Upset Saturday shakes up the Playoff Race

Welcome back to my weekly column, A Look Around the Country. I’m highlighting notable games from the previous week, the week ahead and of course, the Heisman and Playoff race. Special features include an in-depth look at the Ohio State and a Michigan update, mainly for folks to bask in their misfortunes. Feel free to comment with your opinions, I hope you enjoy!

Notable Games Last Week

Washington 17, USC 12

The Trojans have now dropped out of the Top 25 after losing to Washington by five. Head Coach, Steve Sarkisian was given a leave of absence by USC AD Pat Haden on Sunday morning following the team’s loss. There are huge problems in Troy and we hope the best for Sark.

Texas 24 Oklahoma 17

Charlie Strong was able to get his biggest victory at Texas by shocking the Sooners and the nation in the Red River Rivalry. Oklahoma has seemingly taken themselves out of the playoff race as they still have to face Baylor and TCU. There seems to be a little Texas Fight left in the Longhorns.

Michigan 38, Northwestern 0

Ok. It can’t be ignored anymore. Michigan is absolutely for real as they pitched their third straight shutout over ranked Northwestern. Harbaugh has this team clicking on all cylinders with perhaps the only exception to that being QB Jake Rudock. Pat Fitzgerald just seems to never be able to get over the hump in these marquee games.

Utah 30, California 24

Some late night Pac 12 action was a little closer than I thought, but the Utes were able to escape with a victory. Utah is the clear favorite out west and they have themselves positioned for a playoff berth as they control their own destiny. They don’t have a terribly tough schedule left, so their chances of reaching the playoff are high.

Big Games this Week

UCLA at Stanford

After dropping an early one to Northwestern, Stanford has been able to string a few wins together which has contributed to their rise in the rankings. Following their game with UCLA, they’ll have smooth sailing until their last game of the year vs Notre Dame. They have a strong chance to make the Pac 12 Championship by representing the North Division. UCLA also likely controls their own destiny as well as their only tough matchup remaining will be against Utah in late November.

Thursday, October 15 at 10:30pm on ESPN

Iowa at Northwestern

Another big time Big Ten West matchup happens this weekend, this time in Evanston. The Wildcats were destroyed by Michigan but have a chance to redeem themselves against undefeated Iowa. The West Division is still wide open with Iowa currently leading the pack as the most likely team to head to Indianapolis.

Saturday, October 17 at Noon on ESPN 2

Alabama at Texas A&M

Most people would have never guessed how hyped these games would be when the Aggies came into the SEC, but it has quickly turned into one of the better rivalries down south. Kyle Field will be rocking when the Saban train comes into College Station but I don’t think they’ll be loud for long. Alabama feeds off being disrespected and dismissed (just like the Buckeyes) so I would expect an ugly game.

Saturday, October 17 at 3:30pm on CBS

Michigan State at Michigan

Harbaugh vs Dantonio I is about to be a banger in Ann Arbor. College Gameday will be in town for this Big Ten East showdown that should more than entertain us Buckeye fans as were waiting for our game to start. These are two great football teams and I think it comes down who makes the least amount of mistakes. The Wolverine defense will pester Connor Cook all day and they’ll get the W. Michigan fans are going to be unbearable to deal with now.

Saturday, October 17 at 3:30pm on ESPN

Florida at LSU

Both the Gators and Tigers are undefeated headed into this one which is the highlight of a loaded SEC schedule this week. Florida has been a surprise this season and frankly so has LSU even though their expectations weren’t as low as Florida’s. But the difference in this game will be Tiger Stadium. Plain and simple. Oh and that Leonard Fournette guy too.

Saturday, October 17 at 8pm on ESPN

Penn State at Ohio State

A great day of football caps off in a darker than usual Ohio Stadium as the Buckeyes will take the field with black uniforms for the first time in program history. We all remember Ohio State’s escape last year in Happy Valley in double overtime but are hoping we don’t have to sit through another pressure cooker again this year. The Buckeye offense was much more efficient against Maryland, especially when inserting J.T. Barrett in red zone situations. But Penn State always seems to be a tough out, so except a closer than usual game.

Saturday, October 17 at 8pm on ABC

Michigan Update

See my analysis above on their win over Northwestern and upcoming game with Michigan State
Heisman Watch

1. Leonard Fournette, LSU

2. Trevone Boykin, TCU

3. Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State

4. Seth Russell, Baylor

5. Derrick Henry, Alabama

My Playoff if the Season Ended Today

*Editor’s Note: This will be a volatile poll every week based on performance in the past week and resume to date, very similar to the Playoff Committee.

1. Ohio State (beat Maryland, plays Penn State)

2. Baylor (beat Kansas, plays West Virginia)

3. Michigan State (beat Rutgers, plays Michigan)

4. LSU (beat South Carolina, plays Florida)

Just Missed the Cut

5. Utah (beat Cal, plays Arizona State)

6. TCU (beat Kansas State, plays Iowa State)

7. Clemson (beat Georgia Tech, plays Boston College)

8. Alabama (beat Arkansas, plays Texas A&M)

9. Florida State (beat Miami, plays Louisville)

10. Michigan (beat Northwestern, plays Michigan State)

Upset Saturday shakes up the Playoff Race

Welcome back to my weekly column, A Look Around the Country. I’ll be highlighting notable games from the week before, the week ahead and of course, the Heisman and Playoff race. Special features include an in-depth look at the Buckeyes and a Michigan update, mainly for folks to bask in their misfortunes. Feel free to comment with your opinions, I hope you enjoy!

Georgia, Ole Miss, UCLA, Notre Dame all went down on Upset Saturday but that does not mean they are out of the playoff picture completely. Alabama and Florida both looked great and so did Oklahoma. This race is far from over.

Notable Games Last Week

Oklahoma 44, West Virginia 24

The Sooners won big over West Virginia and have gotten themselves into the Big 12 race. I mentioned this last week, but everyone is paying attention to TCU and Baylor as playoff contenders. I am starting to think Big Game Bob has one more big season in him. OU takes on Texas this week in the Red River Rivalry. Hate to see it because I like the guy, but Charlie Strong may not have much time left in Austin.

Alabama 38, Georgia 10

Who said the Tide was dead? Ok, I did. Alabama silenced a lot of doubters by demolishing Georgia and putting themselves back atop the SEC. I still think the Tide drops 2 more games this season but if they were to win out, they’ll be back in the Playoff.

Ohio State 34, Indiana 27

So, that was closer than expected. The Buckeyes nearly derailed their perfect season in Bloomington of all places but were able to escape in the final minute. The offense has been average thus far but Zeke Elliott exploded and even came close to Eddie George’s single game rushing record (314 vs Illinois, 1995). Urban has said that he thinks the offense is close to something big, which is good to hear. I do think they will get their act together and we will all be able to look back on this with good humor. Be patient.

Florida 38, Ole Miss 10

Gator Chomp! Florida was able to handle the Rebels quite handedly and are now in the driver’s seat of the SEC East race. I am very surprised that they won especially in the way that they did it. Jim McElwain has done a great job in year one and will be a popular candidate for Coach of the Year. Ole Miss will need to go back to the drawing board.

Clemson 24, Notre Dame 22

Clemson was able to hold off a late surge by the Irish for a 2 point win in Death Valley. Despite the victory, I am not high on the Tigers and expect them to lose at least once. Notre Dame can win out and maybe make the playoff, but they would have to be very impressive the rest of the season. Clemson’s big game with Florida State still looms.

Big Games this Week

Maryland at Ohio State

So, that was closer than expected. The Buckeyes nearly derailed their perfect season in Bloomington of all places but were able to escape in the final minute. The offense has been average thus far but Zeke Elliott exploded and even came close to Eddie George’s single game rushing record (314 vs Illinois, 1995). Urban has said that he thinks the offense is close to something big, which is good to hear. I do think they will get their act together and we will all be able to look back on this with good humor. Be patient.

Saturday, October 10 at Noon on Big Ten Network

Northwestern at Michigan

I’ve never been more excited for a Northwestern-Michigan game in my entire life. Both teams are ranked so I would expect the Big House to be rocking for this one. If Pat Fitzgerald and the Wildcats are able to pull this one out (and I think they will) they could very well be a top 10 team and will be a frontrunner for the Big Ten Title Game. This will be their toughest game for the rest of the season so if they win, they could be a playoff favorite !?!?!?? headed into December. Unreal.

Saturday, October 10 at 3:30pm on Big Ten Network

California at Utah

College Gameday will be in Salt Lake City for a game that is usually watched by nobody, including the team’s fans. Utah is the favorite in the Pac 12 and I see them taking care of business quite easily against Cal. It’ll be played at 10pm eastern so if you stay up that late, enjoy yourself.

Saturday, October 10 at 10pm on ESPN

Michigan Update

Michigan shutout Maryland in impressive fashion and take on a ranked Northwestern team next. But it doesn’t get any easier as they play Michigan State next week in Ann Arbor. Spoiler Alert: Sparty is going down.

Heisman Watch

1. Leonard Fournette, LSU

2. Trevone Boykin, TCU

3. Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State

4. Derrick Henry, Alabama

5. Seth Russell, Baylor

6. Nick Chubb, Georgia

My Playoff if the Season Ended Today

*Editor’s Note: This will be a volatile poll every week based on performance in the past week and resume to date, very similar to the Playoff Committee.

1. Ohio State (beat Indiana, plays Maryland)

2. Michigan State (beat Purdue, plays Rutgers)

3. Baylor (beat Texas Tech, plays Kansas)

4. LSU (beat Eastern Michigan, plays South Carolina)

Just Missed the Cut

5. TCU (beat Texas, plays Kansas State)

6. Utah (Bye week, plays Cal)

7. Clemson (beat Notre Dame, plays Georgia Tech)

8. Alabama (beat Georgia, plays Arkansas)

9. Florida State (beat Wake Forest, plays Miami)

10. Notre Dame (lost to Clemson, plays Navy)

THE OFFENSIVE STRUGGLE CONTINUES

If you have been mindful of how sloppy and out of sync the Ohio State offense has been over the past three weeks, I wouldn’t be too quick to doubt them any longer.  The end of the lack of offense is coming and it will come in just in time for the BIG Conference play.  Ohio State will pick up the pace and join the offense as a force to be reckoned with.  I am predicting that the Buckeyes will progressively grow as a dynamic offense.  After the Western Michigan game, I think the Buckeyes finally realized that they have the capability to once again be called a juggernaut on the offensive side of the ball.  Coach Meyer had been struggling to anoint a starting quarterback, but after Cardale Jones’ improved performance against a Broncos team, Meyer removed the dreaded “OR” on the most recent depth chart.  Now Jones has starting gig and I am sure that he will turn it up within the next few weeks because now he doesn’t have J.T. Barrett chomping at his heels.  Now he doesn’t have much to think about besides winning, and winning big.  I am almost certain that Jones torches the next two teams.  Indiana is currently 4-0 and afterwards we play a terrible Maryland team.  If there is a way to light a fire for the offense, I will offer the next two teams as tribute to prepare for Penn State and the rest of the Big Ten.

THE SILVER BULLETS PICKING UP THE SLACK

When it comes to scroring, the defense has scored at least once in the last three games.  So far our best offense is when the playmakers on defense make an impact while the opposing offense is on the field.  Against Hawaii, Vonn Bell recovered a fumble and scored.  Against Northern Illinois, Darron Lee had a pass thrown his way and he took it back to the house for six.  And lastly, and more recently Adolphus Washington blew up a Half Back screen and intercepted for a fat man touchdown.  The Defense has been on fire as of late and they are anxiously awaiting for the arrival of the offense.  The Defense has had a field day on opposing offenses.  Through four games the Buckeyes have registered 14 total sacks as a defensive unit, they have forced 9 total turnovers (4 interceptions and 5 fumbles recovered).  The Defense is currently allowing 12.3 Points Per Game!  Although having defense is a luxury at this point the offense will need to pick up the pace a bit, but I am not too worried about it.  Defense wins Championships, so until the offense finds itself, I have no problem watching the Silver Bullets wreak havoc on opposing offenses.

BIG TEN CONFERENCE PLAY IS HERE

I normally don’t get this excited for conference play, but this year I look forward to the Buckeyes playing familiar foes in the BIG 10.  This week we play a feisty Indiana Hoosiers team at Indiana.  The last two seasons the Buckeyes have handled business, but will this season bring something different?  I don’t think so, but I have a feeling that this game will be a good one for at least one half or a quarter while both teams try to figure each other out.  Once Jones finds the gas pedal, the Buckeyes will easily pull away.  Could I be wrong?  Sure, but it may not be likely.  After this week we play at the Shoe against a 2-2 Maryland team who is struggling mightily after dropping games to two potent offenses, West Virginia team and Bowling Green.  Yes, Bowling Green beat them on their home soil!  So after the two conference games, it should prepare the Buckeyes for a home game against rival Penn State.   That should be one heck of a game because last years walk-off sack is still fresh in their minds and I guarantee that the Nittany Lions are out for revenge.  That should be another good one!  After the Penn State game, the Buckeyes travel to Rutgers, then they have a home game against Minnesota and then travel the Champagne, Illinois to battle for Illibuck.  After those games comes the most lethal part of Ohio State’s conference schedule, a home game against rival Michigan State and a road game at the Big House, against TTUN.  Conference play is going to be tough and I am hoping for the best and I am trying not to downplay anything.  Every conference game will be tough.  Some will be more so than other.  Here’s to an exciting Big Ten season.  Go Bucks!!!

MY TWO CENTS

I am predicting a slow start against Indiana.  The Buckeyes will use the momentum from their defense to carry the offense again before the offense picks it up.  The Buckeyes will sack QB Nate Sudfeld early and often and they will force him into bad situations.  I am predicting at least 3 sacks, 1 fumble and 2 interceptions with one defensive touchdown.  Cardale Jones will go off evenly distributing the rock to his long list of offensive weapons.  There will be a Braxton Miller sighting too.  I am predicting Jones to have around 235 passing yards with 4 total touchdowns (3 passing and 1 rushing).  I know that the Buckeyes will be on upset alert week in and week out, but I just have a gut feeling that this game will set the stage for the rest of the season.  Buckeyes win in style on offense and defense:  38-24.

PREDICTING THE STAT LINES

Here is something new!  I will see how in tune I am with The Ohio State Buckeyes.  I will try to predict the stat lines from week to week.  Let’s see…

Offense

Cardale Jones:  26/46, 235 yards, 2 TD 8 rushes, 47 yards, 1 int

Ezekiel Elliot:  24 rushes, 127 yards, 1 TD, 2 receptions, 24 yards

Curtis Samuel:  12 rushes, 64 yards, 1 reception, 16 yards

Michael Thomas:  9 receptions, 79 yards, 1 TD

Jalin Marshall:  3 receptions, 47 yards, 1 TD

Braxton Miller:  4 receptions, 56 yards, 6 rushes, 22 yards

Nick Vannett: 2 receptions, 12 yards

Defense:

4 sacks, 2 interceptions, 1 FF, 1 fumble recovery, 1 interception for TD

FINAL SCORE:  38-24 (give or take TD for both teams)

Pac 12 teams shine in Week Four

Welcome back to my weekly column, A Look Around the Country. I’ll be highlighting notable games from the week before, the week ahead and of course, the Heisman and Playoff race. Special features include an in-depth look at the Buckeyes and a Michigan update, mainly for folks to bask in their misfortunes. Feel free to comment with your opinions, I hope you enjoy!

At the beginning of the year, who saw Utah beating Oregon by six touchdowns? Not me. Another barnburner included UCLA demolishing Arizona by 26. Both teams have shot up in the polls and look to contend for the Pac 12 crown now that the Oregon reign appears to be over.

Notable Games Last Week

TCU 55, Texas Tech 52

The Horned Frogs should have dropped this one in Lubbock, but they were able to escape after a score late in the game. TCU was picked by many to be in the playoff this year but have been underwhelming thus far. Trevone Boykin has been amazing but their defense is terrible and will ultimately lead to a loss.

UCLA 56, Arizona 30

Josh Rosen and the Bruins were able to take care of business against Arizona and are now the favorite in the Pac 12 to reach the Playoff. They end the season with Utah and USC which sounds much tougher than it did a year ago. Until then, expect them to continue climbing up the polls.

Utah 62, Oregon 20

Going into Autzen Stadium and beating Oregon by 42 is no easy task. Now that Utah has done it, many experts have crowned them as the number 1 team in the land. I am very impressed with them thus far but do not see them continuing on this trajectory. The Utes still have USC and UCLA and I expect them to drop one of those. Mark Helfrich and Oregon have to go back to the drawing board now.

Big Games this Week

West Virginia at Oklahoma

Slowly but surely, the Sooners have been improving and are now increasing their rankings in the polls. All eyes have been on TCU and Baylor, but we might see Oklahoma creep back into the Big 12 picture (their archrival, Texas, sure as hell isn’t). West Virginia has also improved throughout the year but I think there’re still a step or two away.

Saturday, October 3 at Noon on Fox Sports 1

Minnesota at Northwestern

Who would have thought that this would ever be a big game in the Big Ten? Northwestern is ranked 16th in the AP Poll while Minnesota’s (who should be ranked) only loss is to TCU. It seems that every year Pat Fitzgerald has the Wildcats on the brink of a West Division crown but the wheels always come off. With a wide open race to Indianapolis, maybe this is the year. Expect a classic in Evanston.

Saturday, October 3 at Noon on Big Ten Network

Alabama at Georgia

The Tide have underachieved this year which is something that Georgia almost always does (thanks to Mark Richt who by some miracle still has a job). However, Nick Chubb has been a wrecking ball this season and should be a problem for Nick Saban’s coveted defense. Lane Kiffin hasn’t been able to get his offense going either. Sanford Stadium will be rocking both between and in-between the hedge rows for this one. Tuscaloosa will cease to exist at around 7pm Eastern time.

Saturday, October 3 at 3:30pm on CBS

Ohio State at Indiana

The Buckeyes took a step in the right direction against Western Michigan with Cardale Jones taking all of the reps as QB. He is now listed as the sole starter on the depth chart, which means he’ll get the majority of the reps in practice instead of splitting time with J.T. Barrett. The defense didn’t play as well as they have been, but I don’t think its cause for concern. The Hoosiers are 4-0 and although they haven’t played anyone yet, look halfway decent. There will be more IU fans at Memorial Stadium than usual but I still expect it to turn into Ohio Stadium West.

Saturday, October 3rd at 3:30pm on ABC or ESPN 2

Notre Dame at Clemson

Death Valley is one of the great atmospheres in college football and Saturday Night will be no different with the Irish coming to town. But I don’t expect it to be electric for long. Notre Dame is for real (despite injuries) and I see them running through the Tigers. Clemson looked horrible as they escaped Louisville last week and that will translate into this game. People need to start taking Notre Dame seriously.

Saturday, October 3rd at 8pm on ABC

Michigan Update

So, Michigan is good. After blasting BYU 31-0 in impressive fashion, it appears the Wolverines are on their way back with Jim Harbaugh at the helm. With two months before the Buckeyes roll into Ann Arbor, it’s starting to look like that may be one for the ages.

Heisman Watch

1. Leonard Fournette, LSU

2. Trevone Boykin, TCU

3. Nick Chubb, Georgia

4. Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State

5. Josh Rosen, UCLA

6. Derrick Henry, Alabama

My Playoff if the Season Ended Today

*Editor’s Note: This will be a volatile poll every week based on performance in the past week and resume to date, very similar to the Playoff Committee.

1. Ohio State (beat Western Michigan, plays Indiana)

2. Michigan State (beat Central Michigan, plays Purdue)

3. Baylor (beat Rice, plays Texas Tech)

4. LSU (beat Syracuse, plays Eastern Michigan)

Just Missed the Cut

5. Ole Miss (beat Vanderbilt, plays Florida)

6. Notre Dame (beat UMass, plays Clemson)

7. UCLA (beat Arizona, plays Arizona State)

8. Georgia (beat Southern, plays Alabama)

9. Utah (beat Oregon, plays Cal)

10. TCU (beat Texas Tech, plays Texas)

Ohio State’s national championship victory was a bittersweet moment for me this past January, and I’m sure that the rest of Buckeye Nation felt the same way. While that might sound ridiculous at first, it’s true – after all the exuberant yelling, celebratory text messages and tweets shared with friends, and a futile attempt to get a solid night of sleep, the reality settled in: college football season was over.

Sure, I was excited to watch SportsCenter highlights and listen to college football analysts talk about how impressive Ohio State’s playoff run had been, and couldn’t wait to buy my “Undisputed National Champs” t-shirt from the local sporting goods store. But it still meant that, for the first time in four months, I didn’t have another OSU football game to look forward to.

The college football offseason lasts a painfully long time, leaving fans craving August training camp. It’s this mentality we should keep in mind as Ohio State continues to navigate its way through this 2015 season. Think about it – not counting a potential appearance in the Big Ten championship game and the College Football Playoffs, this season is already 25 percent complete. Think about that the next time you want to fast-forward the season to see Urban Meyer square off against Jim Harbaugh or a potential “Game of the Century 2.0” against Michigan State in late November.

It’s important that Ohio State fans cherish the moment. The 2015 Buckeyes are a talented bunch that, three weeks into the season, certainly isn’t without flaws. It has surprisingly seemed like the opposite – as if OSU has had more “lowlights” than highlights – at least on the offensive side of the ball – despite putting together a 3-0 record. There is a lot of chatter about the offense lacking an identity, the lack of an established full-time quarterback hurting the team’s rhythm, and a lack of touches for arguably the country’s best running back. While that’s all true, fans shouldn’t let those concerns completely cloud the excitement and potential that each week presents over the course of the season. We should all embrace each week for what it is: a work in progress; improvements being made and chess pieces being moved so that the Buckeyes are playing championship-level football in November, December and January.

Fans should continue to look forward to each Saturday, whether Ohio State is playing against a marquee opponent at 8 p.m. or against a heavy underdog at noon with Beth Mowins announcing. It’s the coaching staff’s responsibility to figure out solutions to any shortcomings the team might have less than a month into the season; it’s important to use some good wet pour safety surfacing to keep things safe. Don’t fret about how the Buckeyes offense will fare against more athletically gifted defenses when they only score one touchdown against Northern Illinois; enjoy the triumphant return of the Silver Bullets defense. Don’t waste your energy arguing on behalf of J.T. Barrett or Cardale Jones taking 100 percent of the quarterback reps; focus on the Dez Bryant-esque body control and playmaking ability of Michael Thomas.

The college football season is too short to put too much attention on the negatives. Ohio State has an elite coaching staff to go along with elite facilities and elite players. Regardless of this season ends months from now, embrace each week for what it is – one of the last few times that Braxton Miller will don the Scarlet and Gray; potential All-American performances by multiple players; young players beginning to scratch the surface of their OSU legacy. Trust in the process and enjoy the three hours of Buckeye football we get to watch every week. Don’t take it all for granted because, before you know it, we’ll be stuck with nothing but baseball and an anxious anticipation of the 2016 season.