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At this point in the season, I fully expected the Miami RedHawks to be 4-2, or better, and well on their way to competing for the MAC East title. I expected the Kent State Golden Flashes to be sitting at 1 or 2 wins, possibly their only 1 or 2 wins of the season.
On the Miami side, they are an utter disappointment, at least with regards to record. They are sitting at 2-4, and other than the ass stomping by a resurgent Notre Dame squad, were in every game.
I thought about writing a book about the 2016 RedHawks. I don’t feel like enough people realize just how unbelievable it is to go from 0-6 to bowl eligible, and then almost knock off an SEC team. If I were writing a book on the 2017 RedHawks season, it would be titled, “How to Lose Games in New and Interesting Ways.”
On the Kent State side, they are actually a little better than I expected.
So that brings us to this game. Kent State is on their home turf and trying to save Paul Haynes job. A win here could do it. Their defense looks good, but makes incredibly dumb mistakes. Their offense is offensive.
Miami is fighting for Chuck Martin’s job, but they don’t seem to have the same sense of urgency. On offense and defense, they are mostly there. What separates them from 5-1 is a few plays here and there. A missed coverage here, a pick 6 late in the game there, and boom, they suck.
Trying to predict this game is impossible because I can’t possibly know what is going on in the heads of 20 year old kids.
On paper, Miami should win by 30. In my heart, I feel like Kent is giving more effort at this point in the season.
It’s at Kent.
At this point in the season last year, a bulb went off, and Miami won the rest of their regular season games.
Miami winning on paper looks good, if that same bulb goes off.
Based on what I have seen this season, my gut tells me Kent pulls out a weird win with turnovers and the like.
Based on the coaching job I saw out of Martin last season, and the job Haynes and company have done this season, I am going with we see a good football game between two motivated teams. Miami gets them in the end, because talent, but it will be fun to watch.