Two teams looking to follow up on their successful 2022 seasons will face off on Saturday in San Diego, California, as the Ohio Bobcats travel out west to face the home team, San Diego State Aztecs. 

Both teams finished last season bowl-eligible with Ohio finishing with a record of 10-4 which included a win in the Arizona Bowl against the Wyoming Cowboys by a score of 30-27 while San Diego State finished with a loss in the Hawaii Bowl against the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders by a score of 23-25.

This season Ohio enters the season with an over/under win total of 7.5 wins which means they are projected to become bowl eligible for the 2^nd consecutive season. Last year the Bobcats made it to the MAC Championship game, however, they lost against the Toledo Rockets by a score of 7-17. Vegas projected the Ohio Bobcats to be the 2^nd best team in the MAC Conference only behind the Toledo Rockets as they are +279 to win the MAC Championship this year. 

Tim Albin enters his 3^rd season as the head coach for the Ohio Bobcats where he has compiled a record of 13-13 and has won the only bowl game he has led the Ohio Bobcats which came last season against the Wyoming Cowboys in the Arizona Bowl. The Bobcats were able to retain their co-offensive coordinators in Allen Rudolphi and Scott Isphording both of whom enter their 3^rd seasons in their current roles as well as their defensive coordinator Spencer Nowinsky who enters his 2^nd season as the DC.

San Diego State is also projected to become bowl eligible this season as the Aztecs enter the season with an over/under win total of 6.5 wins, however, unlike the Ohio Bobcats the San Diego State Aztecs are not projected to be one of the best teams in their respective conference as they are projected to finish in 4^th place in the Mountain West behind the Boise State Broncos, Fresno State Bulldogs, and Air Force Falcons. 

Brady Hoke enters his 6^th season as the head coach for San Diego State where he has compiled an overall record of 23-12 in his 2^nd stint as head coach for the Aztecs and has led them to bowl games in each of the last two seasons. The Aztecs will have a new Offensive Coordinator in Ryan Lindley who recently served as the Quarterbacks Coach last season. Kurt Mattix will serve as the Defensive Coordinator, a position he has held for the previous four seasons.

BookMaker has the San Diego State Aztecs listed as 2-point favorites at home against the Ohio Bobcats and has set the total for the over/under plays at 48 points. This matchup will only be the 2^nd time in the history of these two programs that they will face each other in college football. The last matchup occurred in 2018 in which the Ohio Bobcats defeated the San Diego State Aztecs by a score of 27-0 in the Frisco Bowl. 

Both teams are bowl-eligible caliber teams again this season, however, Ohio is the more talented team and has the higher win total at 7.5 while San Diego State has an over/under win total of 6.5. I expect a closely contested game between these teams, however, I give the slight edge to the Ohio Bobcats which is why I am taking them with the 2 points on BookMaker for this matchup on Saturday evening.