Dec 4, 2009; Detroit, MI, US; The Central Michigan University Chippewas celebrate midfield after defeating the Ohio University Bobcats 20-10 in the MAC Championship game at Ford Field.

After relaxing around the house Friday (thanks to a few remaining vacation days from work), I headed north for the MAC Championship football game at Ford Field in downtown Detroit. After arriving a little early and finding no one at the media will-call booth, I decided to walk to the Detroit Beer Co. a few blocks away to enjoy a pint of their Local 1529 IPA with a burger and a cup of beer cheese soup. With about an hour until kickoff, I made my way back to the stadium to pick up my credential and figure out how to get to the media area to drop off my coat and bag before heading to the field. 

Dec 4, 2009; Detroit, MI, US; CMU quarterback Dan LeFevour (13) stiff arms OU defensive back Eric Faser (12) in the second quarter at Ford Field.

I was pleasantly surprised at the number of people in the stands, with OU fans primarily on their sideline and CMU fans wrapping around the end zones and their sideline. I think the announced total was ~24,000, with more tuning in to watch the action on ESPN2 HD. The game was pretty close for all four quarters, with neither team really getting their offense in-sync. In the end, the Chippewas, led by quarterback Dan LeFevour, defeated the Bobcats 20-10. While I tried to keep an eye on the action, I also followed OU junior defensive linesman Dak Notesteine (#51) since he is also a graduate of Bellefontaine High School; he ended up with a big 12-yard sack in the losing effort.

MAC Report Online: Balanced CMU Captures Another MAC Crown
More photos are available here.