We wonder how many Fort Worth natives will crowd their way into the stadium tonight to watch these two Ohio Valley teams mix it up. This is testimony to the fact that there are way too many bowl games. Marshall, at 6-5, with just one win in five tries over a winning team (a 33-25 win at home against Miami Ohio that, had the game gone another two minutes, would have turned into another Marshall loss), is in a bowl game because there weren't any qualified teams left to play. Cincinnati, who boasts the honor of breaking Army's 19-game losing streak (and the Bearcats lost by 19), was accorded this honor, I'm sure, because of its heroic performance in a sixty-three point loss to Louisville to end the season. Those are my opinions.
The Herd opened the season with three straight losses. They were upset by an underrated Troy State to begin the year, but then they hung tough with Top-25 teams Ohio State and Georgia, losing by a combined thirteen points. Not bad, considering both games were on the road. Marshall then won six of their final eight games, but failed to bring home the cash in six of their last seven.
Cincinnati opened the year 2-4 straight up and 1-5 versus the number, but after the Army disaster, they turned their season around. The Bearcats finished by winning and covering four of their final five games, but of course finished the season by getting blown out by Louisville.
Here are some facts. Marshall is 5-0 straight up and ATS in its last five bowl games and Conference USA has never defeated, nor covered, against a MAC team in a bowl game (0-6 both straight up and ATS) with Marshall holding four of those victories. Cincinnati is 0-3 ATS in its last three postseason games. Marshall coach Bob Pruett is a solid 94-22 straight up in his tenure in Huntington, and he knows how to prepare for these games. Marc Dantonio of Cincinnati is a first-year head coach who hasn't yet had a chance. Cincinnati played a tougher schedule with seven bowl teams on its log. The Bearcats won four of the games and won the stats in all four of the wins. Marshall played five bowl teams and won the stats in only one of those games. The stats favor Cincinnati but the experience and the bowl success favors Marshall.
Prediction: Marshall *5
The Herd opened the season with three straight losses. They were upset by an underrated Troy State to begin the year, but then they hung tough with Top-25 teams Ohio State and Georgia, losing by a combined thirteen points. Not bad, considering both games were on the road. Marshall then won six of their final eight games, but failed to bring home the cash in six of their last seven.
Cincinnati opened the year 2-4 straight up and 1-5 versus the number, but after the Army disaster, they turned their season around. The Bearcats finished by winning and covering four of their final five games, but of course finished the season by getting blown out by Louisville.
Here are some facts. Marshall is 5-0 straight up and ATS in its last five bowl games and Conference USA has never defeated, nor covered, against a MAC team in a bowl game (0-6 both straight up and ATS) with Marshall holding four of those victories. Cincinnati is 0-3 ATS in its last three postseason games. Marshall coach Bob Pruett is a solid 94-22 straight up in his tenure in Huntington, and he knows how to prepare for these games. Marc Dantonio of Cincinnati is a first-year head coach who hasn't yet had a chance. Cincinnati played a tougher schedule with seven bowl teams on its log. The Bearcats won four of the games and won the stats in all four of the wins. Marshall played five bowl teams and won the stats in only one of those games. The stats favor Cincinnati but the experience and the bowl success favors Marshall.
Prediction: Marshall *5
