Sports
Takeaways from MAC Media Day ahead of Ohio’s 2023 season
By: Maria Monesi
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DETROIT, Mich. (WOUB) – Ohio kicked off the 2023 campaign at Fox Theatre for MAC Media Day.
Ohio coach Tim Albin, quarterback Kurtis Rourke and linebacker Bryce Houston represented the Bobcats by joining other players and coaches across the Mid-American Conference.
As the Bobcats prepare for the start of the new season, Rourke continues to progress following his ACL tear that occurred in November.
“I feel well. We’re on schedule right now,” Rourke said. “Just continuing to work and talk to the coaches and trainers and the great staff that we have. We’ll see how camp goes, I obviously was out for spring ball, but we’ll see how camp goes and go on from there.”
Before the festivities kicked off, it was announced that Ohio was projected to finish first in the MAC East in the head coaches preseason poll.
This comes following the Bobcats 10-4 finish in the 2022 season, a trip to the MAC Championship game and a thrilling overtime victory in the Arizona Bowl.
“At the end of the day we’re still taking it one day at a time and we have to understand that we have to earn everything that is given,” Houston said. “These preseason polls, these are great and we’re happy that we were able to finish first for them, but at the same time that doesn’t end up being the real difficult thing, so we have to make that happen ourselves.”
As Ohio looks to repeat success from last season, Albin believes the players in the locker room will be key moving forward.
“Within a journey who you’re traveling with is really more important than the destination,” Albin said. “Who we’re traveling with in this year’s team is going to be super exciting.”
Ohio will begin a new journey when it travels to San Diego State for its Week Zero game on Aug. 26.
Houston believes that the Bobcats know what needs to be done in order to make a trip back to Detroit.
“I actually walked past Ford Field yesterday, so it was a crazy feeling being back in the environment,” Houston said. “We definitely understand what it takes to get back here and what it takes to be able to win here.”