Thad Four Become Official

November 13, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Yesterday was the first day that college basketball players nationwide could officially sign their Letters of Intent. While it wasn’t much of a surprise there was just a little hint of drama during this last years recruiting process, the players have been known. The only drama was of one player decommitting then recommitting within a months time if memory serves me right. Mickey Mitchell was the player everyone was worried about especially since he committed to Thad and Ohio State when his brother was still a part of Urban Meyers program. Yesterday Mitchell made it official signing his LOI along with future teammates Daniel Giddens, Austin Grandstaff, and A.J. Harris. These are huge gets for Thad and company plus they will have basically newcomers to the court next season with David Bell (C) who is currently on the team but looks to be redshirted and Trevor Thompson (C) who has to sit out a season for transferring from Va. Tech. The best thing would be if D’Angelo Russell will still be on the squad next season to be a part of this incoming class along with the other youth that the Buckeyes have but that might be a pipe dream.

Players we know for sure that will not be on the team next season due to graduating is Shannon Scott(G), Sam Thompson(F), Amir Williams(C) and graduate transfer Anthony Lee(C). The current and future Buckeye men’s basketball picture looks bright. Lets take a look at your 2015 recruiting class.

Daniel Giddens C 6-10 235lbs
Marietta Georgia
Rivals: 4 star ranked #43 nationally
scouting report:

ESPN Analyst
Updated 11/12/2014
Strengths:
A defensive presence in the lane, he protects the rim with his shot blocking skills and his body. He is hard to score against inside because he is strong, powerful, long and athletic who uses his frame to shield the rim. Giddens is a alert defender especially off the ball in help situations where he can contest and /or block a shot to help a teammate. He runs the floor extremely well and consistently hits the boards on both ends especially offensively. Immediately on his defensive rebound he throws the outlet pass which gets the transition game going. Scores mostly on drop off passes but has shown the ability to post some on the blocks. He can also get to the rim with short one or two dribble drives which is a problem for opposing centers. He moves well without the ball and can catch and finish with touch or above the rim with power and good explosiveness.
Weaknesses:
A bona fide low post game is lacking. He first learn the art of the post up which includes deep post position with a low and wide base along with making and maintaining contact with his defender. Giddens must continue to work on developing on the offensive end of the floor especially with his back to the basket game and a short jumper. His free throw shooting is poor at the present moment and as he is leaving points at the line. Learning how to use his massive frame against like size defenders will be the first step in his growth.
Bottom Line:
If progress can be made on the offensive end of the floor we are looking at one of the most difficult players in the class of 2015 to stop inside because of his physical frame and good hands. Giddens is an active and mobile center that is strong and physical. He is an excellent defender, rebounder and finisher and as his offense continues to develop so will his offensive production. Reminds us of former Florida center Patric Young or former Ohio State forward center Perry Carter.

Austin Grandstaff G 6-4 180lbs
Rockwell, Texas
Rivals: 4 star #41 nationally
Scouting Report:

ESPN Analyst
Updated 11/12/2014
Strengths:
Grandstaff is an excellent shooter off the catch or dribble. He is terrific at coming off a variety of screening actions as well. When he gets on a roll he can make a bunch. He’s a solid basketball athlete with a good basketball IQ. While shooting is his main attribute he can also put the ball on the floor and make plays off the dribble. Good passer and a good handle round out his game.
Weaknesses:
Would like to see him become a better defensive player, he has the tools to do it. Also, he can be a bit streaky shooting the ball, needs more consistency. Austin is a volume scorer who sometimes needs a lot of shots to get his points. We’d like to see him be more efficient. Grandstaff will need some help getting open at times and he will not only need to add strength but improve as a ball handler when under intense ball pressure.
Bottom Line:
His ability to put the ball in the basket is what sets him apart from most. He is a true shooting guard that can make shots from all over the court and will be an immediate shot maker on the high major level.

Mickey Mitchell F 6-7 210lbs
Plano, Texas
Rivals: 4 star #92 nationally
Scouting Report:

ESPN Analyst
Updated 11/12/2014
Strengths:
Mitchell is simply a relentless rim attacker. The lefty is tough and competitive on both ends of the floor. He is an excellent passer with great court vision and ball skills as well. He is a decent three point shoot when he feet are set and he is in rhythm. Mitchell is a good perimeter rebounder that is a coast to coast threat if not brought under control immediately. He is an above the rim finisher on the break and on all clear paths to the rim. Mitchell is a match up nightmare from the wing position and has a great motor as well. Mitchell is also a standout quarterback.
Weaknesses:
Mitchell has room to improve from behind the arc and he will also need to make better decisions with the ball at times and just keep it simple. He will also need to add the jump stop to his game so he doesn’t make himself charge prone.
Bottom Line:
Mitchell is an aggressive wing that has excellent skill and feel for the game. He can score in a variety of ways and is an elite passer with toughness and a great motor. Mitchell is a high major wing that can impact the game with his skill and toughness on both ends of the floor but make no mistake about it his passing and court vision make him special.

A.J. Harris G 5-9 160lbs
Dayton, Ohio
Rivals: 4 star #103 nationally
Scouting Report:

ESPN Analyst
Updated 11/12/2014
Strengths:
A.J. is an ultra quick point guard that can get in the lane at will. He has a lightning fast first step. Has an excellent floater with great touch and body control. He’s a good advance passer off the dribble and getting the ball up the floor. He moves the ball well in the halfcourt and can create for himself or teammates at end of clock situations. The lefty is a very tough competitor with a great motor.
Weaknesses:
Harris is a very streaky shooter with range to 20 feet. Must improve the consistency of his jumpshot. He is a capable defender that sometimes gambles too much. We’d like to see him get stronger which should come as he matures.
Bottom Line:
A.J. is a solid addition for Ohio State. He should follow in their tradition of good, solid, team-first point guards.

Welcome to Columbus and Buckeye Nation.

Filed Under: College Basketball, Ohio State Basketball

The Spread, Week Twelve: B1G Coaches Revisited

November 13, 2014 by 1 Comment

Every once in a while I use my space here to predict things, and I am a firm believer in holding myself accountable. Unlike the televised talking heads who count up wins and sweep losses under the rug, I’m willing to admit when I get something wrong.

So here we go.

In my post about B1G coaches, I made some projections about how each of them (sans our own Urban and a few others on solid footing) might hold on to their jobs for another year. While we don’t know for sure yet how things will end up, I’ll look at how each is progressing and where I think they’re headed.

Kirk Ferentz. I predicted Ferentz would need to win at least nine games to stick around due to his ridiculously weak conference schedule. I also thought he would pull this off easily and probably snag another undeserved B1G Coach of the Year trophy in the process.

Nine is now the most games Iowa can win this year, and they still have to play Wisconsin and Nebraska. I still have my doubts about the Hawkeyes ever letting Ferentz go, but if they’re going to do it, immediately following losses to the only two good teams they played all year would be the time.

James Franklin. While not in danger of getting fired, I did guess that Franklin would need to go over .500 to keep off the hot seat next year. That looks achievable, with games against Temple and Illinois upcoming before a probable loss to Michigan State to close out the year. Taking the Buckeyes to double overtime will help his case as well.

Jerry Kill. Kill was one of my coaches showing promise for this year, and he’s done well thus far, posting a 7-2 record. His Gophers have a crazy gauntlet coming up with Ohio State, Nebraska and Wisconsin looming, but don’t be surprised if he manages to pull out a win in one of those.

Randy Edsall. My other promising coach has also had a decent first year so far, guiding Maryland to a 6-3 record. He’s got a date with a fired-up Spartan squad this week, but closes out with Michigan and Rutgers, so he’ll probably land on his feet.

Kevin Wilson. I put Wilson on the hot seat, noting that it’s time for the head Hoosier to make a bowl game or get out of town. Despite a bizarre win over Missouri, it still looks like he won’t pull it off with only three wins and games against Rutgers, Ohio State and Purdue upcoming.

Brady Hoke. Yeah, I saved the best for last. Hoke is getting fired this year, and that’s all there is to it. His AD is already gone, and the coach came off like a complete buffoon in the aftermaths of incidents both serious (the Shane Morris concussion) and trivial (the Michigan State sideline stake). Not to mention the continued dismal on-field performance of his team.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Predicting Every Single FBS College Football Game: Week 12

November 12, 2014 by 1 Comment

Record in Week 11: 33-17 (66% of games predicted correctly) To see my picks for week 11, click here.

I blame the Sun Belt and Conference USA for my mediocre records in back-to-back weeks.

Overall Record for the Season: 474-170

Tuesday Nov. 11
Toledo @ Northern Illinois – Pick: Northern Illinois
Akron @ Buffalo – Pick: Akron

Wednesday Nov. 12
Kent State @ Bowling Green – Pick: Bowling Green
Ball State @ UMass – Pick: Ball State

Thursday Nov. 13
East Carolina @ Cincinnati – Pick: Cincinnati
Southern Miss @ UTSA – Pick: UTSA
California @ USC – Pick: USC

Friday Nov. 14
Tulsa @ UCF – Pick: UCF

Saturday Nov. 15
Virginia Tech @ Duke – Pick: Duke
Clemson @ Georgia Tech – Pick: Clemson
Indiana @ Rutgers – Pick: Rutgers
Temple @ Penn State – Pick: Penn State
South Carolina @ Florida – Pick: Florida
Auburn @ Georgia – Pick: Georgia (Upset)
Army @ Western Kentucky – Pick: Western Kentucky
Pittsburgh @ North Carolina – Pick: North Carolina
Iowa @ Illinois – Pick: Illinois
Ohio State @ Minnesota – Pick: Ohio State
Miami (OH) @ Central Michigan – Pick: Central Michigan
Mississippi State @ Alabama – Pick: Alabama
Eastern Michigan @ Western Michigan – Pick: Western Michigan
Nevada @ Air Force – Pick: Air Force
Rice @ Marshall – Pick: Marshall
Wake Forest @ NC State – Pick: NC State
TCU @ Kansas – Pick: TCU
Appalachian State @ Arkansas State – Pick: Arkansas State
Nebraska @ Wisconsin – Pick: Wisconsin
Washington @ Arizona – Pick: Arizona
Oklahoma @ Texas Tech – Pick: Oklahoma
Georgia Southern @ Navy – Pick: Navy
Northwestern @ Notre Dame – Pick: Notre Dame
Memphis @ Tulane – Pick: Memphis
Middle Tennessee State @ Florida International – Pick: Middle Tennessee State
Texas State @ South Alabama – Pick: Texas State
New Mexico @ Utah State – Pick: Utah State
Kentucky @ Tennessee – Pick: Tennessee
Hawaii @ San Jose State – Pick: San Jose State
Troy @ Idaho – Pick: Idaho
Utah @ Stanford – Pick: Stanford
UNLV @ BYU – Pick: BYU
Louisiana-Lafayette @ LA-Monroe – Pick: Louisiana-Lafayette
Texas @ Oklahoma State – Pick: Oklahoma State
Missouri @ Texas A&M – Pick: Texas A&M
Michigan State @ Maryland – Pick: Michigan State
Florida State @ Miami – Pick: Florida State
LSU @ Arkansas – Pick: LSU
South Florida @ SMU – Pick: South Florida
North Texas @ UTEP – Pick: UTEP
San Diego State @ Boise State – Pick: Boise State
Arizona State @ Oregon State – Pick: Arizona State

I’ll let you know how I did with my predictions on next week’s post. Let me know in the comments what you think of my picks and feel free to ask me why I picked the way I did. Also you can follow me on Twitter @SchottJosh.

Filed Under: College Football

Players to Watch: Minnesota vs Ohio State

November 12, 2014 by Leave a Comment

The Buckeyes are 2 for 2 so far in this three road test early in November. The third and last road test will come against an up and coming, physical, disciplined Minnesota team led by beloved coach Jerry Kill. The Gophers have been playing good football of late beating both rivals Iowa and TTUN. Lets take a look at the players to keep an eye on this Saturday.

Minnesota

David Cobb, Running Back

The Gophers are a run first football team and it starts with their workhorse David Cobb. Cobb has already registered a 1200 yards accompanied with eight touchdowns. His touchdown numbers wont blow anyone away but explosive isn’t really Cobb’s game. Cobb is a power back weighing around 230 to 235 pounds. He is very methodical averaging 5.3 yards per carry, and only gets better the more he gets the rock. Cobb has recorded 5 games this season where he has registered 25+ attempts and averaged 180.2 yards in those games.

It will be important for Buckeye tacklers to either hit Cobb in the backfield before he is able to gain a head of steam, or gang tackle him. He will shake off arm tackles and simply throwing a shoulder in to him won’t be enough to bring him to the ground. The Buckeyes can not afford a poor tackling performance similar to what they had last week against Michigan State. Stop Cobb and you bring the Gophers offense to a grinding hault. In their two losses this season Cobb only rushed for 79.5 yards. Here is tape of Cobb from one of his more dominant performances this seasons against San Jose State where he rushed for 207 yards on 34 carries.

Damien Wilson, Middle Linebacker

Wilson is the most NFL ready player on this Gopher roster. The 6’2, 242 pound linebacker leads the Big Ten in tackles with 88 and is beginning to play some of the best football of his career. Wilson is a do it all linebackers as he not only leads the team in tackles, but he also has recorded 8 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 interception, and 1 forced fumble. Wilson will be anywhere and everywhere the Gophers need him to be on Saturday in order to try and contain this Buckeye offense. I would not be shocked to see Wilson have an upwards of 15-20 tackles on Saturday for the future NFL talent.

Ohio State

J.T. Barrett

Barrett will look to continue to keep this offense on track and on its record breaking pace. Barrett has already initiated a quarterback controversy for the 2015 season, but before we even get there the Buckeyes have an opportunity to win out, win the Big Ten Title, and maybe find themselves in the playoff. Barrett will need to keep his team focused on the right now. He will need to ensure this offense doesn’t come out slow against the Gophers after a very dominant and emotional win last Saturday night. If Barrett needed anymore motivation, he is on the cusp of being in the Heisman conversation and another big performance on Saturday would keep those hopes alive.

Curtis Grant

While Barrett’s performance is more focused on the mental approach to Saturday’s game, Grant’s is much more X’s and O’s heavy. The Gophers will want to run the ball to control the clock and keep the Buckeye offense off the field. When facing spread teams McMillan has been favored in place of Grant due to his speed in space, however, this type of game fits Grant play style much better. Grant will need to play downhill, stay clean and free from the grasp of those massive Gopher offensive line, and do his best to slow down and contain David Cobb of Minnesota. Expect Grant to have a 10-12 tackle performance.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

MotSaG Live Episode #13 – Buckeyes Big Win Over Spartans & Previewing Game with Minnesota

November 11, 2014 by 2 Comments

Topics discussed are Ohio State’s huge win over Michigan State, breaking down the most recent Big Ten results and the weekly national & Big Ten picks. The Buckeyes upcoming game with the Minnesota Golden Gophers is also previewed and broken down in detail. Our special guest that joined us on the podcast is Rob Litt, a writer from Gopherhole.com. Rob was a fantastic guest and he gave us great insight into the Gophers football team. He also explained to us why Glenn Mason was ultimately fired at Minnesota and gave us an interesting fact about the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With:

Preview: MotSaG Live Podcast #13

November 11, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Time for episode #13! If you missed last week’s episode, you can find it by clicking here.

As always I will be hosting the podcast this week and be joined by fellow MotSaG writers Shannon Sommers and Chip Minnich. On this show we’ll breakdown Ohio State’s huge victory over Michigan State, the Big Ten’s performance from this past weekend and make our usual weekly national and Big Ten picks. We’ll also preview and predict the outcome of Ohio State’s matchup with Minnesota this weekend. Our special guest joining us this week will be Rob Litt of Gopherhole.com.

There are two great ways you can subscribe to MotSaG Live. For Apple users, you can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes. You can find our page by typing “MotSaG Live” in the iTunes search box or click here. For Android (and Apple) users, you can subscribe to the podcast via Stitcher. It is a free app in both stores. Just like iTunes you can find our page by typing “MotSaG Live” in the Stitcher search box or you can click here.

It’s going to be a fantastic show as always! Be sure to listen!

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

NegaBuck: I’m Dumb: A Time for Self Reflection

November 11, 2014 by 2 Comments

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

― Thomas A. Edison

 

Ohio State sliced through the Michigan State defense Saturday night and made it look easier than finding a parking spot at a driver’s ed. class. The Buckeyes won 49 – 37 and there is not much to be negative about this week which makes it a perfect time for a little self reflection…

My preview post for last weeks game listed ten events that needed to happen/not happen for the heroes to return home triumphant after a short trip up north. I named each fact after made up movies for no reason at all- please ignore this. I have a feeling I was way off and I need to take my whooping. Come with me on a self centered journey and we’ll dissect my predictions together.

 

Let’s see how much I truly know about this great sport (last week’s post in Italics):

 

10. No More Carnage:

Plot: How much more confident would Ohio State feel if they walked into Saturday’s battle with Braxton Miller, Noah Spence and Rod Smith? The team has been relatively lucky with injuries and suspensions for the most part but no more A list actors can be cut or this movie will be the next Gigli.

Grade: C+ 

Tough to say either way. Only reason for the + is that Eli Apple was secretly hurt and his missing the first series cost the team 6 points.

9. Dos La rotación de existencias:

Plot: Yes I googled the Spanish word for turnovers and I’m still not sure if I used it right. I think Ohio State needs to create at least two turnovers to take down Sparty in this foreign film.

Grade: F-

Completely wrong- Ohio State needed 0 turnovers in the victory. I feel dumber than an Alabama fan trying to file taxes. Jimbo’s Coffee and Handguns Cafe does a horrible job of keeping W2 forms on file.

8. Reaction:

Plot: Tom Herman and Urban Meyer have taken some heat for the play calling in close games recently and it seems the answers to what opposing defenses are showing them are not figured out until after the game. That can’t happen this week; Dantonio will throw some confusion at the young guns and in game adjustments need to be on point or similar offensive outputs to VA Tech and PSU could be on the way.

Grade: A-

Coach Herman and Meyer were counting cards and knew what was coming from the Spartan defense. Fans couldn’t have asked for a better gameplan and in game adjustments.

7. Pick One:

Plot: Moving the ball will be tough against the Spartans and giving them a short field is a death sentence. J.T. Barrett will make some freshmen throws and for Ohio State to win only one of them can fall into a Spartan’s gut.

Grade: C-

Grading myself pretty hard here for assuming Barrett would have any bad throws at all. Man that kid was tossing the rock.

6. South of 250:

Plot: If Connor Cook goes over 250 passing yards then I would guess that Ohio State is dead in the water.

Grade: F-

If you would have told me Connor Cook would throw for nearly 360 yards I would have been booking my tickets to some poopy Florida bowl instead of buying Big Ten Championship tickets.

 

 

5. Eastern Silence:

Plot: Nothing helps a really young team win in a hostile environment better than a quick start. East Lansing needs to be punched in the face and shut up early to help with the audibles Barrett loves to call at the line of scrimmage. The crowd will be rough but not near as rambunctious as the Penn State bunch.

Grade: F+

I’ll give myself the generous + here for the fact that Ohio State moved the ball a little bit on their first drive before our favorite German left a 49 yard kick short. It showed the Spartan faithful that Ohio State was very capable of moving the ball right off the bat. The F is for falling for the fact that a MSU crowd could affect the game at all. Their students don’t even want to be at games.

4. Breakdown Limit:

Plot: The two least experienced units on Ohio State’s squad are the two that will decide the outcome in my opinion. How the offensive line and secondary handle the confusion that will be headed there way will mean everything. Breakdowns that allow sacks and give up big plays cannot happen often this week.

Grade: B+

The offensive line played great and the fat guys only had a few minor mistakes in the first half. The secondary wasn’t outstanding but they certainly limited the big play after the first drive.

 

3. Seven Touches:

Plot: Dontre Wilson and Jalin Marshall need at least 7 offensive touches each to exploit the Spartan defense as Oregon and Purdue seemed to use in getting the edge. If this doesn’t happen then some serious discussions need to be made about who the Buckeyes are.

Grade: F-

Not only did these two only have a combined seven offensive touches but they accounted for three fumbles total (I’m pinning the punt disaster on Marshall).

I am a complete failure; I thought these guys would be the difference in the game and they may have been the only reason this game wasn’t a four touchdown victory.

 

To be fair I still love both guys and they still each had a shining moment.

 

 

2. 40 Yards to Happiness:

Plot: Michigan State is not the type of team to give up chunks of yards at a time. To put up enough points to win I think Ohio State needs at least 3 plays over 40 yards.

Grade: A+

Ohio State had four crucial big plays over 40 yards. My saving grace was this very safe prediction and I guess I’ll take it.

1. The Man Who Saved the World in 60 Minutes Under a Full Moon Using Only His Bare Hands and a Ponytail:

Plot: Joey Bosa steals the show and Connor Cook’s girlfriend in the baddest ass movie of all time.

Grade: F-

Not only did Bosa have his worst statistical game, he put his beautiful hair on the bench with a ski cap…

Still my sun and stars was creating havoc and opening up the wormholes for Michael Bennett and caused a few holds.

 

Prognosis: Idiot      Total GPA:  1.71 = D

 

 

Ugggg that was as ugly as one of those greasy Ole Miss frat boy’s look. Live and learn right?

 

 

On deck: The fighting Goofs of Minnaysowta. They got a pretty good team and it looks to be a high of around 20. Yipes, glad I’ll be in toasty Columbus that day. I just booked my tickets to the BTCG and a loss to the Gophers would not only ruin the Buckeye’s national championship dreams but it will also mean I just over-drafted my checking account for nothing…

I’ll be doing the preview this week (assuming the higher ups don’t read this disaster) so look for that around Thursday or Friday.

 

Oh and don’t forget that Buckeye basketball tips off Friday against Umass-Lowell

 

 

Bonus: Those of you who haven’t gotten your new smart phone yet here is a hilarious Portlandia scene:

 

Double Bonus: Since the Browns are in first I can now laugh at this. THEY KILLED HIM!

 

Filed Under: B1G Football, Blogging, Ohio State Football

B1G Weekly Recap: Buckeyes Gain Control In B1G East; West Remains Chaotic

November 11, 2014 by 1 Comment

With their win over Michigan State in East Lansing, Ohio State is now the only Big Ten team without a loss in conference play. Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin all remain at one loss in the Big Ten West, setting up what’s sure to be a hectic final three weeks of the regular season in the Big Ten.

Penn State 13, Indiana 7

Penn State got back in the win column for the first time in five tries with their victory in Bloomington. Indiana took the lead late in the second quarter when Mark Murphy intercepted Christian Hackenberg and returned it 47 yards for a score. The lead was short-lived however when Bill Belton took a handoff 92 yards to the house.

A pair of Sam Ficken field goals in the second half ended up being the difference as Penn State improved to 5-4 on the season while Indiana remained winless in conference play and fell to 3-6 overall. The Nittany Lions return home next weekend and will host Temple while Indiana will make a trip to Piscataway to take on Rutgers.

Minnesota 51, Iowa 14

Minnesota dominated Iowa in this rivalry game to take home the Floyd of Rosedale. Iowa scored the first touchdown of the game on their opening drive when Mark Weisman pounded the ball in from a yard out. After that, it was all Golden Gophers. Minnesota rolled off 51 straight points after the Weisman touchdown before Iowa got a late score with less than a minute to play.

Mitch Leidner was 10-13 passing for 138 yards but added four touchdowns, three of which went to Maxx Williams. The Golden Gophers held the Hawkeyes to just 205 yards of offense as they kept pace with one loss in the Big Ten West. Minnesota hosts Ohio State on Saturday while Iowa will go to Illinois for their final road game of the season.

Wisconsin 34, Purdue 16

Melvin Gordon added to his Heisman resume with another big game, this time rushing for 205 yards and a touchdown. Gordon also reeled in three passes from Joel Stave for 47 yards and another touchdown. Stave threw for a season-high 219 yards and two touchdowns.

Purdue struggled offensively, especially in the run game. The Boilermakers managed just 26 yards on the ground as they fell to 3-7 on the year. Wisconsin moved to 4-1 in the Big Ten, setting up a showdown at the top of the Big Ten West next week when they host Nebraska. Purdue has the week off before hosting Northwestern at Ross-Ade Stadium.

Michigan 10, Northwestern 9

Northwestern scored the potentially game-tying touchdown with three seconds left in the game but decided to go for two and the win and failed when Trevor Siemian slipped in the backfield. Siemian threw for 273 yards on the day and a touchdown to go with two interceptions. The Wildcats combined for -9 rushing yards on the day.

De’Veon Smith led the Wolverines to victory with 121 yards and the Wolverines’ only touchdown of the day. Devin Gardner had just 109 yards passing and was picked off twice in an offensive struggle. Northwestern will visit Notre Dame next weekend and the Wolverines have the week off to prepare for a visit from Maryland.

Ohio State 49, Michigan State 37

On Saturday night in East Lansing, the Buckeyes made a statement and got their revenge for Michigan State ripping away their national title chances last season. By doing so, Ohio State kept themselves in the playoff picture for this year. J.T. Barrett had one of his best games of the season against one of the best defenses in the country. The redshirt freshman threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns while running for 86 yards and two more scores.

Jeremy Langford had 137 yards and three touchdowns rushing. Connor Cook threw for 358 yards and two TDs but was just 25-45 passing the ball as the Spartans lost their first conference game of the season. Michigan State will look to rebound when they visit Maryland and the Buckeyes will go on the road again to play Minnesota.

Who do you think will take control of the Big Ten West when Wisconsin welcomes Nebraska to Camp Randall? Nebraska winning out until the Big Ten Championship Game would be the best-case scenario for Ohio State as they look to climb in the top four. Give us your prediction below!

Filed Under: B1G Football, College Football, Ohio State Football

Dontre Wilson Undergoes Surgery on Broken Foot; Will Miss Rest of Regular Season

November 10, 2014 by 4 Comments

According to a report from our friends at Eleven Warriors, h-back and kickoff returner Dontre Wilson underwent successful foot surgery Sunday night after breaking his foot against Michigan State on Saturday night. Urban Meyer confirmed this news at his press conference this morning.

Meyer said of Wilson’s injury at the press conference: “He actually caught a touchdown pass with a broken foot. He’s out for a few weeks. I don’t know the extent. They may have to put a pin in it.”

Wilson caught two passes for 23 yards and a touchdown against the Spartans, but you could tell he was clearly off after dropping several passes and fumbling two kickoff returns. He still played through the pain though and caught a crucial touchdown pass late in the game to help get the win for the Buckeyes. Wilson is not expected back until at least bowl season, so it’s a tough blow for the Buckeyes as they prepare the final three games of the season and a possible matchup in Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

MotSaG B1G Power Poll Week 11

November 10, 2014 by 1 Comment

So glad this weekend is over as there was very little movement going on since there wasn’t any key games that happened.

My anti Mark May list:

1. The Ohio State University (8-1,5-0) The Buckeyes made a statement Saturday in East Lansing and took a giant step forward as a young hungry team. Now the target is back on them and they need to finish this out.
Last Week: #2
Next Game: @Minnesota

2. Michigan State (7-2,4-1) Sparty just lost out on the chance to get a possible playoff spot and in order to get to Indy need Buckeyes to lose two of their final three games, guess Dantonio should’t have basically guaranteed a victory over Ohio State.
Last Week: #1
Next Game: @Maryland

3. Nebraska (8-1,4-1) The Cornhuskers are hoping to have a healthy Adullah against a surging Badger team. They bye was at the perfect time for them going to be a big game for the West leaders.
Last Week: #3
Next Game: @Wisconsin

4. Wisconsin (7-2,4-1) Badger QB Stave was looking good against Purdue but honestly the Boilermakers had a lot of key injuries in their secondary plus the Badgers have a possible Heisman candidate in RB Melvin Gordon to rely on.
Last Week: #4
Next Game: Nebraska

5. Minnesota (7-2,4-1) The same Gopher team that lost to Illinois a couple of weeks ago destroyed Iowa Saturday. They have a big match-up hosting the Buckeyes this Saturday trying to stay in the West race.
Last Week: #7
Next Week: Ohio State

6. Maryland ((6-3,3-2) Don’t know if a bye week is going to help the Terps play a angry Sparty team that will be visiting this Saturday. Maryland might not have the firepower to hang with the Spartans.
Last Week: #6
Next Week: Michigan State

7. Iowa (6-3,3-2) You just don’t know what Hawkeye team will show up this week and that was evident when they were thrashed by Minnesota Saturday, now out of the West picture they can try to play the role of spoilers.
Last Week: #5
Next Game: @Illinois

8. Penn State (5-4,2-4) The Nittany Lions have a top defense but an abysmal offense. They are currently one win away from being bowl eligible and will probably accomplish that but honestly don’t deserve with the terrible offensive offense we have to watch.
Last Week: 10
Next Week: Temple

9. Rutgers (5-4,1-4) The Scarlet Knights coming off a bye look to win their second B1G game and become bowl eligible and that can happen with a win against the hapless Hoosiers this Saturday.
Last Week: 8
Next Game: Indiana

10. Michigan (5-5,3-3) The Wolverines made it to .500 break put the bubbly. If it weren’t for the bad play calling from Pat Fitzgerald and the terrible execution of the 2 point conversion the maize and blue really don’t have much to cheer about.
Last Week: #11
Next Game: Bye

11. Northwestern (3-6,2-4) The Wildcats continue to show how to blow wins against Michigan and found another way to do it in a different fashion.
Last Week: #9
Next Game: @Notre Dame

12. Purdue (3-7,1-5) Purdue has officially been eliminated from bowl eligibility, the injuries were to much for them to overcome. They have become a better team than last season and are still playing with tons of heart.
Last Week: #12
Next Game: Bye

13. Illinois (4-5,1-4) Tim Beckman and company are trying to get this team to become bowl eligible and try to save his job.
Last Week: #13
Next Game: Iowa

14. Indiana (3-6,05) The Hoosiers are in bad shape with their QB spot and it has made a for a long year
Last Week: #14
Next Game: @Rutgers

Always love hearing your feedback, don’t forget you can email me at AskMotSaG@gmail.com with any questions.

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