The Mid-American Conference does not seem to be what it used to be. A mid-major, capable of pulling a big upset any given Saturday in the Fall, and a conference with an occasional BCS bowl game participant or Top 25 member. Unfortunately for the MAC and similar conferences, the NIL era is here and most are following the money. And with that, the MAC, a conference stuck in the middle Big Ten’s traditional footprint and recruiting lanes, sits, looking to make a name for themselves. The bowl season each year is always a great chance to open eyes and impress, but so far the 2024-2025 bowl appearances for the MAC are not playing out how they would have liked.

Enter the Ohio Bobcats. Picked to finish near the bottom of the MAC this season, Ohio went 2-2 in non-conference play and fans were pleasantly surprised. Coming off of the program’s first back-to-back 10-win seasons, the idea that the Bobcats could do it again was a long shot. Their Quarterback transferred to Indiana and has led the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoff. Half of their starters left in the Transfer Portal. But continuity and consistency from the staff was the key, as the Bobcats lost just a single MAC game, on the road to rival Miami of Ohio in a game that injuries definitely played a large role.

Now the Bobcats look to reverse the MAC’s fortunes as they face Jacksonville State at 12 noon Eastern today in the StaffDNA Cure Bowl. Yes, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Miami, and Toledo all have bowl games ahead of them, but with Western Michigan’s early loss the conference’s hopes of a stellar bowl season may hinge on their champions getting that streak started, and there is no better option in the MAC this year.