Archives for October 2015

MotSaG Power Poll Week 9

The Votes are in!!

Teams Points Record Last Week
Ohio State 8 8-0 (4-0) 1
msu 17 8-0 (4-0) 2
iowa 25 7-0 (3-0) 3
michigan 30 5-2 (2-1) 4
wisconsin 43 6-2 (3-1) 5
northwestern 49 6-2 (2-2) 7
penn state 57 6-2 (3-1) 6
minnesota 64 4-3 (1-2) 9
indiana 2 79 4-4 (0-4) 11
illinois 83 4-3 (1-2) 12
nebraska 85 3-5 (1-3) 8
rutgers 85 3-4 (1-3) 10
maryland 103 2-5 (0-3) 13
purdue 112 1-6 (0-3) 14

“OH” IO State vs Rutgers Highlights 2015

THIS IS OHIO STATE FOOTBALL

Lets all just take a second to bask in this feeling that we have going through our body’s right now. That feeling that THE BUCKEYES ARE BACK. Maybe I am being a little dramatic due to the fact that we really never went anywhere, in fact we are yet to lose a game since last season, but it’s no secret that the team has left a lot to be desired this season.

Thank god that it seems like that part of the season is behind us! The question is who is behind this offensive resurgence? I think that answer is pretty obvious, Mr JT Barrett. I wish there was someone else to thank along with JT just because I don’t want it to look like I’m dumping on Cardale, but the facts are the facts. From the second JT got the football, the game seemed to be in control. He is just simply able to do things in this offense that Cardale is not able to do. Key to remember about these two is Barrett was recruited by Urban to run this offense, Cardale was a Tressel recruit, not built to run a read option offense. The difference between these two is not just about their physical tools, but also their mental makeup. Cardale has proven to be a better leader than many ever thought he could be, but JT is simply on another level. It is not hard to see on the field that the rest of the team just rally’s behind JT. Not to mention that he was voted team captain as a Sophmore. That is extremely impressive!

Lastly, I would like to touch on a topic that almost makes me sick to think about, but as I said before, facts are facts. All year I have defended Cardale because Urban was saying that someone had to beat him out for Jones to lose his job, at the same time the nation was calling for JT because of how successful he had been in the redzone. Even with all the facts Urban did not seem to want to make the change to JT. Bottom line is Urban should have made this move many weeks ago. It has been obvious to everyone else that this was the thing the Buckeyes needed to get rolling and so far so good. That being said, none of us are in the locker room so we don’t know all the details, but from what we know, that move has been a long time coming. I am just thankful the Buckeyes look comfortable and poised for a post season run!

All Things Buckeyes

The Return of The Fallen Prince:

The Buckeyes were 7-0 with King Dolo Dale at the helm and now that our king has fallen, we welcome the Fallen Prince J.T. Barrett to state his case as a vital part of Ohio State royalty.  Now we all cannot forget King Dolo Dale’s run toward Ohio State’s Title Run last season.  We all mustn’t forget what he had accomplished as the man at Ohio State.  He is after all undefeated as a starter.  He is 10-0 as the starting Quarterback at Ohio State and that is a huge feat.  He had no starting experience as a starting Quarterback and he did what he had to do and he did it so well, his legend grew as the Buckeyes marched toward the Inaugural Playoff Championship run.

Although he came in clutch for the last 10 games, he now finds himself behind J.T. Barrett.  People forget that without J.T. Barrett we wouldn’t be in the position to even be considered for the College Football Playoffs.  J.T. Barrett is now 12-1 as a starter with his only loss coming from a stout Virginia Tech defense.  He looks to and he will continue to spark the Ohio State offense and he will put the team on his back.  He has that chip on his shoulder and he is out to prove that Urban made the correct decision to make him the starter.

As we all saw, the offense runs smoother with J.T. as the starting Quarterback.  As evidenced by this weekends romp of the hapless Rutgers team, I think it is safe to say that we are finally playing to our true potential.  This was supposed to be a trap game, but the Rutgers were not ready for J.T. and company.  Here is to more blow outs.

Bye Week Blues:

After a resounding win at Piscataway, New Jersey, I cannot wait for this bye week to be done and over with.  I personally dislike bye weeks but I understand the need to rest injured players and the advantage it presents to prepare for the next game.  It’ll give the team an extra week to identify what would work against their opponent and what they are weak against.  It can also identify their tendencies and flaws on both sides of the ball.  I cannot wait to see what the Buckeyes gameplan will be.  Here’s looking to you Minnesota.

Last year the Golden Gophers had a huge serving of J.T. Barrett.  I look for J.T. and company to have similar results, but with the whole team pitching in to an overall team win.  I can see J.T. being his usual scrambling self once again.  He will have another huge game and I would say that he will light up the scoreboard once again.  So here is to a quick and fruitful bye week to plan for those pesky Gophers.

Urban Warfare:

With the win this Saturday Coach Meyer now has career win number 150.  WOW!!!  I cannot tell you how important he is to the Ohio State program and he has coached as advertised.  Now there are a lot of haters out there who say that he feigned a heart attack because he lost his edge as a SEC coach and that the recent losses to Alabama had forced him to cower, but people need to have the common decently to realize that that was and is not the case.

Coach Meyer has taken control of this Ohio State roster and has churned out top recruiting classes in the last three Ohio State classes with Ohio State ranked as the number one class for both the 2016 and the 2017 classes.  He has another National Championship after last years run so as a Buckeye fan, he has exceeded all expectations.  Here is to more winning.

Recruiting Tidbits:

So recruiting is probably the second most important aspect of College Football with winning Championships.  Recruiting can and often will change the tide and the direction of the a program and with what Coach Meyer and company have assembled, there is nothing but goodness that is coming to Ohio State.

Recruiting is also very unpredictable and in this day and age, with the needs and wants of the kids coming up in this era, it is more difficult than you would think it is.  Everyone loves competition, but if recruits want to be a part of what could turn out to be a dynasty, come on and get on the legacy train.  If not, it’s okay.  I am not one of those fans who holds grudges over recruits not going to Ohio State.  I  am not naive enough to do that to 17 to 18 year olds.

Although, I would have loved to see Minkah Fitzpatrick and Juju Smith on the roster, I could understand that you win some and you lose some.  Imagine if Coach Meyer reeled them both in and imagine what could of been.  We are doing just fine.  We stole Gareon Conley from TTUN and look at what he morphed into, another shutdown corner for the Buckeyes.  That is why I do not doubt Urban’s recruiting tactics in recruiting because no matter what the star power count is he always has shown the knack to find and secure hidden gems throughout the country.  No place is safe when Urban Meyer comes around as evidenced by last years class, snagging the top recruits from South Dakota and Utah last season, Grant Schmidt and Branden Bowen.  Coach Meyer can have just about anyone from any state if they match what he wants to do on either offense or defense.

Do not worry about who leaves and decommits from the Buckeyes.  If it frees up a coveted spot, then so be it because I know that the Ohio State coaches have a plan in place and it’ll only be just a matter of time.  Go Buckeyes and let us use this bye week to continue to build relationships with inbound players.  And let us hope that the current commits can continue to solidify relationships with each other and the highly ranked targets.

The Rivals, Part IX: Endings

Is the Big Ten East the best division in college football? Its four best teams include two unbeatens (Ohio State, Michigan State) and two teams (Penn State, Michigan) with two losses each. Penn State’s two losses are to Temple (7-0) and Ohio State (7-0). Michigan’s two losses are to Utah (6-0) and Michigan State (7-0). That’s right: None of the division’s top four teams have lost to anything other than an undefeated team. No other division comes close to matching that feat.

Michigan’s streak of shut outs came to end last week in the most unimaginable way. The bizarre botched punt and ensuing touchdown return defies description. But its impact goes beyond the collective jaw-drop of a sports fan nation. The Big Ten East race has been significantly altered by that single, mind-boggling play. While I won’t pretend that there weren’t other ways Michigan State could’ve won that game, they were all just as unlikely to happen as the thing that did. So take away that or some other equally absurd ending, and we’d be looking at this:

1t. Ohio State (3-0)
1t. Michigan (3-0)
3t. Michigan State (2-1)
3t. Penn State (2-1)

At this point, Penn State seems to be at least a step behind the other three, although it’s never safe to count anyone out. But let’s assume that both Michigan and Michigan State beat the Lions and win their games against all other non-OSU Big Ten teams. That leaves us with two potential end-game scenarios: Ohio State beats Michigan State and heads into a battle with Michigan for a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game and probably the playoff, or Ohio State loses to Michigan State and can not make the conference title game. Beating Michigan would only put us into a tie with Sparty, who already owns the tie-breaker. And not making the conference championship game most likely means not making the playoff.

But that didn’t happen. Michigan isn’t out of the running yet, but it’s likely going to take Michigan State losing twice and Michigan running the table for the Wolverines to get to Indianapolis. With virtually no reasonable road blocks ahead of them except for each other, the top four Big Ten East teams are headed for a heck of an ending.

Since it has been the dominant topic of this space for most of the season thus far, I have to address the change at the quarterback position for Ohio State. When the Buckeyes take the field tonight, J.T. Barrett will be the starter for the first time since last November. His performance on third down and in the red zone in recent weeks (and particularly against Penn State) has earned him the spot. Ultimately, the inability of Ohio State to develop a deep-passing game was Cardale Jones’ downfall. It’s bizarre that a quarterback who’s 10-0 as a starter, was MVP of the Big Ten Championship Game and won a national title is going to be the backup, but it was just as bizarre that a quarterback who owns most of the school’s passing records and finished in the top 5 in Heisman voting the previous year was a backup. We always knew it was a strange situation we were in, and I hope that fans don’t forget how much Jones has contributed to this team.

Buckeyes “Ramble On” To Rumble At Rutgers

“Leaves are falling all around, It’s time I was on my way.
Thanks to you, I’m much obliged for such a pleasant stay.
But now it’s time for me to go. The autumn moon lights my way.
For now I smell the rain, and with it pain, and it’s headed my way.
Sometimes I grow so tired, but I know I’ve got one thing I got to do…
Ramble On,
And now’s the time, the time is now…”

No, Led Zeppelin was not singing about the upcoming Ohio State at Rutgers game, as much as I would like to believe so. Undefeated Ohio State travels to Piscataway, New Jersey, for a conference clash with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Rutgers enters the contest at 3-3, fresh off a monstrous comeback victory over Indiana.

While playing Rutgers is a relatively new concept for Ohio State, the idea of traveling to New Jersey in search of high school football talent is not. In the past, Buckeye greats such as Jack Tatum and Alonzo Spellman starred for the Buckeyes. Present players on the team from New Jersey include freshman offensive tackle Kevin Feder, redshirt sophomore cornerback Eli Apple, senior placekicker Jack Willoughby, sophomore wide receiver Noah Brown, and redshirt freshman defensive end Darius Slade. As Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer stated, New Jersey is home to outstanding high school football, among other things…

Rutgers has had its share of controversies this season. Wide receiver Leonte Carroo was suspended earlier this season, and will be a game time decision for the Scarlet Knights. If Carroo can go, the Ohio State secondary will be put to the test, as Carroo is one of the most dynamic wide receivers in The B1G.

Ohio State enters into this game with tremendous anticipation to see how the offense will respond under the quarterback play of J.T. Barrett. With Barrett starting at the onset of the game, Ohio State fans believe the offense will finally emerge into the explosive unit that has been anticipated all season.

Besides controlling Leonte Carroo as a receiving threat for Rutgers, Ohio State must confront the challenges of a strong Rutgers running game. Ohio State’s rush defense has given up significant yardage on the ground in consecutive weeks, in wins over Maryland and Penn State. Ohio State enters into the game without the services of senior defensive lineman Tommy Schutt. To compensate for the loss of Schutt, Ohio State will rotate defensive linemen Michael Hill, Joel Hale, and true freshman Robert Landers.

Prediction: The Rutgers fan base will be out in full force for this one, as this game will be the first time Ohio State plays in High Point Solutions Stadium. After a full day of tailgating, look and listen for a raucous Rutgers crowd.

Look for Ohio State to come out fast, to try and silence the crowd. Rutgers has the talent to keep it interesting during the first half, but Ohio State has too much talent and speed for Rutgers to keep pace. I have it Ohio State 49, Rutgers 21.

The J.T. Barrett Show: What to Expect

As you probably know and have read about, J.T. Barrett was recently announced the starter over Cardale Jones for the upcoming game against Rutgers and on. After months of many fans calling for this to happen, and months of Urban being redundant that J.T. had not yet beat out Cardale, the switch was made.

Obviously, Cardale had some of the highest expectations of all returning college football players. After all, he was the 3rd string QB that led the team to beat Wisconsin, Alabama, and Oregon in an extremely impressive stretch that put Ohio State on top of College Football. His potential was and is apparent to anybody who watches. He is one of the biggest QBs in all of football, and has one of the strongest arms in all of football. He is undefeated as a starter. So, why was the switch made?

“Just sheer production. … Red zone production, third-down production made the difference.” said Urban Meyer on Tuesday.

 

If you go off of the stats, and the fact that he won the B1G Championship, the Sugar Bowl against “almighty” Alabama, and the National Championship against Oregon, you would think there’s no way he could be demoted. But, if you closely watch the game, you see why. His running threat is fairly non-existent which allows defenses to key on Zeke, and without Devin Smith and the coaches trust for that deep threat, his famous deep ball isn’t there. His short throw accuracy also isn’t as great as you would expect from a projected first round pick, which, inevitably, makes for struggles in the red zone.

Of course, those red zone struggles led to the J.T. Barrett package in that area of the field. Not only was he slightly better than Cardale in that spot of the field, but the team went from 6-16 under Cardale to 12-12 under J.T. Then, after more struggles from Cardale during the Penn State game, J.T. was handed the reigns to the offense. From there, J.T. led the team to flashbacks of last year, and he “beat-out” Cardale.

Now, what will the offense look like with a “new” starting QB? Let’s look at his stats and game scores from last year.

J. T. Barrett 2014 stats

Navy – W 34-27. 12-15, 226 yards passing, 2 TD, 1 INT. 9 rushes, 50 yards.

Virginia Tech - L 35-21. 9-29, 219 yards passing, 1 TD, 3 INT. 24 rushes, 70 yards, 1 TD.

Kent State - W 66-0. 23-30, 312 yards passing, 6 TD, 1 INT. 8 rushes, 6 yards.

Cincinnati - W 50-28. 26-36, 330 yards passing, 4 TD. 14 rushes, 79 yards.

Maryland - W 52-24. 18-23, 267 yards passing, 4 TD. 16 rushes, 71 yards, 1 TD.

Rutgers - W 56-17. 19-31, 261 yards passing, 3 TD. 7 rushes, 107 yards, 2 TD.

Penn State - W 31-24. 12-19, 74 yards passing, 1 TD, 2 INT. 20 rushes, 75 yards, 2 TD.

Illinois -  W 55-14. 15-24, 167 yards passing, 2 TD. 7 rushes, 38 yards.

Michigan State - W 49-37. 16-26, 300 yards passing, 3 TD. 14 rushes, 86 yards, 2 TD.

Minnesota - W 31-24. 15-25, 200 yards passing, 3 TD, 1 INT. 17 rushes, 189 yards, 1 TD.

Indiana - W 42-27. 25-35, 302 yards passing, 4 TD, 2 INT. 20 rushes, 78 yards.

Michigan - W 42-28. 13-21, 176 yards passing, 1 TD. 15 rushes, 89 yards, 2 TD.

Overall - 203-314, 2,834 yards passing, 34 TD, 10 INT. 171 rushes, 938 yards, 11 TD.

Obviously, these numbers are great. He broke the record for most passing TDs by an Ohio State QB when he threw for his 31st. He also broke Braxton’s single season yards record of 3, 310. And, he broke Drew Brees’s B1G single-season TD record when he recorded his 43rd score against the team’s rival. Then, to cap it off, he finished 5th in the Heisman race, even after not playing in the B1G Championship with a broken ankle.

Some of you may think, “Well, all those stats were last year, what about this year? He didn’t play well early in the season when replacing Cardale.”

“The first few weeks I was trying to come out, trying to make plays and forcing it.” J.T. admitted after the Penn State game. “That’s asking for bad things to happen, when you try to force things instead of letting them come to you.”

Like I alluded to earlier, J.T. is 6-6, 56 yards passing, and 2 TDs, along with 21 rushes for 164 yards and 5 TDs. He has shown flashes of his consistency and greatness of last year, along with a new level of speed. He showed the ability to continuously make the correct reads, specifically in the read-option with Ezekiel Elliott and Braxton Miller.

“Barrett makes a difference for them. There is no doubt about it.” said Penn State coach James Franklin after their loss to Ohio State. “Braxton Miller is a special athlete with the ball in his hands and their people up front and their tailback played very well. Give those guys credit. Good football team.” With a better decision maker in J.T., and those two elite runners with a powerful line will be something extremely difficult to stop.

Overall, I would certainly expect a more high scoring offense. J.T. is a smoother operator, and if nothing is open downfield, unlike Cardale, he can pick up adequate yards. With all the playmakers this team has (when healthy, of course), they need somebody to get them the ball. Who better to do just that, than The Distributor, J.T. Barrett. He may not possess the arm that Cardale has, but he didn’t have it last year, either, and look at the points the team put up. I predict the team will get their first 50 point game under J.T. Saturday night, but that of course gives the opposing offense more chances, which will likely result in more points for them as well. So, look for more points on both sides, but look for our side to look more like the offensive juggernaut everybody was predicting them to be.

The best backfield since “Thunder & Lightning”

1377274136000-XXX-Rose-Bowl-514There once was a man named Reggie Bush who, about ten years ago, took college football by storm. He ran faster than your fastest player. He jumped however high and however far he needed to jump, to score the next touchdown. Bush was a Paul Bunyan like figure; a myth of a man. I’m still not sure if he was real or if I dreamed the whole thing. Yet, have we forgotten that Bush wasn’t the only great tailback that took the field for USC back then? There was a mountain of a man who could run over your defensive lineman and run by your linebackers. His name was LenDale White. The pair were known as “Thunder and Lightning.” The smash mouth style of White gave Southern Cal the thunder; while the lightning quick Reggie Bush could turn what should be a mediocre gain into huge run. We haven’t seen anything in college football like the Thunder and Lightning USC backfield since it’s conclusion in the mid-2000’s. But that’s going to change very soon.

Urban Meyer and Tony Alford have pieced together what could be the next great runningback duo in college football and possibly a backfield that will be remembered for generations. Who is this potentially legendary duo? Kareem Walker and Antonio Williams.

The top ranked tailback in the country, Kareem Walker has 4.40 speed and a big play ability that is going to be dynamic in Ohio State’s offense. The 6’1 208lb runningback from Wayne, New Jersey has recently been compared to Leonard Fournette, with respect to his raw talent. He will be OSU’s lightning.

That would make Antonio Williams, the thunder. Standing at 5’11, Williams is a bulky 210lbs. He is a guy that thrives on contact. Williams also has great field vision, which is going to allow him to get into open space, where he possesses the speed to break away from defenders. He is a top ten back in the nation, and a special talent.

Walker and Williams are both elite guys that thrive in competition. A place like Ohio State, that focuses on hard work, always putting the team first, and a competitive spirit where competition is introduced in almost every facet of the program, will bring the best out of both of these players. Once Walker and Williams reach their full potential, watch out college football, this will be a lethal combination.

Top and Bottom 5: Ohio State Power Player Rankings

by Ryan Black

 

image from variety.com

 

Ohio State is 7-0 and 6 more wins stand between them and another playoff berth. In my opinion there is nothing quite like a meaningless power poll to see where a teams strengths and weaknesses are. So I put together a list of the top and bottom 5 players of your Buckeyes.

Why just 5? Well, this is America; nobody cares about the “just good” players, the “less gifted but hard workers” or the middle class (don’t get me going)… The in-betweeners are boring, it’s all about the top and bottom baby.

Even my dumb ranking has to be better than this FPI poll that keeps getting thrown at fans each week as 3-3 USC is still #6 in this weeks ranking…

Link: http://espn.go.com/college-football/statistics/teamratings

#Weird

What went into my rankings? Well, unlike  the FPS with weird formulas and odd schedule logic, I used my eyes and my gut. So yes, this is also a very flawed poll.

 

Here is the Top and Bottom Power 5 Buckeye Player Rankings:

 

Number 5:

Top:  S Von Bell

Bottom: S Tyvis Powell

Reasoning: Both safeties appear at number 5 this week. Von Bell is always around the ball and a big time playmaker for this secondary.

Powell also makes plays but bad angles have really given the opponents (esp. qb’s) long touchdowns in the past three weeks. Unacceptable for a 3rd year starter though I wouldn’t trade this duo for any other in the country.

 

Number 4:

Top: P Cam Johnston

Bottom: RT Chase Farris

Reasoning: Are we going to witness a punter enter the NFL draft early? Don’t count it out. Cam has outperformed Bama’s top punter of last season (J.K. Scott) by a solid margin; 47+ yards a punt is outstanding.

It’s also not surprising to see the only newcomer on the offensive line on the bottom list but Chase Farris is still giving up too many easy sacks/QB hurries on simple speed rushes.

 

Number 3:

Top:  WR Michael Thomas

Bottom: TE Nick Vannett

Reasoning: Both players at number 3 had high hopes for next years NFL draft. One has exceeded those expectations while the other began pressing. Tight End’s coach Tim Hinton thinks Vannett is finally mentally ready for the stretch run.

 

Number 2:

Top: RB Zeke Elliott

Bottom: C Jacoby Boren

Reasoning: The two currently at number 2 were irreplaceable during last years stretch run. Unfortunately, it looks like Boren was a little off at the start of the season (possible injury?) and I believe that his snaps were killing the flow of the offense in the first few weeks. In an offense like Urban’s with motion and misdirection, timing is everything and high snaps can be play killers. He has looked much better the last three weeks and I wouldn’t be surprised to see his improved play vault the other #2 Zeke to New York.

 

Number 1:

Top:  DE Joey Bosa

Bottom: K Jack WIlloughby

Reasoning:  How is Adolphus Washington left off the current top list? Well, I think the attention Bosa is receiving at DE is letting the big dog eat. Bosa’s numbers aren’t outstanding but teams are refusing to let him be the defensive lineman to beat them which has allowed all others on the line to flourish. He’s certainly a top 5 pick next year.

New kicker Willoughby hasn’t had it click yet. He’s had a few kicks out of bounds and hasn’t made a kick over 34 yards… This will have to change to win it all.

 

Bonus:

Biggest snub: LB Darron Lee (top 5)

Reasoning:  It hurts to not put arguably the best linebacker in the country on here but due to injuries to some corners, Lee is in coverage a lot more than usual in the slot. What this does is keep super soph. Raekwon McMillan (team tackle leader)  from being substituted out for a green nickleback on a lot of plays. Expect Def. Coordinator Fickell to dial up some blitzes from the secondary to keep Mr. Chaos involved.

 

Just remember kids-whether you’re a top or a bottom, you’re always a loved Buckeye in my heart ;).

Week 8: MotSaG B1G Pick ‘em and Tidbits

By: Phil Schoch, Twitter me @osuphil95

Each week in this spot, we look at college football’s point spreads and match-ups and predict each B1G game as well as a few national spotlight games.

WOW! What a finish! Sparty… YES! The euphoria and ensuing celebration of a monumental Michigan loss has become a sweet once a decade event. I wasn’t around when Kennedy was shot, but I remember exactly where I was for these three days of infamy.

September 24, 1994 – Colorado

Kordell Stewart to Michael Westbrook. I watched it live at the next door neighbor’s apartment at 94 West Lane Avenue.

September 1, 2007 – Appalachian State

Armanti Edwards led then-FCS power Appalachian State to a roller coaster victory over #5 Michigan. I watched it live at the JerryGate Tailgate party on Woodruff Avenue.

October 17, 2015 – Michigan State

The botched punt. I watched it live from the neighbor’s house down the street. Because the group was wildly urging Jalen Watts-Jackson into the end zone, we missed hearing Sean McDonough go full Peter Brady on the final play. A classic.

 

Last week Pick ‘em & Tidbits made a serious move toward the .500 threshold with a 6-2 mark versus the spread and 6-2 straight up. In back-to-back weeks, my PM Stukenborg Fearless Prediction aka wishful thinking (Texas A&M over Bama) did not cover as the Aggies tossed out Pick 6’s like Trick or Treat candy. After seven weeks, I am 45-46 (49.5%) against the spread and 69-22 (75.8%) straight up.

Week 8 is a clunker on-paper – perhaps a high profile upset or two lurks.

Disclaimer: Warning! Do not wager your money or possessions based upon anything gleaned from this article. Full disclosure – In my side dabbling last week, I liked Kansas State to bounce back (from their loss to TCU) better than Oklahoma (from their loss to Texas). I liked Kansas State +4.5. Kansas State lost to Oklahoma, 55-0.

Around the B1G…

Saturday, October 24

Northwestern

12:00

ESPN2

Vegas says… Huskers -9

At Nebraska

Northwestern is on the slide again. The offense has abandoned them (10 total points in the past two weeks) and the defense has gotten leaky (78 total points given up the past two weeks). Last week Nebraska punched Goldy Gopher in the teeth 48 times.

Pick ’em says… Each team has momentum, ride it. Huskers, 39-5.

Wisconsin

3:30

BTN

Vegas says… Bucky -7

At Illinois

Old Style has always been linked to Chicago (Chicago’s Beer since 1902), but it is actually brewed by the G. Heileman Brewing Company in LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

Pick ’em says… Pick ’em & Tidbits readers, You’ve Got Style! Old Style. Grab a 6-er of Old Style, now available in Columbus at The Anderson’s General Store & in Cincinnatuh at Jungle Jim’s! Badgers, 23-13.

Penn State

3:30

ESPN

Vegas says… Lions -7

At Maryland

Poor Penn State. They were so lonely out there as the Eastern outpost of the B1G. Thank goodness the B1G grabbed all of those DC/Baltimore/Rutgers eyeballs for cable rights cash. Maybe this will become a decent rivalry down the road, but for now any mention of Maryland or Rutgers football aggravates me (except last year when these behemoths both beat Michigan).

Pick ’em says… In my day, the Big 10 had ten schools. That’s the way it was and we liked it!  https://youtu.be/BbU4Cb4A4-o

Indiana

3:30

ESPN

Vegas says… Sparty -16.5

At Michigan State

Momentum. Indiana has lost three straight including a 55-52 collapse last week versus Rutgers. The hurtin’ Hoosiers were outscored 22-0 in the 4th quarter. Ouch. Sparty, thank you for that Pure Michigan moment last week.

Pick ’em says… Sparty, 34-20.

Ohio State

 

8:00

ABC

Vegas says… Buckeyes -21

At Rutgers

 

Great! Ohio State now gets to play Rutgers every freaking year. We’ll get to see Northwestern, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois, you know, Big 10 schools – not B1G schools, every-so-often. But we get to see Maryland and Rutgers every-GD-year! Thanks a lot Obama Delany!

Pick ’em says… JT puts the offense in high gear, finally! For the 5th week out of 7, I’ll call for the Buckeyes to hit 50+. 52-17.

Tennessee

3:30

CBS

Vegas says… Bama -16

At Alabama

 

Two hyper-hypo-obnoxious fan bases. Please Tennessee?

Pick ’em says… Bama 27-20. 

Utah

 

7:30

FOX

Vegas says…

Southern Cal -3

At Southern Cal

 

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… PM needs to get back into the win column. This has the too-good-too-be-true Kiss of Death written all over it. Utes, 31-28.

ENJOY YOUR BYE WEEK MICHIGAN FANS!