5 Things I Think: After Week 4

September 23, 2013 by 1 Comment

Week 4 was a difficult set of games to wrap my head around. Ten teams scored at least 55 points and four of those scored at least 70. If we look at the AP Top Ten (Oregon had a bye) going into the games, did any of those teams in that group really impress in their wins? I’d say the only game that really impressed me was Stanford’s handling of Arizona State. They held that high-powered offense scoreless in the first half while opening up a 29-point lead. Outside of that, there were several blowouts, none of which should have been surprising. Ohio State put 76 on an FCS team (Florida A&M) that won 4 games last season and the only reason it wasn’t worse is because the Buckeyes didn’t throw a pass in the second half (Kenny G threw for 6 TDs in the first half). Louisville put 72 on 0-3 Florida International in a game that saw FIU possess the ball for 32 minutes and only run 43 plays. The two Florida teams in those games combined for just two converted third downs. Florida State beat an FCS team, Bethune-Cookman, by 48 and that did nothing but illustrate how unfair the Louisville/FIU game was because Bethune-Cookman beat FIU 21 last week. Alabama did not play well offensively against a Colorado State team coming off a 4-win season and that has only beaten FCS’ Cal Poly. Clemson struggled against an NC State team that barely beat Richmond the week before but always seems to play up against better teams. Georgia was tied with North Texas at 21 with 10 minutes left in the third quarter, keeping in mind that the Mean Green lost to an Ohio team that Louisville beat by 42 earlier in the season. Texas A&M beat SMU by 29 but let Garrett Gilbert (remember him from Texas?) throw for 310 yards against them to demonstrate that defense is still struggling. LSU, while they looked good at times, only outgained Auburn by 19 total yards and had twice as many penalties as Auburn in a “dreaded” night game in Death Valley. The Top Ten will all have decent tests in Week 5 (with the exceptions of Clemson and Florida State who face Wake Forest and Boston College respectively).

1. Who is the best team in the country? If there were no preseason polls and you had a vote, which would you vote as the number one team in the nation after four weeks? Keep in mind, only take into account what we’ve seen this season, not what we’ve seen in years past. It’s tough right? Let’s look at the current “number one” team in Alabama. In Week 1, they rushed for less than hundred yards and completed less than half their passes for a little over 100 yards against a Virginia Tech team that just allowed 228 yards passing and 133 yards rushing to Marshall in a triple overtime win. Week 2, the Tide defense allowed more yards than it ever had in its storied history to Johnny Football and company. Then Saturday they didn’t convert a third down until near the end of third quarter against a team, Colorado State, whose only win is against FCS’ Cal Poly. Oregon looks great but what have they really done? Yes, they’ve scored at least 59 points in each of their three games, but one of those was against lowly FCS team Nicholls State. The Virginia win gets a few cool points only because the Cavaliers beat the BYU team that would go on to beat Texas down. Then the Ducks beat Tennessee by 45, but the Volunteers only beat Western Kentucky because the Hilltoppers committed five turnovers in a six-play span and only put 17 against Florida because they got a pick six on a play during which Gators quarterback Jeff Driskel broke his fibula. The point is that if we look at this season (and this season alone) thus far, there isn’t any team that stands out as the best team in the country. The good news is that conference play is about to get ramped up around the country and we’ll start to learn a little bit more about everyone, because they’ll get away from the “gimme games” and actually get challenged. My Buckeyes are ranked in the top five but the only thing they’ve really accomplished is playing well against inferior opponents despite doing so without their star quarterback and while I don’t know if many other FBS teams could do that well with a backup QB, it doesn’t really make the “w” any more valuable.

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Filed Under: College Football

Rattled: Florida A&M Recap

September 23, 2013 by 3 Comments

There’s no need to ridicule Florida A&M here. They were clearly outmatched, and everyone knew that from the beginning. I’m also not going to address the absurd accusations of “running up the score.” If you watched the game, you know exactly what happened. If you didn’t, then you looked at the box score and let your opinion of Urban Meyer and Ohio State dictate your interpretation. So let’s get to what the Buckeyes accomplished in an admittedly unnecessary game:

Kenny G In The Record Book: Guiton officially became the Best Backup In The Nation by beating a record that even Bobby Hoying only managed to tie (twice). That his six touchdown passes all came in the first half erases this game’s ubiquitous qualifier of “against Florida A&M.” Congrats to Kenny. No one deserves this more.

Zeke’s Big Day: Ezekiel Elliott stepped into the lineup at the beginning of the second half and picked up 39 of Ohio State’s 65 rushing yards (the rest went to QB Cardale Jones) on an opening touchdown drive that spelled the ultimate doom for the Rattlers. These were the backups’ backups, and things were still running pretty smoothly. Elliott found the end zone again on Ohio State’s next drive, which included a spectacular 57-yard run. He would get a few more carries as Warren Ball and Devonte Butler were worked into the backfield. Elliott finished the day with 162 yards and two scores on just 14 carries, solidifying himself as a future contributor to the Buckeye ground game.

The (Sort Of) Return of Hyde: This was Carlos Hyde’s first game back from suspension, and he took the field for a 4th and 1 play midway through the first quarter. We converted (which, of course, was despicable of us) and Hyde would eventually cap the drive with a one-yard touchdown catch. Hyde had one more significant drive in the second quarter and finished with 41 yards on 5 carries. Obviously, his carries were limited in a game that focused heavily on backups, but it was a good performance after an extended absence, and he will be crucial in short-yardage situations as the season goes on.

Staying Healthy (Almost): Of course, it would have been ideal to have zero injuries on Saturday, but I think Buckeye Nation will still rest easy despite freshman James Clark getting hurt. I hate to diminish any injury and certainly don’t want to sound cold, but this is football and Clark is not a major piece of the offense. There is still potential for a medical redshirt if the injury is serious enough, and needless to say, I hope Clark recovers fully and comes back stronger.

Shutout: You can’t complain about giving up zero points and fewer than 100 total yards, regardless of the opponent. The Silver Bullets also allowed just two first downs in the entire game. I was surprised that we only snagged one pick, but Florida A&M wasn’t throwing as much I thought they would either.

All in all, the game was as perfect for Ohio State as one could reasonably expect. While I’m still a bit nervous about a rusty Braxton taking the field against Wisconsin next week, I wouldn’t have wanted him out there at less than 100% in a meaningless game either.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Ezekiel Elliott FAMU Highlights *Video*

September 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment

The future of the Running Back position at Ohio State is bright. We have all seen what Dontre Wilson brings to the team in his Hybrid position of WR/RB. What we hadn’t seen was who would take the reigns of the True Running Back spot. Saturday we got a glimpse of the future and it is very bright. Ezekiel Elliott carried the ball 14 times for 162 yards and 2 TDs. On Twitter during the game people were gushing over this young True Freshman RB from St. Louis, Missouri. His running style was compared to such OSU greats as Robert Smith and Maurice Clarett. In the video below you can see his highlights from the game and what he has to offer. The one thing that is clear to me is the future is bright and Zeke is the future.

(H/T to @RocThom0512)

Filed Under: Ohio State Football Tagged With: , ,

MotSaG Top 25 Poll- Week 4

September 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment

1.) Clemson
2.) Alabama
3.) Ohio State
4.) Oregon
5.) Florida State
6.) Stanford
7.) Louisville
8.) LSU
9.) Oklahoma State
10.) Northwestern
11.) Oklahoma
12.) Miami Hurricanes
13.) UCLA
14.) Washington
15.) Texas A&M
16.) Georgia
17.) South Carolina
18.) Florida
19.) Wisconsin
20.) Baylor
21.) Texas Tech
22.) Ole Miss
23.) Fresno State
24.) Northern Illinois
25.) Maryland

– Teams falling out of the Top 25 include Michigan, Michigan State, and Arizona State. Michigan State lost a close game to Notre Dame but further showed they have zero offense. Arizona State lost to a very good Stanford team and will most likely be back in the top 25 soon. Michigan for the 2nd week in a row narrowly escaped with a come from behind win against an awful team. Until they prove they are worthy of a top 25 ranking they can sit outside the rankings at no. 26.

– Teams moving into the Top 25 include Fresno State, Northern Illinois, and Maryland. For me the most surprising team in that list is Maryland. Maryland easily handled the UConn team that Michigan needed a miracle to beat and destroyed West Virginia 37-0 to go to 4-0 on the season.

– Most of the Top 25 didnt change at all because well it was a horrible week of games. No marquee match-ups to speak about. Most of the teams clobbered less talented cupcakes.

– On to the next week where we can only hope for better match-ups and better games.

Filed Under: College Football, Ohio State Football

Ohio State wins 76-0 (Instant Reaction)

September 21, 2013 by 2 Comments

Well there isn’t a lot to say about this game. OSU scored a lot and then they scored a lot more. FAMU was undermanned, under talented and beat in every aspect of the game. There were some great points in the game though here are a few of my favorite things.

– Kenny Guiton threw an OSU record 6 TD passes. He also threw passes to 10 different receivers.

– Ezekiel Elliott had 162 yards on 14 carries and 2 TDs.

– The defense held FAMU under 100 yards on the day and no points. They only gave up 2 1st downs.

– Tight Ends Jeff Huerman and Nick Vannett combined for 6 catches and 70 yards and a TD.

– The biggest highlight of the game was an interview the BTN had with Archie Griffin and Cornelius Greene. Cornelius Greene is one of the greatest Buckeyes of all time and never gets the recognition he deserves. He changed the way OSU treats the QB position and their offense forever. Every QB after him owes him a debt of gratitude.

– It is officially BEAT WISKY WEEK.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

5 Things I Think: Going Into Week 4!

September 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment

FootballWeek 4 doesn’t have a whole lot of intriguing matchups as the only team in the Top 10 that plays someone that could challenge them was #5 Clemson. That ended up happening, by the way, last night as they faced N.C. State. Remember that the Wolfpack ruined Florida State’s run at a national title last season, so they’re known for getting up for big games. Wolfpack fans will focus on the 83-yard touchdown run that was called back to the 47 because the official ruled he stepped out (and depending on the replay angle it was tough to definitively say either way), but what they should focus on was their team’s terrible play on third down. They were a terrible 3-16 for the night and one of those was the late-game touchdown run. My Buckeyes play Florida A&M this weekend and the only comment worth making on that one is that I hope Urban Meyer rests Braxton Miller one more week in preparation for Wisconsin and let smooth Kenny G take care of business. So let’s go ahead and dive in!

1. Michigan State at #22 Notre Dame (2:30pm CST NBC): To be honest, I have not been impressed with the Fighting Irish yet this season. I realize they’re 2-1 and their loss is to a team they probably should have lost to in TTUN (although Akron may have something to say about that), but what have they done that is all that impressive? Outside of not completely imploding after losing Everett Golson to academic issues in the offseason … nothing. Tommy Rees only having two interceptions thus far is admittedly surprising. Last week, they squeaked past a Purdue team that lost by 35 to Cincinnati in the season opener (keep in mind that the Bearcats subsequently lost to Illinois by 28). I realize that the transitive property doesn’t always translate to sports, but it sure doesn’t make Notre Dame look any more impressive. On the other side of the coin, Michigan State, as usual, looks strong defensively. They haven’t played anyone really (Western Michigan, South Florida, and Youngstown State), but they’ve only allowed three offensive touchdowns and have allowed only a 16% success rate on third down conversions. It appears, with a small sample size in mind, that the Spartans may finally have their starting quarterback in third-year sophomore Connor Cook as he threw four touchdown passes last week which is something a Spartans quarterback hasn’t done since 2007 (Brian Hoyer). I think if the Spartans defense can contain wide receivers DeVaris Daniels and TJ Jones who have more than half of the Irish’s total receptions; they have a great chance at pulling out a win. Cook needs to just take care of the ball and let the Spartans defense do what they do. I think this game will be relatively low scoring in that neither team may break 20 points and that is certainly in the Spartans’ favor. Michigan State wins in a game in which I think we’ll see the return of the Tommy Rees we all know.

2. Utah State at USC (2:30pm CST ESPN2): Kiffin, coaching from a seat that is warming up, is matched up in a game that probably doesn’t look like much to the average onlooker. However, keep in mind that Utah State lost just two games last season, by a combined 5 points (Wisconsin by 2 and BYU by 3), and beat Utah, San Jose St., and high-scoring Louisiana Tech. In addition, if you haven’t heard of him yet, you will soon; Aggies quarterback Chuckie Keaton is a beast. Luckily, for Kiffin and Co., defense is just about the only thing the Trojans are playing well right now. They’re 4th in the nation in total defense allowing just 212 yards per game (to put that in perspective, Michigan State, Virginia Tech, and Florida are ahead of them). Where the problem lies is that USC’s offense has struggled while Kiffin has decided who his quarterback is (he finally decided on Cody Kessler who played well against a weak Boston College team last week) and is ranked 85th in the nation in total offense. If that weren’t bad enough, Utah State’s defense is ranked 13th in total defense, so Kessler has his work cut out for him. The Trojans need to get the running game going. They’ve had more than 40 carries in each of their three games and have only broken 200 yards in the one against Boston College. They need to do better this week to keep Keaton off the field and so that they can set up the play-action game and utilize the best player in the country, Marqise Lee. What should comfort Kiffin and Kessler is that Utah State is one of just 12 FBS teams that has not yet recorded an interception. Additionally, the Aggies have only recorded three sacks. I look for Kiffin to use Lee and wide receiver Nelson Agholor on the same side of the field and have one run a deep route and one an intermediate route (what he should have done with Lee and Woods last year!) because that will cause defensive nightmares for the Aggies nearly regardless of the defensive scheme. I think Kiffin wins a close one this week and can sit a little more comfortably… for a bit.

3. #23 Arizona State at #5 Stanford (6pm CST Fox): The battle of two teams who had Week 1 byes ensues. Furthermore, it’s a battle of two very different offensive philosophies and the only one that pits two ranked teams against each other this week. Arizona State is a spread-option team that has a quarterback that very few are familiar with, but should be, in Taylor Kelly. He’s a threat with his arm and his legs. Don’t let them fool you though, they can run it up the gut with senior running back Marion Grice as well. Stanford is a smash-mouth, drop-back quarterback, west coast offense that also enjoys playing defense. They also may possibly have the best offensive line in the country this season. People thought they’d lose a lot when Stepfan Taylor took his 1530 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns to the NFL, but the Cardinal got a surprise in the offseason when Tyler Gaffney returned to the team after playing in the minors in 2012 for the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. Gaffney is averaging 5.9 yards a carry and doesn’t seem to have lost a step at all. The biggest difference you’ll see in the Cardinal offense this year is in the passing game. We were all introduced to quarterback Kevin Hogan last season after he took over for Josh Nunes midway through the season, but we’ve become accustomed to the offense being dependent on the tight ends in the passing game, which isn’t the case this year. Watch receiver Ty Montgomery, who has a third of the Cardinal’s receptions this season, and you’ll see that the offense is more wide open than it has been in recent years. In fact, there has only been two balls caught by Cardinal tight ends thus far. Are they keeping in reserve for Pac-12 play? We’ll see, but it seems unlikely given that’s what teams came into the season expecting. These two teams have combined for just five penalties and five turnovers lost in their first two games, so it doesn’t look like they’ll be shooting themselves in the foot a whole lot in this game. Arizona State did a good job against the inside runs against Wisconsin last week, but did horrible on the edge, so I look for Stanford to use quick passes and wide receiver screens to loosen up the edges (they don’t have a quick back like Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon) so that Tyler Gaffney can do his work inside. Stanford wins but Arizona State will show the nation that they’re not a team that should be easily dismissed.

4. Auburn at #6 LSU (6:45pm CST ESPN): Death Valley is a hard place to play at night for anyone. Since 2005, LSU is 36-2 in such games, the only two losses being to Alabama in 2012 and to Florida in 2009. How will this affect Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall in his fourth career FBS start? We’ll have to wait and see but recent history doesn’t bode well for him as the starters who led to those two LSU losses were AJ McCarron and Tim Tebow, both of whom were coming off a national championship run. I’ve been impressed with Marshall thus far especially knowing that he’s still learning the quarterback position having been a former defensive back at Georgia. Does Marshall have that same ability to will his team to victory that a certain other quarterback of recent Auburn lore who played under Gus Malzahn (as an offensive coordinator) had? I don’t know, but he and the rest of his team did a great job of pulling off two close wins against teams that legitimately played well enough to win. Unfortunately, for Marshall, Malzahn, and company, they haven’t yet faced a defense as athletic, strong, and fast as LSU will put on the field on Saturday. Also, unfortunately for M&M, is that quarterback Zach Mettenberger’s progression, which finally showed itself against Alabama last season, has been hastened under the tutelage of new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. A former member of the Georgia Bulldogs himself, Mettenberger is finally looking like the player everyone expected him to be when he signed at LSU. What is in Auburn’s favor, however, is that LSU has not yet faced an offense as fast-paced (and Malzahn is convinced it will get faster as the season progresses) as theirs. Can they wear down that defense as the game progresses? That’s the plan. Malzahn’s squad is only averaging about 64 plays per games right now and his goal is to reach the 80-85 range. I can’t pick Auburn in this game, but I think this will be a great measuring stick to find out exactly where they are, particularly defensively. However, keep in mind, that LSU only beat Auburn, a team that won three games (and none in the SEC) last season by merely 2 points last year. Mettenberger is much improved however. LSU wins by about 10.

5. Kansas State at Texas (7pm CST ESPN): If anyone ever needed a losing streak to end, it’s Mack Brown. I’m not even talking about the two-game skid they’re currently on. Kansas State has beaten the Longhorns six consecutive times and letting it get to seven will get the fans, the media, and everyone else in an uproar. Especially after KSU started the season with a loss to an FCS team (albeit the two-time defending FCS national champions). Led by quarterback Jake Waters, KSU is 2-1, and as they head into Austin, they have to be feeling confident. Waters, a JUCO transfer that won the junior college national championship last season (one of three current starters in the FBS to have won one; who are the other two? Answer below.), has struggled with interceptions having already thrown five (against four touchdowns). Both he and quarterback Daniel Sams are rushing threats (which has to scare Longhorns fans as they have flashbacks of BYU’s Taysom Hill), but when Sams is on the field it’s a pretty sure bet that he’s running as he’s only attempted 4 passes this season. For the Longhorns, I haven’t heard whether David Ash is returning for this game or whether Case McCoy will play. However, if I’m Mack Brown and Ash can’t play — and maybe even if he can — I might start Tyrone Swoopes. The Longhorns clearly need a spark and have they had a real spark since Colt McCoy or Vince Young lined up behind center? Why not put a dual-threat guy back there and see if he can light a fire under this offense that clearly has the talent to be explosive? It can only open up lanes for Gray, Bergeron, and Brown because KSU won’t be able to put seven or eight in the box and dare the quarterback to throw because he can take off … or buy enough time for a receiver to be open. Going into the week I didn’t think Texas had a chance of losing this game, but the more I think about it, the more I think maybe Mack has lost this team and they are not inspired to follow him right now. That’s why I think maybe putting Swoopes out there will give the team someone to rally around because playing to save Mack’s job doesn’t seem like enough right now. I still have Texas winning just because of KSU’s tendency to turn over the football, but I’ll admit I don’t feel great about it. Longhorns win and ugly one.

Answer: LSU’s Zach Mettenberger and Ole Miss’ Bo Wallace.

Filed Under: College Football

MotSaG Chat with Charlie Fessler

September 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment

3star_recruit_icon
I recently had the chance to chat with one of the biggest mismatches at wide receiver in the country. Coming off his visit to OSU on September 7th this wideout left with a great impression of the Buckeyes in his mind. Charlie is not just a deep threat he has enough speed to run past most db’s and has great technique already. We have been the true outside receiver in our offense and Charlie could fit right in. He currently does not hold an offer from the Buckeyes but I could see this changing soon.

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Q: Can you give us your current stats such as height, weight, 40 yard time, bench press, etc?

A: 6’4 195 4.6 235

Q: How was your visit to Ohio State?

A: It was really good. I had a great experience at my visit.

Q: When you think of Ohio State what comes to your mind?

A: The amazing fans, coaches, and players.

Q: Which schools are recruiting you the hardest?

A: OSU, Cincinnati, Penn State, Pitt, Purdue, and UConn.

Q: What college football team did you grow up being a fan of and why?

A: Penn State and Notre Dame because my mom went to Penn State and a lot of my dad’s family went to Notre Dame.

Q: What do you personally feel is your biggest strength on the field?

A: Using my size and being able to go and get the ball.

Q: What do you feel you need to improve the most on this year?

A: Blocking and become more of a leader now that I am a junior.

Q: What are your personal and team goals for this season?

A: Get better at blocking and win another State Championship.

Q: Name some of your other interests besides football?

A: Basketball, Baseball, and wake boarding.

Q: Do you have any visits set up for this season?

A: I visited OSU on September 7th and Cincinnati on September 14th. I also would like to visit Penn State, Pitt, Purdue, and UConn.

Highghlights are here ….

You can follow him on twitter @charlie_fessler

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Q&A with a Florida A&M Blogger

September 20, 2013 by 1 Comment

This week I found daRattler from Rattler Nation for our weekly Q&A. I know right Florida A&M has a blogger kind of surprising but I’m glad daRattler answered the call. I have to say this was the hardest Q&A for me because I can’t take this game seriously. Nothing against the FAMU players or coaches because they have more talent than myself. This game concerns me for the FAMU players I fear they are going to get physically hurt for a big paycheck. I know the Rattler players are going to play their hearts out and give it their all I just hope in the end all the players leave the field healthy.

MotSaG: Looking at your team stats one thing that sticks out to me is that your rushing defense gives up 201 YPG but your passing defense is only giving up an amazing 120.3 YPG. Are you looking forward to trying to shut down Ohio States passing game?

Rattler Nation: Great questions. Our first year head coach and his staff have implemented a new offense and defensive scheme and we our guys are still making adjustments. What we are still seeing are the growing pains. Though we’d like to win every game we suit up for, our real season starts when MEAC conference play begins.

MotSaG: What do you think of Carlos Hyde coming back for the Buckeyes in the backfield joining that talented tandem?

Rattler Nation: Carlos should have a great day, if not a personal best, given our defenses difficulty in stopping the run.

MotSaG: Do you feel the Rattlers will be overwhelmed or shell shocked in the beginning walking through the ‘Shoe?

Rattler Nation: Neither. The Rattlers are no strangers to the big stage. The Rattlers regularly play in front of large stadiums and in front of large crowds, though none in the triple digits.

MotSaG: What are you looking forward to the most Saturday?

Rattler Nation: The return trip home.

MotSaG: What is your concern?

Rattler Nation: That OSU’s check won’t clear. : ) No seriously, I hope that none of our guys get too banged up, and that the game doesn’t get too out of hand early. We need to keep it decent for about a quarter.

MotSaG: What is the strength of your offense?

Rattler Nation: Honestly, I’m still trying to figure that out myself. From a performance sandpoint, thus far, this Rattler offense has failed to meet expectations.

MotSaG: Some key players Buckeyes need to keep an eye on for the Rattlers?

Rattler Nation: I can’t tell you our secrets. We want to sneak up on yah.

MotSaG: Does it bother you that FAMU has scored 54 points all season and OSU just scored 52 this past weekend against Cal?

Rattler Nation: Not at all.

MotSaG: Do you feel that bigger programs need to stop scheduling smaller schools like the national media is begging?

Rattler Nation: No. I think the national media just needs an issue, and this one seems to be the issue of the moment. I think coaches and conferences know best about how to handle their schedules and they seem to be doing a great job of scheduling. And, theirs already a system for penalizing teams with too many cupcakes. It’s called strength of schedule. No coach wants sports writers or reports putting together their schedules. None.

MotSaG: Why isn’t your band joining the team this weekend?

Rattler Nation: After a year’s hiatus and stringent new requirements to be in the band, and no recruiting of bandsmen for the past two years, this band is taking a year to rebuild and return to its former self. Don’t get me wrong, we’re glad to have the Marching 100 back, but this band, though still good, is a shell of its former self. Schedule us next year, and we will bring the “Marching 100”, America’s Band, to show the Buckeyes just who the Best Dam Band in the Land really is.

Here’s the link to our sports information department game notes:
https://www.nmnathletics.com//pdf9/2540336.pdf?ATCLID=209261977&SPSID=606545&SPID=80904&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=25300

I would like to thank daRattler of Rattler Nation for taking the time and working with me on this weeks Q&A. Please go and check out his site and the great work they do not only on sports but covering everything about Rattler Nation.

If you want to get involved and have questions about upcoming opponents feel free to send them in to me and I can send them on. Email your questions to AskMotSaG@gmail.com or MotSaG@gmail.com. Would love to know your thoughts on this post and hope you enjoyed it.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

MotSaG TV Guide

September 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment

It happens every year: that one week where there just aren’t many compelling match-ups. If I told you the ABC prime-time game this Saturday was a choice between North Dakota State @ BYU or Towson @ Akron, how excited would you be? Well, those aren’t the games, but the real ones feature teams who were beaten (or almost beaten until they were saved by shoddy officiating) by those teams. As a bonus, special guest Bo Pelini was secretly recorded giving his opinion on this week’s games.

Thursday

7:30pm

Clemson at N.C. State. N.C. State had a much-needed bye last week after narrowly defeating the Richmond Spiders, which is possibly a team made up of actual spiders. Bo Says: “I @#$!%$ hate spiders. They can kiss my #@%!” (ESPN)

Friday

9:00pm

Boise State at Fresno State. Fresno State had a bye last week because their opponent, Colorado, was under water. This week their opponent plays on a blue football field which, according to a popular lie, birds often mistake for water. Bo Says: “Football fields are #$%@&# green! Boise State can kiss my #%$!” (ESPN)

Saturday

Noon

Florida A&M at Ohio State. The Rattlers are 1-2 and are just now playing their paycheck game. I try not to be overconfident, but I feel like we could start the band and win this game. Bo Says: “Rattlers? Spiders? Are you trying to give me a @#$%%$#@ heart attack?!” (BTN)

3:30pm

Arkansas at Rutgers. It’s our old buddy Bret Bielema, who bailed on the B1G after breaking Nebraska’s defense apparently beyond repair. His Razorbacks are 3-0 and are looking for their first win over a somewhat decent team in future B1G pal Rutgers. He’d better hope for a win here, because his next four opponents are: Texas A&M, Florida, South Carolina and Alabama. And we’re all going to enjoy that! Bo Says: “TACKLE!!! TACKLE!!! HOLY @@#%$## @!$& SOMEBODY TACKLE!!!” (ESPN)

Michigan State at Notre Dame. Okay, well this one could be fun. The Spartans unveiled a new trick play called “Scoring Repeatedly On Offense” last week and their defense remains top-notch. It would be nice for the B1G to get to 2-1 vs. the Domers. Bo Says: “Looks like a good game.” (NBC)

Tennessee at Florida. It’s a battle of SEC East Teams Who Are Still Blaming Everything On Former Coaches. Bo Says: “Either of you guys taking applications?” (CBS)

7:00pm

Arizona State at Stanford. I don’t think this will be a good game, but it might be worth watching to see if karma exists in the college football universe. Bo Says: “@#$&%! refs are just %$#^&* worthless! @#$&!$ #$%% !@&*$% $$%@^!” (Fox)

8:00

Kansas State at Texas OR Michigan at UConn. LOL WUT? Bo Says: “$%&@ this, I’m watching Pawn Stars.” (ABC)

Filed Under: BCS, College Football

B1G Week Four Preview: A Better Week?

September 19, 2013 by 1 Comment

After coming off a lackluster (putting it nicely) week, the B1G looks to rebound in week four. The schedule seems easier this week for the conference, but you can never be to sure how it will go. The first B1G matchup also takes place this weekend, along with an always entertaining rivalry game. Let’s see what lies ahead!

San Jose State @ Minnesota

I view this game as a complete toss-up because I haven’t seen what San Jose State looks like. The Spartans shutout Sacramento State in their opener and were beaten soundly by Stanford. Minnesota has gotten off to a 3-0 start, coming off a win over Western Illinois. The main attention of the Gophers this season has been head coach Jerry Kill, who once again suffered from a seizure attack on the sidelines. Kill will return to the sidelines this week and doesn’t want to talk about his condition. If Minnesota’s defense and running game can put up another solid performance, they should be able to have a good shot of winning the game.

Western Michigan @ Iowa

This is the third B1G opponent of the year for Western Michigan, as they lost the first two games to Michigan State and Northwestern. And I don’t see the outcome being any different here. Iowa is 2-1 to start the year and is coming off a win against rival Iowa State. I see the Hawkeyes being motivated for this game and there shouldn’t be any hangover from last weekend. Iowa running back Mark Weisman has been doing great for the Hawkeyes all season and should have another nice performance against the Broncos.

South Dakota State @ Nebraska

It’s pretty quiet in Lincoln right now, huh? I’m glad I’m not Bo Pelini because right now he’s stuck between a rock and a hard place. In a few short days he managed to piss off a school legend and an entire fan base. On top of all the anger, Pelini has a horrible defense that needs fixed. To add injury to insult, starting quarterback Taylor Martinez has turf toe and is questionable for Saturday’s game. With all the drama and problems taking place in Husker land, they still (on paper) should win this game. But don’t be surprised if South Dakota State would pull off the upset because they couldn’t ask for a better situation to take down the Huskers. If Nebraska would lose this game, fans might burn Memorial Stadium to the ground.

Kent State @ Penn State

Penn State is coming off a heartbreaking loss to UCF last week and appear plenty motivated coming into this game. Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg continues to improve every game and is a star in the making. The Nittany Lions’ rushing attack has also been stout, with Zach Zwinak coming off a 128 yard, three touchdown rushing performance. Kent State is having a bad start to the season, coming off blowout losses to Bowling Green and LSU. Dynamic playmaker Dri Archer has also been banged up and unable to perform at 100%. Should be a huge win for Penn State to build on going into B1G play next week.

Purdue @ #24 Wisconsin

This is the first conference game of the season. Both teams are coming off close losses and are eager to put last weekend’s results behind them. Purdue led or was tied for most of the game against Notre Dame before giving up three touchdowns in the fourth quarter and lost 31-24. Wisconsin though is probably the most pissed off team in the entire country. As discussed in my week three review, the Badgers lost in one of the most bizarre ways possible. I look for Wisconsin to pound the running game down Purdue’s throats and to come away with a blowout victory.

Maine @ #18 Northwestern

I’m not going to beat around the bush and say this is going to be close. This game is going to be a blowout. Look for Northwestern to get lots of playing time for the backups and rest up the starters for the game against the Buckeyes in two weeks. I guess if you choose to watch this game you could look out for running back Mike Trumpy (great name by the way).

Missouri @ Indiana

A mighty SEC team! Yes, in case you forgot, Missouri is in the SEC. I’ll wait for you to stop laughing. Missouri is 2-0 and has beaten Murray State and Toledo, so this is their first test of the season. Two players to pay attention to on the Tigers are dual threat quarterback James Franklin and wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham. Indiana is 2-1 on the season and they’ve definitely proved one thing about their team: their offense is damn good. This game will probably be a shootout as both are capable of putting up crooked numbers on the scoreboard. But I just don’t see how Missouri can outscore Indiana. I like the Hoosiers to win this one.

#15 Michigan @ Connecticut

First, how is Michigan still ranked #15 after nearly losing to a MAC cellar dweller? I would’ve dropped them below #20 at least because that was embarrassing for the conference. As for UConn, they’re 0-2 coming into this game (including a loss to FCS foe Towson). But this game will still be soldout:

It was probably Michigan fans who bought the majority of the tickets, so it will most likely look similar to the “home” game Cal had against Ohio State last weekend. If the pick machine, Devin Gardner, can keep it under control Michigan should win this game in easy fashion. But we said that last week too didn’t we?

Michigan State @ #22 Notre Dame

Oh, Notre Dame. Every season you’re so overrated, yet ranked so high. Yes, I consider #22 to be high for the Irish. They struggle against teams like Purdue, yet the media pats them on the pack like they just beat the San Francisco 49ers. Quarterback Tommy Rees looked like him old self last week in the first three quarters against Purdue before waking up and leading the Irish to victory. Michigan State finally founds itself offensively last week against Youngstown State. Quarterback Connor Cook had a great game (202 passing yards and four touchdowns) and has been named the starter for this weekend’s game. Now Cook and the offense will be put to test against a solid Notre Dame defense, anchored by stars Stephon Tuitt and Louis Nix III. If Michigan State’s offense can pass this test, then we might be looking at the second best team in the conference because the Spartans defense has already proven itself to be great. With both teams having good defenses, this game will ultimately be decided by the better offense. I think Michigan State will have the better offense and win this game.

As always, looking forward to all of the games this weekend. Be sure to check back on Monday for my week four review!

Filed Under: Ohio State Football
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