In today's The Athletic:

Which college football teams are candidates for a breakout 2019 season?

Teams listed are Iowa State, LSU, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Virginia, FIU, Hawaii, North Texas and......


Ohio

Trend to break: Ohio has not won the MAC championship since 1968.

Breakout chances: The Bobcats occupied this space last year but couldn’t quite get over the hump. They beat MAC East champion Buffalo but lost two conference games to finish in a tie for second in the division. Frank Solich has been remarkably consistent, with a 106-75 record in Athens that includes at least nine wins six times. And yet Ohio has a 0-4 record in the MAC championship game and has now passed the 50-yard mark in its title drought.

Once again, there is an opportunity. Ohio has the best returning quarterback in the MAC in Nathan Rourke, who had 38 total touchdowns last season. It also should make strides on defense, as both the line and secondary look like strengths. Pass defense was a problem last year, but the Bobcats have a beatable schedule — they avoid Toledo and get Northern Illinois and Western Michigan at home — and play in a winnable division in which Buffalo is likely to take a step back. If the Bobcats can adequately replaced A.J. Ouellette at running back, there is a lot to like here and a strong chance of bringing home a long-awaited MAC championship.