Preview: Buffalo vs. Ohio

It’s not too often that that we get to watch a sure first-round pick on a Tuesday night in November. That’s the case tonight when the 6-2 University of Buffalo Bulls host the 6-2 Ohio University Bobcats at 8:00 EST on ESPN2. This game could very well determine who wins the Mid-American Conference Eastern Division. Buffalo is 4-0 in conference play while Ohio is 3-1. In recent years, the MAC has played these early week TV games late in the season to get the national exposure for their top teams. Buffalo opened the season with losses at ranked Ohio State and Baylor before going on a six-game winning streak where they have averaged 36 points per game. Ohio’s losses have been to Louisville and Central Michigan and they, too, can put a lot of points on the board.

Who is the sure first-round pick? Buffalo’s Kahlil Mack may be one of the top two outside linebackers in the nation. The only OLB that may go higher is UCLA’s Anthony Barr. Mack, this season, has 54 total tackles including seven sacks and 11 tackles for loss. He also has three interceptions in which two have been returned for touchdowns. Some of you may say, “well that’s against the MAC”. Well, no it’s not. In the opener at Ohio State, Mack got two sacks and returned an interception for a TD. Mack is 6’3 – 248 with explosive speed, strength, and power and has shown the ability to dominate games. To date, he has 25 career sacks. Mack is not the only highly rated NFL prospect on Buffalo's roster. Wide receiver Alex Neutz is a big, physical receiver who is second on Buffalo’s career reception list to former NFL player Naaman Roosevelt. This season, the 6’3, 208 pound receiver has caught 39 passes for 628 yards and seven touchdowns. For his career, he has 173 catches for 26 touchdowns.

Buffalo does not have the only NFL prospects on the field tonight. Ohio has three prospects led by quarterback Tyler Tettleton. The 6’1, 207 pound Tettleton has completed 68% of his passes this year and thrown for over 2000 yards and 17 touchdowns. The other prospects on the Ohio team are John Prior and corner Travis Carrie. All three Ohio prospects are considered late round to free agent types.

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