Ohio State picks up some Southern Speed

December 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment

osuHelmet4star_recruit_iconFresh off of yesterdays big recruiting news of landing Raekwon McMillan Coach Meyer and his staff managed to go to Florida and steal a big time WR recruit from the grasps of Miami, Florida, and Alabama. That is two days in a row that Coach Meyer and company stole recruits from the grasp of Nick Saban and the SEC. Sure it is only two players if you listen to SEC fans but the point is OSU can and will go deep into their territory and pluck some of the best talent they have right in their own back yards. This newest recruit becomes recruit no. 19 in the 2014 class and further builds on what will be a top 5 class again this year.

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Johnnie Dixon committed to Ohio State and verified it on his twitter account moments ago…

Johnnie Dixon is a 6’0 200 lbs 4 star WR from West Palm Beach, Florida. Johnnie is a big time recruit from the South Florida hotbed known for producing NFL caliber WRs. Johnnie is a burner with great hands but will out muscle you for a ball when he needs to. He has decent size but is already hulked out as you can see in his picture above. I hate to be cliche but he does remind me of Percy Harvin… a strong and physical WR who can take the Jet Sweep and scoot a ton of yards for TDs. 247Sports ranks him a 4 star and the 106th best recruit in the country. Scout ranks him a 4 star and the 39th best WR in the country. ESPN ranks him a 4 star and the 39th best recruit in the country. Rivals ranks him a 4 star and the 109th best recruit in the country.

You can follow Johnnie on Twitter by clicking @JDStandAlone.

Filed Under: B1G Football, College Football, College Football Recruiting, High School Football, Ohio State Football Tagged With:

Buckeyes land their prized recruit

December 16, 2013 by 1 Comment

osuHelmet5star_recruit_iconFrom the day that Urban Meyer was hired as the head coach of The Ohio State University he hit the recruiting trail hard and fast and never looked back. He has landed some of top recruits in the nation and the top recruiting classes in the nation the last 2 years. The 2014 class may be the best yet of the 3 under his belt and with the commitment today of the nations top Linebacker he also added the most important part of the class. The needs for the 2014 class are evident Offensive Lineman and Linebackers are top priorities and Coach Meyer already has landed some top talent at both positions but there was always one LB he coveted and fought hard to land and those efforts payed off fully today in landing the 18th member of the 2014 class.

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Raekwon McMillan committed to play for The Ohio State University Buckeyes live on NBCsports today.

Raekwon McMillan is a 6’2″ 245 lbs 5 star Linebacker from Hinesville, Georgia. Raekwon is a game changing recruit. He is a big boy who hits extremely hard and has speed you dont expect from someone his size. His greatest skill though is his ability to see the whole field and get to the ball. He has those intangibles that a middle LB needs to be great. He will come in right away and fight for playing time at a position of great need. 247Sports ranks him a 5 star and the 16th best recruit in the country. Rivals ranks him a 5 star and the 19th best recruit in the country. ESPN ranks him a 5 star and the 12th best recruit in the country. Scout Ranks him a 4 star and the 5th best MLB in the country.

You can follow Raekwon McMillan on Twitter by clicking @Kwon_daTRUTH.

Filed Under: B1G Football, College Football, College Football Recruiting, High School Football, Ohio State Football Tagged With:

The Spread, Week 15: Auburnt

December 4, 2013 by 1 Comment

As expected, we are now down to just two undefeated major conference teams. All that hand-wringing over how we would deal with the glut of perfect seasons seems silly now. Assuming both Florida State and Ohio State take care of business (which is a big assumption, at this point), the national title game matchup is an obvious choice, right?

Of course not.

Those in SEC country are having a hard time dealing with the fact that they very likely will not have at least one representative in the national game for the first time in eight seasons. Auburn AD Jay Jacobs is going full Kubler-Ross on this one, already covering denial (“A one-loss SEC [champ] can’t get left out. It’s impossible.”) and anger, calling the potential snub a “disservice to the nation.” Baby steps, Jay, baby steps.

Auburn has a devastating 14-point loss to 9-3 LSU on their resume though, and that’s going to be enough to keep them out if they don’t get help. That help would almost have to come from Michigan State, since the only other possibility is Duke beating Florida State, which isn’t even a sentence I should have to type about football. I mean, it would be awesome, but let’s not get crazy.

And should the Spartans be victorious Saturday night (which is entirely possible), then shouldn’t they finally enter the conversation? Mark Dantonio thinks so, and I agree. They have a dominant defense that has held half of their opponents under seven points. No one has scored more than 28 on them, and the two times that happened, the Spartans put up 40+ of their own.

By contrast, Auburn held only Western Carolina to less than seven points and gave up 28+ four times. Six of their eleven wins are by fewer than 10 points, and again, their loss was by 14. Michigan State won every game by at least 10, and only lost by 4, to a Notre Dame team that is only one game worse–record-wise–than LSU.

It’s actually Missouri (Auburn’s SEC championship opponent who just might make all this discussion irrelevant) that has a good argument to be favored over Michigan State. Missouri’s loss is a three-point double-overtime drop to 10-2 South Carolina and occurred without their starting QB in the lineup. Missouri has been far more dominant than Auburn, winning only once by fewer than 10 points. I would still give the nod to Michigan State if that were the choice, but it would be a little tougher.

But why stop there? It’s not like Alabama has reason to believe that winning their own division should be a pre-requisite to a national title berth, so even they have come up with a way to get back in the picture. You might think that a rematch of the most thrilling upset of the season would make a great national title game. It wouldn’t. We just did this. Have you forgotten?

As much as the common sports fan thinks he doesn’t want to see Ohio State in the national championship game, it is our duty to spare them from these other, far less desirable scenarios. We must beat Michigan State on Saturday. Not doing so would be a disservice to the nation.

Filed Under: B1G Football, BCS, Ohio State Football

B1G Power Rankings- Week 15

December 3, 2013 by 1 Comment

1.) Ohio State (12-0)- Beat TTUN 42-41. Win this week against MSU and OSU will play for the National Championship. No pressure right?

2.) Michigan State (11-1)- Beat Minnesota 14-3. It comes down to this for MSU beat OSU in the B1G CCG and go to the Rose Bowl or lose to OSU and go to the Rose Bowl.

3.) Wisconsin (9-3)- Lost to PSU 31-24. A disappointing end to a really good season. Wisconsin will continue to be a top B1G team for many years to come.

4.) Iowa (8-4)- Beat Nebraska 38-17. Kirk Ferentz brought back some magic this year. Every time his seat gets hot he pulls off a good year to save his job. It happened again.

5.) Nebraska (8-4)- Lost to Iowa 38-17. For some reason the Nebraska AD and Chancellor have decided to keep Bo Pelini as their head coach. Until they get rid of him they can expect to stay a 8-10 win team every year. Never a champion.

6.) Minnesota (8-4)- Lost to MSU 14-3. Minnesota is the surprise team of the year no doubt. They have an identity finally. They are a running team that plays ball control and good defense. If Jerry Kill can stay healthy they are a team to reckon with going forward.

7.) Penn State (7-5)- Beat Wisconsin 31-24. Penn State has a lot going for it and with lesser penalties in place they could be a great team in a year or 2. Bill O’Brien is exactly who they needed now they just have to keep him.

8.) Michigan (7-5)- lost to Ohio State 42-41. Brady Hoke cooled his seat and Al Borges saved his job. The disappointing season will keep going as they head to a bowl game.

9.) Northwestern (5-7)- Beat Illinois 37-34. The Wildcats ended their dreadful season on a high note beating their rivals. Coach Fitz has a lot to work on this off season.

10.) Indiana (5-7)- Beat Purdue 56-36. The Hoosiers are a decent team but if they dont find a way to play solid defense then they will never take the next step to being a good or great team.

11.) Illinois (4-8)- Lost to Northwestern 37-34. The Illini improved greatly this year even if the record doesnt show it. They have a ways to go but you can tell they are on the right track.

12.) Purdue (1-11)- Lost to Indiana 56-36. Purdue’s season is over and thank goodness it is.

Filed Under: B1G Football, Ohio State Football

Q&A with an Opponents Blogger:TTUN

November 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Well here we are at the last game of the regular season, its the most anticipated game of the regular season. This is The Game really nothing in all of sports compares. Folks down south like to think that the Iron Bowl is the best but lets face facts I believe only twice have those teams met when they were both Top 5 or Top 10 something like that. It seems like 9 out of 10 times that the wolverines of TSUN and the Buckeyes of The Ohio State University meet there is something on the line.

I know you are all just waiting for this weeks post on who I’m talking with and what kind of hard hitting questions I can come up with for TTUN. Well this week Joshua who is the editor of The Big House report was ever so gracious enough to work with me on this weeks post.

MotSaG: I wanted to start out with what the hell is going on with the Michigan fan base? I’m seeing they are getting rid of their tickets online and ready to burn Ann Arbor down, is it that bad or just the Wolverine boards I’m reading greatly exaggerated?

TBHR: It’s not fun to be a Michigan fan right now. The season hasn’t gone as planned and the fans are acting accordingly. A lot of the message board fodder you are mostly reading are from fans who have a tendency to freak out. Most fans dont understand the meaning of “perspective” and just want to automstically result in fire and pitchfork protesting.

MotSaG: Do you think enough bandwagon fans get ride of there tickets Scarlet and Gray will overrun the Big House?

TBHR: Ohio State fans always travel well, it’s not a huge secret. Considering how big this game is, I expect the stadium to be filled with plenty of scarlet. Those fans who are willingly giving their tickets to Buckeye fans are part of the problem.

MotSaG: Brady cHoke is in his 3rd season and he seems to be getting worse (record wise) with his own hand picked talent, Is it him or the coordinators failing him?

TBHR: I wouldn’t necessarily call Hoke’s tenure a failure yet. Hoke is trying to rebound from a senior-heavy squad in 2011, the team is young. I’m not trying to excuse the lack of results, it’s just the way it is right now. Is Al Borges to blame for a lack of offense? Probably. I give Hoke one more season before the heat gets turned up on his seat.

MotSaG: One of Michigan’s biggest problems this season is the offensive line, will they be able to patchwork something to keep OSU’s defensive line away from Gardner?

TBHR: Simply put, no. Michigan has shuffled that line way too many times this season. There really isn’t much chemistry there, as you can see from the terrible year they are having.

MotSaG: Whats the over/under on Devin The Pastry Chef Gardners turnovers vs Buckeyes?

TBHR: Believe it or not, Gardner has cut down on the turnovers as the season has progressed. Although that won’t help him this weekend. Considering Michigan will be desperate, they will try to force plays. With that being said, I expect Gardner to have at least two turnovers.

MotSaG: Being this is The Game and the greatest rivalry in ALL of sports Buckeye fans know and expect Michigan to bring their best and then some but my question is have they played their best yet this season at any game or is there to many problems?

TBHR: Notre Dame was arguably Michigan’s most complete game. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t really mean much. I am hoping that Michigan is leaving the best for last. But, again, that’s going to be tough.

MotSaG: Seen a report come out Sunday I believe that cHoke has lost the team do you feel this to be true?

TBHR: Don’t believe those reports, they are not true. Hoke is still respected by the team.

MotSaG: With the issues the Wolverines have been having this season what effect is it having on recruiting? I seen Jabrill Peppers is taking official visits after his season ends I thought that was a big no non in cHokes eyes?

TBHR: I think losing out on Hand is good enough evidence that the season is taking its toll on recruiting. The Peppers thing was overblown, he said he wanted to have a backup plan because of fake rumors floating around that Hoke will be let go after the season. So far, there are zero decommits and I dont really expect any changes with the current class. What happens in the future remain to be seen.

MotSaG: Before the season started I wrote my first post hoping and thinking Michigan was going to be a good team and I also wrote about The Pastry Chef and our site thinking he was going to be the in the Top 25 of the B1G talent as much as I don’t like Michigan I do respect the heck out of them so my question is, is the talent on the team overrated or the coaching overrated?

TBHR: I think it’s just a simple fact of the players not living up to expectations I don’t think the coaching or players are overrated, I still think the team needs one more offseason to be coached up before we can make a determination.

MotSaG: Buckeye fans keep hearing Michigan fans say that Ohio State has a cupcake schedule and they haven’t played anyone ( you know riding the coat tails of national media). If Ohio State schedule is so easy why did Michigan need OT to beat Northwestern lost to Iowa and Penn State and barely beat the cupcakes Akron and UConn? Michigan’s schedule isn’t harder than the Buckeyes yet tOSU is undefeated and Michigan is 7-4.

TBHR: Every team plays each other differently. Northwestern gave Ohio State all it could handle, while they sucked when they played Michigan (as did the wolverines.) The lopsided records to conference strength between the two teams is due to the Buckeyes being a vastly superior team. Its as simple as that.

MotSaG: What does your gut tell you to expect from this game? Final score prediction and if you feel Michigan wins what do they have to do to beat the Buckeyes?

TBHR: I’m thinking Ohio State will put up 35-40 points this weekend. Michigan will lose, obviously. It could be worse, considering the Buckeyes need style points in the BCS.

I’m at a loss here because honestly I have been hoping that TTUN was turning things around and this was going to start another Ten Year War or something along those lines. I’m not sure what the problem is up there nor do I really care but I do know rest assured as much as we Buckeye fans are beating our chests that this should be a slam dunk kick their butts type of game, it won’t happen till the end. As much as I feel that Brady cHoke is vastly overrated and in over his head those kids putting on those putrid maize and blue helmets and jerseys they will come to play.

One of the many reasons I can never look past this team no matter the coach no matter the year 2 games stick out in my mind from all of my many years of watching this rivalry. The kid from Cleveland striking that damn pose and the one which that kid ran all over us for over 300 yards and while he wasn’t doing his Forest Gump impression on the field he was riding a stationary bike on the sideline for which we recommended envy reaper scooter bars. I refuse to mention them by name because when I hear their names I feel that same pain in my heart all over again and if your to young to know I bet they will remind us Saturday.

Like many of you I will be going out early for kegs and eggs and I will make sure I sit next to my friend who is a TSUN fan and revel in his misery I hope. Seriously the Buckeyes could really make a statement in this game early and quickly like they have done this season. This is the game where if the Buckeyes get up early and are firing on all cylinders you better believe the main man from Astubula, Oh will be going for the kill and when asked after the game why did you run up the score. “Because its TTUN”

I as many of you are hoping for a can of whoop ass to be open up on the wolverines but history and my gut tell me the odds makers are probably right with the 13 point spread. The Buckeyes defensive line is going to need to pin their ears back and constantly beat the hell out of The Pastry Chef and Carlos Hyde is going to have to do what he does best run over them again and again.

I want to thank Joshua from The Big House Report again for being a great sport and taking the time out to help me with this weeks post. Please go check out his site they do great work over there even if its for TTUN.

If you want to get involved and have questions about THE B1G Championship Game feel free to send them in to me and I can send them on. Email your questions to AskMotSaG@gmail.com or MotSaG@gmail.com. Would love to know your thoughts on this post and hope you enjoyed it.

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

The Spread, Hate Week: The Hate is Off?

November 27, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I want to hate Brady Hoke, but I can’t.

Now don’t take that the wrong way. The capital-H Hate I harbor for That School Up North still burns as strong as ever. But lately the joy of Hating has taken a bit of a hit. Our rival’s recent ineptitude under current “head” “coach” Brady Hoke has sapped the ability to fully revel in what is supposed to be a border-war between two equal-but-opposite foes. They are supposed to be our Joker, our Lex Luthor, but instead they’ve taken to acting like this guy.

While the bulk of the Wolverine fan base is content to assign fault to quarterback Devin Gardner or, absurdly, ex-coach Rich Rodriguez, the true responsible party is the one who stalks the sideline each Saturday, footloose and headset-free (so the path of pies to his pie-hole is unobstructed, one guesses). Since arriving in Ann Arbor, Hoke has been trending downward in a vast array of statistics (including offensive yardage, first downs, sacks, sacks allowed, touchdowns and of course: wins) leading to whispers of giving a certain turf-grazing grad yet another call.

While there’s no guarantee it will happen this year, the Hoke era is nearing its end. Despite his supposed recruiting prowess, it has not yet translated to success on the field, and that is the entire point after all, isn’t it? If he can’t even do the thing he’s good at, how is he supposed to do things he’s never done before, like win a conference title?

Let’s put Hoke’s terribleness in perspective: Lloyd Carr spent 13 years as Top Wolverine and posted six bowl wins, five Big Ten titles, and 1 national title. Rich Rodriguez was no hit in Ann Arbor, but in his 19 seasons as a head coach at various stops, he produced 8 conference titles and won three bowls. He has 15 wins (so far) in his first two seasons at Arizona. Coincidentally, he also had 15 wins in his three seasons with the Wolverines. Carr’s career winning percentage was 75%. Rodriguez is currently at 59%. Brady Hoke? 54%.

In the Thanksgiving dinner of TSUN coaches, Lloyd Carr is the racist grandpa, ranting in his La-Z-Boy about the Good Ol’ Days. Rich Rodriguez is the dopey uncle, sinking his savings into one get-rich-quick con after another. And Brady Hoke is the oldest cousin, begging to sit at the grown up table, even as he dribbles Kool-Aid down the front of his untucked dress shirt.

I want to Hate Brady Hoke, but he hasn’t earned it.

This post brought to you without the assistance of the overrated 13th letter of the alphabet.

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

B1G Week 14 Preview: Rivalry Week

November 27, 2013 by Leave a Comment

One of the best weeks in the entire season has arrived: Rivalry Week. All around college football many teams play their most hated rival and play for bragging rights, conference titles and even national title implications. Many coaches jobs are dictated by how they play against their main rival. Just ask former Ohio State coach John Cooper. Cooper’s 2-10-1 record against the team up north ultimately cost him his job. Losing to your rival can ruin seasons and careers. So expect teams to kick it up a notch when they face their enemy this weekend. Of course I only talk about the non-Ohio State games in this column, but if you’re interested in hearing my thoughts on “The Game” be sure to tune into my B1G Rivalry Week Google+ Hangout this Friday at 3 pm ET. More info about the hangout can be found here and information regarding all of the Rivalry Week festivities on Google+ can be found on USA Today’s Landing Page. Now onto the games…

Iowa @ Nebraska

The winner of this game will receive the Heroes Trophy. It’s a pretty nice looking trophy if I do say so myself. When Nebraska joined the conference in 2011 Iowa was established as the chief rival of the Huskers. And I think its slowly turning into a good rivalry. Both are relatively close to each other in proximity and this season both are pretty evenly matched. Iowa is seeking it’s eighth win, while Nebraska is trying win nine games for the sixth straight season under Bo Pelini. I’ll be interested to see who is starting at quarterback for Nebraska after Tommy Armstrong suffered an ankle injury against Penn State. Personally I would start Ron Kellogg III because he’s a senior and seems to have good chemistry with the offense. One thing for certain is the Huskers will be handing the ball off to running back Ameer Abdullah a lot this weekend and will try to get the ball in the hands of play-making receiver Kenny Bell too. Iowa’s offense is similar to the Huskers in that they haven’t relied a lot on the arm of quarterback Jake Rudock and tend to pound it out on the ground, while only passing when necessary. And who could blame them when they have Mark Weisman (the definition of “manball”) and Damon Bullock. Iowa has lost both games since this was established as a rivalry game and their success in this game on offense will be dictated by which Nebraska defense shows up to play. I’ll be surprised if this game doesn’t go to overtime and it should be an entertainingly close game.

Minnesota @ #11 Michigan State

This is the one non-rivalry game in the B1G this weekend. But that doesn’t mean this isn’t a good game. Minnesota just fell out of the top 25 after losing a hard-fought game to Wisconsin and Michigan State is trying to finish the season with an 11-1 record. Both teams aren’t very flashy and like to rely on their running game to set up short passes for their quarterbacks. Minnesota’s offense is led by running back David Cobb, who is coming off his worst game of the season, which doesn’t bode well when facing the #1 defense in the country. Only Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah has been able to find success running the ball against a tough Spartans’ defense. Michigan State is developing a pretty good running back of their own in Jeremy Langford, who has rushed for over 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns. Quarterback Connor Cook has been steadily improving too. I expect this game to play out just like the Wisconsin-Minnesota game last weekend. Minnesota will be hard pressed to score a touchdown and Michigan State will pound the Gophers with Langford.

Purdue @ Indiana

Old Oaken Bucket

Even though both teams aren’t exactly super powers in college football, this is one of the most storied and fierce rivalries in college sports. The winner of this game will receive the Old Oaken Bucket (pictured above), which they’ve played for since 1925. These two schools hate each other and this game is pretty important to each fan base. Since neither will play in a bowl game, this will be the final game of the season for each of them. Their seasons will be dictated by this game. Purdue only has one win on the season, but have been showing some signs of improvement late in the season. Running back Akeem Hunt ran for over 100 yards last week against Illinois, which is encouraging. Quarterback Danny Etling also seems to be coming around. Indiana has had a great offense all season (except against Ohio State and Wisconsin), but a horrendous defense. The Hoosiers are 24th in the country in scoring offense, but 118th in total defense. Indiana quarterback Nate Sudfeld has thrown for over 2,500 yards and 21 touchdowns, while running back Tevin Coleman is just shy of 1,000 yards rushing. Purdue is going to play their best football all season, but Indiana’s offense will be just too much for the Boilermakers’ defense to handle.

Northwestern @ Illinois

The Land of Lincoln Trophy

Many casual fans will associate these two teams with their game they played a couple of season ago in Wrigley Field. While it was an entertaining game, many don’t realize that these two always have an interesting game. The all-time series is pretty evenly matched, with Illinois leading with a record of 54-47-5. The winner of this game will receive the Land of Lincoln Trophy, which replaced the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk after the 2008 game. Northwestern is coming into the game with a seven game losing streak and has some of the worst luck in college football. The Wildcats came into the season with a lot of promise and now aren’t even going to a bowl game. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald should get his team motivated to play and senior quarterbacks Kain Colter and Trevor Siemian are going to play great games. Senior Illinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase wants to go out on a good note of his own too. Despite his team’s mediocre play, Scheelhaase has had a pretty good season. He’s thrown for 2,965 yards and 19 touchdowns, which should prompt some NFL teams to give him a good look. I think this game will be high scoring with both teams getting a lot of passing yards from their quarterback. I know I called it a few weeks ago and was wrong, but I think Northwestern will finally get a win and end their season on a good note.

Penn State @ #15 Wisconsin

There was talk of this game having a rivalry trophy on the line, but it never came to fruition. It’s understandable for Penn State wanting a trophy for this game because of NCAA sanctions banning them from a bowl game and a trophy would give them something to play for at the end of the season. Between sanctions starting to set in and breaking in a new freshman quarterback, Penn State has had a pretty rocky season. One bright spot for the Nittany Lions as of late has been running back Zach Zwinak, putting up big numbers over the last couple of weeks. He had a fumbling problem earlier in the season, but has rebounded nicely here at the end of his senior season. Wisconsin is looking to notch their 10th win of the season and are only one spot away from the coveted 14th place spot in the BCS, which would make them eligible for a BCS at-large bid. Give Badgers’ head coach Gary Andersen a lot of credit for keeping his team motivated and playing well after the debacle in the desert with Arizona State. Wisconsin is without a doubt a top 10 team and I believe they’re one of the most balanced teams in the country. Penn State will put up a valiant fight, but the Badgers are just too good to let this game slip through their fingers. Wisconsin should win this game and will patiently wait to see if they receive a BCS bowl bid.

Filed Under: B1G Football

B1G Week 13 Review: We’re Almost Done

November 26, 2013 by Leave a Comment

#13 Michigan State 30 Northwestern 6

Michigan State put the final nail in the coffin for Northwestern’s bowl chances. And the Wildcats probably can’t wait for this nightmare season to finally end. Michigan State was in firm control for most of this game and Northwestern really wasn’t in it once the Spartans gained a two-score advantage. Michigan State’s defense played their usual great game, forcing three interceptions and holding the Wildcats’ running game to only 80 yards rushing. The Spartans offense had a good game also, racking up 464 total yards. Quarterback Connor Cook threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns and running back Jeremy Langford rushed for 150 yards and two touchdowns. With the win, Michigan State officially clinched the Legend’s Division title and a spot in the B1G Championship game. The Spartans are firing on all cylinders right now and have a lot of momentum heading into their next two weeks against Minnesota and Ohio State.

Illinois 20 Purdue 16

Congratulations to Illinois for finally snapping their B1G losing streak, which was up to 20 games. Illinois probably should have won this game by two touchdowns at least, but they turned the ball over four times. When you turn it over that much any team can hang in the game, even a team like Purdue. I expected Illinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase to be the difference in this game and that turned out to be the case. Despite throwing two picks, he still threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Josh Ferguson had a good game running for 115 yards. Purdue ultimately didn’t have enough on defense to slow down the Illini. One player that stood out for the Boilermakers was running back Akeem Hunt. Hunt has been surprisingly quiet this season, but on Saturday rushed for over 100 yards and a touchdown. Neither Illinois or Purdue have a shot at making a bowl game, but look to cap off their seasons with wins over their respective rivals this upcoming weekend.

Nebraska 23 Penn State 20

It just wouldn’t be a 2013 Nebraska football game without drama and the game going down to the wire. That’s been the common theme for the Huskers and they continued it against Penn State. Nebraska tied the game with a field goal with over four minutes remaining and kicked another field goal in overtime to win it. After starter Tommy Armstrong sustained an ankle injury early, fifth year senior Ron Kellogg III came in and saved the day again for Nebraska. He threw for 191 yards and touchdown, with no turnovers. And you can’t forget their star running back Ameer Abdullah, who had another great game. Abdullah rushed for 147 yards, but once again no touchdowns (let this man score for crying out loud). Another running back that deserves a shout out is Penn State’s Zach Zwinak, who rushed for 149 yards. Nebraska has a chance to get their ninth win against rival Iowa this upcoming weekend, which would give head coach Bo Pelini and the Huskers their sixth straight nine-win season.

#19 Wisconsin 20 #25 Minnesota 7

Wisconsin wins every game in the exact same manner. Go back through this year’s schedule and look at the box scores. They look identical. The Badgers’ winning formula: Bludgeon the opposing defense into submission with the running game, have quarterback Joel Stave only throw the ball when necessary and have the defense make the other offense look pedestrian. I find myself saying the same thing about Wisconsin every single week because they’re so consistent. Badgers running back James White rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown, which is just a typical game for White. Instead of talking about the always dominant running game, let’s talk about the Badgers’ domination on defense. For the third time in four weeks, Wisconsin held it’s opponent to zero offensive touchdowns. The Golden Gophers only score came when Aaron Hill picked off Stave and returned it for a touchdown. The heart and soul of the Wisconsin defense is Chris Borland, who racked up 12 tackles and continues to feast on opposing offenses. If I’m an NFL team, I draft this guy in a heartbeat. It was a tough loss for Minnesota, who had been on a four game winning streak. The Gophers just couldn’t get anything going and were out of sync the entire game. They’ll need to figure out their problems because Michigan State awaits them in the season finale.

Iowa 24 Michigan 21

And the season continues to get worse for Michigan. The Wolverines’ defense forced four turnovers and yet Michigan still found a way to lose the game. It’s probably because their offense only managed a paltry 158 total yards. Credit both the Iowa defense and Michigan’s paper offensive line. Quarterback Devin Gardner only threw for 98 yards and the Michigan running backs combined for 60 yards. On the flip side, Iowa’s running game rushed for 168 yards, including 88 yards from Mark Weisman. Weisman seemed to have no problem running all over the Wolverines’ defense and seemed to get big runs at the most opportune times for the Hawkeyes. Iowa quarterback Jake Rudock was erratic, but did enough to get the win and that’s all you can really ask for. Iowa has a shot to reach eight wins and possibly get a New Year’s Day bowl bid. It’s a nice bounce back season for head coach Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa football program. As for Michigan, the best way to describe their situation? Chaos. There is so much confusion and anger up in Michigan right now that it’s hard to tell what direction the program is going. Not exactly the best place to be heading into “The Game.”

Filed Under: B1G Football

Q&A with an opponents blogger: Indiana Hoosiers

November 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Buckeye Nation I have to say I think this is a first. Tomorrow the Buckeye host the Indiana Hoosiers at the ‘Shoe at 3:30pm and I have had the opportunity to work with Adam Johnson of Crimson Quarry. The “first” I am referring to is that I have worked with someone who isn’t a total homer. Yes Adam loves his team but as you can see in most of his answers he kept it real, now I on the other hand am a total homer. Get your coffee and sit back and enjoy todays post.

MotSaG: History isn’t to kind for Indiana against the Buckeyes as your Blog has a nice post about it, how much does last years game give the Hoosiers confidence against the Buckeyes?

CQ: Indiana’s current confidence isn’t based on last year’s game going into this one but last week’s. We had an abysmal showing against Wisconsin and I think with Indiana looking at, at most 5 wins, the fan base has moved on to basketball season. Still we do look at last year and think… maybe?! But not many of us think it’ll be closer than 20.

MotSaG: Do you see the Hoosier players feel defeated after last weeks loss against Wisconsin?

CQ: It is actually quite impressive with how well the players seem to carry themselves. Indiana fans, despite years of awfulness are incredibly fickle. The players don’t seem to have that trait in them. They understand its a building process. Only a few are in the twilight of their college careers, so many have done a good job of taking Wisconsin as a learning experience and using it towards beating Ohio State.

MotSaG: What do you think of the negativity that the wannabe national media hordes are saying about the B1G football?

CQ: They’re right. Outside of the top tier of the conference, we’re pretty darn terrible. I mean, yeah, that’s how pretty much all conferences are and no one seems to mention that. But that doesn’t mean they’re wrong when they say it about us. Still, we’re probably only the third of fourth best conference in the nation, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that our top teams can’t compete against anyone else.

MotSaG: I understand Indiana is a basketball school but is there like 20 basketball blogs to every one football one?

CQ: Yes. In fact, I’ve done my best to try and set The Crimson Quarry apart by you know, actually covering football. Unfortunately, I’ve found out why none of those other blogs really cover football. Not a lot of people seem to care. I blame that really on the historical ineptitude of the program. If we were even halfway good every few years I think you would see a ton of interest in Indiana football. But alas we’re not even the Cubs of college football, because up until Kevin Wilson showed up we didn’t even have the ability to say wait until next year. I imagine Northwestern basketball fans feel the same way.

MotSaG: Indiana’s offense has been much improved the last two seasons what do they need to find in recruiting to help make the defense better?

CQ: They actually already have a very solid set of pieces on campus. Unfortunately, they’re all true freshmen. We’ve started see some of that injected early like 3rd leading tackler TJ Simmons and a rotation spot for Darius Latham, but we’ve also had set backs from Antonio Allen’s torn ACL and other guys just not physically ready to compete yet. This isn’t to say that Indiana should feel good with their defensive personnel, but Wilson and crew already have a jump on it. They just need time to not be boys trying to play against men.

MotSaG: What is the thought on how to beat the Buckeyes?

CQ: Shootout. That may sound like the exact opposite of what many others are thinking, but for Indiana to win this one it has to be a shootout. Assuming the Hoosiers offense doesn’t completely disappear like it did last week and you can feel pretty darn confident in them putting up points. It comes down to them doing so after the defense gets a rare stop. Can’t waste wins from defensive possessions.

MotSaG: What do the Hoosiers feel is the Buckeyes weak link?

CQ: passing defense. You guys have struggled this year keeping the top on offenses. Indiana’s biggest strength is blowing the top off of defenses. With what I’d like to think is the Big Ten’s best receiving corps and one of the better passers in the league with Nate Sudfeld (passer, not quarterback), Cody Latimer and crew have got to be licking their chops at the thought of getting the chance to expose the leak in the dam that is Ohio State.

MotSaG: After the Buckeyes beat the Hoosiers will Tom Crean cut down the nets or maybe even take down the goal post?

CQ: Probably. Then we’ll stick it right next to our outright Big Ten trophy without shaking your hands.

MotSaG: What should Buckeye fans keep their eye out for while watching Indiana?

CQ: Not necessarily keep an eye out for in the context of winning/losing this game, but just watch middle linebacker TJ Simmons. He flies around the field and is very good for his very young age. He still misses his gaps and makes mental errors at times, but if you pay close attention now, you can say you see something special in him before he’s competing as one of the conference’s top linebackers as a upperclassman. Basically, watch the young Indiana defense and appreciate some of the pieces. I’m not sure they’ll even be good as a unit, but you can be a football hipster when some of them are potential NFL draftees.

MotSaG: What is your prediction for the game?

CQ: Indiana A Few Points. Ohio State A Lot More.
Just not very confident after last week’s beating.

Reality is the Buckeyes should and need to completely shut down the Hoosiers defense to gain any kind of respect back (hater nation will always hate). It’s funny they say the computers don’t take into account blow outs that’s why Baylor is so close. I digress the Buckeyes are mostly in control of their destiny the just have to keep doing what they do best and that is win. A win tomorrow guarantees their first trip to Indy for the B1G championship game and as I have seen on twitter there is going to be a large and I mean large Scarlet and Gray populous there.

I feel and this are just my thoughts I didn’t do the proper research but feel free to comment if I am wrong, that Roby needs to step up and have a huge game. He has had some lapses this year and since he has already declared for the NFL draft those lapse have cost him some cash. Now is it the defensive scheme or is it him? On one hand I feel it is the scheme I mean come on one of the best corners and your having him play off the WR on the line? On the other hand I feel it is some of him with his BS wanna be sportscenter tackles that he misses on a majority of the time. Yes the kid can hit and lay the wood down but fundamentals son wrap up.

Which defense will show up tomorrow is the key question I am hoping the one that killed Penn State not the one from last week and the beginning of the season.

For the love of God Buckeye fans please stop watching that blabber mouth non informed host on the four letter network that is just hateful. I’m not going to mention his name but you know who I am talking about. hint: still butt hurt from the 72-0 whooping he experienced.

Thanks again to Adam Johnson of the Crimson Quarry, go check out his work.

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

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

B1G Week 13 Preview: The End is Drawing Near

November 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I can’t believe how fast this season has flown by. It seems like just yesterday we were kicking off the season. The B1G has certainly had its share of interesting moments and hasn’t lacked in entertainment to say the least. I also believe the conference has noticeably improved compared to last season. The top three teams in the conference (Ohio State, Michigan State and Wisconsin) are pretty strong and I would have no problem putting them up against the top three teams from another conference. Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa and Michigan are pretty solid teams too, despite their flaws. Northwestern has been disappointing, but that isn’t completely their fault (injuries). Penn State, Illinois, Indiana and Purdue are rebuilding their programs. Only Illinois may be making a coaching change out of the four, but the other three seem to be heading in the right direction. With the season drawing to a close, everyone is trying to get another win either for the BCS, bowl positioning or for personal pride. So let’s look at week 13:

Illinois @ Purdue

So for the first time in conference play, I’m actually giving Purdue a good shot at winning this game. This is because the Boilermakers are coming off one of their best performances of the season, it’s at West Lafayette and Illinois has lost 20 straight B1G games. Illinois is coming off a surprising good performance against Ohio State. The Fighting Illini found holes in the Buckeyes’ secondary and were able to throw for 288 yards. The Illinois defense was even worse though and just could’t stop the Buckeyes’ offense. Purdue has won seven out of the last eight games against Illinois. The lone win for Illinois came in Champaign. I think Illinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase has a big game and will be the difference in a close Illinois win.

Michigan @ Iowa

When these two play teams play, you’re pretty much guaranteed to have a close game. Michigan always seems to play close to the vest when traveling to Iowa City. Take a look these two over the last several years and you’ll see what I mean. Iowa has won three out of the last four match-ups. I think this game favors Iowa because Michigan hasn’t played their best on the road this season and Iowa always seems to play better at Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes love to pound it out on the ground to set up short, easy passes for quarterback Jake Rudock. Michigan is a team that is hard to describe. The only for certain about them is that quarterback Devin Gardner can do enough to keep them in games until the end, which is what I think he will do this Saturday. I really can’t call a winner here because it’s just too close to call.

#13 Michigan State @ Northwestern

I feel for Northwestern and their fans. After losing to Ohio State and Wisconsin in consecutive weeks many thought they would turn it around and finish with at least eight to nine wins. But with injuries and horrible luck, they went into a tailspin they still haven’t recovered from it. The Wildcats will not even be going to a bowl this season. It’s only going to get worse this weekend when they face one of the best defenses in the country. The Spartans can smell an 11-1 season on the horizon and a potential BCS bowl bid. The offense is getting better every week, especially quarterback Connor Cook. Cook isn’t the next Peyton Manning, but he’s a good leader and doesn’t turn the ball over. And when you have a great running back like Jeremy Langston and a fierce defense, that’s all you need. I expect Michigan State to win this game easily and continue on their march to Indianapolis.

Nebraska @ Penn State

The last time Nebraska visited Happy Valley was in the wake of the Sandusky Scandal and was the first game after the firing of Joe Paterno. It was an emotional game. Nebraska won last year 32-23 in Lincoln and have won three straight in the series. The Huskers had a disappointing loss against Michigan State last weekend, which effectively eliminated them from returning to the B1G Championship for a second straight season. Nebraska’s offense is relying heavily on star running back Ameer Abdullah, who has been lighting up opposing teams all season. They also have a freshman quarterback Tommy Armstrong who is still getting acclimated to major college football. Speaking of freshman quarterbacks, Penn State has one in Christian Hackenberg, who has had a solid, but unspectacular season. The Nittany Lions have also been relying on the run a lot lately, especially Zach Zwinak. So both teams should pound it out on the ground in this game with some success, which means whoever is better at stopping the run should win. Turnovers have been issues for both this season too. I like Penn State’s chances to pull off the upset, but I’m picking Nebraska to win this one.

#19 Wisconsin @ #25 Minnesota

We have a top 25 match-up in the B1G and it involves Minnesota. Nobody saw this coming. The surprising Golden Gophers are 8-2 on the season and a pretty solid team. They have a great running game and bend, but don’t break defense. And all of this has been accomplished with head coach Jerry Kill battling health issues all season. Gophers running back David Cobb has rushed for 942 yards and seven touchdowns on the season and has been the best offensive player for Minnesota. Quarterback Philip Nelson has been steadily improving too. But the Gophers face their toughest test yet when they face Wisconsin this weekend. The Badgers have won nine straight games in this series and have been beating down every team in their path since losing to Ohio State. Wisconsin still has a shot at a BCS at-large bid too. So a lot is on the line for both teams. Everyone knows about the Badgers excellent rushing attack and it will face a solid test against a Minnesota defense that has done well against the run. The game being in Minneapolis will definitely help the Gophers. I think this game will be close at the half, but I just don’t see how Minnesota can stop Wisconsin enough to win this game. Minnesota is a good team that deserves praise for their season, but Wisconsin is on another level.

Filed Under: B1G Football
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