Most college football fans know the Miami Hurricanes will be playing Ohio State in Columbus this season. What they might not have known is that the Hurricanes will return to Ohio in 2015 to play Toledo at the Glass Bowl.
The familiar orange and green of the Miami Hurricanes will provide a tough test for Ohio State in September -- and will return to Ohio to play Toledo at the Glass Bowl in 2015.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Most college football fans know the Miami Hurricanes will be playing Ohio State in Columbus this season. What they might not have known is that the Hurricanes will return to Ohio in 2015 to play Toledo at the Glass Bowl.
The Hurricanes, who call their school the "U" in a nickname inspired by the U on the side of their helmets, play one of the biggest nonconference games of this year on Sept. 11 against the Buckeyes.
"Miami is arguably the highest profile opponent to ever play in the Glass Bowl," Toledo Athletic Director Mike O'Brien said in a release. The Rockets will play host to Miami in 2015, then return the game in 2016.
Listen up: Mid-American Conference football will be in the spotlight this week with the league holding its media preview Friday in Detroit.
The key speaker will be Bill Hancock, executive director for the Bowl Championship Series.
JumpTV Sports will stream Hancock's vision of the MAC as a member of the BCS as part of its All-MACcess package at mac-sports.com
While MAC teams clearly aren't contenders for a BCS title, perhaps Hancock is on hand to inspire the conference's teams and coaches to improve upon their 1-15 bowl record since 2006.
Road warriors: For the first time in five years, no MAC team will host a Big Ten team. But there will be chances for some road wins.
If Temple, with its Heisman Trophy candidate in tailback Bernard Pierce, and Kent State, with its stable of mini-backs led by 5-5 senior Eugene Jarvis, are as good as some predict, both teams should be a tough out at retooling Penn State.
Bowling Green plays at Michigan against a Wolverines' squad coming off two subpar seasons and even rebuilding Akron, playing at Indiana, has a puncher's chance.
One overwhelming MAC underdog will be Ohio when it plays at Ohio State, Sept. 18.
A futbol title: Last season, the Akron Zips soccer team advanced to the NCAA title game before losing to Virginia, 3-2 on penalty kicks.
This season, the Zips will be league favorites again. New sod and grandstands are being installed at Lee Jackson Field, and the Zips already report 90 percent of the new chair-back seats and 60 percent of the reserve seats in the new bleachers have been sold to season ticket holders.
New hire: MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher has hired a new director of basketball operations.
Ricky Stokes, 60-113 as a men's basketball coach at Virginia Tech and East Carolina, is now the associate commissioner for men's basketball in the MAC.