Football: Coaching with Urban Meyer Weeks 1&2

September 6, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Since this is my last semester at The Ohio State University, I knew I had to find the class about which I had heard since freshman year: the football coaching class, taught by the football coach. The night before I scheduled, I happened to be at a friend’s house, and one of his roommates was looking for the class as well. Once we found the official class number, I knew I had to add it to my schedule for the fall semester.

The class meets at 7:30 at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, meaning I have to wake up around 6:15 to get ready and then drive over to get there before 7:25 (you don’t want to be late to this class). The class has met twice this semester, and Coach Stan Jefferson, Director of Player Development, and Coach Hiram A. de Fries, Football Administrative Assistant to the Head Coach, have been in class both days. Coach Meyer came in and spoke for about 20-30 minutes each day. We haven’t gotten into football play and the like yet, as it’s mainly been lessons on motivation and, as Coach Meyer says, “how to build a great team.” Coach Meyer did, however, teach us about the “Buckeye Plan To Win.” (If you would like to read further on the plan to win, here is an article about it from when Coach Meyer came to Ohio State.)

  1. Play Great Defense
  2. Turnovers
  3. Score in the Red Zone
  4. Win the Kicking Game

There isn’t much more to say about this class as of yet, though I can tell you there will be some exciting things. I have to scout a high school game on offense and defense, write two practice reports (one of which will be an OSU practice report), and we’ll soon start learning about individual position play. Coach Meyer isn’t slated on the syllabus to teach another class. Rather, we have each position coach teaching their position. For example, Linebacker Play will be taught by Coach Fickell, QB Play and the Pass Attack taught by Coach Herman, and so on. This should be a great class, and hopefully I’ll be able to transfer some of the knowledge on football scouting, position play, and game planning on to the fine readers of Men of the Scarlet and Gray. Go Bucks.

Filed Under: College Football, Miscellany, Ohio State Football

5 Things I Think: CFB Week 2!

September 5, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Week one started off with six straight nights of college football and it felt great. As can be expected, none of the so-called top teams looked terrific. It makes sense, though, as it’s the first time they’ve played against players that aren’t teammates. Adjustments will be made, new players will become acclimated, new coach’s styles will become second nature to the teams. For some teams starters still haven’t been decided, so after one week there’s no reason to get too excited or too disappointed just yet. There are several intriguing matchups this week some of which will be games that will be indicators for fans and media alike and that will likely be referred to later in the season by the selection committee.

Let’s jump in!

1. #14 USC at #13 Stanford (9/6/14 3:30pm EST ABC): Stanford wants to avenge their loss to the Trojans last year especially given that the Cardinal have won the previous four contests. In fact, of the 92 times these two teams have met, this decade (the 2010’s) is only the second one in which the Cardinal have a winning the record (the other was the 1940’s) against USC. The Trojans faced the reigning MWC champions last week, and in the midst of scandals that included a faux hero and a quitting player calling Coach Sarkisian a racist, they beat the Bulldogs of Fresno State by 39 points. The Trojans ran an unbelievable 105 plays Saturday, second only to Northern Illinois’ 109, and redshirt junior quarterback Cody Kessler looked great. Kessler, however, had surgery on his toe this week to address what some are reporting was a staph infection. Though it sounds like Kessler will still play this week, we may see the former number one QB recruit in the nation (Rivals, 2012) in redshirt freshman Max Browne. The last time we saw the Stanford Cardinal (unless you happened to watch last week’s 45-0 drubbing of an FCS team that won five games last season) they were watching as Michigan State went into the victory formation and won the Rose Bowl. The Cardinal hope to return to the Rose Bowl because if they do it means they’re in the playoffs. Playmaker Ty Montgomery will have to play very well Saturday if that’s going to happen. Montgomery is a threat in the receiving game, the return game, and even out of the backfield on occasion. Trojans All-American defensive lineman, Leonard Williams, suffered a high-ankle sprain Tuesday. Stanford’s offensive line will surely try to exploit that and perhaps Barry Sanders, Jr. will have his breakout game. We didn’t get much insight into the strength of either team in Week 1, but this game will certainly give us — and the selection committee — a clearer picture. USC was a top-ten team in time of possession last season and last week kept the ball for nearly 39 minutes. If they can keep it away from Kevin Hogan, Ty Montgomery, and company, the Trojans will win this game. I just don’t think they’ll be able to because their depth issues on defense will hinder their ability to keep Stanford from eating clock. Stanford wins a very close game.

2. #7 Michigan State at #3 Oregon (9/6/14 6:30pm EST FOX): The last we saw Spartans quarterback Connor Cook he was in the aforementioned victory formation and he had just finished his second consecutive game passing for at least 300 yards and completing 60% of his passes. His team was known all season for its suffocating defense (finished the season 2nd in the nation in total defense), but the offense showed up during its two most important games. Cook, running back Jeremy Langford, and sophomore tight end Josiah Price are now as much worthy of game planning as Pat Narduzzi’s defense is. This week they face the high-octane Oregon Ducks in what is this season’s first matchup that has realistic playoff appearance implications. The Spartans travel to Autzen Stadium where the Ducks are 21-2 in their last home 23 contests (the two losses were by a combined 6 points and both were in November). This is the Ducks’ first season without Nick Aliotti at defensive coordinator since 1999, so it will be interesting to see the difference on that side of the ball. All-American cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu is surely leaned upon as a steadying force, but he didn’t play the last three quarters in Week 1 against South Dakota with an ankle injury, so if I’m Connor Cook, I’m testing him early to see if his coverage skills are compromised. In years past, I’d have written that the Spartans aren’t built to make a comeback if they get down early, but I don’t think I can do so now because they’re a threat offensively under the much-improved Cook. Oregon only ran 70 plays last week, but they averaged 9.61 yards per play. Yes, it was against the Coyotes, but at least it showed Mariota is healthy and was efficient (70% passing). Would you believe me if I told you that the Spartans only had one more rushing attempt in 2013 than did the Ducks? It’s true. The difference is that the Ducks averaged nearly two more yards per carry! It’s a tough call. Pick the team with a fully healthy Heisman candidate at quarterback and has lost twice at home in three years or pick the team with a hot and much-improved quarterback and is finally a threat on both sides of the ball? Aflac by 10!

3. Michigan at #16 Notre Dame (9/6/14 7:30pm EST NBC): A lot of the talk surrounding this game is that this is the last meeting between these two teams in the foreseeable future because Notre Dame opted out of the matchup in 2012 when they committed to playing 5 ACC games yearly. Though this is certainly a big rivalry, it would surprise some to know that these two teams have only met 41 times. However, from 1980 to 2013 there have only been six seasons in which they didn’t square off. Given the last five games though, which were decided by an average of six points, it seems a shame that it has come to an end. In an amusing turn of events, it was announced Thursday that Notre Dame and Wolverines rival Ohio State have come to terms for a home-and-home in 2022 and 2023. Notre Dame is still dealing with what could potentially explode into a North Carolina-like academic scandal and Brian Kelly has announced that the five currently affected players are still unavailable due to suspension. Everett Golson, who missed last season due to his own academic scandal, looked like a much more polished player last week. I realize that it was just against Rice, but going into last week I felt fairly comfortable that sophomore Malik Zaire would win the job by season’s end. I’m not so sure now. Golson looked much crisper and more decisive than he did as the redshirt freshman that led the Fighting Irish to the BCS title game in 2012. The Irish’s secondary, however, did not look great at all. They allowed the Owls to complete 71% of their passes on first down and on third down and 9 passes of 15 yards or more. Part of the reason for that is they were without redshirt senior safety Austin Collinsworth who is out 2-4 weeks with an MCL strain. That means they’ll be without him this week against a Wolverines team that was 75th in the nation in passing offense last year, but is now under Devin Gardner’s second full season as starting quarterback. They’ll need to watch out for the Devin-to-Devin (Funchess) connection. Funchess, who was listed as tight end last season and was second on the team in every receiving category, is listed as a wide receiver this year and went for 95 yards and three touchdowns last week. Michigan has won four of the last six, but I think we’re going to see another crisp game by Golson this week and the Fighting Irish will win yet another close game. Notre Dame by a field goal.

4. BYU at Texas (9/6/14 7:30pm EST Fox Sports 1): It’s a battle of two “unranked” teams, yet it’s very intriguing nevertheless. It was this matchup last season that started kicking the legs out from under Mack Brown when the Cougars won by 19 and their quarterback, Taysom Hill, ran for 259 yards and 3 touchdowns. Texas gave up a total of 550 rushing yards that day. In comes Charlie Strong and the Longhorns want to avenge this loss and more importantly show the defensive toughness and discipline for which Charlie Strong-led teams are known. What will make the defense’s job a little more difficult is that they may be on the field a lot longer than they’d prefer. Quarterback David Ash is out with concussion symptoms and starting center Dominic Espinosa is reportedly out for the year with a fractured ankle. If that weren’t enough, Charlie Strong suspended both starting offensive tackles for this game due to the ever popular “violation of team rules”. Perhaps it’s a good thing that David Ash and his concussion history is out for this game because his immobility could possibly heighten his injury risk behind what will now be one of the most inexperienced offensive lines in the country. Texas has a stable of running backs and will now be starting 6’5”, 225-lbs. Tyrone Swoopes (distant cousin of Sheryl Swoopes) at quarterback. Swoopes is mobile, but how will these rushers do behind such a suspect offensive line? Longhorns fans, and defensive players, are hoping they do well enough to move the chains so that they keep Taysom Hill off the field. Hill, a sophomore, improved as the season went on last year. He started the season with three games (including the Texas game) in which he completed less that 40% of his passes but completed at least 55% in 7 of his last 10 games and 77.8% last week. If Texas’ offense weren’t so weakened, I’d take Texas because I believe in the culture change that Charlie Strong has and continues to implement in Austin. I just don’t think they’ll be able to move the chains, which will wear out their defense, and will allow Taysom Hill to play well. BYU won’t win by 19 like that did last year, even with a weakened Longhorns offense, but they will win and probably by a touchdown or less.

5. Virginia Tech at #8 Ohio State (9/6/14 8pm EST ESPN): This is the first time these two teams have ever played one another, which seems a bit unbelievable. The Buckeyes’ first game against Navy made it difficult to gauge them due to Navy’s unorthodox style of play; this week should be a better indicator. While Virginia Tech is currently “unranked” there are many who think they will be a better team than last year’s 8-5 squad. While they lost Logan Thomas (Arizona Cardinals) at quarterback, they were fortunate to avoid having to replace him with an inexperienced passer. Junior Michael Brewer transferred from Texas Tech and is a better passer than Thomas was (Brewer completed over 70% of his passes over his career); the Buckeyes were the 112th-ranked defense against the pass last year, so new co-defensive coordinator Chris Ash’ impact will have to be realized this week. The Hokies defense lost cornerback Kyle Fuller in the first round of May’s NFL Draft (Chicago Bears), but many people think his younger brother Kendall is as good, if not better, than Kyle. Virginia Tech boasted the 4th best team in the country in total defense in 2013, the highlight of which was holding an Alabama offense that averaged 454 yards on offense on the year to a mere 216 offensive yards to start the season. While the Tech defensive backfield returns three starters, their front seven only returns two. Contrast that against the fact that the Buckeyes only return one starter on the offensive line and the battle in the proverbial trenches will be vital to the Buckeyes’ offensive success. While scarletshirt freshman J.T. Barrett has mobility, he doesn’t have the level of mobility that an Urban Meyer quarterback typically has, so it is imperative that the front line play well. The Buckeyes, of course, have to be ready for “Beamer Ball” as well. Defense and special teams is what have defined Frank Beamer’s Hall-of-Fame caliber career which means Meyer’s squad must avoid turning the ball over, cover kicks and punts thoroughly, and beware of fakes. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw several screens early in the game to test that inexperienced Hokies front seven and put some of the Buckeyes’ speedsters out in space. I think it is here that the Buckeyes have the advantage and Meyer and Tom Herman will exploit it. Ohio State extends its home winning streak to fifteen games with a win by about 10 points.

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

Friday Open Thread: Virginia Tech

September 5, 2014 by 2 Comments

Week two of the college football season dawns upon us, and here are some of the crucial areas to contemplate as Ohio State welcomes in Virginia Tech for a nationally televised game at 8pm EST on ESPN:

– Stephan reviewed all of the week 1 B1G contests, with Northwestern and Wisconsin being the only teams to begin the 2014 season with a defeat.

– Jeremiah provided a MotSandG Top 10

– Shannon released his MotSandG B1G Power Poll

– Both Kade and I looked back at how Ohio State played versus Navy. Kade provided highlights from the game as well.

– The MotSandG podcast reviewed the OSU/Navy contest, and previewed the OSU/VT game with our special guest Jacob Emert, a Virginia Tech beat writer for TechSideline.com.

– Nate also provided A Look Around The Country

– Josh made an effort at Predicting Every Single FBS College Football Game for Week 2

– Jason cautioned against Jumping To Conclusions regarding possible college football playoff participants

– Jacob provided a preview of the Ohio State/Virginia Tech contest

– In a tip of the hat to scheduling quality opponents, Ohio State and Notre Dame announced a future home & home series for 2022 and 2023. While I have concerns about how much these tickets will cost, Ryan expressed his concern over the series in the following fashion on Twitter…

– On The Urban Meyer Call-In Show on 09/04/2014, Shelley Meyer called into the show under the alias of “Sasha”, asking Coach Meyer about the shovel pass or jump pass…

– For those of you who may be inclined to watch as many games as possible, Jason provided a guide for the games that will be on, and which networks are televising them.

Looking forward to attending the game versus Virginia Tech on Saturday evening in Ohio Stadium with family and friends. Ronnie provided players to watch on the Virginia Tech side of the ledger.

Remembering how Ohio State struggled along the offensive line last week versus Navy, and how Virginia Tech was able to give Alabama a good game in the 2013 season opener, when Alabama also had to work with a rebuilt offensive line, has convinced me that this game is going to be relatively low-scoring and won in the trenches. I have it Ohio State 20, Virginia Tech 17.

How do you see it? Go Bucks!

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Ohio State vs. Virginia Tech, A Second Look

September 5, 2014 by Leave a Comment

OSU vs VT

Virginia Tech Preview, Sept. 6th, 2014 at 8:00PM EST ESPN
Ohio Stadium

After a successful opening weekend for the Ohio State Buckeyes, it’s on to week two and their home opener against the Virginia Tech Hokies. Head Coach Frank Beamer just entered his 28th season at the helm for the Hokies. This certainly isn’t his most talented team, but Va Tech always plays sound and disciplined defense and fields great special teams units. The Buckeyes will have to play well if they expect to leave the “Shoe” with a victory.

As expected, Ohio State defeated Navy 34-17 in Baltimore to open their season. All things considered, JT Barrett performed well going 12-for-15 with 226 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception as the Buckeyes were knocking on Navy’s door step. His only real mistake was the interception. He also led the Buckeyes in rushing with 50 yards. I don’t expect this to happen again this season as the Buckeyes offensive line really struggled early in the game. Ohio State had balance with 226 yards passing and 194 yards rushing. The defense played a bend but don’t break style. They yielded 390 yards rushing (most of which came in the 2nd half) and 20 yards passing. When all was said and done they only gave up 17 points which is a far cry from where they were toward the end of last season.

Virginia Tech opened their season strong with a 34-9 victory over William & Mary. The Hokies are trying to break in new QB Michael Brewer who went 23-for-30 with 251 yards and 2 touchdowns. Their offensive attack was very balanced. They passed for 266 yards and ran for another 222. However, they turned the ball over twice and that could spell disaster if they do that in Columbus against the Buckeyes. The Va Tech defense gave up less than 200 total yards of offense to William & Mary. I would take some of these stats with a grain of salt given the level of competition they played. However, the Buckeyes can’t sleep on this Virginia Tech team.

There are a few key matchups that will go a long way in deciding who wins the game under the lights on Saturday night. A big one is whether or not Virginia Tech can run on Ohio State’s defensive line? The Hokies had some success on the ground against a far less superior team in William & Mary. They rolled up 222 yards rushing. Shai McKenzie and Marshawn Williams are expected to receive the bulk of the carries. Both are freshman so it will be interesting to see how they handle the atmosphere on Saturday. I like the Buckeyes chances of holding Va Tech under 100 yards total rushing. If they do, Va Tech will be too one dimensional against Ohio State’s revamped pass defense.

Texas Tech transfer QB Michael Brewer is now the starter for Virginia Tech as Logan Thomas departed after last season. If Brewer has some time to throw it will really shed some light on Ohio State’s revamped pass defense. The secondary is expected to be pressing the Va Tech receivers and give them far less cushion than the defense did the past few seasons. With the combination of Ohio State’s front four overpowering the Hokie offensive line and the improved secondary play, I don’t expect Brewer to have a great game.

When the Buckeyes have the ball it’s simple — protect redshirt freshman QB JT Barrett. If the Buckeyes offensive line comes out Saturday like they did in the first half against Navy, it’ll be a long night. Assuming Barrett has some time to throw, he’ll have to be extra careful with Va Tech CB’s Kendall Fuller and Brandon Facyson. Both are capable of breaking on the ball in a heartbeat. If Barrett protects it and the offensive line comes together, I like the Ohio State skill guys to take over the game.

Lost in translation last week against Navy was all-purpose back Dontre Wilson for the Buckeyes. He racked up 166 all-purpose yards among his duties returning punts/kicks, catches and carries. His cat like quickness will be electrifying Saturday night against a far more athletic defense in Virginia Tech. Stud true freshman Curtis Samuel is also someone to keep an eye on. It seemed he was the main back that did the toughs sledding between the tackles against Navy. He averaged 6.4 yards per carry and Urban Meyer gleamed over his first collegiate game.

Traditionally, the Frank Beamer teams that aren’t hyped up and don’t have much to lose play better. The teams that have lofty preseason rankings rarely win big cross conference games like this one. We’ll find out Saturday night which Ohio State and Virginia Tech teams show up. Ohio State just doesn’t lose many night home games, especially when the King, LeBron James is in attendance. I think Ohio State wins going away in the 2nd half, 31-16. This is what Ohio State football is all about, primetime and under the lights. Oh how glorious it will be.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Q&A with an opponents blogger: Virginia Tech

September 5, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Bring on the Hokies. What is a Hokie? Well, I am glad you asked as we have that covered in our most recent podcast.

This week I had the great pleasure of working with Chuck Workman who is the managing editor of gobblercountry.com (he goes by flyer13 on the site) and they do a fantastic job covering Virginia Tech football. Please check out their site and get some more information on to what the Buckeyes are facing tomorrow so you can sound well educated in front of your friends and family like all Buckeye fans should (besides reading our site!!)

MotSaG: Which conference do you feel is better, the Big Ten or the ACC?

GobblerCountry: They are evenly matched, though the talent is distributed more evenly in the ACC. I think the top of the BiG often gets that extra at-large BCS bid historically; where it took VT until 2011 with our semi/very-bogus trip to the Sugar to get the first at-large for the ACC (where we beat Michigan, I’m sure you agree). With FSU and Miami not up to the standards envisioned upon the ACC’s expansion in 2004 (until recently of course for the ‘Noles) it’s been difficult to justify that extra ACC team. Now that the system has changed to include the playoff.

With the extra four teams, the at-large BCS bid will likely be eliminated as a distinguishing factor. But in a nutshell, the BiG has always had 2-3 behemoths at the top (and I’m sure you’re counting on Nebraska to join in soon) and a very deep basement with the Hoosiers, Wildcats, Gophers, et al all taking turns in the cellar. A lot of years, the ACC will have eight or nine bowl teams of their 12; and now likely even more with Louisville joining and the Irish trailing in our wake as they attempt with all of their futile might to remain independent. Most days I take the Buckeyes over most everyone in the FBS. Same with Michigan St (sorry UM). But if you stack up ACC teams 3-15 I have to say the ACC balance is better through the middle.

MotSaG: How much does OSU’s defensive line concern the Hokies?

GobblerCountry: Very much, though the Spence suspension helps. We have an offensive line that is veteran, but a lot of them are still having trouble with snap counts and motion in the spread we run. Consequently, we saw an uncharacteristic number of false starts; we even saw one in the backfield out of a RB. These things simply cannot happen vs an Urban Meyer team, who seems to maintain discipline on the field, though he is a little more lax with his players behavior off of it (Gator Haters all of us amirite? Or maybe you’ve learned to forgive the BCS Title Game loss. Teddy Ginn Jr. hasn’t)

Last week we unleashed some sick TEs on FCS opponent William & Mary. And we have a third equally impressive TE on the mend. He is questionable. This affords us extra blockers. Word to the Buckeye faithful, the more you see of J.C. Coleman as the tailback in the pistol formation, the better you should feel. He’s tiny, he doesn’t pick up weak-side blitzes well, and he doesn’t have the vision to find the holes in between the 300 lbers. If you see us come out with Shai McKenzie and Juice Williams, you may be in for a day of it in the trenches. They find yards where there aren’t any to be had.

As for the passing game, we have good tackles. I feel OK with the initial double team on the edge and then the TE releasing for an outlet. We could make a game of it this way. But the coaches, well, they probably won’t read this.

If I were Urban, I’d blitz early to see how we hold up. If it works, we’re yours. If this new kid Brewer we have at QB can pick your scabs though, you may have to sit back. William & Mary didn’t provide us with enough of a litmus test.

MotSaG: What do you think VT’s biggest concerns are?

GobblerCountry: Youth, youth, youth. Those are choices 98,99,100 on my list. The first 97? Coaching on offense, and the playcalling. What can I say except that our menu is comparable to The Cheesecake Factory’s. You spend an hour reading thru it and then you get something with the alfredo that tastes like it was cooked at the same station as the marinara. Either way the sauce the past couple years has been weak. The playbook/menu outstrips the kitchen’s ability to cook everything with their A game.

Hokie football was built on leaning on teams. What goes for one yard in the first, goes for two yards in the second, goes for six points in the 4th. (quote from ex-NFL/USC coach John Robinson). Now we’re integrating personnel into a spread system that used the no-huddle last week, so it’ll be interesting to see how much huddle time we use vs a viable opponent such as OSU.

Defensively, we have no real concerns. We looked pretty good against all the base formations. We got fooled once by the wildcat set (W&M gained 193 net yards, 100 were on three plays). We have two heavy watch-list names in Luther Maddy (DT) and Kendall Fuller (CB, in a long line of DB brothers). And I’d be completely underselling DE Cory Marshall (who will work his way onto the 2nd day of the draft at minimum) and his counterpart DE Dadi Nicolas, who can probably beat 3/4 of your WRs in a foot race.

MotSaG: Virginia Tech has one of the best secondaries in the nation — do you feel it will cause problems for scarlet shirt freshman JT Barrett?

GobblerCountry: Barrett would be best suited testing the edges to get the corners to creep in and help the nickel back and LBs out. That’s when he’s going to want to challenge our guys deep. Our second CB Brandon Facyson didn’t fare so well against the Tribe’s all-CAA WR (until he went out with an injury). The added pressure on him due to Fuller being so lock-down will reveal him very soon as our resident whipping boy or whether he’ll live up to all the attention he’s getting from QBs.

Our safeties include an NFL draft hopeful in Kyshoen Jarrett who really fits the mold of the hard-hitting Hokie SS (like Aaron Rouse and Kam Chancellor before him). Our Free man is Detrick Bonner, who excels in run support, but is toastable in man coverage. I’m sure Urban is aware of this. Chuck Clark is the nickel du jour, as Bud Foster defenses often eschew the extra LB for more speed.

MotSaG: How excited are VT players to get to play in the ‘Shoe?

GobblerCountry: I can only imagine that for a large percentage of these players that the experience will be once in a lifetime. However, OSU returns the favor with a return trip to Blacksburg, so they’ll have to get over the stars in their eyes and remember that they will be tussling with a lot of these guys next year. Now is not the time to genuflect, its time to see what we’ve got in terms of mental strength.

MotSaG: If OSU can shut down VT’s running game how much pressure does that put on Brewer?

GobblerCountry: Some pressure to be sure, but if they don’t put pressure on him, we have weapons on the edges that we didn’t possess the past two years. We have a TE corps that is the ultimate fire alarm to pull in case of emergency, and we have more seasoned receivers. I think we test your speed in the LB corps and see if they can keep the 6 and 7 yard hitches in front of them. I also think the seam routes are a nice attack point against the OSU team particularly if they decide to dial up the pressure. Brewer isn’t lauded for his arm strength, but I think he is very underrated, particularly rolling to his right. If you examine his HS tapes, you’ll see a little Drew Brees gunslinger in him. He also runs like a young Heath Shuler, or a Dee Dowis (lol, i always loved that name as a kid). We have some options, but it’s up to the coaches to adjust, and I never have confidence in the VT coaches to adjust mid-game. Pre-game? Great group of planners, but deer’ in the headlights when things hit the fan between the lines. There’s a reason there are only like 4 double digit comebacks in Coach Beamer’s career (spans to 1986).

MotSaG: What are some of the VT players Buckeye fans should keep an eye out for?

GobblerCountry: QB Michael Brewer, RB Shai McKenzie/Marshawn “Juice” Williams (you’ll cheer for Coleman if he’s in), TE’s Bucky Hodges/Ryan Malleck, WR Isaiah Ford, Willie Byrn, Josh Stanford

DT Luther Maddy, DE Corey Marshall, DE Dadi Nicolas, LB Chase Williams, LB Derek DiNardo, CB Kendall Fuller, SS Kyshoen Jarrett

P AJ Hughes….we know about your P too….but ours goes to 11.

MotSaG: Do you feel like VT was looking past William and Mary last weekend to this weeks matchup?

GobblerCountry: Not at all, it was a sleepy effort at times, crisp at others. A lot of bodies saw action against an FCS club. Not that W&M is Navy (but they could give Navy a game). But as a former athlete who is aware of world surroundings, I can’t imagine a few of the guys didn’t look ahead.

MotSaG: Do some of the redzone issues that VT had last week concern you?

GobblerCountry: Red zone issues always concern me especially when you have the bulk advantage up front. We need to establish a rotation, and stick to it. This RB by committee thing is a real thorn in the side for me, especially when we settle for FGs of 20 and 27 yards. But that feeling would be universal amongst all college football fans, wouldn’t it?? We need to impose ourselves down there, and that is the function half the time. The finesse stuff, we can put that in the round file, particularly inside the five. I like the fade pattern when you have a guarantee like Randy Moss. Otherwise, like your own immortal Woody Hayes once said, “When you throw the ball, three things can happen and two of them are bad.”

MotSaG: What’s your prediction for the game?

GobblerCountry: Hokies shock the world. Brewer matches Brown, several TOs kill momentum on both sides. OSU misses a long FG to win. Hokies 20-17, on a wet field (I think there’s a good possibility of rain in Columbus Saturday)

Thanks for this opportunity to converse with you guys. Check us out for VT Hokies sports news on www.gobblercountry.com or @gobblercountry on Twitter. We also have a Facebook page.

Good luck Saturday, and most importantly have fun as safely as possible!

I would like to thank Chuck for taking the time out of his busy schedule to help me with this post. While he made some fine points and may make some Buckeye fans nervous for the game tomorrow I do not believe for one second that William and Mary would have been able to handle Navy. Navy showed last Saturday they are a very talented and athletic team that no one wants to give credit to but we will see at the end of the year what kind of season they had and if I am the delusional one.

This game has the making of being a close game but after watching the VT and W&M match-up last weekend somethings just didn’t impress me with VT. I think their run defense might be suspect and I look for the Buckeyes running back stable to take pressure of JT and possibly opening up the play action big time for the Buckeyes. I hope that the tight ends get used more and that they don’t have to stay back to help with blocking on the line. The coaching staff hopefully fixed some of the problems on the offensive line especially going up against a more talented VT defensive line, VT secondary does worry me but JT and the coaching staff seem smart enough to figure out ways to get those guys out of position. We will finally see the new revamped secondary against a more traditional offense and I’m looking forward to a big night from the defensive line.

My prediction as I believe I said on the podcast is 34-14 Ohio State.

Remember have any questions for any of the upcoming games you would like answered email us at AskMotSaG@gmail.com. Would love to hear from you and Go Buckeyes.

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

MOTSAG TV Guide

September 4, 2014 by 1 Comment

BUCKEYES

(9/6) Virginia Tech @ Ohio State. 8:00p, ESPN.

We didn’t learn a lot from either team’s opening game, but it’s worth noting that the offenses had nearly identical performances. Both teams were breaking in new QBs, and each one threw 2 TDs and 1 pick with yardage in the mid-200s. Virginia Tech’s Michael Brewer threw the ball twice as much as J.T. Barrett with a similar completion rate, but that only amounted to 25 more yards of offense. Both teams also rushed about 40 times for around 200 yards.

Defensively, who knows? You don’t learn much about your defense from playing Navy, and I can’t imagine you get a good feel for it by playing William & Mary either. This is going to be an enormous game for both teams. I know we’re the comfortable favorite, but I’m not taking anything for granted.

UPCOMING OPPONENTS
(9/6)

Middle Tennessee @ Minnesota. 3:30p, Big Ten Network.

Howard @ Rutgers. Noon, Big Ten Network.

Michigan State @ Oregon. 6:30p, Fox.

Well, Wisconsin couldn’t hold against LSU after losing the rock-toting services of Melvin Gordon, so the Big Ten turns to returning conference champ Michigan State and this massive matchup, easily the best game in the country this week. Sparty plays the type of defense that gives Oregon fits, but the Ducks are as unrelenting on offense as ever.

Akron @ Penn State. Noon, ABC/ESPN2.

Michigan @ Notre Dame. 7:30p, NBC.

It’s the last time this game will be played for a long time, maybe forever. Despite large amounts of hatred for both teams, this is still usually a fun game to watch. Not that I’ll be watching most of it, but it’s still worth keeping an eye on.

Western Kentucky @ Illinois. Noon, Big Ten Network.

Maryland @ South Florida. 3:30p, CBS Sports Network.

South Alabama @ Kent State. 2:00p, ESPN3 (online).

Indiana: no game.
Cincinnati: no game.

OTHER BIG TEN TEAMS

(8/30)

Ball State @ Iowa. 3:30, ESPN2.

Central Michigan @ Purdue. Noon, ESPN News.

Northern Illinois @ Northwestern. 3:30p, Big Ten Network.

McNeese State @ Nebraska. Noon, ESPNU.

Western Illinois @ Wisconsin. Noon, Big Ten Network.

OTHER OHIO TEAMS

(9/6)

Missouri @ Toledo. Noon, ESPN.

Ohio @ Kentucky. 3:30p, ESPNU.

Eastern Kentucky @ Miami (Ohio). 3:30p, ESPN3 (online).

VMI @ Bowling Green. 3:30p, ESPN3 (online).

OTHER TOP NATIONAL GAMES

(9/6)

USC @ Stanford. 3:30p, ESPN.

Literally the only non-Big Ten game worth watching this week.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Ohio State & Notre Dame Announce Home-and-Home Series

September 4, 2014 by Leave a Comment

The Ohio State Buckeyes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish haven’t met on the football field since the 2006 Fiesta Bowl. But that is about to change in the near future. They announced a home-and-home series just this morning, right before the Irish play Michigan this weekend. Coincidence, or some trolling? Here’s the details from CBS Sports:

Notre Dame and Ohio State announced a new series Thursday, with the first game to be played in Columbus on Sept. 3, 2022, and the return engagement in South Bend on Sept. 23, 2023. So not only are we getting a series between two traditional college football powers, but the games will be played on campus. Imagine that!

The two schools have played five times in history, with the last meeting taking place in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl. Ohio State owns the 3-2 advantage in the series, and has won the past three meetings.

What are your thoughts Buckeye fans? Excited about playing the Irish?

Filed Under: College Football, Ohio State Football

The Spread, Week Two: Jumping to Conclusions

September 4, 2014 by 5 Comments

Look, I’m as excited as anybody for the new playoff in college football. Yes, there will still be controversy and we’re not where we need to be yet, but it will be nice to see things settled on the field more than ever before.

But would it be possible to not talk about who’s going to make the playoff until at least October?

I made the mistake of turning on ESPNU yesterday, and almost immediately there was a lengthy segment about which four teams would make the playoff if the season ended right now. Yes, really. Actual human beings collecting paychecks for talking about sports were having a serious discussion about a hypothetical college football season that only lasts one week, long enough for most teams to play a single game and for some to play even fewer than that.

Of course these brilliant college football philosophers (I don’t remember who they all were, but Tom Luginbill was one of them) put their heads together and came up with an answer that no one saw coming: Lots of SEC teams! Despite what was by most accounts a fairly lackluster showing for the conference last weekend, ESPN still can’t get enough of that sweet, sweet SEC. I can’t imagine why.

Each of the four or five panelists included at least two SEC teams in their groups, usually mixed in with Florida State and Oregon. Luginbill (there’s a reason I remembered him) actually slotted his top three with SEC teams. I know ESPN has long since given themselves over to the almighty dollar, but would it kill them to sometimes pretend to have the slightest shred of professional integrity?

From time to time, ESPN also likes to pretend their not just a collection of desperate newspaper writers, bitter ex-athletes and -coaches, and Syracuse grads. So they come up with nonsensical new “stats” like QBR or FPI. The FPI, simply, is just a number ESPN plans to hype the crap out of in an effort to influence the playoff committee. Unsurprisingly, FPI is also remarkably kind to the SEC.

Two SEC teams (Alabama and Auburn) are currently in the FPI top four, and seven more make appearances by the time you get to #21. But don’t worry, they also went ahead and put together a conference-based version of the number and sure enough, the SEC came out on top.

Interestingly, the article touting the conference’s dominance in these rankings even points out that SEC teams didn’t play as well as people expected and that the Big Ten dropped in the rankings even though they had a “strong week.”

Now I’m not one for conspiracy theories (although we’ve seen examples of ESPN’s misleading rhetoric before) and I would never deny anyone their right to try to hype up the assets that are going to make them money. But when the hype becomes a blatant attempt to influence a selection committee, that’s something I have a problem with.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Predicting Every Single FBS College Football Game: Week 2

September 3, 2014 by 1 Comment

Week one is officially in the books! My record for my week one predictions: 72-12 (85.17% of games predicted correctly). That’s much better than I anticipated it to be. If you don’t believe me or you missed my predictions for week one, you can find them by clicking here. There were a lot of close upsets in week one that could’ve brought my record down a lot more. If week one is any indication as to how this season is going to play out, we’re in for a wild ride. That means picking games is even tougher for me. Yay! As I looked through the week two schedule I see a lot of potential upsets and trap games, as well as some big time match ups that will impact who makes the playoffs at the end of the season. Let’s take a look at week two…

Thursday Sept. 4
Arizona @ Texas-San Antonio – Pick: UTSA (Upset)

Friday Sept. 5
Pittsburgh @ Boston College – Pick: Pittsburgh
Washington State @ Nevada – Pick: Washington State

Saturday Sept. 6
Howard @ Rutgers – Pick: Rutgers
#20 Kansas State @ Iowa State – Pick: Kansas State
McNeese State @ #19 Nebraska – Pick: Nebraska
Western Kentucky @ Illinois – Pick: Illinois
Akron @ Penn State – Pick: Penn State
Central Michigan @ Purdue – Pick: Central Michigan
Western Illinois @ #18 Wisconsin – Pick: Wisconsin
#24 Missouri @ Toledo – Pick: Toledo (Upset)
Arkansas State @ Tennessee – Pick: Tennessee
Florida Atlantic @ #2 Alabama – Pick: Alabama
Buffalo @ Army – Pick: Army
#4 Oklahoma @ Tulsa – Pick: Oklahoma
SMU @ North Texas – Pick: North Texas
Stony Brook @ Connecticut – Pick: Connecticut
South Carolina State @ #23 Clemson – Pick: Clemson
Navy @ Temple – Pick: Navy
South Alabama @ Kent State – Pick: South Alabama
Alabama-Birmingham @ Mississippi State – Pick: Mississippi State
New Mexico State @ Georgia State – Pick: New Mexico State
Sacramento State @ California – Pick: California
Eastern Washington @ Washington – Pick: Washington
Fresno State @ Utah – Pick: Utah
Colorado @ Massachusetts – Picks: Colorado
Richmond @ Virginia – Pick: Virginia
Missouri State @ Oklahoma State – Pick: Oklahoma State
Ball State @ Iowa – Pick: Iowa
Middle Tennessee State @ Minnesota – Pick: Minnesota
Northern Illinois @ Northwestern – Pick: Northern Illinois
Virginia Military @ Bowling Green – Pick: Bowling Green
#14 USC @ #13 Stanford – Pick: Stanford
Ohio @ Kentucky – Pick: Kentucky
Maryland @ South Florida – Pick: Maryland
Eastern Michigan @ Florida – Pick: Florida
Nicholls State @ Arkansas – Pick: Arkansas
Eastern Kentucky @ Miami (OH) – Pick: Miami (OH)
Georgia Tech @ Tulane – Pick: Georgia Tech
#15 Ole Miss @ Vanderbilt – Pick: Ole Miss
Old Dominion @ N.C. State – Pick: Old Dominion (River Boat Gambler Upset Special)
Campbell @ Appalachian State – Pick: Appalachian State
Savannah State @ Georgia Southern – Pick: Georgia Southern
Wagner @ Florida International – Pick: Wagner
Gardner-Webb @ Wake Forest – Pick: Wake Forest
#7 Michigan State @ #3 Oregon – Pick: Michigan State
Florida A&M @ Miami (FL) – Pick: Miami (FL)
SE Missouri State @ Kansas – Pick: Kansas
Louisiana Tech @ Louisiana-Lafayette – Pick: Louisiana-Lafayette
East Carolina @ #21 South Carolina – Pick: East Carolina (Upset)
San Jose State @ #5 Auburn – Pick: Auburn
#17 Arizona State @ New Mexico – Pick: Arizona State
Murray State @ #25 Louisville – Pick: Louisville
Idaho @ Louisiana-Monroe – Pick: Louisiana-Monroe
Alcorn State @ Southern Mississippi – Pick: Southern Miss
Rhode Island @ Marshall – Pick: Marshall
Duke @ Troy – Pick: Duke
Citadel @ #1 Florida State – Pick: Florida State
Towson @ West Virginia – Pick: West Virginia
Sam Houston State @ #12 LSU – Pick: LSU
Northwestern State @ #10 Baylor – Pick: Baylor
BYU @ Texas – Pick: BYU
Lamar @ #9 Texas A&M – Pick: Texas A&M
Michigan @ #16 Notre Dame – Pick: Notre Dame
San Diego State @ #21 North Carolina – Pick: North Carolina
Virginia Tech @ #8 Ohio State – Pick: Ohio State
Idaho State @ Utah State – Pick: Utah State
Grambling State @ Houston – Pick: Houston
Northern Colorado @ UNLV – Pick: UNLV
Memphis @ #11 UCLA – Pick: UCLA
Air Force @ Wyoming – Pick: Air Force
Colorado State @ Boise State – Pick: Colorado State
Oregon State @ Hawaii – Pick: Oregon State
Texas Tech @ UTEP – Pick: Texas Tech

That’s all the games for week two. 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.

Filed Under: College Football

A Look Around The Country

September 3, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Top ranked teams struggle as first week of the season kicks off

As the sun faded on the first week of college football, there were a number of different games that come to mind. No. 1 Florida State escaped Jerry’s World with a 6 point win over unranked Oklahoma State. No. 2 Alabama was on the ropes the majority of the game against an unranked West Virginia team down in Atlanta. Yes, even the 5th ranked Buckeyes were losing at halftime against an unranked Navy squad in Baltimore. No. 7 UCLA pulled out only an 8 point victory over a bad Virginia team. Not to mention, the 9th ranked and SEC East favorite South Carolina Gamecocks were dismantled by a Johnny Football-less Texas A&M team. It was a weird first week.

The favorites to make it to the inaugural College Football Playoff all struggled against inferior, unranked opponents. Does this mean that these so called “favorites” aren’t as good as we all think? Or was it just a bunch of first game jitters? Well, as the season goes on we will find out who the true contenders and pretenders are. But I wouldn’t read too much into the Noles, Tide, and Buckeyes struggling. I expect them all to be in the Playoff conversation come late November.

Notable Games Last Week

Texas A&M 52 South Carolina 28

No Johnny Football? No problem!! New A&M quarterback, Kenny Hill, went 44 of 60 for 511 yards and three touchdowns. That is a huge stat line for a first game starter against a highly ranked opponent. It may very well be the system that HC Kevin Sumlin is running, but the Aggies are contenders in the SEC. The Gamecocks should drop considerably in the polls after this one and Steve Spurrier will have to go back to the drawing board. Losing Clowney and Shaw could be bigger than we think.

Georgia 45 Clemson 21

Todd Gurley left, Todd Gurley right, Todd Gurley up the middle. #3 for the Georgia Bulldogs solidified himself as a Heisman Trophy candidate after 198 yards rushing on 15 carries, 2 touchdowns, and a 100 yard kickoff return for a touchdown. He made it look easy against the Tigers. Mark Richt and the Bulldogs will contend for the SEC East Title and could find themselves in the Playoff if they play their cards right.

Florida State 37 Oklahoma State 31

The defending National Champion Seminoles opened their season against the Cowboys (not Jerry Jones’, but in his Taj Mahal Stadium) and got more of a test than they thought they would. Heisman Trophy Winner and crab leg connoisseur, Jameis Winston, struggled at times but ended up having a decent night. He went 25 of 40 for 370 yards and 2 touchdowns, one of which was a beautiful 28 yard run that landed him in the endzone. We learned that the Noles are beatable, but in a weak ACC they will be heavy favorites to be undefeated heading into the playoff. Oklahoma State has a lot to look forward to as they had the champs on the ropes late in the game. The Cowboys could also be in the playoff hunt late in November, only Baylor and Oklahoma pose a threat in the Big 12.

LSU 28 Wisconsin 24

Oh, Wisconsin. Gary Andersen and the Badgers had a 17 point lead go to nothing as Les Miles’ Tigers came roaring back to win the game late in the fourth quarter. Wisconsin QB Tanner McEvoy struggled most of the night and threw a pair of costly picks late in the game to help squander that lead. It still puzzles me why Andersen stuck with him while 2013 B1G honorable mention Joel Stave was on the bench, but what do I know. Melvin Gordon had a Heisman worthy first half then he mysteriously went away in the 3rd and 4th quarters. I heard rumors that he had a hamstring problem but nothing has been confirmed. That will be a puzzling game for folks in Madison for the rest of the season.

Big Games this Week

Michigan State at Oregon

Autzen Stadium will be rocking for this one as the defending Big Ten and Rose Bowl Champs roll into town. Both the Ducks and Spartans have a lot to prove and a win here could be huge down the road when being considered for the playoff. It will be Oregon speed against Michigan State toughness. It would be a big W for the Big Ten in terms of national respect. I strongly suggest you tune in for this battle.

Saturday, September 6 at 6:30pm on FOX

Virginia Tech at Ohio State

Home opener. Night Game at the newly renovated Shoe. LeBron may be in the house along with the best collection of 2015 recruits. Yea, this is going to be one hell of an atmosphere at 411 Woody Hayes Drive. Frank Beamer brings in an overmatched Hokie team but don’t think for a second that they plan on lying down for the Buckeyes. Expect the running game with Elliot, Samuel and Wilson to be much better. J.T. Barrett will also be more efficient. But the Buckeye D-Line you’ve been hearing about all summer will make their presence felt. Expect a lot of sacks.

Saturday, September 6 at 8pm on ESPN

Michigan at Notre Dame

The Irish and Wolverines will square off for the last time in the foreseeable future when they take the field Saturday. Yes, I probably hate these two teams just as much as you. But I love tradition and have always enjoyed watching these two battle it out in South Bend or Ann Arbor every year. It’s great for college football. Brady Hoke’s hot seat could be cooled off a bit with a win in this one but Everett Golson and Notre Dame have national title aspirations of their own. Although neither are highly ranked, expect one for the ages.

Saturday, September 6 at 7:30pm on NBC

Michigan Update

History did not repeat itself as the Wolverines were finally able to even up the series against those pesky Mountaineers 52-14. However, this was not your grandfather’s App State team. In 2007, they were coming off of a national championship in Div. 1-AA (now FCS). But they went 4-8 last season as they transition to the big boys. We will find out a lot about this team this Saturday when they take on the Irish in South Bend.

Heisman Watch

Jameis Winston, Florida State

The reigning Heisman winner went 25 of 40 for 370 yards and 2 touchdowns against Oklahoma State last week in the Cowboys Classic. He’ll face a much easier foe this week against Citadel? The Citadel? I have no clue what their called or where they’re from. Famous Jameis should be out by the 3rd quarter.

Marcus Mariota, Oregon

My Heisman pick at the start of the season went 14 of 20 for 267 yards along with 4 total touchdowns against South Dakota. We’ll find out how if he’s deserving of being my favorite when he goes up against a monster Michigan State defense on Saturday.

Bryce Petty, Baylor

Petty sat out the second half after taking a shot to his back on a touchdown run but he is expected to start his next game against Northwestern State. He completed 13 of 23 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns, all in one half. IF he is healthy then I expect him to be in New York for the Heisman ceremony.

Todd Gurley, Georgia

The Bulldogs RB is quickly becoming the SEC’s most explosive player after his 293 all-purpose yard performance. He sliced and diced the Clemson defense all night. Georgia’s next game is in Columbia against South Carolina (9/13) so look for him to have another big day.

Rising Star

Kenny Hill, Texas A&M

Kenny Football!! The Aggies didn’t skip up a beat Thursday night after Hill went a whopping 44 of 60 for 511 yards and 3 touchdowns. After that performance he has to be included in the Heisman discussion and if he can win a few games in the SEC, we may seem him hoisting the trophy in December.

Dropping Fast

It’s too early in the season to say someone has dropped. Come back next week.

My Playoff if the Season ended Today

1. Florida State (37-31 win over Oklahoma State, plays Citadel this week) They were less than impressive this week but I will keep them at my top spot. They just have too much talent for me to drop them right now.

2. Oregon (62-13 win over South Dakota, plays Michigan State this week) The Ducks were very impressive this week against an inferior opponent. We will find out how good this team is this Saturday when they take on Sparty.

3. Auburn (45-21 win over Arkansas, plays San Jose State this week) The Tigers had a shaky first half but once they settled in against Bert’s Razorbacks they were able to pull away. They are still my favorite to win the SEC West.

4. Ohio State (34-17 win over Navy, plays Virginia Tech this week) Our Buckeyes struggled in the first half but if they can get by the Hokies on Saturday, they have a clear path to Sparty on Novemver 8. As of right now, they’ll hold onto the last spot in the Playoff.

Just Missed the Cut

5. Oklahoma (48-16 win over Louisiana Tech, plays Tulsa this week)

6. Michigan State (45-7 win over Jacksonville State, plays Oregon this week)

7. Georgia (45-21 win over Clemson, plays South Carolina next week)

8. Alabama (33-23 win over West Virginia, plays Florida Atlantic this week)

9. Baylor (45-0 win over SMU, plays Northwestern State this week)

10. UCLA (28-20 win over Virginia, plays Memphis this week)

Filed Under: Ohio State Football
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