Archives for November 2013
Game 11 Notes vs. Indiana
Welcome to the weekly installment where we look at the game from a statistical perspective. Feel free to add your thoughts. What stats impressed you? Any stats concern you? Here are 5 stats that stood out to me against Indiana.
20, 5, 1, 1 – Ryan Shazier stole the show yesterday for the defense. He set out to honor Christian Bryant’s #2 and he did just that. His stat line: 20 tackles (16 solo), 5 TFL, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble. Not a bad day’s work.
39-311, 8.0 – The Buckeye’s have dominated the opposition with their rushing attack all year. This week was not an exception; the offense gained 311 yards on the ground (8.0 yards/rush). No one has been able to stop the ground attack. I don’t want to skip ahead and bypass this hallowed week, but this will be a telling story line for the B1G Championship Game against Michigan State.
4, 2 – I know SYR mentioned this is one of his tweets, but I was on the same wavelength as him. Cam Burrows is going to be a baller! The Hoosiers tried to pick on him multiple times after he entered the game. Cam was up to the task and made some huge plays. He finished the game with 4 tackles and 2 pass defenses (break-ups), but the impact goes well beyond what he was able to do in less than 1 half of play.
3 – The three turnovers left a little to be desired. Not a big deal in a game like this, but losing the turnover battle will be a bigger deal in the weeks to come.
16 – Thank you to the 16 seniors who played their last game at Ohio Stadium.
Any other key stats against Indiana?
GO BUCKS!!! BEAT MICHIGAN!! war eagle!
Buckeye Seniors go out in glory
Here is how I saw the game through a collection of my best tweets of the day… Enjoy.
All day every day…. #CarlosHydeAndBraxtonMiller
— Jeremiah (@SYRmotsag) November 23, 2013
Ohio State on 4 run plays have already outrushed the entire TTUN team in a full game….
— Jeremiah (@SYRmotsag) November 23, 2013
Great wrap up by Shazier…
— Jeremiah (@SYRmotsag) November 23, 2013
Going to get real ugly real quick… Braxton with a 40 yard TD run… 14-0
— Jeremiah (@SYRmotsag) November 23, 2013
2 drives in to this game and Ohio State has nearly as many yards as TTUN did all game today… #Trolling
— Jeremiah (@SYRmotsag) November 23, 2013
So happy for @OSUCoachMeyer that he will never have to hear that he has never had a 1000 yd rusher ever again.
— Jeremiah (@SYRmotsag) November 23, 2013
If Michael Bennett doesnt get All B1G I am going to write really angry tweets….
— Jeremiah (@SYRmotsag) November 23, 2013
It is such a pleasure to be able to listen to @chris_spielman call an OSU game…. Or any game really. He is the best.
— Jeremiah (@SYRmotsag) November 23, 2013
Ohio States Goalposts will be #B1G Special Teams player of the week next week…
— Jeremiah (@SYRmotsag) November 23, 2013
Remember when there were "experts" trying to tell you that Oregon and Stanford were better than OSU? #GoodTimes
— Jeremiah (@SYRmotsag) November 23, 2013
Dontre Wilson is fast… for the TD. 35-0. Was that the Spinnershells Shuffle Pass? @spinnershells
— Jeremiah (@SYRmotsag) November 23, 2013
Ezekiel Elliott is so freaking good at football… makes a lot of small plays that dont go unnoticed.
— Jeremiah (@SYRmotsag) November 23, 2013
Cam Burrows makes me feel so much better about Bradley Roby going pro for next year….
— Jeremiah (@SYRmotsag) November 23, 2013
Carlos Hyde just went over 100 yards for the game…. #Again
— Jeremiah (@SYRmotsag) November 23, 2013
The Snow has been the best defense OSU has played this year…
— Jeremiah (@SYRmotsag) November 23, 2013
Devin Smith with the long TD reception from Braxton Miller…. 42-0. 98 yard drive right there.
— Jeremiah (@SYRmotsag) November 23, 2013
Cam Burrows Y'All….. He is going to be great.
— Jeremiah (@SYRmotsag) November 23, 2013
Kenny Guiton enters the game and the crowd erupts as do all his teammates and coaches…. #FutureCoachCurrentBuckeyeLegend
— Jeremiah (@SYRmotsag) November 23, 2013
Ryan Shazier with 20 tackles and 5 TFL and 2 sacks and all the women he could ever want…..
— Jeremiah (@SYRmotsag) November 23, 2013
Ohio State wins the game 42-14. 23 in a row. #B1G Leaders Champs. #HateTTUNWeek #WeDontGiveADamnForTheWholeStateOfMichiganWereFromOhio
— Jeremiah (@SYRmotsag) November 23, 2013
Friday Open Thread: Indiana
Indiana Week usually isn’t one anyone circles on the calendar or looks forward to for any other reason than Indiana has been real bad at football for a real long time. But recently Indiana’s football program seems to be heading in a direction that can reasonably be described as “the right one” in that they have moved out of the basement, letting Illinois sleep in the futon they’ve used for years (Purdue’s chained to a beam support down there).
That’s not to say that Indiana is “good” for many definitions of the word “good”. Their offense has always been high-powered. Unfortunately, the opposite can be said about their defense. Looking at the numbers don’t look real promising for Indiana. Too much talent on Ohio State’s side of the ball to feel threatened.
Of course, we said that same thing last year and that turned into a barn-burner that didn’t look real good on the resume.
As usual, we’ve got you covered with as much content as possible about the 3:30 kickoff. Ronnie looks at both the players to watch for this game as well as give us a preview of the game. The takeaway:
Indiana’s only hope to keep this game close is to force a shootout like they did last year. The Buckeye defense as a whole needs to play at a high level this week. While this Hoosier team seems to play poorly when they go on the road, their previous success against Ohio State last year will provide them with some confidence going in to The Shoe. Tackling, rushing the passer, preventing deep plays, and preventing yards after the catch will be extremely vital for the Buckeye defense if they want to have success in stopping the Hoosier offense.
and
Hyde and Miller should absolutely destroy this Hoosier defense. Wilson has said he wants to focus on Hyde, but that probably means giving Miller open running lanes which isn’t the wisest idea either. Running the football early and often for this offense would probably do it some good as it could keep the explosive IU offense at bay for a while, and give the Buckeye defense some rest. I would expect this offense to try and link drives together on Saturday if the defense seems like they can’t handle the IU offense.
Chip is (rightfully) worried about the Buckeyes suffering from Senioritis, something that has afflicted them in the past.
And finally, Shannon chatted with Indiana blogger Adam Johnson of Crimson Quarry. He’s a realist. He know Indiana is in trouble.
So here’s a open thread to discuss just how in trouble they are in. I say REAL trouble. Like maybe losing by 50 trouble. I say this ends with Carlos and Braxton watching the second half from the sidelines after amassing over 200 yards on the ground in the first half.
OSU 63
Indiana 13
Q&A with an opponents blogger: Indiana Hoosiers
Buckeye Nation I have to say I think this is a first. Tomorrow the Buckeye host the Indiana Hoosiers at the ‘Shoe at 3:30pm and I have had the opportunity to work with Adam Johnson of Crimson Quarry. The “first” I am referring to is that I have worked with someone who isn’t a total homer. Yes Adam loves his team but as you can see in most of his answers he kept it real, now I on the other hand am a total homer. Get your coffee and sit back and enjoy todays post.
MotSaG: History isn’t to kind for Indiana against the Buckeyes as your Blog has a nice post about it, how much does last years game give the Hoosiers confidence against the Buckeyes?
CQ: Indiana’s current confidence isn’t based on last year’s game going into this one but last week’s. We had an abysmal showing against Wisconsin and I think with Indiana looking at, at most 5 wins, the fan base has moved on to basketball season. Still we do look at last year and think… maybe?! But not many of us think it’ll be closer than 20.
MotSaG: Do you see the Hoosier players feel defeated after last weeks loss against Wisconsin?
CQ: It is actually quite impressive with how well the players seem to carry themselves. Indiana fans, despite years of awfulness are incredibly fickle. The players don’t seem to have that trait in them. They understand its a building process. Only a few are in the twilight of their college careers, so many have done a good job of taking Wisconsin as a learning experience and using it towards beating Ohio State.
MotSaG: What do you think of the negativity that the wannabe national media hordes are saying about the B1G football?
CQ: They’re right. Outside of the top tier of the conference, we’re pretty darn terrible. I mean, yeah, that’s how pretty much all conferences are and no one seems to mention that. But that doesn’t mean they’re wrong when they say it about us. Still, we’re probably only the third of fourth best conference in the nation, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that our top teams can’t compete against anyone else.
MotSaG: I understand Indiana is a basketball school but is there like 20 basketball blogs to every one football one?
CQ: Yes. In fact, I’ve done my best to try and set The Crimson Quarry apart by you know, actually covering football. Unfortunately, I’ve found out why none of those other blogs really cover football. Not a lot of people seem to care. I blame that really on the historical ineptitude of the program. If we were even halfway good every few years I think you would see a ton of interest in Indiana football. But alas we’re not even the Cubs of college football, because up until Kevin Wilson showed up we didn’t even have the ability to say wait until next year. I imagine Northwestern basketball fans feel the same way.
MotSaG: Indiana’s offense has been much improved the last two seasons what do they need to find in recruiting to help make the defense better?
CQ: They actually already have a very solid set of pieces on campus. Unfortunately, they’re all true freshmen. We’ve started see some of that injected early like 3rd leading tackler TJ Simmons and a rotation spot for Darius Latham, but we’ve also had set backs from Antonio Allen’s torn ACL and other guys just not physically ready to compete yet. This isn’t to say that Indiana should feel good with their defensive personnel, but Wilson and crew already have a jump on it. They just need time to not be boys trying to play against men.
MotSaG: What is the thought on how to beat the Buckeyes?
CQ: Shootout. That may sound like the exact opposite of what many others are thinking, but for Indiana to win this one it has to be a shootout. Assuming the Hoosiers offense doesn’t completely disappear like it did last week and you can feel pretty darn confident in them putting up points. It comes down to them doing so after the defense gets a rare stop. Can’t waste wins from defensive possessions.
MotSaG: What do the Hoosiers feel is the Buckeyes weak link?
CQ: passing defense. You guys have struggled this year keeping the top on offenses. Indiana’s biggest strength is blowing the top off of defenses. With what I’d like to think is the Big Ten’s best receiving corps and one of the better passers in the league with Nate Sudfeld (passer, not quarterback), Cody Latimer and crew have got to be licking their chops at the thought of getting the chance to expose the leak in the dam that is Ohio State.
MotSaG: After the Buckeyes beat the Hoosiers will Tom Crean cut down the nets or maybe even take down the goal post?
CQ: Probably. Then we’ll stick it right next to our outright Big Ten trophy without shaking your hands.
MotSaG: What should Buckeye fans keep their eye out for while watching Indiana?
CQ: Not necessarily keep an eye out for in the context of winning/losing this game, but just watch middle linebacker TJ Simmons. He flies around the field and is very good for his very young age. He still misses his gaps and makes mental errors at times, but if you pay close attention now, you can say you see something special in him before he’s competing as one of the conference’s top linebackers as a upperclassman. Basically, watch the young Indiana defense and appreciate some of the pieces. I’m not sure they’ll even be good as a unit, but you can be a football hipster when some of them are potential NFL draftees.
MotSaG: What is your prediction for the game?
CQ: Indiana A Few Points. Ohio State A Lot More.
Just not very confident after last week’s beating.
Reality is the Buckeyes should and need to completely shut down the Hoosiers defense to gain any kind of respect back (hater nation will always hate). It’s funny they say the computers don’t take into account blow outs that’s why Baylor is so close. I digress the Buckeyes are mostly in control of their destiny the just have to keep doing what they do best and that is win. A win tomorrow guarantees their first trip to Indy for the B1G championship game and as I have seen on twitter there is going to be a large and I mean large Scarlet and Gray populous there.
I feel and this are just my thoughts I didn’t do the proper research but feel free to comment if I am wrong, that Roby needs to step up and have a huge game. He has had some lapses this year and since he has already declared for the NFL draft those lapse have cost him some cash. Now is it the defensive scheme or is it him? On one hand I feel it is the scheme I mean come on one of the best corners and your having him play off the WR on the line? On the other hand I feel it is some of him with his BS wanna be sportscenter tackles that he misses on a majority of the time. Yes the kid can hit and lay the wood down but fundamentals son wrap up.
Which defense will show up tomorrow is the key question I am hoping the one that killed Penn State not the one from last week and the beginning of the season.
For the love of God Buckeye fans please stop watching that blabber mouth non informed host on the four letter network that is just hateful. I’m not going to mention his name but you know who I am talking about. hint: still butt hurt from the 72-0 whooping he experienced.
Thanks again to Adam Johnson of the Crimson Quarry, go check out his work.
If you want to get involved and have questions about THE Game feel free to send them in to me and I can send them on. Email your questions to AskMotSaG@gmail.com or MotSaG@gmail.com. Would love to know your thoughts on this post and hope you enjoyed it.
MotSaG TV Guide
Well, it’s a slow weekend for college football action with Alabama and Florida State taking this week off against Chattanooga and Idaho, respectively. As you know, I’m philosophically opposed to the concept of “strength of schedule,” and games like these make me wonder why so much emphasis is placed on that sham of a “stat.”
Still, there are reasons to keep watching all day on Saturday, so it’s not a total loss.
UPDATE: Adding in predictions, with a note: the new tweaks show promise and are doing an especially good job with margin of victory in early testing. They also do a decent job with scores, with only a couple of test games being significantly off. I’m adjusting the scores to be realistic, so don’t freak out when they don’t match the margin of victory pick.
Saturday
Noon
Michigan @ Iowa. The excellent (best?) college football movie, The Program, was filmed partially at both of these schools. In fact, the fictional team the film centers on loses by 4 points to each team, marking the last time these two were considered equals. The Wolverines got by on field goals and multiple overtimes last week, but Iowa is not Northwestern. Also, we really need a Program remake. (BTN)
PICK: Iowa by 8
SCORE: Iowa, 28-17
3:30pm
Indiana @ Ohio State. While I haven’t seen (or even heard of until a half-hour ago) the movie Touchback, Ohio State football figures prominently in what is probably a Hallmarky tale of a former high school football star who gets hurt in the Big Game. I’ll watch it though (and you probably will too), because Buckeyes, which also happens to be the only reason anyone’s watching this game. (ABC/ESPN2)
PICK: Ohio State by 20
SCORE: Ohio State, 49-24
Texas A&M @ LSU. This game seems like it should be important, featuring two ranked SEC teams as it does, but it is unlikely to have any noticeable impact, much like the terrible 2005 movie version of Dukes of Hazzard shot at LSU and starring the worst imaginable cast. (CBS)
PICK: LSU by 9
SCORE: LSU, 24-17
8:00pm
Baylor @ Oklahoma State. It’s not often that two non-traditional powers provide the most anticipated game of the week with national title implications. Clearly unprepared for such attention, Oklahoma State can only offer up All-American Murder, a straight-to-video thriller-by-numbers starring Anson “Potsie from Happy Days” Williams and Christopher Walken, grabbing some cash between King of New York and True Romance. (ABC)
PICK: Baylor by 7
SCORE: Baylor, 21-14
But I hope not.
Senior Day in The Shoe: Buckeyes vs. Hoosiers Preview
Lack of focus would be the phrase to sum up the preparation and gameday execution of Illinois week. Coach Meyer admitted that he, the coaches, and the players were too focused on outside issues and lost the tunnel vision that they needed to come out and play well on Saturday. That lack of focus led to one of the Big Ten’s worst teams, Illinois, being within 9 points of the Buckeyes in the 4th quarter last Saturday. The Buckeyes would eventually pull away behind the running of Carlos Hyde, but for Coach Meyer and the whole program the message was received, take care of your task at hand and continue to block out anything else. This week, all hands will need to be on deck as a very explosive and talented Hoosier offense comes in to town on Senior Day in Ohio Stadium.
The Hoosiers Offensive Machine
Urban Meyer is an admirer of Kevin Wilson and believes Wilson was one of the early pioneers of the spread offense in college football. Wilson has this Hoosier offense making explosive plays through the air and on the ground. As a matter of fact, most would believe that this offense is predicated on a pass first philosophy, however, Wilson has developed this offense in to a run first, play action spread offense, with some option game mixed in. The Hoosiers have done a pretty decent job of obtaining balance in their offense. They rank 17th in the nation in pass offense, and 45th in the nation in rush offense according to ESPN.com.
The two quarterbacks that power this spread attack are Tre Roberson (5) and Nate Sudfeld (7) . Both quarterbacks possess quality arms. Sudfeld is the more accurate thrower, while Roberson can throw, but generally does a better job running the option aspect of this spread attack. Wilson will use both quarterbacks on Saturday. However, when Roberson is in the game the back seven will have to stay extremely disciplined since the Hoosiers run a lot of option with him, as well as run play action and take shots down field. When Sudfeld is in the game the pass rushers will have to be able to get home on their blitzes and rushes. Sudfeld can not be left sitting in the pocket or he will dissect a defense if he has time. Sudfeld possesses some mobility, however when he is in, if the Hoosiers want to run expect them to hand it off to their talented running backs Stephen Houston and Tevin Coleman.
Both of these backs are averaging around 7 yards a carry for the year, which should immediately get any defenses attention. Coleman is the every down back, while Houston will be used more in the option game and is a bit more explosive. The Hoosiers run game is nothing to scoff at as they have scored 23 rushing touchdowns this year and Houston, Coleman, and Roberson have accounted for 20 of those rushing TD’s. Getting Joshua Perry back for this game will be crucial, since the Buckeye linebackers can expect to have an extremely busy afternoon trying to defend not only this run game, but whatever play action the Hoosiers will try to run off of it.
The Hoosiers have two main targets when they run their play action and take shots down the field, Cody Lattimer and Shane Wynn. Lattimer is the most reliable of the receivers as he leads the team in receptions, yards, and touchdowns, but Wynn could be the X-factor for the Hoosier’s offense this Saturday. Wynn was a big get for the Hoosiers out of high school as he came out of the Buckeye pipeline of Cleveland Glenville, but was never offered by the Buckeyes. Wynn is a very explosive and elusive player who can get in space quickly and create havoc. Preventing him from getting yards after the catch will be vital. Add in receivers Koffi Hughes, who is second in the team in receptions (35) and third in touchdowns (6), and Ted Bolser who has 30 receptions and 5 touchdowns on the year, and the Buckeye secondary will have their hands full on Saturday.
Expect Ohio State to play a lot of nickel and dime this week. Indiana’s only hope to keep this game close is to force a shootout like they did last year. The Buckeye defense as a whole needs to play at a high level this week. While this Hoosier team seems to play poorly when they go on the road, their previous success against Ohio State last year will provide them with some confidence going in to The Shoe. Tackling, rushing the passer, preventing deep plays, and preventing yards after the catch will be extremely vital for the Buckeye defense if they want to have success in stopping the Hoosier offense.
Hoosier Defense May Want to Hyde
Indiana does not have a quality defense. I could do my best coach speak impersonation and try and name some guys that could give the Buckeyes trouble, but there aren’t many. David Cooper, linebacker, is the Hoosiers best player, but he’s only the teams leading tackler. He doesn’t do much in pass defense or rushing the passer. Therefore, Buckeye nation should expect a very productive day from the Ohio State offense.
Tom Herman likes to utilize Braxton’s arm strength and stretch the defense by taking multiple shots downfield, which stretches the defense and provides more running lanes for Hyde. He tried to do that last week, however the wind did not cooperate which led to Braxton’s average completion percentage, and the Buckeye offense getting behind the chains, and stalling out at times. Herman needs to be patient with the deep ball. Running Hyde, Wilson, and Miller isn’t always the most terrible option. Wisconsin proved last week that running the football against the Hoosiers is a great way to set up the rest of the offense. I would expect Herman to do some self evaluating this past week, and give himself a shorter leash on how often they throw deep. That’s not saying that Herman will go in to a shell with the offense, but he wants the offense to operate as efficiently as possible so expect more intermediate throws that have the potential to be explosive rather than straight shots down the field.
As I said, Hyde and Miller should absolutely destroy this Hoosier defense. Wilson has said he wants to focus on Hyde, but that probably means giving Miller open running lanes which isn’t the wisest idea either. Running the football early and often for this offense would probably do it some good as it could keep the explosive IU offense at bay for a while, and give the Buckeye defense some rest. I would expect this offense to try and link drives together on Saturday if the defense seems like they can’t handle the IU offense. If they fail to do this then expect a similar shootout to last year.
Breakout Buckeyes
Coach Wilson, during the weekly Big Ten teleconference, already sounded concerned with the amount of play makers Ohio State has. This reminded me of Darrell Hazell’s comments prior to the Purdue game. What does that mean? I believe we will see another explosive performance from tight end Jeff Heuerman on Saturday. The easiest way to attack a poor defense is up the middle. If Herman wants to throw deep, he will need to have the Hoosier defense focused on Hyde and Heureman in the middle of the field in order for his receivers to win their one on one battles on the outside.
Also, according to Meyer Dontre Wilson deserves to be receiving more touches, generally that means, we will get Dontre the ball more. I would think Dontre can expect some opportunities running, receiving, and even returning in this game. He should have some success against this Indiana defense especially with the focus generally being on Hyde and Miller. Ezekiel Elliott may also see time in this game depending on how close this is.
Under the Radar Match-ups
The Hoosiers kicking game is one of the more efficient in the conference. Wilson is not afraid to have his kicker kick 40+ yard field goals if they are in range. The Buckeye defense tends to become very stingy in the red zone. If Indiana’s kicking game is successful it may help them stick around in the game, however if they kick too often and their defense surrenders too many touchdowns, the Hoosier will find themselves in a blowout.
Last week the Buckeyes surrendered their first punt return for a touchdown to one of the nations best returners. This week they will face Tevin Coleman who is a threat in the kick return game. The coverage teams have been pretty banged up, which has led to offensive players being taught how to properly tackle this past week. Watch out for Coleman in the return game to see if he has any success against this banged up unit.
B1G Week 13 Preview: The End is Drawing Near
I can’t believe how fast this season has flown by. It seems like just yesterday we were kicking off the season. The B1G has certainly had its share of interesting moments and hasn’t lacked in entertainment to say the least. I also believe the conference has noticeably improved compared to last season. The top three teams in the conference (Ohio State, Michigan State and Wisconsin) are pretty strong and I would have no problem putting them up against the top three teams from another conference. Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa and Michigan are pretty solid teams too, despite their flaws. Northwestern has been disappointing, but that isn’t completely their fault (injuries). Penn State, Illinois, Indiana and Purdue are rebuilding their programs. Only Illinois may be making a coaching change out of the four, but the other three seem to be heading in the right direction. With the season drawing to a close, everyone is trying to get another win either for the BCS, bowl positioning or for personal pride. So let’s look at week 13:
Illinois @ Purdue
So for the first time in conference play, I’m actually giving Purdue a good shot at winning this game. This is because the Boilermakers are coming off one of their best performances of the season, it’s at West Lafayette and Illinois has lost 20 straight B1G games. Illinois is coming off a surprising good performance against Ohio State. The Fighting Illini found holes in the Buckeyes’ secondary and were able to throw for 288 yards. The Illinois defense was even worse though and just could’t stop the Buckeyes’ offense. Purdue has won seven out of the last eight games against Illinois. The lone win for Illinois came in Champaign. I think Illinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase has a big game and will be the difference in a close Illinois win.
Michigan @ Iowa
When these two play teams play, you’re pretty much guaranteed to have a close game. Michigan always seems to play close to the vest when traveling to Iowa City. Take a look these two over the last several years and you’ll see what I mean. Iowa has won three out of the last four match-ups. I think this game favors Iowa because Michigan hasn’t played their best on the road this season and Iowa always seems to play better at Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes love to pound it out on the ground to set up short, easy passes for quarterback Jake Rudock. Michigan is a team that is hard to describe. The only for certain about them is that quarterback Devin Gardner can do enough to keep them in games until the end, which is what I think he will do this Saturday. I really can’t call a winner here because it’s just too close to call.
#13 Michigan State @ Northwestern
I feel for Northwestern and their fans. After losing to Ohio State and Wisconsin in consecutive weeks many thought they would turn it around and finish with at least eight to nine wins. But with injuries and horrible luck, they went into a tailspin they still haven’t recovered from it. The Wildcats will not even be going to a bowl this season. It’s only going to get worse this weekend when they face one of the best defenses in the country. The Spartans can smell an 11-1 season on the horizon and a potential BCS bowl bid. The offense is getting better every week, especially quarterback Connor Cook. Cook isn’t the next Peyton Manning, but he’s a good leader and doesn’t turn the ball over. And when you have a great running back like Jeremy Langston and a fierce defense, that’s all you need. I expect Michigan State to win this game easily and continue on their march to Indianapolis.
Nebraska @ Penn State
The last time Nebraska visited Happy Valley was in the wake of the Sandusky Scandal and was the first game after the firing of Joe Paterno. It was an emotional game. Nebraska won last year 32-23 in Lincoln and have won three straight in the series. The Huskers had a disappointing loss against Michigan State last weekend, which effectively eliminated them from returning to the B1G Championship for a second straight season. Nebraska’s offense is relying heavily on star running back Ameer Abdullah, who has been lighting up opposing teams all season. They also have a freshman quarterback Tommy Armstrong who is still getting acclimated to major college football. Speaking of freshman quarterbacks, Penn State has one in Christian Hackenberg, who has had a solid, but unspectacular season. The Nittany Lions have also been relying on the run a lot lately, especially Zach Zwinak. So both teams should pound it out on the ground in this game with some success, which means whoever is better at stopping the run should win. Turnovers have been issues for both this season too. I like Penn State’s chances to pull off the upset, but I’m picking Nebraska to win this one.
#19 Wisconsin @ #25 Minnesota
We have a top 25 match-up in the B1G and it involves Minnesota. Nobody saw this coming. The surprising Golden Gophers are 8-2 on the season and a pretty solid team. They have a great running game and bend, but don’t break defense. And all of this has been accomplished with head coach Jerry Kill battling health issues all season. Gophers running back David Cobb has rushed for 942 yards and seven touchdowns on the season and has been the best offensive player for Minnesota. Quarterback Philip Nelson has been steadily improving too. But the Gophers face their toughest test yet when they face Wisconsin this weekend. The Badgers have won nine straight games in this series and have been beating down every team in their path since losing to Ohio State. Wisconsin still has a shot at a BCS at-large bid too. So a lot is on the line for both teams. Everyone knows about the Badgers excellent rushing attack and it will face a solid test against a Minnesota defense that has done well against the run. The game being in Minneapolis will definitely help the Gophers. I think this game will be close at the half, but I just don’t see how Minnesota can stop Wisconsin enough to win this game. Minnesota is a good team that deserves praise for their season, but Wisconsin is on another level.
What’s a Hoosier? Players to Watch Week 13
This week the Buckeyes host the Indiana Hoosiers and their electrifying pass attack. The Buckeyes also host the abysmal Hoosier defense, as well as recognizing the Buckeye seniors in their last home game in The Shoe. Thank you to all of the seniors (and Roby and Shazier) for providing Buckeye Nation with your heart, body, and soul during your years at Ohio State, and good luck to all of you in the NFL or other endeavors. Now, lets get to some players to look out for on Saturday.
Indiana
Nate Sudfeld, Quarterback #7- Sudfeld is an imposing quarterback at 6’5 230 pounds. He’s got a powerful arm, is very accurate throwing the ball down-field, and even has a little mobility in him. He will be one of the best quarterbacks the Buckeyes will face this year not only because of his physical gifts, but also because of his knowledge and comfort in this offense. Sudfeld has had a very good year stat wise as he’s thrown for over 2,200 yards, 19 touchdowns, and has a 60% completion percentage. However, Sudfeld has had accuracy issues this season, especially away from home. While at home Sudfeld has an average completion percentage of 66.1, and has thrown for 18 touchdowns. Away from home Sudfeld has thrown for an abysmal 43.7% completion rate, one touchown, and two interceptions. For the Buckeye’s secondary, they can only hope he continues his sub par play away from home.
Tevin Coleman, Running back #6- Coleman did not play last week against Wisconin due to an ankle issue and is unsure whether or not he will go this week. Before his injury, Coleman was racking up stats comparable to Carlos Hyde. Coleman is averaging 7.3 yards per carry, as well as running for 12 touchdowns and 958 yards. In November, Coleman is averaging 11.1 yards per carry, and has ran for 3 touchdowns. Coleman is an all-purpose back, which will require the Buckeye linebackers to pay attention to him in the passing game as well. The Buckeye rush defense has been pretty stout this season, however, without Grant and Perry playing last week Shazier was the only linebacker who was able to make plays, which allowed the Illini backs to gain chunk yards occasionally. Good news for the Buckeyes is that Perry is listed as probable for the game Saturday, and is the Mike linebacker for the Buckeyes in their nickel defense. He should provide a little more run support for the Buckeye D and continue to improve his play.
Cody Latimer- This offense may be the last offense the Buckeye secondary wants to see after their continued struggles this season. Latimer is another big time wide out who will present a serious challenge to the Buckeye corners Roby and Grant. Latimer is 6’3, 215 pounds with good speed, and a quality pair of hands. Latimer has 60 receptions this year, for 926 yards, and 8 touchdowns. He’s a very good route runner and is Sudfeld’s favorite target. So far this season against the oppositions number one receiver the Buckeyes have consistently failed in locking down the quarterbacks main target. Latimer will have to be kept in check this weekend if the Buckeyes want to hold this offense down.
Ohio State
Carlos Hyde- Hyde should have a monster game again this Saturday. It will not only be his senior game, but also his opportunity to become Coach Meyer’s first thousand yard rusher. Hyde could easily go for 250 yards again this week, just go watch the Wisconsin-IU game from last weekend. I will be interested to see how long Hyde is left in. If the game remains close Hyde will run in to the fourth quarter and could put up stats that you can’t even rack up on NCAA ’14.
Devin Smith- Smith has been quiet this season. He had early success in the non-conference schedule, but since then his explosiveness has been kept in check for the most part. Against this defense Smith should have an explosive day. The offense will have plenty of opportunities to push the ball down-field, as long as the weather cooperates. Look for Smith to have one or two big time plays this week that will stretch this Hoosier defense out to open more run lanes for Hyde and Miller.
Bradley Roby, or just the Buckeye secondary in general- Seriously, if this secondary can’t hang with the likes of Illinois or Indiana, I can’t imagine what Jameis Winston or AJ McCarron will do to it. This will be a huge test for this unit. Last years game should weigh heavily on their minds as they were absolutely embarrassed by the Hoosiers. The Buckeye secondary needs to break up passes early, stay disciplined on run action, and stay focused for the whole duration of the play and game. If they do not it will be a long senior day, and the Hoosiers could pose another upset bid.