DETROIT — Coach Frank Solich joked that the Ohio offseason has been so quiet that media are running out of questions to ask.
“There doesn’t seem to be as many questions marks and concerns by people who are asking the questions,” Solich said at Mid-American Conference Media Day on July 28. “That’s probably a good sign.”
To an extent, he’s right.
For as much as the 2015 offseason was about offensive questions at quarterback and running back, the current offseason hides no secrets.
Assuming he’s healthy, J.D. Sprague will be the starting quarterback. The same assumptions can be made about A.J. Oullette leading the running back depth chart.
With seven returning offensive starters, the only real concern is the offensive line’s experience, and the team rotated possible options throughout spring practices. Ohio lost three of its starting linemen from 2015.
Defensively, seven starters return, with the only losses coming in the secondary.
The line should be strong and the linebackers have playing experience, especially after midseason injuries pillaged the position in 2015.
At times, injuries forced players to play out of position to field a competitive defense, including the Oct. 24 Buffalo game where Oullette lined up as a middle linebacker in a 41-17 loss.
“We had a lot of young guys step up that were not normally put in that position,” Solich said about last season’s switch-around.
“In being put in that position, they gained a great deal of experience and that should make them better football players right now.”
Others seem to agree with him.
Ohio was picked to finish second in the MAC East in the preseason poll. The team also received 10 votes for first place, just behind Bowling Green with 12 first place votes.
“I think they got us placed about right,” Solich said at Media Day. “So I’ve got no complaints.”
Casey Sayles, a defensive tackle representing Ohio at Media Day, agreed that preseason polls lack any sort of value or significance.
“I don’t pay attention to that stuff really,” Sayles said. “I’ve seen so many times when the outcomes have been completely opposite when the last team ends up first. It’s whatever.”
What the Bobcats will pay attention to, however, is that the Falcons — a team Sayles hasn’t beaten during his time in Athens — won another category.
In the last four years, Sayles and his teammates have been outscored 168-51 against Bowling Green. The two teams will play Oct. 8 at Peden Stadium.
“That’s always the one team, especially this year, we want to beat,” he said. “That’s one team that’s one up
The season begins Sept. 3 when Ohio hosts Texas State.
@charliehatch_
gh181212@ohio.edu
