Archives for October 2015

The Rivals, Part X: Byes

Ohio State is on a bye this week, but Urban Meyer, the team, and most fans would rather keep rolling after last week’s utter destruction of Rutgers. It’s also the last weekend before the first College Football Playoff standings come out, and it’s probably better to have a solid performance fresh in the committee’s mind than not, but fortunately for the Buckeyes, most of the other top teams are off this week too. There’s also the issue of injuries, and like most teams this time of the season, Ohio State is pretty banged up. A week off before the most important month of the season is probably for the best, even if it slows momentum a little.

Michigan is coming off their bye week today, and the break couldn’t have come at a better time for the Wolverines. With an extra week to move past the shocking, devastating loss to Michigan State, they can focus on the future and a Big Ten title that is still within their reach (although they’ll need help to get there).

Michigan travels to Minnesota to take on a struggling Gopher team coming off not only a bye week, but also a tearful goodbye from head coach Jerry Kill, who retired Wednesday on the advice of his doctor. I’m a big believer in the impact of intangibles on college football games, and it will be interesting to see how the competing intangibles manifest themselves on the field tonight.

For Michigan, there’s desperation. Realistically, the Wolverines need to win out to still have a shot at the Big Ten title and potentially a spot in the playoff (although that ship may have already sailed.) Michigan is also looking for redemption. The bizarre, instantly-viral way the Michigan State game ended has the potential to be a season-defining moment. It’s Coach Harbaugh’s job to make sure that doesn’t happen. Losing tonight could be severely damaging, with two more road trips coming up in the next three games.

From Minnesota’s perspective, there’s the obvious intangible of winning for a beloved, outgoing coach. Emotions will be running high, especially considering the circumstances of Coach Kill’s departure. He isn’t being fired for lack of performance or some scandal. He was already inspirational just for being able to coach at a high level in his condition, and now he becomes the kind of inspirational that can fuel a player or two (or an entire team) to a lights-out performance. Playing at home and under the lights only adds to that potential.

Bye Week A Possible Boon For Buckeyes

Who does not enjoy the occasional day off from work? I am not talking about a day off when you are sick. I am talking about a scheduled day off from work, where you can relax, and do whatever you want to do. Essentially, that is what the players get with the scheduled bye week for October 31st.

That is not to say or suggest that the coaches have the same luxury. Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer has been using the bye week for promoting his new book, making the various media rounds. More importantly, the coaching staff have been on the road, visiting prospective recruits at various locations around the country.

Getting back to the players, this bye week is coming at an opportune time. Not surprisingly, Ohio State has had its roster depleted due to injury, with varying degrees of severity. Players such as Joshua Perry, Darron Lee, and Parris Campbell have battled injuries this season. It may be presumptuous of me to make this statement, but a week off from pounding for Ezekiel Elliott before the November slate of games is not a bad thing, in my estimation. Look at this linked article, courtesy of elevenwarriors.com, and tell me how a week off may do wonders for this team, heading into November.

In the shameless self-promotion department, please listen to this week’s Men of the Scarlet and Gray Podcast. Shannon Sommers was able to assemble an all-star ensemble to have a roundtable consisting of Joe Dexter (@BuckeyeRadio) of ScriptOhio, Derrek Coss (@BuckeyeBrothers) of The Buckeye Brothers, and Tony Gerdeman (@GerdOZone) of theozone.net. We discussed some of the surprises as they relate to the current freshman class, challenges, and even dabbled in some forecasting for the remainder of the 2015 Ohio State football schedule. As a teaser, we even worked in a Voltron reference into the show…

Continuing on the shameless self-promotion tour, I wrote about Ohio State at the midseason point previously for athlonsports.com. This article was written before J.T. Barrett was named the full-time starter at quarterback, but several of the points and concerns I have for Ohio State are still valid. To read my analysis, please click here.

My bye week plans? The lovely Mrs. Minnich and I plan on carving pumpkins with our three children, hoping to avoid any mishaps with the carving knives. Getting our kids ready for an evening of Trick Or Treat, hoping none of our children suffer the same fate as this poor young man. Lastly, I plan on turning on the TV at 8pm, to watch a few of our future opponents, to get some advance scouting on both of them. I would be remiss if I didn’t say I am also hoping to see this tweet continue to be referenced by the college football world…

Hoping everyone has a safe and Happy Halloween!

Buckeye Bye Week Trivia

by: Ryan Black

photo: sweetfudge.com

 

The Bucks are going bye this Halloween weekend and have 4 (hopefully 5) games left until the bowl layoff. What’s a man/woman to do to fill the time? How about some good old fashioned trivia?

Trivia is defined as “information of little importance or value.” Well, it’s still cool to me damnit.

Nothing gets the juices flowing like springing a “did you know” on a fellow employee or friend, other than Pam from The Office, of course.

 

I’ve spent countless hours (1.5) researching stats and game film to come up with some fun did you knows based on the 2015 season. Sharpie these on your hand, post up at the water cooler and get ready to be the smartest guy in the office.

Here is your Buckeye Bye Week Trivia:

 

  1. LSUWHO?

LSU is the new favorite to usurp Ohio State’s throne (because keeping the defending champs who have a 23 ppg winning margin at number 1 is too boring for the media).  Did you know that the LSU defense has given up over 20 points in every game this season but 1 (Mississippi State, 19).

Yes this includes 4-3 Auburn, 3-4 Syracuse, 1-7 Eastern Michigan, 3-4 South Carolina and a respectable 6-2 Western Kentucky. Can you imagine the heat Ohio State’s defense would be taking if their defense was performing against similar competition every game?

 

  1. Checkdown King

Ohio State’s receivers have been up and down this season but have really turned it on the last three weeks. Despite a plethora of talented receivers, did you know that Ezekiel Elliott is second on the team with 23 receptions?

Elliott is such a luxury when everybody else is covered down field.

 

  1. Special

Special teams decides games (ask Michigan). Did you know that Ohio State is top 8 in the nation in punting and kickoff coverage units?

This team is more than just offense and defense. If the field goal unit get’s it going, it’s hard to imagine a more complete team in the nation.

 

  1. Half a hundred

Big plays seemed to lack for the Buckeyes after the Virginia Tech game for awhile but Ezekiel Elliott was tired of that. Did you know the only team with more rushes over 50 yards in the country than Ohio State (6) is the triple option Georgia Southern squad (8)?

Zeke may have the most impressive Buckeye highlight film ever by the time he’s done.

 

  1. Conspiracy!!!

Many in the Big Ten (cough Penn State fans) believe refs always favor the “golden child” Buckeyes. The stats usually tell a different story: Did you know Ohio State’s opponents only average 47.6 penalty yards per game? This is good for 96th in the nation.

But, the “tin foilers” will still spin it somehow.

 

Bonus: The Boys in Blue

 

Michigan has already reached their number of wins from last season under new coach Jim Harbaugh with great defense, special teams (save 1 play) and ball control. Did you know that Michigan still sucks?

 

Double Bonus: Here’s a spooky video

 

 

I paused it at 1:48, can somebody tell me how it ends?

 

Week 9: MotSaG B1G Pick ‘em and Tidbits

By: Phil Schoch, Twitter me @osuphil95

Each week in this spot, we squint and peer at the college football landscape – the story-lines, point spreads and match-ups – and predict each B1G game as well as a few national spotlight games.

The season is a long journey, but we’re right back to where we started – back to .500! After a 4-3 mark versus the spread in Week 8, Pick ‘em & Tidbits has emerged from the dank despair reserved for degenerate gamblers, hobos on smack and rail-riding blues men. I can breathe again, if only for one week – 49-49 against the spread. But this train ain’t stopping. There are more gigs to be played. More tips to chase down. More back alley scores to be made. Come on, man. We didn’t choose this life! It chose us!

My Week 8 PM Stukenborg Fearless Prediction was an outright bust once again as the Utes were exposed by Southern Cal. I
was 5-2 straight up last week, keeping me slightly above the 75% threshold at 74-24 (75.5%).

Week 8 was an on-paper clunker – ahhh, but the story-lines continued to develop. Two of the previously undefeated got their comeuppance. The Utah Utes were mauled at the Coliseum by Southern Cal and Florida State flamed out in dramatic Michigan/Hindenburg-style versus Georgia Tech. Undefeated Baylor appears to have lost it’s starting quarterback due to a fractured vertebrae. Bama needed a 4th quarter rally at home to defeat 3-4 Tennessee, yet the Bristol agenda pushers are already lobbying for 1-loss-er’s, Bama and Stanford. [Note to Buckeye fans: Do not rage watch ESPN! It’s more hazardous to your health than processed meats. Relax. Let November play out. Just whisper – not yell (I’m being specific) – “Serenity now” a few times, turn off the TV, grab a beer or take a walk. Relax. Breathe.]

Disclaimer: Although to the outsider it may appear glamorous, the hobo’s life is not for everyone. Do not wager your hard earned money or your shopping cart full of aluminum cans based on anything seen in this article. You’ll thank me in the comments section.

Around the B1G…

Saturday, October 31 – Happy Halloween!

Illinois

 

12:00

ESPN2

Vegas says… Lions -6

At Penn State

 

Penn State continues to masquerade as a quality opponent with their 6-2 record and Christian Hackenberg is wearing his bottom-half-of-the-B1G-QB costume again this season.  In conference play and against their one Power 5 non-conference opponent (North Carolina), the Illini have yet to score over 20 points. A very wart-y match-up.

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. 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… Illini, 20-17.

Nebraska

 

3:30

ESPNU

Vegas says…

Huskers -10.5

At Purdue

 

Nebraska is 3-5. The 5 losses have been by a total of 13 points! The Huskers must go 3-1 to reach bowl eligibility. A pair of undefeated teams, Michigan State and Iowa, are on the schedule for November. It’s going to be a long cold winter in Lincoln. Purdue is 1-6 and the locals are ready for basketball season to tip off.

Pick ’em says…  Huskers, 27-17.

Rutgers

 

12:00

BTN

Vegas says…

Badgers -20.5

At Wisconsin

Despite mounting injuries, Wisconsin is 6-2 with a November schedule that should land them in a sun-drenched Florida bowl. Rutgers is 3-4 and once the dangling carrot of bowl eligibility is eliminated, look for this team to implode and for Kyle Flood to get whacked.

Pick ’em says… Badgers 31-13. 

Maryland

 

3:30

ABC

Vegas says… Iowa -17

At Iowa

 

Iowa – good. Maryland – bad.

Pick ’em says… Iowa 27-17.

Michigan

 

7:00

ESPN

Vegas says…

Wolverines -13.5

At Minnesota

 

Minnesota was a popular pick as preseason favorite to win the B1G West. The Gophers are 4-3, but must face Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa and Wisconsin in four of their last five games. Not very B1G Coach of the Year-like Jerry Kill! The Wolverines should be plenty motivated to get back on the field and playing the thoughts of the Spartan game out of their thoughts.

National Spotlight Games… Michigan, 31-14.

Georgia

3:30

At Jacksonville

CBS

Vegas says… Gators -2.5

Florida

This annual clash used to known as…

The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

But in 2006 both refined institutions and the Southeastern Conference asked CBS and the city of Jacksonville to abandon the name in promotions due to concerns about alcohol abuse by students and other attendees. As a result, fans of both schools have had to get blackout drunk for a rivalry that lacks an official name.

Pick ’em says… Last year a Muschamp-led Gators crew embarrassed the Dawgs and rushed for 418 yards. Gators again, 34-31. 

Notre Dame

8:00

ABC

Vegas says… Irish -10

At Temple

Pleeeeease Temple? Pretty please – with we’ll-forget-Bill-Cosby-is-your-most-famous-alum on top?

Pick ’em says… Irish 34-20.

SO LONG AL GOLDEN… 

The Urban Dictionary: 10/28

TheUrbanDictionaryLogoIn yet another Buckeye night game, the night wasn’t so friendly to the Knights, the Scarlet Knights. The real scarlet knights weren’t wearing scarlet, but white, being lead by a new starting quarterback.

I’ve never been happier to admit how wrong I was in my life because finally…after eight long and underwhelming weeks…someone seized the position and solidified that position.

I’ve converted – #TeamJT.

On the business side of this recurring piece, I’ve decided to replace The Players section with a The Opponent section, which will reference the team from the game I’m writing about – in this case, Rutgers.

Urban said – “J.T. doesn’t surprise me. That injury, I didn’t see it in spring, I didn’t see the J.T. Barrett because he was immobile and couldn’t go. Training camp he was getting better and better and better, and he’s still only a redshirt sophomore. I think he’s in full swing now, obviously, and that was a progression throughout practice, development and I thought he played great.”

  • The FansObviously he is in full swing. We saw it for the first eight weeks – glad you finally woke up and smelled the roses.
  • The Media – So what is Cardale’s role going to be? Now that you’ve finally picked a starter after eight weeks of us badgering you to name one.
  • The Opponent – He sure surprised us. Darn you Eli Apple for not coming to the school in your home state to help us stop him.

Last week, Miller was the one who pulled the offense together, but this week it’s safe to say the offense is in good hands with Barrett at the helm.

 

Over the past few games, the Buckeyes have finally limited some of the bonehead mistakes that plagued them earlier in the season.

Urban said – “The thing you’re not seeing: You’re not seeing the self-destructive stuff. The turnovers, interceptions or penalties. That was a loud environment and to not have any penalties, someone just told me that as I was leaving the locker room, that might be the most impressive thing. That’s how locked in they were.”

  • The Fans – We see it Urban. Once again, we’ve been seeing it for eight weeks. Sign me up for an assistant coach position because I’ve been right this whole season!
  • The Media – You probably didn’t have as many penalties and turnovers this time because of who you started at quarterback.
  • The Opponent – A loud environment? Ask these guys if it was a loud environment:

Those poor guys. Well, at least they got paid. . . I’m assuming…

Meanwhile – Ohio State be like:

 

In case you haven’t seen the news, there’s a new book coming out that probably puts this column in the coffin. Rather than me writing Urban’s dictionary, he has written his own!

Urban said (via Twitter) - 

  • The Fans – I’d love to learn how to get the most out of this team…oh that’s right, I knew how for eight weeks – by FINALLY STARTING JT BARRETT.
  • The Media – Will you sign my book?!? And get JT to sign it for me too.
  • The Opponent – Maybe this book will help us to recruit better kids…

As we approach a bye week in the schedule, until next time – bye.

 

A Look Around The Country

Welcome back to my weekly column, A Look Around the Country. I’m highlighting notable games from the previous week, the week ahead and of course, the Heisman and Playoff race. Special features include an in-depth look at the Ohio State and a Michigan update, mainly for folks to bask in their misfortunes. Feel free to comment with your opinions, I hope you enjoy!

Notable Games Last Week

Clemson 58, Miami 0

To be fair, Miami is a horrible football team and their program hasn’t been as irrelevant as this since the days before Howard Schnellenberger ever showed up. But Clemson was able to dismantle them and they played a perfect game doing so. Their only big remaining game is against Florida State on November 7. If they can win that one, I give them a great chance to reach the playoff.

Baylor 45, Iowa State 27

This game was notable because of the season-ending injury to QB Seth Russell. He has led the Bears so far this season in a great fashion especially considering how many points they have been putting up. Moving forward, Baylor still has to play Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and TCU with their true freshman quarterback. Unless they can go full 2014 Cardale Jones, Baylor is in big trouble.

Georgia Tech 22, Florida State 16

Kick Six Part II. The Yellow Jackets were able to pull off the impossible by returning a block field goal all the way back for a touchdown. This loss presumably eliminates Florida State but they still have the power to take other teams out of the picture. See: Clemson.

USC 42, Utah 24

Down goes another undefeated! USC, who everyone gave up on after firing Head Coach Steve Sarkisian, were able to destroy Utah. This puts the Utes playoff hopes on serious life support with the only way they might be able to get in is by winning out.

Ohio State 49, Rutgers 7

That was the Buckeyes we all expected to see from day 1. By inserting J.T. Barrett into the starting role, Ohio State was much more efficient on the offensive side of the ball. I think teams (even great defenses like Sparty and UM) are going to have serious trouble stopping a 1-2-3 punch of Barrett, Zeke, and Braxton. Throw in the passing offense with Thomas and Marshall and this team is starting to look scary. This bye week will help them recover which will be needed for the stretch run they are about to go through. They play next against Minnesota on November 7 which will also be broadcast at 8pm on ABC. #NationalSpotlight

Big Games This Week

West Virginia at TCU

At first glance, this should be an easy win and boring game for the Horned Frogs. But for whatever reason, I have a hunch that West Virginia will make a game out of this. TCU will need its Fort Worth crowd to eke out a win. And that might still not be enough. Thursday Night Games always seem to be weird.

Thursday, October 29 at 7:30pm on Fox Sports One

Georgia at Florida

The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (are we not supposed to call it that anymore?) takes place this weekend. If Mark Richt and Florida are able to pull off the upset, it sends the SEC East into shambles. I do see Florida winning and with their only tough remaining game being against in-state rival, Florida State, they are still an outside chance for the Playoff. If they were to win out and somehow win the SEC title game, they will be in the Playoff.

Saturday, October 31 at 3:30pm on CBS

Notre Dame at Temple

So apparently this is a big game? Simply put, the Irish need to win out if they have any hopes of making the playoff. Their only big remaining game is against Stanford in the season finale, so they better hope Stanford still only has 1 loss while Clemson is still undefeated. Either way, they do not have a conference title game so a lot would have to happen for them to get in.

Saturday, October 31 at 8pm on ABC

Michigan Update

They had a bye week this past weekend, and will take on Minnesota for the right to the Little Brown Jug. We’re a month away from The Game.

Heisman Watch

1. Leonard Fournette, LSU

2. Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State

3. Trevone Boykin, TCU

4. Derrick Henry, Alabama

5. Deshaun Watson, Clemson

My Playoff if the Season Ended Today

*Editor’s Note: This will be a volatile poll every week based on performance in the past week and resume to date, very similar to the Playoff Committee.

1. Ohio State (beat Rutgers, bye week)

2. Baylor (beat Iowa State, bye week)

3. Clemson (beat Miami, plays NC State)

4. Michigan State (beat Indiana, bye week)

Just Missed the Cut

5. LSU (beat Western Kentucky, bye week)

6. TCU (bye week, plays West Virginia)

7. Alabama (beat Tennessee, bye week)

8. Stanford (beat Washington, plays Washington State)

9. Iowa (bye week, plays Maryland)

10. Notre Dame (bye week, plays Temple)

Men of the Scarlet and Gray Podcast Buckeye Roundtable

It’s a bye week? We don’t care about no stinking bye week. There are always things that can be discussed with Buckeye football all year.

Today’s show Chip and I brought in the heavy hitters to have our first ever Buckeye Roundtable. Having the great privilege of talking with Tony Gerdeman of theozone.net, Derrek Coss from buckeyebrothers.podbean.com and Joe Dexter from thebuckeyebattlecry.com join us. We talked about what we have seen the last eight games and what we hopefully will be able to look forward to in the final four of the regular season hopefully on their way to the Big Ten Championship game.

We had way to much for for the MotSaG pick’em segment. Chip and I discuss the Rutgers game and I tell of some experiences I had going to the birthplace of college football. Also we threw in a few #askMotSaG questions.

Enjoy the bye week and get your honey do lists done before we all have to buckle down and get the month of November rolling with another sweep.

 

 

Check out this episode!

B1G Weekly Recap: Northwestern Holds Off Nebraska, Michigan State Runs Away From Indiana

Close ballgames all across the Big Ten this week, with only Ohio State’s victory over Rutgers never really being in doubt. Michigan State used 24 4th quarter points to pull away from visiting Indiana while Northwestern was able to go in to Lincoln and emerge victorious after a few rough weeks.

Northwestern 30, Nebraska 28

Nebraska won the battle for total yards (373-333), time of possession (38:58-21:02), and first downs (22-14) but could not come out on top where it mattered. A Tommy Armstrong Jr. touchdown run with 4 minutes to go brought the Huskers within two but the two-point conversion fell to the turf and Nebraska couldn’t recover in time to get the win.

Clayton Thorson had a big day for the Wildcats, passing for 177 yards and a touchdown but doing most of his damage with his legs, gaining 126 yards and scoring another touchdown on the ground. Northwestern will get a week off before heading to Penn State and Nebraska looks to right the ship with a trip to West Lafayette to take on Purdue.

Wisconsin 24, Illinois 13

When Wisconsin QB Joel Stave had to leave the game in the 1st quarter with a head injury, an entire state held their breath as another loss would surely knock the Badgers out of the running for another berth in the B1G Championship. Backup Bart Houston filled in admirably, throwing for 232 yards and two scores while leading Wisconsin to a come-from-behind victory in Champaign.

Ke’Shawn Vaughn had 55 yards rushing on the day for the Illini, with 36 of those coming on a touchdown run midway through the 3rd quarter that gave Illinois the lead for a brief time. Wisconsin heads back to Camp Randall this week when Rutgers comes to town and Illinois will hit the road and try to take down Penn State.

Penn State 31, Maryland 30

Despite completing just 13-29 of his passes, Christian Hackenberg made enough big plays to lead his team to a win in Baltimore. Hackenberg ended up with 315 yards and three touchdowns, all of which came from 20+ yards out. Saquon Barkley had a slow day on the ground, rushing for just 65 yards but he did find the end zone to get the scoring started in the 1st quarter.

Perry Hills ran for a touchdown and threw for another that gave the Terrapins the lead late in the 3rd quarter but could not complete the comeback after the Nittany Lions retook the lead in the final frame. Penn State will be at home this weekend hosting Illinois and will look to pull off the upset of Iowa in Iowa City.

Michigan State 52, Indiana 26

The scoreline suggests a dominating performance from the Spartans, but Indiana more than held their own on the road for most of this game. If not for a pair of missed extra points, the game would’ve been tied heading into the 4th quarter and Michigan State was leading by just five points until a late barrage of touchdowns with less than five minutes to play put the game out of reach.

Connor Cook had one of his best days as a Spartan, throwing for 398 yards and four touchdowns as Michigan State remained unbeaten on the season. Indiana will take a week off before playing host to Iowa and the Spartans also have this week off as they prepare for a trip to Nebraska.

Ohio State 49, Rutgers 7

Granted it was just Rutgers, but the number one team in the country finally looked the part as the Buckeyes easily dismantled the Scarlet Knights in J.T. Barrett’s first start of the season. Barrett showed no signs of rust as he passed for over 200 yards and ran for over 100 while finding the end zone five times total on the night.

Ezekiel Elliott surpassed the 100 yard mark on the ground once again, trailing only Archie Griffin and Eddie George for most 100 yard games as a Buckeye. Michael Thomas got in on the 100 yard fun as well, racking up 103 yards receiving to go with a touchdown. Ohio State gets the week off to get ready for the stretch run that starts with a primetime visit from Minnesota while Rutgers hope to take down Wisconsin in Madison.

What was your biggest takeaway from this week’s slate of games? Are you already looking forward to the November 21 matchup in Columbus?

The Next Opponent on Ohio State’s Schedule Comes at the Worst Possible Time

The next opponent on Ohio State’s calendar is the last team that the Buckeyes and their fans want to see: BYE.

BYE is my least favorite game every single year. From the fans’ perspective, there is absolutely nothing to be gained from playing against this team. They don’t improve our Strength of Schedule; they don’t help us improve our perception – in fact, we’ll probably be completely ignored this week. We just can’t beat this team. Sure, BYE has such an inferior talent level that our entire two-deep can mail it in and use the weekend to recover from any nagging injuries, but where’s the entertainment in that?

As an opponent, BYE is so putrid that Ohio State – the No. 1 team in the country, with the nation’s longest active winning streak (21) – isn’t even being televised this week. As a matter of fact, no record of this weekend’s game will even be kept. No stats, no highlights, nothing. BYE is like the Washington Generals of college football. Speaking of that, RIP Washington Generals.

BYE is such a cupcake opponent that OSU players love to face off against them, but they bring absolutely nothing to the table as far entertaining fans. Instead, we’re left with scouting Michigan rooting for Michigan to lose, among of a list of other games that are nice to watch but just don’t get our adrenaline flowing like the Scarlet and Gray.

And BYE shows up at the worst possible time. After seven weeks of Ohio State’s expected-to-be-fine-tuned offense sloppily rumblin’, bumblin’, stumblin’ to closer-than-necessary victories over vastly less talented competition, the Buckeyes finally switched to J.T. Barrett as the starting quarterback – who was promptly named the Big Ten Player of the Week.

Unsurprisingly, the OSU offense finally soared en route to a 49-7 victory over Rutgers. So after nearly two months of Ohio State fans clamoring for the offense to come remotely close to hinting at its potential, Urban Meyer made the switch at quarterback and the end product looked glorious. Now, eight games into the season, the Buckeyes are starting to show fans what we presumably could have seen in Week 1.

And just as the offense looks to get clicking and gain momentum as we push towards meaningful November contests, BYE rears its ugly head and wastes our time. What a tease! I want to see J.T. Barrett accumulate even sweeter stats, while living up to his nickname of “The Distributor”, as he gets our boatload of talented skill players plenty of opportunities to make plays.

But, alas, we’re stuck with BYE this week. We’ll have to wait another week to see how smooth the Ohio State offense really is and how goof the Buckeyes really are as a complete team, as they continue to gel more and more towards the most important games on the schedule. In the meantime, this coming weekend is a time for doing work around the house and rooting for Michigan to lose.

5 B1G Observations: Week 8

simpsonsB1G

The Ohio State Buckeyes have been the target of much criticism over the course of the season for their inconsistent play.  However they may earn the moniker of most consistent “Coach Slayer” should Rutgers’ Head coach Kyle Flood be shown the door this week.  Looking back to the end of the 2014 regular season, the Buckeyes victory over That Team Up North lead directly to the firing of Brady Hoke.  Earlier this year the University of Maryland fired football boss Randy Edsall after a three touchdown loss to OSU.  And now with the Rutgers beat down that we all watched this past Saturday, Flood might be finding his spot right behind these gentlemen in the unemployment line.

So if you’re reading this as an Athletic Director that’s trying to get rid of a pesky coach, give Gene Smith a call.  Urban and the boys would be happy to give you good reason to send the guy packing.

#1: TBDBITL got busy across the pond

Because the choice between a weekend trip to Piscataway or London might be the easiest decision ever made, The Ohio State Marching Band accepted their invitation to play during the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills contest at Wembley Stadium in London.  The Pride of the Buckeyes, naturally, were at their best.

#2: Nebraska’s nightmare continues

This local newscaster says it best.  If Ohio State ever had a season like this one I might just…  Oh… 2011.  Please don’t remind me.

#3: Penn State played Maryland and Zzzzz…

The game was actually pretty good (if you could ignore Maryland’s uniforms or avoid falling asleep like I did).  These two former opponents of the Buckeyes competed in their rivalry(?) game which resulted in a one point win for the Nittany Lions.  When you win 36 of the 39 meetings between the two schools, it’s not a rivalry.

#4: Oh Big Ten Network, you shouldn’t have!

In an early Christmas present to us all, the B1G Network immortalized last week’s Michigan loss with this gem.  Jalen Watts-Jackson BROKE AND DISLOCATED his hip during that celebration.  Wow.

#5: Buckeyes get back to form

Many had been calling for J.T. Barrett to take the reins of this offense for months.  This weekend on the Jersey Shore, he proved that he deserves his starting role.  Was it all part of the Urban Meyer plan?  We will never know for sure.