Ohio has enjoyed tremendous recent success, having won 40 games and a MAC Championship over the previous four years.
The Bobcats were 9-4 last year and 6-2 in the MAC, tied for second place after winning the conference championship in 2024. While not listed as the favorite this season, Ohio will look to prove it is a contender in the always competitive MAC.
Ohio Season Preview
This is the first full season for head coach John Hauser, who was named interim head coach prior to Ohio’s 17-10 win over UNLV in the Frisco Bowl after coach Brian Smith was fired after just one season. It was the seventh straight bowl win for Ohio, which has been to a bowl game in seven of the past nine years.
Hauser had the interim tag lifted a few days after the bowl win. Now he will attempt to keep the Bobcats in contention, but with only one starter returning on offense, there could be some growing pains in the early going.
Key Players To Replace
- Quarterback Parker Navarro completed 62% of his passes for 2,375 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while rushing for 886 yards and eight touchdowns.
- Sieh Bangura led the MAC with 1,392 rushing yards. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry and scored 15 rushing touchdowns.
- Leading receiver Chase Hendricks transferred to California. He caught 71 passes for 1,037 yards and seven touchdowns.
- Second-leading receiver Rodney Harris II transferred to Oklahoma State after catching 30 passes for 419 yards and two scores.
- Offensive linemen Shedrick Rhodes Jr., Trent Allen, Nick Marinaro, Jordon Jones and Davion Weatherspoon all started 13 games and must be replaced.
- Tight end Mason Williams, who had 26 receptions for 276 yards and three touchdowns, transferred to Ohio State.
- Safety Jalen Thomeson, who had a team-high 86 tackles, transferred to San Diego State.
- Another safety, Adonis Williams Jr., had 183 tackles in 46 career games at Ohio.
The Quarterback Situation
Nick Poulos, who attempted just eight passes last season, enters his third season with Ohio. The 6-foot-6, 243-pound Poulos is expected to be the starter, but New Hampshire transfer Matt Vezza is considered a contender for the job. Last season at New Hampshire, Vezza threw for 2,673 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushed for 601 yards and eight scores.
Key Returning Players
- Running back Duncan Brune rushed for 585 yards and eight touchdowns.
- Receiver Dom Dorwart appeared in 13 games with seven starts. He had 11 receptions for 119 yards.
- Offensive lineman Jarian Shelby has appeared in 18 games over the previous two seasons.
- Safety DJ Walker started all 13 games and recorded 61 tackles, two interceptions and one pass breakup.
- Linebacker Michael Molnar started all eight games in which he appeared and had 73 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss.
- Defensive tackle Nehemiah Dukes started all 13 games, making 30 tackles.
- Linebacker Charlie Christopher appeared in 13 games with six starts and recorded 63 tackles.
- Fellow linebacker Jack Fries appeared in eight games with seven starts, and he was credited with 54 tackles.
Key Newcomers
- Interior offensive lineman CJ Dawson II was an All-Big South honorable mention choice last year for Gardner-Webb.
- Defensive back Eli Thompson had 85 tackles and four interceptions last year for Holy Cross.
- Michigan State transfer Tyler Gillison is expected to be a factor at defensive end.
- Kentucky transfer Preston Bowman looks to aid the receiving corps.
- Tackle Sandro Malicevic, a transfer from Eastern Illinois, will vie for time on the offensive line.
- Running back Victor Rosa rushed for 155 yards and two touchdowns and added 15 receptions for 147 yards and a score in 13 games last year for UConn.
Ohio’s 2026 Schedule
- 9/5 at Nebraska
- 9/12 vs. Jacksonville State
- 9/19 at South Alabama
- 9/26 vs. Stonehill
- 10/3 at Kent State
- 10/10 vs. Central Michigan
- 10/17 at Sacramento State
- 10/24 vs. Eastern Michigan
- 11/3 at Akron
- 11/10 at Miami (Ohio)
- 11/17 vs. Ball State
- 11/27 vs. Toledo
Bold indicates MAC contests
Ohio’s MAC Title Betting Odds
Ohio’s college football betting odds to win the conference are +650, via BetMGM. Those are the fourth-best odds in the MAC.
Ohio’s Betting Odds & Over/Under Win Total
- Ohio’s win total Over/Under is 6.5
- The Under is at +120
- The Over is at -150
Ohio Season Prediction
I like the Bobcats to go over 6.5 wins. So much will depend on what type of quarterback play that Hauser receives, but I believe there are enough experienced players to continue the recent high level of winning.
It’s possible Ohio could go 3-1 in non-conference games. While not expected to beat Nebraska, the Bobcats then face Jacksonville State, potentially a top-five team in Conference USA, and South Alabama, which is not expected to be a huge factor in the Sun Belt. The fourth non-conference game is against FCS Stonehill.
If Ohio goes 3-1 there, then the Bobcats are certainly capable of going 4-4 in the MAC, especially since they don’t face Western Michigan.
The key will be quarterback play, because Navarro was effective last year (although the turnovers were a little high). The other development to watch is the play of the offensive line with an entirely new starting unit. The Bobcats hope to develop chemistry in their non-conference games while also winning. Not the easiest task, but certainly attainable with this year’s group.
