Georgia Southern vs. Ohio Prediction: Can Davis Brin, Eagles Earn Victory in Myrtle Beach Bowl?

Georgia Southern vs. Ohio Prediction: Can Davis Brin, Eagles Earn Victory in Myrtle Beach Bowl?

Bowl season is finally here and we have a very interesting Sun Belt Vs MAC matchup between the Georgia Southern Eagles and the Ohio Bobcats. Who has the edge? Let's break it down.

Georgia Southern vs. Ohio Date, Start Time, and Where to Watch

• Date: December 16, 2023
• Game Time: 11:00 am ET
• Where to Watch: ESPN

Georgia Southern vs. Ohio Odds

• Spread: Georgia Southern -3 (-115), Ohio +3 (+108)
• Total: Over 48.5 (-105), Under 48.5 (-109)
• Moneyline: Georgia Southern (-140), Ohio (+115)

Georgia Southern vs. Ohio Prediction

With bowl season rolling around, there is also a lot of uncertainty surrounding a lot of teams with injuries, the transfer portal, and NFL opt-outs. This game is no different, as the Ohio Bobcats actually have a lot of key players who are currently in the portal and will not be playing in this game.

Some of those key players for Ohio include their starting quarterback, Kurtis Rourke, who was the MAC Player of the Year last season. While Rourke did not have the same type of success this season, his absence will still be a huge loss for Ohio who already struggled to score even with Rourke in the lineup.

Ohio's backup quarterback, CJ Harris, is out for the year with an injury which means will be down to their 3rd string QB Parker Navarro who is a redshirt senior with only 108 total passing yards and 103 rushing yards across the past two seasons in limited action. Navarro is a wild card, and I am not sure what to expect from him, but he is an obvious step down in talent from Kurtis Rourke or CJ Harris and I do not expect him to have a world-beater type game against Georgia Southern.

Not only will Ohio be without their first and second-string quarterbacks, but they will also be without their top-two running backs as well. Starting RB Sieh Bangura (970 total yards) and backup RB O'Shaan Allison (476 total yards) are both in the transfer portal and will not be playing against Georgia Southern, which is a huge loss for the Bobcats who love to establish the run. Ohio will also be without their leading wide receiver, Miles Cross (617 Receiving yards, five TDs) which is a big loss to their receiving corps.

So just to recap, Ohio will be without their star quarterback, their backup QB, their top-two running backs, and their number one wideout, and that is just on the offensive side of the ball. Ohio's strength this season was their defense, as they were one of the top defensive teams in the MAC and had a top-15 scoring defense in the country this season.

But they will be without one of their starting linebackers, Keye Thompson, which could affect both their run and pass defense. Ohio has a ton of opt-outs or transfers to key players on both sides of the ball, and interestingly enough, Georgia Southern has nearly none. The Eagles will have their starting quarterback Davis Brin at the helm for this contest, and Jalen White could return from injury. Overall, Georgia Southern does have a worse record than Ohio, but they played a much tougher schedule. Their six losses came to Wisconsin, JMU, Appalachian State, Texas State, Marshall, and Old Dominion, all of whom are in bowl games and have a combined record of 45-28 (62%). The one thing Georgia Southern really struggled with this season was defending the pass, as they were in the bottom tier of college football in nearly every major category at defending the pass.

The silver lining for them though is that they get to face the third-string QB for Ohio in Parker Navarro, who I am not sure can beat them consistently through the air. With that being said, I am rolling with Georgia Southern -3 at -110 odds for 1.5 units as one of my most confident college football plays of the day, as I think the Eagles take advantage of some of the key absences for Ohio in this contest.

Georgia Southern vs. Ohio Pick

Pick: Georgia Southern -3 -110 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds

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