Archives for January 2008
BCS Championship Game – Ohio State vs. LSU – Open Thread
January 7, 2008 by 12 Comments
Some links to chew on:
The Wizard of Odds asks “Who Is Going to Win the BCS Title Game?” What I want to know is, where is this huge talent disparity between OSU and LSU? The experts call it out all the time, but how about some proof? Top-to-bottom, the Buckeyes look mighty talented.
I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who sees Beanie as a major key to victory. Keith has broken down what makes Beanie go.
Don’t miss 11 Warriors game preview.
Sunday Morning Quarterback does what he does best in three parts: One, two, three.
Mike Lanese thinks the Buckeyes are going to run away with the BCS Bourbon Bowl, 45-28. Man, I wish I had that kind of confidence.
We were rooting for the Wolverines last week to pull off the upset, so it’s nice to see those guys up North reciprocating. I know it hurts at first, but but the payoff feels oh-so-good.
Update: ESPN has posed the question “Who will win?” to the unwashed masses. Surprise of surprises, 64% of the nation thinks OSU is toast. In fact, no one but Ohioans are giving them much of a shot. Is everybody crazy?!
We’ll be updating this with additional info as the day goes on, but we wanted to get an Open Thread up so everyone can post their final score predictions, things they’re excited about, things that make them nervous, things that make them go, “Hmmmmmm….” If nothing else, hopefully it will help the day go by faster!
sportsMonkey says:
The biggest mismatch on the field tonight? LSU is 84th in the nation in sacks allowed. OSU is 5th in the nation in getting them. Combined with Flynn’s 55% CMP number – which is pathetic for any national-title-contending QB – this is the largest potential game-changing situation for either team. Result? I expect Red Beaulieu will use Perriloux and the spread option way more than people think. LSU may try a lot of spread/moving pocket plays when Flynn’s in, even.
As far as the offense goes, my personal opinion is that the game will come down to whether or not Boeckman has a solid performance. It’ll be up to whether or not the OSU offense avoids making mistakes, particularly in both the QB and coaching parts of the offensive game. We don’t need stellar Boeckman, we just need a steady- and mistake-free one.
OSU must pass early and often, and hope to take advantage of the mismatch between its receiver corps against the weaker LSU secondary. Beanie will be important, but I’m hoping he’ll get the bulk of his yards in the second half, as OSU tries to protect a lead with the clock-chewing power game.
On paper, if both teams play a clean game, and the officials are transparent: OSU will survive a late rally to win 30-20.
UPDATE
ESPN has their usual “10 Reasons” post up, and this point from Maisel caught my eye:
“Ohio State allowed 128 points, or 10.7 per game, but even that number is inflated. Opponents scored four touchdowns by returns (two kick, two defensive) and a safety, so the defense really allowed 98 points, or 8.3 points per game. Take out 14 points scored by opponents (Washington, Purdue) in the final minute of games that Ohio State led by at least 20 points, and you have only 78 points scored against presumably the starters. That’s not seven points per game. To put it another way: Ohio State gave up two rushing touchdowns all season. Arkansas ran for five touchdowns versus LSU.“
I would add to that one more thing: Ohio State put up those numbers even though three of their opponents were in the top 20 in rushing offense.
el Kaiser’s says:
OSU 27 LSU 17
Five Things – OSU Defense
January 6, 2008 by 1 Comment
We know that our readers, Ohio State fans especially, are very smart football fans. We don’t need to tell you guys what to look for during the BCS Bourbon Bowl. We definitely don’t need to tell you when to get nervous nor when to spontaneously break into Carmen Ohio.
Nevertheless, here are five things we’ll be looking for Ohio State to do when they take the field as the #1 defense in the country:
5. Aggressive start – If we can take anything away from Michigan’s trouncing of Florida or West Virginia’s wild upset of Oklahoma, it’s that the defense can set the tone with an aggressive start. Flynn isn’t as much of a threat to run as say, Tebow, or to throw it downfield as say, Bradford, but the Buckeyes need to get pressure early and often.
4. How will the interior lineman play? Denlinger and Worthington are a little undersized for defensive tackles. The Tigers are huge up the middle, especially with 6-7, 356 pound human-side-of-beef guard Herman Johnson. If you want to know why LSU averages almost 220 yards a game on the ground, look no further than these bulldozers. Hopefully the Buckeye defensive tackles will be able to absorb some blockers and let Little Animal and company roam free.
3. Defensive secondary – The LSU pass offense doesn’t really scare too many people (Flynn’s completion % hovers around 55%), but they still have playmakers, especially Doucet. If Jenkins shuts him down, that will go miles in assisting the defense on many levels. The secondary is also going to have to defense the run effectively. This has been a hallmark of Buckeye DB’s in the past, let’s hope that trend continues.
2. Which Laurinaitis shows up? The Laurinaitis that took over the Washington game and played like a Big Animal or the Laurinaitis that showed up at the Penn State game? Will he be a defensive force all over the field or will he struggle to stop the run when 300 lb guards push him around like so many rag dolls? As Little Animal goes, so will go the Buckeyes.
1. Finally, you knew it was coming — Vernon Gholston. Vernon has been playing like a man possessed the second half of the season and played unconscious against Michigan. Don’t look now, but LSU likes to give up a lot of sacks. If Vernon is terrorizing Flynn and Perrilloux then there will be no amount of hammers that will be able to beat the smile of my face.
Five Things – OSU Offense
January 6, 2008 by 1 Comment
We’ve listed the five things we’re keeping an eye on the defensive end, so here are the five things to look for on the offensive side of the ball:
5. Offensive line vs. Dorsey (and his little friends) – There’s no denying Dorsey is a game changer, even if he isn’t 100%. Cordle, Person and Rehring will have the hands full, literally. Dorsey on one side, Favorite on the other and a whole lot of manhood coming up the middle. How will they handle such speed?
4. Which Boeckman shows up? We talked about which Laurinaitis shows up, but the question is a valid one for Boeckman as well. Will we have the laser focused dead-eye Boeckman that showed up against Penn State or the ‘implody’ Michigan State Boeckman that couldn’t keep the ball out of Spartan hands? The Killers B’s want to know.
OSU will lean heavily on Beanie, but it will be Boeckman that will be under the most pressure. That makes us a wee bit nervous.
3. Wrinkles? What changes will we see coming out of the gate? OSU could surprise everyone and go with the spread with Boeckman (a-la Michigan, but that might be too obvious) or bring Henton in and let him throw the ball (oh please, Heavens, no). Something needs to be added for a nice little wrinkle to get Les’ knickers in a bunch. I wonder how he’d feel if he saw ‘Beanie McFadden’ line up in the shotgun?
2. Go right at the teeth of LSU’s D – This is a combination of #5 and #1. The Buckeyes can’t shy away from the challenge of Dorsey and the LSU defense. They need to go right at Dorsey and, as on defense, attack attack attack.
1. Beanie Beanie Beanie – Here’s where it gets real simple. The Stiff Arm of Justice™ has had a nice long layoff and is itching to punish some bad people. If Beanie’s ankle is 100% (we know the stiff arm never tires) then LSU has no idea what is coming for them. A steady diet of Beanie is just what the doctor ordered for OSU fans.
Breaking news!
January 6, 2008 by Leave a Comment
This just in: In a MotSaG exclusive, we have learned that the wunderkind Vernon Gholtson may arrive a little late to the 2008 BCS Bourbon Bowl.
He’s got a new gig opening up this evening.
This isn’t supposed to impact his performance in any way. Especially if Jacob Hester tries to score going across the rings.
Good Coach / Bad Coach
January 4, 2008 by 14 Comments
So, you’re the head coach of a team that just played its last game. You’re asked to say a few words to (or about) your seniors – your captains – that have sacrificed so much for your program. Young men that have worked hard for you. Men that could have played for other coaches, but chose you to be their mentor, to be the person that honed their skills, the one they trusted to prepared them for the future.
How do you handle it?
Like Lloyd Carr?
…or like Urban Meyer?
“Well, for those [seniors] who just put in their time and didn’t make any real contributions, it’s time for you to go. It won’t be hard to say goodbye to some of those guys who just went through the motions.
Now for those kids who actually bought into the program, and who made some sacrifices and contributions — you know, like Bubba Caldwell….he’s a graduate of UF and had a great career — you’ll really miss those guys. But just because you’re a senior doesn’t mean you have any value.”
The differences in coaching couldn’t be more black and white. “Thank you for everything, I’ll always be here for you, I encourage you to finish your degrees,” vs. “You only won one title, and didn’t win enough games, so don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”
Dumb-ndits
January 3, 2008 by 3 Comments
It must be hard to be dumb and a pundit. Self-assurance is a job requirement. Sure, they’ll call themselves “analysts” but they’re really pundits. Critics. Mouth-breathers. Uneducated has-beens. Call them what you want, but if they’re criticizing your team, they are the anti-Christ. You hate them and we hate them. Alberts and May made their careers playing the heels during the 2002 season. You know the drill.
We, on the other hand, are fans. It’s a lot easier to be a fan. We have a stake (albeit small) in every game our team plays and everything our teams do. But when our team isn’t playing, we’re able to look at a particular match up and take it for what it is — a great college football game. Sure, you have your secondary affinities, but when they lose it’s really no big deal. More often than not, you want to see a particular team lose. So it’s easy to pick a side and root for a team that has no bearing on your season. You do it during the bowl season while you’re waiting for your team’s turn. And you might be watching Michigan punk Florida or West Virginia run wild on Oklahoma and think, “those ESPN talking heads are complete idiots. They don’t have a clue what’s going to happen.” You can’t predict emotion. Just once I’d love to hear Mark May say, “I could be mistaken, but I really think Oklahoma is going to win.” Not “West Virginia doesn’t have a chance! They don’t even belong on the same field.” Get that low-rent garbage out of here.
I’m not saying I predicted a West Virginia victory. Heck, I thought Oklahoma was going to kill them. I watched the Big 12 championship game where OU looked invincible. I watched the Backyard Brawl where West Virginia looked like garbage. I really thought this was a mismatch. But I was never foolish enough to declare with such brash surety that Oklahoma the Fiesta Bowl champs before the game. These motor-mouths, on the other hand, have no problem. It’s sickening.
So that brings us to Ohio State. Hopefully you’ve seen the video that Tressel sent home with his players, with morons like Alberts and May and Mariotti dogging the Buckeyes to no end. No respect. Colin “Shrutebag” Cowherd had the audacity to say (paraphrased) that “when we’re talking bad about your team, you should be grateful for us! Your coaches use it to motivate your team! You should be thanking us!” The conceit is staggering! But people are listening and watching.
In the end, it’s nothing but wasted oxygen. It will fall on deaf ears for those “who know.” Unfortunately, the WWL and other media outlets are able to sway public opinion. Witness the speed myth. It no longer applies to the SEC. It’s now the team that wins. Do you really think West Virginia has more team speed than Oklahoma? I certainly don’t. But read any article tomorrow and I guarantee that will be the overriding theme. That, or Owen Schmitt’s creepy eyes. I’m going with unbelievably ludicrous speed.
So next time you hear one of these intellectual gnomes say that Ohio State (or LSU, for that matter) “backed in to the Bourbon Bowl,” just smile inwardly and think, “it’s such a shame these guys get paid for being an idiot when I can do it so much better for free.”
Big Ten’s Day to Shine
January 1, 2008 by 30 Comments
So far, the Big Ten’s showing in Bowl Games has been decent (2-2 isn’t great, but should be 3-1) but today we get to really see the Big Ten heavyweights throw around some muscle. Normally, we could give rat’s behind whether these teams win or lose, but now that we’re talking about Big Ten pride, we’re all fans. Even though deep in the recesses of your brain you want Florida to pound Michigan into the ground, try to suppress that thought for a few hours and root on the Maize and Blue.
Today’s match-ups include:
The Outback Bowl – Wisconsin vs. Tennessee: This is the first game of the day and, God willing, the first SEC loss of the day. With PJ Hill back in the lineup, that should spell trouble for Tennessee’s young defense that can’t seem to stop the run. This will be the first barometer of OSU’s match-up with LSU. Tennessee played LSU tough in the SEC championship game but the Buckeyes handled the Badgers without much trouble.
Rub your hands maniacally if the Badgers have their way with the Vols.
The Capital One Bowl – Michigan vs. Florida: On paper, this spells trouble for Michigan. Superman and his Heisman Trophy get to play in front of the home crowd against a Michigan team that is browbeaten and deflated. For them, this wasn’t really a season full of “what-ifs?” More like “WTFs?” This game sets up for redemption on so many levels, the Wolverines almost can’t lose. Redemption for the seniors (especially Hart and Henne) that never really reached their full potential. A farewell victory for Carr. Redemption for Wolverine nation. As Brian noted, the outcome of this game will have little or no bearing on the program moving forward, but, man, a Bowl victory will do wonders for fan’s psyche.
Smile wryly and then change the channel if Manningham and Arrington are abusing Florida’s lousy secondary and Henne is throwing laser beams or Hart is doing what he normally can’t do against defenses in gray helmets.
The Rose Bowl – Illinois vs. USC – Funny how just a few weeks ago, most of Buckeye Nation was getting ready to head to the Granddaddy of Them All, the Rose Bowl, in Sunny Southern California. Now the Buckeyes get to play in the swampy backwater Bourbon Bowl and Illinois gets to go where the grass is green and the girls are pretty. Of course, no one is giving the Illini a song girl’s chance of cheering for the right team, so the Big Ten team once again takes on the role of the underdog. Everyone loves the underdog, right?
Of the three Big Ten teams playing today, Illinois has the most to prove. They want to show that beating Ohio State wasn’t a fluke and they’re the real deal. It isn’t going to be easy, but yay for a fast Big Ten team. The Pac-10 can handle the BEE-TEE-ENN speed.
Jump for joy, do some push-ups and get pumped for the Bourbon Bowl if Juice and Mendenhall run buck-wild on the stout USC defense.
So take off your Woody Cap and put on your Big Ten visor and root on our fellow conference mates, especially the ones playing those loathsome SEC teams. It’s time to shut those SEC knuckle-draggers’ mouths.
