The Machine

Ohio

Mid-American · 7-3CFP unranked

Ohio is 7-3 and No. 97 of 138 in the machine's ratings, 7.8 points below an average FBS team. Last game: lost 34-17 at Miami (OH) in Week 11.

Machine rankNo. 97of all FBS teams
Rating now−7.87.8 points below an average FBS team
Since July+0.2from −8.0 in the preseason rating

Why Ohio is No. 97

  • Ohio's rating is −7.8: the machine's estimate that Ohio is 7.8 points worse than an average FBS team on a neutral field. That is No. 97 of 138. For scale, 0 is an average FBS team: right now the closest to it is No. 68 Arizona State (0.2).
  • It started the season at −8.0, ESPN's preseason Football Power Index from July. Its results since have moved it up 0.2.
  • The biggest weekly moves: +2.5 after Week 7 (W 48-7 at Sacramento State) and +2.4 after Week 6 (W 31-14 vs Central Michigan).
  • Its record is 7-3. The 3 losses were to No. 23 Nebraska, No. 107 South Alabama, No. 114 Miami (OH), by 16.7 points on average. The 7 wins came by 14.7 points on average; the best was over No. 84 Jacksonville State. The rating weighs how much a team won or lost by and against whom, not just the win-loss count.
  • Its FBS opponents so far average No. 109 in the machine's ratings.
  • Just above is No. 96 California (−7.7); just below is No. 98 Washington State (−8.4).

The rating, week by week

Strengths and weak spots

Head coach

John Hauser is in his 2nd season at Ohio (since 2025). This season: 7-3. At Ohio overall: 8-3, counting this season.

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

Team stats

Season totals and averages over 10 games, each with its national rank among 138 FBS teams (No. 1 = best). The game-by-game story is in the season, week by week.

Passing

Completions-attempts151-250
Passing yards1822
Touchdowns-interceptions14-4
Yards per attempt*7.3No. 80 of 138
Explosive pass rate9.0%No. 101 of 138
Sacks allowed (rate)6.4%No. 95 of 138

Rushing

Carries-yards377-1852
Yards per carry4.9No. 40 of 138
10-plus-yard runs (rate)16.1%No. 32 of 138
Stuffed at or behind the line (rate)13.5%No. 15 of 138

Scoring

Points per game28.2No. 69 of 138
Yards per play5.91No. 64 of 138
Third-down rate43.8%No. 37 of 138
Red-zone TD rate72.4%No. 19 of 138
Giveaways13No. 98 of 138

Defense

Points allowed per game22.9No. 52 of 138
Yards per play allowed5.47No. 65 of 138
Yards per pass attempt allowed7.0No. 63 of 138
Yards per carry allowed4.1No. 77 of 138
Sack rate6.0%No. 64 of 138
Takeaways9No. 105 of 138
Third-down rate allowed37.0%No. 57 of 138

Totals are the official box score. * Yards per attempt and the rates come from the play-by-play, where passing yards count on completions only, so they can differ from the box score by a play or two.

In at least one game this season, the team box score and the player box score disagree by a few plays or yards. The team totals above use the team box score; the player leaders use the player box score.

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

Player leaders

The top 3 in each category over the same games. Passing yards count every completion (official box score).

Passing

  1. Nick Poulos89-156, 1159 yds, 8 TD, 1 INT
  2. Matt Vezza41-62, 444 yds, 4 TD, 3 INT
  3. Levi Davis21-30, 239 yds, 2 TD, 0 INT

Rushing

  1. Duncan Brune104 carries, 510 yds, 5 TD
  2. Victor Rosa82 carries, 369 yds, 5 TD
  3. Nick Poulos70 carries, 316 yds, 3 TD

Receiving

  1. Riley Neer47 catches, 624 yds, 6 TD
  2. Dom Dorwart23 catches, 452 yds, 5 TD
  3. Preston Bowman23 catches, 284 yds, 2 TD

Tackles

  1. Michael Molnar95
  2. Jack Fries65
  3. DJ Walker48

Sacks

  1. Michael Molnar7
  2. Ike Ackerman5.5
  3. Jack Fries2.5

Interceptions

  1. Barry Dillon1
  2. DJ James-Hamilton1
  3. DJ Walker1

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

Who's playing

Based on who has actually played this season, from the box scores, not the team's published depth chart. Each bar is that player's share of the team's attempts, carries (quarterbacks left out), catches or tackles. The box score lists no positions, so there is no offensive line here.

Throwing

  1. Nick PoulosMost passes in the last game7 games156 attempts63%
  2. Matt Vezza6 games62 attempts25%
  3. Levi Davis6 games30 attempts12%

Carrying

  1. Duncan Brune8 games104 carries42%
  2. Victor Rosa9 games82 carries33%
  3. Irving Brown6 games28 carries11%
  4. Mike Taylor Jr.5 games21 carries9%

Catching

  1. Riley Neer10 games47 catches31%
  2. Dom Dorwart10 games23 catches15%
  3. Preston Bowman9 games23 catches15%
  4. Jake Furtney7 games16 catches11%

Tackling

  1. Michael Molnar10 games95 tackles15%
  2. Jack Fries9 games65 tackles10%
  3. DJ Walker10 games48 tackles7%
  4. DJ James-Hamilton9 games40 tackles6%

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

The season, week by week

  1. Week 1 L 21–49 at Nebraska. The pass defense gave ground: Nebraska got 8.6 yards an attempt, 2.2 over what it usually gains.
  2. Week 2 W 29–27 vs Jacksonville State. The pass defense gave ground: Jacksonville State got 11.0 yards an attempt, 3.4 over what it usually gains. Its fewest yards an attempt of the season.
  3. Week 3 L 36–41 at South Alabama. The pass defense gave ground: South Alabama got 9.6 yards an attempt, 1.6 over what it usually gains. Lost the turnover battle by 2.
  4. Week 4 W 35–7 vs Stonehill. Stonehill is an FCS team, so there is no FBS baseline to grade this one against.
  5. Week 5 W 13–10 at Kent State. The passing game struggled: 4.9 yards an attempt, 3.9 less than Kent State usually allows. The fewest yards a carry it has allowed all season.
  6. Week 6 W 31–14 vs Central Michigan. The passing game was the strength: 8.8 yards an attempt, 2.0 more than Central Michigan usually allows.
  7. Week 7 W 48–7 at Sacramento State. The run defense gave ground: Sacramento State got 4.9 yards a carry, 2.3 over what it usually gains. Its most yards a carry of the season.
  8. Week 8 W 24–20 vs Eastern Michigan. The run game struggled: 3.6 yards a carry, 0.8 less than Eastern Michigan usually allows. The fewest yards an attempt it has allowed all season.
  9. Week 10 W 28–20 at Akron. The passing game was the strength: 9.8 yards an attempt, 1.9 more than Akron usually allows. Its most yards an attempt of the season.
  10. Week 11 L 17–34 at Miami (OH). The run defense gave ground: Miami (OH) got 6.3 yards a carry, 2.1 over what it usually gains. The most yards a carry it has allowed all season.

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