While much has been made of how San Diego State's offense flipped a switch when it put Jalen Mayden in as the team's new starter, the best quarterback in this game plays for Ohio. Kurtis Rourke, the MAC Offensive Player of the Year, appears ahead of schedule after missing the end of 2022 due to injury and gives the Bobcats a great shot at a season-opening win.

This was a game to avoid when the spread hovered north of a field goal. Now that it has dropped below the threshold, owing largely to Ohio confirming that MAC Offensive Player of the Year Kurtis Rourke is back from an ACL injury, the Aztecs are appealing. They are 10-1-1 straight-up lifetime versus MAC foes. Though the offense is blah, a formidable defense should keep QB Rourke from going off. S.D. State handled MAC member Toledo, a nine-game winner, at home a year ago and should deal the comparable Bobcats a defeat.

I saw San Diego State firsthand in their new stadium last September and they got walloped by my alma mater, Arizona. But Ohio from the MAC isn't a Pac-12 Arizona team. In three games against top-25 defenses in yards allowed last season, the Bobcats combined to score 27 points. If SDSU can dominate the time of possession battle as expected, they should win a lower-scoring game and cover the 2.5 point spread.

This might be the best, most competitive game of the weekend. Both teams are underrated championship picks for their respective conferences. Two QBs in SDSU's Jalen Mayden and Ohio's Kurtis Rouke are difference makers. The difference here will be along the point of attack in which, the Aztecs have enough to help them cover the spread.

I'm a MAC guy and Ohio might win the MAC after losing in last year's title game. Good team. If this were in Ohio or at a neutral site, I'd probably take the points. But the Bobcats have lost 10 straight non-conference road games and star QB Kurtis Rourke still may not be 100% off his torn ACL (but will start). SDSU is always among the best non-power programs and Brady Hoke knows how to build a defense. ESPN FPI ranks San Diego State five spots higher nationally and the Aztecs obviously are at home, which is worth a few points on its own. The SL Model has SDSU winning by 12. That'd be great but I don't expect it.

The Bobcats are loaded on offense headed into the season with nine starters back from last year's squad including star quarterback Kurtis Rourke -- the reigning MAC Offensive Player of the Year. That'll be too much for a San Diego State defense that is wildly inexperienced. Grab the points and consider a money line sprinkle.

San Diego State lost their final two games of 2022 to Air Force, 17-7, and to Middle Tennessee in the Hawaii Bowl, 25-23. In 2023, they bring back senior QB Jalen Mayden who had a good spring, and 10 other starters, but none at offensive skill positions. Ohio won 10 games in head coach Tim Albin’s second season last year and brings back 14 starters, including the core of the offense with senior QB Kurtis Rourke (MAC Offensive Player of Year) and four offensive lineman starters back that won eight of their last nine games last season. Cohesion. I’m taking the points with Ohio.