Coming off a 45-0 loss to No. 4 Virginia Tech, you might expect the Ohio Bobcat football team to lack confidence as they head into Saturday’s MAC opener against Kent State.

That’s clearly not the case, however, judging by player and coaches comments following the game. The Bobcats appear to be nearly as confident as they were following the 16-10 win over Pitt eight days earlier.

Still, don’t expect many future Ohio football schedules to line up three opponents from BCS conferences. In the weekly MAC coaches teleconference, Ohio head coach Frank Solich said continually lining up against powerful teams can have a detrimental effect on conference play if his team is beat up physically or mentally.

He said he is trying to strike a balance in future schedules, mixing in payday games that help the football budget and are potentially enticing to ESPN, along with games against programs that aren’t traditional powerhouses.

He admitted scheduling can be a bit of a "Catch 22." While beating Pitt garnered the program unprecedented publicity, being overmatched early on in a season has its own set of disadvantages.

“It’s difficult to play that type of non-conference schedule and come out of it with a feeling of confidence about yourself heading into conference play,” Solich said.

While not commenting specifically on rumors that Ohio either wants out of two future games with Tech or plans to move one of those games to a neutral site, Solich said Ohio’s future football schedule is being tweaked to accomplish several goals: address budgetary concerns, get games on TV to help the program and the conference, get some quality home games and line up games “where you’re not always a 30- or 40-point underdog.” Solich said a successful pre-conference season helps breed success in conference play, which builds interest in the program, which can snowball into even greater success.

Solich said, however, he isn’t in favor of a buffet of lower-division patsies either.

“You try to play some games against programs about where your program is at,” he said. “You want some games on ESPN, but on the other side of it we need to be realistic. We’re close to getting the schedule in line.”