Ohio Bobcats
Preview 2007
By
Pete Fiutak
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2007 Ohio Offense Preview |
2007 Ohio Defense Preview
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2007 Ohio Depth Chart
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2006 CFN Ohio
Preview
College football philosophers (a.k.a. message board posters) had a
field day a few years ago when Frank Solich was fired from Nebraska.
After all, the guy took the Husker to a national championship game.
However, the Nebraska powers-that-be were concerned that the program
would always be good, but it needed a change to be elite. Basically,
there was a ceiling on what Solich could do.
2006 was both vindication for Solich and a possible indictment of
his system. Ohio was one of the national surprises as it got past a
tough schedule to go to the MAC title game for the first time, and
got to the program’s first bowl game since the 1968 Tangerine Bowl
loss to Richmond. However, in blowout losses to Central Michigan and
Southern Miss to end the season, the lack of any semblance of a
passing game, the concern when Solich was at Nebraska, proved to be
the team’s undoing.
Head coach: Frank Solich
3rd year: 13-12
9th year overall: 71-31
Returning Lettermen:
Off. 16, Def. 21, ST 1
Lettermen Lost: 19 |
Ten
Best Bobcat Players
1.
RB Kalvin
McRae, Sr.
2. DE Jameson Hartke, Jr.
3. DT Landon Cohen, Sr.
4. CB Mark Parson, Jr.
5. OG Matt Miller, Sr.
6. OT David Shelby, Sr.
7. SS Michael Mitchell, Jr.
8. FS Todd Koenig, Sr.
9. QB Brad Bower, Sr.
10. FB Mitch Morsillo, Soph. |
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2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 7-5 |
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Sept. 1 |
Gardner-Webb |
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Sept. 8 |
at UL Lafayette |
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Sept. 15 |
at Virginia Tech |
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Sept. 22 |
Wyoming |
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Sept. 29 |
Kent State |
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Oct. 6 |
at Buffalo |
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Oct. 13 |
Eastern Michigan |
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Oct. 20 |
at Toledo |
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Oct. 27 |
at Bowling Green |
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Nov. 2 |
Temple |
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Nov. 7 |
at Akron |
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Nov. 24 |
Miami University |
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2006
Schedule
CFN Prediction:
2-10
2006 Record: 9-5 |
| 9/2 |
UT Martin
W 29-3 |
| 9/9 |
at No Illinois W 35-23 |
| 9/16 |
at Rutgers L 24-7 |
| 9/23 |
at Missouri L 31-6 |
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9/30 |
Bowling Green L 21-6 |
| 10/7 |
Western Mich W 27-20 |
| 10/14 |
at Illinois W 20-17 |
| 10/21 |
Buffalo
W 42-7 |
| 10/28 |
at Kent State W 17-7 |
| 11/4 |
at Eastern Mich W 16-10 |
| 11/16 |
Akron W 17-7 |
| 11/24 |
at Miami Univ. W 34-24 |
| 11/30 |
MAC Championship
Central Michigan L 31-10 |
| 1/7 |
GMAC Bowl
Southern Miss L 28-7 |
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Even so,
give Solich credit for turning around the program and playing to its
strengths. Kalvin McRae was one of the league’s most valuable players
running behind a tough, physical line, while the defense was good all
season long and positively dominant against the weaker offenses.
Now Solich has to show he can take the program to another level, and he
and his coaches have to create some sort of offensive balance. That
might be tough with McRae returning along with three starters on the
line, while the team’s top receivers (Scott Mayle and William Norwood)
are gone along with starting quarterback Austin Everson.
Defensively, the Bobcats take a huge hit losing the tremendous
linebacking tandem of Matt Muncy and Tyler Russ, along with all-star
corner T.J. Wright, but there are a slew of good producers returning to
prevent much of a drop-off.
Everyone knows the pitch Ohio is going to throw, but can anyone hit it?
Few teams execute like this rushing attack or are better coached. Don’t
be shocked if Solich shows there’s still room in the college football
world for a running team to win a championship.
What to watch for on offense:
Brad Bower. The Illinois transfer only came in when the offense was
behind and needed to start bombing away in a comeback attempt. While
he’s not as mobile as former starter Austen Everson, he can run a little
bit and is a better passer. Throwing one touchdown pass and seven
interceptions last year might not inspire confidence, but as the year
goes on he might make the offense more balanced.
What to watch for on defense: There will be plenty of plays in
the backfield, but not at the expense of giving up the big play. Ohio
was terrific at making things happen behind the line helped mostly by
the great linebackers, and the formula should keep working. However,
everything breaks down it the corners aren’t sharp meaning the
replacement for T.J. Wright will have to good right away.
The team will be far better if … it can throw the forward pass.
This doesn’t have to be the Middle America version of Hawaii, but Ohio
does have to be efficient and keep the chains moving through the air.
Defenses put everyone but the waterboy up to stuff McRae and the ground
game, and Bower has to be able to take advantage of the single coverage
and get the safeties and linebackers on their heels.
The Schedule: The likely East favorite has the schedule to repeat
as long as it can get by Bowling Green and Akron on the road. At the
very least, Ohio has to come up with a split and win home games against
Kent State and Miami University. Going to Toledo as one West game isn’t
a good break, but playing two of the final three games at home, and
getting 17 days off before facing MU, helps. The non-conference schedule
isn’t all that bad outside of the sure-loss at Virginia Tech. Wins over
Garnder-Webb and UL Lafayette are almost certain, while Wyoming has to
come to Athens.
Best Offensive Player:
Senior RB Kalvin McRae. The team wins when he’s a 100-yard workhorse, it
loses when he’s not. It’s that simple. He wasn’t just the running game,
he was the offense with no real help from the rest of the backs last
year. If that wasn’t enough, he was also the team’s leading receiver.
Best Defensive Player:
Senior DE
Jameson Hartke. The 6-4, 262-pound pass rushing terror is more than fine
against the run, but makes his mark by camping out in opposing
backfields. He was a bit overshadowed by the great 2006 linebacking
corps, and now the spotlight will be all his.
Key player to a
successful season:
Bower. If he becomes an
efficient, effective passer on a consistent basis, the pressure will be
off McRae and the offense should be far more potent. If he struggles to
make his average receiving corps shine, opposing safeties will continue
to sneak up and focus just on tackling No. 5.
The season will be a
success if
... Ohio wins the MAC title. The East is the far easier of the two
divisions and the Bobcats aren’t going to drop-off too much, if at all,
from last year’s overall division champion. It’ll happen if the running
game is as effective, there’s more effective passing, and the
linebacking corps can patch the holes. Wins over Bowling Green and Akron
on the road, or at least a split, would be a big help.
Key game:
Nov. 7 at Akron. If
Ohio is as good as expected, it should be able to get by Bowling Green
on the road, the one East game it needs to worry about before November
considering the Kent State game is at home. A win over the Zips on the
road should either clinch the East or set up a home showdown with Miami
for the title.
2006 Fun Stats:
- Third quarter scoring: Ohio 71 – Opponents 48
- Punt return average: Ohio 11.2 yards – Opponents 3.6 yards
- Kickoff return average: Ohio 20.7 yards – Opponents 14.8 yards