There’s no Buckeye game this week, but there are a handful of compelling games. And just because we’ll be out of sight, doesn’t mean we have to be out of mind: this week we’ll look at the best games in terms of how those teams have performed historically against Ohio State.

Thursday

7:30pm

Rutgers @ Louisville. Ohio State is a combined 2-0 against these two teams who will be bolting from the American Athletic Conference next year. Both of those games were against Louisville in the early ’90s, when the Cardinals were independent and coached by Howard Schnellenberger, post-USFL debacle. (ESPN)

Saturday

Noon

Missouri @ Georgia. Despite both of these teams being in the Almighty SEC, Ohio State has a solid 10-2-1 record against them. Never mind that said record is almost entirely against Missouri, these two are to the Buckeyes what Lloyd Carr & Rich Rodriguez were to Jim Tressel. (ESPN)

Oklahoma vs. Texas. Ohio State is 2-3 against these historic giants, which sounds bad until you consider that the three losses are by a COMBINED seven points. Meanwhile, both of our wins are by at least ten. (ABC)

3:30pm

Florida @ LSU. You’re shuddering just thinking about it, aren’t you? Well, back in 1988 the Buckeyes beat LSU by three at home a year after playing the Tigers to a draw on the road. As for the other three games against these two teams, I can’t seem to remember. (CBS)

Northwestern @ Wisconsin. While the series between Ohio State’s last two opponents is a little closer, together they are 32-114-6 against the Buckeyes. (ABC)

4:00pm

Oregon @ Washington. Ohio State is 16-3 against two of the best teams in the Pac-12, with 8 wins over each team and 3 losses to the Huskies. Suck it, Phil Knight. (FS1)

7:30pm

NASCAR. With no Buckeye game to showcase this week, ABC has decided to abandon college football altogether in favor of cars driving in circles. “The track is kind of O-shaped, you know? So you all could watch anyway,” a network rep would probably comment if I asked. (ABC)

This week’s slate of B1G games features teams from the Legend’s division taking on teams from the Leader’s division. Both divisions are clearly different. The Legend’s division is a cluster and probably won’t be determined until the final game, whereas the Leader’s division is clearly Ohio State’s to lose. With most of the division pretty tight in terms of talent and win-loss records, pretty much every game matters for conference positioning and bowl eligibility. Every team, except Purdue and Penn State (bowl ban) have a shot at a bowl game. This makes for great football.

Indiana @ Michigan State

This game is all about the high-scoring spread attack offense of Indiana going against the suffocating Michigan State defense. These teams are basically polar opposites of one another. The Hoosiers win in high scoring fashion while Michigan State prefers to keep it low scoring and basically operate like a traditional B1G team. Indiana averages 346 passing yards per game (10th best in the FBS) and 44.4 points per game (12th overall). Michigan State is 7th overall in the FBS in points against, only allowing an average of 13.4 points per game. Hoosiers quarterback Nate Sudfeld should be able to score a couple of touchdowns against the Michigan State defense, but I don’t think enough to win the game. Home field is a key advantage for Michigan State and could really be the difference maker. I think Connor Cook and the Spartans offense will score enough against an average Indiana defense and pull off the victory at home.

Nebraska @ Purdue

Out of all the B1G games this is by far the worst of the bunch. Pretty much any team who plays Purdue from here on out that weekend will be the dud game of the week. Purdue is clearly the worst team in the conference. Nebraska is coming off one of its most encouraging performances this season as they had complete control in their win over Illinois. Quarterback Taylor Martinez’s status is still up in the air for the game, but it shouldn’t make much difference. Backup Tommy Armstrong proved he can step in and do well and would have no problem if he’s needed again against Purdue. I expect Martinez not to play since he isn’t really needed against Purdue and there is a bye on deck. Nebraska should win this game pretty easily.

#18 Michigan @ Penn State

If this game was taking place in Ann Arbor I would say Michigan wins this game by at least two possessions. But since it’s in Happy Valley it changes everything. Penn State is clearly a better team at home, especially since this is a night game. The Nittany Lion faithful should be extra loud for this one. Michigan is somehow still undefeated and I would argue this is their toughest test yet. Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner had his first turnover free game last week against Minnesota and looks to continue this trend. On the flip side freshman Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg is really starting to shine coming off a 300 yard performance with zero turnovers against Indiana. Both teams have a solid rushing attack that can look great and bad at times. With the offenses basically even I say this game comes down to the defenses. I think Penn State can ride the emotions of the home crowd and pull off the upset.

#19 Northwestern @ Wisconsin

Source

This game isn’t prime time like Michigan-Penn State, but it deserves to be. Both of these teams are coming off heartbreaking losses to the Buckeyes and really shouldn’t be ashamed about it. They looked great in both of their performances and took a more talented team to their limits. This game will determine who is the second best team in the conference. I know Nebraska, Michigan and Michigan State have an argument too, but these two teams have proven more to me. The loser is pretty much eliminated from contending for the B1G Championship because Northwestern has no room for error in a tight Legends division and Wisconsin already needs Ohio State to lose twice to pass them in the division (which is high unlikely). So everything is on the line for both teams. Wisconsin has a great rushing attack, averaging 300.6 rushing yards per game (6th best in the FBS). People tend to overlook their stout defense, which is only giving up only 14.6 points per game. Northwestern got a much-needed boost on offense last week with the return of Venric Mark. He didn’t put up flashy numbers, but certainly made his presence felt. The quarterback duo of Trevor Siemian and Kain Colter put up great numbers against the Ohio State defense, combining for 25 of 31 passing for 343 yards and two touchdowns. You could pretty much flip a coin when picking the winner of this game. While Wisconsin is near unbeatable at home, Northwestern has the talent and coaching to pull off a rare road win in Madison.

Good Morning Buckeye Nation.

Vegas gone Mad: Apparently Las Vegas experienced a $100 Million dollar swing due to the fumble recovery in the end zone by the Buckeyes Saturday night against Northwestern. The Buckeyes game seemed to have been a very popular game for bettors and since the Buckeyes beat the spread the odds makers lost out on this one. I personally don’t understand the whole betting thing so I don’t do it especially since I have no luck when it comes to it, heck I spent a week in Vegas and only spent 20 bucks on gambling actually came out a head by like 5 dollars so I was a winner!!

Best Rivalries: Seems another site did a Top Rivalries in college football. Grownupme.com gives us their Top 16 and of course everyone should have the OSU/scUM rivalry as Number 1 I was actually surprised they had the Army/Navy game as Number 5 it should be Number 2. I love the Army/Navy game and all that goes with it. I love the fact its on a weekend when there’s hardly any other college football game giving these future military leaders the spotlight they deserve. As a former Navy(SeaBees) man the game means more and since the Midshipmen is on a great winning streak vs the Black Knights I keep winning free beer from my former Army buddy. Psst hey Joel your still behind a six pack hahaha.

Elusive Big Man: Thad Matta and the Buckeyes are still on the look out for the elusive Big Man that they desperately need. The Buckeyes lost on on 7 foot center Elbert Robinson from Texas to the LSU Tigers. The Buckeyes will be very dependent on Amir Williams and Trey McDonald as their centers this season. I feel the Buckeyes only having one guy over 6 foot 8 this season is going to be an issue when March Madness starts. Williams hopefully will become more consistent this season but the Buckeyes really need to get another big man for next season.

Beautify Ohio:

Thanks to Bobble Head Woody on Google+ for this in the Buckeye Nation Community

Until next time Buckeye Nation…

Bye weeks are a mixed bag for college football fans. On one hand, the wait to watch your favorite team play is extended to a nearly unbearable length of time. (That’s why Christmas is scheduled during the off-period between the regular season and bowl games. Otherwise, nobody would get anything because when would we shop?) On the other hand, it’s nice sometimes to have a break to watch other teams struggle and fail without worrying about what your own team is doing. And after a couple of health-threatening games, most Buckeye fans are feeling pretty okay with not playing again this week.

Our bye comes right in the middle of our regular season and while things didn’t exactly go as expected, we are exactly where we want to be: 6-0. Undefeated. In the mix for a national championship.

Right?

Well, hopefully. I don’t need to tell you about the weekly articles about how overrated Ohio State is and how “down” the Big Ten is that started before any games had even been played and won’t stop unless we lose a game. Here’s this week’s version that hits on all your favorite anti-Buckeye/Urban talking points.

While the current flood of unbeaten teams is daunting, it’s unlikely that the season will end with more than two. And if we’re one of those two, we’ll be in the title game, no matter how many hearts it breaks. A one-loss Alabama (Or Oregon or Clemson or Oklahoma) isn’t going to be ranked ahead of an undefeated Ohio State at the end of any season. Ever.

The only thing that will keep us out of the title game (should we be fortunate enough to go 13-0) is the small chance that there are multiple other major undefeated teams. If Alabama and Oregon don’t lose, we’re out. But if that happens, then what? We go to the Rose Bowl against the Pac-12’s runner-up with a pretty good shot at yet another undefeated season. While getting shut out of the national title game would be disappointing, 26-0 is going to feel good no matter how we get it.

If the playoff were in place this year, we wouldn’t even be worried. It’s hard to even imagine a scenario where we wouldn’t make it into a four-team field at 13-0. That’s probably why it’s so easy for me to not stress over our potential impending snub. These BCS titles are about to be viewed in the same way as the pre-BCS titles are now: a legitimate source of pride, sure, but with the acknowledgement that they are open to debate. That won’t be the case with the playoff, even if there are some quibbles with the make-up of the field.

I’ll admit right up front that I was wrong on most of my picks last week. Just when you think you have the B1G figured out, then you have a weekend like the past one. This conference is so unpredictable that it’s pretty much impossible to call these games. Ohio State is clearly the best team in the conference. But after that it’s a tossup. It’s going to be fun watching the rest of the conference schedule unfold, as the slate of games will only get better.

Indiana 44 Penn State 24

When Indiana got dismantled by Missouri (still undefeated), I immediately wrote the Hoosiers off as a flash in the pan who can only beat cupcakes and can’t play defense. Well I was wrong. Indiana’s offense had a great day against a decent Penn State defense, while the Hoosiers’ defense shutdown the Penn State rushing attack. The Nittany Lions came into the game with a pretty solid running game, but were held to only 70 yards rushing on Saturday. The quarterbacks for both teams shined. Indiana quarterback Nate Sudfeld threw for 321 yards (two touchdowns, one interception), while Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg threw for 340 yards and three touchdowns (zero turnovers too). Indiana appears to be one of the teams in the upper part of the conference and could prove to be the trap game remaining for Ohio State on their schedule due to the Hoosiers’ high-flying spread attack that can give opposing teams fits.

Nebraska 39 Illinois 19

Perhaps I was too hasty in judging these two teams. Illinois clearly benefited from their weak non-conference schedule because quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase, who had looked great up until this game, had a very pedestrian performance against a defense that was struggling to contain great quarterbacks. Scheelhaase was 13 of 26 passing for only 135 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception. On the flip side, Nebraska’s offense was firing on all cylinders. Backup quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. threw for 135 yards and two touchdowns (zero interceptions). Clearly Armstrong is the future for the Huskers, which will make losing star Taylor Martinez to graduation sting a little less. But the guy everyone overlooked who had an absolutely great game was running back Ameer Abdullah. He rushed 20 times for 225 yards and two touchdowns. Maybe Nebraska reaching the B1G Championship for a second straight season isn’t so far-fetched after all.

Michigan State 26 Iowa 14

I said coming into this game that Iowa would win this game due to the ineptness of the Michigan State offense. Well the Spartans proved they can put up enough offense to win close games. Spartans’ quarterback Connor Cook threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns and the running backs chipped in 135 yards on the ground. The Michigan State defense played even better than they usually do, which is pretty impressive. They completely shutdown an Iowa rushing attack that was pounding opposing defenses, allowing the Hawkeyes to rush for only 23 yards and zero touchdowns. Star Mark Weisman ran seven times for nine yards. This should put into perspective how good Michigan State is defensively and is the reason the Spartans will remain in the conversation for the Leader’s division title.

#19 Michigan 42 Minnesota 13

Michigan took care of an inferior opponent with ease AND quarterback Devin Gardner didn’t have any turnovers. What is going on here? Is this a dream? But in all seriousness congratulations to Michigan for doing what they were supposed to do in this game. Gardner threw for 235 yards, threw for a touchdown and rushed for one also. The Wolverines’ defense kept Minnesota in check all game and didn’t let them get their running attack going. It was a solid day all around for Michigan. Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill suffered yet another seizure before the game and obviously couldn’t coach, which put the Gophers at a disadvantage from the start. I just don’t see how Kill can keep coaching. At most let him coach the rest of the season and then give him an administration role because he’s just not healthy enough to keep his current position. It’s a detriment to his health and it’s a distraction for his team. I hope Minnesota does the right thing.

On a night in Evanston, Illinois that won’t soon be forgotten, it was the forgotten man, Carlos Hyde, who came up huge for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Hyde’s 168 yards and 3 touchdowns were the difference for the Buckeyes as they beat the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field, 40-30. The stage was set for an upstart Northwestern program to show the country they had arrived.

However, the Buckeyes weren’t to be denied. They weren’t ready to give up their spot amongst the Big Ten’s elite. The game felt like a pendulum, swinging back and forth effortlessly. Sometimes it was swinging towards Ohio State and sometimes toward Northwestern. As a Buckeye fan in the stands, the energy in the stadium was electric. At times, I felt like we were in Columbus. Then a moment later, Northwestern’s play on the field reminded me we were in Evanston. As the night pushed forward, I could tell there was some magic in the air. I was just hoping it was scarlet and gray magic and not purple and black.

When I watch a game, I always look at the offensive and defensive line play. Typically, if one team dominates both sides of the ball they will win. I got that feeling with Ohio State Saturday night. They were dominating both the offensive and defensive line but not the scoreboard. Every time Ohio State did something well, Northwestern answered. The Wildcats created 3 turnovers and hadn’t committed any meaningful penalties until well into the 3rd quarter. The recipe for an upset had been written and the Wildcats were following it like they were watching Bobby Flay on HGTV.
It was starting to look dicey enough that Coach Meyer contemplated putting in Kenny Guiton at quarterback in replace of Braxton Miller. Meyer stuck with Miller and he ended up 15 of 26 for 203 yards, 1 interception and no touchdowns. Northwestern even caused the Ohio State signal caller to fumble in two key situations. Once in the 1st quarter deep in Ohio State territory and once in the 2nd half as Miller was lunging for a touchdown.

On the other hand, the Ohio State defensive line had a monster game. They held the Wildcats under 100 yards rushing and sacked the Northwestern QB’s a combined 5 times. The silver bullets also held the Wildcats under 50% on 3rd down conversions. The secondary on the other hand, struggled throughout most of the game. It seemed like whenever Northwestern wanted to hit a 10-12 yard out, they could. Roby seemed to be a step or two behind the whole game and Pitt Brown appeared to be lost at times. C.J. Barnett had a monster game and held the secondary together throughout the night. Doran Grant made the biggest play of the night, as he intercepted a pass in the 2nd half deep in Northwestern territory that swung the game back to Ohio State.

On a day that started out on the banks of Lake Michigan for ESPN’s College Gameday, it ended on a rain soaked field under the Ryan Field lights. Victory was captured and the halfway point in the season had been reached. The Buckeyes proved one more time why they are the Big Ten’s elite team. I’m just glad I was there to witness such a magical night.

Good morning Buckeye Nation.

Happy Belated Birthday: The home of The Ohio State University Football just turned 91 years young yesterday. Its hard to imagine such a great venue is only 91. One of the best, largest, and noisiest stadiums in the country. There have been many a great game in there, great players battled on the field and great coaches roamed the sidelines and many greats will continue to do so. To me I still remember when there was a track in the ‘Shoe (also got to run on it for a couple of meets). Ever time I enter into the gates of the ‘Shoe I get goosebumps thinking of all the greatness that has been associated with it and I hope she is around for at least another 91 years.

Give it a Break Already: In this weeks morons corner(think i’m really going to start a weekly thing for these idiots) first place prize goes to non other than the infamous Scarlet and Gray loving Matt Hayes from the Sporting News. He claims that Carlos Hyde shouldn’t have played because he hit that girl in the bar. He goes on to basically say that the reason the girl didn’t press charges was because she was afraid of retaliation from Columbus.

Here’s what I don’t understand Matt is how you say Carlos clearly hit the female in question. I guess you know more and seen more than the police and coach Meyer, oh wait that’s right they covered it up I’m sorry. I’m sure that the 3 game suspension that Hyde served was cause he DID assault the young lady. I’m sure that she refused to press charges because of retaliation not the simple fact that it appears she may have assaulted him first.

Why don’t you come down from your ivory tower and let the world know what mistakes you have made when you were young and let morons such as yourself judge you. I’m glad that the mistakes I made weren’t judged by the likes of you since all you know how to do is blow things out proportion.

Sorry this one is short and sweet Buckeye Nation but until next time…