It will be Ohio (9-4) facing Wyoming (7-5) in the Arizona Bowl, with the teams evenly matched. Neither won its conference championship, but each had a good season, leading to this bowl game appearance. Winning would be a nice accomplishment and addition to the trophy case.
The Bobcats ended up in the MAC Championship Game but lost 17-7 to Toledo. They had gone 7-1 through conference play, winning their final seven straight before the championship game behind a potent offense.
The Cowboys finished second in the Mountain West Conference’s Mountain section, going 5-3 in the conference, which left them out of a championship game. Against more formidable opponents, they struggled but played balanced football with a strong running game and solid defense.
Let’s check the latestcollege football odds, stats, injury reports, and college football lines for Ohio vs Wyoming. We’ve plenty of NCAA football odds for you to consider.
Ohio Strong on Offense, Poor on Defense
It’s not hard to see what made Ohio’s season a success. The Bobcats’ offense did a lot of the heavy lifting, not just being good for the MAC, leading the conference in yards and points per game, but also being in the top 40 in the nation in both categories.
Much of the yards came through the air, averaging 285.3 per game. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke threw for 3,257 yards, 25 touchdowns, and only four interceptions. The wide receivers were headlined by Sam Wiglusz, who had 69 receptions for 850 yards, and 11 touchdowns, leading the team in all three. Miles Cross and Jaclyn Jones also had a fair share of their production, each having over 40 receptions, combining for 1,274 yards and eight touchdowns.
The issue has been the defense hasn’t been able to stop anyone. Ohio is giving up 437.4 yards per game, 293.7, which come through the air. It was the worst defense in the MAC and gave up the 19th most yards in the nation. However, it was stronger against the run, comparably, allowing 143.7 yards, which helped keep Ohio’s points per game reasonable at 28.4.
In the Bobcats’ last game against Toledo, the offense was slowed down, and the defense surprisingly held up. However, the offense mustered 262 yards, scoring a single touchdown. The bright side is the defense was solid, allowing 390 yards and 17 points, much better than usual.
Wyoming Ground Game
While Wyoming did not get a chance to play in a championship game, it has still been a pretty solid season. But outside of the run game for the Cowboys, there is nothing extraordinary about this team. They are just well-balanced and beat who they have to.
They have been excellent on the ground, with the third most rushing yards per game in the Mountain West, 187.8. That is heavily attributed to Titus Swen, who has 1,039 yards in the season, with eight touchdowns and five yards per carry. The following person in carries has 137 less than Swen, and in yards, he has 680 more. The offense is on his shoulders, with the passing game averaging just 127.8 yards per game.
It is a surprise Wyoming even has the record it does because it only avenges 20.8 points per game while allowing 23.4. Despite how bad the Cowboys’ offense has been, the defense has managed to keep them in games. They allow 369.3 yards per game, keeping opponents passing games under 220 yards.
On the other hand, they have struggled in big games due to the lack of a particular standout element on the team. Their last two games were against the teams who played in the Mountain West championship game, losing 20-17 to Boise State and 30-0 against Fresno State.
Ohio vs Wyoming Game Injuries
Ohio vs Wyoming Head-to-Head
The two schools played back-to-back in 2007 and 2008, with Wyoming winning by one point in both games. Those are the only games Wyoming has faced Ohio.
Ohio vs Wyoming Betting Lines
Ohio vs Wyoming Game Information
- Game: Ohio vs Wyoming
- Date: Friday, December 30th
- Time: 4:30 p.m. EST
- Location: Arizona Stadium, Tucson, AZ
- Ohio vs Wyoming Live Stream: ESPN
Ohio vs Wyoming Picks and Prediction
It should be an easy win if Ohio’s defense can play anything like it did in the MAC Championship game. The Bobcats’ offense will go up against a formidable opponent in Wyoming, but their pass game should be able to break through.
The Cowboys need to shorten the game, having long drives through the run game, keeping their defense rested, and the Bobcats offense on the sideline. The defense has struggled against challenging opponents, which isn’t a great sign.
Ohio is listed at -130 in our Vegas lines. This means that if you wager $100 on Ohio, you have a chance to win $177. Wyoming is +110, offering a chance to win $210 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Ohio a 56.52% chance to win, with Wyoming at 47.62%.