Although no one dared mention it, the general thinking all along inside the Toledo camp was that the Rockets only had to get to the final stretch of their schedule and still be active in the title chase.
If they could accomplish that, the Rockets would then be able to determine their own fate in the Mid-American Conference’s West Division championship race.
Well, that is where the Rockets find themselves with three-quarters of the season in the rearview mirror. Toledo is 8-1 and 5-0 in the MAC. as it prepares to face Ball State to begin a three-game sprint to the finish line.
The Rockets expected Ball State, and the opponent in Toledo’s following game, Northern Illinois, to provide the primary challenges to the Rockets, the preseason pick to win the West Division.
That is exactly what has materialized.
With three games left, Northern Illinois and the Rockets are tied atop the West standings with 5-0 marks, while the Cardinals are two games back at 3-2.
Toledo needs to shake off its recent wild fluctuations in consistency in order to work through this crucial stretch and have positive results.
Toledo allowed then-winless Eastern Michigan to score 47 points and roll up more than 600 yards of offense as the Rockets squeaked out a recent 52-47 victory over the Eagles.
A week later, the Rockets cranked it up a few notches and shock then-unbeaten Cincinnati, 29-23, but then it was right back down to the doldrums in last weekend’s sloppy 25-20 victory over a one-win Buffalo team.
Toledo needs to put all phases of its game together and do so in a consistent manner in order to get through this final stretch against Ball State, Northern Illinois and Akron, and emerge as the MAC West Division champion.