Over The Pylon

The road to win number one was a long time coming for the Ball State Cardinals, and given their opponent this weekend in Ohio University, the road to #2 may be difficult as well. Ohio comes in at 5-2 and 3-1 in the MAC, but on the heels of their first conference loss. The MAC East has been characterized as the far weaker division of the conference, but Ohio was picked by many to compete for a division championship. For the Bobcats to do that, this Saturday is a must win, as two losses in the MAC already will make a trip to Detroit a long shot. Will Ohio’s losing streak continue? Will Ball State’s winning streak persist? We’ll know Saturday night, but for now, time to better know the Ohio University Bobcats.

Team: Ohio University
Record: 5-3 (3-1 MAC)
Head Coach: Frank Solich
Series: 13-7, Ball State leads
Last Meeting: 2005, a 38-21 Ohio victory in Athens, OH

Ohio U Odds and Ends:
. . . Ohio suffered its first Mid-American Conference loss of the season Saturday vs. Kent State (20-11)
. . . The Bobcats had posted MAC wins at Bowling Green (44-37), at Akron (19-7) and vs. Miami University (28-7)
. . . Ohio also defeated North Texas (31-30) in double overtime Sept. 12, at Denton, Texas.

Ohio Head Coach Frank Solich:
. . . Coach Solich (Nebraska ‘66) is in his fifth season as the head coach at Ohio and his 11th season as a collegiate mentor
. . . He owns a 28-29 record at Ohio and an 86-48 career coaching mark
. . . Solich came to Ohio after compiling a 58-19 record as the head coach at Nebraska from 1998-2003.

For the Ohio Slant, Check Out:
No notable blogs but a great fan site can be found at Bobcat Attack. Fan messageboards are certainly entertaining and offer a wide cross section of the fanbase. Granted, like any other fan site, there are those at opposite extreme ends of the fan bell curve, but it’s a nice place to take the temperature of the opposition.

Ohio University Fun Facts:
. . . In games played at Ball State, the Cardinals own a 7-2 all-time edge
. . . Ball State has won eight of the last 10 games played in the series which dates back to 1975.

Filed under: Ball State, Better Know, MAC |