Miami Ohio And Buffalo Will Be Slow Game

Buffalo vs. Miami Ohio, 7:00 ET

Sometimes you come close to winning a game and bang your head against the wall getting so mad that this one play, or one shot, didn't go your way. Other nights, you're so far off there is nothing that you can do other than laugh about the situation. Last night was one of those nights where I wasn't even close on my read of the game. But, that allowed me to start focusing on today's games and I have a play for the matchup between Buffalo and Miami Ohio.

A few years ago, Buffalo was one of the best teams in the MAC. They had a dominant rushing attack and even their quarterback play was making them rack up yards game after game. They've fallen quite a bit and are now just 3-7 overall and 3-3 in conference play. They've lost their past two games, both to very strong opponents: Ohio and Toledo. This hasn't been a matter of Buffalo not being a good team, I think it is more that the other teams are more talented than they are. Their quarterback, Cole Snyder, does leave a lot to be desired as he has 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He's thrown multiple interceptions in four of the 10 starts this season. He isn't much of a threat to run the ball so you kind of know what to expect when he is on the field. His play is seemingly getting worse though over the last five games. In the first five, he was able to get 11 touchdowns and four interceptions. Since that point, he has just two touchdown passes and five interceptions. He has to be more accurate and protective of the ball in order to give Buffalo any chance tonight.

BUFFALO, NY - SEPTEMBER 18: A view of a Buffalo Bulls players helmet on the bench during a game against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at UB Stadium on September 18, 2021 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)

Miami Ohio is probably not the team the Buffalo Bulls want to see tonight. After those other two losses to Ohio teams, this is lining up to be a third. The RedHawks are 8-2 on the season and 5-1 in the conference. Even against the best team in the MAC, Toledo, the RedHawks kept the game close, ultimately losing 21-17. Their defense has been one of their strongest assets this season, and they haven't allowed more than 21 points to any opponent in their past five games. Their starting quarterback, Brett Gabbert, will miss the remainder of the season. That hurts the playcalling of Miami Ohio. In their past two games, they've only thrown for a total of 153 yards. Sure, they were both wins, and their running back, Rashad Amos, has racked up 281 yards on the ground. They need to get some more air yards though because Buffalo should be able to load the box and anticipate Amos getting the ball.

I'd be very surprised to see this game get over the total. MAC usually leads to wild games, but this one is likely to have a lot of running clock as both teams will probably rush the ball. Snyder might be the better quarterback, but his splits show that he struggles more on the road than at home. I just don't know that I can support a 10 points win required by the RedHawks in order to get the spread covered. Instead, I'll take the under for the game.

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