Central Michigan, Ohio U. set in title contest tonight

Both teams have already been invited to play in postseason bowl games.
DETROIT (AP) -- Brian Kelly and Frank Solich came to the Mid-American Conference from different directions, one moving up the career ladder, the other coming down.
But they've had the same results -- turning around programs that had been traditional losers.
Solich and his Ohio Bobcats face Kelly's Central Michigan Chippewas tonight in the MAC title game.
While Kelly is considered an up-and-coming coaching star, having been in the running for the Iowa State and Michigan State jobs, Solich has already been to the highest level of college football.
He coached Nebraska from 1998-2003, including a trip to the 2001 national championship game.
After being fired by the Cornhuskers, the Cleveland native took the Bobcats job last season.
He went 4-7 in 2005 but led Ohio to a 9-3 record this year, the Bobcats' most wins since they went 10-1 in 1968.
The slow start didn't concern Solich.
"I wasn't interested in a quick fix," he said.
"I wanted to build a team, because chemistry is just as important as Xs and Os. The players bought into what the coaching staff was doing."
Solich back at home
While the MAC is a long way from the Big 12, Solich has enjoyed the chance to build a team close to home.
"It's been great to come back and continue my career in the state of Ohio," he said.
"I was lucky to get involved in a great situation here."
The Bobcats have already accepted an invitation to the GMAC Bowl on Jan. 7, their first bowl game since the 1968 Tangerine Bowl.
"It's amazing to see the turnaround in this program," senior linebacker Tyler Russ said.
"We were excited when Coach Solich was hired, because we knew where he had been and what he had done."
Ohio is led by tailback Kalvin McRae, who has rushed for 1,139 yards and 14 touchdowns. Ohio prefers to attack on the ground, while Central Michigan likes to throw the ball.
"Kal is an outstanding back," Chippewas linebacker Red Keith said.
"He's a power runner, and we're going to have to be physical against him."
Won two Division II titles
Like Solich, Kelly came to the MAC with a championship pedigree, but at a different level.
Before coming to Central Michigan in 2004, he had won a pair of Division II titles at Grand Valley State.
"We knew Coach was a proven winner, so we had to believe in his plan," Keith said.
"He's been there and we haven't."
While Kelly received a lot of attention this week, he wanted to focus on today's matchup.
"We're locked in on Ohio," he said. "This was the destination we wanted for our football team. Getting to the championship game was our only goal."
The Chippewas are already guaranteed a second visit to Ford Field, the site of the last Super Bowl, having accepted a bid to the Dec. 26 Motor City Bowl.