Jim McElwain’s career at Central Michigan has been up and down to say the least.
Entering his sixth season as the head coach of the program, the Chippewas are 29-28. Things really haven’t been that consistent, though. Especially not like they were in the 2010s when CMU won six or seven games five years in a row and also had an eight-win season.
The first three years of McElwain’s tenure showed a ton of promise. In his first season, he was named the MAC Coach of the Year and CMU lost to Miami (Ohio) in the MAC title game before going 3-3 in 2020 and then finishing 9-4 the following year. They barely missed out on the title game after losing to eventual champion Northern Illinois by one. If the Chippewas win that game, things could be much different for McElwain, who may be on the hot seat if CMU has another down season.
The Chippewas have gone 9-15 the past two years. Time will tell if McElwain can right the ship in 2024.
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Central Michigan Football’s MAC Title Odds
Central Michigan’s college football betting odds to win the MAC are +1400, via BetMGM.
Central Michigan Football’s Betting Odds & Over/Under Win Total
Central Michigan’s win total Over/Under is 5.5, with the Over at -140 and the Under at +115.
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Central Michigan Football’s 2024 Schedule
8/29 vs Central Connecticut
9/7 at FIU
9/14 at Illinois
9/21 vs Ball State
9/28 vs San Diego State
10/12 vs Ohio
10/19 at Eastern Michigan
10/26 at Miami (Ohio)
11/5 vs Bowling Green
11/12 at Toledo
11/19 vs Western Michigan
11/30 at Northern Illinois
Bold indicates MAC contests
Key Central Michigan Football Returners
2023 All-MAC First Team
RS/RB Marion Lukes
Second Team
OL Brayden Swartout
WR Jesse Prewitt III
DB Donte Kent
Central Michigan Football’s Defense Must Improve
Three games.
That’s how many times the Chippewas held their opponent to less than 30 points last season. And those were against three of the worst offenses in the league — Eastern Michigan, Akron, and Ball State. CMU won two of those games.
If CMU expects to get back in contention for a MAC title, or even get back to a bowl game, then it needs to find a way to slow down opposing offenses. The Chippewas allowed a league-worst 407 yards per game, and their 31 points per game given up were second to last.
The good news is that CMU brings back a decent amount of talent and experience on this side of the ball, led by what has the potential to be an above-average secondary with four players returning who started in multiple games last season. Nickel Donte Kent is the leader of this group and has been one of the top defensive backs in the MAC the past two seasons. Da’Raun McKinney started six games at cornerback last year and should be back starting. The senior finished with 39 tackles and four pass breakups last season.
Caleb Spann and Elijah Rickard also bring back a good amount of experience. There will be some pressure on this part of the defense as it ranked last, allowing 247 YPG through the air last season. But there could be a big improvement there.
Linebackers Justin Whiteside and Dakota Cochran were the fourth- and fifth-leading tacklers on the roster and should be solid in the middle. The defensive line might be the group that dictates how well this defense can be, however. There isn’t a ton of production returning and there could be some young players stepping up into bigger roles. Juniors Jason Williams and Michael Heldman will be the ones leading the D-Line. Williams started seven games in 2024 while Heldman started two.
CMU will be fine on offense with better quarterback play. Joey Labas transferred in from Iowa and looks like he might be the starter while Bert Emanuel Jr. could also see some work. Emanuel is an electric offensive weapon and may be used in myriad situations. Three starting offensive linemen return — Brayden Swartout, Davis Heinzen, and Dominic Serapiglia III — along with the Chippewas’ three leading receivers from 2024. Tyson Davis, Jesse Prewitt III, and Chris Parker all eclipsed 400 yards.
This offense shouldn’t have issues putting points on the board, but I don’t know if they’ll be able to win every game in a shootout. There has to be some improvement for a defense that has struggled the past few seasons.
2024 Central Michigan Football Season Prediction
I don’t predict the Chippewas will win the MAC, but they do have a path to a bowl game.
There are at least five games that could go either way on CMU’s schedule — Ball State, San Diego State, Eastern Michigan, Ohio, and Western Michigan. The Chippewas were able to pull out plenty of close wins last season, which means they might be more likely to do the same this fall.
I don’t see CMU beating Illinois, Bowling Green, Miami (Ohio), Toledo, or Northern Illinois. Those are five losses right there, and Central Connecticut and FIU should be wins. That means the Chippewas will need to find ways to win four of those coin flip games. I don’t have a ton of faith they’ll get there, but McElwain can certainly get things turned around so we’ll see if they can prove me wrong.
