Ohio's fate might be sealed before coach Frank Solich leads his team out of the tunnel next Tuesday against Central Michigan.
Ohio could be eagerly awaiting Dec. 2 and a date with, likely, No. 14 Western Michigan. Or the Bobcats could be fighting for their lives.
With losses from Akron and Miami, Ohio will clinch the Mid-American Conference East Division title. If neither of those losses take place, Ohio will have to beat Central Michigan on the road.
For that to happen, the Bobcats will have to shutdown the Chippewas' high-octane passing offense, led by NFL-bound quarterback Cooper Rush. Standing at 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, Rush is a load to try to bring down. He can stand tall in the pocket and fire the ball downfield.
Simply put, he's dangerous.
Breakdown
Central Michigan ranks 99th in yards per carry in the FBS. That's not the issue, especially against a ferocious Ohio front seven.
Rather, it's the 30th ranked passing attack led by Rush. The Chippewas rank 18th in passing attempts per game and average 35 passes per game on offense.
Rush is 10th in the FBS with 2,775 yards passing and eighth in passing attempts with 349. Essentially, the Chippewas offense lives and dies with Rush.
Using this YouTube video, The Post looked at the Central Michigan offense in its game against Western Michigan.
The first aspect that stands out is the Chippewas' offense — it's a pro style offense. The Bobcats have rarely seen under-center snaps this season, but nothing will change terribly from a schematic standpoint.
At the 1:34:08 mark, Central Michigan lined up in a single-back set with two tight ends and two receivers to the left and right. That is probably the most basic of all formations, something Ohio hasn't seen all season.
The score is 28-3, Broncos, but that's more of an indication of the Broncos than it is the Chippewas.
Western Michigan lines up in a 4-3 "over" defense, the typical 4-3 defense with an outside linebacker at the line of scrimmage. Ohio, with its strong front seven, might be able to stay in the traditional 4-3 "under," the traditional look of a 4-3 defense.
Rush takes the snap and fires a quick slant route to his receiver to the left. With the Western Michigan cornerback biting on the run, Rush is able to find the wideout for a first down.
Ohio must keep in its alignment in the secondary next Tuesday with the belief its front seven will hold up against the weak Central Michigan rushing attack.
Central Michigan runs a lot of quick passing routes. It will be imperative to make Rush and his receivers as uncomfortable as possible to take away those short passing routes. Rush only averages eight yards per passing attempt, 40th in the country — a steep drop from his high rankings in passing attempts and yards.
Judgement
This one will be tough for Ohio.
The biggest strength of the Chippewas is about to match up with the biggest weakness of the Bobcats. It will be a challenge, especially if Ohio still has to fight for the MAC East.
If Rush can be slowed down, however, Ohio will fire up to conference championship game.
