Archives for September 2015

By: Phil Schoch, @osuphil95

Each week in this spot, we analyze college football’s desert numerology and make meticulous predictions (erratic guesses based on hunches) for each B1G match-up as well as a few national spotlight games.

Disclaimer: I am not an oracle, soothsayer or remote viewer. I am not a gamester or gambler. I am not wired into the degenerate underworld lairs of Las Vegas, Brent Musburger or slicksters promising Triple Platinum Locks of the Week. I do pay attention to the numbers and match-ups. I examine team motivation factors. BUT PLEASE, DO NOT search out your old freshman dorm pal, Louie the Book, or log into a remote island website to wager your personal assets based on anything written in this weekly post.

Around the B1G…

Thursday, September 3

This is the moment Ann Arbor has been waiting for – a man in tan pants will lead them. Although four years ago they were just as excited that a man in enormous pants would lead them.

Pick ’em says: The Utes pants the skunks. Ugly game, 20-16.

Year three is supposed to be Jerry Kill’s year. Not in in week one. The Goph’s don’t have nearly enough offense to hang with Heisman contender Treyvon Boykin’s high scoring offense.

Pick ’em says: The Frogs lick the Gophers and don’t get a buzz, 45-17.

Friday, September 4

Sparty in Kalamazoo? Come on Michigan State! You’re a national contender, act like one! The only acceptable excuse for playing a MAC school in their stadium is if John L. Smith scheduled this nonsense fifteen years ago. Bah, it’s still not acceptable, but at least we’d understand.

Pick ’em says: Spartans, 48-17.

The Illini are an embarrassing mess. Them, Purdue and Indiana are why the B1G should be aligned with the MAC & AAC for a yearly relegation/promotion swap. Luckily for Illinois, Kent State should have been relegated to I-AA decades ago.

Pick ’em says: Illini opens its lame duck season with a victory, 27-10.

Saturday, September 5

A time honored Big 10/PAC 10 tradition. Big 10 team heads west to play a PAC 10 team with PAC 10 officials. PAC 10 team travels east to play a Big 10 team and it’s a 9:00 AM West Coast kickoff. Won’t matter today, both teams will be up and studying by 5:00 AM.

Pick ’em says: Dancing Trees, 27-13.

The various incarnations of the Richmond Spider mascot will haunt your dreams. Don’t fall asleep turtle.

Pick ’em says: Closer than the experts think, 24-17 Maryland.

These games are an embarrassment! B1G teams playing FCS teams and Rutgers playing games as a B1G team (oh yeah, they beat Michigan last season).

Pick ’em says: Rutgers gets the girl today, 45-10.

Illinois State coach, Brock Spack [pronounced: Sp-yack] hy-as a ‘sty-ache like a ky-ap. Kirk Ferentz has a golden parachute like a Fortune 500 CEO. Single digit favorites over an FCS, Kirk? Shameful, Hawkeyes. Shameful.

Pick ’em says: “Whadya gonna do? Fire me? Ha.” Iowa 16-13.

Creepfest.

Pick ’em says: Don’t watch. Penn State, 24-14.

From 1966 – 2012, legendary Minster (Ohio) resident, Paul ‘P.M.’ Stukenborg (pictured above) posted his weekly sports predictions in the hometown paper, The Community Post. Growing up in Minster, as a kid, I looked forward to P.M.’s Fearless Predictions. Contrary to popular belief, he did occasionally pick the Wildcats to lose. Each week, Pick ’em will make a P.M. Stukenborg Fearless Prediction and call for an underdog to to knock off the favorite.

Pick ’em says: I wish real Bo Pelini was erupting on the sidelines and fake Bo Pelini was Tweeting about this muddle. BYU, 31-27.

In my relegation system, this would be a match-up of longtime MAC rivals, Ah But Ain’t that America.

Pick ’em says: The John Cougar Hoosiers, 38-17.

On opening night last season, the Badgers had LSU with one foot in the grave before voodoo priestess, Les Miles, concocted another wizardly escape job. This year Bucky gets The Nicktator. Looks like the Badgers are making up for the 90’s & 00’s and the cavalcade of cupcake non-conference W’s.

Pick ’em says: Sorry Badger fans, Joel Stave is not Cardale Jones. Runnin’ Gumps, 38-10.

Sunday, September 6

Purdue was legit in the 1930’s, 1960’s and the 2000’s. Only 25 more years to go Boilers!

Pick ’em says: We are Marshall, 31-21.

Monday, September 7

LESS THAN ONE WEEK AWAY! No more words, let’s get this thing kicked off!

Pick ’em says: Bud Foster’s D will keep the Turkey’s in it for a half. Braxton houses a pair. Zeke goes for 150. Silver Bullets dominate without Bosa. Bucks! 38-13.

National Spotlight Games…

Bojangles’ is Popeye’s half-brother. Cajun chicken fillet on a biscuit whoops Moon Over My Hammy, everyday!

Pick ’em says: It’s the first game of the season! Spurrier will feign mild interest until halftime. Tarheels, 35-27. 

I’m glad this game will be played in a bland NFL stadium instead of Kyle Field. I don’t get it.

Pick ’em says: Aggie War Hymn all night long, 34-28.

Texas – RYAN HAMBY, NOOOO! It still happens. First time in eight months I hear the Longhorns mentioned and I have a PTBSD flashback. Notre Dame – HAHAHAHAHAHA, I CAN’T BELIEVE THEY’RE STILL PAYING CHARLIE WEIS! I think they just got done paying Tyrone Willingham last week. That reaction is far more pleasant.

Pick ’em says: Irish D dominates hapless Horns, 31-13.

Let me open this with a case study in irony. For the last 13 years of my life, I’ve bled scarlet and gray and conditioned myself to dislike anything associated with Michigan. I told myself I would never live in Michigan. I would never be friends with someone who goes to UM, and the only reason I would ever to go Ann Arbor is to watch Ohio State beat Michigan every other November. Then, I graduated from Ohio State, spent 6 months looking for a job, and ended up getting a fantastic job in the Detroit suburbs, one of my best friends is a student at UM, and I spent most of my Saturday in Ann Arbor playing golf and hanging out.

My first few days of this job were the typical on-boarding stuff: setting up accounts for the company software, setting up payroll and HR information, learning the basics of the company, etc. Sometimes you have to pass the time when you’re waiting on another session to start (or until 5:00 rolls around). That’s what this weekend is. It’s the on-boarding. Sure, there’s some interesting things stuff to do, but we’re waiting for 5:00 – or in this case, 8:00 on Monday night. So, let’s examine some things we can do to pass the time.

Michigan at Utah, Thursday September 3rd 8:30 – FoxSports1

Besides being the first major game of the season, this one is interesting because of the Harbaugh effect. I know every fan base has its crazy fans (Buck-I-Guy comes to mind within our own ranks), but the crazy Michigan fans are a special kind of crazy. People legitimately think they will win 10 games or even win a national title this season. This game will be very telling about not necessarily the season outlook for Michigan, but at least what kind of progress Harbaugh has made in getting that sinking ship back afloat. Utah will rely heavily on their returning running back, Devontae Booker, the 2014 Pac-12 second leading rusher. Michigan’s defense ranked 7th last season, and held Utah to 81 yards on the ground and no rushing touchdowns in the 2014 edition of this game. Can Utah get the ground game going this year, when the weather won’t create a marsh on the field? I’d like to think so.

#2 TCU at Minnesota Thursday September 3rd 9:00 – ESPN

The Horned Frogs are a trendy pick to make the playoffs and potentially win the title this year. With Heisman hopeful Trevone Boykin back for his senior season, TCU looks poised to have their best season since winning the 2011 Rose Bowl. While I expect TCU to win in Minnesota, leading receiver Josh Doctson has seen limited action in camp with an unknown injury, and may or may not play in the opener. Doctson caught 65 balls for over 1000 yards last season, and figures to be a key cog in the high-powered TCU offensive attack again this year. Minnesota, on the other hand, has to replace RB David Cobb and TE Maxx Williams, in an offense that relied on them heavily last season. Don’t expect another B1G Coach of the Year award for Jerry Kill this year.

#20 Wisconsin vs #3 Alabama Saturday September 5 8:00 – ABC

Will Alabama lose to two B1G teams in a row? Will Wisconsin beat both SEC teams from Alabama in back to back games? Will the SEC declare itself BACK BABY if Alabama wins? No, doubtful, and absolutely. Alabama has a bit of a QB battle on its hands (My guess is that Jacob Coker starts, but I’ve followed that QB battle much less than the one in Columbus). If one of the other signal callers gets the start (redshirt sophomore Cooper Bateman or redshirt junior Alec Morris), I’m inclined to think he’ll have a short leash should things not go well early in the game. However, as is tradition at Alabama, they have a stud running back Derrick Henry, who probably should have gotten the ball 10 more times in the Sugar Bowl if Alabama wanted a shot to beat Ohio State. Wisconsin, on the other hand, has to replace Melvin Gordon. The most likely candidate there is Corey Clement, a junior who had over 900 yards last season. Joel Stave returns at QB for the Badgers. Wisconsin rushed for 400 yards against the last SEC team they faced, but also gave up over 200 yards on the ground their last two games of last season. Wisconsin’s offensive line will have to clear some huge holes for Clement, and their front 7 will have to keep Henry in check. I expect Alabama to win, but I don’t think it will be a blowout.

So there are a few games to pass the time over the first weekend of college football. Buy your beer, prepare your meats for grilling, and get your couches comfort levels adjusted for the weekend, because it’s football season. Next week, I’ll review these games and look forward to a couple big games for the coming week.

Possible back-to-back national championships. Multiple Heisman Trophy contenders. First-ever unanimous No. 1 preseason ranking. Best quarterback situation in the history of college football. Won the title a year before expected. So many NFL draft picks on one team. Potential to be most explosive offense ever.

The offseason buzz surrounding the Ohio State football team has been deafening. Through no fault of its own, the Buckeyes have had an immense amount of hype surrounding it throughout the entire offseason and heading into the season-opening game against Virginia Tech on September 7. That’s what happens when an underdog team of talented albeit young players steamrolls through three top-15 opponents en route to becoming the first-ever undisputed national champion of the College Football Playoff era, and then returns 15 of 22 starters for an encore performance.

No matter how far Assistant AD for Football Sports Performance Mickey Marotti drilled the team into the ground with tough workouts, or how much emphasis the coaching staff has placed on eliminating the word “defend” from the team’s collective vocabulary – in terms of defending the national title – there’s a risk that all the pre-season hype was still too much to overcome.

Could the setbacks the Buckeyes have endured late in the offseason – both injuries and suspensions – actually be a silver lining for the team’s overall success this season?

First of all, hear me out – in no way can Noah Brown’s season-ending leg injury be viewed positively. He’s a collegiate student-athlete who had worked his tail off to be in a position to contribute to the team’s success, and it’s a shame that he won’t be able to join his teammates on the field this Fall. Similarly, the injury of Mike Weber, an emerging young talent, and the suspensions of Joey Bosa, Jalin Marshall, Corey Smith and Dontre Wilson in the opener cannot be interpreted as particularly helpful as the Scarlet and Gray look to open the season with a win in the hostile confines of Lane Stadium.

But, given all the hype that has been heaped upon the Buckeyes heading into season, it can be argued that these setbacks will ground the team – improve their focus, dial back inflated expectations, and erase any possible remnants of complacency that might have snuck into the players’ heads. Make no mistake, this Ohio State team is filled to the brim with talented players capable of beating Virginia Tech – and just about every team in the country – without all of their missing players, but the vibe has changed amongst Buckeye fans.

The key takeaway is that, for a team that thrived in the underdog role last season and has since been thrust into ‘favorite’ status, these setbacks have created doubt. Concern. Some anxiety. Despite the fact that OSU has a bevy of gifted four-star or five-star athletes to replace the players who won’t dress in Blacksburg, Virginia, their lack of actual experience or stats has some fans biting their nails. People are suddenly nervous that the remainder of our wide receiving corps that runs sub-4.5-second 40-year dashes won’t be able to haul in bombs from Cardale Jones or J.T. Barrett. Suddenly, Ohio State might not have a big body that is also quick enough to effectively rush the passer. Will Braxton Miller, the most electrifying athlete in college football – with the confidence to match it, not be able to make plays as an H-back against the vaunted Virginia Tech secondary?

And if Buckeye fans are feeling a bit of insecurity heading into the Virginia Tech game, it’s likely the players and coaches are too, even if they won’t admit it publically. And if a hint of insecurity reinforces the “Next Man Up” philosophy and sharpens the team’s preparation and attention to detail heading into the season, it can be said that there is a silver lining to the team’s offseason misfortunes.