PREMIUM
Rogers' Tuesday Night MAC-TION >> Won Last Tuesday >> This One's Just $20!
(NCAAF) Ohio vs. Central Michigan,
11/15/2016 2:00 PM, Score: 20 - 27
Point Spread: 0.00 | -105.00 Ohio (Away)
Result: Loss
Point Spread: 0.00 | -105.00 Ohio (Away)
Result: Loss
The set-up: Frank Solich came to Athens, Ohio for the 2005 season and in his second year, led the Bobcats to a MAC East title and just the school's third-ever bowl appearance. Solich is working his magic again. Ohio is 7-3 (5-1 in MAC play) after a 34-10 win over Buffalo on Nov. 3, giving the Bobcats six wins in their last seven games. One win in the team's last two games (or one loss by Miami, Ohio) and the Bobcats will be headed to their fourth MAC title game and regardless, Ohio is headed for an eighth bowl appearance in Solich's 12 seasons. Central Michigan won its first three games, included a controversial 30-27 upset victory at Oklahoma State back on Sep. 10. CMU got to 5-2 with a triple-OT win at Northern Illinois back on Oct. 15 but the Chippewas have lost three in a row since, allowing 31.7 PPG. Tuesday night MACtion continues with Ohio traveling to Mount Pleasant to take on Central Michigan, as the Bobcats look to clinch the East title and the Chippewas look to clinch a sixth win (and bowl eligibility) in their fourth try!
Ohio: Redshirt freshman Quinton Maxwell is 3-0 since taking over at QB for Greg Windham (ankle issues) as the team's starter. These last wo games he's led the Bobcats to a 31-26 win at Toledo (Ohio's first win at Toledo since 1967) and then a 34-10 home rout of Buffalo, when he passed for 236 yards with two TDs and ran for 50 yards and one TD. RB Dorian Brown was the star at Toledo, rushing for a career high 212 yards in the win over the Rockets. This has been one of Solich's best coaching seasons and as is typical, his defense has been solid, allowing 23.0 PPG to rank 35th in the nation:
Central Michigan: CMU's Cooper Rush entered 2016 as one of the MAC's top QBs and is closing in on the conference record for most career passing yards. Rush has passed for 12,119 yards over the last four years and needs just under 800 yards (786) to pass former Chippewa Dan LeFevour for the No. 1 spot in the MAC record book. However, Rush isn't having quite the statistical season he posted last year (3,848 yards with a 25-11 ratio) but the senior has still passed for 2,775 yards and 21 scores. Then again, his completion percentage has dropped from 66.3 (2015) to 59.6 in 2016. Most agree CMU has the better offense but the Chippewas are averaging 28.4 PPG to Ohio's 29.3!
The pick: The Chippewas have won six of the last seven meetings between the two schools and that includes two in the MAC title games (209 & 2011). Howevewr, while the Bobcats come in having won six of seven, the Chippewa limp in having lost five of seven, including three straight. Ohio's defense has the ability to control the game in the trenches and QB Maxwell seems to be improving with each snap. Another edge Ohio has is that the Bobcats are second in the MAC with a plus-nine margin TO margin, while the Chippewas are eighth at minus-six. Ohio clinches the MAC East with a win, while the Chippewas will have to wait until Nov 22 (at Eastern Michigan) to secure bowl eligibility. Ohio is an 8* play.
Ohio: Redshirt freshman Quinton Maxwell is 3-0 since taking over at QB for Greg Windham (ankle issues) as the team's starter. These last wo games he's led the Bobcats to a 31-26 win at Toledo (Ohio's first win at Toledo since 1967) and then a 34-10 home rout of Buffalo, when he passed for 236 yards with two TDs and ran for 50 yards and one TD. RB Dorian Brown was the star at Toledo, rushing for a career high 212 yards in the win over the Rockets. This has been one of Solich's best coaching seasons and as is typical, his defense has been solid, allowing 23.0 PPG to rank 35th in the nation:
Central Michigan: CMU's Cooper Rush entered 2016 as one of the MAC's top QBs and is closing in on the conference record for most career passing yards. Rush has passed for 12,119 yards over the last four years and needs just under 800 yards (786) to pass former Chippewa Dan LeFevour for the No. 1 spot in the MAC record book. However, Rush isn't having quite the statistical season he posted last year (3,848 yards with a 25-11 ratio) but the senior has still passed for 2,775 yards and 21 scores. Then again, his completion percentage has dropped from 66.3 (2015) to 59.6 in 2016. Most agree CMU has the better offense but the Chippewas are averaging 28.4 PPG to Ohio's 29.3!
The pick: The Chippewas have won six of the last seven meetings between the two schools and that includes two in the MAC title games (209 & 2011). Howevewr, while the Bobcats come in having won six of seven, the Chippewa limp in having lost five of seven, including three straight. Ohio's defense has the ability to control the game in the trenches and QB Maxwell seems to be improving with each snap. Another edge Ohio has is that the Bobcats are second in the MAC with a plus-nine margin TO margin, while the Chippewas are eighth at minus-six. Ohio clinches the MAC East with a win, while the Chippewas will have to wait until Nov 22 (at Eastern Michigan) to secure bowl eligibility. Ohio is an 8* play.
