Akron came into Week 13 needing to either win or rely on someone else to lose. In the end, the Zips decided to just go ahead and punch their own ticket to the Motor City, thank you very much.
Jumping out to a 24-7 halftime lead Tuesday night, that margin proved to be more than enough for Akron as they easily cruised past rival Kent State in a 24-14 win. Kent actually outgained its hosts 246-191, but a fumble return for a touchdown with less than 20 seconds left in the second quarter essentially sealed the win for Akron.
Both Akron and Ohio entered this week tied atop the MAC East at 5-2. However, the Zips beat the Bobcats in Week 12, meaning Akron is the first MAC team to claim a spot in the conference championship game at Detroit’s Ford Field next weekend.
ZIPS WIN!!! WE ARE MAC EAST CHAMPIONS!! #AkronMade pic.twitter.com/lIB8faBqEH
— Akron Football (@ZipsFB) November 22, 2017
This will mark the Zips’s second-ever title-game appearance, with the first coming in 2005. That season, Akron beat Northern Illinois 31-30 for its first-ever conference championship.
Akron will play either NIU (6-1) or Toledo (6-1) in this year’s title game, although it’s trending heavily toward the Rockets as they own the head-to-head with the Huskies. So, the possibilities?
Toledo wins the West with either a win over Western Michigan OR an NIU loss. Northern Illinois needs to beat Central Michigan AND have Toledo lose to WMU at home to win the division.