Standings
| Overall | Conference | Points Per Game | SRS | Polls | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | W | L | Pct | W | L | Pct | Off | Def | SRS | SOS | AP Pre | AP High | AP Rank | Notes |
| Marshall | 10 | 3 | .769 | 7 | 1 | .875 | 37.2 | 19.9 | 7.55 | -6.22 | ||||
| Miami (OH) | 8 | 3 | .727 | 6 | 2 | .750 | 37.5 | 20.5 | 7.51 | -5.85 | ||||
| Ohio | 8 | 3 | .727 | 6 | 2 | .750 | 27.4 | 16.1 | 1.50 | -6.32 | ||||
| Bowling Green | 3 | 8 | .273 | 3 | 5 | .375 | 17.4 | 31.0 | -9.26 | 0.02 | ||||
| Kent State | 3 | 8 | .273 | 3 | 5 | .375 | 30.6 | 44.5 | -16.15 | -4.60 | ||||
| Akron | 2 | 9 | .182 | 2 | 7 | .222 | 19.8 | 39.5 | -13.11 | -0.29 | ||||
| West | W | L | Pct | W | L | Pct | Off | Def | SRS | SOS | AP Pre | AP High | AP Rank | Notes |
| Toledo | 9 | 3 | .750 | 7 | 1 | .875 | 29.7 | 22.3 | 2.28 | -4.55 | 18 | |||
| Western Michigan | 8 | 3 | .727 | 6 | 2 | .750 | 27.4 | 24.1 | -3.44 | -7.81 | ||||
| Ball State | 5 | 6 | .455 | 4 | 4 | .500 | 21.7 | 23.6 | -7.74 | -5.83 | ||||
| Eastern Michigan | 4 | 7 | .364 | 4 | 5 | .444 | 29.9 | 32.0 | -9.06 | -5.15 | ||||
| Central Michigan | 2 | 9 | .182 | 1 | 7 | .125 | 25.6 | 43.5 | -16.29 | -4.56 | ||||
| Northern Illinois | 0 | 11 | .000 | 0 | 8 | .000 | 11.7 | 34.7 | -19.37 | -1.19 | ||||
1 Bowl Game
- Number in parentheses indicates AP rank at time of bowl game
| Date | Bowl | Pts | Pts | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-12-26 | Motor City Bowl | Mississippi | 34 | Marshall | 31 | Pontiac, MI |
Award Winners
| Award | Name | School |
|---|---|---|
| MAC Defensive Player of the Year | Jojuan Armour | Miami (OH) |
| MAC Offensive Player of the Year | Randy Moss | Marshall |
| MAC Coach of the Year | Gary Pinkel | Toledo |
1997 Conference Leaders