2011 Ohio Bobcats Football Preview

Every program carries with it a unique history, a specific series of events that create a specific vibe and a very particular subculture. For the Ohio Bobcats, fresh off back-to-back bowl berths, it’s undeniably a point of pride that this program will look to make three postseason trips in a row for the first time in school history. Yet, for all the success this school has enjoyed on the gridiron in recent years, there are some nagging facts nipping at the heels of the Bobcats. On balance, there really isn’t much to complain about in this corner of the MAC, but there’s just enough unfinished business to propel this team forward and make it reach for the few things it hasn’t yet attained over the past half-decade.

First, the undeniably good news: Head coach Frank Solich has found success in Athens, as he has led the Bobcats to three bowl games in just six years at the helm. Once upon a time, a man named Jim Grobe – now the coach at Wake Forest – made Ohio a half-decent program. The guys in the green uniforms were a .500 ballclub in the six seasons of the Grobe era (1995 through 2000). Then, however, the program took a sharp turn for the worse under coach Brian Knorr from 2001 through 2004. Ohio went just 11-35 in those four disastrous seasons, leading the school to pluck Solich – kicked to the curb by Nebraska, his former employer – in 2005. The results have been fabulous for the Ohio football family. Solich is 40-36 after six seasons; it’s better than what most fans expected six years ago.

However, for all the good things that Solich has done, a few tasks and unclaimed milestones are lingering on the horizon, gnawing at anyone and everyone around the program and crying out for some sense of resolution. First of all, Ohio has never won a bowl game in its entire history. Solich is 0-3 in bowl games, and in each of the past two seasons, his teams have either been favored or expected to play a very close in a bowl, only to fall short. When Ohio was favored over Marshall in the 2009 Little Caesars Bowl, the Bobcats gacked against the Thundering Herd. When Ohio and Troy locked horns in the 2010 New Orleans Bowl, the Bobcats got roasted by a 48-21 score. After a full season spent outpacing most of the MAC – a crushing late-season loss to Kent State denied Ohio the MAC East Division title – the letdown against Troy was profound and puzzling. Ohio would love to get rid of its bowl-game demons. The program would also be thrilled to reclaim its division and get one more shot in the MAC Championship Game, which it has never won since the event was created. There is unfinished work to do in Athens, even though this program has definitely been successful under Solich.

The Bobcats will return seven starters on the offensive side of the ball in 2011. The offense has been reworked to take advantage of new starter Tyler Tettleton. Spring was successful for the Bobcats as the new offense showed the capability of Tettleton and brought out a potential playmaking tight end in Zac Clark.

The Bobcats return just four starters on defense and will be looking for the new position players to make an impact. Gerald Moore and Noah Keller will anchor the defense after the two return after an injury plagued 2010 campaign for each one. Thankfully for the Bobcats, the schedule isn’t the gauntlet that most of their MAC brethren face. Ohio plays just one BCS opponent, Rutgers in week four. Other than that contest, the Bobcats should have a good chance in the remainder of their games. Ohio does not face Northern Illinois; the team represented the MAC West against Miami in the 2010 MAC Championship game, during the regular season.

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