The Battle of the Bricks will become the Battle for the MAC Championship on Saturday, Dec. 7, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.
Miami (OH) is looking to become the first team to win back-to-back MAC championships since the 2011-2012 Northern Illinois Huskies.
The RedHawks followed up last season’s 11-3 campaign with an 8-4 regular season and a 7-1 record in conference play. Miami (OH) has won seven straight contests, including a 30-20 win over their opponent on Saturday.
What Tim Albin was able to do with this Ohio Bobcats team is one of the most impressive stories in college football. Ohio returned just two starters from last season, one on each side of the ball. The Bobs were expected to take a big step backward, with a preseason win total of six and the sixth-best odds to win the conference.
Instead, they went 9-3 and lost just one conference game — to Miami (OH). Now, they will have a chance to avenge that loss in a rematch against their Buckeye State rivals.
Ohio has not won a MAC Championship since 1968. Since the MAC Championship Game started in 1997, the Bobcats are 0-5 in the title game, the most appearances without a win.
Miami (OH) has won the MAC 15 times, the most in the conference, and they are 4-2 in the title game.
The RedHawks are a 2-point favorite on the spread with a 44-point over/under. Check out my Ohio vs Miami (OH) predictions and college football picks below.
Ohio vs Miami (OH) Expert Predictions
- Ohio vs. Miami (OH) Pick: Miami (OH) -2.5
My Ohio vs. Miami (OH) best bet is on the RedHawks to cover the spread, with the best line currently available at bet365, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Ohio vs Miami (OH) Odds, Spread, Betting Lines
| Ohio Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -110 | 44 -110 / -110 | +120 |
| Miami (OH) Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -110 | 44 -110 / -110 | -140 |
- Ohio vs Miami (OH) Point Spread: Ohio +2.5 (-110) · Miami (OH) -2.5 (-110)
- Ohio vs Miami (OH) Total: Over/Under 44
- Ohio vs Miami (OH) Moneyline: Ohio +120 · Miami (OH) -140
Ohio vs Miami (OH) Betting Preview
Ohio's Winning Probability: Run The Ball, Stop The Run
Nobody expected Ohio to be in this position.
This past offseason was a bloodbath. Kurtis Rourke transferred to Indiana, and the Bobcats lost their entire skill position group and four of their five offensive linemen.
But Parker Navarro has stepped in, and what he lacks in arm talent, he has made up for with his legs.
Passing-wise, Navarro averages just 175.8 yards per game and has thrown 10 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. He has only thrown a touchdown pass in one of the last four games.
All last season’s receivers moved on, but Northern Arizona transfer Coleman Owen has become his favorite target, with over 1,000 yards on the year and seven of Navarro’s 10 touchdowns.
But the strength of the Bobcats is their running game.
Navarro is averaging 78.9 yards per game with his legs and has rushed for 13 touchdowns. He averages 6.6 yards per carry on the ground. He is joined in the backfield by running back Anthony Tyus, who has totaled 960 yards with eight touchdowns. Tyus goes for 5.2 yards per carry and enters the MAC championship off back-to-back 100-yard games.
With Toledo falling off, the Bobcats have joined the conversation for the best defense in the MAC.
Ohio allows 18.7 points per game and 304.1 total yards per game and is especially tough against the run. It is the only team in the MAC to allow fewer than 100 rushing yards per game, surrendering just 97 rushing yards per contest.
The Bobcats are stout in their front seven with linebackers Blake Leake and Shay Taylor. They rank sixth nationally in Rush Success Rate allowed and top 20 in Line Yards. They are also in the top 20 at creating Havoc.
Miami (OH) will have to beat the Bobs through the air.
Miami (OH)'s Winning Probability: Gabbert Is Finally Healthy
For the last five years, the story with Miami (OH) has always been, “If Brett Gabbert can stay healthy…”
For the first time in his career, Gabbert has finally played all 12 games and is playing some of his best football right now.
He got off to a bit of a slow start after the injury last year that caused him to miss the title game, but he has really settled in down the stretch. Gabbert has 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on the season, including 16 scores and three picks over the past seven weeks.
Gabbert has three talented receivers to get the ball to: Reggie Virgil, Javon Tracy, and Cade McDonald. Throwing the ball is the RedHawks' strength, and they rank among the nation's top 40 teams in Pass Success Rate.
When they run the ball, Keyon Mozee is a talented back who was the only player in the MAC to rush for over 1,000 yards this season. He averaged 6.6 yards per carry and has gone over 100 yards in six of the last seven games.
Miami’s defense is not as dominant as last year, but it is still an excellent unit. The RedHawks lead the MAC in scoring defense (17.3 points per game allowed) and yards per play allowed (4.6).
The heart and soul of the defense lies right there in the middle with linebacker Matt Salopek. The 2023 MAC Defensive Player of the Year leads the RedHawks with 106 tackles. He is strong in coverage and does it all for this team.
Ohio vs Miami (OH) Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Ohio and Miami (OH) match up statistically:
Ohio Offense vs. Miami (OH) Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 54 | 78 | |
| Line Yards | 66 | 94 | |
| Pass Success | 53 | 11 | |
| Havoc | 58 | 46 | |
| Finishing Drives | 61 | 4 | |
| Quality Drives | 59 | 12 | |
Miami (OH) Offense vs. Ohio Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 126 | 6 | |
| Line Yards | 59 | 20 | |
| Pass Success | 40 | 54 | |
| Havoc | 76 | 17 | |
| Finishing Drives | 112 | 74 | |
| Quality Drives | 42 | 19 | |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 107 | 73 |
| PFF Coverage | 42 | 66 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 112 | 42 |
| Middle 8 | 16 | 40 |
| Seconds per Play | 29.8 (119) | 30.3 (124) |
| Rush Rate | 62% (10) | 51% (106) |
How To Bet My Prediction For Ohio vs Miami (OH)
The RedHawks enter this game red hot, playing the best football of their season.
They have won seven straight games and have outscored their opponents 223-90 over that stretch.
Miami (OH) hasn't allowed more than 21 points during its win streak, and its defense has improved throughout the season.
I don’t want to diminish Ohio’s great season and the Bobcats' success. Still, if you look at the MAC standings and start from the bottom, Kent State, Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Akron, and Toledo are six of Ohio’s seven conference wins this season.
The best team Ohio faced was Miami (OH), and the RedHawks won 30-20 back in October. Gabbert threw three touchdown passes, and Mozee rushed for 111 yards. The RedHawks' defense picked off Navarro twice and held him to just 88 yards passing and 38 yards rushing. Ohio managed just 3.3 yards per carry on the ground.
The Bobcats also scored a touchdown with six seconds left to make it a 10-point game. It was 30-6 halfway through the fourth quarter, so the final score made it look a lot closer than it was. Miami-Ohio crushed them.
We have seen this Miami (OH)team turn a corner halfway through the season, and the RedHawks are playing like a championship team right now. The offense is strong, and the defense looks dominant again, especially against the run, which will be the key in this matchup.
Miami has allowed just 2.8 yards per carry over the last seven games. As we saw in the first meeting between these two, if Ohio can’t run the ball successfully, it's in trouble.
Pick: Miami (OH) -2.5
Ohio vs Miami (OH) Start Time, Channel, Streaming, How To Watch
| Location: | Ford Field, Detroit, Mi |
| Date: | Saturday, Dec. 7 |
| Kickoff Time: | 12 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ESPN |
Ohio vs Miami (OH) will be played at Ford Field in Detroit, MI, on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 12 p.m. ET. You can stream the game live on ESPN.
