Q&A with an Opponents Blogger: Penn State

October 24, 2014 by Leave a Comment

This week I had the freat pleasure of sitting down with Kevin Mcguire to discuss the Penn Sate/Ohio State match-up tomorrow. Kevin who was nice enough to join our podcast this week is a contributor to NBC College Football Talk and has a site no2minutewarning.com. You can also follow Kevin on twitter @KevinOnCFB and he is a worthwhile and good follow for college football fans. Without further ado onto the PSU/OSU discussion.

MotSaG: Penn State’s run defense is only giving up an average of 60.8 yards a game but have given up over 100 to Northwestern and Rutgers. Do you feel they can contain Ohio State’s rushing attack?

KM: It should go without saying that the strength of this Penn State team to this point in the season has been the defense as a whole, and it starts up front with what has been a decent defensive line. Can they contain Ohio State’s running game? Probably, at least for a while. I wouldn’t expect Ohio State to break many big plays on the ground, although I think the Buckeyes could be able to wear down Penn State’s defense over four quarters

MotSaG: Do the Nittany Lions have the talent and depth to contain or keep up with the Buckeyes explosive offense?

KM: Penn State probably has the talent to keep up at the skill positions, but the offensive line is quite another story. Penn State’s o-line has been a complete mess this season for a number of reasons, most notably the two years of recruiting sanctions against the program. Because the line has been an extreme work-in-progress, Christian Hackenberg has been forced to try and make some things happen when they just are not there, and the running game has lacked a chance to get on track. So because of that, Penn State’s offense will have a tough time going point-for-point with Ohio State, and it may be up to the defense to come up with some big plays, and perhaps even some points.

MotSaG: Who are the key players on Penn States defense Buckeye fans should be aware of?

KM: Pay attention to a couple of players up front on the defensive line. Deion Barnes at defensive end is a form Big Ten Freshman of the Year and right by his side is Anthony Zettel. Both have been playing well this season and Zettel has come up with a number of key plays in the backfield. It will be up to these two to bring pressure on Barrett and maybe disrupt the running game before it can get going, but they will be up against their stiffest test of the season against this Ohio State line.

MotSaG: With Penn State coming off a bye do you think an extra week of preparation would help PSU fix some of the major problems on their offensive line?

KM: Well, it certainly can’t hurt. Penn State has now had two bye weeks out of the last three, so you would hope the stability of the offensive line would be a major focus. I am sure it has been, but ultimately I just do not think enough work can be done with what is available to them. Fixing Penn State’s offensive line is going to have to come through recruiting with a full set of scholarships to offer. This is not a line that can be repaired with some duct tape. It needs a complete overhaul.

MotSaG: Word is offensive guard Miles Dieffenbach has been practicing any status on him playing Saturday and being able to help that line out?

KM: It does sound as though Dieffenbach is close to returning, and the way things have ben sounding I would not be shocked if he makes a return this weekend. He is supposed to be the veteran anchor of this young line, but he is still week-to-week as he recovers from an ACL injury in the spring. The bye weeks were supposed to be big for him, and perhaps that will be the case. If Penn State can get him on the field, expect them to do so, but not if it comes at a risk in losing him before he is physically and mentally ready for jumping right in against Ohio State

MotSaG: I know the sanctions really hurt Penn State’s depth, how big of a factor will that play in the game Saturday and possibly for rest of season and possibly getting bowl eligible?

KM: This season was supposed to be the toughest in terms of depth on this roster, and that is exactly how things are playing out. I don’t think that will change the rest of the way, and it will show in some games more than others. This game in particular is one that could turn ugly in the flash of an eye given the talent differential overall. The Michigan State game could as well, but the depth concerns may actually be put more to the test in games like Temple and Indiana. These are games Penn State will never lose when fully equipped, but could easily see slip away if not careful right now. I still think Penn State has enough to get two more wins the rest of the way, and those extra practices in the postseason could help in the long-term, but Penn State should probably feel fortunate to get to six or seven wins at this point

MotSaG: How nice is it to finally get the sanctions lifted and being allowed to be able to compete for a B1G Championship and Bowl games and get a full roster together?

KM: From a purely football perspective, it is fantastic. How can it not? Penn State went into the season with two years of a postseason ban and some scholarship restrictions still to play through, but early in the season the NCAA lifted those terms. This, in effect, gave the players and coaches something else to play for and that is great for them. In theory, the team can now compete for a Big Ten championship and make plans for a bowl trip. There is still work to do, of course, but being able to focus on something positive is a bit of fresh air for the program, its fans and alums. Moving forward, the program appears to be heading in a good direction and things will certainly get better on the field as long as James Franklin and his staff prove they can develop talent as well as they can generate excitement in recruiting.

I would have loved to see what Bill O’Brien would have done with a full recruiting class, but now that falls on Franklin and his crew.

MotSaG: What are Penn State’s fans biggest concerns for the game Saturday?

KM: I think most fans are probably realistic in expecting Penn State to lose this weekend, so I think the biggest fear would be getting tanks in front of the home crowd. Last year’s 63-14 loss showed how far away Penn State is from the top of the Big Ten, so there is a bit of pride on the line here as well. If Penn State is going to lose, keeping it at least somewhat respectable would at least be something moving forward. I know moral victories are for losers, but nobody wants to get blown out at home. The biggest fear may be seeing Hackenberg laying face first in the ground like the famous (infamous) image of Anthony Morelli against Michigan (Google it, you’ll find it).

MotSaG: Do you feel that the Paterno statue should be returned or should everyone just finally close the chapter and move on?

KM: I may be foolish in thinking there will be a time in the future when the statue is returned to sitting somewhere outside Beaver Stadium. While I think people should move on and no longer worry about something as trivial as a statue, I do believe there will come a time when we can reflect on everything Joe Paterno did for the university and football program and community and properly place his good deeds side-by-side with his shortcomings. I think a statue can help paint a full scope and offer a chance to reflect on both positive and negative, but the time is just not right at this moment and it may not be for quite a while.

MotSaG: Final prediction for the game?

KM: Prediction? Pain. As I said on your podcast, I have Ohio State winning this weekend’s match-up in Beaver Stadium, 35-17 (which if you bet the over at 51.5 is just fine with you). I think Penn State’s defense keeps this game from getting out of hand as it did last season, but I can’t see Penn State ever making much of a game of this with their concerns on offense. I see Ohio State maybe jumping out to an early lead and cruising into the second half before Penn State gets a junk touchdown to make this closer than the score would actually indicate.

What I am curious to see, for better or worse, is how Barrett handles this environment. As was suggested on your podcast, this should be different compared to playing at Navy or Maryland, but I think at this point he is as prepared as can be to handle it.

I agree with what Kevin is saying it will be interesting on seeing how Barrett and company will handle the environment seeing how this is going to be the loudest and craziest they have played in front of this season. I do however believe that Urban and company will have this team prepared for this and the Nittany Lions. They are on a historic run and J.T. has really grasped the offense well and has to many weapons for Penn State to handle in my opinion. Penn State’s depth is still a major concern and that’s a huge advantage for the Buckeyes hence the reason i said on the podcast I called for OSU to win 56-3.

Once again I would like to thank Kevin McGuire for his help this week and you should honestly check his stuff out, very knowledgeable on college football and informative. Have any questions? Feel free to drop me a line at AskMotSaG@gmail.com.

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

2014 OSU Football ~ Buckeyes @ Nittany Lions Will Be “Happening” Valley

October 24, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Ever since the loss to Virginia Tech on September 6th, Ohio State has been rolling offensively. Proof? Ohio State has averaged 56 points a game over its last four opponents (Kent State, Cincinnati, Maryland, and Rutgers). Granted, none of those opponents are considered to be college football juggernauts, but it would be fair to state that Ohio State has exorcised the demons (I figured Halloween is right around the corner, so why not be a little colorful with the analogies?) that plagued them as the 2014 college football season began.

Conversely, Penn State seems to be going in the opposite direction. Penn State began the season with a stirring last second victory over Central Florida (26-24) in the season opener, and the Nittany Lions concluded the first month of the season with a 4-0 record. The positive momentum was surprisingly blunted by visiting Northwestern (27-6), then Penn State lost at Michigan (18-13). Considering Penn State had a bye that preceded its visit to Ann Arbor, and still lost to a struggling Michigan team, had to be disconcerting to Penn State coaches, players, and fans. For what it is worth, Penn State is coming into this game with Ohio State off another bye week.

Here are the three areas I will concentrate upon as the kickoff begins at 8pm EST on ABC:

1. Can Penn State’s Defense Slow Down Ohio State’s Offense? – Penn State’s defense has been keeping the team in games, ranking 6th in the country at points allowed (average 15 points a game). The strength of the Penn State defense is the run defense, while Ohio State prides itself on a powerful running game. With those statistics in mind, keep in mind that these are the opponents Penn State has played up until this point – Central Florida, Akron, Rutgers, Massachusetts, Northwestern, and Michigan. Penn State defeated Rutgers 13-10, largely behind five interceptions of Rutgers quarterback Gary Nova; Ohio State just thrashed Rutgers 56-17.

2. Will Penn State’s Offensive Line Be Able To Protect Christian Hackenberg? – Even Penn State coaches and fans recognized going into the 2014 season that the Penn State offensive line was the decided weak link of the team. It would be generous to say that Penn State has struggled to run the ball; Penn State ranks 121st in the country at rushing the ball. Against Michigan, Christian Hackenberg was continually under siege. Ohio State’s defensive line, led by stalwart Joey Bosa, may be extremely difficult to slow down, let alone stop. Will Penn State head coach James Franklin move Hackenberg out of the pocket in order to keep the Ohio State defensive line in check?

3. Ohio State Gets A Sizable Lead; Send In The Backups? – As stated up above, Ohio State has averaged 56 points a game over its last four victories. While it has been rewarding to witness the continuing maturation and development of Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett, it has also been somewhat disappointing that the Ohio State coaching staff has not been giving backup players such as backup quarterback Cardale Jones more playing time. Perhaps I am concerning myself too much on possible negative consequences, but Jones is literally only one play away from having to run the Ohio State offense, yet has had little to no playing time this season. Will Ohio State play its backups and rest its starters if the Buckeyes get a commanding lead over Penn State?

Penn State Head Coach James Franklin will be using the night game atmosphere to his advantage, relying upon the 106,000 fans in Beaver Stadium to impact and disrupt Ohio State with as much noise as possible. As stated up above, Penn State had a bye weekend, so perhaps Coach Franklin has figured out a few things that will keep Ohio State off balance defensively this game. Then again, the oddsmakers in Las Vegas have installed the Buckeyes as 13.5 point favorites, and I always believe there is a reason why there are new buildings and casinos continually being built out there by these individuals. I have it Ohio State 56, Penn State 17.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

MOTSAG TV Guide

October 23, 2014 by Leave a Comment

All games Saturday, October 25, unless otherwise noted.

BUCKEYES

Ohio State @ Penn State. 8:00p, ABC.

The Nittany Lions have not been particularly impressive so far this year. Their wins have been close or against severely outmatched teams. This week, they come off a bye following consecutive losses to Northwestern and Michigan, both 3-4 teams. They’ll be looking to capitalize on a White-Out crowd and avenge last year’s 63-14 beatdown. This is a rare big “National Stage” game against a team that isn’t really that good.

UPCOMING OPPONENTS

Minnesota @ Illinois. Noon, ESPNU.

Michigan @ Michigan State. 3:30p, ABC.

A few weeks ago, I would’ve bet money that Brady Hoke wouldn’t be the Wolverine coach in this game. Will he still be there after it?

Indiana: no game.

OTHER BIG TEN TEAMS

Maryland @ Wisconsin. Noon, Big Ten Network.

Rutgers @ Nebraska. Noon, ESPN2.

Purdue, Iowa, Northwestern: no games.

OTHER OHIO TEAMS

All games on ESPN3 (online) unless otherwise noted.

(Friday, 10/24) South Florida @ Cincinnati. 7:00p, ESPN2.

Akron @ Ball State, 2:00p.

Ohio @ Western Michigan, 2:00p.

Kent State @ Miami (OH), 2:30p.

OTHER BIG NATIONAL GAMES

(Friday, 10/24) Oregon @ California. 10:00p, FS1.

West Virginia @ Oklahoma State. 3:30p, ESPN.

Mississippi @ LSU. 7:15p, ESPN.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

The Spread, Week Nine: Adjusted Margin of Victory

October 23, 2014 by 1 Comment

That’s right, this week I’m going to tackle college football’s biggest enemy: Margin of Victory. The stat was famously banned from the BCS formula’s computer component, effectively destroying the only unbiased portion of that calculation. The fear was that by allowing MOV to be included, the system would encourage teams to “run up the score” on lesser opponents, a theory that completely ignores the fact that the essential purpose of rankings is to determine which teams are “lesser.”

While I understand the reasoning behind disallowing MOV in a system that will determine who plays for the national championship, I don’t think it’s necessary to ignore it altogether. Sure, it can be misleading or manipulated to some degree, but it can also be a valuable piece of information in comparing teams.

The main flaw with MOV is that is heavily favors offensive teams in comparisons–a 28-0 win is the same as a 56-28 win. To combat that, I started looking at Percentage of Points instead, another neat stat that ultimately has the opposite problem: A 3-0 win is the same as a 70-0 win.

The answer is simple: combine the two. To calculate Adjusted Margin of Victory, I multiplied each team’s MOV by their overall percentage of points and the result is a number that values both offense and defense. The current number one team in Adjusted MOV is undefeated Marshall, averaging over 47 points a game and giving up less than 17. Ole Miss, Ohio State, Baylor and Alabama round out the top five. Michigan State and Nebraska also crack the top ten.

It’s worth noting that Western Kentucky, the #8 team in scoring offense, is ranked #71 in Adjusted MOV. Stanford, the #2 team in scoring defense, comes in at #27.

To be clear, this is not intended to be a complete ranking of teams. Some consideration for winning percentage and opponent strength would have to be added for that to work. But Adjusted MOV can be a useful way to consider scoring when comparing teams without over-rewarding anyone for piling on against weaker opponents.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Predicting Every Single FBS College Football Game: Week Nine

October 22, 2014 by 1 Comment

I had a big bounce back with my picks this past weekend. And I finally got one of my big upset picks right. Thank you couch burning West Virginia Mountaineers! My record for week eight: 38-15 (71.69% of games predicted correctly). To see my picks for week eight, click here. My overall record for the season: 366-125. The MAC and Conference USA (not the ghost of the Big East, which is the American Conference) burned me the most in week eight. Really when it comes to picking the bottom conferences they all sort of blend together to me. Conference USA, the American Conference and the Sunbelt just need to form one mega conference so when I’m flipping through my Phil Steele magazine it’s easier to find the teams. Other than Marshall and East Carolina there isn’t any other teams that stand out this season. Northern Illinois is losing to MAC teams again, half of BYU is injured and Boise State has lost its blue magic. Thanks to conference realignment we’ve lost lovable underdogs in the non-power five to root for to disrupt the status quo. I’m blaming the SEC. Anyway let’s look at what we have in store in week nine…

(Note on Tuesday games: This post obviously comes out every Wednesday, therefore coming out after the Tuesday games. I will be posting the winner of the Tuesday games on my Twitter profile before those games so you can check my honesty. But I know you guys trust me.)

Tuesday Oct. 21
Arkansas State @ Louisiana-Lafayette – Pick: Arkansas State

Thursday Oct. 23
Connecticut @ #18 East Carolina – Pick: East Carolina
Miami (FL) @ Virginia Tech – Pick: Miami (FL)

Friday Oct. 24
South Florida @ Cincinnati – Pick: Cincinnati
Troy @ South Alabama – Pick: South Alabama
BYU @ Boise State – Pick: Boise State
#6 Oregon @ California – Pick: Oregon

Saturday Oct. 25
Texas @ #11 Kansas State – Pick: Kansas State
Rutgers @ #16 Nebraska – Pick: Nebraska
Minnesota @ Illinois – Pick: Minnesota
Maryland @ Wisconsin – Pick: Wisconsin
#4 Alabama @ Tennessee – Pick: Alabama
UAB @ Arkansas – Pick: Arkansas
North Texas @ Rice – Pick: Rice
Memphis @ SMU – Pick: Memphis
North Carolina @ Virginia – Pick: North Carolina
Northern Illinois @ Eastern Michigan – Pick: Northern Illinois
South Carolina @ #5 Auburn – Pick: Auburn
#3 Ole Miss @ #24 LSU – Pick: LSU (Upset)
San Jose State @ Navy – Pick: San Jose State
#25 UCLA @ Colorado – Pick: UCLA
Akron @ Ball State – Pick: Akron
UMass @ Toledo – Pick: Toledo
Ohio @ Western Michigan – Pick: Ohio
Georgia Southern @ Georgia State – Pick: Georgia Southern
Kent State @ Miami (OH) – Pick: Miami (OH)
Boston College @ Wake Forest – Pick: Boston College
Georgia Tech @ Pittsburgh – Pick: Pittsburgh
#22 West Virginia @ Oklahoma State – Pick: Oklahoma State (Upset)
Michigan @ #8 Michigan State – Pick: Michigan State
Oregon State @ Stanford – Pick: Stanford
#1 Mississippi State @ Kentucky – Pick: Mississippi State
Texas Tech @ #10 TCU – Pick: TCU
Louisiana Tech @ Southern Miss – Pick: Louisiana Tech
Florida Atlantic @ #23 Marshall – Pick: Marshall
Central Michigan @ Buffalo – Pick: Central Michigan
Vanderbilt @ Missouri – Pick: Missouri
UNLV @ Utah State – Pick: Utah State
Old Dominion @ Western Kentucky – Pick: Old Dominion
Temple @ UCF – Pick: UCF
#15 Arizona @ Washington State – Pick: Arizona
Syracuse @ #21 Clemson – Pick: Clemson
Wyoming @ Colorado State – Pick: Colorado State
Texas State @ LA Monroe – Pick: LA Monroe
UTEP @ UTSA – Pick: UTSA
#13 Ohio State @ Penn State – Pick: Ohio State
#20 USC @ #19 Utah – Pick: USC
#14 Arizona State @ Washington – Pick: Arizona State
Nevada @ Hawaii – Pick: Nevada

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

Coaching Class: Stan Drayton

October 22, 2014 by Leave a Comment

I realize it’s been a while since the most recent coaching class update. That’s for a few reasons. First, between classes, group work, homework, and looking for a job (anyone hiring a soon-to-be-graduate in marketing?!), I’ve been busier than a bee. Second, the lectures had lacked much to write about that would really be interesting. That was, until Running Backs Coach Stan Drayton gave his lecture.

Coach Drayton’s lecture was by far the most informative I’ve had all semester. He broke down a handful of techniques he teaches, such as how to carry the ball. You may have noticed that OSU running backs carry the ball almost vertically, rather than at an angle. This is the technique taught here. It begins by “clawing” the nose of the ball between the index and middle finger. Then, hold the ball against the arm and chest, keeping the wrist directly above the elbow. Finally, lock the elbow against the body. This makes it difficult to punch the ball out from behind, as well as making it near impossible for the ball carrier to fumble when hit head on: the force of the other player hitting the ball carrier presses the ball back into the body of the ball carrier, making it difficult to drop the ball.

The play that Coach Drayton broke down for us was the inside zone play. If you’re not familiar with the zone read play, here’s a quick breakdown.

  1. At the snap, the quarterback looks to the unlocked defensive end
  2. If the defensive end comes more upfield, as to cut off the outside run, the quarterback gives the ball to the running back
  3. If the defensive end comes more inside, the quarterback keeps the ball and runs outside

So, let’s go through a play together, shall we?

Here, we have a zone read from this year’s game versus Cincy. Watch #5, Tight End Jeff Heuerman on the far side of the offensive line. He fakes a block on the end, and gets downfield to block, and lets the end run free. The end runs upfield, and JT hands the ball off to Ezekiel Elliot. Elliot’s target point is the back hip of the center. Which hip depends on the side on which Elliot lines up. The backs always go opposite where they line up. In this instance, Elliot’s target is the back right hip, because he lines up on the left. The line gets a great push and opens a hole so wide a truck could have gone for 7 yards, too.

Now, what if that hole isn’t open? That’s where the cutback comes in. If the play side A Gap is closed, then the running back cuts back to the backside A Gap. If that is closed, he cuts back to the backside B Gap, and so on, until a running lane is found. Watch this run by Carlos Hyde in the Orange Bowl last season.

The play side A Gap closes, so he cutsback horizontally to find the backside A Gap, wide open, for a nice gain.

 

Coach Drayton answered one of the questions I had always had about the zone read play, as well. The running back does not look at the unblocked player, rather, he focuses on his target. I had always wondered how the RB knew he was getting the ball. Turns out, the quarterback simply applies a small amount of pressure to the gut of the running back to indicate that the running back should take the ball. When the running back does not feel that pressure, he knows he isn’t getting the ball.

Now you’re equipped to watch the game this weekend and impress your friends by telling them where the play will go before the snap even occurs! Go Bucks.

Oh, and Penn State likes to call this week #OhioStateHateWeek. It’s so cute.

 

Filed Under: College Football, Ohio State Football

MotSaG Live Episode #10 – The Use of Preseason Polls & Previewing Ohio State-Penn State

October 21, 2014 by 1 Comment

Topics discussed were Ohio State’s dominating win over Rutgers, the Big Ten’s performance in week eight, the use of preseason polls, who’s overrated in the polls and our usual weekly picks on the top national games and Big Ten games. We also previewed Ohio State’s upcoming game against the Penn State Nittany Lions. We were joined by special guest Kevin McGuire, a writer for nittanylionsden.com and a contributor for NBC Sports College Football Talk. He talked about the polls with us, made picks on the Big Ten games and helped preview the game between the Buckeyes and Penn State. He also gave us advice on the best philly cheesesteaks to eat in Philadelphia!

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With:

MotSaG Live Podcast #10 – Polls in College Football & Previewing Ohio State-Penn State

October 21, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Time for episode #10! If you missed last week’s episode of MotSaG Live, you can watch it by clicking here. It airs live every Tuesday at 6 pm ET.

As always I will be hosting the podcast this week and be joined by fellow MotSaG writers. For this show, the following MotSaG writers will join me: Shannon, Andrew, and Chip. On this show we’ll talk about Ohio State’s big win over Rutgers, the Big Ten’s performance from this past weekend, polls in college football and preview the biggest upcoming games around the country along with the slate of Big Ten games this weekend. We’ll also of course preview and predict the outcome of Ohio State’s prime time matchup with Penn State this weekend. Our special guest this week is Kevin McGuire, a writer for nittanylionsden.com and a contributor for NBC Sports College Football Talk.

Now I’m going to list the following ways to view this podcast. Below is the video player to listen to the podcast. You will be able to listen to it here on the site every week. Don’t fret if you can’t listen live. Once the podcast is over with you will be able to view it as many times as you want, just like any YouTube video. If you’re unable to view it here on the site for some reason we also have you covered if this happens. I’ll link to our YouTube channel right above the player every week and you will be guaranteed to be able to view it there. You can also listen through our Google+ page or follow the main @MotSaG account on Twitter. I will also have the link posted on my Twitter page (@SchottJosh).

You can also subscribe to MotSaG Live on iTunes. You can find our page by typing “MotSaG Live” in the iTunes search box or click here. This episode should be on iTunes later tonight.

It’s going to be a fun and informative show as always! Hope you tune in!

To view it on YouTube, click here.

To view the Google+ event page, click here.

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

Negative Buckeye: 10 Bold Predictions for Last Half of Season

October 21, 2014 by Leave a Comment

by: Ryan Black

Ohio State beat a one loss Rutgers team 56-17 on Saturday and the good guys are now halfway through the 2014 season… seriously.  College football makes the fall go by faster than an Alabama fan running to a Walmart sale for chewing tobacco and machine guns.

Ohio State basketball just opened up practice for god sakes! Time to get hyped.

It’s an exciting time to be a Columbus resident right now but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of things that pissed me off this week. Here are a few:

1. People can be down on the Big Ten this and Big Ten that but 99% of the talking schmucks on the radio and t.v. simply don’t realize that parity is everywhere in college football. Example:

What happened: West Virgnia loses a close one to Bama- WVU then squeaks a win out against Maryland in OT (Maryland’s only loss before playing Ohio State). Ohio State kills Maryland. West Virginia beats #4 Baylor.

Media verdict: Maryland sucks. West Virginia good. Bama is god. Ohio State is overrated.

It’s frustrating but even though the games are usually close, until the Big Ten can have a winning record over the SEC in a bowl season that narrative won’t change. Damn you Iowa, you were so close last year.

2. Peyton Manning-please take that commercial off the air where you hum the Nationwide jingle. I hear it when I eat, when I work, while I type this and when I sleep. I’m terrified I’m going to wake up in the middle of the night and see that big goof over me with a knife singing, “And now I’m going to cut your throat.” #Shivers.

3. “What if” playoff talk is so stupid. Some jamoke on the radio the other morning said, “If the playoff was today, there would be 3 SEC teams.” While this is not incorrect, it’s so stupid. All three of those teams play will cross paths. This thing will sort itself out like it always does yet for some reason 97.1 will spend the whole Bishop and Rothman show on Mondays talking about why Ohio State will not make the playoff after they win out.  So pointless…

Oh well, I could go on all day but there is no point. I need to avoid all types of college football talk from the media. It’s cutting years off my life.

Let’s have  a little fun here. The Buckeyes are finally halfway through the season and you’re probably wondering what’s in store for our heroes.

Here are ten bold predictions coming from pure gut instinct (and my gut has gotten huge since I got married, so you should take these serious).

Bold Predictions For Rest of Season:

10. Corey Smith will make a big time play by the end of the year:

The coaches still rave about him and he isn’t losing playing time. Urban doesn’t put guys out there he doesn’t believe in, which is why last year we saw only 3 real receivers. Smith will come out of nowhere and break a game open. I guarantee it.

9. Von Bell will lead the team in interceptions by December:

He’s got 1 now and he is really impressing me with being in the right place in coverage. Really could have used him last year…

8. Dontre Wilson will finally break the big one:

Ugggggggh, he is so damn close. I haven’t been a fan of his vision on kick returns so far but on offense he is making the right cuts almost every carry. He keeps getting tripped up by the last line of defense and I think he is starting to get frustrated. Well don’t little buddy! Wilson is averaging about 6.5 yards a rush and 16 yards a catch. Nothing wrong with those numbers.

7. My fantasy team will bring home the championship:

It’s not Ohio State related and I get that. However, the Blackville Buckfutts’ future is looking very bright after an 0-3 start, so give me my moment.

6. You will look to the person to the left of you during a game and say, “I miss Braxton” at some point this season.

Hate to be negative (wait, no  I don’t). Either the beginning of this weeks game at Penn State or the MSU game, J.T. Barrett will get off to a slow start. He is a freshmen and playing his first “actual” road games may bring on some nerves. The good thing is this kid seems solid as a rock and I don’t think a mistake or two will ruin a game for him.

5. Darron Lee will get charged with felony assault on the field:

He hits hard and he scares me. Lee is going to knock somebody out in the next few weeks and that player is going to lawyer up.

4. The defense is going to win Ohio State a game before the season is over:

I mean it has to happen doesn’t it? The offense has to have a game where they aren’t clicking in the near future and doesn’t put up 50 points and I believe the defense will come through this time (unlike VA Tech). The young kids are coming together and they are getting scary.

3. Jeff Heuerman will have 5 touchdowns in the next 6 games:

My gut is really reaching here but I believe with all the playmakers who have showed up this season that defenses will forget about good ole #5 tight end. We’ve seen that the last few weeks with Nick Vannett posting 3 touchdowns.  Jeff is still getting healthy and will become the man before long.

2. J.T. Barrett will finish top 5 in the Heisman:

Not sure if he gets invited but even the most biased of voter can’t ignore the numbers the freshmen is putting up.

1. My wife will leave me by the Big Ten title game:

My obsession with Joey Bosa is tearing us apart. She walked in on me watching a Bosa highlight tape last week and let’s just say… I was enjoying myself a little too much.

 

At least we have a comfy couch.

 

I’ll revisit these picks at the end of the year. I expect a 100% success rate or I will be very disappointed.

 

Bonus:

Trailer Park Boys quote-

Jim Lahey: You know whats at work here? Its sh*t tectonics. When two sh*t plates strike and come together under incredible pressure, what happens Bubbs?
Bubbles: What Mr Lahey?
Jim Lahey: …Sh*t-quake.

 

Oh she’s a coming all right. Have a good week ladies and gentlemen

Double Bonus:

Try to watch this without peeing yourself-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: B1G Football, BCS, Ohio State Basketball, Ohio State Football

B1G Weekly Recap: Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State Remain Undefeated in B1G Play

October 21, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Michigan State and Minnesota both unexpectedly trailed in their matchups before prevailing and moving to 3-0 in conference play while Ohio State dominated Rutgers from start to finish improving to 2-0. Iowa suffered their first Big Ten loss after falling to Maryland. Despite trailing at halftime to Northwestern, Nebraska rallied in the second half to beat the Wildcats.

Maryland 38, Iowa 31

The Hawkeyes jumped out to an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter, but Iowa could not hold on their lead and fell to the Terrapins for their first loss of the Big Ten season. Jake Rudock had an impressive day throwing the ball, finishing with 317 yards on 32-of-56 passing with two touchdowns and an interception. That interception would prove costly as it was returned 45 yards by William Likely for a score when the Hawkeyes only trailed by three points.

Stefon Diggs led the way for Maryland, hauling in 9 catches for 130 yards and a touchdown. QB C.J. Brown had just 120 yards passing as he had to leave the game briefly in the third quarter with a back injury but added 99 yards on the ground in the Terrapins’ victory that improved their conference record to 2-1. Maryland takes on Wisconsin in Camp Randall on Saturday while Iowa has the week off and will host Northwestern Nov. 1.

Minnesota 39, Purdue 38

In a surprising offensive shootout, Purdue and Minnesota both ran the ball extremely well, totaling more than 285 rushing yards each. Austin Appleby threw for 153 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions and also ran the ball for 79 yards and another score for the Boilermakers. Mitch Leidner had 165 passing yards and two touchdowns for Minnesota. He had 84 rushing yards and a touchdown while David Cobb led the way with 194 yards on the ground.

Purdue managed just seven points in the second half as the Golden Gophers completed their comeback with a 52-yard field goal by Ryan Santoso with less than five minutes remaining in the game. Purdue (3-5, 1-3 B1G) is idle this weekend as they prepare for a trip to Nebraska and Minnesota will visit Illinois on Saturday.

Michigan State 56, Indiana 17

While this game ended up being the blowout that many predicted, Indiana actually led Michigan State 17-14 late in the first half. It was a balanced, dominant performance from the Spartans, tallying 332 yards passing and 330 yards rushing. Nick Hill ran the ball 16 times for 178 yards and one touchdown and Jeremy Langford had 109 yards rushing and three scores for the Spartans.

Tevin Coleman ran for 132 yards, extending his streak of 100-yard games to nine. The Hoosiers managed just 11 yards passing and a once-promising game turned ugly quickly for Kevin Wilson’s squad. Indiana will get next week off to get ready for a trip to the Big House and Michigan State will host that same Wolverine team this weekend in East Lansing.

Ohio State 56, Rutgers 17

In front of the third-largest crowd in Ohio Stadium history, Ohio State took down Rutgers easily on Homecoming for their 18th straight Big Ten regular season victory. Once again, J.T. Barrett played an impressive game, throwing for 261 yards and three touchdowns and adding 107 rushing yards and two more scores.

Gary Nova threw for 192 yards but no touchdowns and Desmon Peoples ran for 83 yards and Rutgers’ only two touchdowns of the game. Rutgers will face off against Nebraska on Saturday in Lincoln and Ohio State will travel into “White Out” conditions to take on Penn State.

Nebraska 38, Northwestern 17

Northwestern took a 17-14 lead into the halftime break, but a quartet of touchdowns from Ameer Abdullah would be the difference as Nebraska stormed back and easily dispatched the Wildcats. Abdullah had 146 yards to go with his four touchdowns as he continued his campaign for the Heisman Trophy. Tommy Armstrong Jr. threw for 221 yards and caught a touchdown from De’Mornay Pierson-El late in the first half.

Justin Jackson led the way for Northwestern with 128 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Nebraska hosts Rutgers on Saturday and Northwestern will have a week off before going to Iowa.

What were your thoughts on last weekend’s set of games? Will all of the conference unbeatens remain that way after this weekend? Let us know your favorite plays of the B1G weekend in the comments!

Filed Under: Ohio State Football
« Previous Page
Next Page »