The Bulls bring back the engine of last year's defense in All-America linebacker Red Murdock, while quarterback CJ Ogbonna has said the offense is still finding its footing this offseason. Bowling Green, meanwhile, walked into a genuinely wild offseason, churning through much of last year's two-deep and leaning on a retooled defensive staff after elevating Joe Bowden to coordinator.
That gap in continuity is the whole story here. Buffalo returns coordinators Dave Patenaude (offense) and Joe Bowen (defense) for another season together, while Bowling Green is essentially building on the fly around a mostly new cast under George.
The good news for BG fans: the record hides some real juice. Doyt Perry Stadium sold out for the first time since 2007 last season, and the program set attendance records even through a losing year — a sign of buy-in around George's timeline that could matter as the roster settles in. It's the kind of foundation a rebuild leans on when the wins haven't shown up yet.
Neither team looks postseason-ready on paper this far out, but that's what makes a game like this one worth tuning into — one program trying to prove last year's optimism was real, the other trying to show a coaching change is actually working.