It’s certainly hard to label any given game a must-win. However, if Ohio does not have a good showing against Buffalo on Tuesday, it will be hard to envision the Bobcats playing for the Mid-American Conference Championship.
A win against the Bulls (6-2, 4-0 MAC) would move the Bobcats (6-2, 3-1 MAC) into a tie for first place in the MAC East with three games left in the regular season.
It won’t be easy for Ohio to upend the Bulls, which are on a six-game winning streak, during which they are outscoring opponents 51-3 in the first quarter. Their offensive attack is led by senior running back Branden Oliver, who averages 170 yards rushing per game in conference play.
Ohio coach Frank Solich credited the Bulls solid offensive line and Oliver’s explosiveness as some of the Bulls’ most potent offensive attributes.
“They have one of the best running backs in the MAC and a guy that’s capable of making big plays at any time on you,” Solich said. “So you don’t have to have things blocked perfectly for him to make a 60, 70-yard run. He will make you miss; he’s got great acceleration.”
Ohio redshirt junior safety Thad Ingol said a key to stopping Buffalo is containing its rushing attack.
“They run the ball well,” he said. “And they have some decent receivers but category one, like always, (is) stop the run. That’s the only way we win.”
The Bulls’ defense boasts senior linebacker Khalil Mack, a two-time MAC first team selection who is about as disruptive as any linebacker in the country. Mack had 10 tackles last week in a victory against Kent State and currently paces the MAC with 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks. He also boasts a team-best 54 tackles on the season.
Solich said in order to be successful against Buffalo, Ohio needs to be aware of Mack’s presence on the field at all times.
“He’s big, strong, fast, accelerates, is never out of a play,” Solich said. “He is going to be a disruptive force in the NFL in not too long a time so obviously he’s a disruptive force in the MAC.”
Mack leads a defense that ranks eighth in the nation with 13 interceptions on the season. The Bulls also sit at second in the nation in turnover margin. Solich said against a proven defense like Buffalo, it is imperative that the Bobcats keep possession of the ball. This season Buffalo has converted 15 of its 21 forced turnovers for 89 points.
Ohio redshirt senior running back Ryan Boykin said the Bobcats’ upcoming game against the Bulls is a statement game.
“Right now they’re on top, and you can’t go to the MAC Championship without kind of dethroning them,” Boykin said. “This game is basically the most important game of the season because if we lose this one, then it makes it even harder to get back to Detroit.”
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