Last year, Bowling Green posted its first winning season since 2015. The Falcons finished the regular season 7-5 and 5-3 in MAC play before losing for the second consecutive year in the Quick Lane Bowl. They had a rough start to the year but won five of their final six regular season games, with the only loss during that span coming by one point to Toledo.
It seems like head coach Scot Loeffler has finally turned the program around, and his sixth season here should be his best yet. It took a few tough seasons and some patience, but the Falcons are back to being a MAC contender and currently have the third-best odds to win the league title, behind Miami (Ohio) and Toledo.
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According to BetMGM, Bowling Green’s odds to win the MAC are +600.
Bowling Green’s overall win odds are Over/Under 6.5, with the Over being +100 and the Under being -120.
29.8. against Fordham
9/7 at Penn State
September 21 at Texas A&M
28.9. against Old Dominion
10/12 vs Northern Illinois
19.10. against Kent State
26.10. in Toledo
5.11. in Central Michigan
11/12 against Western Michigan
23.11. at Ball State
29.11. against Miami (Ohio)
MAC competitions in bold
2023 All-MAC First Team
TE Harold Fannin Jr.
Second team
RB Terion Stewart
CB Jordan Oladokun
Third team
OL Alex Wollschläger
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Terion Stewart and Harold Fannin Jr. headline the experienced Bowling Green Group
Talk about a dangerous duo.
Running back Terion Stewart and tight end Harold Fannin Jr. are two of the best offensive players in the conference at the start of the season.
Although both players missed several games last year, they were still among the league’s most productive players. Stewart missed the last four games but was seventh in the conference in touchdowns (eight), while his 84.7 yards per game ranked fourth. Along with Antario Brown (Northern Illinois) and Jalen Buckley (Western Michigan), Stewart is among the conference’s best RBs and could be BGSU’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Fred Coppet in 2016.
Fannin missed two games but was still sixth in the MAC with 623 yards, while his six touchdowns were second most. He’s big, fast and athletic. The 6’4″, 230-pound tight end is a nightmare for linebackers and defensive backs, causing him matchup problems all over the field.
Those two need to stay healthy for BGSU to be a threat. Fannin has also built a solid connection with Connor Bazelak, who should remain the Falcons’ starting quarterback.
Bazelak struggled early in 2024 but rebounded and started 11 games, finishing with 1,935 passing yards and 12 TDs. He will have a friendly QB competition with Camden Orth, who may take some snaps and shake up the offense. Orth is a good runner and played in every game last season. His 208 rushing yards were third-most on the roster. Bazelak has plenty of Power Four experience, though, starting for both Missouri and Indiana before coming to BGSU.
There will likely be only one underclassman between offense and defense, and that is cornerback Edward Rhambo. The sophomore started five games for Northern Arizona last year. Along with fellow defensive backs Darius McClendon and CJ Brown, Rhambo is one of three transfers likely to make the starting lineup. All three should mesh well with returning second-team All-MAC selection Jordan Oladukon. The first six starters will all be seniors, with the exception of junior linebacker Joseph Sipp, who is the leading returning tackler for this defense.
I don’t think Bowling Green will win the MAC this season, but I wouldn’t rule out them making it to the MAC title game.
The MAC has done away with divisions this year and instead will have three groups of four teams each playing against each other and the top two teams in the conference will advance to the championship. The Falcons’ group will feature Toledo and NIU – two of the top four teams in the conference. This could mean some problems for BGSU, but the Falcons are playing at home against Toledo and Miami. If the Falcons can pull off a win in either of these games, it will cause some chaos in the league.
There’s a lot to like about BGSU, and the culture seems great, especially with all-conference players coming from other teams in the MAC. Loeffler’s team should be playing in another bowl game in December as he seeks his first postseason win and the Falcons seek their first conference title since 2015.
