To borrow a phrase from the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield, "There's something happening here. What it is ain't exactly clear."
What is clear is that with Saturday's win over Bowling Green State University, the RedHawks are 3-0 in the Mid-American Conference and first place in the Eastern Division.
The Falcons came into Oxford averaging 32.4 points per game, with quarterback Tyler Sheehan completing passes at an astonishing 65 percent. Bowling Green had gone to the University of Minnesota to open up the season and upset the Golden Gophers, and then the very next week went into East Lansing, Mich. and nearly upset the Michigan State Spartans. In consecutive weeks they put up 48 and 41 points against Temple University and Western Kentucky University. The only blowout Bowling Green experienced was the week before they played the RedHawks, when the Falcons traveled to Boston College, a nationally ranked top 10 team that handed the Falcons a 55-24 loss.
Then came the Falcons' trip to Miami University to take on a RedHawk team that was supposed to be in a rebuilding year, not undefeated in MAC play.
Miami woke up critics in week one by knocking off Ball State University-but then a trio of losses to BCS schools brought back the initial preseason doubt of the RedHawks.
However, even after losing their top two running backs and starting quarterback due to injury, the RedHawks have somehow persevered.
In the preseason many thought that for Bowling Green the trip to Oxford would be simply adding another MAC win to its record. But with both teams entering Saturday's game perfect in MAC play, the game had a whole new meaning. Saturday's contest would be a true marker for who was the dominant team in the MAC East.
At 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon it was anyone's game.
And then the ball was kicked off.
Riddled with injuries, it was third string back Austin Sykes and second string quarterback Daniel Raudabaugh leading the way for Miami's crushing of Bowling Green, 47-14.
It was supposed to be Sheehan's day to shine. Sheehan, who attended La Salle High School in nearby Cincinnati, had more than 100 people make the trip to see him play. Instead, it was Raudabaugh who stole the show. Raudabaugh completed 16 of 24 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown.
Now the youthful RedHawks are sitting pretty atop the MAC.
With Kokal out for an unknown amount of time, the passing game is going to have to rely on Raudabaugh to lead the Red and White. So far Raudabaugh has stepped up to the challenge.
Raudabaugh's targets on the field, the wide receivers, aren't much more experienced than him.
Dustin Woods is playing in just his second season while Eugene Harris and Armand Robinson are playing for the first time.
Teams with such youth and inexperience are usually said to be in a rebuilding year. You expect these teams to grow throughout the year, but to take their fair share of lumps as well. While Miami took its lumps against the three BCS schools, when it came time for conference play, the games that really count, Miami has played flawlessly.
The scary thing for opponents now should be the youth of this football team, which isn't trying to win, but expecting to win.
There is definitely something happening here at Yager Stadium. Come November it may be perfectly clear: a MAC championship.
