2013-14 Football Previews – (MAC) – Bobcats
The Ohio Bobcats started last season with a big win at Penn State and even entered the Top 25 at one point, but injuries held the team back, and they finished the MAC with just a 4-4 record. They did finish off the season with a very impressive 45-14 win in the Independence Bowl over Louisiana-Monroe.
Frank Solich’s team returns a ton of talent this year, and there is no reason why they can’t do something special this year.
Mid-American Conference 2013 College Football Previews: Ohio Bobcats (Team Link)
Head Coach: Frank Solich
2012 Record: 9-4
Ohio Gambling Odds to win BCS Championship: +2,000 (Part of Field)
Ohio Gambling Odds to win MAC: +550
Ohio was actually 7-0 before falling apart down the stretch last year. The majority of the team’s defensive starters were hurt at the end of last season, and that really slowed this team down. They lost a couple games they shouldn’t have lost.
Ohio isn’t the favorite to win the MAC East this year, but they certainly shouldn’t be discounted as a real contender.
Team Strengths:
Ohio has an amazing senior trio of stars in quarterback Tyler Tettleton, running back Beau Blankenship, and wide receiver Donte Foster. There isn’t a better trio of players in the entire MAC at these positions.
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Tettleton is a dual-threat quarterback who is one of the best in the conference. Blankenship is a work horse who fights hard for yardage on every play.
Foster has been a wildly productive receiver for several years here, and if he stays healthy he’ll put up huge numbers this year.
Daz’mond Patterson will be a great play maker for the Bobcats this season. Patterson showed plenty of signs of his potential last year, and he was only a freshman then. Look for him to be inserted more in the offense, and he’ll be great on kick returns as well.
The Ohio secondary is solid with strong safety Josh Kristoff leading the way. Larenzo Fisher is turning into a very good cover corner for the team, and the depth in the secondary is a big plus for the Bobcats. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Team Weaknesses:
The defensive line lost a lot of talent from last year. Many of the guys who were injured late in the year last season were seniors, and they are now gone for good. The defensive front didn’t fare well at all without these guys in the game last season, and there is plenty of concern surrounding this unit going into 2013. Can they stop the run against good teams?
Can they get any kind of a pass rush going?
Ohio’s offensive line has some solid starters in particular spots, but there is almost no depth here. The Bobcats simply can’t handle anyone from this offensive front getting hurt this season, and we all know that offensive linemen are very prone to injuries over the course of the year.
In order for Ohio’s offense to fire on all cylinders, this line needs to stay healthy.
2013-2014 Ohio Football Prediction: 9-4
Ohio has as much talent at the skill positions on offense as anyone in the conference. My concern with this team is on both the offensive line and the defensive line. Can this team hold its own in the trenches? The games at Buffalo and at Bowling Green in November will be huge.
Look for Ohio to do a little better in the MAC this year, but I think they’ll finish with a similar record as last year overall.
2013 Bobcats Schedule
9/1/13 3:30 PM ET @LOU
9/7/13 7:00 PM ET NOTEX
9/14/13 8:00 PM ET MARSH
9/21/13 2:00 PM ET AUSPY
10/5/13 2:00 PM ET @AKR
10/12/13 2:00 PM ET CMICH
10/19/13 1:00 PM ET @EMICH
10/26/13 2:00 PM ET MIAOH
11/5/13 8:00 PM ET @BUFF
11/12/13 7:30 PM ET @BGREN
11/19/13 8:00 PM ET KENST
11/29/13 TBD MASS
