Mid-American Central Michigan

Head coach Matt Drinkall · 2nd season · 11-11 at Central Michigan

Record4-52-3 Mid-American · T-7th
Bowl2 wins to goto bowl eligibility
Nextvs Sacramento StateWed Nov 11 · time TBA · ESPNU

The rest of the season

Two real tests left: Buffalo 51%, Ball State 60%

Win out 25% · expect 1.9 of 3 more wins

Central Michigan's chance to win each game left, from our model: Sacramento State 82%, Buffalo 51%, Ball State 60%

Bar height is our model’s chance in each game left. Dashed line: 50%.

StandingTied for 7th in the Mid-American · 2-3 in conference play · All standings

LeadersPassing Jadyn Glasser 638 · Rushing Angel H Flores 618 · Receiving Langston Lewis 379 All player stats

The nationunrankedAP / Coaches
The model#94 CFB ZeitgeistPublic ratings: SP+ #127 (-16.7) · FPI #122
The marketno line yetBetting line vs Sacramento State · our model 82% Central Michigan

Updated Thu Nov 5 · through week 10

Follow Central Michigan:athletics siteXYouTube

Central Michigan · 2026 schedule and results4-5Hard slateAverage opponent win rate 61% · 2 opponents played so far are in the AP top 25 now.Our rank entering each game: #120 to #127

Wednesday vs Eastern Michigan: W 35-7

Favored the whole way: Central Michigan never fell below 52%.

FinalCentral Michigan 35-7 Eastern MichiganCentral Michigan wonMove across the chart, or tap a numbered swing, to see any play.
50%75%90%Q1Q2Q3Q4Central MichiganWon35-712−19+16Scores
50%75%90%Q1Q2Q3Q4Central MichiganWon35-712Scores

The two plays that swung it

  1. 1Q2 10:26Woodford 11-yd TD run, Central Michigan leads 14-0Central Michigan 81% → 62% (−19)
  2. 2Q2 1:48Woodford 2-yd TD run, Central Michigan leads 21-0Central Michigan 76% → 92% (+16)
Central Michigan’s chance to win after every play.
How to read this chartStarts from the pregame line (Central Michigan -2.5), at 52% for Central Michigan (the play-by-play feed's kickoff number, moved to match the line; our model's and the betting line's own numbers are in “The betting line, and the fans”). Dots are the biggest swings; ticks under the chart are scores.
The game page →
WkDateOur rankOpp rankLineOpponentResultRecordConfTop performers
1Sep 5#120#73+11.5✗ −19.5@New MexicoL 7-38 117Central Michigan lost 7-38 at New Mexico. Chance to win started at 16%, low under 1%, high 19%.0-10-0Pass Glasser 16 · Rush Flores 27 · Rec Williams 11
2Sep 12#120#208−18.5✗ −15.5ColgateW 13-10 125Central Michigan won 13-10 vs Colgate. Chance to win started at 91%, low 40%, high better than 99%.1-10-0Pass Flores 57 · Rush Flores 122 · Rec Blue 29
3Sep 19#131#129+1.5✓ +15.5WyomingW 24-10 125Central Michigan won 24-10 vs Wyoming. Chance to win started at 58%, low 58%, high better than 99%.2-10-0Pass Flores 32 · Rush Flores 163 · Rec Foster 13
4Sep 26#131#9+41.5✗ −7.5@MiamiL 3-52 119Central Michigan lost 3-52 at Miami. Chance to win started at 1%, low under 1%, high 1%. Roaring2-20-0Pass Glasser 88 · Rush Woodford 21 · Rec Vanderleest 24
5Oct 3#130#91−6.5✓ +17.5AkronW 41-17 130Central Michigan won 41-17 vs Akron. Chance to win started at 78%, low 47%, high better than 99%.3-21-0Pass Flores 78 · Rush Flores 154 · Rec Lewis 71
6Oct 10#119#62+2.5✗ −14.5@OhioL 14-31 124Central Michigan lost 14-31 at Ohio. Chance to win started at 36%, low under 1%, high 36%.3-31-1Pass Flores 112 · Rush Woodford 27 · Rec Naves 56
7Oct 17#119#39+7.5✓ +0.5Western MichiganL 14-21 125Central Michigan lost 14-21 vs Western Michigan. Chance to win started at 36%, low under 1%, high 47%.3-41-2Pass Flores 162 · Rush Flores 117 · Rec Lewis 74
8Oct 24#123#98+3.5✓ +2.5Miami (OH)L 27-28 129Central Michigan lost 27-28 vs Miami (OH). Chance to win started at 57%, low 5%, high 84%.3-51-3Pass Glasser 221 · Rush Clerveaux 32 · Rec Lewis 163
9Bye week
10Nov 4#127#135−2.5✓ +25.5Eastern Michigan (N)W 35-7 119Central Michigan won 35-7 vs Eastern Michigan. Chance to win started at 52%, low 52%, high better than 99%.4-52-3Pass Glasser 175 · Rush Woodford 123 · Rec Williams 57
11Nov 11#104#203Sacramento Statetime TBA · ESPNU82% to win
12Nov 18@Buffalotime TBA51% to win
13Nov 28@Ball State12 pm ET60% to win
How to read this table

Win chances are our model for Central Michigan, through 9 games. This week's game comes from the playoff simulation, later games from the rating model. They are estimates and move every week.

The small line beside each score is the team's win chance through the game, drawn on one scale for every game. The small number is total plays.

Line is the closing point spread for Central Michigan: a minus number means favored. A green check means the team covered it, by the number beside it. A red cross means it fell short by that much.

Advanced box score (EPA, success rate, big plays)▼
DateOppResultYdsTOTOPEPA/playSuccess%Big plays (IsoPPP)Note
Nov 4Eastern MichiganW 35-7418040:56+0.25342.9%1.35Blowout win
Oct 24Miami (OH)L 27-28285028:48+0.05337.7%1.06One-score loss
Oct 17Western MichiganL 14-21337130:16+0.02441.3%1.17One-score loss
Oct 10@OhioL 14-31275126:04-0.12637.9%1.11Season-low EPA/play
Oct 3AkronW 41-17481129:20+0.44750.0%1.44Season-high EPA/play
Sep 26@MiamiL 3-52158328:50-0.09825.5%1.47Most explosive
Sep 19WyomingW 24-10371035:48+0.29450.8%1.02Best success rate
Sep 12ColgateW 13-10276332:41-0.08133.3%1.25Best defensive stand
Sep 5@New MexicoL 7-38149222:31-0.05226.5%1.27Blowout loss
Season average (9 games)3061.2+0.07938.4%1.24

Central Michigan's wildest games since 2013: comebacks, long shots, line misses

What’s ahead

The forecast
Offense softRun-heavy, ground-controlDefense soft

Season expectations

MAC title#5 in market+1,000

Median odds across sportsbooks · Nov 5. A number with a minus is the favorite: −130 means $130 wins $100. A plus is the underdog: +170 means $100 wins $170.

Today’s games across college football

What fans said

What fans said

Real posts about each game (they name the opponent, a player or a play), chosen by community score · usernames not shown

The games that decide the season

The games that decide the season

Wed Nov 11Next: Sacramento Statevs Sacramento State · at home

Recent form · last 10 games

Central Michigan has won two of its last five.

4-6 over the last 10, and won the last one.

Streak W1Last 5 · 2-3Last 10 · 4-6
2 storylines developing

What Central Michigan’s season is really about

The open questionwhere does it go from here?

Governance shock2026-09-15new

Matt Drinkall's 7-6 debut season marks the start of a new era for Central Michigan, which last won MAC titles in 2009 under Brian Kelly and Butch Jones.

What happenedMAC moving to 9-game schedule in 2028.

Statusdeveloping

Market swing2026-10-15new

Matt Drinkall's 7-6 debut season and Central Michigan's #125 talent rank highlight a program still searching for its identity after a decade without a MAC title.

What happenedCentral Michigan MAC championship odds shortened, from 4.8% to 11.8% (up 7.0 points) between Oct 13 and Oct 15, 2026.
The contextwin total up 0.1

Statusbackground

How past storylines here turned out

AnsweredCentral Michigan's head-coaching hire held for another season.
Died downCentral Michigan's defensive coordinator change has died down — no clear next chapter yet.
Died downCentral Michigan's offensive coordinator change has died down — no clear next chapter yet.

Written by our model from the storyline records. It can get facts wrong.

Range of outcomes · Central Michigan · 2026

Central Michigan’s most likely regular season is 6-6. 97% of outcomes land from 5-7 to 7-5.

Regular-season wins: chance of each total, from the game chances above

4 wins 3%; 5 wins 25%; 6 wins 46%; 7 wins 25%
What a title game and a playoff run could add
Floor5-7No postseason.
Base7-6A bowl game.
Ceiling8-5A bowl game, 1 more win.

Bars are the chance of each regular-season win total, from our model's chance in each game left, through 9 games. Paler bars are the outer 10% at each end. The closed row comes from the season-path projection, which also plays out conference title games and the CFP.

How fans reactedreal posts and moves · tap to open
Following now · Central Michigan · Developing

MAC moving to 9-game schedule in 2028.

Developing1 new this week
6 days agoWR Langston Lewis arrested for OWI
last weekMAC title odds: +8000 to +2053 (the market’s chance is up 3.4 points)
last weekLangston Lewis: 10 rec · 163 yds · 1 TD vs Miami (OH)
2 weeks agoCMU HC rips CFP leaders
2 weeks agoMAC title odds: +750 to +2000 (the market’s chance is down 7.0 points)
Our read
Matt Drinkall's 7-6 debut season marks the start of a new era for Central Michigan, which last won MAC titles in 2009 under Brian Kelly and Butch Jones.
How fans are reacting · tap to expand
The Circus dramaBelievers bullishSkeptics no dissentThe Boards quiet
🎪The circusTop off-field item: “Central Michigan University WR Langston Lewis arrested on OWI…”.›

The off-field storyline drawing the most coverage right now. This section collects the drama around the program, kept apart from the analysis.

“Central Michigan University WR Langston Lewis arrested on OWI charge”
The Morning Sun · Oct 30 · read ↗
📣Believers2 bullish items making the case that it's working.›

The optimistic read: momentum, and the 'this is real' takes.

“UMass Wins OT Thriller. Toledo, Central Michigan Pick Up Victories - Mid-American Conference”
news · Nov 5 · read ↗
“BREAKING: Notre Dame Flips 2027 Central Michigan Safety Commit, Local Product James Criniti”
247Sports · Nov 5 · read ↗
“Central Michigan 35-7 Eastern Michigan (5 Nov, 2026) Game Recap”
ESPN · Nov 5 · read ↗
🧐SkepticsNo prominent dissent; the coverage runs one way.›

The analytical counter: rankings, results, and 'the hype is ahead of the tape' takes.

Nothing in our corpus yet.

💬The boards6% of recent board volume, less than the headlines suggest.›

This event was in 23 of 416 board posts (6%) over the last 60 days, a modest share of the conversation. Fan text is shown verbatim and credited to the community it came from; posters stay anonymous.

"Meanwhile Im Irish and root for Seton Hall basketball, Central Michigan football, NY Jets, Chicago Bulls, NJ Devils and NY Mets lol Life is pain"
r/CFB ~ fan take

Board posters are a vocal, self-selected slice of the fanbase.

More in this tab

This week and this season

Worth watchingGames average 44 combined points, rock fights

What it is like to watch them2026 · 4-5

Game feel44rock fightscombined pts / game13th highest-scoring of 13 in the Mid-American
Heart rate1-2some dramain one-score games (3 of 9)8th most one-score games of 13 in the Mid-American
Margin-4.0competitiveavg scoring margin7th best margin of 13 in the Mid-American
Tempo61average paceoffensive plays / game8th fastest of 13 in the Mid-American
Big plays1.24some popexplosiveness (IsoPPP)7th most explosive of 13 in the Mid-American
Home crowd18,656avg attendance4th biggest crowds of 13 in the Mid-American

Measured from 9 games · ranks are among Mid-American teams the same season

Team storyThe story of this team right now, in one line.
The weekly grind·Written July 2026

Central Michigan won three MAC titles in four years under two coaches who both left for major-conference jobs, and produced an NFL star in Antonio Brown along the way -- a program that keeps building things other people get to keep.

Title DroughtSince 2009 · 17 yrs

Central Michigan fans watched Brian Kelly and Butch Jones build their national coaching reputations here before cashing out at bigger programs -- and watched Antonio Brown become an NFL star after…

Read the full program story ↓
Game-day weatherKickoff-time weather at home, and the forecast in game week.

Central Michigan · Game-day weather

Typical at Kelly/Shorts Stadium: kickoff time makes little difference, scores run 86 to 90

  • noon: 90, Comfortable
  • 3:30 pm: 88, Mixed
  • 7:30 pm: 86, Mixed

Typical weather score at each kickoff time.

Tap a dot to read it.

Weather score: 0 to 100, higher is better, for the first 3 hours and 20 minutes of the game. Ideal is 100, Comfortable 90 to 99, Mixed 75 to 89, Rough 50 to 74, Harsh under 50.

Game dayWhat a Saturday in this stadium actually feels like.
The experience

Central Michigan won MAC titles in 2006, 2007, and 2009 under coaches Brian Kelly and Butch Jones -- both of whom left for bigger jobs -- fielding a 2009 title team led by Dan LeFevour and Antonio Brown, and just opened a new era with Army import Matt Drinkall, who went 7-6 in his 2025 debut season.

Offense: SoftRun/Pass: Run-heavy, ground-controlDefense: Soft
Open questionsThe unresolved questions this season keeps asking.
Program ledgerEvery dated move on this program's record, newest first.

The program ledger

since 2025
  • 2025Hired Matt Drinkall

Roster and recruiting

Roster54% of production back, talent #125

Roster reload: Central Michigan

2026 snapshot, Nov 5
Returning Production54%Moderate continuity
Talent Composite#125 nationally247 composite 540.0
Portal Additions12Primary repair: S
Portal Losses17Primary pressure: CB
Draft Loss0No NFL Draft departures recorded
Recruiting Reload#95Depth class
TEin 3 - Dontae Robinson3.00out 2 - Travis Ambrose3.49Even
current room: 234 lbs avg (2025 roster)
WRin 1 - Shawn Foster2.00out 3 - Langston Lewis3.50Starter Risk
current room: 192 lbs avg (2025 roster)
CBin 1 - Donavan Philord3.49out 3 - Brenden Deasfernandes3.70Starter Risk
current room: 186 lbs avg (2025 roster)
OTin 2 - Nic DiSanto3.30out 2 - Jacob Booth3.49Even
IOLin 1 - Losini Maka1.00out 2 - Apisa Poumele3.50Downgrade
current room: 296 lbs avg (2025 roster)
RBin 2 - Jayden Clerveaux1.00out 1 - Trey Cornist3.49Even
current room: 209 lbs avg (2025 roster)
Full roster (113 players)
Top commits

Top 2 commits

2027 class
★★★☆☆
Sam Rouleau
QB · Grosse Pointe, MI
#1839 national
★★★☆☆
Max Miller
QB · Springboro, OH
#2099 national
Recruiting buzzWhat fans say about the incoming class right now.

r/cfb this year

[Postgame Thread] Central Michigan Defeats Buffalo 38-19
93 upvotes · Nov 2025
[Game Thread] Buffalo @ Central Michigan (7:00 PM ET)
17 upvotes · Nov 2025

Top community posts · last 12 months · r/cfb

Fans and ratings

Mood vs. historyFan mood is higher than 16% of FBS programs
→

Fan confidence in a typical range for this program right now

16th percentile among FBS programs

Fans vs. the lineThe betting market is more optimistic than fans
Fan vs. market↓
16th
Fan mood
(percentile among FBS)
6.5
Sportsbook win total
(42nd among FBS)
Market 26pp more optimistic than fan mood
Win total consensus · 3 books
RivalsRival pulse: Eastern Michigan bearish

Rival pulse

Eastern Michigan
Bearish
-25
Michigan MAC Trophy (EMU-CMU)
Western Michigan
Mixed
+4
Victory Cannon

Fan mood index · most recent r/CFB data

More

Current chapterThe story this season is telling right now.
4
Identity shift

Central Michigan’s fanbase identity shifts, altering program perception.

Matt Drinkall's 7-6 debut season marks the start of a new era for Central Michigan, a program historically defined by MAC titles in the early 2000s.

FollowThe team's own sites, its reporters and its podcasts.

Follow Central Michigan

Each link was checked against two outside sites.

This page may include content derived from public news sources, social media, and fan communities. We relay these sources as-is — we are not reporting them. Sources may be summarized or quoted imperfectly; for anything that matters, go look at the original source directly. The original source may also be wrong. Text written by our model says so in a line beneath it, and it can get facts wrong. All analysis is editorial opinion, not professional reporting. Data sources · About this site