Sports
Ohio Football needs win in Buffalo plus help around the MAC for title game hopes
By: Andrew Bowlby
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – On the final day of the 2025 regular season for Ohio Football (7-4, 5-2 MAC), the Bobcats need a win over Buffalo (5-6, 4-3 MAC) plus some help to reach the MAC Championship game.
A pair of losses to Ball State and Western Michigan have forced the Bobcats into needing help to get back to Detroit. The assistance required includes wins by Central Michigan and Ball State over Toledo and Miami respectively.
If all four results happen, Ohio would return to the MAC Title game for a second-straight season and would have a chance at being the first repeat champion in the MAC since NIU in 2011 and 2012.
“Same thing that we talk about every week, is we’re controlling what we can control, we’re trying to eliminate outside influences, outside factors and just focus on us and how hard we play and trying to play our best football,” Ohio head coach Brian Smith said. “Some of the deciding games in terms of what ends up shaking out if we do end up winning are after us anyways, so the focus should be on us.”
Ohio enters the Week 14 game coming off another strong performance by their run game. Sieh Bangura’s career-high 196 yards against UMass led the way. He scored twice while Parker Navarro and Duncan Brune added another four touchdowns.
For the other half of the Bobcats’ offense there have been plenty of struggles. Ohio has had no success in the passing game since the start of MACtion games. Aside from the 49-yard game-winning score that Navarro threw to Rodney Harris, there has been little to like from his play over the past three weeks.
“Got to be better, and it starts with me,” Navarro said after his 28 passing yards against UMass. “Just got to continue to see what I see and take the easy ones.”
Navarro’s struggles become even more puzzling when considering how they are happening. His decision making has been shaky; he’s been inconsistent throwing the ball downfield and he’s had a general inability to make the big play.
All three of which he did at a high level down the stretch last season.
Friday’s game will put two of the best receivers in the conference against one another. Buffalo’s Nik McMillan and Ohio’s Chase Hendricks rank second and third on the MAC receiving leaderboard respectively.
They have both been instrumental pieces to their offenses but have been trending in complete opposite directions.
For McMillan, he has recorded 100 or more receiving yards in each of his last five games, the first Bulls player to do so since 2008. McMillan has racked up the yards over the last five, however, has just two touchdowns.
Meanwhile with Hendricks, he has been limited to just five catches and 53 yards over his last three games. He also hasn’t been in the end zone since he caught a pair of touchdowns against Eastern Michigan on Oct. 25.
Ohio needs to get Hendricks and the pass game going to have a shot at beating the Bulls and getting back to Detroit.
Friday’s game kicks off at Noon and will air on ESPNU.