Before 2007, Ohio had played in just two bowl games, both coming in the 1960s.
That was it.
With Monday’s Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl, the Bobcats (7-5) will notch their fifth straight bowl game and sixth in seven seasons.
This era of success in Ohio football has come under the watch of coach Frank Solich and the play of redshirt senior Tyler Tettleton and the winningest class in school history.
Despite consecutive late season meltdowns and the lack of a Mid-American Conference Championship, the Bobcats have endured a consistent period of competitiveness that most schools in the conference would beg for.
In the history of the league, only Northern Illinois and Marshall, back when it belonged to the MAC, and now this edition of Ohio football have earned five consecutive bowl bids.
The past success certainly played a role in Ohio gaining a bowl bid, which was thought a longshot when Northern Illinois lost to Bowling Green in the MAC Championship game, thus sending the Huskies to a MAC-affiliated bowl game instead of a Bowl Championship Series game.
The conference’s final bowl bid came down to Toledo and Ohio, and Solich had no clue how it the decision was going to play out.
“The fact that Northern Illinois did not win obviously was not a thing that kept us entirely from being in the bowl picture, which was great,” Solich said. “I know there are numerous people involved in decisions, from ESPN to the bowl people, to our conference people, so you just never know how that's going to unfold.”
Despite wins against Bowling Green and Buffalo, a pair of teams Ohio lost to by a combined score of 79-3, it was the Rockets left in chilly northern Ohio while the Bobcats have enjoyed the sun and heat of St. Petersburg.
Solich and Tettleton both acknowledged that the recent consistency of the program, including two straight bowls wins, probably played in the decision.
“I think we're here for a reason,” Tettleton said. “If we weren't picked here, obviously we wouldn't deserve it. I think we're definitely deserving. Toledo had a great year, too and it's tough. We're both 7-5 and you could probably go either way, but I think what we've done here over the past four or five years really helped with that.”
This consistency that Ohio’s found under Tettleton, Beau Blankenship, Travis Carrie, Keith Moore and the rest of the senior class will be put to the test in the future, with players like quarterback Derrius Vick and others will large shoes to fill.
The final game of an era will happen on Monday, and despite the outcome, this class and this coach should be remembered for ushering in an era where Ohio football was a team that was expected to reach the postseason and win conference championships.
Without that group, this might just be another mid-major program, looking for recognition in a crowded college football landscape.
ch203310@ohiou.edu
@C_Hoppens
