For the first time since August, coach Frank Solich took to his weekly press conference without an opponent to talk about.
He didn't have to talk about schemes or how his team would respond to pressures from the season or that individual week.
Rather, he was able to answer questions about how his team is resting up on its bye week and the fact that the Bobcats are one game away from a Mid-American Conference East Division title.
“We look at every game as being vitally important and I think that is one thing about going game by game, by building that particular game up because that game becomes big if you don’t win it," Solich said. "It becomes important if you don’t win to you overall record and your conference record, so they are all critical games. That is what makes this profession hard on you."
If Akron loses to Bowling Green on Wednesday and Miami loses to Buffalo on Saturday, Ohio will have clinched the MAC East without even having to play another game.
But for now, Solich and the team has approached this week as if both Akron and Miami will win.
"There is never a break, especially in the MAC," Solich said. "We won’t have to dial our players up or lower their thoughts in terms of flying off and thinking of things that aren’t there yet. Winning this game will clinch it and that’s great. There are a lot of reasons to win this game and we will play for all of those reason.”
Before Ohio hits the field against Central Michigan on Nov. 15, a proper week of rest is in order.
The Bobcats' bye week is in week 11, which is incredibly late. But with the team emerging from the 10-week onslaught 7-3 and 5-1 in the MAC, the late bye week might in fact be a blessing.
"I've said a couple times that going through that kind of a schedule without a break is tough on your football team," Solich said. "It is tough to do, to go through that many games with having guys missing weeks and having guys that are playing banged up. You have to make sure you use the off week well, in terms of recuperating and not losing momentum.”
Waiting on the other side of the bye week will be Central Michigan, which has lost five of its last seven games after starting 3-0, including a controversial win at No. 17 Oklahoma State in week two.
It might take a win for Ohio to clinch its ticket to Detroit, or it might not. The only simple thing, however, will be the fact that Ohio controls its own destiny.
If there was any doubt as to how serious of a threat Ohio is to not only make the MAC title game, but win the entire conference, then Ohio can end any questions with a win over Central.
"Central is a tough place to play, it always has been," Solich said. "You look at the number of points they have scored, earlier in the season they scored against some quality opponents. It indicates how they are capable of playing and I’m sure they will be ready to go.”
