Ohio Football Preview 2025: Can Brian Smith keep the Bobcats Rolling?
Ohio has done the coaching transition thing about as well as anyone, but it usually takes a year.Frank Solich went 4-7 in his first season in 2005. He had just one losing season over the next 15 seasons before passing the baton to assistant Tim Albin.After a 3-9 clunker in 2021, it didn't seem like the new guy was up to the gig, and then Albiin won 31 games over the next three seasons with a MAC Championship, an appearance in another title game, and three bowl wins in the best three-season run in program history.No pressure, Brian Smith. Just keep doing that.
Albin left to take the open Charlotte head coaching job, Smith moved up from offensive coordinator to head man, and now he has less of a grace period than just about any new coaching hire this season.Ohio lost a ton of good parts, but the core is still strong, the transfer portal will help, and the skill parts might actually be better than last year, when the program had its first 11-win season.Win lots of games, compete for conference championships, and win bowl games - every year. No pressure.
Ohio Bobcats Preview 2025: Offense
X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFN- With Brian Smith kicking up to head coach, Scott Isphording takes over as the coordinator, and nothing changes. Last year's offense lived on third down conversions and keeping things moving. Control the clock, control the game, and let the MAC's best offense keep on producing.- It all starts with All-MAC quarterback Parker Navarro. He threw too many picks - 11 - but he also threw for over 2,400 yards, ran for 1,046, and cranked up 18 touchdown runs. Navarro is missing his top receiver - Coleman Owen caught 78 passes - but Chase Hendricks and Rodney Harris are back after combining for 63 grabs. Tight end Mason Williams was fourth on the team with nine catches and two scores.
- The line that was loaded with all-stars and turned in the best season of any front five in the MAC needs to be reworked. Davion Weatherspoon was great at guard, but could move to the outside. Josh Waite (Shippensburg) is coming in for one of the guard gigs, and key understudies Jordon Jones at tackle, Kam Wright at center, and Trent Allen at guard will step up.
- Sieh Bangura ran for close to 2,000 yards and 22 touchdowns in his three years at Ohio, left for Minnesota, only carried the ball four times, and now he's back in Athens. It's not a deep bunch - sophomore Duncan Brune saw a little time - but Bangura and Navarro should combine for close to 2,000 yards if everything is working right.
Ohio Bobcats Preview 2025: Defense
- Ohio finished ninth in the nation in total defense, 13th in scoring D, and fourth in the nation against the run, allowing 91 yards per game. The line lost star pass rusher Bradley Weaver to Rutgers, and just about everyone else of note up front is gone, too. Here's where the transfer portal helps out, with Anas Luqman (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) and Evan Herrmann (Vanderbilt) looking for time. 280-pound Nehemiah Dukes (Youngstown State) and Austin Mitchell will be the undersized main men on the inside.
- The linebackers aren't deep, needing backups Michael Molnar and Jack Fries to step into starting roles. If all goes according to plan, they're the new Blake Leake and Shay Taylor, who combined for 163 tackles in all-star seasons.
- Tank Pearson is one of MAC's best returning corners, coming up with a team-high four picks, 51 tackles, and six broken-up passes. Enough decent options are on the other side to be okay, especially considering how solid the safeties should be.DJ Walker is a top all-around playmaker at one spot, Adonis Williams should grow even more into a free safety job, and Rickey Hyatt (South Alabama) is an interesting transfer who should fit in immediately.
Ohio Bobcats Key to the Season
Hold up against the run.The Bobcats kept winning games by owning the time of possession battle and dominating the tempo. When teams were able to run on the Bobcats, they won.Ohio was 10-0 when allowing fewer than 4.2 yards per carry, and 1-3 when allowing that many or more. To take this further, it's 22-0 since 2022 when allowing fewer than 3.8 yards per carry.
Ohio Bobcats Key Player
Anas Luqman, EDGE Jr.The coaching staff knows how to get edge rushers into the backfield, but it lost all the key guys from last year. Enter the 6-4, 245-pound Luqman from Arkansas-Pine Bluff, who has eight tackles and 16 tackles for loss over the last three seasons. If he comes up with five sacks, he'll have done his job.
Ohio Bobcats Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss
Top Transfer In: Sieh Bangura, RB Sr.Ohio's leading rusher in 2022 and 2023 is back from his one season at Minnesota. A workhorse who can catch, if he returns to his old form, he'll be an All-MAC star who occasionally carries the attack.Top Transfer Out: Bradley Weaver, EDGE Sr.The All-MAC star pass rusher over the last two years made 14.5 sacks, 28 tackles for loss, and 78 tackles. He was a game-wrecker, and now he'll be a playmaker for Rutgers.
Ohio Bobcats Key Game
Miami University, Nov. 4It's a rematch of the MAC Championship - a 38-3 Bobcat win - but the RedHawks won the last two regular season meetings. Overall, the Ohio MAC slate isn't horrible, but the regular season finale at Buffalo could be a make-or-break moment if it doesn't beat MU in early November.- 2025 Ohio Schedule Breakdown
Ohio Bobcats Top 10 Players
1. Parker Navarro, QB Sr.2. DJ Walker, S Soph.3. Tank Pearson, CB Sr.4. Sieh Bangura, RB Sr.5. Adonis Williams Jr. S Sr.6. Davion Weatherspoon, OG/OT Sr.7. Chase Hendricks, WR Jr. 8. Michael Molnar, LB Jr.9. Mason Williams, TE Soph.10. Anas Luqman, EDGE Jr.
Ohio Bobcats 2024 Fun Stats
- First Quarter Scoring: Ohio 74, Opponents 22- Fumbles: Opponents 27 (lost 9), Ohio 15 (lost 10)- Average Rushing Yards Per Game: Ohio 213.7, Opponents 92
Ohio Bobcats 2025 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen
There will be a step back, but not a huge one.Tim Albin really was good at this head coaching thing, and this year's Ohio team isn't as jacked as the MAC Championship version of 2024, but there's still plenty to like.It'll be a rough start with at Rutgers, West Virginia, and at Ohio State handing the Bobcats an 0-3 start, and then it'll all change fast with a good run through the first part of the MAC season. Missing Akron and Kent State hurts, but not playing Toledo is a massive plus, and missing Central Michigan isn't bad.
It'll be tough to find any continuity with just two of the five games at home, but the Bobcats will still be in the MAC title mix well into late November.Set The Ohio Bobcats Win Total At … 7.5Likely Wins: Gardner-Webb, UMass50/50 Games: at Ball State, Bowling Green, at Buffalo, at Eastern Michigan, Miami University, Northern Illinois, at Western MichiganLikely Losses: at Ohio State, at Rutgers, West Virginia
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