Eastern Michigan4-83Chris Creighton enters his 10th season at Eastern Michigan with a 4-8 losing record, as the program seeks to break a 36-year MAC title drought without ever reaching the championship game.
Eastern Michigan has never reached a MAC Championship Game and hasn't won a title since 1987 -- and produced a two-time Super Bowl champion and a five-time Pro Bowler who became the first active NFL player ever named a college football assistant GM, at his own alma mater.
Eastern Michigan gets talked about as one of the toughest jobs in college football, a program that can't break through -- while quietly producing a two-time Super Bowl champion and a $106.5 million NF…
Approaching
23 days
until kickoff · vs Sacramento State · Sat Aug 29 · 22:30 UTC
Eastern Michigan hasn't won a MAC title since 1987 and has never once reached the MAC Championship Game -- but it produced Charlie Batch (15 NFL seasons, two Super Bowl rings) and Maxx Crosby, who in 2025 became the first active NFL player ever named assistant general manager of a college football program, at his own alma mater.
The team returns only 25% of its roster, with heavy losses in critical areas like CB and OT. Recruiting ranked #106 nationally, reflecting limited talent acquisition.
Swoop circles quietly overhead.
the open questionwhere does it go from here?
Eastern Michigan enters 2026 — the 4-8 record and 94th national talent rank highlight the challenge of elevating a middle-tier program under Chris Creighton's 10th season.
Eastern Michigan: coordinator change reshaping a unit.
Chris Creighton enters his 10th season at Eastern Michigan with a 4-8 losing record, as the program seeks to break a 36-year MAC title drought without ever reaching the championship game.
Joshua Long isn't a money-down weapon -- his 3rd-down conversion rate lags the position, and his per-target value drops further in that spot.
Nick Devereaux is a legitimate money-down target -- his 3rd-down conversion rate ranks among the position's best, and his per-target value holds up in that spot too.
Dontae McMillan: a closer signal screened this season.
Harold Mack is used almost exclusively underneath -- a low share of his targets are downfield shots.
Jamarien Wheeler is a real deep-ball threat -- a high share of his targets come on throws past the sticks.
Joshua Long is used almost exclusively underneath -- a low share of his targets are downfield shots.
Nick Devereaux is a real deep-ball threat -- a high share of his targets come on throws past the sticks.
Eastern Michigan enters 2025 at No. 119 in SP+ — Chris Creighton's sixth season opens with a losing record and middling talent rank, raising the question of structural progress.
EMU hires co-defensive coordinators
Creighton splits the DC chair instead of handing it to one voice — pressure at CB already headlining the depth concerns, and a #97 class rank doesn't exactly scream 'the cavalry is coming.'
QB Brogan McCaughey transfer commits from Yale
Ivy passer to MAC — McCaughey is a graduate transfer with starts banked, real competition arm.
EMU promotes Teegardin to assistant HC
Teegardin's bump to assistant HC is Creighton doubling down on continuity while the roster is thin at corner and the class sits at #105 — not a splashy fix, but a bet that trust in-house beats chasing outside blood.
Top 3 commits
Among the stronger offseasons on record for this program
86th percentile among FBS programs
Market outlook
Sportsbook consensus · best odds across multiple books · 2026-08-06
Eastern Michigan · Next-Season Outcome Band
Final-season-aware projection: floor / base / ceiling include conference title and CFP games where the model supports them, so a ceiling can exceed a 12-game regular season.
Eastern Michigan enters 2026 rated No. 119 in 2025 SP+ (-14.7). SP+ describes what the program HAS done, not what it will do. The season is the field test. The preview consensus leans in — but preseason ratings reward the recent past, not the season ahead.
The 'the projection is underselling us' read -- fans betting the season beats the preview number.
The 'the model has seen the tape' counter -- efficiency ratings reward what a program has actually done, not hope.
Nothing in our corpus yet — this door stays open for when there is.
Eastern Michigan: the fanbase's identity shifting.
The optimistic read: momentum, and the 'this is real' takes.
The analytical counter: rankings, results, and 'the hype is ahead of the tape' takes.
Nothing in our corpus yet — this door stays open for when there is.
Recent Form · last 10 games
Two of five. Schedule has caught up.
Opens Aug 29
vs Sacramento State · at home
✓ fact on line · ~ our read on style
Fan mood index · most recent r/cfb data
Recruiting Footprint · 2026
FL leads the 2026 class with 8 commits. National footprint reaching 16 states.
Where they recruit · 2023-2026
118 signees across 24 states, 2023-2026. MI leads the pull.
Top community posts · last 12 months · r/cfb
The bounces have gone their way on their own fumbles: 57% recovered, vs. ~51% expected.
4 of 7 own fumbles recovered themselves, 2025 only.
Cashing in at a normal clip: 21% of disrupted passes intercepted, close to ~19% league-wide.
7 interceptions of 33 disrupted passes (26 deflected, 7 intercepted), 2025 only.
The flags have favored them: 74 penalties drawn on opponents vs. 68 committed, 95 yards to the good.
586 penalty yards committed vs. 681 drawn on opponents, 2025 season total.
What moved it — fall camp · last 14 days
Position = mood · width = volume · color = the kind of feeling
~ our readEastern Michigan fans are buzzing about the program, with almost nothing concrete behind it yet.
✓ counted We read 50 posts from Eastern Michigan fans this week.
“Huge roster turnover, couple of new coaches, and injuries. They aint good, but they're getting better.”— r/CFB
“The first half of this game makes me feel marginally better about the season. Our defense is still extremely concerning, as well as our lack of third quarter offense. Hard to see many wins this year given our schedule. Glad we kept it under 50…barely”— r/CFB
“That sucked. Offense looked okay, but if this is how our defense will be this year….its gonna be a long season. Totally outmatched on D. No pressure from the line, no run stopping, our linebackers were slow. Gotta reset next week against the FCS opponent. This is only the …”— r/CFB
Fanbase Health Index · Eastern Michigan · medium confidence
FBS rankings · 2025 season · all stats vs 136 FBS programs
| Player | # | G | Cmp/Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | TD | INT | Rate | QBR | Adj ANY/A | Sack% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pocket Passer · +0.22 EPA/play | 13 | 12 | 247 / 402 | 61.4 | 2817 #45 FBS | 7.0 | 18 #49 FBS | 11 | 129.6 | 42.5 | 6.3 | 2.4 | |
Yards by week → Pocket PasserBalanced passer who operates within the system, without one standout number carrying the profile. Impact starter — above-average production for the conference. 97 of 183 QBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / attempt7.2 bottom 41th percentile · FBS QBs, min. 80 attempts Rush usage16.4% bottom 30th percentile · FBS QBs, min. 80 attempts Trait fingerprint Plays like our readAscending: his CFB Index score now sits at the 59th percentile among FBS QBs, up from the 8th | |||||||||||||
| Player | # | G | Car | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | 3rd Dn Use | Pass Dn Use | Stuff% | 10+% | Tgt Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced Back · +0.21 EPA/play | 28 | 12 | 177 | 1014 #41 FBS | 5.7 | 4 | 54 | 14.9 | 17.9 | 15.7 | 17.4 | 11.7% (42/359) | |
Yards by week → Balanced BackPlays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension. All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started. The most common profile in its group this season — 186 of 349 classified this way. Played in 12 of 21 games this season · senior View Dontae McMillan's full player page | |||||||||||||
| Balanced Back · +0.05 EPA/play | 21 | 11 | 106 | 428 | 4.0 | 5 | 36 | 14.5 | 10.3 | 18.9 | 10.8 | 5.8% (21/359) | |
Yards by week → Balanced BackPlays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension. Starter — over 60% of the snaps, holding the job. The most common profile in its group this season — 186 of 349 classified this way. Played in 11 of 21 games this season · senior View Tavierre Dunlap's full player page | |||||||||||||
| Player | # | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | 3rd Dn Use | Pass Dn Use | Tgt Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deep Threat · +0.48 EPA/play | 81 | 12 | 34 | 510 | 15 | 7 #38 FBS | 45 | 8.7 | 8.1 | 14.8% (53/359) | |
Yards by week → Deep Threat· Money-downStretches the field vertically. Every snap is a potential big play. lives on the sticks and moves the chains All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started. 100 of 558 WRs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / reception17.0 84th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions TD rate20.6% 98th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like our readAscending: his CFB Index score now sits at the 63rd percentile among FBS WRs, up from the 0th | |||||||||||
| Complete TE · +0.38 EPA/play | 87 | 12 | 37 | 357 | 9.6 | 3 | 27 | 10.6 | 9.8 | 15.6% (56/359) | |
Yards by week → Complete TENo single go-to route — the receiving numbers show up inline and split out alike. The most common profile in its group this season — 177 of 223 classified this way. Played in 12 of 21 games this season · sophomore our readUnranked recruit — top-quartile production against his own recruiting profile | |||||||||||
| Deep Threat · +0.86 EPA/play | 25 | 5 | 20 | 333 | 16.6 | 2 | 51 | 10.5 | 9.5 | 7.5% (27/359) | |
Yards by week → Deep ThreatStretches the field vertically. Every snap is a potential big play. 100 of 558 WRs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / reception17.1 82th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions EPA / play (adj)0.9 95th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like View Harold Mack's full player page | |||||||||||
| Possession Receiver · +0.70 EPA/play | 7 | 8 | 23 | 301 | 13.1 | 2 | 43 | 7.6 | 6.5 | 9.2% (33/359) | |
Yards by week → Possession ReceiverReliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive. The most common profile in its group this season — 332 of 558 classified this way. Played in 8 of 21 games this season · senior View Jamarien Wheeler's full player page | |||||||||||
| Possession Receiver · +0.29 EPA/play | 3 | 5 | 19 | 263 | 13.8 | 1 | 64 | 9.7 | 12.2 | 10.9% (39/359) | |
Yards by week → Possession ReceiverReliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive. The most common profile in its group this season — 332 of 558 classified this way. Played in 5 of 21 games this season · senior our readFading: his CFB Index score moved from the 76th to 25th percentile among FBS WRs | |||||||||||
| Possession Receiver · +0.15 EPA/play | 9 | 9 | 27 | 221 | 8.2 | 0 | 25 | 9.6 | 9 | 11.7% (42/359) | |
Yards by week → Possession ReceiverReliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive. 332 of 558 WRs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / reception6.2 bottom 3th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions TD rate0.0% bottom 8th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like View Porter Rooks's full player page | |||||||||||
| Possession Receiver · +0.35 EPA/play | 17 | 11 | 21 | 177 | 8.4 | 0 | 22 | 5.6 | 6.4 | 7.2% (26/359) | |
Yards by week → Possession ReceiverReliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive. 332 of 558 WRs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / reception7.7 bottom 7th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions TD rate0.0% bottom 8th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like View Ben Prosper's full player page | |||||||||||
| +0.35 EPA/play | 88 | 4 | 5 | 69 | 13.8 | 0 | 33 | 2.2 | 1.5 | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||
| Player | # | G | Tot | Solo | TFL | Sack | Hur |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two-Gap Base | 98 | 12 | 57 | 13 | 3 | 1.5 | 2 |
Two-Gap BaseStout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number. Impact starter — above-average production for the conference. 388 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate5.3% bottom 16th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like our readUnranked recruit — top-quartile production against his own recruiting profile our readBreakout: his CFB Index score now sits at the 78th percentile among FBS IDLs, up from the 38th | |||||||
| Two-Gap Base | 93 | 10 | 43 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
Two-Gap BaseStout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number. Starter — over 60% of the snaps, holding the job. 388 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate9.3% bottom 29th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like our readAscending: his CFB Index score climbed from the 32nd percentile to the 52nd among FBS IDLs | |||||||
| 3-Tech Penetrator | 33 | 12 | 37 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
3-Tech PenetratorDisruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield. 269 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate10.8% bottom 35th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Carter Evans's full player page | |||||||
| 3-Tech Penetrator | 56 | 9 | 34 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
3-Tech PenetratorDisruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 269 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate11.8% bottom 38th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Sterling Miles's full player page | |||||||
| 3-Tech Penetrator | 54 | 9 | 22 | 12 | 5.5 | 3 | 5 |
3-Tech PenetratorDisruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield. 269 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate25.0% 86th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Quincy Byas's full player page | |||||||
| Two-Gap Base | 99 | 10 | 17 | 6 | 1.5 | 1 | 1 |
Two-Gap BaseStout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number. 388 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate8.8% bottom 27th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Warren-Stevens Tayou's full player page | |||||||
| Two-Gap Base | 57 | 5 | 16 | 5 | 1.5 | 0 | 2 |
Two-Gap BaseStout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number. The most common profile in its group this season — 388 of 809 classified this way. Played in 5 of 21 games this season · junior View Makhi Gilbert's full player page | |||||||
| 3-Tech Penetrator | 92 | 9 | 16 | 6 | 1.5 | 0 | 3 |
3-Tech PenetratorDisruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield. 269 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate9.4% bottom 29th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Hector Gonzalez's full player page | |||||||
| 3-Tech Penetrator | 53 | 6 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
3-Tech PenetratorDisruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield. 269 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate7.7% bottom 23th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Messiah Blair's full player page | |||||||
| 3-Tech Penetrator | 88 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 1 |
3-Tech PenetratorDisruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield. 269 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate22.7% 80th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Ronn Hardin's full player page | |||||||
| Two-Gap Base | 64 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Two-Gap BaseStout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number. 388 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate0.0% bottom 6th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Noah Patterson's full player page | |||||||
| 52 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Player | # | G | Tot | Solo | Ast | TFL | Sack | PD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced Linebacker | 42 | 9 | 61 | 30 | 31 | 3.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Balanced LinebackerSolid in every phase without a signature dimension. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. The most common profile in its group this season — 362 of 660 classified this way. Played in 9 of 21 games this season · junior View Andrew Marshall's full player page | |||||||||
| Balanced Linebacker | 44 | 9 | 42 | 13 | 29 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Balanced LinebackerSolid in every phase without a signature dimension. 362 of 660 LBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Tackle volume42 bottom 38th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles PD rate0.0% bottom 18th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Trait fingerprint Plays like View Marco Patierno's full player page | |||||||||
| Balanced Linebacker | 11 | 8 | 40 | 14 | 26 | 1.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Balanced LinebackerSolid in every phase without a signature dimension. The most common profile in its group this season — 362 of 660 classified this way. Played in 8 of 21 games this season · senior View Zach Mowchan's full player page | |||||||||
| Balanced Linebacker | 40 | 8 | 17 | 8 | 9 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Balanced LinebackerSolid in every phase without a signature dimension. The most common profile in its group this season — 362 of 660 classified this way. Played in 8 of 21 games this season · junior · 2-star, 2023 class View Bryce Eliuk's full player page | |||||||||
| 43 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Player | # | G | Tot | PD | INT | TFL | Sack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Box Safety | 6 | 12 | 103 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
Box SafetyLives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker. All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started. 166 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Tackle volume103 100th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like our readUnranked recruit — top-quartile production against his own recruiting profile | |||||||
| Box Safety | 39 | 12 | 75 | 2 | 1 | 5.5 | 2 |
Box SafetyLives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker. Impact starter — above-average production for the conference. 166 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Tackle volume75 94th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like our readTwo-star recruit — top-quartile production against his own recruiting profile our readReinvented: changed shape entirely — Hybrid Nickel to Box Safety, his CFB Index score now sits at the 86th percentile among FBS Ss, up from the 30th | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 13 | 12 | 56 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Hybrid NickelMoves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB. Starter — over 60% of the snaps, holding the job. The most common profile in its group this season — 419 of 801 classified this way. Played in 12 of 21 games this season · senior View Jason Marshall's full player page | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 27 | 12 | 34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Hybrid NickelMoves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB. 419 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate2.9% bottom 25th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like View Juan Salas's full player page | |||||||
| Centerfielder | 1 | 10 | 29 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
CenterfielderSingle-high range who erases the deep middle of the field. 133 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate13.8% 78th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like View Joshua Scott's full player page | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 22 | 9 | 28 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Hybrid NickelMoves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB. 419 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate7.1% bottom 46th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like our readAscending: his CFB Index score moved from the 3rd to 35th percentile among FBS Ss | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 28 | 9 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Hybrid NickelMoves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB. 419 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate6.2% bottom 41th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like View Jaivian Norman's full player page | |||||||
| 17 | 8 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 29 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 21 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 16 | 7 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 24 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Player | # | G | FG M/A | FG% | XP M/A | Pts | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steady | 46 | 12 | 17/23 | 73.9 | 28/28 | 79 | 50 |
| Player | # | G | No | Yds | Avg | Long | In20 | TB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannon | 30 | 12 | 48 | 2165 | 45.1 | 63 | 7 | 6 |
Net average is unavailable — CFBD's punting feed carries gross yards only, with no return-yardage or touchback deduction.
| Player | # | G | No | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 9 | 23 | 432 | 18.8 | 0 | 39 |
| Player | # | G | No | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid Nickel | 27 | 12 | 6 | 55 | 9.2 | 0 | 37 |
2025 stat leaders
finalRoster
2025+20 more
| Wk | Date | Us | Opp | Line | Opponent | Result | Record | Conf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 31 | #147 | #57 | +14 | @Texas State | L 27–52 133 | 0-1 | 0-0 |
| 2 | Sep 6 | #126 | #136 | -21.5 | Long Island University | L 23–28 123 | 0-2 | 0-0 |
| 3 | Sep 13 | #167 | #68 | +26.5 | @Kentucky | L 23–48 139 | 0-3 | 0-0 |
| 4 | Sep 20 | #174 | #70 | +1.5 | Louisiana | W 34–31 134 | 1-3 | 0-0 |
| 5 | Sep 27 | #171 | #111 | +3.5 | @Central Michigan | L 13–24 123 | 1-4 | 0-1 |
| 6 | Oct 4 | #187 | #88 | +9.5 | @Buffalo | L 30–31 155 | 1-5 | 0-2 |
| 7 | Oct 11 | #178 | #133 | +1.5 | Northern Illinois | W 16–10 134 | 2-5 | 0-2 |
| 8 | Oct 18 | #179 | #61 | +11.5 | @Miami (OH) | L 30–44 135 | 2-6 | 0-3 |
| 9 | Oct 25 | #169 | #68 | +12 | Ohio | L 21–28 129 | 2-7 | 0-4 |
| 11 | Nov 8 | #163 | #172 | -3 | Bowling Green | W 27–21 126 | 3-7 | 1-4 |
| 12 | Nov 15 | #160 | #205 | -2.5 | @Ball State | W 24–9 129 | 4-7 | 2-4 |
| 14 | Nov 26 | #140 | #65 | +9.5 | Western Michigan | L 21–31 128 | 4-8 | 2-5 |
| Date | Opp | Result | Yds | TO | TOP | EPA/play | Success% | Explosive% | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 26 | Western Michigan | L 21–31 | 461 | 5 | 27:39 | +0.187 | 42.4% | 134.4% | |
| Nov 15 | @Ball State | W 24–9 | 380 | 2 | 31:09 | +0.150 | 46.5% | 119.3% | Best defensive stand |
| Nov 8 | Bowling Green | W 27–21 | 385 | 0 | 33:45 | +0.215 | 40.3% | 134.1% | One-score win |
| Oct 25 | Ohio | L 21–28 | 371 | 1 | 24:20 | +0.291 | 43.6% | 124.1% | One-score loss |
| Oct 18 | @Miami (OH) | L 30–44 | 369 | 2 | 17:51 | +0.267 | 34.5% | 176.8% | Most explosive |
| Oct 11 | Northern Illinois | W 16–10 | 299 | 1 | 30:06 | +0.094 | 39.1% | 113.2% | Season-low EPA/play |
| Oct 4 | @Buffalo | L 30–31 | 395 | 0 | 37:05 | +0.177 | 44.4% | 107.1% | One-score loss |
| Sep 27 | @Central Michigan | L 13–24 | 298 | 1 | 23:36 | +0.142 | 42.9% | 99.6% | |
| Sep 20 | Louisiana | W 34–31 | 409 | 1 | 30:01 | +0.202 | 50.7% | 111.3% | Best success rate |
| Sep 13 | @Kentucky | L 23–48 | 461 | 1 | 30:04 | +0.177 | 45.2% | 119.5% | |
| Sep 6 | Long Island University | L 23–28 | 311 | 0 | 22:07 | +0.169 | 37.8% | 127.3% | One-score loss |
| Aug 31 | @Texas State | L 27–52 | 391 | 0 | 29:02 | +0.358 | 44.6% | 132.0% | Season-high EPA/play |
| Season average (12 games) | 378 | 1.2 | +0.202 | 42.7% | 124.9% | ||||
Eastern Michigan fields a strong offense behind a porous defense.
Opponent-adjusted percentiles vs all FBS. Bar = where this team ranks — right is better.
Team identity · competitive snaps only
49th percentile quality, 42nd percentile boom-dependency. Garbage time excluded from both axes — the same correction that changes the Q4 story below.
| Team | Quality percentile | Boom-share percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Air Force | 86th | 11th |
| Akron | 12th | 89th |
| Alabama | 58th | 17th |
| App State | 35th | 47th |
| Arizona | 64th | 37th |
| Arizona State | 41st | 62nd |
| Arkansas | 90th | 12th |
| Arkansas State | 17th | 66th |
| Army | 57th | 43rd |
| Auburn | 47th | 53rd |
| BYU | 78th | 19th |
| Baylor | 69th | 25th |
| Boise State | 66th | 20th |
| Boston College | 37th | 54th |
| Bowling Green | 2nd | 98th |
| Buffalo | 11th | 88th |
| California | 28th | 48th |
| Central Michigan | 52nd | 64th |
| Cincinnati | 89th | 16th |
| Clemson | 51st | 48th |
| Coastal Carolina | 17th | 83rd |
| Colorado | 18th | 84th |
| Colorado State | 16th | 83rd |
| Delaware | 38th | 58th |
| Duke | 80th | 14th |
| East Carolina | 63rd | 36th |
| Eastern Michigan | 49th | 42nd |
| Florida | 30th | 67th |
| Florida Atlantic | 62nd | 59th |
| Florida International | 42nd | 50th |
| Florida State | 83rd | 32nd |
| Fresno State | 26th | 73rd |
| Georgia | 81st | 3rd |
| Georgia Southern | 73rd | 21st |
| Georgia State | 36th | 70th |
| Georgia Tech | 84th | 5th |
| Hawai'i | 64th | 41st |
| Houston | 27th | 65th |
| Illinois | 75th | 26th |
| Indiana | 95th | 1st |
| Iowa | 44th | 40th |
| Iowa State | 68th | 22nd |
| Jacksonville State | 54th | 38th |
| James Madison | 65th | 44th |
| Kansas | 85th | 28th |
| Kansas State | 71st | 49th |
| Kennesaw State | 56th | 30th |
| Kent State | 21st | 86th |
| Kentucky | 15th | 85th |
| LSU | 14th | 81st |
| Liberty | 43rd | 56th |
| Louisiana | 19th | 73rd |
| Louisiana Tech | 39th | 61st |
| Louisville | 48th | 64th |
| Marshall | 55th | 39th |
| Maryland | 30th | 74th |
| Memphis | 80th | 24th |
| Miami | 76th | 5th |
| Miami (OH) | 34th | 67th |
| Michigan | 67th | 33rd |
| Michigan State | 27th | 75th |
| Middle Tennessee | 39th | 52nd |
| Minnesota | 29th | 77th |
| Mississippi State | 22nd | 77th |
| Missouri | 61st | 30th |
| Missouri State | 55th | 46th |
| NC State | 86th | 23rd |
| Navy | 94th | 17th |
| Nebraska | 48th | 57th |
| Nevada | 3rd | 97th |
| New Mexico | 58th | 60th |
| New Mexico State | 9th | 87th |
| North Carolina | 13th | 89th |
| North Texas | 98th | 7th |
| Northern Illinois | 8th | 92nd |
| Northwestern | 52nd | 36th |
| Notre Dame | 99th | 20th |
| Ohio | 67th | 18th |
| Ohio State | 93rd | 4th |
| Oklahoma | 20th | 80th |
| Oklahoma State | 5th | 95th |
| Old Dominion | 83rd | 45th |
| Ole Miss | 89th | 2nd |
| Oregon | 91st | 10th |
| Oregon State | 2nd | 98th |
| Penn State | 73rd | 33rd |
| Pittsburgh | 60th | 39th |
| Purdue | 25th | 78th |
| Rice | 6th | 94th |
| Rutgers | 70th | 27th |
| SMU | 74th | 42nd |
| Sam Houston | 4th | 96th |
| San Diego State | 24th | 76th |
| San José State | 45th | 69th |
| South Alabama | 36th | 58th |
| South Carolina | 23rd | 86th |
| South Florida | 87th | 23rd |
| Southern Miss | 40th | 55th |
| Stanford | 10th | 90th |
| Syracuse | 5th | 95th |
| TCU | 72nd | 35th |
| Temple | 70th | 34th |
| Tennessee | 96th | 11th |
| Texas | 45th | 55th |
| Texas A&M | 82nd | 14th |
| Texas State | 92nd | 8th |
| Texas Tech | 77th | 31st |
| Toledo | 50th | 61st |
| Troy | 14th | 80th |
| Tulane | 79th | 15th |
| Tulsa | 20th | 70th |
| UAB | 61st | 45th |
| UCF | 33rd | 82nd |
| UCLA | 23rd | 79th |
| UConn | 95th | 13th |
| UL Monroe | 11th | 92nd |
| UNLV | 88th | 9th |
| USC | 98th | 2nd |
| UTEP | 1st | 99th |
| UTSA | 77th | 51st |
| Utah | 97th | 6th |
| Utah State | 46th | 63rd |
| Vanderbilt | 100th | 0th |
| Virginia | 59th | 27th |
| Virginia Tech | 32nd | 71st |
| Wake Forest | 42nd | 72nd |
| Washington | 92nd | 8th |
| Washington State | 33rd | 52nd |
| West Virginia | 7th | 93rd |
| Western Kentucky | 53rd | 29th |
| Western Michigan | 31st | 68th |
| Wisconsin | 0th | 100th |
| Wyoming | 8th | 91st |
Fourth-quarter reliability, corrected
Raw Q4 EPA/play ranks 93rd percentile in FBS. Strip out snaps taken with a blowout margin and it drops to the 77th — the correction is the finding, not a footnote.
Standard downs vs. passing downs
46th percentile success on standard downs, 67th on passing downs — a 21-point gap between the two.
| Team | Standard-downs percentile | Passing-downs percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Air Force | 82nd | 69th |
| Akron | 20th | 36th |
| Alabama | 47th | 76th |
| App State | 41st | 80th |
| Arizona | 54th | 54th |
| Arizona State | 40th | 37th |
| Arkansas | 90th | 97th |
| Arkansas State | 51st | 40th |
| Army | 37th | 44th |
| Auburn | 73rd | 24th |
| Austin Peay | 56th | 13th |
| BYU | 91st | 46th |
| Ball State | 5th | 3rd |
| Baylor | 70th | 77th |
| Boise State | 42nd | 63rd |
| Boston College | 56th | 54th |
| Bowling Green | 10th | 17th |
| Bryant | 7th | 2nd |
| Buffalo | 29th | 20th |
| California | 25th | 66th |
| Central Michigan | 57th | 11th |
| Charlotte | 7th | 7th |
| Cincinnati | 89th | 65th |
| Clemson | 49th | 34th |
| Coastal Carolina | 16th | 22nd |
| Colorado | 8th | 48th |
| Colorado State | 29th | 35th |
| Delaware | 66th | 31st |
| Duke | 82nd | 63rd |
| East Carolina | 63rd | 91st |
| Eastern Michigan | 46th | 67th |
| Florida | 52nd | 45th |
| Florida Atlantic | 44th | 61st |
| Florida International | 50th | 26th |
| Florida State | 65th | 90th |
| Fresno State | 22nd | 71st |
| Georgia | 95th | 69th |
| Georgia Southern | 64th | 84th |
| Georgia State | 22nd | 75th |
| Georgia Tech | 92nd | 89th |
| Hawai'i | 33rd | 87th |
| Houston | 61st | 29th |
| Idaho | 30th | 78th |
| Idaho State | 93rd | 14th |
| Illinois | 79th | 95th |
| Indiana | 97th | 98th |
| Iowa | 74th | 19th |
| Iowa State | 80th | 58th |
| Jacksonville State | 59th | 56th |
| James Madison | 77th | 52nd |
| Kansas | 99th | 82nd |
| Kansas State | 37th | 59th |
| Kennesaw State | 44th | 67th |
| Kent State | 15th | 5th |
| Kentucky | 62nd | 29th |
| LSU | 18th | 52nd |
| Lafayette | 0th | 12th |
| Liberty | 65th | 53rd |
| Lindenwood | 4th | 1st |
| Long Island University | 24th | 78th |
| Louisiana | 24th | 23rd |
| Louisiana Tech | 41st | 24th |
| Louisville | 84th | 32nd |
| Maine | 3rd | 18th |
| Marshall | 71st | 62nd |
| Maryland | 11th | 86th |
| Massachusetts | 5th | 9th |
| Memphis | 75th | 68th |
| Merrimack | 1st | 83rd |
| Miami | 80th | 64th |
| Miami (OH) | 33rd | 39th |
| Michigan | 73rd | 74th |
| Michigan State | 48th | 39th |
| Middle Tennessee | 69th | 47th |
| Minnesota | 35th | 33rd |
| Mississippi State | 52nd | 35th |
| Missouri | 76th | 50th |
| Missouri State | 32nd | 50th |
| Murray State | 1st | 6th |
| NC State | 58th | 71st |
| Navy | 95th | 72nd |
| Nebraska | 78th | 51st |
| Nevada | 17th | 16th |
| New Mexico | 38th | 60th |
| New Mexico State | 16th | 33rd |
| North Carolina | 14th | 30th |
| North Texas | 100th | 97th |
| Northern Illinois | 9th | 5th |
| Northwestern | 48th | 88th |
| Notre Dame | 88th | 99th |
| Ohio | 69th | 76th |
| Ohio State | 99th | 99th |
| Oklahoma | 39th | 41st |
| Oklahoma State | 14th | 7th |
| Old Dominion | 72nd | 79th |
| Ole Miss | 83rd | 95th |
| Oregon | 93rd | 55th |
| Oregon State | 54th | 25th |
| Penn State | 76th | 73rd |
| Pittsburgh | 35th | 56th |
| Purdue | 46th | 88th |
| Rice | 20th | 0th |
| Rutgers | 71st | 84th |
| SMU | 50th | 57th |
| Sam Houston | 26th | 4th |
| San Diego State | 84th | 1st |
| San José State | 68th | 70th |
| South Alabama | 53rd | 28th |
| South Carolina | 31st | 8th |
| South Carolina State | 10th | 3rd |
| South Florida | 86th | 46th |
| Southern Miss | 27th | 38th |
| Stanford | 12th | 12th |
| Syracuse | 19th | 10th |
| TCU | 63rd | 82nd |
| Temple | 85th | 22nd |
| Tennessee | 97th | 81st |
| Texas | 27th | 61st |
| Texas A&M | 88th | 59th |
| Texas State | 60th | 93rd |
| Texas Tech | 45th | 65th |
| Toledo | 67th | 42nd |
| Troy | 18th | 27th |
| Tulane | 81st | 86th |
| Tulsa | 43rd | 43rd |
| UAB | 34th | 94th |
| UCF | 39th | 20th |
| UCLA | 28th | 48th |
| UConn | 96th | 37th |
| UL Monroe | 13th | 14th |
| UNLV | 78th | 85th |
| USC | 94th | 90th |
| UT Martin | 2nd | 41st |
| UTEP | 3rd | 10th |
| UTSA | 67th | 92nd |
| Utah | 87th | 96th |
| Utah State | 31st | 49th |
| Vanderbilt | 90th | 100th |
| Virginia | 36th | 73rd |
| Virginia Tech | 59th | 21st |
| Wake Forest | 21st | 31st |
| Washington | 98th | 93rd |
| Washington State | 61st | 44th |
| West Virginia | 12th | 18th |
| Western Kentucky | 55th | 80th |
| Western Michigan | 86th | 16th |
| Wisconsin | 6th | 27th |
| Wyoming | 23rd | 15th |
Halftime identity
1st-half offense ranks 68th percentile in FBS; 2nd-half, 27th — competitive snaps only, garbage time excluded from both halves.
Schedule mirage
Raw EPA/play through week 21 is 0.20; 73rd percentile once opponent strength is stripped out, it's 0.05. The widest gap came in week 1: 0.36 raw vs. 0.05 adjusted.
Eastern Michigan reads strongest in epa / play (top 29%) and rushing epa (top 37%); the crux lives in rushing epa allowed, where Eastern Michigan sits at the 4th percentile.
offense · strengths lead
defense · higher bar = harder to play against
hidden math · special situations
Most Similar Programs · Eastern Michigan
Static-attribute similarity across tier, archetype, conference, and voice. Not a prediction — a calibration.
Home-Field Advantage · Eastern Michigan · 2018-present
55% home win rate vs 43% on the road. margin runs +2.0 better at home. Rynearson Stadium seats 30,200, averaging 52% full (15,813 attendance, 25 games reported).
Positional competition · RB room
Dontae McMillan and Tavierre Dunlap split the carries (179/291 vs 112/291) -- but the job isn't split the same way.
Positional competition · WR/TE room
Nick Devereaux (WR) and Joshua Long (TE) split the targets (51/105 vs 54/105) -- but the job isn't split the same way. Nick Devereaux produces in bigger chunks.
What changed
The biggest shift: 4th-down go rate moved down 13 points. The rest held closer to steady.
The biggest shift: 4th-down go rate moved down 8 points. The rest held closer to steady.
Season by season
58°F average kickoff temp; 11% of games had measurable precipitation; 10 mph average wind.
Based on 66 home games with weather data.
12 seasons inside the CFP era, no bids yet — the era the program is still trying to break into.
Eastern Michigan's 2014–2025 record is 61-82. The era is still being written; the CFP line is the one the program is arguing for.
All-Time Record
since 1896 · 63 seasons · .324 win rate
Eastern Michigan has never once reached a MAC Championship Game. It has also produced a two-time Super Bowl champion and an NFL star who, in 2025, became the first active player in the league ever named a college football program's assistant general manager.
Start with the number that actually stings: Eastern Michigan is the only MAC program that has never reached the conference championship game since it started in 1997. The program's lone conference title dates to 1987, when the Eagles upset a San Jose State team favored by 17.5 points in the California Bowl — their first-ever bowl win, and their only one for the next 35 years. It took until 2022 to get another, and it came against San Jose State again: a 41-27 win capped by a blocked extra point returned for two, part of a 9-4 season that was the program's best since 1977.
And yet, individually, this program has produced two of the more remarkable NFL stories in the MAC. Charlie Batch still holds every meaningful passing record in school history, went in the second round of the 1998 draft, and played 15 NFL seasons — mostly backing up Ben Roethlisberger in his hometown of Pittsburgh — picking up two Super Bowl rings along the way. Maxx Crosby got exactly one scholarship offer coming out of high school. He took it, became a two-time first-team All-MAC pass rusher, and by 2025 was a five-time Pro Bowler on a $106.5 million extension with the Las Vegas Raiders that briefly made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in football.
Then, in April 2025, Eastern Michigan named Crosby its assistant general manager — the first time any active NFL player has held that kind of title at a college program, anywhere. He's helping evaluate recruits and manage the NIL budget for his alma mater while still starting on Sundays in Las Vegas. Chris Creighton, in his 13th season as head coach entering 2026, has delivered six of the program's seven all-time bowl trips — consistency that's real, even if the one thing Eastern Michigan has never done is reach the title game its best players' NFL careers would suggest it should.
A program whose team-level identity has been built more on Chris Creighton's steady bowl-eligibility consistency than any single dominant scheme — while its individual talent (Batch's arm, Crosby's relentlessness off the edge) has repeatedly outrun whatever the team around them was doing.
Eastern Michigan 2016–2025. Holding the line. The 10-year slope (-0.10 rungs / yr) doesn't tilt either way — the program lives at roughly Tier 2.
12 seasons on file
down middle peak CFP year
Season Standing · 2025 · 4-8
Eastern Michigan: Below .500 in FBS play. The rebuild bar.
Mid-American Standing · 2025
Eastern Michigan is 10th of 13 in the Mid-American at 2-5. The path to the title is steep — the focus is on bowl access and rivalry wins.
| # | Program | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Michigan | 7-1 |
| 2 | Ohio | 5-2 |
| 3 | Toledo | 5-2 |
| 4 | Central Michigan | 5-3 |
| 5 | Miami (OH) | 5-3 |
| 6 | Akron | 4-4 |
| 7 | Buffalo | 4-4 |
| 8 | Ball State | 3-4 |
| 9 | Kent State | 3-4 |
| 10 | Eastern Michigan | 2-5 |
| 11 | Bowling Green | 2-6 |
| 12 | Sacramento State | 0-0 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | 0-7 |
Coaching Era · Eastern Michigan
Chris Creighton into year 13 — a multi-decade era by modern CFB standards.
Three gameday rituals — the ones outsiders never quite catch.
since 2025
Maxx Crosby -- the only scholarship offer he received out of high school, a two-time first-team All-MAC pass rusher at Eastern Michigan from 2015-2018, and by 2025 a five-time NFL Pro Bowler on a $106.5 million contract extension with the Las Vegas Raiders -- was named Eastern Michigan's assistant general manager in April 2025, the first active NFL player ever to hold such a title at a college program. He helps evaluate recruits, manage the NIL budget, and advise on alumni relations while still starting on Sundays.
since 1987
Eastern Michigan's first-ever bowl win came in the 1987 California Bowl, upsetting a San Jose State team favored by 17.5 points -- and remained the program's only bowl win for 35 years, until the 2022 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, when the Eagles beat San Jose State again, 41-27, on a blocked extra point returned for two points.
since 1994
Charlie Batch still holds Eastern Michigan's career records for passing yards (7,592), touchdown passes (53), completions, attempts, and total offensive yards. He was a second-round pick in 1998, played 15 NFL seasons -- more than any other EMU alumnus -- mostly as Ben Roethlisberger's backup with his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers, and won two Super Bowl rings (XL and XLIII).
Program memory
Most weeks vanish. These didn’t.
Eastern Michigan upsets 17.5-point favorite San Jose State for the program's only MAC title and first bowl win
Eastern Michigan beats San Jose State 41-27 on a blocked extra point returned for two, capping a 9-4 season -- the program's best since 1977
2025
Crosby becomes the first active NFL player ever named a college football program's assistant general manager, at his alma mater
Moment of the Year · Eastern Michigan · 2025
Week 12 of 2025. The single game that defined the season's arc.
Bowl / Postseason Ledger
Most recent: 2023 — loss 10-59 (home). Last 5 postseason: 1-4.
NFL Draft Pipeline
2023–20232 picks last 5 cycles. Roster development still maturing.
Unit lineage
FBS-relative efficiency percentile per season (2014–2025), same population as the Coordinator Mirror board. Dashed vertical lines mark a coordinator change.
Hired for 2026: co-Tate Omli / co-Kasey Teegardin — not yet reflected in on-field data.
All-time top community posts · ranked by upvotes
Eastern Michigan · Next-Season Outcome Band
Recruiting Footprint · 2026
Fanbase Health Index · Eastern Michigan · medium confidence
2025 stat leaders
How They Play · 2025
Most Similar Programs · Eastern Michigan
Season Standing · 2025 · 4-8
Coaching Era · Eastern Michigan
Moment of the Year · Eastern Michigan · 2025
Bowl / Postseason Ledger
NFL Draft Pipeline