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Without question the two best teams in the Mid-American Conference this season, the Kent State Golden Flashes and Northern Illinois Huskies each picked up wins in Week 13 to officially punch their tickets to the 2012 MAC Championship Game on Nov. 30.
The Golden Flashes were forced to square off with a dangerous Ohio team on Friday afternoon, but responded with three early touchdowns in the first quarter to stun the Bobcats right out of the gate. Along with keeping the Bobcats out of the end zone for the entire game, Kent State's defensive front seven held Ohio runners to a meager 2.1 yards per carry on a whopping 50 attempts.
The Huskies and MAC Player of the Year frontrunner Jordan Lynch had little trouble with Eastern Michigan in their season finale on Friday, rolling up a thorough 49-7 win despite snowy conditions. Lynch tossed his 23rd touchdown pass and also chipped in his 11th 100-yard rushing performance of the season in the victory, and continues to garner interest on the national level in the Heisman debate due to his eye-popping numbers.
Here are the full MAC standings after 13 weeks of play:
| EAST | CONF | OVERALL |
| Kent State | 8-0 | 11-1 |
| Bowling Green | 6-2 | 8-4 |
| Ohio | 4-4 | 8-4 |
| Buffalo | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| Miami (OH) | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| Massachusetts | 1-7 | 1-11 |
| Akron | 0-8 | 1-11 |
| WEST | CONF | OVERALL |
| Northern Illinois | 8-0 | 11-1 |
| Ball State | 6-2 | 9-3 |
| Toledo | 6-2 | 9-3 |
| Central Michigan | 4-4 | 6-6 |
| Western Michigan | 2-6 | 4-8 |
| Eastern Michigan | 1-7 | 2-10 |