The two MAC Conference division leaders will square-off at Peden Stadium when the Toledo Rockets play the Ohio Bobcats in some mid-week college football action. The inner-state rivalry is set to get underway on Wednesday, November 8th at 7 p.m. EST. The grudge-match can be seen on ESPN2 for your evening football entertainment. Line setters have the Rockets as a -4 point favorite and the contest’s over/under at 65 points.
The Toledo Rockets enter this showdown against the Bobcats fresh off a 27-17 win over the feisty Nothern Illinois Huskies. After the conference win, Toledo now sits 5-0 in the MAC and 8-1 overall. In fact, the only defeat that the Rockets have on their resume’ is a 30-52 loss to the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium back in September.
Ohio will dig in at home after they took down the Miami (Ohio) Redhawks 45-28 on Halloween. The Bobcats pulled out their bag of tricks by using a double-reverse pass and a flea flicker. After the win, Ohio raised their record to 7-2 overall. Furthermore, they have won three-straight victories over MAC opponents.
Last year, Ohio was a 15.5 point underdog on the road at Toledo. In that game, the Bobcats surprised the nation and upset the Rockets 31-26. The triumph ended a nine-game winning streak that Toledo had over Ohio.
Toledo Rockets (8-1)
This marks the first time that Toledo has been 5-0 in conference play since 2014. Even so, the win total is nothing new for this school. As a matter of fact, this is the seventh time in the last eight years they have reached the eight-win mark. In all, the Rockets are 49-12 against MAC competition since 2010. Including, 19-2 against the East Division where the Bobcats currently sit atop.
The Toledo defense has stepped up its game over the last five wins. During a current five-game winning streak, no school has scored more than 21 points. Also, four of the five have been limited to 17 points or less. After the nice five-game run, the Rockets sit first in the MAC in scoring defense and first in total defense. Nevertheless, Toledo is known for their high-octane offense that puts points on the board in bunches.
Quarterback Logan Woodside returned for his senior season to claim a MAC Conference title and another bowl berth. The talented signal-caller was one of the best in the nation in 2016 and is well on his way to that mark this year. In nine games, Woodside has completed 169 of his 263 passes (64 percent) for 2,656 yards. More impressively, the senior gunslinger has tossed the rock for 19 touchdowns and only two interceptions.
Three talented tailbacks also do their part to contribute to the Rockets outstanding offense. The trio has kept the offense somewhat balanced with 1,767 yards rushing and 18 scores. Running back Terry Swanson has 844 yards on 160 carries with a team-high 11 touchdowns. Shakif Seymour also has six touchdowns to go along with his almost 500 yards rushing.
The passing game took a little step back when they lost wideout Cody Thompson for the year at Eastern Michigan. Now, three other wide receivers have had to step up their game to keep the passing game flourishing. The trio has collected almost 1,750 yards passing with 15 touchdowns. Sophomore Diante Johnson is becoming a household name for quarterback Logan Woodside. The speedy pass-catcher has nabbed 46 catches for almost 850 yards and has eight total touchdowns.
As mentioned above, the Rockets have shown vast improvement on this side of the ball in 2017. This season, they the Rockets are conceding only 206 yards through (46th) the air and 164 via the ground (59th). Their offense is averaging 39 points a game so the 24 that this unit gives up is completely manageable.
Ohio Bobcats (7-2)
The Bobcats had lost a little offensive talent because of injuries during the first part of the season. Most of those pieces have returned and Ohio is starting to heat-up. The offense is ranked eighth overall, putting up 41.2 points a game. They are especially adept at running the ball, sitting 22nd in the country (235 ypg).
Quarterback Nathan Rourke may not have the most impressive passing figures but he is careful with the football and can also run it effectively. The sophomore under center has completed 56.7 percent of his throws for 1,517 yards with 13 touchdowns and three picks. The dual-threat athlete also has contributed 548 yards with his feet and another 16 trips to the end zone.
Two tailbacks pitch in with Nathan Rourke to add to the Bobcat’s effective ground attack. A.J. Ouellette and Dorian Brown are a great one-two punch. Ouellette has rumbled for a team-high 832 yards on 141 carries and six scores. Brown has added another 458 yards on 80 runs with four more touchdowns. Both will be looking to tee-off against the much-improved Toledo front seven this Wednesday.
The Bobcats don’t pride themselves on their ability to pass the ball around the field. In fact, they are 93rd in the country. Instead, they use the play-action pass to strike when their opponents secondary moves into the box. Wide receivers Brendan cope and Andrew Myer are the recipients of those throws. Combined, the two have caught just over 50 balls for almost 800 yards and five touchdowns. Teammate Papi White is their big-play guy who averages 18 yards a catch.
On defense, Ohio is rather average. They hold opposing schools to 25 points a game and give up 374 total yards a contest. They are weakest against the pass, allowing 251 yards which is 95th in Division I ball. Unlike the secondary, the front half is one of the best in the country. The Bobcats currently sit 21st in the FBS, allowing only 123 yards a game.Like the Redhawks, the Bobcats have caused 14 turnovers but also have an overall margin of zero.
Prediction
This should be one heck of a ball game for some mid-week football entertainment on Wednesday. Las Vegas has the Rockets as a four-point favorite on the road. I suspect the reason for that is their ability to put points on the board anywhere they play. They also have shown some ability to stop opposing clubs over the last five weeks.
I think that this four-point line here can be a little tricky because this game could easily be decided by a touchdown. Therefore, I’m suggesting that my readers stay away from this because I expect this to be close but the four isn’t enough to take the Bobcats or the Rockets.
Instead, make your play on this game’s over 65. I get that the Toledo defense has improved but that was in games against Miami (Ohio), Kent State, and Bowling Green. This Bobcat team can certainly find more ways to score at home than they can. Also, the Ohio defense struggles to stop the pass and Toledo has one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. Place your hard earned money on the offenses in this conference battle and cheer for points on Wednesday. #moneytreesgrow @EriktheHun
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Trends
The Rockets are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 road games.
The Under is 7-3-1 in the Rockets last 11 conference games.
The Bobcats are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 home games.
The Over is 8-2 in the Bobcats last 10 games overall.
Underdog is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 meetings.
