Ohio Bobcats Preview 2022: Season Prediction, Breakdown, Key Games, Players
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Ohio Bobcats Preview 2022: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Ohio season with what you need to know and keys to the season.
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Ohio Bobcats Preview
Tim Albin: 3-9, 2nd year at Ohio
5th year overall, 28-17, 2021 Preview
2021 Record: Overall: 3-9, Conference: 3-5
Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Ohio Top 10 Players | Ohio Schedule
Ohio Bobcats Preview 2022
Well that’s not how it’s supposed to work.
Ohio was the model of consistency under Frank Solich – 2008 was the last losing season – with bowl games and fights for the MAC Championship part of the norm. There might not have been conference titles, but the program was always on the preseason short list of contenders.
Solich retired, and the team looked and played directionless in a 3-9 season – the worst campaign since 2003.
But head coach and everyone was able to take a deep breath, there were some good parts in an otherwise ugly season, and with four of the losses by a touchdown or less, there might not be as much work to do as it seems, starting with …
Ohio Bobcats Preview 2022: Offense
The offense wasn’t miserable. It ran well, but the passing attack struggled, it wasn’t efficient, and the 22.6 points per game weren’t going to get it done. But with a decent offensive line and a slew of good skill parts back, this could bounce back fast, starting with …
The running game should be even stronger. O’Shaan Allison is a good veteran back, but leading rusher De’Montre Tuggle is done. The attack that averaged over five yards per game should hit the mark again, but more parts are needed to help out Allison.
The offensive line should do the job. The pass protection was great, and with three starters back this group will be a plus as soon as the left side is settled.
Kurtis Rourke continues the tradition of Rourke owning the quarterback gig. Nathan Rourke had the job from 2017 to 2019, and Kurtis has been the guy for the last two years going into his third. He’s a decent enough passer – he’s accurate – and is used to getting out on the move as a key part of the running game. UCF’s Parker Navarro is coming in to push for time.
Isiah Cox left for Alabama A&M, and leading receiver Cameron Odom is done, but Tyler Walton led the team with 32 catches and on the way is August Pitre from Rice to add more downfield pop.
Ohio Bobcats Preview 2022: Defense
The defense needs more work than the offense, but the defense has more veteran parts back and should be a tad more settled. There weren’t any takeaways, the run defense wasn’t great, and the pass rush was nothing more than an interesting rumor. After allowing 431 yards and 30 points per game,
The linebackers are the stars. There might have been issues with the Bobcat defense, but Bryce Houston led the team with 104 tackles and Cannon Blauser at everything up inside with 86 stops. They should be among the best 1-2 linebacking punches in the MAC.
The secondary has a young playmaker in corner Roman Parodie, and Taiq Drake led the team with three interceptions to go along with 49 tackles from his strong safety spot. Alvin Floyd is a keeper, too, who’ll freelance a bit. However, the depth at safety is a problem.
A whole lot more has to come from the pass rush. There wasn’t a ton of production with just 17 sacks, and top sacker Will Evans is done on the line. The bulk is missing, but Kylen McCracken is a veteran on the nose and Purdue’s Dontay Hunter is on the way to help. Now the stops have to be there against the run.
Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Ohio Top 10 Players | Ohio Schedule
Ohio Bobcats: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats NEXT
Ohio Bobcats: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats
Ohio Bobcats: Key To The 2022 Offense
There has to be a passing game again.
The 2017 offense averaged 7.6 yards per pass and struggled a bit – but the ground game made up for it. After that, the downfield passes were there for three years, interceptions weren’t a problem, and the offense got the production when needed.
Last year, the Bobcats averaged just seven yards per pass had just four touchdown throws in eight games before coming up with six over the too-late two-game winning streak.
The O picked up with Kurtis Rourke started to throw, and while he might not be CJ Stroud, he needs to come up with around 200 yards and closer to eight yards per throw.
Ohio Bobcats: Key To The 2022 Defense
Where were the takeaways?
It all tied together. There wasn’t enough of a pass rush, there weren’t enough third down stops, and teams didn’t have to press all that hard to keep things moving.
The Ohio defense wasn’t able to force enough mistakes to matter and make offenses push.
After coming up with six takeaways in just three games in 2020, and 15 in 2019, the D forced a mere eight turnovers last year with no fumble recoveries over the last seven games.
There weren’t any turnovers in seven of the 12 games and the two against Central Michigan was the only time the team came up with multiple takeaways.
Ohio Bobcats: Key Player To The 2022 Season
DT Kylen McCracken, Sr.
The Bobcats can’t be better without a whole lot more production from the defensive front. More against the run, more plays behind the line, more all-around pressure. The problem is the lack of depth, options, and bulk.
That puts more pressure on the 6-3, 300-pound McCracken, a veteran reserve who saw more work last year with 15 tackles as he helped gum up the works. Now he needs to be an anchor on the nose, and if he’s not, there will be a whole lot of tweaking to do.
That’s also why …
Ohio Bobcats: Key Transfer
DT Dontay Hunter, Soph.
He didn’t get any work in two years at Purdue, but the 6-4, 270-pound size is needed for a Bobcat line that needs as many big options as possible.
A bit of a tweener who can work as a big end or quick tackle, he should find a spot somewhere in the rotation. He might not have had a chance to show what he could do with the Boilermakers, but he was a good recruit – the upside is there.
Ohio Key Game To The 2022 Season
Kent State, Oct. 1
The Golden Flashes didn’t used to be a problem.
Ohio won six in a row in the series, the two didn’t play in 2020, and last year the Golden Flashes were able to break the streak. If this is going to be any sort of a bounceback season for the Bobcats, they have to win the MAC opener with two road games to follow and tough road games late.
Win, and there’s a good chance they’ll be 3-2 before getting Akron with a chance to pass last year’s win total by early October.
Ohio Bobcats: 2021 Fun Stats
– Red Zone Scores: Opponents 52-of-61 – Ohio 31-of-37
– Fumbles: Ohio 16 (lost 8) – Opponents 9 (lost 2)
– Field Goals: Opponents 22-of-26 – Ohio 16-of-24
Offense, Defense Breakdown
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Ohio Top 10 Players | Ohio Schedule
Ohio Bobcats Season Prediction, What Will Happen NEXT
Ohio Bobcats Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Seriously, just how much of an outlier was 2021?
With all the success and all the consistency this program showed for so many years, this couldn’t all just go down the drain because Frank Solich decided to do something else.
There’s still a good starting 22 here, and there are still the right expectations to be good enough to be in the mix for big things in the MAC.
However, there wasn’t enough done through the transfer portal, the depth is a bit concerning, and the schedule isn’t all that bad.
Set The Ohio Bobcats Regular Season Win Total At … 6
There are too many good players on this year’s team to have a second straight clunker, but can the lines be better? Can the defense show up? Can the offense start to take over games with the ground attack like it used to?
The Bobcats are going to be better.
They should be able to get by Buffalo, Bowling Green, and Fordham at home. Right there that matches last year’s win total, and then throw in a likely win at Akron, a lean-win home date with Florida Atlantic, and enough 50/50 games against teams like Kent State and Ball State and Miami University to get to at least six wins.
Offense, Defense Breakdown | Keys To The Season
Ohio Top 10 Players | Ohio Schedule & Analysis
