On numerous occasions, Ohio University Director of Athletics Jim Schaus has explained why it’s always a great day to be a Bobcat.
Entering my freshman year, I had little knowledge about Bobcat sports, aside from the school being a Mid-American Conference stalwart.
But through my first two years in Athens, which included covering almost every Ohio sport for The Post, I share the same belief as Schaus: We’re witnessing the prime of Ohio athletics.
Ohio is one of seven NCAA schools to make four consecutive postseason appearances in men’s basketball and football, but not only have the Bobcats just qualified postseason appearances, they’ve excelled.
The football team is one of just 17 schools to win consecutive bowl games, after defeating Utah State 24-23 in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in 2011 and defeating Louisiana-Monroe 45-14 in the Independence Bowl last season.
The Bobcats also earned the program’s first-ever Bowl Championship Series ranking last season after a 7-0 start, including a week one win on the road against Penn State.
On the hardwood, Ohio has won a program-record 53 games during the past two seasons and qualified for the NCAA Tournament twice in the past four seasons.
The Bobcats also captured a share of the MAC regular season title last season for the first time since the 1993-94 campaign.
Though these are all past accolades that new freshmen did not have the chance to experience on campus, the future for both programs look bright.
The men’s basketball team recently acquired forward Anrio Adams, a transfer from Kansas, who will eventually join guard Jaravez “Bean” Willis, as both players were four-star recruits in high school.
After sitting out a year following his transfer from Texas Tech, Willis will suit up for the Bobcats this season, along with incoming freshmen forwards Wadley Mompremier and Antonio Campbell and guard D.J. Wingfield.
On the gridiron, redshirt seniors Beau Blankenship, a running back, and Tyler Tettleton, a quarterback, will return as team captains for their final season. Blankenship rushed for a program-record 1,604 yards last season, and Tettleton owns 23 individual program records and has thrown for at least 2,800 yards in each of the past two seasons.
With a week one showdown against Louisville, which is expected to be ranked in the preseason polls, fans will get their first glimpse at seeing if the Bobcats can continue to produce in the limelight, as the game will be televised on ESPN on Sept. 1.
But win or lose, it’ll still be a great day to be a Bobcat.
Chad Lindskog is a junior studying journalism and sports editor for The Post. Chat with him about the upcoming year of Bobcat sports at cl027410@ohiou.edu.
