An Ohio State Sports Blog
We know it’s short notice, but we’d like to invite all our readers to join us in a little Bowl Pick ‘Em madness during the 2012 Bowl Season.
Yeah, the Buckeyes can’t win anything this year, but YOU can! We are still compiling the complete gift package, but right now we will be offering a $50 gift card to Amazon.com
You can join us at Yahoo Sports College Bowl Pick:
Group: 30381
Password: gobucks!!
Hope to see you there and good luck!
It’s bowl season and maybe that excites you, but I find it pretty anti-climatic. Instead of watching good teams face off week after week with everything on the line in a battle to be the last one standing, we get a giant pile of one-off matchups, most of which we wouldn’t watch if they weren’t the only options.
Arizona vs. Nevada? Toledo vs. Utah State? Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky?
Why?
Sure, come January we get… um… a bunch of Big Ten losses and hopefully a Northern Illinois upset over Florida State (otherwise, that game will be terrible). Kansas State vs. Oregon and Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M should be good, but they don’t mean anything. Alabama vs. Notre Dame for the title is fine, but don’t we deserve better?
Yeah, I know, the playoff is coming and I hate to complain about that, because it’s a great first step. But as progress goes, it’s pretty conservative. If you consider the BCS a two-team playoff, then this new thing adds a single round to that. And it’s become clear that the playoff is not the priority for anyone involved. More attention and resources have been directed toward re-structuring the bowl system that surrounds it and inflating conferences until no one even knows who they’re supposed to hate anymore. And then there’s the fact that this first step was designed in a way that makes it impossible to take a second step until 2026.
All to ensure that we get more Air Force vs. Rice. And Iowa State vs. Tulsa. And East Carolina vs. Louisiana-Lafayette.
Why not scrap the bowls entirely and replace them with a 32-team extravaganza that would instantly become the sports event of the year? Don’t think there’s enough time for that? If it started this Saturday (just like the bowls do) and allowed 6 days between rounds, the title game would be on January 8, just one day later than currently scheduled.
As for intriguing games on opening weekend, do you think you might tune in to Nebraska @ Oklahoma? (Did I mention my playoff would have its games hosted by the higher-seeded team? Of course it would.) How about Texas @ Stanford or Northwestern @ Clemson? Could the Alvarez-helmed Badgers pull off a shocker at LSU? Can trendy Cinderella pick Northern Illinois off Michigan at home for a shot at Alabama? Or will Rutgers upend the Tide themselves?
Will there be mismatches and blowouts in this playoff? Of course, but they will be blowouts by teams we care about. And there will be some upsets too, because that’s what happens. Why is college football the only sport that has to worry about whether its champion was the “best” team? What does that even mean? Pick any national champion in the BCS era, and you can find someone who will argue convincingly that they weren’t the best team that season. This obsession with the national champ “deserving it” is costing us an entertaining post-season full of exciting games featuring teams that would never play each other otherwise. And every single game would matter.
We could have that every December.
Or do you prefer Minnesota vs. Texas Tech?
BYE BYE BERTY
Bret Bielema is leaving Wisconsin for Arkansas and of course this a huge black eye for the Big Ten, because as you know, Bielema was one of our finest coaching minds and the SEC just swiped him right out from under our noses. In his seven years as King of Badgers, Bielema won an astounding 75% of his conference games, produced a Heisman-winning quarterback and guided his team to two BCS national championships.
Oh wait, that was Urban Meyer, some guy who ascended to legendary status at an SEC power before leaving the profession, only to be pulled back in less than a year later by a Big Ten school.
Bielema won 69% of his conference games, produced no Heisman winner and never even won a BCS bowl, let alone a championship (although it should be noted that he played for zero of those).
But yeah, the SEC sure got the best of us.
There’s a lot of speculation as to why Bielema wanted to leave and why Wisconsin let him go without, apparently, much of a fight (it’s been reported that his new salary is not significantly more than his old one). It doesn’t seem that complicated to me.
He wanted out because he’s a gigantic baby who saw years and years of losing to Ohio State and Michigan and (if they can keep Bill O’Brien around until they’re eligible and relevant again) Penn State and never being the Big Dog he always wanted to be. Will he find that in the SEC? No, but at least he’ll have ESPN to make excuses for him there for three years before he gets fired.
Why didn’t Wisconsin fight for him? Because they saw the exact same thing. Bielema has had success in the Big Ten, but he’s not an innovative coaching mind. He’s not going anywhere. If Arkansas wants to win 4-5 conference games a year, lose bowl games and never sniff the playoffs, then they’ve hired the right guy.
Don’t let that 70-31 thrashing of Nebraska fool you. The Huskers’ run defense (#96 nationally!) had already been exposed a few times before the Badgers exploited it in a nothing-to-lose free-for-all. And don’t believe it when ESPN blames Wisconsin’s inevitable poor performance against Stanford (#3 rush defense!) in the Rose Bowl on Bielema’s absence.
And while we watch Urban Meyer rip the Big Ten a new one next season, maybe–if we’re lucky–we’ll get some cutaway shots of Bielema scowling on the sideline as Nick Saban or Les Miles runs up the score on him.
FRAUD UPDATE
With just bowl season remaining, it’s time to see how well the annual Fraud List did this year. Under the rules of this exercise (a major conference team that is undefeated in September but loses at least 5 games on the season), there were only three fraud teams in the nation this year, and they all play in the Big 12.
As I guessed, TCU was one of them, dropping their first game after the List and two more in October alone. The Horned Frogs contributed to West Virginia’s fraud season, a plummet I should have seen coming with the margin of victory shrinking with each passing week in their five-win opening stretch. As you might remember, they then lost their next five. Less predictable was Texas Tech, who seemed to just win or lose with no discernible pattern.
I can’t be too hard on the system this year, since no other team achieved true fraud status, but I am disappointed that West Virginia slipped through the cracks. I will be doing some more research in the off-season in hopes of improving the method for next time.
THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN
This weekend is the Army/Navy game and I have nothing against this rivalry, a college football tradition that transcends the sport itself. That said, it’s not much of a rivalry these days, with Navy on a 10-game streak of mostly blowout wins. Army hasn’t won two straight in the series since a 1992-1996 stretch that saw the Black Knights reel off five consecutive victories by a TOTAL of 10 points.
But what else are you going to watch?
The University of Maryland’s Board of Regents voted Monday to accept an invitation to join the Big Ten and begin competition in the conference in the 2014-15 academic year, sources told ESPN. An afternoon announcement will be made in College Park.
Meanwhile, Big East Conference sources told ESPN that Rutgers will be announced as the 14th member of the Big Ten on Tuesday.
– ESPN.com
Why? Well, among other reasons, money:
According to a television executive familiar with the Northeast corridor, the move could ultimately be worth as much as $200 million annually for the Big Ten in cable subscription fees.
Does this change anything for Ohio State? Other than divisional realignments, probably not.
It’s Michigan week anyway. Who cares?!
So for the past couple days, the professional journalists at PennLive have been whining virtually non-stop about some supposed Big Ten conspiracy against them. This is centered mostly around officiating (no-calls, botched replays, etc.) and has culminated in this piece of brilliance suggesting the school leave the conference for the ACC.
I really hope they do.
But first, let’s talk about that “conspiracy.” If there was a plot to make Penn State lose games through purposefully shoddy officiating, it would actually be amazingly simple to detect. Penalty statistics are readily available (we here at MOTSAG prefer cfbstats.com but we’re not trying to tell you what to do) and all one would have to do is compare penalties and yardage for each team and those of their opponents to see if there is a noticeable imbalance.
So I did. I calculated the percentages of total penalties and penalty yardage each team received in all games. This sounds harder than it was; it literally took me four minutes. Apparently, no one at PennLive has four minutes to spare while pounding out yet another Completely-Missing-The-Point post about how sorry we should feel for them.
Now, conspiracies aren’t easy to pull off perfectly, but it would make sense that if Penn State was being treated unfairly that they would at least be in the bottom 3 of the Big Ten in Officiating Equality (me? oh, just inventing new stats. whatchu doin’?) Â and probably, say, the bottom 25 nationally, right?
But of course, they’re not.
Six Big Ten teams have been less fairly treated by the refs than Penn State this year. Six. Out of eleven. Nationally, the Nittany Lions come in at #66 (of 124). That’s right. They’re actually on the winning side of officiating imbalance both in the conference and in the nation! Granted, I can’t easily account for botched replays, but those are at least somewhat subjective and heavily reliant on the call on the field.
There is simply no officiating conspiracy against Penn State. There’s not even a subconscious bias, as others who want to whine but still want to sound like reasonable human beings have suggested. Penn State is getting a pretty average officiating treatment this year. I know that’s hard for Nittany Lion fans to hear. That’s no fun.
Making absurdly childish threats is fun.
So go ahead and move to the ACC (where six teams have been less fairly treated than Penn State so far this year too). That would allow the Big Ten to add Notre Dame or Oklahoma without splitting up the pie any further. Oh yeah, that pie? They don’t have that kind in the ACC. The financial hit would only further hurt your program on top of the NCAA sanctionbomb you haven’t even truly felt yet.
That is, of course, if the ACC even wants Penn State. And really, why would they?
With a couple of teams on the bye week and the top of the conference teams playing against some of the bottom feeders of the conference, there were no upsets to shake up this weeks power rankings. The only notable loss in the conference was Sparty losing at home once again to Nebraska. With the Buckeyes on the bye this week, there are a couple of notable match-ups with Leaders Division implications.
1. Ohio State (10-0)- The Buckeyes dominated the worst team in the conference and head into the bye week undefeated.
2. Nebraska (7-2)- Taylor Martinez led the ‘Huskers to a late touchdown to defeat the Spartans at East Lansing. They take on Penn State this weekend at home in hope to extend their winning streak to 4 games.
3. Northwestern (7-2)- The Wildcats had an extra week to prepare for Michigan and a win would put them into second place for the Legends Division. Pat Fitzgerald’s squad will also be rooting for Penn State to knock off Nebraska.
4. Michigan (6-3)- Michigan took care of business versus Minnesota without Denard Robinson, as backup quarterback Devin Gardner tallied three total touchdowns. They’ll need Robinson back this weekend though as they clash with Northwestern at the Big House.
5. Penn State (6-3)- The Nittany Lions rebounded from their loss versus Ohio State in convincing fashion. They hope to shake up the Legends Division this weekend when they take on Nebraska.
6. Wisconsin (6-3)- Wisconsin got the week off and now travel to Indiana to take on a rising Hoosier squad. The Badgers cannot overlook Indiana as they can score with anyone. Yes, it feels very odd saying that.
7. Michigan State (5-5)- Sparty loses another game at home, this time to Nebraska. It seemed as though their schedule was set up for them to succeed this year with most of their big games coming at home, but the Spartans are not who we thought they were.
8. Indiana (4-5)- Indiana is looking to become bowl eligible for the first time since their story book 2007 season.
9. Iowa (4-5)- The Hawkeyes fell to the Hoosiers in the Mediocrity Bowl. They are now in the basement of the B1G.
10. Minnesota (5-4)- Minnesota had their chance to get a marquee win versus Michigan with Shoelace out of the lineup but failed to do so. But on the bright side, they should take care of business versus lowly Illinois this weekend.
11. Purdue (3-6)- It seemed as though Penn State took out their aggression on the Boilermakers. Purdue looks to jump Iowa in next weeks power rankings as the two square off this weekend.
12. Illinois (2-7)- Not much to say here as the Illini are putting up a good case to be recognized as the worst team in the country.
END GAME
College football may be on the verge of something that I never thought I’d see. An undefeated Notre Dame could find itself locked out of the national championship chase. Notre Dame. The school for whom the system has bent over backward might be this year’s version of The Team Looking In as we wait for the BCS to finally die its slow, slow death.
And they don’t even deserve it.
Right now, the Irish are at #3 in the BCS rankings and before you rage against the machines, it’s not the computers’ fault. In that component, Notre Dame is actually tied for first place. With Kansas State. (Okay, now you can rage.)  In the human polls, however, they  sit at #4. Now, I think those other three teams are great too, but is Notre Dame really the worst of the four eligible, relevant unbeatens?
Excluding fellow independents Navy and BYU, the Irish do not have a single team on their schedule that is not in an BCS-AQ conference. Kansas State has two. Bama has three. Oregon played three to start the season, and that was their entire non-conference schedule. Granted, two of those teams will have to play a conference championship game, but that still doesn’t quite even the scheduling score.
In terms of common opponents, Notre Dame’s impressive schedule offers opportunities to directly compare performances with the other three (inasmuch as that can be considered a direct comparison, but let’s not get into that). Notre Dame and Oregon share two quality teams (Stanford and USC) that will allow us to make a pretty good judgment between them, but the only game that has taken place so far is Notre Dame/Stanford, so the jury’s still out on this one.
Both the Irish and Alabama played Michigan, with the Tide ripping out Brady Hoke’s gravy-soaked soul in prime-time on opening weekend. Brian Kelly took it easier on the school that should have hired him when they had the chance, but Manti Te’o and the Domer D picked off 5 Wolverine passes and pretty much made Denard Robinson look like the worst QB to ever not know how to tie his shoes. While I think each team dominated Michigan in its own way, I wouldn’t fault you for giving Bama the edge.
Notre Dame and Kansas State each played Miami (FL) and Oklahoma and the Irish come out the clear winners here. Notre Dame snuffed out the Canes 41-3 in a Catholics vs. Convicts revival that left Miami looking for some fresh thugs. The Sooners were supposed to expose the Irish last week but instead got whipped 30-13. While Kansas State similarly abused Miami 52-13, they had a much tougher time with Oklahoma, the better of the two opponents, edging the Sooners 24-19 thanks to a fourth quarter outburst from an offense that hadn’t reached the end zone in the first three.
I’m honestly not sure why this team isn’t being mentioned right along with Alabama as the best in the nation. They may not be “dominating” teams in terms of margin of victory, but the truth is they just might be this year’s equivalent of the ’02 Buckeyes, with the presumed-repeat-champs Crimson Tide slipping nicely into Miami’s role.
Okay, I’m done praising Notre Dame. I need a shower.
FRAUD UPDATE
Four weeks ago, I nailed my list of Six Fraud Teams to the door of college football and then probably took a nap. With about four weeks left in the regular season, it’s time to see how things are shaping up.
Louisville: The Cardinals were at the top of the list thanks to a poor schedule and several close wins. Guess what? They’re still winning ugly while their competition has elevated to mediocre (three opponents since first list are 11-12). While there’s still technically a chance to go Full Fraud if they lose all remaining games and their bowl, it appears that Louisville will escape this fate.
Texas Christian: TCU was my pick for sure-fire fraud on the initial list and they have not disappointed so far. The Frogs went 1-3 since opening 4-0 and their remaining games are: @West Virginia, Kansas State, @Texas, Oklahoma. So yeah.
Northwestern: I think the Wildcats are a decent team and picked them to survive Fraudacity mostly because the Big Ten just isn’t that great this year. Still, they’ve dropped 2 of 4 since starting 5-0 and have a bye week before the season-defining Tour de Michigance. They finish at home against Illinois who is Illinois. I’m still in the Nerds’ corner, but they’re not out of the woods yet.
Rutgers: Like Louisville, the Scarlet Knights benefit from being an okay team in a terrible conference. They lost to Kent State last week and have road trips to Cincy and Pitt before taking on the Cardinals in the season-ender. All three of those games could easily be losses.
South Carolina: I plucked the Gamecocks (and Mississippi State) out of the vast collection of unbeaten SEC teams at the beginning of October because they were the two most suspect and something had to give. Unfortunately for SoCar, that something was everything inside of Marcus Lattimore’s leg. Notice how there’s no link. If you haven’t seen it, consider yourself lucky. If you really think you still want to, go find it yourself. The Cocks did manage to still pull out the win over Tennessee and that will keep them out of Fraudville. Their remaining schedule is Arkansas, Wofford, @Clemson. We’ll see how they respond to the loss of Lattimore, but those are all winnable games.
Mississippi State: Their only loss so far is to Doc Saban’s Elephant Football Death Machine, but they still have Texas A&M, LSU and Ole Miss upcoming.
MAKE WEEKEND PLANS
Thursday night‘s big ESPN game is Irrelevant Virginia Tech @ Afterthought Miami (FL), a game that couldn’t be more meaningless this late in the season. Expect lots of SEC-related tangents from the booth starting about halfway through the opening kickoff.
Saturday night finally brings us Oregon @ USC, Alabama @ LSU, and Oklahoma State @ Kansas State which will probably all end up something like 66-13, but at least those games will have two good teams playing at the same time, a phenomenon you’ll be hard-pressed to find the rest of the day without picture-in-picture.
Well. Last Saturday was interesting, but the Buckeyes are still unbeaten.
Before I get into my yearly rant/preview on the Ohio State – Penn State matchup, I’d like to discuss a topic of note that occurred in the last week or so:
Sports Radio, ESPN Gameday, and Behavior Unbecoming a Gentleman
I have lived in Seattle for almost 7 years now. I used to listen to 1460TheFan for drive time most days when I lived in Columbus between 1993 and 2005. I have even listened to Scott Torgerson on his show a few times, when I have returned home for visits. For those mouthbreathers complaining that his show is terrible, it seems similar to complaining about reality television. It is what it is…a Shock Jock sports show. The show (no matter who is hosting it) has always talked about the same topic: Ohio State Athletics. If the show happens to focus some time on the CBJ and (heaven forbid) pop culture, there should be no backlash for that reasonable list of radio topics. It is an entertainment program…not a news program.
Do I think that Scott Torgerson got a raw deal? Yes. It was the same raw deal that Damon Bruce received when he challenged the validity of ESPN’s Tom Friend witch hunt/article laying out the wrongdoings within OSU Football program in 2003, during an interview on the same timeslot.
Do I think that Kirk Herbstreit’s rant had something to do with this firing? Sure. It is a sad state of affairs when someone with Herbstreit’s history in radio will take his current position and abuse the power and influence to leave a radio disc jockey jobless, because of a joke. Regardless of your feelings on the tweet being in poor taste, I feel bad for Torg for a couple of reasons. One, he is on wrong end of an ESPN double-standard, which is personified by Jemele Hill tweeting about Hitler and seemingly being promoted within a year. This was a much more volatile and publically sensitive topic, which created a small stir compared to joking about someone’s utter demise and how the College Gameday program would be a better show because of it. We all know that this is true. Remember that time Desmond and Nick Lachey sung Hail to the Victors on the top of Ohio Stadium,  that is just “adding value†folks. I will say this for Herbstreit. He earned his spot on Gameday. Desmond talks like he hasn’t graduated from high school yet and he is supposed to be a “grown ass man.â€Â Secondly, I wont get into the whole “pot meet kettle†discussion, but Kirk’s conduct in Columbus and on the road wouldn’t win any “Man of the Year†Awards, as most of us have heard the rumors countless times, yet, he still works for ESPN…weird, right? I understand the Herbstreit’s value compared to Torg’s in the grand scheme of things, but that doesn’t make it right.
Previewin’
Oh yeah…there is a game this weekend in Happy Valley. Apparently, there is a moxie-advisory in the State College area for Saturday.
I am the resident Penn State Hater amongst the MotSaG writers. I had pretty much decided years ago that the school was going to mess up at some point and wrote about the tight-knit community that protected everything that was most likely going wrong. From players beating up students at parties, as well as the lack of scrutiny on weakass disciplinary actions being given to that lovable old cooterbag JoePa, something was bound to go wrong for Penn State. Really though, it couldn’t happen to a more insufferable fanbase. I know that OSU fans are given a rap of being idiots. Yes, we are idiots, but we do acknowledge and even embrace our level of stupidity. Penn State fans went ahead and raised the “Michigan Difference†bar with a “We have never had a major NCAA Infraction†on recruiting pamphlets. Both schools and its fanbase are pontificating idiots (have you been to MGoBlog lately…or ever…is that even a site anymore), the only difference is that UM fans know that its school isn’t perfect (and they are on probation to prove it).
Anywho, I don’t need to recap how the athletic department buildings were basically stationary panel vans with “free candy†written on the side of them. There is still a contingent of Penn State fans that believe that nothing happened. If they were as concerned with the contents of the Freeh Report as they were the subsequent NCAA sanctions, it would be a lot easier for most of us to feel anything but disgust towards the school, its administrators, and delusional fanbase.
When Penn State has the ball
McGloin has moxie. He is also completing 62.5% of his passes this year with an affinity for getting the ball to Kyle Carter (FR. TE) and Allen Robinson (SO. WR). They have 76 receptions between the two of them, which is a little less than half of the completions for McGloin this season. McGloin is a seasoned veteran within the B1G and can actually go through progressions, so he is tough guy to scheme against. OSU will need decent LB play in covering Carter at TE, as he seems to be McGloin’s safety valve when things breakdown.
If there was ever a game that the D-Line needed to create pressure and wreak havoc, this is it. The defense is still being held together with bubblegum and toothpicks, as Sabino and a number of other defensive players are currently out of action or playing hurt. The D-Line’s ability to create pressure without the blitz will be paramount. If McGloin has time, he will probably pick OSU apart all day long. It doesn’t matter how well the secondary plays, there will need to be pressure on the QB. I don’t care really care about the running backs, as I don’t feel like PSU’s O-Line is built for running the ball, so any play that is taking the ball out of McGloin’s hands is favorable to the OSU defense.
When OSU has the ball
When you turn the ball over four times (one of those was a terribull call by the B1G officials), starting all-world QB gets knocked out, and the back-up is given 47 seconds to make up 8 points, you really don’t think about winning as a real possibility.
This is what has made this season very interesting.  No matter what seems to get thrown at this team, there always seems to be a proper answer or response. Whether it is the defense stepping up in crunch time against MSU and Purdue or the offense scoring at-will against Nebraska or even Indiana, OSU has always answered the call.
Even with the dumpster-fire performance of the OSU offense last week, it is still #10 in the country in rushing yards per game. The offense should be able to put up points, whether Miller or “Smooth Jazz” Guiton are running the show. The Penn State defense has played absolutely NOBODY with an offense outside of Northwestern, which scored 28 points. We’ll see if the OSU offense starts slow, which is its modus operandi as of late. If so, expect a long game. Otherwise, I like the OSU offense to take the overplayed “white-out†crowd out of the game.
Prediction
Miller comes back and plays the entire game. OSU defense gets enough pressure on McGloin to cause a couple of road turnovers, which are a must. It is that simple people.
OSU 35-21
How you feel?
MUCH PURDUE ABOUT NOTHING
According to some unverified and unacademic research (read: the first thing that popped up on a Google search), the longest drive, in terms of clock time, Â in NCAA history was by Navy in the 2004 Emerald Bowl. It lasted 14:26 and produced a field goal. I’d be willing to bet Danny Hope’s mustache budget that Purdue’s 10:38 first/second quarter effort that ended in an interception is the longest scoreless college drive. If anyone can find a longer one, I’d love to see it.
AN OVERTIME THOUGHT
I know the conventional wisdom is to always start on defense if you win the OT coin toss. The reasoning behind the strategy is sound. But after Saturday, I think you’ll agree with me that there are other approaches that might make as much sense. When Purdue won the toss, I commented that starting on defense might not be the best thing for them. They had just given up a touchdown and a two-point conversion. The Ohio State offense was jacked up. The crowd was exploding with excitement over Kenny G’s smooth, smooth football jazz. And now you want your D to go out and try to stop that with no rest or recovery time at all? Not to mention that you’re also giving OSU’s D even more time to rest.
The momentum was so clearly in Ohio State’s favor here that giving the ball to Kenny Guiton at that point should have been unthinkable. Maybe it wouldn’t have made a difference, but even a few run plays and a field goal would have settled the crowd down a little bit. Sometimes you have to forget what the charts and trends and statistics say and just play the game you’re in.
DEFENSIVE PROPS
Yeah, I remember the first play and the bubble screen drive, and they were absolutely atrocious. But you’ve got to admit that the defense stepped up when we needed it this week. After Miller went down, Purdue didn’t score another point. Sure, there was the safety but it wasn’t even the cool kind of safety. In fact, it was the lamest kind of safety you can get.
So, go ahead and give Guiton love for his heroic play, but don’t forget the contribution from the other side of the ball.
JUST THROWING THIS OUT THERE
I don’t know if this is the sort of thing Urban Meyer goes for, but if it was up to me, Kenny Guiton would take the first snap this week against Penn State. He would be flanked by Carlos Hyde and Braxton Miller. Jeff Heuerman, Chris Fields, and Devin Smith would also be in the formation.
THERE ARE BETTER THINGS YOU COULD BE DOING
TUESDAY – FRIDAY
Do not turn on a football game. You have been warned.
SATURDAY
Florida vs. Georgia: CBS and ESPN will hype the crap out of this game and try to convince you that the outcome is in doubt, because the teams only have one loss between them. But, in reality, there’s almost no way this game is going to be entertaining. That loss is Georgia’s 35-7 beatdown at the hands of the Gamecocks, a team Florida just beat by 33. Georgia’s best win? Beats me. Vanderbilt? The six teams the Bulldogs beat are a combined 12-31. The seven teams the Gators have beaten are 30-23.
Texas Tech @ Kansas State: The teams that spent the last two weeks ensuring that every couch in the state of West Virginia went up in flames are facing off in a game that you’ll have to watch to see what it does. Both teams are in the top 25 in total defense and they are conveniently tied for #10 in scoring offense. Literally any outcome you can imagine is possible here.
Ohio State @ Penn State: I don’t usually put Buckeye games here, because of course you’re watching them, but this one is of particular interest. Two very good teams will battle it out for the only thing beyond individual games either of them is allowed to win this year: the Leaders division championship.
Michigan @ Nebraska: This game will likely decide the Legends division and it ought to be a good one too. Michigan destroyed Nebraska last year and the Huskers want revenge. I honestly can’t tell if either of these teams is better than their respective 2011 editions because I thought they were both a little overrated then too. Oh well. GO NEBRASKA!
Notre Dame @ Oklahoma: I’ve really got to hand it to Notre Dame for playing a pretty killer schedule this year. To be going into this game undefeated is remarkable. If the Irish can keep it close, they’ve got a good chance of getting to 8-0, but the Sooners have been curbstomping opponents for a few weeks now so it could get ugly if Notre Dame struggles on defense.
Just for the record: I didn’t enjoy the last two minutes of the Indiana game any more than you did. But let’s be honest about this, we are only talking about two minutes of one game. That’s not to say that there aren’t big issues with the defense that have been evident since week one, because there certainly are.
But we are undefeated. It hasn’t always been pretty. It wasn’t always pretty in 2002 either, but for some reason Great Defense/Mediocre Offense is better than Great Offense/Mediocre Defense. If anyone can explain that to me without using the phrase “defense wins championships,” I’ll listen. Maybe if we finish the job and go 12-0, people will lay off of Fickell and the defensive performance. Probably not.
Aside from all that (and all that has been said here on the topic this week), would it kill us to give Indiana some credit? If this game had been against Michigan State or Wisconsin, no one would be complaining. We would be relieved that we got out with a win. But it was Indiana, the perennial Big Ten whipping boy, the proverbial Bye Week With Jerseys. The joke is always that no one knows what a “Hoosier” is. But when it comes to football, we all know.
But now, as is the theme of the Big Ten this year, everything we know is wrong.
Here are Indiana’s other three losses: Ball State kicked a field goal with six seconds left in the game to beat the Hoosiers. Michigan State was behind for the entire game until a mid-fourth quarter winning touchdown. Northwestern opened up a 27-0 lead but Indiana still managed to get back to within 8 points late in the game. Had a few plays gone their way, the Hoosiers could easily be a one-loss team right now. Heck, with another “recovered” onside kick, they could even be undefeated.
The Hoosiers just find a way to almost win.
Second-year head coach Kevin Wilson knows a little something about offensive football. He was Randy Walker’s offensive coordinator at Miami and Northwestern until 2001, a run that included this gem. He won the Broyles Award in 2008 as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma, where he assisted or presided over the prolific Sooners offenses of the 2000s. His winning percentage as a head coach doesn’t reflect his talent. Yet.
If IU gives Wilson the time, I believe he can elevate this team to at least a Northwestern status in the Big Ten.
FOR VIEWING ON YOUR TELEVISION SET
THURSDAY
Oregon at Arizona State: With two unbeatens in the North and two once-beatens in the South, the Pac-12 could get pretty interesting, especially if the 5-1 Sun Devils can knock off the 6-0 Ducks at home.
SATURDAY
Michigan State at Michigan: The stage seems perfectly set for Denard Robinson and any other players that may be on the team to finally take back the mitten-shaped crown from Little Brother. Â The Wolverines have been successful so far this year under pressu–oh, wait…
South Carolina at Florida: The Gators can essentially lock up the SEC East with a win in the Swamp against the Gamecocks and a victory next week in The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Sweet Tea Party. Â Otherwise, things could get messy.
Kansas State at West Virginia: The Mountaineers need to bounce back after last week’s throttling at the hands of Texas Tech. Facing the Big 12’s top team isn’t necessarily the way to do that. Â KSU’s defense should help them replicate the Red Raiders’ success.
North Carolina at Duke: Both of these teams are 5-2. In football.
