This week’s Tuesday night college football game on ESPN2 will have serious implications in the MAC standings. The Ohio Bobcats and the Temple Owls are tied atop the MAC East with a record of 5-1. The winner of this game has the inside track to the MAC Championship Game, where they will likely play Northern Illinois. Both programs understand there is a lot at stake in this matchup. These teams are playing their best football of the year right now, so I expect a hard fought battle in this one.

College Football Predictions: The Offenses

The Ohio Bobcats offense started the season out very slowly, but they have definitely come on of late. Boo Jackson is normally the starting quarterback for the Bobcats, but Phillip Bates also sees plenty of action under center. Jackson suffered a severe concussion in a bar fight after Ohio’s last win, and he is doubtful for this key game. Bates also has a dinged up shoulder, but he is likely to play in this one. Expect Bates to be the man under center the entire way this week. Bates is a better runner than Jackson, but he hasn’t shown the ability to throw it very well. Vince Davidson is the primary running back for this team, but he is averaging just 3.6 yards per carry.

The Temple Owls have turned to Mike Gerardi as their starting quarterback for the last four games. He has helped the team move the chains more efficiently through the air, which has taken some of the pressure off the running backs. Bernard Pierce and Matt Brown form a terrific tailback tandem for Temple. Both have more than 700 rushing yards already this season, and they have combined for 16 touchdown runs. The Owls are still going to be a running team first, but Gerardi should help keep the opposing defenses honest.

Ohio vs. Temple: The Defenses

The Ohio Bobcats defense has been great against the run this year, but they are only average against the pass. The defensive line is the strong suit of this unit, while the secondary is clearly the weakest area. The cornerbacks have trouble in one-on-one coverage, and the safeties are often slow to help. Temple will try to establish the running game early in this one, and if Ohio wants any chance of winning, they must force Gerardi to beat them.

The Temple defense is probably the best in the MAC. This is a unit that has fared well against both the pass and the run. Al Golden’s defense is extremely athletic, and they often outclass their MAC opponents with that athleticism. The Owls swarm to the football well, which should be helpful against a Bobcats team that runs the ball so often. Jaiquawn Jarrett gives the Owls a star at the safety position, and he is a real leader for this defense.

Ohio vs. Temple Betting Odds and Line Movement

The Owls opened as 7.5-point home favorites in this game, according to college football odds. The public is splitting the money right down the middle thus far, but that could change as we near kickoff in this game.  The posted total opened at 44, but it has edged up to 44.5.

Ohio vs. Temple Betting Trends

These teams have met only three times, with the home team winning each time. Ohio is 2-0-1 ATS in those three meetings between these teams. Ohio is 6-1 ATS in their last seven games overall this year. Temple is 6-2 ATS in their last eight games overall this season. The ‘under’ is 4-1 in Temple’s last five games.

College Football Picks: Ohio vs. Temple Predictions

The Bobcats are coming into this game a little bit banged up, which could definitely be a problem against a team as solid as Temple. The Owls have won their last three games by a combined score of 100-10. I expect Temple to control this game with their dominating defense. Temple should cover the spread in this game and take control of the MAC East.