Archives for September 2014

Instant Analysis: Ohio State beats Cincinnati 50-28

osuHelmetDon’t lie — when you saw Gunner Kiel go deep to Chris Moore you thought to yourself “oh no, here we go again.”

Then Ohio State ripped off 30 unanswered points and it looked like the rout was on.

But as was pointed out repeatedly by the commentators (inadvertently, mind you), there is no such thing as momentum. Cincinnati would go on a run of their own, outscoring the Buckeyes 21-3, and suddenly it was a game.

A game of runs.

Looking at a 28-33 score, Ohio State would drive down and get a field goal to go up by 8. Then a questionable offensive pass interference call put Cincinnati in a big hole, unable to get another first down. Ohio State would then go on to pound the ball on the way to a couple more scores to put the game out of reach.

There’s plenty more to discuss (there are still some defensive deficiencies) but for now, let’s enjoy the huge offensive explosion.

Offensive player of the game: Ezekiel Elliot. This was easy, this was pure man-ball from Elliot. 233 total yards, a touchdown and just straight up beastmode.

Defensive player of the game: I thought about not awarding anyone this one, seeing how they gave up three HUGE touchdown passes, but I can’t overlook how good Joey Bosa played, especially in the first half. His sack/forced fumble that resulted in a safety looked like it might turn the game ugly. The Big Bear played lights-out.

Dan Fouts foot-in-mouth award: I don’t remember if it was Glen Mason or not (I think it was) who said, speaking of Curtis Samuel, that he “learned a valuable lesson tonight, to hold on to the ball.” Sorry, but I’m pretty sure Curtis learned that “valuable lesson” in the fourth grade, Glen.

After an up and down non-conference run, it’s time for Ohio State’s B1G play to start, beginning with Maryland in a week.

Friday Open Thread: Cincinnati

Did I spell that right? It always looks wrong to me. That’s usually why I refer to the city as Cincy. I kinda don’t like Cincinnati. If they love Kentucky so much down there they can leave. This state is only big enough for one baseball team and one football team, and let’s be honest, when have the Reds or Bengals done anything? (Okay, don’t answer that.)

So it’s back to the gridiron for our Buckeyes, something all us Ohioans can agree on, that the Buckeyes and Ohio State are superior to the University of Cincinnati Bearcats in every way, shape, and form. Maybe someday it will fall off and sink into the Ohio River and do us all a favor.

Things will be a little somber at the Horseshoe, as a moment of silence is observed for UC walk-on running back Chamoda Kennedy-Palmore and his tragic death. Extremely sad and should put things in perspective as to what really matters. You really only need a few seconds to consider it, though. It’s football. Football matters. And family. And friends. And good times and enjoyable memories. Dang it now it’s dusty in here.

As always, we’ve had a plethora of game coverage. Ronnie looked at the players to watch, but let’s be honest: the only player that should give you pause for concern is Gunner Kiel:

He is a towering player at 6-5 200+ pounds, and with his size comes some surprising mobility. He won’t beat you with his feet, but is more than capable of escaping the pocket and gaining meaningful yardage. Kiel’s real talent lies in his big arm and above average accuracy. Head Coach Tommy Tubberville wanted to find out what he had with Kiel in their first two games and he came away impressed. Kiel went 50 for 76 (65.8%) and threw for ten touchdowns and two interceptions. The Bearcats offense is not very balanced and relies heavily upon Kiel to get the ball to their plethora of wide receivers. This will be the most talented receiving core Ohio State will face this year and Kiel loves to spread the wealth. The Buckeyes will have to bother Kiel in the pocket in order to make their more aggressive pass coverage schemes more effective. If not, expect Kiel to put up big big numbers and really push the Buckeyes to the brink of an upset.

Chip looked at three things to consider for the game, the majority of which deals with trenches.

MotSaG Live continues apace, and Josh and the gang are really hitting it out of the park. Give it a listen!

Jacob previewed the game, which you should read.

After you read it, what do you see happening this Saturday? The Buckeyes will win (duh), but which quarterback racks up more yards? Which freshmen sees the field the most? What margin of victory is “acceptable” to start the way back into the CFB Playoff discussion?

I’ll say:

Ohio State: 45
Cincy: 23

Kiel will out-gun JT “Double” Barret in a shootout. (I’m so sorry)

Raekwon McMillan will see the most snaps this Saturday.

Who cares? Just win BABY!

Q&A With an Opponents Blogger: Cincinnati

Finally done with that bye week and we are back to talking about a football game this Saturday. It’s Beat Cincinnati week and I have the great pleasure to sit down and discuss tomorrows match-up with Scott King of BearcatsBlog.com. Grab your favorite Buckeye coffee mug,sit back and enjoy our interaction to help possibly enlighten our awesome readers.

MotSaG: Why is there such resentment, hate, or disregard for Ohio State in Cincinnati?

BB: From what I’ve gathered, it’s all because people don’t like Ohio State fans. That’s really it. I asked people why they didn’t like Ohio State over twitter and a lot of it is that the fan base is smug, think they run Ohio and Ohio State fans are jerks. I don’t necessarily agree since I didn’t have that problem when I lived in Cincinnati, nor do I have it on twitter.

There is a bitterness that Ohio State won’t play Cincinnati. That’s a bitterness I share when it comes to basketball. I’m one of the people who doesn’t know why OSU, Xavier, Dayton and Cincinnati don’t play each other every year in some kind of round robin. For the teams to only have only played twice since the 60s is a joke. Especially with the success each of them have had since the 90s. I don’t get it.

Football is different because you only get 4 games a year. OSU won’t travel for more than 1 I’m assuming, so that hurts trips to Cincinnati. UC doesn’t want to only travel to Columbus. I understand why that one is trickier.

When I was growing up, Ohio State was the only program in Ohio that was on TV every week. This is the 90s and early 2000s. Cincinnati was never on TV. You could do to UC football games for free pretty much. Before 1997, Cincinnati hadn’t gone to a bowl game in something like 50 years. This generation of Cincinnati fans is like the first in decades that has become a fan with Cincinnati being a successful program. I think this generation doesn’t understand why Ohio State gets so much coverage and talk and fans in Cincinnati. There are people in Ohio who root for Michigan to beat Ohio State. I grew up hating Michigan. Desmond Howard, hate. Charles Woodson, hate. Lloyd Carr, hate. To be fair, I did hate John Cooper as well.

There is definitely some little brother vibe going on there. It’s not like Louisville, who gets a chance to kick Kentucky’s ass every year and get a piece of the pie. Cincinnati gets no cracks at Ohio State in any sport. When they have, it hasn’t really gone well. As successful as Cincinnati has been, they are still in the massive shadow of Ohio State.

TLDR: Little brother feelings, don’t like Ohio State fans.

MotSaG: The media has bashed Urban for his supposed lack of discipline and Tommy Tuberville shows this last week that he brings the SEC style of discipline to UC is that a fair assessment?

BB: I’m assuming you mean this by his not suspending a few players? I don’t think the players who weren’t suspended should have been. The player with the more serious charges was suspended and the ones with the lesser things got to play. Hosey Williams barely played at all against Miami anyway.

MotSaG: How many sacks do you think linebacker Jeff Luc will have Saturday?

BB: I’ll say 1. If you asked about tackles, I would go around 15. Jeff Luc has been a tackling robot the first two weeks with 12 tackles in the opener and 18 last week. Luc has 1.5 sacks on the season. I think the Bearcat with the best chance to have a big sack game, that sounds gross, is Silverberry Mouhon.

Fact, not bringing up Silverberry Mouhon will get you fired as a Cincinnati blogger.

MotSaG: Did the Bearcats overlook Miami of Ohio last week almost causing them to lose?

BB: Yes to an extent, although there are some major problems which helped Miami stay in the game. Major problems like Cincinnati coming out flat to start the second half two weeks in a row. Major problems like the secondary giving up over 20 yards a completion to the RedHawks. The offense had a couple of drops on potential big plays as well. It was a bunch of small things that turned into big things. Cincinnati has seemed like they have let up after getting double digit leads on opponents. Cincinnati also kept some important players, like starting center DeyShawn Bond and starting corner Adrian Witty, on the bench with injuries. Overlooking was a small problem, execution was a bigger one.

MotSaG: OT Eric Lefeld vs Joey Bosa who will win this battle?

BB: This should be a hell of a battle. I’m interested to see how Lefeld matches up. Lefeld was beat last week for a sack, the only sack Cincinnati gave up last week. He might need some help with Bosa, who is awesome and very disruptive. I’ll say Lefeld because I think he’ll have help and a game plan. But that is not to say that Bosa won’t make a play or two.

MotSaG: What are the Bearcats strengths the Buckeyes need to be concerned about?

BB: The strength has been throwing the football. Gunner Kiel has looked great this season. Cincinnati has depth on top of depth at receiver. Cincinnati has run the ball 30 times a game in the first two games. Kiel has thrown 76 passes. That doesn’t take account of Munchie Legaux’s 5 attempts. Cincinnati is going to throw the ball. They have a major league home run threat in Mekale McKay, 12 receptions, 215 yards, 3 TDs. They have a possession receiver who doesn’t drop anything in Shaq Washington. They have a red zone threat in Chris Moore, 13 career TDs. They have a guy who is just fast in Johnny Holton. 12 Bearcats have caught passes this season. Gunner has options and he uses them.

The Bearcats were able to get 5.5 sacks from the defensive line against Miami. Jeff Luc, as mentioned, and Nick Temple are very solid linebackers. But mainly the strength has been Kiel and his receivers, especially McKay.

MotSaG: Many are saying this is going to be the best WR corp the Buckeyes will see this year how do you think they will handle the pressure of man press coverage and physical play something that has been a knock on them?

BB: I’m really intrigued about how Mekale McKay will produce. He had a tendency last season to be hit and miss. He would put up great numbers and then just kind vanish. He had 6 total catches in the games Cincinnati lost in 2013. Of course, he had 2 TDs and a 57 yard reception for half of those. He’s a tough player to figure out.

I think the Bearcats can handle it relatively well. They are going to throw out enough receivers that someone should. When you look at the numbers from the Louisville and North Carolina games, Chris Moore stood out. Moore has only 3 receptions this season but we’ve seen him play a much bigger role in the offense. Washington was able to get catches and yards on almost everyone. The ones that you worry about are the Max Morrison’s and Johnny Holton’s and Nate Cole’s and Ralph David Abernathy’s of the world. The role players who have made contributions at home. Will that travel? Who knows?

Probably not the best answer, but it was the honest one.

MotSaG: What is more popular in Cincinnati, the Bearcats, Kentucky Wildcats, or Dayton Flyers?

BB: That’s the proper order I would say. Kentucky has a huge following and even Louisville has some fans in Cincinnati. But the Bearcats are the team in town, especially when they are doing well like they have been. Kentucky basketball is a regional monster, and part of that region is Cincinnati for sure. Ask Cincinnati fans about how they feel about Kentucky when basketball season rolls around. It’s like Ohio State hate turns into Kentucky hate. Why? Just because of the fans. And Kentucky fans are worse than Ohio State fans by a million. Hands down, no contest.

MotSaG: How do Cincinnati fans think they would be able to Black Out the Shoe when the Buckeyes overrun just about every stadium they travel to and there might not be any team in the country that travels that well?

BB: It’s noble to try, right? Cincinnati will have their contingent of fans and they can do the best they can to make noise in a sea of red. 5,000 or whatever out of 109,000 is not very many though. Whatever can rally the fan base is all that matters in a case like this. At least it’ll be easy to tell who is cheering on who.

MotSaG: Predictions for the game?

BB: Ohio State wins kind of comfortably. This could be close for a quarter but I think the Buckeyes have too much talent for the Bearcats to handle. If Kiel isn’t on point, it could be a long day for the Bearcats. His arm could keep it close. The defense would have to show something they haven’t shown so far.

I like Ohio State by a couple of touchdowns. The spread is like OSU -16 and I think that’s about right.

I am very thankful for Scott taken the time out to help me out this week and be a part of MotSaG’s Cincinnati week. You can follow Scott on the twitters @BearcatsBlog.

Couple of things I would like to follow up on from our Q&A. When I questioned about lack of discipline from Tuberville is that two different players had outstanding warrants for minor drug charges and there was no suspensions. Tracy Sprinkle was arrested and had alleged drug charges that were later dismissed after testing done that cleared him but he was removed from the team just saying. Hosey Williams disorderly conduct while intoxicated no big deal not saying he should have received much from that honestly.

I am nervously optimistic for this game, part of me wants to say that yes this should be a big win for the Buckeyes but I want to stay contained and refrained after getting burned by that VT game. I’m still not sure about the offensive line, if they are able to fix their issues during the bye and Barrett hits his hot routes on the blitzes then my prediction is going to be way off and I will be very happy about that. My prediction for this game is going to be conservative and as I said on our podcast Tuesday I’m going with 27-24 Ohio State.

Remember have any questions for our next opponent you want to ask hit me up at AskMotSaG@gmail.com

Coaching Class: Weeks 3 and 4

Since the last installment, we saw Ohio State lose to Virginia Tech and blew out Kent State (which looked eerily similar to the Falcons/Bucaneers game I’m watching while typing this). In class, we have begun to talk about position play, as well as a bit about the history of football. So, let’s go on a ride through football history, in a brief breakdown, shall we?

There will be a quiz on that (no, there won’t).

Let’s talk about special teams. Coach Kerry Coombs led this class, which may have been the most awake I have ever been for a 7:30 AM class. I can see why he is a recruiting guru. Heck, after this class I was ready to suit up and play kick team for him. I digress. As we know, if you don’t play on special teams, you don’t start play on the other units. Coombs broke down what they call the Pyramid of Influence to get on special teams. Head Coach -> Position Coach -> Team Leader -> Coach Coombs. Players that want to play on special teams shouldn’t go to Coombs. They should go to Urban, and follow down the pyramid. The Team Leader is a player on the team, not a staff member. Here is a brief breakdown of the units (without going into too much detail about OSU specifics):

Punt Unit

Four packages, depending on what the opponent shows on punt block, to move the block spot of the kick.

Fundamentals include:

  • Identifying the opponent: rush (going for the block) or hold-up (setting up the return)
    • Rush: timed block, snag technique, release and get downfield
    • Hold-up: speed release using leverage, throw by, get downfield
  • Cup the receiver and prevent cutbacks

Punt protection:

A punt team can only block 7 men by design. Punt protection has two sides – the zone side and the man side. By default, depending on how many men the block team lines up, at least 1-2 defenders could be unblocked. This is where moving the block point comes into effect, to move the kicker away from where it looks like the pressure will come.

Punt Return/Block

Fundamentals of punt block include:

  • Identify blockers
  • Lining up behind the ball
  • Get off – upfield in 2-3 steps
  • Pad level low, point inside and use leverage
  • Reach inside

Given that the average snap-to-kick time is about 2 seconds, 2 seconds is the goal to get to the block point. If an opposing special unit team can get a kick off in under 2 seconds, there will never be a successful block, and the return comes into play.

Punt return fundamentals:

  • Get off ball
  • Wide stance to redirect opponent, then release
  • Widen the hole
  • Run the numbers

Kickoff Team

Fundamentals:

  • Take off 1 yd behind kicker
  • Locate ball and identify type of return
  • Stick and release, drive low
  • Beat with speed
  • Disengage and tackle

The biggest part on kickoff is release from blocks, then being able to contain the returner from cutbacks.

Kickoff Return

Packages

  1. Sideline Tag 4
  2. Sideline Tag 3
  3. Counter

Fundamentals include:

  • Blocking
    • Sometimes double team, but usually the cage technique
  • The “Ball-Me-Man” concept
    • Your man should never be between you and the ballcarrier (until the ballcarrier has advanced upfield past you)
  • Spacing and the wedge

For returners, these are the basic steps for a return:

  1. See the ball kicked
  2. Determine depth and direction of kick
  3. Adjust and drop to depth and angle of kick
  4. Execute technique of catching ball
  5. Finish – rip and run the number

That was Kerry Coombs’s 55 minute power lesson of his special units philosophy. I was ready to run 5 miles after this class. If you ever get a chance to hear him speak, do it.

A very Tragic loss in UC

Very sad news coming out of Cincinnati today. According to Cincinnati.com 19 year old running back Chamoda Kennedy-Palmore was killed by a motorist who crossed two lanes of traffic colliding with Chamoda’s motorcycle. The Bearcats football player was wearing his helmet and proper gear.

“Our football program and university has suffered another great tragedy,” said UC football coach Tommy Tuberville in a prepared statement.

“I’m a father first and a coach second and it’s always hard to put your thoughts into words during times like these. Chamoda was a talented non-scholarship player and a key member of our scout teams. He worked hard and earned his spot on the roster. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

This is sad and tragic news for the University of Cincinnati football team and the Kennedy-Palmore family. Our thoughts and prayers from the MotSaG family go out to all those affected by this very tragic loss.

Wide Receiver Johnnie Dixon Out For The Season

On Urban Meyer’s call-in show today on 97.1 The Fan he announced wide receiver Johnnie Dixon will be out for the season due to knee injuries. According to Meyer there is tendonitis in both knees and he will indeed have surgery performed on both. The freshman Dixon was pushing for playing time and even saw some playing time in Ohio State’s 66-0 blowout of Kent State. He is expected to medical redshirt, as he eligible to obtain one, which will allow him to play four more year. We wish him the best of luck and a speedy recovery.

MOTSAG TV Guide

BUCKEYES

(9/27) Cincinnati @ Ohio State. 6:00p, Big Ten Network.

It’s time for the 2014 Silver Bullets to solidify themselves as a top defense after shutting out Kent State. The Bearcats roll into town with QB Gunner Kiel, the 10th highest-rated passer in the country. The good news is that Cincy’s offensive eggs are all in the passing basket, so if the Buckeyes can disrupt Kiel, it could be a long night for the Bearcats. It also helps that the 12th highest-rated will be on the field Saturday night too.

UPCOMING OPPONENTS

(9/27)

Northwestern @ Penn State. Noon, Big Ten Network.

Wyoming @ Michigan State. Noon, ESPN2.

Tulane @ Rutgers. Noon, ESPN News.

Maryland @ Indiana. 1:30p, Big Ten Network.

Minnesota @ Michigan. 3:30p, ABC/ESPN2.

This week, Michigan AD Dave Brandon found a way to make tickets to the Minnesota game the 2014 equivalent of an AOL disk in the 90s.

Illinois @ Nebraska. 9:00p, Big Ten Network.

OTHER BIG TEN TEAMS

(9/27)

South Florida @ Wisconsin. Noon, ESPNU.

Iowa @ Purdue, Noon, Big Ten Network.

OTHER OHIO TEAMS

Central Michigan @ Toledo. 7:00p, ESPN3 (online) / BCSN (?)

Akron @ Pittsburgh. 1:30p, ESPN3 (online)

Bowling Green @ UMass. 3:00p, ESPN3 (online)

Eastern Illinois @ Ohio. 2:00p, ESPN3 (online)

Miami (OH) @ Buffalo. 3:30p, ESPN3 (online)

OTHER BIG NATIONAL GAMES

Tennessee @ Georgia. Noon, ESPN.

Stanford @ Washington. 4:00p, Fox.

Notre Dame vs. Syracuse in East Rutherford. 8:00p, ABC.

Ohio State vs. Cincinnati Preview

osuHelmetIt’s been a tough week for everyone. I mean it’s always a tough week during the bye, however the Buckeyes are back. Let’s take a look as to what is coming up this Saturday in The Shoe.

Cincinnati on Offense: This team on offense loves to throw the ball, and then throw the ball some more. Gunner Kiel is a physical specimen at quarterback. At 6 foot 5 inches Kiel has tremendous arm strength and decent arm accuracy. This game should be very important to Kiel. Kiel coming out of high school, in 2011, he was the number one quarterback committed to Indiana originally. After taking a visit to Death Valley then committed to LSU, but then ended up signing and redshirting at Notre Dame. Kiel obviously has ambitions of going pro and having those typed of changes could maybe raise red flags to some teams in the NFL. Kiel finally gets to prove what he can do against a name brand team, like Ohio State. Kiel has a number of options to throw the ball to. While Shaq Washington is the best route runner and could do some damage against the Buckeyes. A guy I will talk about later, but is a guy to watch for is Mekale McKay. The Bearcats do have a weakness and that is running the football. The leading rusher, Hosey Williams, has nineteen rushes for hundred and fourteen yards. The biggest problem with those numbers is that is all the numbers he has against Miami of Ohio and Toledo. This offensive line is big, however they are not particularly good run blockers and if the Bearcats want to pull the upset they need to be more balanced. The game plan for Cincinnati is to throw the ball as much as possible against an Ohio State secondary that got lit up by Virginia Tech. For those fans that thought Virginia Tech wide receivers abused the Buckeyes, well it will be worse because this receiving core is much better than the Hokies receiving core.

When Ohio State is on Offense: Once again this section will be short and sweet. The Cincinnati Bearcats defense is bad. This defense gave up for five hundred yards to Toledo ran for two hundred and forty of those yards. The Buckeye offense should be able to do whatever their heart desires. I expect the Buckeyes should run the ball a ton and out physical this Bearcats defense. The most alarming stat about the Bearcats is the Toledo Rockets converted eight out of seventeen third down conversions. So I expect the Buckeyes to offense to be on the field and move the ball.

Future NFL Players from Cincinnati: A guy I really like on Cincinnati is Mekale McKay. At six feet six inches. McKay is big has strong hands, has decent speed, and is that big red-zone threat every quarterback loves. McKay has a bright future and the great thing is he is only a junior and since he finally has a good quarterback in Kiel. McKay should break out this year and be a possible third round pick in 2016 NFL Draft. He has a lot of upside to like and teams in the NFL will be drooling when he goes pro.

Bottom Line: This game is going to be a shootout and I expect a high scoring game. However I think the Buckeye defensive front seven is much more talented than the Bearcats offensive line and running game. The Buckeyes will win this one.

Weekly Getting SEC Fans Worked Up About the Truth: Here is the truth about the SEC. Missouri lost to Indiana at home.

3 Areas Of Focus For Cincinnati @ Ohio State

Every Ohio State fan can vividly recall how close the University of Cincinnati came to upsetting the Buckeyes in Paul Brown Stadium in 2002. I am willing to guess that many Buckeye fans have either forgotten, or have decided to ignore, that Cincinnati gave Ohio State a good game in 1999 in Ohio Stadium as well (Ohio State 34-20). Of course, Ohio State had easier games in Ohio Stadium versus Cincinnati in 2004 (27-6), and in 2006 (37-7), both times with current Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio facing former Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel.

With a 6pm EST kickoff on The Big Ten Network, Tommy Tuberville will lead his undefeated Cincinnati team into Ohio Stadium to face the Buckeyes, led by Tuberville’s former SEC nemesis, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer. Before presuming Ohio State should be able to easily dispatch Cincinnati, Buckeye fans would be wise to remember that Meyer’s Florida teams lost to Tuberville’s Auburn teams in both 2006 (Auburn 27, Florida 17) and 2007 (Auburn 20, Florida 17).

My points are no matter who the coaches are for Cincinnati or Ohio State, and no matter if the game is in Cincinnati or Columbus, this game should prove to be a battle. This is as close to an in-state rivalry that Ohio State can, or will, develop. Of all the Ohio colleges that Ohio State schedules, Cincinnati will traditionally have the most talent, and the best chance, of defeating Ohio State. Below are three critical areas I will be focusing upon when Cincinnati @ Ohio State kicks off at 6pm on the Big Ten Network:

1. Has Ohio State Settled Its Offensive Line? – A major reason why Ohio State was defeated at home by Virginia Tech was because Ohio State’s inexperienced offensive line had difficulties with the Bear front the Hokies repeatedly used. While LT Taylor Decker and RT Darryl Baldwin seem to be set at their respective positions, the interior positions are still in flux. Considering Coach Tuberville’s experience as a defensive coordinator (Arkansas State, Miami (FL), Texas A&M), look for Cincinnati to do what they can to stymie and stump Ohio State’s offensive line throughout this contest. Cincinnati may not be able to play a Bear front, but Coach Tuberville probably has some ideas on how to confuse and challenge Ohio State’s offensive line Saturday evening.

2. Can Ohio State Establish Its Running Game? – I have stated this before, and will state again that Ohio State truly misses the power running game of Carlos Hyde. Ohio State has been trying to establish its running game with Ezekiel Elliott and Curtis Samuel, but it has not been easy or smooth. Considering Cincinnati has a high-powered passing game, an effective strategy Ohio State could use would rely upon its running game to keep the Buckeye defense on the sidelines, and control the clock. Will Ohio State be able to run the ball when it wants to, or needs to, versus Cincinnati on Saturday evening?

3. Will Ohio State’s Defensive Line Emerge? – [Warning! Shameless Self-Promotion Rapidly Approaching!] On the most recent podcast, I mentioned how Ohio State’s defensive line has not been nearly as dominant as I expected this season. While Joey Bosa has played well, and Noah Spence is suspended indefinitely, can Ohio State develop a pass rush to harass Cincinnati quarterback Gunner Kiel on Saturday evening?

Those three areas are going to be on my mind when the Cincinnati @ Ohio State commences Saturday evening. If Ohio State is to maintain its winning streak versus Cincinnati, Buckeye fans can hope the answers will develop in Ohio State’s favor.

The Spread, Week Five: The Fraud List

This year’s Fraud List is coming to you a week earlier than normal, because this is not going to be a normal year. Undefeated Power 5 conference teams are dropping like flies, and honestly I’m afraid if I wait another week, there won’t be anyone left to populate this list. And then I’ll have to think of something completely new and original to write, and nobody wants that.

A Fraud Team is a currently unbeaten team that I believe will end the season with a least five losses, of which their tend to around 2-4 each year. I’ll pick five and consider the list a success if at least one team is a true fraud and none of them finish better than 8-4.

1. Oregon State

The Beavers have three wins and so do their three opponents. Combined. Even though their only close win was on the road against Hawaii (is it still “on the road” when it’s Hawaii?) the softness of their opening schedule can not be overstated. Three of their next four games are on the road, and that includes USC and Stanford.

2. Washington

Similar to Oregon State, with close wins over Hawaii and Eastern Washington, the Huskies have played slightly better opponents and have a couple of blowouts as well. They take on Stanford next week and travel to Oregon on October 18th.

3. TCU

The Horned Frogs have only played two games, so maybe it’s not fair to put them on this list. But I’m still doing it. They play at dismal SMU next week, then face Oklahoma, Baylor, and Oklahoma State.

4. N.C. State

The Wolfpack’s first four opponents are a combined 9-7, which isn’t terrible, but we’re talking about Old Dominion, Presbyterian, Georgia Southern and South Florida here. Hardly a fearsome bunch of teams. Their next four opponents are Florida State, Clemson, Boston College and Louisville, teams that are a combined 10-4 (which includes Clemson’s losses to FSU and Georgia.)

5. Mississippi State

I think 8-4 is more likely for the Bulldogs, but I wouldn’t rule out a freak loss to Kentucky or Arkansas while they try to navigate through upcoming opponents like Texas A&M, Auburn and Alabama.