The Ohio football team did something Saturday that it hasn't done in almost two months - it lost.

For the fourth consecutive season, and seventh time this decade, the Ohio football team went down to arch-rival Miami. This year it was a 45-21 thumping by the RedHawks Saturday at Peden Stadium.

Sean Stipp/THE POST
OU student athletic trainer Jennifer Webb tapes up the Bobcat at the end of the third quarter. The mascot wasn't the only Bobcat that needed taping up Saturday.

Because of the defeat, the Bobcats lost all of their points in both national polls (ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll and the Associated Press Top 25 poll).

The loss, coupled with Marshall's victory over Bowling Green Saturday, sets up a winner-take-all showdown for the Mid-American Conference East Division title next week in Huntington, W.Va. Miami (7-3 overall, 5-2 MAC) was officially eliminated from the divisional race because of the Marshall win.

Ohio (8-2, 6-1) and Marshall (8-2, 6-1) haven't met since 1988, a game Marshall won 31-14. The Bobcats lead the overall series 28-10-6, but have lost three of the last four meetings.

To beat the Division I-AA National Champions of a year ago, the Bobcats are going to have to play much better defense than they did in their loss Saturday.

The RedHawks offense man-handled the Bobcats' defense Saturday. Miami racked up 581 total offensive yards (327 yards rushing and 254 yards passing) to Ohio's 228.

"We just didn't make the plays we should have made," safety Brandon Cade said. "Now we just have to forget about it, and put this game behind us."

The Miami game is over and Marshall is next. It was a fact that the Miami game was irrelevant to the Bobcats for the divisional title race. Ohio can still win the division, even with the loss. Now, the entire season rests on the outcome of this Saturday's game.

"It's hard to find a positive in a loss," head coach Jim Grobe said. "It does make us appreciate winning, though. The guys are upset, but it'll be good for us. We can't dwell on it though, we have to start getting ready for Marshall."