[8:05 PM] Ohio v. Troy

Who will WIN this matchup?

Ohio Bobcats (8-5)

Troy Trojans (9-3)

 

• Two teams that ended the season with close losses to miss out on conference championships get a chance to remove that bitter taste when Ohio meets Troy in the Dollar General Bowl in Mobile, Ala., on Dec. 23. The Bobcats gave No. 14 Western Michigan all it could handle before losing 29-23 in the MAC championship game. The Trojans were upset by Georgia Southern 28-24 to miss out on a share of the Sun Belt crown.

• Since allowing 56 points to Texas State in triple overtime in the season opener, the Bobcats have held every opponent to fewer than 30 points, with MAC Defensive Player of the Year Tarell Basham being a big reason why. The senior defensive lineman led the conference with 11.5 sacks and is the school’s career leader with 29.5. Senior linebacker Blair Brown had a conference-high 116 tackles (13.5 for loss), and MAC Freshman of the Year Javon Hagan had 50 tackles and led the team with five forced fumbles and three interceptions.

• The Trojans got as far as 8-1 and became the first Sun Belt team to be ranked in the Top 25 before losing two of their final three games and missing out on their sixth conference title. Despite the slide, it still was a season of major strides for Troy, which improved by five wins in coach Neal Brown’s second season – tied for the fifth-best turnaround in the nation. Junior running back Jordan Chunn led the resurgence, rushing for 1,232 yards and a conference-best 13 touchdowns.

• This is the eighth straight season of bowl eligibility for Ohio under coach Frank Solich, who also guided the Bobcats to Mobile in 2007. The MAC East Division champion missed out on its first conference crown since 1968 but still can reach nine wins for the first time since 2012 – the last time Ohio won a bowl game. The Bobcats are 2-7 overall in bowl games.

• Troy led the Sun Belt in scoring, passing and total offense with 49 touchdowns and 5,263 total yards. The Trojans are 2-3 in bowl games and are making their first bowl appearance since 2010 – when they beat the Bobcats 48-21 in the New Orleans Bowl. Troy nearly upset No. 3 Clemson in a 30-24 nail-biter Sept. 10.

 

StreakSmarts Pick: Troy Trojans

Confidence: 5/10

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