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2009 Ohio College Football Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

ohio-61509 The Ohio Bobcats have enough talent and experience on both sides of the football to contend for a MAC East title in 2009 as long as the injury bug stays away and the offense can quit turning the ball over. With four of its final six games at home, Ohio should have an excellent chance to go bowling. Bet the MAC at BetUS this fall and receive up to 145% in sign up bonuses!

Offense – Whether Boo Jackson or Theo Scott is under center for the Bobcats, the offense figures to be formidable. After Scott broke his clavicle at Ohio State in Week 2, Jackson came on to throw a school-record 19 touchdown strikes. His 2,355 yards came up just 11 yards short of Ohio’s single season passing mark. All Ohio fans can attest that this kid brings a great deal of athleticism and excitement to the QB spot. Scott is fully recovered from his injury and will have an opportunity to compete for the starting job. It is very likely that both players will see time on the field this fall.

Most any QB would look good throwing to the likes of Taylor Price, who finished the 2008 season with 51 grabs for 694 yards and five touchdowns. Expect him to improve on these numbers in 2009. Donte Harden and Chris Garrett will team in the backfield. Garrett starred in Ohio’s season finale at Miami Ohio, rushing for 222 yards and set a school mark with 321 all-purpose yards. The team is expecting big things from him this fall.

The offensive line should be okay if it is able to find an adequate replacement for left tackle Josh Leuck. Senior Chris Rodgers looks like the early favorite.

I eluded to this earlier, but the key for the Ohio offense is discipline. The Bobcats committed a league-high 31 turnovers and also averaged a league-worst 59 penalty yards per game. If the Bobcats value the football more, I don’t see any reason why this offense can’t boost its scoring average to around 30 points per game.

Defense – This side of the ball is better than most teams in the MAC and that’s why the Bobcats will have a chance to capture a MAC East title. Perhaps the best front seven in the league, led by linebackers Noah Keller and Lee Renfro, helped the Bobcats rank third in the conference in total defense. This is a unit which helped the Bobcats play the Ohio State Buckeyes to a 14-26 game and the Northwestern Wildcats to a 8-16 game.

It will be critical, though, that Ohio finds another run stopper up front to fill in for departed All-MAC performer Jameson Hartke. The pass rush should be solid with defensive ends Curtis Meyers, Kris Luchsinger, and Conor Reilly all returning.

The secondary is led by third-team All-MAC performer Steven Jackson. The safety figures to be the teams top playmaker after recording two picks and forcing two fumbles last season.

Prediction: 2nd MAC East – The MAC East title very well could come down to a November 10th date at defending league champ Buffalo. While I feel the Bobcats will be greatly improved with an increased focus on valuing the football, I’m not ready to pencil them in as league champs. Our readers get a special $500 match bonus at BetUS.

Do your football wagering with the help of Jimmy Boyd’s expert football picks this fall for consistent winning against the college football lines.

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