I'm glad for the optimistic enthusiasm here. I hope that all are correct about our prospects.

But I think it's fair to add in some different viewpoint...understanding that neither side is entirely correct, that the truth will probably be somewhere in between.

First, to me, football is quarterbacking--with the necessary corollary of getting pressure on the quarterback.


So, when I read that there are little concerns about the quality of our quarterbacks, I'm not so sure. Seems to me that we've consistently had problems against decent but experienced and consistent quarterbacks. The backside of that is that our qb's lack of consistency is a concern.

We don't need an All-American qb. But it would be nice to have a qb who was as consistent and durable as #45 is at running back.

No qb, no ring.


Then, we have an O-line that will have two new starters (right?!) so is not proven. Could hold us back.


Pass pressure--a definite necessity unless your defense is overall very, very solid. We have only one guy, Poling, who is clearly ...by achieved performance...All-MAC. And there are question marks in the defensive backfield.


Last is coaching. Solich is so damned predictable and conservative. We seem to never have an edge here.

Here's from the latest issue of SI.

First about Houston and their remarkable turnaround last year under Tom Herman in his first year after coming from O-coordinator and qb coach at OSU: "Herman's travels taught him that spreading the field and ramping up tempo could compensate for talent gaps."

Am I done yelling at you about run some up tempo. No. I'm not.

Coaching, strategy matter. Keep seeing us fail to use coaching in a reasonably original way to gain advantage over our peer teams.

Then, in the profile of San Diego State (which SI ranks as their #24 team): "What they want to do is bludgeon people; you are going to see a lot of two-tight-end, two-back sets. It's unusual and teams have a hard time defending it."

Am I done yelling at you for two-back sets. No. I'm not.

Not every play is a bolt of lightning. But at some point we need to quit doing the same thing over and over.

I'll bet that hurry up and true two-back sets would not cause the sky to fall, would not be so unorthodox as to get our coaching staff fired immediately.

When it comes to your feelings regarding QB play, I fully agree. It's not the only factor, but it's fairly simple to trace this programs struggles since 2011 to inconsistent Quarterback play. TT was outstanding in 2011, less so in 2012. Everyone who has followed him has either been ineffective, unable to stay on the field, or a combination of the two.

I think it's completely fair to say that improvement over the last few seasons from the QB position is absolutely the biggest difference between getting the MACC or not. Just don't take that to read the ONLY difference, because I also recognize that there are 21 other guys that start out there who have a say in that success.

I think the freshmen coming in are going to be great. We might have our answer at QB in Drew Keszei or Gage Moloney.

We need to throw some deep balls to keep eight out of the box.

Normally I'm a "pick your QB early and go with him" guy, but I think I am OK with a platoon system this year. #1, with the way we run them we always deal with injuries to the QB, so the more game experience we can get the better. #2, each guy shows flashes at times, so run a few series with each and see who has the hot hand in any given game.

I've never been a fan of the two headed quarterback. I can see the points you're trying to make, but to me, you've gotta have one guy that you designate as THE guy, the leader. The #2 can get lots of snaps late in games if you're ahead, and get practice snaps hopefully.

QB is important, but far, far from the sole factor. That should be readily apparent from the constant discussion of TT. In 2011, TT was surrounded by some of the best offensive players of the Solich era, including the best offensive line, and the best receivers. By mid-2012, after all the injuries, he was surrounded by a very different group, and he couldn't do the same things.

Whoever the QB is this year, they will be surrounded by very good players. They will have a very good offensive line up front. The right side will be veteran, with Pruehs, Wood, and Watson. The left side will have less experience, but at LG Cooper and Gibbons have some experience, and at LT Lowerey and Pleasants are very young but very talented. The receivers this year are as good as any year under Solich except 2011. The running backs may be the best group yet.

In 2016, the rest of the offense will make the QB, whoever he is, look better. So long as the QB isn't making a lot of mistakes, I'll be happy. With even decent QB play, I expect this offense to put up over 30 points a game, comparable to 2011. With that win a MACC? Nope. You can't win a championship with offense. One of the best offenses of the Solich era was 2007, and they only won half the games. To win championships, you need defense. Even BG, with their high-powered offense, didn't win a championship until they fixed their defense.

So, how will the defense be? In my mind, this is the best overall defensive line ever under Solich, and it isn't even close. 2012 (before injuries) and 2010 were good, but not this good. The linebackers are also outstanding, up there with 2006 and 2008. What about the DBs? They are unproven. There is some talent, though. How quickly they mature, and how well they play will be the key to a MACC.

The safeties do have a returning Toran Davis and Kylan Nelson, if they can stay healthy, plus some talent in Hagan and Bo Hardy, among others, but the CB position is the most scary to me. Not one player has ever played a single snap for the Bobcats. The CB coach will earn his salary this year, and if Ohio does win a MACC, he will deserve a lot of the credit.

If the DBs turn out OK, and don't burned a lot, I think that this defense can hold teams under 24 points a game. If they do, combined with the >30 that the offense should score, this will be a very successful team. If the DBs struggle, then the defense will give up a lot of points even with the excellent front seven. If they give up >29 points a game, the results won't please anyone.

So, Monroe, I completely disagree. QB play will not determine if Ohio wins a MACC. Neither will 2-back sets, nor hurry up offense. What will determine will be the play from the defensive backs. Give me Wells and Carrie back there, and a MACC would be a done deal. With nothing but inexperience, it will be an adventure. I still think they can do it, but that's just relying on faith that some corners will emerge and get the job done.

well spoken

As I sat in the Doyt on that balmy November night last year, I wondered what the Ohio/BG score would have been if Matt Johnson were quarterbacking the Bobcats. I didn't see much difference in the defenses (Poling didn't play that game, with him, I think Ohio's D was better). While Ohio didn't have a Roger Lewis, they had a good group of WRs. Same for RBs. My concern for this year's team, other than the secondary, is whether it can get All-MAC pley from the QB spot. 

I went back to and looked at MAC Championship Games. I know correlation doesn't equal causation (MAC First Team QB probably is part of a great offense) but there is a strong correlation in QB play and MAC Championship Games.In 15 of the 19 games, the MAC First Team QB was playing for one of the teams. In 2 of the 4 years where there was not a First Team QB, there was a future First Team QB (Byron Leftwich in 2000 and Bruce Gradkowski in  2004).

The good news is that you CAN make a MAC Championship with a Spencer Keith.

MAC Championship Game winners and starting QB

2015 – BG Matt Johnson (First Team All-MAC)

2014 – NIU Drew Hare (None. Threw just two interceptions in 326 attempts and took just 12 sacks.)

2013 – BG Matt Johnson (Third Team All-MAC. Beat NIU QB and First Team All-MAC Jordan Lynch.)

2012 – NIU Jordan Lynch (First Team All-MAC)

2011 – NIU Chandler Harnish (First Team All-MAC)

2010 – Miami Austin Boucher (Boucher subbing for Second Team All-MAC Zac Dysert. Beat NIU QB and First Team All-MAC QB Chandler Harnish.)

2009 – CMU Dan LeFevour (First Team All-MAC)

2008 – Buffalo Drew Willy (None but was invited to NFL Combine in 2009. Beat Ball State’s First Team All-MAC QB Nate Davis.)

2007 – CMU Dan LeFevour (First Team All-MAC)

2006 – CMU Dan LeFevour (First Team All-MAC)

2005 – Akron Luke Getsy (None. Was MAC Honorable Mention QB in 2006.)

2004 – Toledo Bruce Gradkowski (None. But was First Team All-MAC in 2005.)

2003 – Miami Ben Roethlisberger (First Team All-MAC)

2002 – Marshall Byron Leftwich (First Team All-MAC)

2001 – Toledo Tavares Bolden (Second Team All-MAC. Beat Marshall’s First Team All-MAC QB Byron Leftwich.)

2000 – Marshall Byron Leftwich (None, but was future First Team All-MAC.)

1999 - Marshall Chad Pennington (First Team All-MAC)

1998 - Marshall Chad Pennington (First Team All-MAC)

1997 - Marshall Chad Pennington (First Team All-MAC)

Woops. Thanks.

There certainly could be selection bias here. But if you use the eyeball test - Johnson, Harnish, LeFevour, Gradkowski, Roethlisberger, Leftwich and Pennington were great MAC QBs and most all spent some time in the NFL.

It was only one game; recall last season's Bobcat Bowl Game. A defense could not give much more to a teams chances to win than what was on display--how many points were scored by the defense? Certainly more than you could normally expect in 3 to 4 full games.

The lackluster QB play by seasoned Bobcats led to zip on offense--one TD on a short field, complements of the defense.

OHIO must see a large step in the quality of play by the guys taking the snaps. What happens when the Bobcats run into a good defense?

Check my memory. AT TT's best 2011 (games vs Ball St, Central and BGSU come to mind), he carried the team to several come from behind victories; several losses without his Hercules heroics. Sure, statistically it is possible to win with a below average MAC QB but that is not the norm, as pointed out by posters showing MAC champions and the prowess of their QB's.

I agree. That's why I've mostly been staying out of it. I've posted my opinion, and others are free to agree or disagree, but I'm not going to get into an argument about it. If the team is as good as I expect, that will become apparent fairly quickly. If they aren't, that will become apparent quickly, too.

I've posted a bit more than I have been posting because some of my concerns seem to have satisfactory answers. One, the CB position, has yet to be answered.