inconsistent, RB Ontario Sneed. Key losses at WR may hinder him from having another 63% completion, 23-10 TD to INT ratio type of season however. The defense returns seven starters but the stop unit wasn't all that great last year and they lose their top pass rusher, Dan Bazuin, to the NFL and their second best line-buster in Mike Ogle. To top it all off they lose head coach Brian Kelly, making it a transition year. The Chippewas will still be ultra competitive, but don't expect another double digit season ATS or SU this year