Archives for September 2014

Predicting Every Single FBS College Football Game: Week Five

September 24, 2014 by 1 Comment

The weirdness continued in week four of the college football season. And I see it continuing for the rest of this season. There aren’t a lot of teams that have established themselves as great and there’s parity every where you look. Once again this affected my picks in a bad way. My record for week four predictions: 45-12 (78.95% of games predicted correctly). My picks for week four can be found by clicking here. My record for the season: 221-52. So far so good. I decided to pick against the Big Ten a lot last week, so naturally five of my twelve wrong picks were picking against the Big Ten. I don’t think anybody picked Indiana to upset Missouri. I didn’t expect Mississippi State to dominate LSU in their upset either, although the Bulldogs tried their best at the end to choke the win away. Michigan lost by 16 points to Utah, which almost made my three touchdown victory prediction come true. So close. I’m sure Michigan will find more ways to disappoint everyone as the season progresses. Onto week five!

Thursday Sept. 25
Texas Tech @ #24 Oklahoma State – Pick: Oklahoma State
Appalachian State @ Georgia Southern – Pick: Georgia Southern
#11 UCLA @ #15 Arizona State – Pick: Arizona State

Friday Sept. 26
Fresno State @ New Mexico – Pick: Fresno State
Middle Tennessee @ Old Dominion – Pick: Old Dominion

Saturday Sept. 27
North Carolina @ Clemson – Pick: Clemson
#1 Florida State @ NC State – Pick: NC State (Upset)
Duke @ Miami (FL) – Pick: Duke
Tulane @ Rutgers – Pick: Rutgers
UTEP @ #25 Kansas State – Pick: Kansas State
Wyoming @ #9 Michigan State – Pick: Michigan State
Northwestern @ Penn State – Pick: Penn State
Iowa @ Purdue – Pick: Iowa
South Florida @ #19 Wisconsin – Pick: Wisconsin
Tennessee @ #12 Georgia – Pick: Tennessee (Upset)
Vanderbilt @ Kentucky – Pick: Kentucky
TCU @ SMU – Pick: TCU
Colorado State @ Boston College – Pick: Boston College
Western Michigan @ Virginia Tech – Pick: Virginia Tech
Army @ Yale – Pick: Army
Akron @ Pittsburgh – Pick: Pittsburgh
Maryland @ Indiana – Pick: Indiana
Eastern Illinois @ Ohio – Pick: Ohio
Bowling Green @ UMass – Pick: Bowling Green
Kent State @ Virginia – Pick: Virginia
Minnesota @ Michigan – Pick: Minnesota
Arkansas @ #6 Texas A&M – Pick: Texas A&M
Wake Forest @ Louisville – Pick: Louisville
Western Kentucky @ Navy – Pick: Navy
Florida International @ UAB – Pick: UAB
Miami (OH) @ Buffalo – Pick: Miami (OH)
Texas @ Kansas – Pick: Texas
Colorado @ California – Pick: California
#16 Stanford @ Washington – Pick: Stanford
Louisiana Tech @ #5 Auburn – Pick: Auburn
Temple @ Connecticut – Pick: Temple
South Alabama @ Idaho – Pick: Idaho
UTSA @ Florida Atlantic – Pick: UTSA
Cincinnati @ #22 Ohio State – Pick: Ohio State
Central Michigan @ Toledo – Pick: Toledo
Missouri @ #13 South Carolina – Pick: Missouri (Upset)
Boise State @ Air Force – Pick: Boise State
Troy @ LA Monroe – Pick: LA Monroe
Rice @ Southern Miss – Pick: Rice
New Mexico State @ #17 LSU – Pick: LSU
Memphis @ #10 Ole Miss – Pick: Ole Miss
#8 Notre Dame @ Syracuse – Pick: Notre Dame
#7 Baylor @ Iowa State – Pick: Baylor
UNLV @ San Diego State – Pick: San Diego State
Washington State @ Utah – Pick: Washington State
Texas State @ Tulsa –Pick: Texas State
Illinois @ #21 Nebraska – Pick: Nebraska
Nevada @ San Jose State – Pick: Nevada
Oregon State @ #18 USC – Pick: USC

I’ll let you know how I did with my predictions on next week’s post. Let me know in the comments what you think of my picks and feel free to ask me why I picked the way I did.

Filed Under: College Football

A Look Around The Country

September 24, 2014 by Leave a Comment

A Look Around the Country

I don’t know what to think of the nation’s “best” teams so far this season. Once again, the top ranked teams in the country struggled this past weekend. It just doesn’t make sense. I can’t remember the last time I’ve watched a college football season without thinking a certain team has all the goods to be National Champs. Right now, there isn’t a single team that I’m confident in to run the table. Florida State won in overtime without Infamous Jameis. Alabama struggled with a Florida team who barely beat Kentucky last week. Oregon beat Washington State by a touchdown. Oklahoma struggled briefly against West Virginia (who is better than people think). Hell, Indiana beat Missouri. Indy-freaking-Ana beat the defending SEC East Champs! I still can’t believe it happened. But that’s the kind of year it’s been. I wouldn’t be surprised if a local flag football team beat Oregon. So, let’s get into the week that was while also looking into this weekend’s slate of games.

Notable Games Last Week

Auburn 20 Kansas State 14

Much like most of last season, Auburn was able to escape defeat. This time doing it in Manhattan, Kansas in what many people considered one of the biggest games in Kansas State Football history. But the Wildcats continued to shoot themselves in the foot and lost a very winnable game. The defending SEC Champs (and a team I’ve had ranked in my top 4 since the preseason) have struggled so far this season. Eventually, they’re luck is going to run out.

Oklahoma 45 West Virginia 33

A game which was tied at halftime led to the Sooners pulling away, something Alabama couldn’t exactly do back in Week One. I firmly believe as the season goes on, we’ll start to see how good of a team the Mountaineers really are. But Oklahoma is better and right now they have a case to be number one.

Florida State 23 Clemson 17

The broadcast started with Jimbo Fisher having to send his star quarterback to the locker room because apparently not dressing for a game your suspended for is something Jameis never considered. It’s tough to figure out what this means because the guy who will be leading the Noles the rest of the way* wasn’t playing. But teams will use this to their advantage to scout against the rest of that team. If you stop Jameis, you can beat Florida State.

*As long as he doesn’t do something stupid again.

Nebraska 41 Miami (FL) 31

In the battle of “Who’s Back?” Ameer Abdullah and the Huskers didn’t disappoint. In case you haven’t noticed (and if you’ve been watching ESPN, you haven’t) Bo Pelini has them at 4-0 with Illinois coming to Lincoln this week. A win there would give them a 5-0 record headed into their game at Michigan State. I’m giddy to watch that one already. And the way this season has been going, anything can happen in East Lansing that night.

Ohio State (Bye)

The Buckeyes struggled against Bye Week as they dropped in the polls for the second consecutive week. The SEC consistently plays better against them.

Big Games This Week

UCLA at Arizona State

Both teams roll into this game with an unblemished record and the winner of this one will have a leg up in the Pac 12 South Division going forward. Arizona State is without QB Taylor Kelly but the home crowd in Tempe should make up for that. Winner of this one could very well be playing Oregon in the Pac 12 title game in December. But UCLA has been flirting with a loss all season. Sun Devils with the upset.

Thursday, September 25 at 10:00pm on FOX Sports One

Maryland at Indiana

Who would have thought that this game would hold any sort of significance in the Big Ten race in 2014. The 3-1 Terrapins take on the 2-1 Hoosiers in a Big Ten East showdown. With the amount of parity in college football this season, there’s a possibility that this could at least play a role in the East. But I’ll be honest in saying it’s an extreme longshot. However, when was the last time the Hoosiers ever played a significant game in something other than basketball? Might as well get the most out of it now.

Saturday, September 27 at 1:30pm on Big Ten Network

Missouri at South Carolina

Missouri is coming off of a disastrous loss to a basketball school while the Gamecocks barely beat a middle of the road Sun Belt team in Vanderbilt. Sure, the SEC is the best conference in the country and there’s no arguing that. But they are not as good as the south says they are. The SEC East is WIDE OPEN with these two teams along with Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia all in the mix. In my humble opinion, this division is no better than the Big Ten East. I got Spurrier in this one.

Saturday, September 27 at 7:00pm on ESPN

Cincinnati at Ohio State

All of the talk about Chris Ash’s new secondary will be put to the ultimate test on Saturday evening as former 5 star QB and Notre Dame Enrollee, Gunner Kiel comes into the Shoe. The Buckeye defense will be the X factor in this game, and if the D-line can get after Kiel, then the Bearcats should be in for a long night. They gave up 34 points to Toledo so I know we can score against them. However, I’m not sure I like our chances if we get into a shootout with them. But I don’t see that happening. Buckeyes win by 17.

Saturday, September 27 at 6:00pm on Big Ten Network

Michigan Update

Wow, I’m speechless about this team so far. They’ve gone from bad to worse. After losing to Utah 26-10 in front of about 12 people on Saturday night (to be fair, they had a weather delay) they’re season is all but over. Changes at quarterback could be coming as well as head coach. Brady Hoke will probably ride out the rest of the season, but there’s no way he’s coaching for them next year. The rest of this season has to be about getting the right coach in there to turn this once legendary program into its old self. Jim Harbaugh? Les Miles? Doug Nussmeier? Fielding Yost? Something has to change in Ann Arbor. I’m sick of beating a crappy Wolverine team each year. It’s much more fun to do that when their good. They play Minnesota for the Little Brown Jug at 3:30 on ESPN2. I have the Gophers by a touchdown.

Heisman Watch

Marcus Mariota, Oregon

21/25 passing for 329 yards and 5 touchdowns in 38-31 win over Washington State. The Ducks struggled this week against the Cougars but they can thank Mariota for the W. He’s my clear favorite right now.

Todd Gurley, Georgia

6 carries, 73 yards in 66-0 win over Troy. He was taken out early because of the horrible play of juggernaut, Troy. But he may be the best RB in the country.

Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin

13 carries for 253 yards (19.5 yards per carry!!)  and 5 touchdowns in 68-17 win over Bowling Green. That’s an insane stat line, even if it’s against a MAC team. He has to be in this discussion.

Rising Star

Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska

35 carries for 229 yards and 2 touchdowns in 41-31 win over Miami (FL). He’s an underrated player because of the lack of coverage of the Big Ten. Abdullah has to enter this discussion because of his extraordinary skill set, especially in the receiving game. We’ll see what he’s made of next week against Michigan State.

Dropping Fast

Jameis Winston, Florida State

You know why.

My Playoff if the Season Ended Today

  1. Oregon (beat Washington State 38-31, plays Arizona next week) The Ducks escaped the upset bid by the Cougars. Good teams find a way to win. And this is still a great team. They stay at the top.
  2. Oklahoma (beat West Virginia 45-33, plays TCU next week) The Sooners struggled in the first half in a hostile environment. But the cream rose to the top in the second half. It took Alabama a lot longer to do that in an SEC environment in Georgia. Sooners are team to be reckoned with.
  3. Florida State (beat Clemson 23-17, plays NC State this week) The Seminoles are a one-dimensional team. Once someone figures that out, Florida State will go down.
  4. Alabama (beat Florida 42-21, plays Ole Miss next week) The Crimson Tide finally earn a spot in my top 4. In a weaker than usual SEC, they have the best chance of being in the playoff. They can thank Amari Cooper for that. Nobody in America can cover him.

Just Missed the Cut

  1. Baylor
  2. Auburn
  3. Notre Dame
  4. Texas A&M
  5. Michigan State
  6. Ole Miss
  7. Ohio State

 

 

Filed Under: B1G Football, College Football, Ohio State Football

Players to Watch: Week 5 Ohio State vs. Cincinnati

September 24, 2014 by 2 Comments

Urban Meyer is 34-3 when he is allowed more than one week to prepare for a team. The Buckeyes head coach and his team will need every second of that week plus to prepare for the dynamic and explosive passing attack the Cincinnati Bearcats will bring with them on Saturday night. Tommy Tubberville is one of two coaches who have a winning record (2-0) against Coach Meyer, Nick Saban being the other (2-1), and he will be looking to keep his record clean versus Meyer and stage a second home upset against the Buckeyes this year. Let’s take a look at some of the players to keep an eye out for Saturday night.

Cincinnati

Gunner Kiel

In recent memory Kiel was known for his indecisive moments in his recruiting cycle that led him to committing to LSU, flipping to Notre Dame, and after a redshirt year, transferring to his now home in Cincinnati. What seemed to be lost in his dramatic recruiting story was how talented Kiel was. Kiel was the number one rate pro-style quarterback coming out of high school and after several stops is finally starting to live up to his billing.

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.

Shaq Washington, Wide Receiver

The first of Kiel’s talented targets on the outside is Shaq Washington. Washington has been a consistent producer for the Bearcats during his career as he registered 78 catches a year ago. However, with only 1 touchdown to his name last year it would be fair to say Washington is more of a chain mover in this offense than a big play threat. However, chain movers are exactly what Ohio State struggled with against Virginia Tech. Guys who know how to get just enough on a 3rd down to keep their offenses drive moving. Washington is a very good route runner and his low center of gravity (only 5-9) allows for his cuts and breaks to be very quick and fluid, which can often times shake off tight coverage. The Buckeyes will want to know where Washington is especially on money downs if they want to halt the momentum of Cincinnati’s potent passing attack.

Mekale McKay, Wide Receiver

McKay is the exact opposite of his counterpart Washington. McKay is a huge receiver at 6-6, 195 pounds. He easily wins the majority of jump ball situations, and is second for the Bearcats in yards per reception(17.9). McKay leads the Bearcats with three touchdowns and is Kiel’s favorite down the field target. McKay does not possess elite speed or great physicality, which may allow for Buckeye corners to press him and throw off his routes, but if they make any type of mistake versus McKay, Kiel will find him and there will most likely be six points on the board for the Bearcats.

Ohio State

Doran Grant

Meyer declared this game as the real test for the new pass defense. Therefore all eyes will be on the Buckeye DB’s, particularly the teams best corner Doran Grant. Grant will be given several challenges with how deep the Bearcats receiving core is, he could see several thrown his way. However, his main match-up could be on McKay which will be a very interesting one to watch. McKay has the distinct height advantage however, Grant can counter that by being physical with him at the line of scrimmage and ensuring McKay does not get a clean release on his route. Grant is the senior member in the secondary and will need to play like it Saturday night to ensure the pass defense passes its first real test.

Adolphus Washington

The last time the Buckeyes faced a primarily spread team (Virginia Tech) Washington created havoc. He benefited from the opponents offensive line focusing heavily on Michael Bennett and Joey Bosa and took great advantage of the single coverage he received in blocking assignments. I would expect a similar scenario to unfold Saturday. Generating pressure up the middle is the best way to throw off a quarterback of Kiel’s stature and play style. Washington should have ample opportunities to be a huge factor in disrupting not only the run game but also the Bearcats pass attack.

Michael Thomas

Get this guy the ball. Every time he gets the ball he makes something happens and thats no exaggeration. Thomas and Barrett have a great chemistry and I would look for Herman to get Thomas a few more targets. He is the best pure receiver in this group with his great combination of size, speed, and smooth route running ability. The Bearcats pass defense struggled to cover receivers from Miami (OH) and Toledo so there will be several opportunities for Thomas to leave his mark on the game. If Barrett can get him the ball Thomas could explode Saturday.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

MotSaG Live Episode #6 – The Big Ten’s Big Week & Previewing The Cincinnati Game

September 23, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Topics discussed were the Big Ten’s 12-1 weekend, the coaching situation in Michigan, predictions on the biggest games and the Big Ten games, along with previewing Ohio State’s matchup with Cincinnati.

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With:

MotSaG Live Podcast #6: The B1G’s Great Weekend & Previewing Ohio State vs Cincinnati

September 23, 2014 by 1 Comment

Time for episode #6! If you missed last week’s episode of MotSaG Live, you can watch it by clicking here. It airs live every Tuesday at 6 pm ET.

As always I will be hosting the podcast this week and be joined by fellow MotSaG writers. For this show, the following MotSaG writers will join me: Shannon, Andrew and Chip. On this show we’ll talk about the Big Ten’s big weekend, the coaching situation in Michigan and preview the biggest upcoming games around the country along with the slate of Big Ten games this weekend. We’ll also of course preview and predict the outcome of Ohio State’s matchup with Cincinnati this weekend.

Now I’m going to list the following ways to view this podcast. Below is the video player to listen to the podcast. You will be able to listen to it here on the site every week. Don’t fret if you can’t listen live. Once the podcast is over with you will be able to view it as many times as you want, just like any YouTube video. If you’re unable to view it here on the site for some reason we also have you covered if this happens. I’ll link to our YouTube channel right above the player every week and you will be guaranteed to be able to view it there. You can also listen through our Google+ page or follow the main @MotSaG account on Twitter. I will also have the link posted on my Twitter page (@SchottJosh).

You can also subscribe to MotSaG Live on iTunes. You can find our page by typing “MotSaG Live” in the iTunes search box or click here. This episode should be on iTunes later tonight.

It’s going to be fun and informative as always! Hope you tune in!

To view it on YouTube, click here.

To view the Google+ event page, click here.

Filed Under: B1G Football, College Football, Ohio State Football

A-Z 2014 Buckeyes So Far Part 2

September 23, 2014 by 1 Comment

Finally that daggum bye week is over and OSU fans won’t have to deal with a Saturday of watching jerks from other schools play instead of the Bucks until next season.

What’s that, there is another one in two weeks?

Fine, I’m not even going to put any effort into this post, there is no point. Bye’s really suck the fun out of me (phrasing)…

Here is the rest of the A- Z Buckeye thoughts:

 

 

 

 

Part 1 for you “Forgetful Franks”: A-Z Part 1

 

Nobody throws to baby on the corner: Has Doran Grant even played a down this year? Honestly, I don’t remember him making a play so far- which is awesome. He is going all Shawn Springs- 0 interceptions yet still first team All-American- and is making himself more cash every week (draft stock not boosters you punks). Opposing quarterbacks haven’t really tested the cornerback at all in his final year so far.  The physical specimen will have his money making hands full this weekend against Cincinnati.

On the way Holme: At risk of being one of those ding-bat Ohio State fans that believes every freshmen is Woody’s gift to Earth and every senior plays like Betty White, I believe Jalyn Holmes is poised to take over opposite the gorgeous-Joey Bosa at defensive end pretty soon. Steve Miller and Rashad Frazier have been pretty average if you ask me and the freshmen’s talent maybe too much to keep off the field. Am I judging Holmes based off of one solid game against Kent State? I guess so, sometimes when you know you know.

Picktown Pride: Being a Pickerington child myself, I am very proud to say that the Ohio State starting offensive line is 40% P-town alumni with Pat Elflein and Jacoby Boren. It’s an awesome time for us east siders. Upper white middle class is going to take over NCAA football, you heard it here first.

Quit Scheduling Navy: Especially the first week of the season. Urban seemed none to pleased in post-game interviews and has said that a few early enrolled freshmen were only used as Navy wingbacks for the scout team from April to the start of the season. Why schedule a game that forces you to waste a kid’s first few months of practice for one game that you get no credit for winning? It’s even more maddening when you hear Bud Foster say that VA Tech was planning their surprise “bear” defense against Ohio State since spring ball while Ohio State had no time to plan for the Hokies. Speaking of…

Rye goes down smoothest: Almost the end of the month and many Buckeye fans are still not over the Virginia Tech debacle but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a learning experience.  Being an alcoholic on 12 Saturdays a year, September 6th taught me that the best way to force yourself to go to sleep after a maddening night is to drink Bulleit Rye Bourbon on the rocks until your eyes shut. It worked but my liver hasn’t spoken to me since.

S.S.S.: The Schedule switch stings in hindsight. Ohio State moving the VA Tech game up from week 3 to week 2 may have cost the Buckeyes a loss in my biased mind. With as many youngsters and as much time that was spent preparing for the goofy navy squad, it’s tough to not make the assumption that another week to prepare for the Hokies wouldn’t have made a world of difference. With that said, Frank Beamer’s squad had just as many young guys as the Buckeyes and Ohio State should not be making excuses for why they weren’t prepared for Virginia Tech… ever.

Thank heaven my wife is an English teacher: I’m privileged to get to write about Ohio State for the motsag but the only reason that happens is because a woman much smarter than me edits my gibberish before it is edited by my bosses. Oh what they would think if they saw my first drafts….

Under utilized: I’m sick and tired of  saying it- get the ball to the tight ends. Ohio State started doing it against Kent State last week but this needs to be an every week occurrence. Tim Hinton said yesterday that Jeff Heuerman is one of the best in the country at his position and some scouts feel he can be one of the top tight ends taken in next years draft. I’m ready to finally see why.

Virginia Tech- This is why we can’t give you nice wins: Losses to East Carolina and Georgia Tech after winning your biggest road game in school history make me giggle. That’s what you get when you put all your spring and fall camps into one game (yup still not over it). Michael Brewer was credited with having a terrific game against the Bucks, and not to toot my own horn, but I didn’t see it. Despite some nice scrambles and a solid td pass, he didn’t even throw for 200 yards and had three turnovers against Ohio State. He’s been the same in the last two losses.

Von Bell is a peach: The sophmore star from Georgia looks like he is going to be a big time playmaker in the next couple years. For the first time since the beginning of last season, Ohio State has a promising secondary.

When will they commit?: Damien Harris and Torrance Gibson are two crazy athletes who many consider to be Buckeye leans. The longer they wait the more nervous the leader gets, but most recruiting experts believe Ohio State is still in good shape with these two blue chippers.

X: Piss off I tried.

You can catch him: My boy Dontre Wilson had a decent start to the 2014 season yet a lot of Ohio State fans are expecting more. He has been so close to breaking the big one yet keeps getting tripped up. He’s averaging 5 yards a carry and 20 yards a catch, it just seems he hasn’t found the vision to become truly elite. Some really stupid fans will tell you that they are ready to give up on the sophmore h-back from Texas for others behind him; just laugh it off and imagine how bad Michigan would love to have an offensive back that averages 11 yards a touch.

Zeke needs to be the man: I’m ready for Ezekiel Elliot to get 15-20 carries a game. As much as I love Curtis Samuel, Zeke’s 225 pound frame will be more reliable between the tackles once the physical Big Ten season starts.  I think the 180 pound Samuel will be an outstanding compliment to the bigger Elliott. It’d just be nice to see the big boy run like he’s got 40 pounds on his backup.

 

Finally, after what seemed to be a ten year weekend, we get some real football back Saturday. I’m still upset we have to deal with another one of these bye’s so quickly but at least we aren’t UC fans. The Bearcats didn’t play the first two weeks during the season and I don’t know how their fans survived (oh yea I do, all of their fans are big time bandwagon dickweeds). If that was me I would have definitely looked at freezing myself or googled how to induce a two week coma.

Hopefully that the positives on this list will remain as such and the negatives will be forgotten quicker than the ice bucket challenge.

Who knows, maybe come December, we can finally forget about 9/6/14. I don’t know if I want to let it go though. I feel like heading down to the shoe this weekend all dressed in white and smoking cigarettes while following the happy nut fans around to remind them of that horrible night. We need to make sure they never forget- Leftovers style…

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: B1G Football, College Football, Ohio State Football

B1G Weekly Recap: Conference Shines Bright in Week Four

September 23, 2014 by Leave a Comment

After two consecutive weeks of subpar performances by the Big Ten, the conference came up huge this week, winning all but one of their week four matchups. As a whole, the Big Ten went 12-1, including four victories over Power 5 conference schools. The lone defeat is one I’m sure most Buckeye fans enjoyed quite a bit, as Brady Hoke’s hot seat got turned up a couple degrees with a home loss to Utah.

Iowa 24, Pittsburgh 20

A halftime quarterback change spurred the Hawkeyes on to victory on the road against the Panthers. Down 17-7 at half, Kirk Ferentz replaced Jake Rudock, who had gone 5-10 for 80 yards and a touchdown and interception in the first half, with C.J. Beathard. Beathard finished the game 7-8 for 98 yards in the air.

Iowa running back Mark Weisman ran for 88 yards on the day and scored a pair of touchdowns in the second half, including the game-winner with 6:56 left in the game. The Hawkeyes open conference play next weekend when they travel to Purdue.

Michigan State 73, Eastern Michigan 14

Michigan State finally got back on the winning track after losing to Oregon two weeks ago and having a bye last week. It did not take long for the Spartans to assert their dominance over their in-state opponents, with Sparty outgaining the Eagles 320-1 in the first half. Yes, one. Eastern Michigan gained one yard in an entire half. Connor Cook threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in the first half.

Delton Williams ran for 103 yards and three scores in the blowout. The 73 points were the most Michigan State had scored since 1989 when they recorded a 76-14 victory over Northwestern. The Spartans close out their nonconference slate with a home game next week against Wyoming.

Northwestern 24, Western Illinois 7

Despite being outgained 376-283, Northwestern finally put a “W” up on the board after starting the season with losses to California and Northern Illinois. Freshmen running backs Solomon Vault, 31 yards and two TDs, and Justin Jackson, 92 yards and one score, led the way for the Wildcats, who only managed 117 yards through the air.

Ohio native and current Wildcat defensive lineman Ifeadi Odenigbo forced three fumbles and recovered another as he helped hold the Leathernecks to no points after their first drive. Northwestern goes to Happy Valley to take on Penn State in their Big Ten opener next week.

Purdue 35, Southern Illinois 13

With their victory over Southern Illinois, Purdue improved to 2-2 on the season and have doubled their win total from 2013. Danny Etling put in another solid performance, throwing for 198 yards and two scores while running for another. The Salukis turned the ball over twice in the first quarter and the Boilermakers took advantage, scored touchdowns after both, and never looked back.

Danny Anthrop caught five passes for 106 yards and a touchdown for Purdue as they go into conference play on a winning note. The Boilermakers host Iowa next weekend in both teams’ Big Ten opener.

Wisconsin 68, Bowling Green 17

Don’t look now, but Melvin Gordon is slowly building his Heisman resume as the Badgers destroyed MAC foe Bowling Green. Gordon spear-headed the Wisconsin rushing attack that set a Big Ten record with 644 rushing yards on the day. Gordon himself ran for 253 yards and five touchdowns…on 13 carries.

In addition to Gordon, the Badgers had two others, Tanner McEvoy and Corey Clement, ran for over 100 yards while Dare Ogunbowlale nearly got there with 94 yards of his own. Wisconsin improved to 2-1 and will host South Florida on Saturday.

Maryland 34, Syracuse 20

Maryland improved to 3-1 on the season with a win on the road over the Orange in the Carrier Dome. The Terrapins were outgained by 220 yards on the day, but took advantage of Syracuse mistakes to earn the victory. William Likely returned an interception 88 yards for a touchdown with less than four minutes left in the first half to put Maryland up 31-13 at the break.

C.J. Brown threw for 280 yards and two scores as Maryland got revenge for their 20-3 loss to the Orange last season in College Park. The Terrapins will start their Big Ten schedule next week with a trip to Bloomington to take on Indiana.

Utah 26, Michigan 10

Is a quarterback controversy brewing in Ann Arbor? Devin Gardner was 14-26 for 148 yards and two interceptions before being replaced in the second half by Shane Morris, who did not do much better. Morris, who came in before the lightning delay and finished the game off after the game resumed, completed just four of his 13 attempts for 42 yards and an interception of his own.

Kaelin Clay scored the first touchdown of the day when he returned a punt 66 yards for a score, but that was not the most notable part of the play. After reaching the end zone, Clay struck the Heisman pose in the same end that Desmond Howard did two decades earlier. Brady Hoke will try to cool off his hot seat when Minnesota comes to the Big House Saturday.

Rutgers 31, Navy 24

Rutgers relied on the run game to beat Navy, and lost their number one running back for the season in the process. Paul James had 96 yards and a touchdown on seven carries before injuring himself in the second quarter. James later learned that he had torn his ACL and will miss the remainder of the season.

Justin Goodwin picked up the slack, rushing for 104 yards and a score, while quarterback Gary Nova added two rushing touchdowns of his own as the Scarlet Knights improved to 3-1 in 2014. Rutgers will host the Tulane Green Wave next week.

Penn State 48, Massachusetts 7

Christian Hackenberg only threw for 179 yards, but Penn State had a balanced attack as they finished with 236 passing yards and 228 rushing yards to put the Minutemen away. Bill Belton and Zach Zwinak each scored two rushing touchdowns.

The Nittany Lion defense came to play as well, holding UMass to just three rushing yards as a team. Penn State will look to improve to 2-0 in the Big Ten when Northwestern comes to town Saturday.

Minnesota 24, San Jose State 7

Minnesota was without starting quarterback Mitch Leidner for this one, but backup Chris Streveler filled in admirably as he ran for 161 yards and a touchdown. He needed every last one of those yards as he only completed one pass to a teammate on the day for just seven yards. He was also intercepted once.

David Cobb ran for 207 yards and two scores to lead the Golden Gophers to victory. Minnesota opens Big Ten play next week against the Wolverines.

Illinois 42, Texas State 35

Illinois could very well be 0-4 on the season. Instead, they’ve used fourth quarter comebacks in each of their three home games to stay unbeaten in Memorial Stadium in 2014. The Illini needed 17 points in the final frame this week to come from behind and defeat the Bobcats. Texas State led by as much as 15 points late in the second quarter before the comeback began.

Josh Ferguson ran for 190 yards and two touchdowns while Wes Lunt threw for 266 yards and two more scores as Illinois finished nonconference play at 3-1. The Illini will look to start conference with a win when they travel to Lincoln next week to take on Nebraska.

Indiana 31, Missouri 27

In the stunner of the weekend, Indiana beat defending SEC West champion Missouri in Columbia just a week after being beaten by Bowling Green on the road. D’Angelo Roberts ran for 65 yards and two scores, including the game-winner with 22 seconds left.

Nate Sudfeld threw for 252 yards and a TD as the Hoosiers knocked off previously unbeaten Missouri. Indiana will welcome Maryland to the Big Ten next week when they play host to the Terrapins.

Nebraska 41, Miami (FL) 31

Ameer Abdullah continued his own Heisman campaign in impressive fashion as he led the Cornhuskers to a victory on the night they celebrated the 20th anniversary of their 1994 national championship team. Abdullah carried the ball 35 times for 229 yards and two touchdowns.

Tommy Armstrong Jr. threw for 113 yards and two scores of his own while adding 96 yards on the ground as Nebraska improved to 4-0 on the young season. Nebraska opens conference play next week at home against Illinois.

What was your favorite part of the B1G weekend the conference had? Was Indiana’s victory the most impressive win the conference had, or did Nebraska going to 4-0 take home top honors? Let us know what you thought of the conference’s performance this week and how you think the Big Ten race will turn out as we head into conference play.

Filed Under: B1G Football, College Football

MotSaG Power Poll Week 4

September 22, 2014 by 2 Comments

The Big Ten showed up in some key games this weekend and beat some Power 5 conference opponents. Slowly trying to bring back relevancy to the B1G and it was nice to see except one really left a black eye on the weekend not allowing an undefeated weekend but seeing a 12-1 weekend record.

1. Penn State Being undefeated and the only B1G win currently is the reason PSU is at Number 1

2. Nebraska Beat the U by 10 and still undefeated keeps Number 2 spot

3. Michigan State Destroying even weak opponents sometimes is a good thing so you can stay at Number 3

4. Wisconsin Record rushing by the Badgers keeps them at Number 3

5. Ohio State Idle

6. (+1) Rutgers Holding off the Midshipmen helps Rutgers jump up

7. (+1) Maryland The Terps got the monkey off their back by beating the Orangemen

8. (+1) Minnesota rebounding from the TCU loss to beat San Jose State is a good thing

9. (+1) Iowa Always good to beat Mark May’s school. After losing to Iowa State the Hawkeyes came back and beat Pitt.

10. (+2) Indiana Can’t beat Bowling Green but showed up and knocked off an SEC team even one that was in the championship game a year ago. Down goes Mizzo you wouldn’t know by watching the four letter network.

11. Illinois Tim Beckman saves his job by beating Texas Tech

12. (+1) Purdue Purdue beats Southern Illinois and looks like maybe they are imroving

13. (-7) Michigan What can I say here Purdue scored more versus Notre Dame than Michigan and the Wolverines have zero thats right zero offensive touchdowns in their two losses against ND and Utah. That stellar defense that the Maize and Blue is supposedly touting allowed two different QB’s to score on them Saturday.

14. Northwestern Hey Northwestern finally won a game could they be turning things around?

Like always cant wait to hear your feedback.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

MOTSAG TV Guide

September 18, 2014 by Leave a Comment

My apologies for accidentally including Western Illinois @ Northwestern in last week’s guide. I hope I didn’t screw up anyone’s big party. The Buckeyes are off this week, so we’ll just be enjoying watching everyone else (hopefully) crash and burn.

UPCOMING OPPONENTS

(9/20)

Eastern Michigan @ Michigan State. Noon, Big Ten Network.

Maryland @ Syracuse. 12:30p, ESPN3 (online)/ACC Network (is that a thing?)

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

The Big Ten is in a tailspin right now, so we might actually be forced to do the unthinkable this week: cheer for Utah, but be okay with it if they lose. (Sorry, SOS apologists, that’s as far as I’m willing to go.) Utah may not be a big name Pac-12 team like Oregon or Stanford, but they are 2-0 and the Big Ten really just needs any win over a decent major-conference opponent.

Rutgers @ Navy. 3:30p, CBS Sports Network.

UMass @ Penn State. 4:00p, Big Ten Network.

Texas State @ Illinois. 4:00p, ESPN News.

San Jose State @ Minnesota. 4:00p, Big Ten Network.

Indiana @ Missouri. 4:00p, SEC Network.

I mean, who knows, right?

Right?

Guys?

Miami (OH) @ Cincinnati. 7:00p, CBS Sports Network.

OTHER BIG TEN TEAMS
FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT
IS DECENT AND GOOD PLEASE
SOMEBODY WIN A GAME

(9/20)

Bowling Green @ Wisconsin. Noon, ESPN2.

Southern Illinois @ Purdue. Noon, Big Ten Network.

Western Illinois @ Northwestern. Noon, ESPN News.

Iowa @ Pittsburgh. Noon, ESPNU.

Miami (FL) @ Nebraska. 8:00p, ESPN2.

The Hurricanes are 2-1, so a win here is okay, but a loss is pretty much disastrous for the Big Ten. Guess which one’s going to happen!

OTHER OHIO TEAMS

(9/20)

Marshall @ Akron. 2:00p, ESPN3 (online)

Ball State @ Toledo. 7:00p, ESPN3 (online)

Idaho @ Ohio. 7:00p, ESPN3 (online)

OTHER BIG NATIONAL GAMES

(9/18)

Auburn @ Kansas State. 7:30p, ESPN.

(9/20)

Florida @ Alabama. 3:30p, CBS.

Oklahoma @ West Virginia. 7:30p, Fox.

Clemson @ Florida State. 8:00p, ABC.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

The Spread, Week Four: What Did You Expect?

September 18, 2014 by Leave a Comment

The Big Ten took a beating this past weekend–again. As the favorites in six of the nine non-conference games on the slate, the conference was looking for a little bit of redemption. Instead, it was another massive letdown.

Only Ohio State, Michigan and Nebraska managed wins, and each of those was against a significantly weaker opponent. Penn State also squeaked past Rutgers, but that’s a wash for the conference.

Personally, I don’t really like the conference unity mindset spawned by the BCS and only exacerbated by the assumption that strength of schedule will be the major factor in making the new playoff. (I’m trying to really hard to not launch into yet another anti-SOS rant here.)

But since we live in a perception-is-reality college football world, I thought we’d take a look at how the conference is faring so far in that department with my Performance Against Expectation ratings.

Quickly, PAE is a calculation I came up with last year which compares the final score of a game to the “public prediction” of the score, as indicated by the associated betting numbers (point spread and over/under.) Teams who win do not always do so as convincingly as we thought they would and teams who lose do not always do so as badly as we thought. PAE reflects that. (Keep in mind that games without published lines–usually the ones against FCS teams–can not be included in this rating.)

It may surprise you that the Big Ten as a whole has actually outperformed expectations in two of three weeks of the season so far, including this week. To be fair, those numbers are boosted by a few great performances like Nebraska’s big win over Florida Atlantic and Ohio State’s shutout against Kent State.

So let’s look at the teams individually. It’s important to remember here that most teams’ ratings right now are based on just one or two games. Still, it’s a good measure of just how disappointing most Big Ten teams have been so far this year.

Big Ten PAE Rating through Week 3 (as a percentage)

1. Nebraska, 193%
2. Penn State, 123%
3. Ohio State, 120%
4. Rutgers, 118%
5. Wisconsin, 97%
6. Michigan State, 96%
7. Illinois, 86%
8. Maryland, 86%
9. Purdue, 76%
10. Minnesota, 67%
11. Indiana, 65%
12. Michigan, 60%
13. Iowa, 60%
14. Northwestern, 56%

Note that a high number doesn’t necessarily mean a better team. For example, no one really expects Purdue to do much, and they don’t. But people expect more of, say, Michigan than they’ve been able to deliver so far.

We’ll get a better sense of who these teams are as they all play some more meaningful games, but for now, it’s tough to argue that the public perception of the Big Ten as a “weak” and disappointing league is inaccurate.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football
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