With Ball State’s 31-24 home loss to Northern Illinois Oct. 1, the Cardinals fell to 3-2 on the season. Head coach Mike Neu and the players agreed after the game it was one they could’ve — and should’ve — won.
Losing the Mid-American Conference opener snapped a two-game winning streak and also affected the long-term outlook for the rest of the season.
The Cardinals need three wins in their final seven games to attain bowl eligibility for the first time since the 2013-14 season.
Bowling Green (0-1, 1-4 overall)
Western Michigan (1-0, 5-0 overall)
Northern Illinois (1-0, 1-4 overall)
Eastern Michigan (1-0, 4-1 overall)
Central Michigan (0-1, 3-2 overall)
Here's a breakdown of the remaining games on Ball State’s schedule, broken down by level of difficulty:
Top tier
The MAC has a lot of good teams this year, and unfortunately for the Cardinals, many of them are in the West Division.