The Pregame Meal: Bowling Green 2012

The Pregame Meal is in Columbus, Ohio and is thankful for not being stabbed. If you are making the trip to Columbus, head on a swivel, Royal Blue never Azure, and order a Natty light, I know, I know it's awful, but if you go micro-brew you'll look like a Wolverine, and it's not a good weekend for that. The entire state of Michigan, don't care for it. Remind the Ohioians in your vicinity that we did our part, we beat Western Michigan.

The goal of the pregame meal is to Hydrate, Nutritionate, and Player Hate. It is your bulletin board's bulletin board material. The Pregame Meal also delivers 11 factors that will decide the game, and over 50% of those factors are actual football facts. After the game, I revisit it all, during the postgame meal. Wooo! 5 more years of #Quinnball, (fills out petition to secede from FBS).

Overly optimistic Pregame Song: "Madness" The BGSU game is always madness. We'll also go with "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin as "All Will Be Revealed" on Friday. A loss to BGSU will show that Buffalo was a bad team that won four easy games; While a win over BGSU will show Buffalo is a good team victimized by a brutal schedule.

Hydration: Did you stock up on Bajtra? Well good for you we're going with the Maltese Falcon. This weekend is dedicated to eating birds, lets drink one too!

Nutritionation: My last trip to Columbus was 2006 for the "Game of the Century" Since I was still in college, the house we stayed at had 5 kegs and no food. I was woken up twice via someone placing alcohol in my mouth. I went about 20 hours without food until I stumbled upon a Taco Bell near the stadium. It was the sweetest Taco Bell ever. So try that, it's on North High Street right outside of tOSU campus.

Player Hating:

• Urban Meyer - I blame him for bringing the spread into the MAC, which led to Brian Kelly's spread attack at CMU which led to the rise of Jeff Quinn, which led to the 8-year Jeff Quinn Era of slow progress.
• Dave Clawson - I guess it's our fault, but why did we not hire Clawson? He's local, from Youngstown, NY. He has Buffalo ties, he coached at UB in 1991 and 1992. Major experience? Yep 2008 OC at Tennessee. Imagine the splash that would have made, poaching BGSU's Coach and signing him to 2017.

A Little Love:

Omar Jacobs - A great MAC QB with a quiet grace about him, the anti-Gradkowski. I always wished he would make a bigger impact in the NFL.

11 factors to decide the game: (abbreviated).

1) BGSU Offense vs Buffalo Defense:

How about this, technically, BGSU is a better rushing team than Buffalo. Technically Buffalo is a better throwing team than Bowling Green.

You see Bowling Green averages 4.74 yards per carry running while Buffalo averages 4.58 yards per carry. Buffalo, a running team runs 57% of the time while BGSU is 50/50 split between run and pass plays.

In the passing game, both teams average around 6.3 yards per attempt, with Buffalo gaining 12 yards per completion to BGSU's 11.5 yards per attempt.

I'm concerned about BGSU's balance, they can keep UB guessing which is never a good thing. But I'm also concerned about BGSU's lack of a dynamic rusher, (no offense Anthon Samuel). This is a push.

Advantage: PUSH

3) Buffalo Offense vs BGSU Defense:

BGSU has the #1 Passing and Rushing defense in the conference. This will be the only test of the Licata era. If he is for real, he'll do it against the best.

Advantage: BGSU

5) Key Player:

Anthon "Marathon" Samuel: To my knowledge no one calls him "Marathon." The BGSU back, is averaging 5.5 yards per carry and has 10 TDs, but only 176 carries on the season, (thats like 3 games work for Oliver). UB's defense is better when the other team is one dimensional, if we can stop Samuel, we can pin back and attack the QB.

Joe "bi-Wan" Licata: The Licata era had taken place against Toledo, Miami, Western Michigan and Massachusetts. These teams were 9th, 7th, 8th and 13th in conference in opposing QB passer rating. BGSU is #1. The best defense we saw in conference was NIU and they destroyed Zordich and our offensive gameplan. If Licata has a bad game, all bets are off for 2013. If Licata has a good or even a decent game, the team is his.

Advantage: Buffalo, outside of Fluellen, we have been pretty good against the run.

7) Key Situation: Behind the Line

BGSU has only allowed 51 tackles for loss, including 13 sacks. Buffalo is 4th in tackles for a loss and 1st in sacks. After a 8 sack performance, Buffalo's front seven will have to prove their mettle, and outperform the BGSU offensive line if Buffalo has any chance in this game.

Advantage: Buffalo, we should win, if Tepper lets us.

9) Key Quarter: 2nd Quarter

BGSU typically goes into the half tied at 10, then explodes in the third quarter for 8.45 points on average. This is good for them because their defense typically holds you to 7 points or less.

In 21 of the 44 quarters played this year, BGSU has not allowed a point. In 8 more quarters, they allowed 6 or less points. 9 quarters, BGSU has allowed more than 8 points all season. 6 of those were in the 2nd quarter. BGSU finishes incredibly strong. UB is going to want to build a lead in the 2nd quarter.

Advantage: Bowling Green.

11) Game Score brought to you by: Science

In common games BGSU has scored 1 more point on average and held opponents to 7.6 less points on average. BGSU by 9. If you factor in the letdown factor of BGSU's loss last week, with the neutral field and the general zanyness of a typical UB/BGSU game, i'm going to chop that down to a 2 point BGSU victory. 23-21 BGSU.

Advantage:BGSU

Overall 11 Factors Pregame Meal Score: UB 2 - BGSU 3.

5 more years of this, so all we can do is sit back and enjoy the ride.