Ohio Bobcats College Football Preview 2021: Keys To The Season
Ohio Bobcats Biggest Key: Offense
Get the passing game going to go along with the great ground game. In 2019, for the most part, if the running game wasn’t cranking up over 250 yards the offense wasn’t working. There wasn’t much of a need to do much through the air in the three games of last season, but quarterbacks Kurtis Rourke and Armani Rogers have to do more than hit the big deep ball. However …
The Bobcats were 1-6 in 2019 when they didn’t average eight yards per pass. Last year they lost to Central Michigan in the one game when the downfield passing attack was sort of working.
Ohio Bobcats Biggest Key: Defense
It would be nice if the run defense could be a rock. It’s not like Akron or Bowling Green made things all that interesting last year – although the Zips made it a wee bit close – but the two respective running games were able to rumble for over five yards per carry. Central Michigan was able to hit four yards per pop.
Two years ago the defense struggled to consistently hold down the better ground games, and this year it’s going to get Louisiana early on to go along with Syracuse and Northwestern.
Ohio Bobcats Key Player To A Successful Season
DE Will Evans, Sr.
The veteran defensive end is more of a big linebacker at 6-2 and 242 pounds, and now he has to use his experience and quickness to be more of a pass rusher.
One of the team’s top leaders, he’s the main man for the locker room, but he only has 4.5 sacks in his 36 games. He’ll get behind the line and come up with a slew of tackles for loss, but the team needs a sacker.
Ohio Bobcats Key Game To The 2021 Season
at Buffalo, Oct. 16
The MAC schedule isn’t all that bad. There’s no Ball State or Western Michigan from the West, the dates with Toledo, Miami, Kent State and Central Michigan are at home, and the road games at Akron and Bowling Green are more than manageable.
Buffalo has been great over the last few years, but Ohio has been able to win the last two meetings going back to 2017. Win this year, and the East might be there for the taking if the Bobcats can hold serve at home.
– Ohio Bobcats Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2020 Ohio Bobcats Fun Stats
– 4th Quarter Scoring: Ohio 7 – Opponents 3
– 4th Down Conversions: Opponents 4-of-11 (36%) – Ohio 0-for-1
– Interceptions Thrown: Opponents 5 – Ohio 0