The Ohio Bobcats and the San Diego State Aztecs meet Saturday in college football action from Snapdragon Stadium. The Bobcats managed to go 10-4 overall last year, eventually eking out an Arizona Bowl victory over Wyoming. As for San Diego State, they’re coming off a 7-6 campaign, losing a close one in the Hawaii Bowl versus Middle Tennessee. Check back all season long for free college football picks at Sports Chat Place.
Ohio Bobcats
The Bobcats certainly had their ups and downs last season. Ohio stumbled out of the gate to a 2-3 record but then won seven straight for a MAC East Division Championship. The Bobcats would fall 17-7 to Toledo in the division title game, but still managed a 30-27 overtime win over Wyoming in the Arizona Bowl.
Looking ahead to 2023, the Bobcats’ main concern is QB Kurtis Rourke’s return to the field. Rourke tore his ACL late last year and it was up to CJ Harris to keep things moving. The good news is that there’s plenty of talent surrounding the quarterback position. Sam Wiglusz is coming off a 74-catch season, and the combo of O’Shaan Allison and Sieh Bangura should be great in the backfield.
San Diego State Aztecs
The Aztecs had a middling run in 2022 and never really found much consistency outside of a 5-1 run late in the season. San Diego State finished the regular season at 7-5 after a loss to Air Force, putting the team in second place in the West Division of the Mountain West. The Aztecs would finish things off with a rough loss to Middle Tennessee 25-23 in the Hawaii Bowl.
Thirteen straight seasons without a losing record is a pretty solid statistic, but San Diego State is looking for more in 2023. The key on offense will be keeping the ground game moving, and four yards per carry on average will be a pretty good barometer for success. New offensive coordinator Ryan Lindley should serve as a jolt in the arm for the passing game that hinges on Jalen Mayden. SDSU could score a ton of points if things go well this year.
ANDREW’S FREE PICK
I’m going to stay with San Diego State. This should be a fun matchup, though. The Aztecs have high expectations out of their offense these days, even with top targets Jesse Matthews and Tyrell Shavers gone. Mekhi Shaw, Raphael Williams and TE Mark Redman are more than capable of filling in the production gaps. The big question will be on a retooled offensive line, but there’s enough talent there on paper at least. Defensively the Aztecs need to keep things rolling after a pretty good statistical year, and also avoid the occasional breakdown like with the Boise State and Air Force games last season. There are a lot of new names on the squad but I think the Aztecs will make it work and start off strong here.
