MAC Sports Blog by VanDelay Sports

The New Orleans Bowl was supposed to be an opportunity to showcase the Ohio football program. It was supposed to be a chance to show off the Bobcats on national TV as the lone football game on for recruits, alumni and fans. Instead, it turned out to be an embarrassment for the Ohio Bobcats. After Ohio tied the game 7-7 they did little after that in the first half as the Troy Trojans jumped out to a 38-10 halftime lead in defeating Ohio 48-21. The lone bright spot for Ohio was not giving up as the Bobcats outscored the Trojans 14-10 in the second half.

The loss for Ohio drops the Bobcats to 8-5 in 2010 and denies them of the program’s first ever bowl win. It also keeps Frank Solich’s Bobcats from winning 9 games for the 3rd time in his 6 years atop the Ohio Bobcats. A look at the bowl schedule shows the MAC with two remaining bowl games as Toledo and Miami both have an opportunity to make the bowl season a winning one for the conference.

For the Ohio football program, prior to Frank Solich’s arrival in 2005 there was little winning tradition. However, Solich has the Ohio Bobcats in a postseason bowl for the 3rd time in 5 years. The 2010 Bobcats, however, had bigger things on their mind as they ran through 7 straight wins and seemed headed to the MAC Championship Game. But the Bobcats’ loss @ Kent State in their final game of the season instead ruined any hope of a MAC Championship and instead sent their rivals, the Miami RedHawks, to the MAC Championship Game. The loss also nearly ruined Ohio’s bowl hopes, but when the New Orleans Bowl bid was received Solich and his Bobcats accepted a date with the Troy Trojans resulting in tonight’s match-up.

“The key will be the quarterbacks” says the New Orleans Bowl preview as College Sports Fans provides their bowl preview for 2010. If Boo Jackson for Ohio can avoid the turnovers the Bobcats have a great shot at their first bowl win in program history. And if Troy’s freshman QB Corey Robinson can get the ball to their stud WR Jerrel Jernigan consistently then Troy will have a great chance to get a much-needed win for the Sun Belt over the MAC.