Every current member in the Mid-American Conference has won the conference championship since the inception of the Football Bowl Subdivision, except for Kent State and Ohio. The last time Ohio won the MAC Championship was in 1968 under head coach Bill Hess, who led Ohio to multiple championships in the 1960s.
Ohio has had chances at the title since then. It most recently played for the championship in 2016 but lost to Western Michigan 29-23.
The Post took a look back at the world during Ohio’s past championship run and the last time it won the trophy.
2016
2016 was a big year for sports. In November, the Chicago Cubs won their first World Series in 108 years, effectively ending the longest championship drought in American sports history. It was also the year that Simone Biles took the Rio Olympics by storm. She won four gold medals and a bronze medal in artistic gymnastics.
Popular culture also picked up a meme or two during 2016. That year is to thank for the social media frenzy surrounding Harambe, a widely-publicized gorilla that was killed at the Cincinnati Zoo.
- Leonardo Dicaprio won his first Oscar for his role in The Revenant.
- “Closer” by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey spent 12 weeks atop Billboard’s Hot 100 list.
- This is Us premiered on NBC.
- “Hamilton” won 11 Tony awards, a Grammy and the Pulitzer for Drama.
- Michael Phelps retired after his fourth Olympics. He retired as the most decorated Olympian with 28 Olympic medals — 23 of which are gold.
- Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize for Literature.
- “Pokemon Go” was released.
- “Brexit” was coined when the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union.
- Music icons David Bowie and Prince died.
- Sports legends Muhammad Ali, Gordie Howe and Pat Summitt died.
1968
Music reigned supreme in the 1968 leap year. The Beatles released arguably their most recognizable song, “Hey Jude,” and the “White Album” in that year. It was the beginning of the end for The Beatles, however, it was the start of a revival for The Rolling Stones, who recorded “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” in 1968.
It was a big year for innovation. The semiconductor company Intel was founded. NASA launched Apollo 7, the first crewed flight of NASA’s Apollo program, and later Apollo 8.
Politics highlighted 1968. It was an election year that saw Richard Nixon elected the president of the U.S. Turmoil raged throughout the U.S. before, after and during the election. Also, Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated due to their political affiliations.
Here are some more moments from when the Bobcats last won the MAC Championship:
Hot Wheels toy cars were first introduced.
Johnny Cash performed at Folsom Prison on Jan. 13.
Ohio head coach Tim Albin was three years-old.
Rosemary’s Baby premiered in the U.S. in June.
The first-annual International Special Olympics Summer Games were held at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, on July 20.
Led Zeppelin made its first live performance at Surrey University in England.
A Big Mac from McDonald’s cost 49 cents.
The Elvis comeback special aired.
"60 Minutes" debuted on CBS.
Otis Redding won a posthumous Grammy for “Dock of the Bay.”
A new movie rating system was released by the Motion Picture Association of America in November. It is still the basis of the ranking system in 2022.
