NCAA Football
2025-12-23 - UNLV Rebels at Ohio Bobcats
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : College Football Frisco Bowl
Tuesday 23rd December 2025 - Scheduled 9pm
2am (British Time)
Preview
Preparing for a Bowl Game should be an exciting time, but the Ohio Bobcats (8-4) missed out on playing in the MAC Championship Game on tie-breakers and have since been plunged into a controversial situation.
It may not have made the same headlines as the issues in Michigan, but Ohio fired Head Coach Brian Smith for an inappropriate relationship with a student and for breaking alcohol rules at the school.
The team had won at least ten games in three straight years, but Brian Smith was not able to match that in his first, and only, season with the team. The distraction caused by his termination has to be a factor in this Bowl Game, even if the Ohio Bobcats have managed to keep the majority of the key players available to try and end the season with a flourish.
The UNLV Rebels (10-3) may have won the most games out of all of the teams in the Mountain West Conference, but they were beaten in the Conference Championship Game again.
Head Coach Dan Mullen took over from Barry Odom this season and he has helped the Rebels win double digit games for a second year in a row. A win in the Bowl Game will see UNLV match the eleven wins produced in Odom's last season and there is a more settled feel to this Rebels team after all of the off-field issues with the Ohio Bobcats.
It is going to be a significant test for the UNLV Rebels on the Offensive side of the ball with the way the Bobcats have played Defensively all season.
Of course UNLV should be very confident in their own abilities- the Rebels Offensive Line have been opening up huge running lanes and that has only helped Quarter Back Anthony Colandrea who has put up very good numbers.
He offers up a dual-threat out of the Quarter Back position, which will tax this Ohio team, while Anthony Colandrea will feel he has enough support around him to make plays against this Secondary.
All of the off-field issues have to play a part in this Bowl Game as far as the Ohio Bobcats are concerned, but the players can only focus on what they can control.
The Bobcats Offensive Line have been very productive and they will believe they can help the team move into positive positions on the field, especially considering some of the problems UNLV have had up front. However, the plan for the Rebels has to be to find a way to control the Line of Scrimmage and try and see if Parker Navarro can produce a little more in the passing game.
Parker Navarro does have over 2000 passing yards this season, but the Bobcats had some issues down the stretch- they are facing a Rebels Secondary that has not always been prepared against the pass as they have struggled to stop the run, and Ohio may have what it takes to maintain a strong Bowl record.
Winning may be asking too much against a very good UNLV Rebels team, but the Bobcats look to be receiving plenty of points and can make those count.
They have to show they are not allowing the behaviour of the former Head Coach to prevent them from finishing the season as strongly as possible.
This is going to be a tough challenge, but the Bobcats have won three Bowl Games in a row and they have the Offensive capabilities of keeping this close on the scoreboard.
Prediction
Take the points with the underdog, despite the off field issues that resulted in the firing of the Head Coach.
The Pick :
Ohio Bobcats 21-24 UNLV Rebels
