My “5 Things” going into Week 3 wasn’t able to be published due to unforeseen circumstances. I’d have been wrong about Texas A&M winning a close game and my upset pick of Eastern Washington over Toledo. I’d have gotten UCLA over Nebraska (but who saw a comeback like that?!), Ole Miss over Texas, and Ohio State over California. There was a lot of excitement this weekend and some outstanding performances. That Team Up North nearly fell to the Zips of Akron Saturday and that would have been a big deal when one considers that Akron only won one in each of the three seasons. It was an impressive day for Terry Bowden’s squad considering his team bettered TTUN in every major team category except rushing (which they lost by a mere 70 total yards).

1. What a TAMU vs. UA game! In Saban’s tenure at Alabama, the Tide has only allowed 40 points one other time … in a 2007 loss (LSU, 41). Say what you want about Manziel and his off-the-field soap opera, his smack-talking, or his autograph scandal … this kid’s a baller. Consider that in 2012 Alabama’s top-ranked and stout defense allowed just 3500 combined passing and rushing yards and that Manziel combined for 562 yards on Saturday — that’s 16% of last year’s total! The Aggies didn’t pull off the upset (keeping Saban’s revenge game % quite high), but the defending Heisman winner did not disappoint. Alabama’s offense looked much better than it did in the season debut as well. I thought going into this season that the Tide would win more games due to their offense than they have in recent years because I don’t think they’ve had this much talent offensively in quite a long time. AJ McCarron averaged 11.5 yards per completion and threw no interceptions on a day that saw 10 Alabama receivers catch a pass. What surprised me about that was that redshirt freshman Chris Black wasn’t among them. Perhaps Saban was trying to massage the ego of Kenny Bell who quit momentarily between these two games, or perhaps Black didn’t have a good week of practice. Either way, I was a bit surprised by it because I felt like Saban didn’t play him against Virginia Tech to ensure Kevin Sumlin didn’t have any tape on him. Any chance we can trade the UA vs. Colorado State game in Week 4 and have another UA vs. TAMU game? I’d sign up to watch!

2. Kenny G is so smooth! Okay, okay, so it was Cal and not LSU, but Kenny Guiton played excellent in place of Heisman hopeful Braxton Miller on Saturday. I don’t know if he’s the best backup in the country — as I’ve heard and read many say this week — but I know I’m proud of his performances thus far. One of the concerns going into this game was the number of plays Cal would try to run as they were averaging 97 per game over the first two weeks in Sonny Dykes’ offense. The Golden Bears still ran 90 plays on Saturday, but the Buckeyes ran just three fewer plays (up from averaging 69 in the first two weeks). I don’t think anyone would have guessed going into the season that if TOSU played against Cal in Week 3 with no Braxton Miller and no Carlos Hyde, that they’d run 87 plays for 608 yards and put up 52 points. I wrote last week that I’d sit Miller and let him rest until Week 5 against Wisconsin, but if Guiton has to go, for whatever reason, against the Badgers, I think I am fine with that. Obviously, I’d rather have Miller, but against a Badgers team that won’t be undefeated and that they’ll be playing against in Columbus, I think Kenny G will do just fine as the next week at Northwestern won’t be an easy game. Kenny Guiton — not bad for a guy who was picked up at the last minute when Tajh Boyd switched to Clemson and who was about to go play at Prairie View A&M!

3. Seats are warming up. I think it’s probably too early to say coaches are in the hot seat, but there are a few seats that are starting to warm up a little bit. There is a strong contingent of Texas fans that are calling for Mack Brown to either step down or be fired after allowing 550 yards rushing to BYU in Week 2 and now losing to an Ole Miss team that the Longhorns put 66 points on last year. Brown has played for two national titles in the last eight years and is coming off a nine-win season, but fans are getting restless especially after he sounded so confident that they were “back” this offseason. Speaking with a friend last week about this we determined that Brown has only beaten Oklahoma 6 out of 15 times and those six wins were with either Major Applewhite, Vince Young, or Colt McCoy at quarterback and either Carl Reese, Will Muschamp, or Gene Chizik in a defensive coordinator role. Why not call Gene Chizik to to take Manny Diaz’ place? Brown has nothing to lose and I’m guessing Chizik wouldn’t mind getting back into coaching (although, as my friend pointed out, Chizik may still have some Auburn money coming to him). Lane Kiffin at USC got a win this week after finally naming a starting quarterback (Cody Kessler), but I’m convinced had they lost to Boston College, Kiffin might not have been allowed to board the plane back to California. AD Pat Haden insists Kiffin is in no danger of losing his job, but if the Trojans don’t starting putting up some W’s, it will be hard for him to justify that given they have the best player in college football. A name I think will surface as the season progresses as a potential replacement for either of these guys should their seat start burning their hindquarters is Pat Fitzgerald at Northwestern. He’s a Wildcat through and through, but I don’t know he’d pass up an opportunity to coach at one of the two biggest programs in the country.

4. Some seats that are quite cool. Mike McIntyre at Colorado had his game postponed in Week 3 against Fresno State. Would he have won? It’s doubtful given that some people has Fresno State as a possible BCS Buster this season, but for a team that won just one game last season (a game that the Buffaloes won with just seconds left against Washington State), the fact that I’m even suggesting the possibility is exciting. This is McIntyre’s first season at Colorado and he’s already surpassed last year’s win total. In Week 4 they take on an Oregon State team that has already been upset once this season (Eastern Washington) and with quarterback Connor Wood playing well, it’s hard to say it’s an easy W for the Beavers. Auburn fans have to thrilled right now. The Tigers won just three games last season and were winless in the SEC and after Saturday’s late-game win against Mississippi State, Gus Malzahn’s squad as tied the former and surpassed the latter. Malzahn was probably the best fit of all of the 31 new head coaches going into the season in that he was returning to a team still filled with players that were recruited to run his system. Even with that being true, one has to keep in mind that he is starting a former defensive back at Georgia (Auburn’s rival), Nick Marshall, at quarterback! Malzahn eased Marshall into the system, as he only had 36 combined passing attempts in the first two games, but let him loose against the Bulldogs. Saturday he was 23 for 34 for 339 yards passing (2 TDs, 2 INTs). Three of their next four games will be tough (at LSU, Ole Miss, and at Texas A&M), but the Tigers have a legitimate shot at a bowl game given they only need three more wins. Western Carolina and Florida Atlantic should take care of two of those easily and then if they can win one of their road games against Arkansas or Tennessee, they’re going bowling. I have them beating Tennessee in Week 11!

5. Changing positions? No problem! Florida State has already shown that it has a wealth of riches in their backfield with phenom quarterback Jameis Winston and running backs James Wilder, Jr. and Devonta Green, but the rich seemingly have gotten richer. Junior Karlos Williams went from playing safety for the Seminoles to running back after their Week 1 win against Pittsburgh and led the team in rushing this past week! Williams rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown on 8 carries against Nevada on Saturday and the transition seemed simple enough for him. If Winston continues to play lights out in the air (he has three incompletions on the season), and the Seminoles can play these three guys on the ground (oh yeah, Winston can run a little too), Florida State could be a matchup problem all season. They won’t get tested until Week 7 against Clemson, a week that is shaping up to be filled with entertaining games (TAMU at Ole Miss, Northwestern at Wisconsin, Florida at LSU, and Oklahoma at Texas), but look for the Seminoles to put up some crazy numbers in the next few weeks. It’s a backfield that I’m calling WWW.Green.comeonman, right now!

To wrap up their huge victory over CAL on Saturday the Buckeyes are celebrating by winning some POTW awards…

Kenny Guiton earned a national player of the week award when he won the Walter Camp POTW award…

Kenny Guiton took home the Big ten offensive player of the week which is extremely impressive for our “back up” Quarterback.

also Ryan Shazier took home the Big Ten Defensive player of the week for the 3rd time.

Food for thought….

Guiton was really impressive for the entire game. The QB controversy is on for some fans. To have 2 great QBs is a blessing not a curse. Don’t believe me just ask TTUN fans who are struggling with bad QB play.

Shazier is the man for sure and I think the defense played better than most people will think they did. But to give up 34 points and 500 yards and still get Def POTW in the B1G… How awful was the rest of the conferences defenses?

The first big road test of the season is out of the way, and the Buckeyes come away from it with a 52-34 victory.  The Buckeyes showed great balance as they put up 608 yards of total offense, 276 through the air, and 332 on the ground.  However, they also allowed 503 total yards on the defensive side of the ball.  Therefore, there were a lot of positives to be taken away from this game, but there are some area of concerns that the coaching staff will need to sure up, in the weeks leading up to Wisconsin.

Lets start with the offense.  Kenny Guiton, obviously, had an outstanding performance on Saturday night.  Guiton was named Walter Camp Offensive Player of the Week after his 21/32, 276 yard, 3 touchdown outburst.  He also added 92 yards, on 14 rushing attempts.  However, overshadowed by Guiton’s performance, are the performances of the rest of his offensive cast.

Jordan Hall had a fantastic performance, toting the rock 30 times, for 168 yards, and 3 touchdowns.  He also contributed 5 receptions for 20 yards.  Joining Hall with a big performance, was highly touted freshman, Dontre Wilson.  Wilson looked much more comfortable in the offense this week, as he racked up 107 yards of total offense.  The third breakout performer of the week, was Devin Smith.  Smith had two big plays, a 90 yard touchdown reception, and a 47 yard touchdown reception, which helped him end the day with 149 yards, and two touchdowns, on just 3 receptions.

The most significant performances of these three was Devin Smith’s.  Smith not only had two outstanding big plays, but he also ran really good routes this game.  His third reception was a nice crisp curl route that went for a first down.  Smith last year was a one trick pony.  This year, as I watch him play, I can see a multiple threat wide receiver, who is starting to understand the small details, that have to be done consistently, in order to become a big time wide receiver.

A lot of different players touched the ball against Cal, but I had my eye on one player in particular, Rod Smith.  I was expecting Smith to give the Buckeyes a power run game, that they have been desperately missing.  However, for whatever reason, Smith only had 3 rushing attempts for 8 yards.  Smith has been on the clock since Meyer took over the reigns, of the Buckeyes.  Rod has a lot of potential, but he has had ball security issues, as well as not always being mentally engaged in the offense.  Therefore, I’m not sure where Smith stands with the coaches.  It may be that the coaches decided to ride the hot hand with Hall, or maybe Smith wasn’t giving them what they needed.  Either way, Smith did not see the field much, and with Hyde coming back, Smith’s opportunities to get on the field may be dwindling quickly.

For all of the explosiveness, and balance, the offense showed Saturday night, there were a few things they will need to fix, before facing Florida A&M.  The major area of concern I have for this offense, is the 3rd down conversion percentage.  The Buckeyes went 6-15 on third down, which I have to admit, isn’t that bad, but its also not that good.  The  Buckeyes should aim for 50% or higher on 3rd down.  Yes, I am nit-picking.  However, in a big game, such as on the road at Northwestern, third down conversions will be vital for this team to convert on.  Sustaining drives will be very important to not only keep this offense on track, but also provide the defense with a breather.

While the offense seemed to be clicking on all cylinders, the defense seemed to sputter throughout parts of the game.  The Silver Bullets surrendered 503 yards of total offense.  No matter how you spin it, that number is not flattering to any defense.  However, when you look at the numbers, and the amount of plays ran, there is a level of understanding as to why this defense was so poor.

As explained in the preview post to this game, Cal runs a lot of plays and throws the ball often.  Cal ran 90 plays, to Ohio States 87.  The defense started off the game really hot.  The first few possessions Cal had, I thought Ohio State played its best defense I had seen all year.  They were flying to the ball, and when they got there, they were angry, and looking to slam something to the ground.  Once Cal got over the shell shock of the Buckeyes opening blitz, Goff got more comfortable, and the Bear Raid began to take its affects on the Buckeyes. Their offense began to get in to rhythm, and the Buckeyes defense began to feel the affects of that rhythm.

The corners started the game very well.  They got to the ball carriers, on Cal’s quick screens, and got them down quickly.  As the game went on, the secondary began to get fatigued and lose focus.  They would miss tackles, along with a couple of interceptions.  They would make a few good plays, followed by one or two bad ones.  At times it looked like the best secondary in the country, at other times it looked like an area of concern for this defense.

Of course, when you face a team that throws the ball as often as Cal, and you face a good quarter back like Goff, your secondary will get exposed somewhat.  This average performance will become a blessing in disguise for the Ohio State secondary.  Coach Coombs will use this game as motivation, to get this secondary better.  Missed tackles, missed interceptions, and shredding blocks will be the three areas of emphasis, that the Buckeyes secondary will need to improve on.

One area of this defense that does not need to be given as much concern as several people, including myself, thought, is the Buckeyes front seven.  Ryan Shazier had another Ryan Shazier esque game, recording 11 tackles, with 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble.  Curtis Grant had a few sightings, as he provided quality support in run defense.  Joey Bosa had another impressive performance, recording 5.5 tackles, with 2 tackles for loss.  Noah Spence seems to be picking up steam, as the season goes on, recording another sack in this game, accompanied with a couple more quarterback hurries.  Even without Adolphus Washington, the line seemed to hold strong throughout the game.

They did give up 132 rushing yards, but that was to five different Cal runners.  So, good pressure on the quarterbacks, good run defense, what needs to be worked on?  The inside push will need to be better against teams that run the ball better.  The later the game went the less effective our inside lineman were against the Cal run game.  However, once we get Washington back, expect Bosa to be rotated inside at times, which will give the Buckeyes some more depth on interior.  Hopefully, if Michael Hill and Chris Carter keep developing, this run defense will keep getting deeper, and stronger.

Overall, if I had to give a grade to the defensive performance, it would be a B-.  Inconsistent play in the secondary, with a few stupid penalties, and missed tackles held this unit back from a higher grade.

For the offense I would give them an A+.  No sacks allowed, accompanied with great balance, and great point production, its hard to argue with an A+.

For coaching, I’d give Tom Herman an A for how well this game was called.  It got a little too vanilla for me in the end, but he stuck to his guns and again, he did a very good job of keeping the offense balanced.

On the defensive side of the ball, I’d give Luke Fickell a C.  The secondary played way too soft at times, especially with the ability of Grant and Roby.  I feel like if they would have let this defense stay in its base nickel, the majority of the game, there wouldn’t have been as much inconsistency shown.  Often times I feel like Fickell, and the defensive coaching staff, out think themselves, which make the players over think, and react to the offense, instead of dictating what the offense does.  However, I am not a supporter of the “Fire Fickell” campaign that goes on on Twitter.  I think he is a good defensive coordinator, who gets more out of his players as the year goes on.  This weak it was a combination of good players playing average, and smart coaches being too complex, that lead to a less than impressive defensive performance.

All that being said, this team is slowly coming together.  The offense, with Kenny Guiton or Braxton Miller at the helm, is ahead of the defense at this point, but the defense is closing quickly.  The Buckeyes still need more consistent play from the defense as a whole.  They also need Braxton to get back to full health, and get him up to speed with the rest of the offense.  Braxton still has a long way to go with making more consistent, correct, reads as the quarterback of this offense.  He will get Carlos Hyde back against FAMU, which I think will make him more comfortable.  Once Braxton gets in to a flow with this offense, which I think he will, and the defense plays with more consistency, this team will be the national title contenders we have been expecting.

What a week of college football am I right? Do you get the feeling their isn’t a dominant team in CFB this year? Sure Bama has 2 games under their belt one where the offense played like crap and one where the defense played like crap. Oregon may have the best team that no one will ever get to watch play. Clemson is still the best team in the country IMO and I still don’t know if they deserve the prestige. So we have another fluid week in the rankings so here goes nothing.

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.) Michigan
22.) Michigan State
23.) Texas Tech
24.) Ole Miss
25.) Arizona State

– Teams leaving the rankings…. Nebraska and Tennessee and Notre Dame. Nebraska has a defensive issue like no other and that loss to UCLA was flat shameful. Tennessee was crushed by Oregon and although improved still a ways away from being fully back. Notre Dame loss to a inconsistent Michigan team last week and nearly lost to a woeful Purdue this week.

– Teams entering the rankings… Texas Tech, Ole Miss, and Arizona State. All 3 teams are off to a great start. They will have plenty of chances to prove they belong in the top 25 this year.

– Which conference is the best in the country? PAC 12 is making a strong case right now. The SEC is strong as well. The B1G is making fools of themselves already avoiding the long wait till January 1st to do it. ACC is strong at the top but after that blah. Big 12 is well I don’t really know Oklahoma and Okie State seem good but the rest are awful.

Good morning Buckeye Nation.

Today we will do a quick road trip edition since the Buckeyes are experiencing their first road trip of the season.

Da Plane Boss: The west coast is being invaded by the Buckeye football team.

Practice Field: Mike Vrable tweeted out a picture of the “field” the Buckeyes used for a walk through last night. Nice to see the Buckeyes travel with their own Scarlet “Field”

To Close for Comfort: Buckeye Nation was all a buzz on twitter last night when reporters where waiting for the football team to arrive at their hotel in Oakland. 20-30 minutes before the players arrived gun shots rang out, Columbus ABC6 Clay Hall was taping a piece he was doing in front of the hotel, you could hear the gun fire and then see a possible person of interest run by. There appears to be an injury with a cab driver getting hit in the leg thankfully no other serious injuries.

Better Hurry: Seeing the Top 5 ranked Buckeyes invade the California Memorial Stadium doesn’t excited California fans? Seems according to their college athletics website there are less than a thousand tickets available for todays game. If you hurry maybe you could grab some tickets and a decent flight and make it out there.

Until next time Buckeye Nation…

Recently Reggie Rogers a 2015 WR has shown serious interest in Ohio State. Rogers is a special talent that can excel at either wide receiver or defensive back. He recently transferred to Washington High School in Massillon, Ohio which produced current Buckeye Gareon Conley. Rogers is hard working and has enough speed to player either the slot or outside receiver in our offense. He is starting to build a relationship with Coach Vrabel and I could see him landing an offer in the near future.

247sports.com list him as the number 35 overall safety and 23rd best player in Ohio.

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

A: 6’0, 180 40 Time: 4.5 Bench Press: 200

Q: Has the Ohio State contacted you yet?

A: Yes

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

A: Tradition and always being a Ohio State fan ever since I was a little kid

Q: Which schools are recruiting you the hardest?

Michigan, Cincinnati, Ohio State, Toledo, Kentucky, and Nebraska

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

USC and Ohio State because of their tradition and there was just something in both schools I just fell in love with.

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

I would have to say my confidence in my ability and the team abilities

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

Blocking and also my strength, getting bigger

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

Personal goals are to get 20 touchdowns and 1,000 or more yards receiving, and my team goals are to win the State Championship.

Q: Name some of your other interests besides football?

To get at least a 3.0 or higher for my academics

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

So far I have visited Ohio State once, going to visit Michigan this week for my 2nd time, Nebraska later on for the game against UCLA, and also Tennessee later during the year

You can watch his highlights here….

You can also follow him on twitter @R_Rogers7MHS

This week I had the opportunity to discuss the Cal game with Hunter Hewitt beat reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle but I had technical problems and didn’t get to save his answers so I would like to send my apologies for wasting his time.

Thankfully I got to get with ShawnXT of calfootballblog.com/ you can check out his statistical break down and rankings of each team for tomorrows game.

MotSaG: Cal lost to Northwestern 44-30 the difference being the 2 (tipped passes) interceptions returned for touchdowns. First was the game actually that close? Second does it give the Bears confidence they could hang with the Buckeyes?

CFB: It was definitely a close game during the 3rd quarter. Cal had to come from behind from the start of the second half but in the 3rd quarter, things started to click for our offense. It seemed like Goff needed the first half to really settle down and get used to the speed of the offense. However, the interceptions just killed any and all momentum that we had and we just couldn’t keep up near the end of the 4th. For the second question, I don’t think the Northwestern game really affected how the team feels about Ohio State. The Bears have had confidence all camp, and even after the Northwestern loss we feel that the Bears can definitely keep up with the Buckeyes and even pull off the upset.

MotSaG: Was Cal overlooking Portland State last week?

CFB: Absolutely. After the game, head coach Sonny Dykes addressed the team saying that he poorly prepared the team against Portland State. I know that a lot of Cal fans were overlooking Portland State because of the Ohio State game the week after. Portland State came out firing and immediately put Cal on its heels, which is something we are definitely afraid of happening again with the Buckeyes in town.

MotSaG: How exciting is it to watch freshman QB Jared Goff?

CFB: We are extremely excited about Goff. He has the most passing yards in the nation. In fact, he has the most passing yards by a freshman in his first two weeks, in the BCS era. We haven’t seen such a productive Cal quarterback since Nate Longshore in 2006 when Cal was Co-Pac10 Champions with USC. I know that we are going to lose games this season with our young team, but at least we will be going out swinging. During the last years of the Tedford regime, it was incredibly hard to watch our team’s inability to score. We are really happy that this offense can really put up points.

MotSaG: Do you expect Goff to continuing to put up the incredible numbers he has against OSU?

CFB: We are expecting similar numbers to what he did against Northwestern but hopefully with less interceptions. He will definitely test OSU’s secondary on every passing play especially because we will be spreading the field with up to 5 receivers a play. Funny enough, I think Coach Dykes actually wants less yards in the air but more yards on the ground because we are having difficulty getting our ground game going.

MotSaG: What is Cal’s weakness?

CFB: Cal is definitely at a disadvantage on both sides of the line. All of our offensive lineman are either sophomores or freshmen without enough experience nor discipline. This is actually the main reason why our run game has been lacking the past couple weeks. On the other side, Cal’s defensive line is depleted of players. Three of our top defensive linemen will most likely be out against Ohio State. It has been a huge blow to Cal’s defense because not only are we not able to contain the run and attach the passer but we are missing our defensive leaders.

MotSaG: Strengths on defense?

CFB: Watch out for CB Kam Jackson. He has been a lockdown corner the past two weeks and every time a ball has been thrown his way, he has had an opportunity to get his hands on the ball.

MotSaG: Do you feel Cal can keep the game close like last year and possibly pull off an upset?

CFB: Definitely. Simply because our offense has the ability to come from behind and score quickly like we showed against Northwestern. My only concern would be if the Buckeyes are up early and up a lot. Our defense will have trouble containing the run and giving the ball back to the Cal offense.

MotSaG: How big of an issue are the injuries the Bears are suffering this season?

CFB: It is HUGE. Cal has injuries to veteran leaders on all levels of our defense. We’ve lost half of our defensive line, all of them being former starters. Our top tackler, Nick Forbes, has yet to play a game, and our top safety Avery Sebastian is out for the season. We have been forced to play a lot of freshmen and it has been a rough couple weeks for them.

MotSaG: Do you feel Brendan Bigelow can repeat his performance from last season?

CFB: Honestly, I don’t think so. The only reason is because last year no one really knew who he was until his huge performance against Ohio State. This time around, there is no way the Buckeye defense will lose track of him. However, this is going to work in favor of our passing offense. Just faking the run to Bigelow scare opposing defenders.

MotSaG: What is the feeling of having Sonny Dykes on the sidelines leading the Bears?

CFB: He is a huge plus. Dykes is a great leader who understands his players and understands that he is there to win. Dykes has built a trusting relationship with all of his players and has sold his system to every Cal Bear. Dykes and his staff has brought a new fire to the program and we are very excited to see where it can take us.

MotSaG: Do you feel the PAC-12 or the B1G is the better (tougher) football conference?

CFB: Of course I’m going to say the Pac-12! However, I’m going to reserve my honest judgement until after this weekend. Since there are 4 Pac-12 v B1G games this weekend, whichever conference comes on top will show the nation who is the better conference.

MotSaG: What is your prediction of the game? Score?

CFB: Cal has been determined to be prepare for Ohio State in every way possible and to resolve the mistakes made against Northwestern and Portland State. I’m predicting a shootout between Goff and Miller(assuming he’s playing). Cal 48- Ohio State 42.

Its so nice to do these interviews to see the passion these fellow bloggers have for their team even if we feel they are way off or at least I hope they are.

I am worried in a sense of possibly not having Adolphus Washigton more than Braxton Miller possible being out. Cal has a young offensive line and to help the secondary the defensive line needs to be in the backfield messing Jared Goff’s timing with his receivers.

I would like to thank ShawnXT for taking the time out and answering my questions and letting Buckeye Nation know what Cal fans are thinking and feeling.

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.

After a great second week of the season for the B1G conference, they look to continue their success in week three. This week though the schedule steps up a notch in difficulty. The key match-ups for the conference this week are against PAC-12 schools (4 games against these schools). Can the B1G have another great week? How will the B1G fare against the PAC-12? Let’s get to the games!

Bowling Green @ Indiana

Both teams have demonstrated they can score a lot of points so far. Bowling Green scored 34 against Tulsa and 41 against Kent State, while Indiana hung 73 on Indiana State opening weekend and 35 in a loss to Navy. I see both putting up similar numbers again and it should be a shootout for the entire game. It’s going to come down which defense can cause more turnovers. This game is a complete toss-up and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Falcons snatched a mild upset against the Hoosiers.

Western Illinois @ Minnesota

Look for Minnesota to improve to 3-0 in this game. While Western Illinois has started off the season with two easy victories, I don’t see them defeating Gophers. Mainly because the Gophers have been playing great defense and running the ball effectively, something that should worry the Leathernecks. Minnesota also knows it needs every win it can get before getting into conference play if they want to ensure they reach a bowl for a second straight season.

#16 UCLA @ #23 Nebraska

Image Source

This is the kind of game I’ve been looking forward to since opening kickoff. After getting a lot of cupcake games completed, we finally getting a top 25 match-up. UCLA opened up their season with a 58-20 victory over Nevada, a game in which quarterback Brett Hundley threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns. Nebraska looked much better last weekend against Southern Miss, particularly on defense. With this major step up in competition, we’ll all get to see how much the Blackshirts have really improved. UCLA gets an advantage coming into this game with an extra week to prepare, but playing in the Sea of Red is the equalizer for Nebraska. Expect lots of fireworks in this game.

Akron @ #11 Michigan

This game is going to be ugly. After coming off a great win over rival Notre Dame, the Wolverines get a nice cupcake in Akron to destroy. Akron is horrible, so I highly doubt we see another Toledo moment. Don’t expect to see a lot of Devin Gardner here, as Michigan will have a lot of backups playing in this game.

Youngstown State @ Michigan State

Michigan State features one of the most atrocious offenses in the country, but also one of the best defenses in the nation. Youngstown State comes into the game 2-0. The Penguins will probably make things close for a couple of quarters, but I just don’t see them pulling off the upset. The Spartans will attempt to have an offense, but I’ll believe it when I see it. Look for Michigan State to kick lots of field goals and of course score a defensive touchdown.

Iowa @ Iowa State

This annual rivalry game has been fun to watch the last couple of seasons. Well at least for non-Hawkeye fans. After winning three straight in this series, Iowa has lost the last two. Last year in a defensive struggle, the Cyclones edged out a 9-6 victory. In the last 16 match-ups of this rivalry, Iowa State actually has the advantage with a 9-7 record. Both fan bases will be fired up for this one and both need the win to build momentum going into conference play. Expect another tight game again this weekend.

UCF @ Penn State

UCF comes into this game with two squash victories over Akron and Florida International, so this is the first real test of the season for the Knights. Quarterback Blake Bortles has lived up to expectations, completing 30 of 43 passes for 528 yards and four touchdowns. Penn State is coming off an easy win over Eastern Michigan. Nittany Lion quarterback Christian Hackenberg got off to a shaky start, but got it together and threw for over 300 yards. I give UCF a solid chance of winning this game and I really think it will come down to which quarterback can be better leader and deliver when it counts.

#19 Washington @ Illinois

Illinois shocked everyone last week when they dominated Cincinnati. Nathan Scheelhaase had a great game again and is poised to be one of the best quarterbacks in the B1G. But they have a tough match-up against a Washington team that got a lot of people buzzing after they demolished Boise State in the opening weekend. The Huskies are led by the one-two punch of quarterback Keith Price and running back Bishop Sankey. I’m going to give Illinois a fighting chance in this game and I’ll be pulling for the Illini to pull off the upset. But I’m picking the Huskies to take care of business and for them to establish themselves as one of the top contenders in the PAC-12.

#21 Notre Dame @ Purdue

I don’t see much hope for the Boilermakers in this game. Notre Dame is pissed coming off the loss to Michigan and I look for them to take their anger out in this game. Quarterback Tommy Rees threw over 300 yards against a solid Wolverine defense, so he should have no problem dissecting Purdue’s defense. Irish defensive standouts Stephon Tuitt and Louis Nix III should also have great games against a mediocre Purdue offense. It’s clearly a rebuilding year for the Boilermakers.

Western Michigan @ #17 Northwestern

The Broncos come into this game 0-2 with losses against Michigan State and FCS foe Nicholls State. They let Michigan State score 26 points against them, so that gives you an idea of what Northwestern’s offense can do in this game. Quarterback Kain Colter and running back Venric Mark are still banged up, but they won’t be needed in this game. Look for the Wildcats to get an easy win after opening the season with two BCS teams.

#20 Wisconsin @ Arizona State

Out of all of the B1G games (other than the Buckeyes of course), I look forward to this game the most. Why? Because we finally get to see if the Badgers are the real deal after feasting on two cupcakes. Wisconsin rushed for over 600 yards the first two games (slightly more than what BYU rushed against Texas last week). Arizona State shutout Sacramento State 55-0 last week and this is also their first real test of the season. The Sun Devils are a solid team all-around and dare I say one of their best in recent memory. On offense they’re led by quarterback Taylor Kelly and running back Marion Grice. Both players have gotten off to solid starts. On defense, all eyes are on one player: Will Sutton. Sutton is an absolute beast, standing over 6 feet tall and weighing 288 pounds. Last season, Sutton racked up 13 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss. Needless to say he is an absolute nightmare for offensive coordinators. And that is what this game will come down to: Sutton and the Sun Devil’s defense against the Badgers’ rushing juggernaut of James White, Melvin Gordon and Corey Clement. The winner of this match-up will win the game.