OK, I've decided to go ahead and gaze into my crystal ball and start a 2012 game by game prediction thread.  I may be a tad early with the questions we have at linebacker, wide receiver and running back, but I figure, what the hell, let's have some fun.

Game 1:  at Penn State   W  Ohio defeats a demoralized PSU squad before an equally demoralized home crowd.

Game 2:  vs. New Mexico State   W  Bobcats plow the Aggies into the ground.

Game 3:  at Marshall   W  Bobcats stampede the Herd with a last minute TD.

Game 4:  vs. Norfolk State   W  Bobcats supersede the Spartans.

Game 5:  at UMASS    W  Bobcats maul the Minutemen.

Game 6:  vs. Buffalo   L   Bulls running game buffaloes Bobcat 'backers.

Game 7:  vs. Akron   W  Zips lack zip.

Game 8:  at Fiami   W  Bobcats shut down Zac Dysert and clip the Foreskins.

Game 9:  vs. Eastern Michigan  W  Bobcats defeat the much improved Eagles.  No sign of Joe Walsh.

Game 10:  vs. Bowling Green  W  Bobcats win third game in 12 days against the flagging Falcons

Game 11:  at Ball State  W  After a well deserved break Bobcats ground the Cardinals

Game 12:  at Kent State  L  Physical Flashes flummox Bobcat back ups in regular season finale

Game 13:  MAC Championship  vs. Western Michigan:  W  Bobcats buck the Broncos.

Game 14:  Little Caesar Pizza Bowl vs. Illinois:  W  Illini ill-equipped to impede irresistable Bobcats offense.

Final Record:  12-2  Ranked #25 in the polls.

If we win our 1st 5 games we will be ranked.








GO BOBCATS

Game 1:  at Penn State   L - A bizzare atmosphere and some sort of us against the world mentality makes Penn State a little better than they actually are. I think PSU will be a colossal disaster this year as a team, but that first game they'll play well.

Game 2:  vs. New Mexico State   W 

Game 3:  at Marshall   L - Tough place to win.

Game 4:  vs. Norfolk State   W 

Game 5:  at UMASS    W 

Game 6:  vs. Buffalo  W

Game 7:  vs. Akron   W 

Game 8:  at Miami   W 

Game 9:  vs. Eastern Michigan  W 

Game 10:  vs. Bowling Green  W 

Game 11:  at Ball State  W 

Game 12:  at Kent State  W

Regular Season Record: 10-2

I don't predict postseasons.

Game 1:  at Penn State - W

Game 2:  vs. New Mexico State - W

Game 3:  at Marshall

Game 4:  vs. Norfolk State - W

Game 5:  at UMASS - W (and I get to see the 'Cats in person!)

Game 6:  vs. Buffalo - W

Game 7:  vs. Akron - W

Game 8:  at Fiami - L

Game 9:  vs. Eastern Michigan - W

Game 10:  vs. Bowling Green - W

Game 11:  at Ball State - W

Game 12:  at Kent State - L

Game 13:  MAC Championship - W (finally)

Game 14: Pizza Bowl - W

Final Record:  12-2

Norfolk State may be a tough one..they have a 6'4 Va Tech transfer at WR and a solid Qb..should be a fun game!

Game 1: @Penn State: W

Game 2: New Mexico State: W

Game 3: @Marshal: W

Game 4: Norfolk state: W

Game 5: @UMass: W

Game 6: Buffalo: W

Game 7: Akron: W

Game 8: @Miami: W

Game 9: EMU: W

Game 10: BGSU: W

Game 11: @Ball State: W

Game 12: @ Kent State: W

Game 13: MAC Championship: W

Game 14: Bowl: L

Final Record: 13-1

I'm not exactly sure what populations of the student body are pawpaw consumers and which are football fans, but I'm not convinced that they overlap to any significant degree.

Game 1: @Penn State: W

Game 2: New Mexico State: W

Game 3: @Marshal: W

Game 4: Norfolk state: W

Game 5: @UMass: W

Game 6: Buffalo: W

Game 7: Akron: W

Game 8: @Miami: W

Game 9: EMU: W

Game 10: BGSU: W

Game 11: @Ball State: W

Game 12: @ Kent State: W

Game 13: MAC Championship (WMU): W

Game 14: Bowl (BCS vs. Big East Champ): W

Final record: 14-0

Lets just say 9 wins this year is a disappointment..which is not really a disappointment. I say winning the division and conference are crucial and a bowl game is huge.

The most dangerous home game is BGSUcks.  Even though it's Senior Night, the Cats will be playing their third game in eleven days while BG has the prior week off.  My pessimistic prediction is 8-5, with losses at PSU, Terd and BSU, at home to BGSUcks, in the MACC and the bowl game.  My realistic prediction is 11-3, with the only losses being PSU, Terd and BSU. 

Game 1: @Penn State: L
Game 2: New Mexico State: W
Game 3: @Marshal: L 
Game 4: Norfolk state: W
Game 5: @UMass: L
Game 6: Buffalo: W
Game 7: Akron: W
Game 8: @Miami: W
Game 9: EMU: W
Game 10: BGSU: W
Game 11: @Ball State W
Game 12: @ Kent State: W

MAC Championship (most likely against a MAC team): W

Perennial Low-Rated Bowl (Crappy Destination, North America): Not played - Thanks Mayans!

Final: 10-3

Realities:
We'll lose at PSU only because this game matters to me and I've had it circled on the calendar since it was announced. Even though it has been severely devalued, the fates will hang an L on Ohio U. that day.

TT will have a very nice season. Second best thing to happen to Ohio football in the past decade,

There will be two off-the-field player misbehavior incidents, one major involving some key players getting the boot, taboot. The BA.com drama will be so great that the entire message board is locked for a week.

Marshall's win will effect the root and mushroom harvest. One preacher man will die from a self inflicted serpent bite.

The Mayan Prophesy will turn out true, but not from anything supernatural. It will be a self-fulfilled (and completely avoidable) prophesy because people are idiots and will act accordingly. The dregs of the Earth will "git er done."

May our atoms someday meet again...




 

I have been a Bobcat fan since receiving my acceptance letter in the fall of 2000. In the Darkest Days of the Brian Knorr Era, you never could have convinced me that we would have a legitimate shot at running the table and winding up in a BCS bowl. And now that we have it, am I going to get gun-shy and predict anything less?

HELL. NO.

Game 1: @Penn State: W (Penn State comes out too emotionally charged, makes mental mistakes, and the more experienced Bobcats take advantage to steal a win in the first game of the Bill O'Brien era).

Game 2: New Mexico State: W (Home opener in the most anticipated season in recent Bobcat memory. The team shows the near sell-out home crowd what it is capable of in blowing out the other other Aggies).

Game 3: @Marshall: W (The first eye-patch test game of the season. The Herd remembers the 44-7 shelling last year, and wins everywhere but the scoreboard. Ohio's special teams make the difference.)

Game 4: Norfolk state: W (Bobcats come out flat after looking good the first 3 games of the season and stuggle to put the FCS team away until the second half.)

Game 5: @UMass: W (Ohio welcomes UMass to the conference with a 41-13 beatdown). 

Game 6: Buffalo: W (Buffalo sucks)

Game 7: Kron: W (Kron sucks and Terry Bowden is fat)

Game 8: @Fiami: W (Miami sucks).

Game 9: EMU: W (The offense struggles and Eastern plays the Bobcats close until the 4th quarter. Defense takes over and wins this one on a late 4th down stop).

Game 10: BUGS: W (BUGS sucks)

Game 11: @BallS: W (BallS sucks)

Game 12: @ Can't State: W (Can't sucks, oh and the offense has something to prove after 2 straight luckluster performances against Can't).

Game 13: MACC vs. Western : W (Tettleton proves he's the best QB in the conference by completely outplaying Carder)

Game 14: Bowl (BCS vs. Cincy): W (It's a Battle of Ohio in a game that should be played with more regularity)

Final record: 14-0 (Win 'em all. Let the pollsters sort 'em out.)
 

Game 1: @Penn State: W
Game 2: New Mexico State: W
Game 3: @Marshal: W
Game 4: Norfolk state: W
Game 5: @UMass: W
Game 6: Buffalo: W
Game 7: Akron: W
Game 8: @Miami: W
Game 9: EMU: W
Game 10: BGSU: W
Game 11: @Ball State W
Game 12: @ Kent State: W
Game 13: MAC Championship: W
Game 14: Bowl (Mobile) W
Final record: 14-0