It’s August, and coach Frank Solich will be starting his 14th season on Monday at the helm of Ohio. It will mark the 20th season Solich has been a head coach.
But neither will be the biggest number talked about this preseason. Instead, it will be the half-century mark: 50.
50 years since the Bobcats have won a Mid-American Conference Championship. But it wouldn’t be worth talking about if there wasn’t so much hype surrounding Ohio.
“It’s been a long time,” Solich said at MAC Media Day on ESPN. “Obviously, that’s the goal. I think we have a great group of young men who are thinking that way also. The leadership on our team is phenomenal.”
Already we have the talk, too. They’re the preseason favorite to win the MAC East and MAC. The Bobcats seem to have the weapons and leaders needed to the run to Detroit. There’s an offense returning with eight starters and a quarterback who scored 39 total touchdowns. There’s a defense with arguably the best secondary in the conference and the youngest front seven in the conference. But all of this has led the Bobcats to just focus on their one goal.
That’s what seemed to be echoed in the spring and a theme that will continue into the fall. Mostly because many thought after an upset last year against Toledo, Ohio would reach the MAC Championship at the very least. A loss the following week to Akron ruined those hopes.
It’s just an example of how quick it can all slip away. And now the chance for a new start comes Monday.
Beginning Monday, the Bobcats will dive into the grind of fall camp and begin to answer definitive questions. Among the big ones:
- Nathan Rourke and A.J. Ouellette will take care of the run game along with with the rest of the backfield. But, who will be the top receiver? Will Elijah Ball be back to normal a season removed from an ACL tear? Or will Cam Odom show improvement from last season?
- Who will be the true No. 2 back for the Bobcats? Julian Ross showed promise as a true freshman, but Maleek Irons returns after a year of suspension. Irons had a successful 2016 season.
- Quentin Poling was the heart and soul of the Ohio defense. Will that role be filled by a linebacker or a corps of them?
- Will the Bobcats be able to put pressure on the ball? They lost their top four defensive linemen, but add two junior college transfers.
These questions will be answered in the weeks to come and early into the 2018 season. It’s obvious more than ever what the goal is. Solich always says it’s the goal, but it has a sense of palpability to it this year.
