It's saying something when a nine-win season has become routine.

Granted, the Rockets didn't win the MAC title last season, they didn't even win their own division, but while Northern Illinois might have played Akron for the conference championship, Tom Amstutz's team had the last laugh blowing out UTEP 45-13 in the GMAC Bowl in a bigger win than it might appear.

Toledo had been to plenty of bowl games, but it got annihilated by a combined score of 90 to 35 over the previous two and gave the MAC a big chip. Now the Rockets will try to shoot for even more with the team to make the type of national noise Miami University got in 2003 with Ben Roethlisberger.

Oh sure, winning the MAC is the first goal going into every season, but it's just as important on a national scale to be consistent and to occasionally get the big wins in high profile games. Averaging nine wins a season under Amstutz shows just how good the program has been over the last five seasons and it's going to be five in six.

The Rockets finished first in the MAC in total offense, first in scoring, first in total defense, first in scoring defense, first in rushing offense, and near the top of just about every other category. With 44 lettermen returning along with 16 starters, expect more of the same despite losing some huge pieces of last year's puzzle.

It seems like asking a lot to be the MAC favorites after losing QB Bruce Gradkowski, the top two running backs, three of the top four tacklers, and a kicker who didn't miss a field goal, but Toledo is going to do it and come out looking just fine thanks to plenty of strong young talents waiting to produce.

The building blocks are in place with the MAC's best offensive line, one of the league's best defensive lines, and a linebacking corps that will be camped out in opposing backfields all season long. And, of course, there's Amstutz and his coaching staff that have proven to be able to make adjustments on the fly and be able to patch up problems in a hurry.

Yes, Toledo will be the odds on favorite to win the championship and could even be in the mix for a ten-win season. There's nothing routine about winning. 

The Schedule: There will be chances for a few big statements with road trips to Iowa State and Pitt over the first half of the season, while the MAC schedule works out relatively well getting three of the final four games at home. However, the Rockets have to go on the road to face Northern Illinois and Western Michigan. The road games at Kent State and Eastern Michigan should by layups. Facing Akron and Bowling Green at home is a major plus.

What you need to know on offense ... Expect more of the same from an offense that led the MAC in just about everything except passing offense, but it was the league's second most efficient attack. The ground game should be just as dominant as long as backs Jalen Parmele and Scooter McDougle can get and stay healthy. Four starters return to the league's best offensive line and should have few problems opening up huge holes. The big question is at quarterback where Clint Cochran replaces Bruce Gradkowski, but he appears to have the offense down. The passing game will be more than fine with three fantastic tight ends and a number one receiver in Steve Odom to carry a young corps.

Best Offensive Player: Junior OT John Greco. He might not be the tackle that New England Patriot Nick Kaczur was, but he has grown into a rock of a tackle and was a key anchor on the line after moving from the right side to fill in Kaczur's spot on the left. If he's not the MAC's best offensive lineman, he'll be number two.

What you need to know on defense ... Defensive coordinator Tim Rose did wonders in his first season turning around an awful defense. The Rockets have a flexible 3-4 alignment with the speedy outside linebackers used as pass rushing ends and the front three mostly used to stop the run. Seven starters return to the MAC's best defense, but there are leadership holes to fill losing top linebacker Anthony Jordan and longtime star safety Keon Jackson. Linebacker Mike Alston is one of the league's best pass rushers while safety Tyrrell Herbert is on the verge of all-star honors.

Best Defensive Player: Senior LB Mike Alston. He received First Team All-MAC honors based on his 9.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. While he was a top player for the Rocket defense last season, he wasn't the overall linebacker Anthony Jordan and David Thomas were. Watch for that to change this season as Alston should finish among the team's top three tacklers.

Key player to a successful season: Sophomore QB Clint Cochran. Cochran has the accurate arm, the mobility, and the talent to make the offense continue to roll, but he has to fill the shoes of Bruce Gradkowski, who completed 68% of his passes with 85 touchdown passes and only 27 interceptions. The rest of the pieces are in place to win the MAC title as long as Cochran does his part.

The season will be a success if ... Toledo wins the MAC title. The schedule works out well enough and the experience and talent is in place, now the Rockets have find a way to get by a road trip to Northern Illinois while avoiding a slip against the rest of the MAC team's they'll be favored over..

Key game: Nov. 7 at Northern Illinois. Toledo lost 35-17 last year at home in one of the shockers of the MAC season. Now it'll likely take a win in DeKalb to be the West representative in the conference title game.

2005 Fun Stats:
- First quarter scoring: Toledo 119 - Opponents 45
- Sacks: Toledo 31 for 229 yards - Opponents 13 for 96 yards
- Punts: Opponents 63 for 2,441 yards - Toledo 37 for 1,305 yards