Western Michigan’s decision to go for the win on a two-point try in Muncie was much more than a game-deciding play. It was a division-deciding play. As LeVante Bellamy was stuffed by the Ball State defense at the line of scrimmage, Western Michigan earned its third-straight loss, while Northern Illinois received a major victory — a berth to Detroit for its seventh MAC Championship Game in nine years.
Just 24 hours later, Northern Illinois’ MAC West celebration came to a sudden halt. Although the Huskies will still be representing their division in Detroit, the team dropped its first conference game of the year in a disastrous 13-7 home loss to 5-6 Miami (OH).