Ohio took a big step toward making the Mid-American Conference Championship last week when it defeated Kent State.
This week, the Bobcats (3-4, 2-1 MAC) can take a big step toward proving they can win it, too, if they beat Ball State (4-3, 3-0 MAC) on Saturday at Scheumann Stadium in Muncie, Indiana. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.
Ohio won last week behind a career-best performance from quarterback Nathan Rourke and some key fourth-quarter stops from its defense. The Cardinals, however, will be a tougher test and possess the only clean conference record among all MAC schools.
The Bobcats are in first place in the MAC East Division. The Cardinals are first in the MAC West.
Could this be a preview of what we’ll see in Detroit?
Below you’ll find a guide to gameday with how to follow along, the depth charts, three things to watch for, who has the edge, a reading guide and predictions.
Following along
How to watch: The game can be watched on ESPN+. Jim Barbar and John Gregory will be on the call.
How to listen: The game can be heard on the Ohio IMG Sports Network — Russ Eisenstein and Rob Cornelius will be behind the mic. The broadcasts are available online through OhioBobcats.com and TuneIn.com/OhioBobcats.
Depth chart
Three things to watch for
Ohio’s secondary vs. Drew Plitt
The Bobcats defense did enough to slow down the quick pace from Kent’s offense last week. Now, it’ll face Drew Plitt, who leads the MAC with 16 touchdowns and is second in the conference with an average of 266.9 passing yards per game.
The secondary will face its toughest test since Week 2 when it allowed 321 passing yards against Pitt. Ohio’s defense has to limit Ball State’s offense, which has averaged a conference-leading 34.7 points per game, and that won’t happen without a quality performance from its secondary.
Nathan Rourke in the fourth quarter
In its last two games, Ohio has scored touchdowns on three of its five fourth quarter drives, one of which was when Rourke took a knee to seal the win against Kent.
The Bobcats have been almost impossible to stop in the fourth quarter thanks to the late-game prowess of Rourke. He found first downs whenever he wanted — both with his running and passing abilities — last week and has played his best football of the season in the past two weeks.
If the defense struggles in the fourth quarter, Rourke is capable of keeping things close.
The weather
Weather.gov calls for a 100% chance of rain Saturday in Muncie and a chance of thunderstorms after 2 p.m. The wind will be between 9-18 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph.
The miserable conditions may call for a heavier running attack from both sides. If so, Ohio has the edge, but not by much.
The Bobcats are fourth in the conference with 4.9 yards per carry and 16 touchdowns. The Cardinals trail closely behind at seventh with 4.4 yards per carry and 13 touchdowns.
Ohio hasn’t played in rain yet this season. We’ll likely see how much it affects its plans Saturday.
The edge
When Ohio has the ball: The offense seems to be finding its stride at the right time. It had 571 total yards last week against Kent, and Rourke shined once again. The lack of a No. 1 receiver has been advantageous for the Bobcats now that Rourke has established enough in-game chemistry with the young receiver corp. While the running back room has been banged up – both Allison and Ross left last week’s game with injuries – it appears to be on the mend.
Edge: Ohio
When Ball State has the ball: The Bobcats are up against the top scoring offense in the MAC, a balanced offensive unit and a quarterback who knows how to command the game.. The defense has been up-and-down, and it’ll have to play its best game of the season in order to beat the Cardinals.
Edge: Ball State
Special teams: Michael Farkas’ squib kick went viral last weekend after he pinged the ball off of the helmet of a Kent player and Ohio recovered the fumble. Louie Zervos didn’t miss any extra points or field goals last week, and the Bobcats will need their two specialists to perform well.
Edge: Ohio
Reading guide
- News and notes from Solich's weekly conference
- 5 fun facts about Ball State University
- Stock watch following Ohio's win over Kent State
- Ohio's defense hopes to build off big win, flash consistency
- Ball State preview
Predictions
Sports Editor Anthony Poisal: Ohio is in favorable position to potentially win the MAC East. The Bobcats are far from a perfect team, however, and don’t appear to have the same consistency as Ball State. The nasty weather conditions could help Ohio’s defense, but I’m not confident it can stop Ball State’s top-tier offense. Ball State wins 28-27.
Sports Editor Matt Parker: Though the defense made enough plays against a fast-paced Kent offense, it still allowed nearly 40 points and over 400 yards of total offense. Sure, it was injured in key spots and had youth scattered across the field, but it’s facing the MAC West Division leader on the road. The question is if it can continue to build off the performance it had against Kent. The same opportunity arose after it played Buffalo and it failed the next test against Northern Illinois. Don’t expect a happy Halloween. Ball State wins 37-21.