2009 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Ohio vs. Marshall Start Time, TV Guide & Odds
Detroit, MI – Earlier this month at Ford Field, Ohio failed to win its first Mid-American Conference title in 31 seasons.
When it returns to Detroit on Dec. 26 to face Marshall in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, it has a good chance to win its first bowl game.
Bet The 2009 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl
The Bobcats go for their first 10-win season since 1968 as they face the Thundering Herd, who will be led by interim coach Rick Minter as they try to avoid their fifth straight losing season.
Oddsmakers from online sports book SPORTSBETTING.com have made Ohio -2 point spread favorites (View College Football odds) for the Saturday, Dec. 26 game (Game Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 64% of bets for this game have been placed on Ohio -2 (View College Football bet percentages).
Winners of the MAC East for the first time since 2006, Ohio (9-4) lost 20-10 to Central Michigan in the conference championship Dec. 4. The Bobcats were trying for their first MAC title since 1968.
"We obviously would like to come back (to Ford Field)," coach Frank Solich said after that defeat.
Senior Theo Scott will try to lead the Bobcats to their first bowl victory in their fourth appearance after throwing for 2,258 yards with 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Scott, who took over the starting job after Boo Jackson suffered a torn labrum Sept. 12, was battling a left ankle injury in the MAC title game but is expected to be at full strength.
One of Scott's favorite targets lately has been junior wide receiver Terrence McCrae, who had career highs with seven catches and 141 yards Dec. 4.
Scott also has senior wide receiver Taylor Price as an effective deep-play threat. Price, the program's all-time leader with 145 receptions, was held to one catch in the MAC title game.
First-team all-conference kick returner Chris Garrett, who led the MAC with 27.0 yards per return, has rushed for a team-high 591 yards.
Ohio will look to snap a four-game losing streak to Marshall, which before joining Conference USA in 2005 won seven of the eight meetings as a member of the MAC from 1997-2004.
The Thundering Herd (6-6) are playing in their first bowl game since a 32-14 loss to Cincinnati in the 2004 Fort Worth Bowl.
Marshall dropped three of four to end this regular season, falling 52-21 at UTEP in its finale Nov. 28. A day after that defeat, coach Mark Snyder resigned after going 21-37 in five seasons.
"It has been an honor to be the coach here and I will always be appreciative of the opportunity my university gave me," Snyder said in a statement. "I want to thank all of the fans for their support and all of my players and assistant coaches for their hard work and dedication. I wish the program nothing but the best."
Minter, the defensive coordinator, will serve as the interim coach for the bowl game, while athletic director Mike Hamrick said the Thundering Herd's other coaches will be retained for this contest. According to reports, though, Hamrick has already interviewed candidates for the coaching position and could name a replacement prior to facing Ohio.
With plenty of distractions about the future of the program, junior Brian Anderson will attempt to lead the Thundering Herd to their first bowl win since 2002.
Anderson has completed 57.5 percent of his passes for 2,561 yards with 14 TDs and 13 interceptions.
Freshmen wide receivers Antavious Wilson and Aaron Dobson have combined for more than 1,000 yards and notched seven TDs, while senior Cody Slate - a Mackey Award finalist - has 607 receiving yards and four scores.
The Thundering Herd, though, will face a defense that leads the Football Bowl Subdivision with 36 forced turnovers.
Junior linebacker Noah Keller, 12th in the nation with 10.6 tackles per game, will try to help the Bobcats slow down running back Darius Marshall, who is expected to return after missing the last two games with an ankle injury.
Marshall, a second-team all-conference selection, rushed for 11 TDs and 117.1 yards per game - fourth in Conference USA.
Ohio's last five opponents have rushed for an average of 157.8 yards.
The Bobcats lead the series with Marshall 29-17-6. Their last victory was 38-28 on Nov. 18, 2000.
2009 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl
Teams: Ohio vs. Marshall
Kickoff: Dec. 26, 2009, 1PM ET
Venue: Ford Field
TV: ESPN
Odds:
Ohio -2 Over 50 (-140)
Marshall +2 Under 50 (+120)
2009 Little Caesar’s Pizza Bowl Ohio vs. Marshall Picks & Predictions
A pair of old rivals meet in the 2009 Little Caesar’s Pizza Bowl on Saturday at 1PM ET when Ohio faces off with Marshall from Ford Field.
Bet The 2009 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl
Ohio is 9-4 on the season and 8-4 against the point spread. The Bobcats won four-straight to end the regular season before losing to Central Michigan in the Mid-American Conference Championship. The Bobcats have covered in their last four games.
Marshall is 6-6 on the year and 6-5 against the spread. The Herd have lost three of their last four and failed to cover in three straight.
Oddsmakers from online sports book Sports Interaction have made Ohio 2-point favorites over Marshall on Saturday afternoon. The over/under total for this game has been established at 50.
Ohio is scoring 25.4 points per-game on offense, but the Bobcats haven’t racked up a lot of yardage, averaging only 324 total yards of offense per-game. Quarterback Theo Scott has been the main offensive weapon, as he has thrown for 2,258 yards with 19 touchdowns while also rushing for three scores. Marshall is holding opponents to 24.9 points and 392 yards per-game on defense. The Herd have just eight interceptions as a team on the year.
Marshall has struggled offensively, scoring only 21.8 points per-game on the year. Quarterback Brian Anderson has thrown for 2,561 yards on the year but has only 14 touchdowns with 13 interceptions. Darius Marshall has rushed for 1,054 yards with 11 scores at tailback. The Bobcats lead the FBS in takeaways with 36, including 20 interceptions on the year. Ohio is giving up just 21.3 points and 355 yards per-game on the season.
This pick comes down to quarterback play. Anderson has struggled for Marshall, while Scott has been able to be a big-play maker. The Bobcats have the ability to score at anytime with the defense creating a lot of turnovers, and the special teams also scoring four times this season. The Ohio defense should be able to pose problems for Anderson while Scott should be able to manufacture enough points for Ohio to win and cover. Ohio has also played at Ford Field this season and has not had to deal with the coaching changes that Marshall has. On top of that, the trends also favor the Bobcats, as they are 5-2 against the spread against the Herd. We suggest a pick of Ohio and the Over in a game that will be played on the fast turf of Ford Field.
Our Little Caesar’s Pizza Bowl Free Pick for this matchup is: OHIO -2 and OVER 50.
College Football Bowl Season Betting Trends
All games in this series since 1992
OHIO U is 5-2 against the spread versus MARSHALL since 1992
MARSHALL is 7-1 straight up against OHIO U since 1992
MARSHALL is 22-38 ATS (-19.8 Units) in road games when playing on a Saturday since 1992.
Ohio is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Marshall
Ohio is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Marshall
Marshall is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Marshall's last 10 games
Bowl Season College Football Injury Report
OHIO U
[QB] 10/13/2009 - Boo Jackson out indefinitely ( Shoulder )
[DE] 12/04/2009 - Curtis Meyers out for season ( Ankle )
[WR] 10/19/2009 - Riley Dunlop out for season ( Shoulder )
- 10/13/2009 - Michael Philibin out for season ( Foot )
[DE] 10/11/2009 - Kris Luchsinger out for season ( Knee )
[CB] 12/06/2009 - Julian Posey is "?" vs Marshall in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl ( Foot )
[OT] 12/06/2009 - James Davis is "?" vs Marshall in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl ( Leg )
[DB] 12/06/2009 - Idris Lawrence injured last game, "?" vs Marshall in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl ( Knee )
MARSHALL
(S) 09/24/2009 - John Saunders out for season ( Neck )
[WR] 09/24/2009 - Troy Evans out for season ( Foot )
[RB] 12/07/2009 - Darius Marshall is upgraded to probable vs Ohio in the Little Caesars Bowl. ( Ankle )
[TE] 11/28/2009 - Cody Slate out for season ( Knee )
[TE] 12/06/2009 - Robert Henry is "?" vs Ohio in the Little Caesars Bowl. ( Undisclosed )
[CB] 12/06/2009 - TJ Drakeford is "?" vs Ohio in the Little Caesars Bowl. ( Undisclosed )
[WR] 12/06/2009 - Courtney Edmonson is "?" vs Ohio in the Little Caesars Bowl. ( Hamstring )
[DT] 12/24/2009 - Delvin Johnson expected to miss Saturday vs. Ohio ( Ankle )
Little Caesar’s Pizza Bowl Odds
Ohio Bobcats -2 Over 50 (-140)
Marshall Thundering Herd +2 Under 50 (+120)