Same mediocre play, different week. I’m pretty sure almost every week I write this the top teams in the country are either not playing or struggling against inferior opponents. It happened again this week. Florida State squeaked by NC State while giving up 40+ points. The Seminoles are going to lose eventually; I guarantee it (in my best Men’s Warehouse voice). Oregon, Oklahoma, and Alabama were all idle this week before huge tests against Arizona, TCU, and Ole Miss respectively. Don’t be surprised if one of them goes down in an upset. As you’ll see from the “Big Games this week” section, there are plenty of great games this weekend. Many of which will be season-defining for the teams involved. After this weekend, we will have a much clearer Playoff picture headed into the month of October. So buckle up.

Notable Games Last Week

UCLA 62 Arizona State 27

I’ll be honest; I underestimated Bret Hundley and the Bruins as I predicted them to lose this one. But it’s safe to say now that UCLA is a clear contender in the PAC 12 race and pose a real threat to Oregon (they play in Pasadena on October 11). Hundley looked like a Heisman contender most of the game and if he continues to play like that, UCLA could be looking at a Playoff berth in December.

Missouri 21 South Carolina 20

A week after losing to Big Ten powerhouse, Indiana, the Tigers of Mizzou were able to dispatch South Carolina at Williams-Brice. I can’t make sense of the SEC East right now. They have no clear favorite right now except maybe for Georgia. To me it doesn’t really matter who wins the East because they will get destroyed in the SEC title game by the eventual West Champ. It’s back to the drawing board yet again for Steve Spurrier.

Ohio State 50 Cincinnati 28

What started with the Bearcats scoring on a long touchdown pass early in the game led to an Ohio State romp. Then Cincinnati came back, and then the Buckeyes pulled away again. In the middle of all that was an Ohio State student (and Evan’s Scholar) running onto the field only to get planted into the ground by former Buckeye LB Anthony Schlegel. It was an odd night. The Buckeyes still need to work on their pass defense but the offense behind J.T. Barrett and Zeke Elliot is starting to come together. If they can fix the secondary, it will be fun to watch them make a playoff push.

Big Games This Week

Ohio State at Maryland

The Buckeyes kickoff Big Ten play against the newcomer Maryland Terrapins. It will be fun to watch Ohio State fans take over College Park just like they do to every other stadium in the conference and country every week. Let’s give them a warm welcome to the Big Ten. The offense should excel most of the day, with the only real concern being on the defensive side of the ball. The secondary will have to handle WR Stefon Diggs who was once a Buckeye prospect. If they can do that, they should win big.

Saturday, October 4 at 12:00pm on ABC

Alabama at Ole Miss

Oxford, Mississippi will be rocking as the Crimson Tide roll into town on Saturday. Bama has been struggling against most of its opponents this year mostly because of the inexperience at quarterback. But the Rebels are coming off of a lackluster win over Memphis making it pretty clear that they were looking ahead to this one. I highly suggest you tune in to watch this one. Ole Miss keeps it close but the Tide pull away in the fourth quarter

Saturday, October 4 at 3:30pm on CBS

Stanford at Notre Dame

The Irish have been extremely underrated so far this season and I think as the season goes on we will start to see why they were in the title game in 2012. They’re the least talked about top 10 team by far this season. Everett Golston has been playing lights out so far and I expect that to continue against a good Stanford defense. Brian Kelly is the man in South Bend but look for a repeat of the 2012 game; it will go down to the wire. Notre Dame comes away with the W.

Saturday, October 4 at 3:30pm on NBC

Nebraska at Michigan State

Who would have thought that this game would be such a huge matchup in primetime. Not me. In what could be a Big Ten championship preview, Pelini’s Huskers march into East Lansing to take on the favored Spartans. Ameer Abdullah has been playing like a Heisman contender so far this year so the MSU Defense will be put to the challenge. But Nebraska hasn’t seen an offense as good as the Spartans all season. Guys like Connor Cook and Jeremy Langford are a handful for any defense. It’ll be a great four quarters of football, but Sparty comes away with a 3 point victory.

Saturday, October 4 at 8pm on ABC

I also suggest tuning into Arizona-Oregon, Utah-UCLA, Arizona State-USC, Texas A&M-Mississippi State, Oklahoma-TCU, Baylor-Texas, and LSU-Auburn. So go buy a case of beer, fill up your cooler, and sit your butt on the couch all day. It’s a Fall Saturday, so it’s socially acceptable.

Michigan Update

It’s going to get worse in Ann Arbor before it gets better. This has been an absolute train wreck of a season for the Wolverines and I have Brady Hoke on Fire watch any day now. His mishandling of QB Shane Morris’s concussion symptoms is just another incident in a long line of mishaps he’s had at Michigan. They lost to Minnesota this week 30-14 and their schedule doesn’t seem to get any easier (for them at least). They play Rutgers, Penn State, and Michigan State over the next three games. They will lose at least 2 of those, maybe all 3. So long, Brady.
My Playoff if the Season Ended Today

1. Oregon (was idle this week, plays Arizona this week) The Ducks will have plenty of rest heading into their game with the Wildcats. Mariota is good, I mean really good. I don’t anticipate any problems with this one. They are still my Number One.

2. Oklahoma (was idle this week, plays TCU this week) For me, the Sooners are the only equal opponent with Oregon right now. There is a huge drop off to number 3. They take on the Horned Frogs this week and I expect them to roll. The Red River Rivalry is next week. Boomer Sooner.

3. Alabama (was idle this week, plays Ole Miss this week) I bumped up the Tide this week mostly because they have been a little more consistent than Florida State. I still can’t imagine them going undefeated though. As a side note to that: I highly doubt any SEC team goes undefeated. The West is brutal.

4. Florida State (beat NC State 56-41, plays Wake Forest this week) I cannot wrap my head around their struggles so far. It sort of made sense last week since Winston was out. But they have a great defense; there is no reason why they should be giving up 41 to the Wolfpack. Have to believe they get beat eventually as well. As far as I know, the eventual national champion is sitting outside of the top 10.

Just Missed the Cut

5. Baylor
6. Auburn
7. Notre Dame
8. Texas A&M
9. Michigan State
10. Ole Miss
17. Ohio State

With Big Ten play mostly in full swing with five conference games in play over the weekend, the conference also went undefeated in the four nonconference games it had. It was not a particularly entertaining slate of games, with every game ending in at least a 14-point margin of victory. Iowa’s 24-10 victory over Purdue was the closest game of the week.

Wisconsin 27, South Florida 10

It took awhile for the Badgers to get going in this one, as they were held to three points and were tied going into halftime. Melvin Gordon turned it on after the break, rushing for 131 of his 181 yards and both touchdowns after halftime.

Tanner McEvoy was efficient in Wisconsin’s victory, throwing for 160 yards on 11-18 passing and one touchdown. The Badgers open Big Ten play next week with a trip to Evanston to take on Northwestern.

Rutgers 31, Tulane 6

Gary Nova had a record-setting day for the Scarlet Knights, as he threw for 291 yards and four touchdowns. The four touchdowns on the day pushed Nova to 61 on his career, making him Rutgers’ all-time leader in touchdown passes.

Desmon Peoples and Justin Goodwin split the workload for rushing after Paul James’ season-ending injury last week as Peoples ran for 83 yards and Goodwin added 82. Rutgers hosts the dumpster fire that is Michigan football right now next week in Piscataway.

Iowa 24, Purdue 10

Darrell Hazell’s first Big Ten win will have to be put on hold for at least another week after the Boilermakers lost to Iowa made Hazell 0-9 in conference play. Purdue actually jumped out to a 10-0 lead before the Hawkeyes were led back by two rushing scores by Mark Weisman and a touchdown pass from C.J. Beathard to Kevonte Martin-Manley.

The Boilermakers have some serious offensive issues to address if they are going to get that elusive Big Ten victory. Purdue managed just 156 total yards on offense (72 passing, 84 rushing) in the loss. Purdue visits Illinois next week while Iowa is idle before taking on Indiana in two weeks.

Michigan State 56, Wyoming 14

The defending Big Ten champions made quick work of the Cowboys in their final game before starting conference play. Michigan State jumped out to a 42-14 lead at halftime as the cruised to the victory. Jeremy Langford ran for 137 yards and a touchdown and Connor Cook added 126 yards through the air as the starters sat for most of the second half.

Tony Lippett had 76 yards receiving and a score as the Spartans put up back-to-back games with more than 50 points for the first time since 1978. Michigan State welcomes unbeaten Nebraska into Spartan Stadium in primetime next weekend.

Northwestern 29, Penn State 6

Trevor Siemian, as well as the Northwestern defense, were the stars of this game as Northwestern opened Big Ten play with a win while Penn State dropped to 1-1 in conference play. Siemian threw for 258 yards and ran for three touchdowns as Northwestern led from start to finish.

Anthony Walker’s 49-yard interception return for a touchdown was the highlight of the day for Northwestern’s defense, which held the Nittany Lions to just 50 yards rushing and only allowed the two field goals. The Wildcats host Wisconsin on Saturday and Penn State will have next week off as they prepare for a trip to Ann Arbor to take on the Wolverines in two weeks time.

Maryland 37, Indiana 15

A week after knocking off Missouri on the road, Indiana got blown out at home by conference newcomers Maryland. The Terrapins lost starting quarterback C.J. Brown for the second half, but it didn’t matter, with backup Caleb Rowe throwing for two scores. The Buckeyes will have to keep an eye on Stefon Diggs on Saturday after Diggs again posted big numbers, pulling in 6 catches for 112 yards and a touchdown.

Tevin Coleman was the lone bright spot on offense for the Hoosiers and he ended up with 122 rushing yards and a score. Maryland hosts its first Big Ten conference game next week when Ohio State visits, and Indiana looks to get back to the winning ways when they welcome North Texas to Bloomington.

Minnesota 30, Michigan 14

The Wolverines made history on Saturday, but not the kind they were hoping for. For the first time in their football history, the Wolverines have lost three games before the month of October. Minnesota dominated this game as David Cobb led the way with 183 yards on the ground for the Golden Gophers. Minnesota won the Little Brown Jug for just the second time in 24 years.

The main thing that will be remembered from this matchup is Brady Hoke’s mishandling of Shane Morris in the second half after this game was as good as over. Morris was already hobbling due to a lower leg injury when he took a nasty hit that left him dazed and barely able to stand on his own. Hoke left Morris in the game after the play, and even allowed him to re-enter the game after Devin Gardner’s helmet came off during a play. Minnesota has the week off, while the Wolverines head east to play Rutgers.

Nebraska 45, Illinois 14

Once again, Ameer Abdullah stole the show as the Cornhuskers easily dismantled the Illini defense in the rout. Abdullah had 196 yards by halftime and finished with 208 on the day as he continues his quest for the Heisman Trophy. Imani Cross added 109 yards on the ground as Nebraska rushed for 458 yards as a team.

Illinois was missing starting quarterback Wes Lunt due to a leg injury suffered last week and went with Reilly O’Toole in his place. O’Toole finished with 261 yards and a score on just 17-38 passing while being intercepted three times. Illinois hosts Purdue on Saturday in Champaign and Nebraska takes a visit to East Lansing to take on Michigan State in the B1G game of the week.

What were your biggest takeaways from the first real weekend of Big Ten play? Will Brady Hoke even make it to the end of the season as the Wolverines’ head coach? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

A Look Around the Country

I don’t know what to think of the nation’s “best” teams so far this season. Once again, the top ranked teams in the country struggled this past weekend. It just doesn’t make sense. I can’t remember the last time I’ve watched a college football season without thinking a certain team has all the goods to be National Champs. Right now, there isn’t a single team that I’m confident in to run the table. Florida State won in overtime without Infamous Jameis. Alabama struggled with a Florida team who barely beat Kentucky last week. Oregon beat Washington State by a touchdown. Oklahoma struggled briefly against West Virginia (who is better than people think). Hell, Indiana beat Missouri. Indy-freaking-Ana beat the defending SEC East Champs! I still can’t believe it happened. But that’s the kind of year it’s been. I wouldn’t be surprised if a local flag football team beat Oregon. So, let’s get into the week that was while also looking into this weekend’s slate of games.

Notable Games Last Week

Auburn 20 Kansas State 14

Much like most of last season, Auburn was able to escape defeat. This time doing it in Manhattan, Kansas in what many people considered one of the biggest games in Kansas State Football history. But the Wildcats continued to shoot themselves in the foot and lost a very winnable game. The defending SEC Champs (and a team I’ve had ranked in my top 4 since the preseason) have struggled so far this season. Eventually, they’re luck is going to run out.

Oklahoma 45 West Virginia 33

A game which was tied at halftime led to the Sooners pulling away, something Alabama couldn’t exactly do back in Week One. I firmly believe as the season goes on, we’ll start to see how good of a team the Mountaineers really are. But Oklahoma is better and right now they have a case to be number one.

Florida State 23 Clemson 17

The broadcast started with Jimbo Fisher having to send his star quarterback to the locker room because apparently not dressing for a game your suspended for is something Jameis never considered. It’s tough to figure out what this means because the guy who will be leading the Noles the rest of the way* wasn’t playing. But teams will use this to their advantage to scout against the rest of that team. If you stop Jameis, you can beat Florida State.

*As long as he doesn’t do something stupid again.

Nebraska 41 Miami (FL) 31

In the battle of “Who’s Back?” Ameer Abdullah and the Huskers didn’t disappoint. In case you haven’t noticed (and if you’ve been watching ESPN, you haven’t) Bo Pelini has them at 4-0 with Illinois coming to Lincoln this week. A win there would give them a 5-0 record headed into their game at Michigan State. I’m giddy to watch that one already. And the way this season has been going, anything can happen in East Lansing that night.

Ohio State (Bye)

The Buckeyes struggled against Bye Week as they dropped in the polls for the second consecutive week. The SEC consistently plays better against them.

Big Games This Week

UCLA at Arizona State

Both teams roll into this game with an unblemished record and the winner of this one will have a leg up in the Pac 12 South Division going forward. Arizona State is without QB Taylor Kelly but the home crowd in Tempe should make up for that. Winner of this one could very well be playing Oregon in the Pac 12 title game in December. But UCLA has been flirting with a loss all season. Sun Devils with the upset.

Thursday, September 25 at 10:00pm on FOX Sports One

Maryland at Indiana

Who would have thought that this game would hold any sort of significance in the Big Ten race in 2014. The 3-1 Terrapins take on the 2-1 Hoosiers in a Big Ten East showdown. With the amount of parity in college football this season, there’s a possibility that this could at least play a role in the East. But I’ll be honest in saying it’s an extreme longshot. However, when was the last time the Hoosiers ever played a significant game in something other than basketball? Might as well get the most out of it now.

Saturday, September 27 at 1:30pm on Big Ten Network

Missouri at South Carolina

Missouri is coming off of a disastrous loss to a basketball school while the Gamecocks barely beat a middle of the road Sun Belt team in Vanderbilt. Sure, the SEC is the best conference in the country and there’s no arguing that. But they are not as good as the south says they are. The SEC East is WIDE OPEN with these two teams along with Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia all in the mix. In my humble opinion, this division is no better than the Big Ten East. I got Spurrier in this one.

Saturday, September 27 at 7:00pm on ESPN

Cincinnati at Ohio State

All of the talk about Chris Ash’s new secondary will be put to the ultimate test on Saturday evening as former 5 star QB and Notre Dame Enrollee, Gunner Kiel comes into the Shoe. The Buckeye defense will be the X factor in this game, and if the D-line can get after Kiel, then the Bearcats should be in for a long night. They gave up 34 points to Toledo so I know we can score against them. However, I’m not sure I like our chances if we get into a shootout with them. But I don’t see that happening. Buckeyes win by 17.

Saturday, September 27 at 6:00pm on Big Ten Network

Michigan Update

Wow, I’m speechless about this team so far. They’ve gone from bad to worse. After losing to Utah 26-10 in front of about 12 people on Saturday night (to be fair, they had a weather delay) they’re season is all but over. Changes at quarterback could be coming as well as head coach. Brady Hoke will probably ride out the rest of the season, but there’s no way he’s coaching for them next year. The rest of this season has to be about getting the right coach in there to turn this once legendary program into its old self. Jim Harbaugh? Les Miles? Doug Nussmeier? Fielding Yost? Something has to change in Ann Arbor. I’m sick of beating a crappy Wolverine team each year. It’s much more fun to do that when their good. They play Minnesota for the Little Brown Jug at 3:30 on ESPN2. I have the Gophers by a touchdown.

Heisman Watch

Marcus Mariota, Oregon

21/25 passing for 329 yards and 5 touchdowns in 38-31 win over Washington State. The Ducks struggled this week against the Cougars but they can thank Mariota for the W. He’s my clear favorite right now.

Todd Gurley, Georgia

6 carries, 73 yards in 66-0 win over Troy. He was taken out early because of the horrible play of juggernaut, Troy. But he may be the best RB in the country.

Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin

13 carries for 253 yards (19.5 yards per carry!!)  and 5 touchdowns in 68-17 win over Bowling Green. That’s an insane stat line, even if it’s against a MAC team. He has to be in this discussion.

Rising Star

Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska

35 carries for 229 yards and 2 touchdowns in 41-31 win over Miami (FL). He’s an underrated player because of the lack of coverage of the Big Ten. Abdullah has to enter this discussion because of his extraordinary skill set, especially in the receiving game. We’ll see what he’s made of next week against Michigan State.

Dropping Fast

Jameis Winston, Florida State

You know why.

My Playoff if the Season Ended Today

1. Oregon (beat Washington State 38-31, plays Arizona next week) The Ducks escaped the upset bid by the Cougars. Good teams find a way to win. And this is still a great team. They stay at the top.
2. Oklahoma (beat West Virginia 45-33, plays TCU next week) The Sooners struggled in the first half in a hostile environment. But the cream rose to the top in the second half. It took Alabama a lot longer to do that in an SEC environment in Georgia. Sooners are team to be reckoned with.
3. Florida State (beat Clemson 23-17, plays NC State this week) The Seminoles are a one-dimensional team. Once someone figures that out, Florida State will go down.
4. Alabama (beat Florida 42-21, plays Ole Miss next week) The Crimson Tide finally earn a spot in my top 4. In a weaker than usual SEC, they have the best chance of being in the playoff. They can thank Amari Cooper for that. Nobody in America can cover him.

Just Missed the Cut

5. Baylor
6. Auburn
7. Notre Dame
8. Texas A&M
9. Michigan State
10. Ole Miss
11. Ohio State

 

 

Finally that daggum bye week is over and OSU fans won’t have to deal with a Saturday of watching jerks from other schools play instead of the Bucks until next season.

What’s that, there is another one in two weeks?

Fine, I’m not even going to put any effort into this post, there is no point. Bye’s really suck the fun out of me (phrasing)…

Here is the rest of the A- Z Buckeye thoughts:

 

 

 

 

Part 1 for you “Forgetful Franks”: A-Z Part 1

 

Nobody throws to baby on the corner: Has Doran Grant even played a down this year? Honestly, I don’t remember him making a play so far- which is awesome. He is going all Shawn Springs- 0 interceptions yet still first team All-American- and is making himself more cash every week (draft stock not boosters you punks). Opposing quarterbacks haven’t really tested the cornerback at all in his final year so far.  The physical specimen will have his money making hands full this weekend against Cincinnati.

On the way Holme: At risk of being one of those ding-bat Ohio State fans that believes every freshmen is Woody’s gift to Earth and every senior plays like Betty White, I believe Jalyn Holmes is poised to take over opposite the gorgeous-Joey Bosa at defensive end pretty soon. Steve Miller and Rashad Frazier have been pretty average if you ask me and the freshmen’s talent maybe too much to keep off the field. Am I judging Holmes based off of one solid game against Kent State? I guess so, sometimes when you know you know.

Picktown Pride: Being a Pickerington child myself, I am very proud to say that the Ohio State starting offensive line is 40% P-town alumni with Pat Elflein and Jacoby Boren. It’s an awesome time for us east siders. Upper white middle class is going to take over NCAA football, you heard it here first.

Quit Scheduling Navy: Especially the first week of the season. Urban seemed none to pleased in post-game interviews and has said that a few early enrolled freshmen were only used as Navy wingbacks for the scout team from April to the start of the season. Why schedule a game that forces you to waste a kid’s first few months of practice for one game that you get no credit for winning? It’s even more maddening when you hear Bud Foster say that VA Tech was planning their surprise “bear” defense against Ohio State since spring ball while Ohio State had no time to plan for the Hokies. Speaking of…

Rye goes down smoothest: Almost the end of the month and many Buckeye fans are still not over the Virginia Tech debacle but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a learning experience.  Being an alcoholic on 12 Saturdays a year, September 6th taught me that the best way to force yourself to go to sleep after a maddening night is to drink Bulleit Rye Bourbon on the rocks until your eyes shut. It worked but my liver hasn’t spoken to me since.

S.S.S.: The Schedule switch stings in hindsight. Ohio State moving the VA Tech game up from week 3 to week 2 may have cost the Buckeyes a loss in my biased mind. With as many youngsters and as much time that was spent preparing for the goofy navy squad, it’s tough to not make the assumption that another week to prepare for the Hokies wouldn’t have made a world of difference. With that said, Frank Beamer’s squad had just as many young guys as the Buckeyes and Ohio State should not be making excuses for why they weren’t prepared for Virginia Tech… ever.

Thank heaven my wife is an English teacher: I’m privileged to get to write about Ohio State for the motsag but the only reason that happens is because a woman much smarter than me edits my gibberish before it is edited by my bosses. Oh what they would think if they saw my first drafts….

Under utilized: I’m sick and tired of  saying it- get the ball to the tight ends. Ohio State started doing it against Kent State last week but this needs to be an every week occurrence. Tim Hinton said yesterday that Jeff Heuerman is one of the best in the country at his position and some scouts feel he can be one of the top tight ends taken in next years draft. I’m ready to finally see why.

Virginia Tech- This is why we can’t give you nice wins: Losses to East Carolina and Georgia Tech after winning your biggest road game in school history make me giggle. That’s what you get when you put all your spring and fall camps into one game (yup still not over it). Michael Brewer was credited with having a terrific game against the Bucks, and not to toot my own horn, but I didn’t see it. Despite some nice scrambles and a solid td pass, he didn’t even throw for 200 yards and had three turnovers against Ohio State. He’s been the same in the last two losses.

Von Bell is a peach: The sophmore star from Georgia looks like he is going to be a big time playmaker in the next couple years. For the first time since the beginning of last season, Ohio State has a promising secondary.

When will they commit?: Damien Harris and Torrance Gibson are two crazy athletes who many consider to be Buckeye leans. The longer they wait the more nervous the leader gets, but most recruiting experts believe Ohio State is still in good shape with these two blue chippers.

X: Piss off I tried.

You can catch him: My boy Dontre Wilson had a decent start to the 2014 season yet a lot of Ohio State fans are expecting more. He has been so close to breaking the big one yet keeps getting tripped up. He’s averaging 5 yards a carry and 20 yards a catch, it just seems he hasn’t found the vision to become truly elite. Some really stupid fans will tell you that they are ready to give up on the sophmore h-back from Texas for others behind him; just laugh it off and imagine how bad Michigan would love to have an offensive back that averages 11 yards a touch.

Zeke needs to be the man: I’m ready for Ezekiel Elliot to get 15-20 carries a game. As much as I love Curtis Samuel, Zeke’s 225 pound frame will be more reliable between the tackles once the physical Big Ten season starts.  I think the 180 pound Samuel will be an outstanding compliment to the bigger Elliott. It’d just be nice to see the big boy run like he’s got 40 pounds on his backup.

 

Finally, after what seemed to be a ten year weekend, we get some real football back Saturday. I’m still upset we have to deal with another one of these bye’s so quickly but at least we aren’t UC fans. The Bearcats didn’t play the first two weeks during the season and I don’t know how their fans survived (oh yea I do, all of their fans are big time bandwagon dickweeds). If that was me I would have definitely looked at freezing myself or googled how to induce a two week coma.

Hopefully that the positives on this list will remain as such and the negatives will be forgotten quicker than the ice bucket challenge.

Who knows, maybe come December, we can finally forget about 9/6/14. I don’t know if I want to let it go though. I feel like heading down to the shoe this weekend all dressed in white and smoking cigarettes while following the happy nut fans around to remind them of that horrible night. We need to make sure they never forget- Leftovers style…