Dollar General Bowl 2016: Ohio vs. Troy TV Schedule, Time and Odds
A clash between the Ohio Bobcats and Troy Trojans in the 2016 Dollar General Bowl looks like a war of wills with neither side holding a clear advantage.
The Bobcats drummed up an 8-5 record and an appearance in the MAC title game behind a stout defense, one that almost pulled off an upset of Western Michigan.
It's the inverse for the Trojans, who boast one of the nation's most prolific passing attacks. Many will recall the near upset of then-No. 2 Clemson at the start of the season—Troy hasn't cooled off since.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
In one of the more intriguing matchups of the bowl season, the unexpected element is nothing short of a good thing. Here's a comprehensive look at the encounter.
Dollar General Bowl 2016
Date: Friday, Dec. 23
Time (ET): 8 p.m.
Location: Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Alabama
Watch: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Tickets: ScoreBig.com
Over/Under: 49
Spread: Troy (-4)
Team Injury Reports
| Clark Quisenberry | WR | Out for season |
| Jacob Ready | OL | Out indefinitely |
| Andrew Meyer | WR | Questionable |
| Mayne Williams | S | Questionable |
| Randy Stites | CB | Out for season |
| Tyler Tupa | S | Out indefinitely |
| Vinny Emanuele | RB | Out indefinitely |
| A.J. Ouellette | RB | Out for season |
Injury reports courtesy of USA Today.
Hunkering Down
The Bobcats came this close to securing their first MAC title since 1968 in the loss to then-No. 17 Western Michigan, a 29-23 affair in which the Bobcats nearly downed an undefeated team.
Such is the story for the Bobcats this year, as only one of their five losses came by more than seven points. The Bobcats had an odd triple-overtime game against Texas State go the wrong way, missed on upsets of Western Michigan and Tennessee and lost to game Eastern and Central Michigan teams.
Fueled by MAC Defensive Player of the Year Tarell Basham (11.5 sacks), the Bobcats surrendered more than 30 points just once on the year.
In losses, it was the offense that came up short. Quarterback Greg Windham, though missing time, threw just 12 touchdowns to four interceptions. Ohio prefers to keep it on the ground, as four players boast three or more rushing scores.
Alas, one can see the writing on the wall here—should the Bobcats run the ball well, a strong defense might stay fresh enough to disrupt Troy and pull off an apparent upset based on the odds out of Las Vegas.
An upset in the bowl game after a year of near misses would be quite poetic.
Capping an Epic Year
Troy doesn't want to let Ohio spoil an amazing year for the program.
Much of the attention goes to the aforementioned loss to Clemson. That makes sense, as the Trojans picked off Heisman Trophy candidate Deshaun Watson twice and Brandon Silvers threw for two scores on the road in the 30-24 loss.
But throwing most of the attention there ignores the fact Troy exceeded expectations by getting ranked and making program and conference history.
Troy head coach Neal Brown has made a point to keep the conversation on the accomplishments, according to Stats LLC (via ESPN.com):
"You look at a team that was picked to finish in the middle of the Sun Belt, we only had two guys that were selected as preseason All-Sun Belt. So to turn that into a year that we get nationally ranked for the first time in school and Sun Belt history, play on national television three times and to finish 9-3, which ties the record for most wins in a season in Troy Division I history, is a great accomplishment for our staff and players.
"
It's easy to be impressed. Silvers threw for 22 touchdowns to 10 interceptions on the year, while lead back Jordan Chunn bullied his way to 1,232 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The unit wound up leading the Sun Belt in scoring and total offense and helped the team win seven games in a row at one point.
This sets up a war of wills with Ohio's defense in a fitting showdown where the eventual winner will deserve its bowl victory.
Prediction
The odds out of Las Vegas seem to classify this one as a coin flip.
Opposing strengths make it a tough pick. So do the schedules—Ohio almost beat Western Michigan but lost to Texas State. Troy almost beat Clemson but went down at the hands of Arkansas State.
Maybe the biggest difference here is experience. Ohio has been bowl-eligible eight years and running, so the team understands how to get it done when it matters. The battle-tested defense knows how to deal with top-tier quarterbacks and potent offenses.
Look for this to be a close game throughout before the Bobcats defense makes a few big plays to decide it late.
Prediction: Ohio 23, Troy 20
Statistics courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified. All betting information courtesy of OddsShark.
Follow Chris Roling (@Chris_Roling) on Twitter.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
