The Buckeyes head into Champaign for a noon tilt against the Illini. We’ll be chatting it up and probably discussing the basketball game against Marquette as well.
Hit the jump to join the fun in the Live In Game Chat.
Q&A with an Opponents Blogger:Illinois Fighting Illini
November 15, 2013 by 2 Comments
The Buckeyes have another strong opponent this weekend the Illinois Fighting Illini. What did B1G basketball start already? Seriously Illinois has been a team to upset the Buckeyes in years past and here to help me with this weeks post is Robert from IlliniBoards.com.
MotSaG: Two years into the process and many folks are calling for Tim Beckman to be removed, has the team lost the confidence in their coach also?
IlliniBoard: I don’t get that sense. Compared to other teams, this seems like a tight-knit group that is fairly close with the coaches. At least compared to last year. During Beckman’s first season, there was a lot of chatter about the seniors on defense not liking the scheme change and the offensive players not meshing with the co-coordinators. That’s been completely different this year, from spring ball through today. This team is very close. They’re just all stuggling under the weight of this conference losing streak.
MotSaG: Beckman said this week his team is aware of the unfortunate 19 game conference skid but are making strides do fans see them making these strides?
IlliniBoard: This is a tough question to answer. I think I need to explain the Illini fanbase to answer that.
Mike White and then John Mackovic built the program in the 80’s, and in 1990, I’d say it was Michigan and Ohio State and then Illinois-Iowa-MSU for the next tier in the Big Ten. Illinois was going to bowl after bowl and were ranked as high as #5 that year. Since Mackovic left for Texas, nothing has gone right. It’s been 22 years of digging a giant hole. Bad coaching hires, changing coordinators and systems year after year, and an athletic director that scheduled the most difficult non-conference schedule in the nation becuase “we’re not afraid to play anybody”.
So fans are fed up. At the first sign of the football season going south, I’d say the majority of the fanbase tunes out. It’s just been too many years of bad decisions and poor leadership. To make things worse, the program has teased fans with two BCS bowls (2001 and 2007), only to fall right back down.
To your question: there have been strides, and the offense is greatly improved, but that’s asking a lot of this fanbase to see them. The coaching staff continues to get sideline penalties for tripping officials (two last year and, unbelievably, two this year). Illini fans will just repeat the words “fire the coach” over and over until we win eight games for three consecutive years. Can you blame them?
MotSaG: What are the chances the famed IlliBuck stays in Champaign?
IlliniBoard: 2.41%
This game is always weird – remember when Ohio State came to Champaign in 2006, played a 2-8 Illini team, and only won by seven? Strange things happen in this game when Ohio State is thinking national title game (overtime in 2002, 7 point game in 2006, Illini win in 2007).
But no, there’s no chance. OK, a 2.41% chance.
MotSaG: the Fighting Illini fans be out in full support Saturday or will there be Scarlet overrunning Memorial Stadium?
IlliniBoard: The 2002 game was overrruning with Scarlet. Since then, though, Ohio State crowds in Champaign have been muted. I never understood why. We have the cheapest tickets in the conference. You can probably get four tickets on the street for $80 total. Why not make the drive to Champaign? If I had a program like Ohio State, I’d drive 1,800 miles for $20 tickets.
To the first part of your question, no, Fighting Illini fans will not be out in full support. 34 dogs at home as you approach the second longest conference losing streak in history? Would you go?
MotSaG: What are Illinois fans looking forward to the most for the Buckeye match-up?
IlliniBoard: For it to be over with no injured players. I’m kind of serious.
MotSaG: I read on one of your message boards that fans are surprised that the spread for the game is like 33 points do they not have enough faith in their team that it should be less?
IlliniBoard: This defense lost nine starters last year. To make matters worse, Ron Zook stopped recruiting cornerbacks and safeties around 2008 or so, which means that nearly the entire secondary is made up of first and second year players (it’s not that he’s playing the young guys to build for the future – he only has young guys). No member of the starting defensive line had a single Big Ten offer from any other school.
So if Ohio State wants to run for 400 yards on Saturday, they can just do that, no questions asked. There’s literally nothing we can do to stop it. We just don’t have the horses. Our only chance this year is to force turnovers… and we’re dead last in the Big Ten at that. So watching an Illinois game feels a bit inevitable. Giving up six or seven yards on the ground every play and there’s nothing we can do to stop it.
MotSaG: Ohio State is 282-0-1 when they score 35 points or more and Illinois is allowing an average of 34.7 a game, do the Buckeyes keep their streak alive and score more than 35?
IlliniBoard: Without question.
MotSaG: Weakness you see on the Buckeyes defense?
IlliniBoard: The one thing Illinois has going for it this season is that Nathan Scheelhaase is having an outstanding season. There’s not a single player on this offense that will sniff the NFL draft, and he’s taking that offense and putting up big numbers. Put him on a team with an average defense and people would be noticing his season.
So the one thing we can do is throw the ball a little bit, and the one thing Ohio State struggles with a little bit is passing defense. Teams that can throw a little bit – Cal, Northwestern – have put up some yards and points against you.
Is that enough to say “watch out for 400 yards from Scheelhaase”? No. I’m not sure we can contain the Ohio State pass rush, so Nathan would have to make these plays while scrambling around. But you asked if I saw a weakness, and the one (and only) thing we do well is the one (and only) thing Ohio State has struggled with a bit.
MotSaG: What does Illinois need to get recruiting wise to improve the team for next season?
IlliniBoard: This is the youngest Illini team in maybe 20 years. Starting with only having 10 seniors. So this might be the smallest Illini recruiting class in 20 years. Maybe 14-16 players. Last year was a full 25, but this year will be 10 less.
So most of the class is already verballed. And the biggest get is already on campus (Wes Lunt, 4-star QB who transferred from Oklahoma State). The rest of the class is… underwhelming. It will finish 12th out of 12 in the Big Ten rankings. So yeah, things are going great in Champaign!
MotSaG: What is your prediction?
IlliniBoard: Again, this game is always screwy when Ohio State is trying to get to the title game. So I could see some crazy game like Rams/Colts last Sunday: the Rams had 12 first downs the entire game and won by 30. Becuase football is sometimes football.
So put me down for the Illini covering the spread. Also, I won’t be in the press box for this game as my son has a high school playoff game that day. That’s a near guarantee that the game is close becuase I always miss all the good stuff.
Still, Ohio State wins easily. I have this thing where I won’t put down a score prediction until the Friday night before the game, so I can’t give you a score, but put me down for “Ohio State wins easily but Illinois covers the spread”.
As Robert stated this game shouldn’t even be close. I would like to thank Robert who you can find on twitter @AlionEye or read his stuff at IliniBoard.com, his work is outstanding and a joy to read.
If you want to get involved and have questions about upcoming opponents 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.
MotSaG TV Guide
November 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment
This week we’ve got a lot of games that are mostly interesting only for their impact inside of their respective conferences. The top teams aren’t likely to lose, although you can never be too sure.
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Somehow, the Michigan State/Nebraska game was originally left out of this post. It’s back now. Hooray internet!
As a bonus this week, I’m giving you an actual score prediction from the system I’ve been experimenting with the past few weeks. For whatever reason, it does a terrible job with mid-week MACtion, but has been pretty decent with the bigger games.
Note that these predictions are largely dependent on gambling numbers, so close scores can be affected by significant movement in those numbers. I’ve used the most up-to-date numbers at the time of this post and will try to update them as the games get closer if at all possible.
Thursday
7:30pm
Georgia Tech at Clemson. This should be an interesting match-up. Both teams have pretty good offenses and pretty good defenses. Clemson’s only impressive win was the season-opener against Georgia (which looks much worse now), but that’s one more than Georgia Tech, who has lost to every decent team they’ve played. (ESPN)
Most Likely Outcome: Clemson 24, Georgia Tech 21
Saturday
Noon
Ohio State at Illinois. Well, you’re already going to watch, so we might as well talk about it. We’re going to win. Any questions? (ESPN)
Most Likely Outcome: Ohio State 51, Illinois 7
3:30pm
Michigan State at Nebraska. The last thing both of these teams did was hold Michigan to negative rushing yards. See how that never stops being funny?
Most Likely Outcome: Michigan State 20, Nebraska 10
Georgia at Auburn. Most people feel like Auburn has the best chance to knock Alabama out of the national title race. Let’s hope they’re not thinking about that just yet. (CBS)
Most Likely Outcome: Auburn 30, Georgia 24
Miami (FL) at Duke. With no Duke Johnson, Miami was absolutely demolished by a fairly mediocre Virginia Tech team last week. Duke isn’t any worse than the Hokies, and Johnson isn’t any less injured. (ESPNU)
Most Likely Outcome: Duke 45, Miami 10
Michigan at Northwestern. These two teams have been skidding ever since hitting conference play. The Wildcats are lost cause, but a Wolverine win could help salvage what’s left of this season. (BTN)
Most Likely Outcome: Michigan 24, Northwestern 17
Oklahoma State at Texas. Both of these teams have yet to play Baylor, so this might be a good time to figure out which one is most worth cheering for. (Fox)
Most Likely Outcome: Texas 31, Oklahoma State 17
8:00pm
Stanford at USC. Cheering for the Trojans may not be the easiest thing for Buckeye fans to do, but a win here will relieve your irrational fear of the Cardinal jumping us in the BCS. (ABC)
Most Likely Outcome: USC 24, Stanford 13
B1G Week 12 Preview: The Battle for the Legend’s Division
November 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Every time I have to type out the B1G conference’s ridiculous division names, I cringe a little inside. These are two of the dumbest division names to ever exist in sports. Thankfully we only have to deal with this for a few more weeks and they will then go the way of the dinosaurs. The B1G will finally get normal division names (East and West) and catch up with the rest of the college football world. Speaking of being behind, B1G commissioner Jim Delany is the reason we’ve had these ridiculous names because he likes to think his brain trust and him are creative types. Delany was also one of the many who prevented a playoff from coming to college football any sooner and this could ironically screw his top team out of a shot at the national title game this season. So thanks for these great things Mr. Delany! Ugh, let’s talk about this week’s games.
Purdue @ Penn State
No offense to either of these schools’ fan bases, but this game has absolutely no meaning or point to it. Penn State is banned from going to a bowl game and Purdue is just plain awful. So I guess bragging rights are on the line. The game is at Happy Valley, so it makes the game even more impossible for Purdue to win. Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg has had an interesting freshman season, but I think the future is quite bright for him and Penn State. Sanctions are going to continue to cripple Penn State the next couple of seasons, but Hackenberg will be a bright spot for Penn State fans to look forward to every game. I expect Hackenberg and the Nittany Lions to get an easy victory here and get back in the win column after losing to Minnesota last weekend.
Indiana @ #22 Wisconsin
One of my fondest memories of the history between these two teams was in 2010 when Wisconsin hung 83 points on the Hoosiers. Indiana coaches were pissed off at then Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema for running up the score. It was really just a case of Bret being Bret. And now Bielema is getting his butt handed to him on a platter in the SEC on a weekly basis. Don’t you just love karma? Fast forward to today and Wisconsin is still clearly the better team. Indiana hasn’t beaten Wisconsin since 2002. Indiana’s coach was Gerry DiNardo (who now works at the Big Ten Network) and they only won three games that season. So it’s been a while since Indiana has defeated Wisconsin. Indiana has a great offense, which is led by quarterback Nate Sudfeld and running back Tevin Coleman. Sudfeld has thrown for over 2,000 yards and 19 touchdowns. Coleman is only 42 yards shy of rushing for 1,000 yards and I consider him one of the most underrated running backs in the country. Speaking of running backs, Wisconsin has two great ones in James White and Melvin Gordon. I look for Wisconsin to pound the ball on the ground with these two against a porous Indiana defense. Wisconsin is also near unbeatable at home, so I look for the Badgers to win by at least three scores.
Michigan @ Northwestern
Somebody has to win this game, right? Then again it wouldn’t surprise me if this game went into unlimited overtime and the officials would finally just declare that they’ve both lost. I’m kidding (maybe). Both of these teams desperately need a win to stop their losing streaks and to rejuvenate their fan bases. Northwestern has lost five straight games and need to win two more games just to become bowl eligible. After this game they face Michigan State and Illinois, so they probably need to win this game to reach a bowl. Michigan has lost only two straight, but if you go to their blogs you would think the sky is falling. And I don’t blame them. Michigan has looked awful the last two weeks. Their offense has rushed for negative yards in consecutive games and their defense is so bad that I could probably run on it. Wolverine’s head coach Brady Hoke is feeling the heat and he could get the ax if his team doesn’t start showing improvement. Northwestern definitely took advantage of the bye week, as they have several players coming back from injuries this weekend. Running back Venric Mark is shut down for the season, but is applying for a medical hardship to come back for a fifth season. With several players coming back and the game being at Evanston, I like the Wildcats to finally get a win and for Michigan’s misery to continue.
#16 Michigan State @ Nebraska
This is one of the biggest games in college football this weekend. Of course you won’t hear this from any of the major networks because they’re too busy being cheerleaders for the SEC and Florida State. It’s simple: The winner of this game will win the Legend’s division and play for the B1G Championship in Indianapolis. Nebraska has had a crazy season, from blowing a three possession lead to UCLA to Bo Pelini’s meltdown to their Hail Mary over Northwestern. And yet they found a way to keep winning games and stay alive for a B1G championship. Quarterback Taylor Martinez looks to be out for the rest of the season with a foot injury, which you hate to see for a senior who plays with a lot of heart. So it looks like it is up to freshman Tommy Armstrong to lead this team to victory and a division title. Luckily he has two great play makers in running back Ameer Abdullah and wide receiver Kenny Bell. On the flip side, Michigan State is having a great season of their own and have been the clear favorites to win the Legend’s division. Their defense is one of the best in the country and the offense is now putting up enough points to really take the Spartans as a serious threat not just in the conference, but also nationally. Take a look at this great piece detailing the stats of Michigan State’s defense. Pretty impressive. Michigan State looks better than Nebraska on paper, but there are a lot of intangibles in this one. The Spartans have never beaten Nebraska (0-7 all-time). And you can’t discount the heart and “never say die” attitude of the Huskers. There’s a reason Michigan State is only a 6.5 point favorite. This is going to be close, but I’m picking Michigan State to win this game and to book their trip to Indianapolis.
The Battle for the Illibuck: Players to Watch Week 11
November 13, 2013 by 2 Comments
The Buckeyes are right in the middle of a fight for a spot in the national title game, and they have to be playing their best football in November. Â The Buckeyes seem to be hitting stride, while the Illini are still trying to find their identity under second year coach Tim Beckman. Â So who will take the Illibuck home? Â Here are a few players who will have an impact on that result.
Illinois
Nathan Scheelhaase, Quarterback #2- For all of the struggles this Illinois team has been having, Scheelhaase has kept them in a few contests with his outstanding play.  The injury bug has plagued Scheelhaase for a lot of his career, but according to him, his success this year is due to improved mechanics and improved health.  The new system that offensive coordinator Bill Cubit has given Scheelhaase has made Scheelhaase feel more comfortable, which has led to Scheelhaase being on pace for career highs in yards passing, yards per pass attempt, completion percentage, and touchdown passes.  Scheelhaase is a true dual threat quarterback.  His accuracy and arm strength grade out fairly well, however, it is his average decision making that has led to him being on pace for a  career high in interceptions this year.  While Scheelhaase is a dual threat, he is a pass first quarterback almost to a fault, as he has already been sacked 19 times this season.  He has been intercepted in seven out of nine games this year so the Buckeyes should have an opportunity to force one or two turnovers this game.  Scheelhaase will have to consistently make good decisions and use his legs in order to keep this Buckeye defense from pinning their ears back against the Illini offense.
Steve Hull, Wide Receiver #9- Â Hull is a big time receiver that Scheelhaase has relied upon all year. Â Hull was very impressive against Wisconsin reeling in 6 catches for 105 yards, and was a freak last week against Indiana reeling in 9 catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns. Â Hull is deceptively fast. Â He is 6’2 200 pounds and runs a 4.45 40. Â That speed helps him to get behind any defense, and if the Buckeye secondary has any lapse in coverage Scheelhaase and Hull will bust it wide open. Â Hull is averaging 20 yards per catch, so the Buckeyes will need to ensure they keep #9 in front of them at all times.
Jonathan Brown, Outside Linebacker #45- Â As awful as the Illini defense is, Brown is a stud. Â 88 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 1 interception, and 1 fumble forced. Â He reminds me a lot of Khalil Mack. Â He’s a very productive linebacker who has his nose in on every play. Â With his 88 tackles, 45 of those are assisted tackles which lets you know that he will always be around the ball. Â He is a very good blitzer, and also a good pass rusher with his hand in the ground. Â Brown racked up 17 tackles against Ohio State in 2011 and I expect him to be visible Saturday attempting to slow down this OSU offense.
V’Angelo Bentley, Kick Return #2- Â Coach Meyer has not been pleased with the recent play of his kick coverage, and this week they will have to be on top of their game. Â Bentley is arguably the best kick returner in the country. Â He averages 25 yards per kick return, 16 yards per punt return, and already has a kick return for a touchdown this year. Â He is dangerous, and if the Illini want to pose an upset bid Bentley will need to provide a couple of big plays for the Illini that will provide either points, or good field position for Scheelhaase to start the offense.
Ohio State
Noah Spence- Â Spence is having an All Big Ten type of season. Â He’s been absolutely dominant this year and has really been making his presence felt since Fickell has moved him out of the Viper role, and made him more of a defensive end not a hybrid linebacker. Â Illinois’ starting left tackle has been ruled out of Saturday’s contest due to injury, so Illinois will have to throw a freshman out to block one of the nations best in Spence. Â Expect Spence to have another huge game as Illinois struggles to run the ball, and Illinois will most likely be playing catch up the majority of the day which will force them to throw early and often.
Ezekiel Elliott- I really like Elliott in this game against an awful run defense. Â The coaches seem to be sprinkling him in to the offense more and more early on in games. Â With an Illini defense that is allowing 240 yards per rush, expect Hyde to take care of his business early on and pave the way for Elliott to come in and rack up a lot of yards. Â I think this kid is the next superstar for Ohio State and will show that this game. Â Elliott will rush for 80-100 yards this week, mark it down.
Braxton Miller- Â Miller could have a freakishly good game this week if the coaches were to let him loose, but I would expect a pretty easy game for him. Â He’ll probably throw for a few scores and run for one or two more. Â This week could be a good opportunity for Braxton to break the 300 yard mark in passing, something that has eluded him even against teams like Purdue. Â If the Buckeyes take care of business Miller will probably sit by half time, and still manage 3 or 4 total touchdowns with about 300-350 yards of total offense. Â Enjoy a lot of Kenny G and Cardale Jones in this one.
Ill At Ease When Playing At Illinois
November 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Ohio State travels to Champaign, Illinois, for a 12pm EST kickoff against the University of Illinois. While Ohio State is a considerable favorite to win this game easily, it may be worthwhile for Ohio State fans to remember that trips to Champaign have not always been the easiest or enjoyable of contests.
Perhaps someone can ask Craig Krenzel, the quarterback of Ohio State’s 2002 national championship team, what it was like to rally Ohio State to victory over an Illinois team that had a losing record. Krenzel escaped from what appeared to be a certain sack by Illinois to pick up a key first down on a broken quarterback scramble late in the game.
How about the 2006 game? Ohio State, ranked # 1, defeated Illinois 17-10 in a game that was anything but easy.
2008 was a classic Tresselball contest, as Ohio State defeated Illinois 30-20, behind the running game of Chris Wells and Terrelle Pryor. Even in victory, this was not easy, even as Ohio State had revenge on their collective minds, after the crushing 2007 upset at the hands of Illinois in Ohio Stadium.
Remember how the 2010 unfolded, with Terrelle Pryor returning to the game after sustaining a leg injury? 24-13 did not seem that comfortable at the time. (Yes, I know, this game has been vacated. Please do not remind me.)
And in 2011, somewhere Coach Woody Hayes was smiling, as Ohio State defeated Illinois 17-7, throwing four passes, completing one to Jake Stoneburner. It was this game that ushered in the end of the Ron Zook era (or error?) at Illinois, as Illinois has lost every B1G contest since that game.
The average score of these games at Illinois? Ohio State 22, Illinois 13.
Do I believe Ohio State will win this game on Saturday in Champaign, IL? Yes, I do. I will also be happy when the game is over, and Ohio State has left Champaign, IL, with a victory well in hand. On to what I expect to see when Ohio State takes the field against Illinois…
Ohio State enters this game leading the B1G in scoring offense (48.2 pts/game), total offense (530.9 yards/game), and rushing offense (301.1 yards/game). Illinois ranks eleventh in the B1G in total defense, giving up 482.7 yards per game. Illinois ranks last in the B1G in rushing defense, giving up 239.6 yards per game on the ground. In other words, Ohio State should be able to do what they want, when they want to, offensively.
Illinois is led by senior quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase. Scheelhaase commands a pass-heavy offense that ranks second in the B1G, averaging 288.9 yards per game. Look for Ohio State’s pass rush, led by Noah Spence, to apply pressure early and often on Scheelhaase.
As mentioned above, Ohio State should be able to control this game from the onset. Senior running back Carlos Hyde, with 701 yards rushing for the year, should get ample opportunity, in the first half at least, to pad his statistics to become Coach Urban Meyer’s first 1000 yard rusher. Illinois’ Memorial Stadium is notorious for wreaking havoc on opposing teams’ passing games; look for Coach Meyer to emphasize Ohio State’s strong running game throughout this game.
A small statistic that may bear watching – Illinois leads the B1G in onside kick attempts at two, having been successful with one recovery. Considering how heavy a favorite Ohio State is in this game, it would not be surprising if Illinois pulled out all the stops to try and make a game of it with the Buckeyes.
Prediction: Ohio State comes out revved up, knowing that style points do matter in their quest for the BCS Championship. Carlos Hyde should go for at least 150 yards before earning a well-deserved rest for the majority of the second half. The same for quarterback Braxton Miller, who has shown tremendous development in the passing game this season. Too much offense by the Buckeyes against an overmatched Illinois defense adds to the chorus of Illinois fans who are displeased with the direction Tim Beckman is taking this program. I will call it Ohio State 56, Illinois 14.
The Spread, Week 12: Spoiler Alert
November 13, 2013 by 2 Comments
College football fans are getting nervous, and certain fanbases are downright panicked, that the regular season may end with more than two undefeated major conference teams, meaning that someone is going to be left out of the final BCS championship game by no fault of their own.
Ohio State fans are extra-jittery because we’re all pretty sure that’s going to be us. We think we can make it at least to the Big Ten championship game unscathed and probably survive that one too. But we need help, and we’re not sure where to find it.
We’re looking at Alabama’s domination of LSU (and everyone else) and wondering who’s left that can possibly beat the Tide. Florida State’s schedule offers similarly little hope, and Baylor just demonstrated that they are more than just a pretty offense.
Two of those teams are going to need to lose for us to get a spot in the title game. Even though Baylor is sitting behind us now, they will absolutely jump us if they cruise through the rest of their slate, which is far better than what they’ve played so far.
The thing is, we shouldn’t be worried. This time last year, there were still five major unbeatens (Notre Dame, Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon and Kansas State) and within two weeks, it was down to us and the Irish and there were still a couple of weeks to go.
It’s not always obvious who that spoiler team is going to be. Last year, Kansas State went on the road as a 12-point favorite against a 5-loss Baylor team and lost. Alabama and Oregon suffered their first defeats at the hands of 2-loss teams. In 2011, Oklahoma St. was a 28-point on the road against Iowa State and also came away empty-handed.
What games fit the bill this year? Well, it’s interesting that both Kansas State and Oklahoma State lost on the road in night games as heavy favorites. All game times are obviously not set yet, but Alabama plays at 4-5 Mississippi State this weekend and is currently favored by over 24 points. Baylor’s at home Saturday, but is a huge favorite over 7-3 Texas Tech and the game is at night.
Florida State’s next road game is at Florida, with no time set. Alabama’s season-ender at Auburn is a good bet for a prime-time feature, especially if the surprising Tigers keep winning. Baylor goes on the road against Oklahoma State next week, another candidate for night-time action.
The point is there are still plenty of opportunities for every undefeated team to lose, including our own Buckeyes. Recent history shows us again and again that you can never let your guard down, no matter how bad your opponent supposedly is. Hopefully, a couple of those other teams haven’t been paying attention.
Illinois: By the Numbers
November 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment
As always, presented without comment. (Now with 4th Down Conversions!)
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Stats are grabbed from cfbstats.com.
B1G Week 11 Review: Rising and Falling
November 12, 2013 by 2 Comments
Nothing really surprising happened in the B1G this past weekend. There were no upsets or outcomes that were particularly shocking. But there were no shortage of stories that came out of it. While some programs are having great bounce back seasons (Minnesota and Iowa), others face serious and problematic questions about what lies ahead (Michigan and Illinois). The end of the regular season is fast approaching and almost every game has something on the line. Let’s take a look at this past weekend’s action.
Iowa 38 Purdue 14
First off congratulations to Purdue on scoring two touchdowns! That’s 11 more points than I thought they would score. They were only down seven at the half actually. But the outcome of this game was never really in doubt. Iowa’s rushing attack steamrolled the Purdue defense for 318 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Jake Rudock completed 12 of 20 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns. The Iowa defense held Purdue to only 53 yards rushing. With the win, Iowa improved to 6-4 on the season and are now bowl eligible. Going back to a bowl game should take some heat off head coach Kirk Ferentz, although his job was really never in jeopardy because there is a ton of money still left on his contract. While Iowa certainly isn’t the Iowa of old yet, it’s a nice stepping stone season for the program. I look for Iowa to be a serious contender again in the B1G sooner rather than later.
Minnesota 24 Penn State 10
Looking at the team stats for both schools in this game and you would’ve thought this game came down to a field goal. But Minnesota won by 14. What gives? Well they committed one less turnover and they simply executed more when it mattered most in this game. Minnesota quarterback Philip Nelson had another good game, throwing for 186 yards and touchdown and rushing for 40 yards and a touchdown. Gophers’ running back David Cobb ran for 139 yards and a score. The Minnesota run defense wasn’t as stellar as usual, as they gave up 190 rushing yards to Penn State. Nittany Lions running back Zach Zwinak did the most damage, running for 150 yards and a touchdown. The Gophers’ defense did a good job though limiting the Penn State passing game. Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg was neither good nor bad, completing 14 of 25 passes for 163 yards with no touchdowns or picks. After having a surprisingly solid record last season, the impact of scholarship reductions is starting to show on Penn State. Keep the faith Nittany Lions’ fans. Only two more seasons banned from bowls and with Bill O’Brien at the helm you should recover faster than expected.
Indiana 52 Illinois 35
Last week in my weekly B1G preview column I said this game would be a complete tossup and the winner of this game has to put up a ton of points. Well this lived up to my prediction. There’s all kinds of crooked numbers littering the stat’s sheet of this game. In the end though Indiana’s offense had too much fire power for Illinois to keep up with. Illinois did most of their damage behind the arm of quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase, slicing up the Indiana secondary. Scheelhaase completed 38 of 57 passes for 450 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 45 yards and a touchdown. So Scheelhaase didn’t cost Illinois this game. Put it squarely on the Illini defense’s shoulders. Indiana had a pretty balanced offensive attack and could run or pass with ease. Quarterback Nate Sudfeld threw for 267 yards and three touchdowns. The Hoosiers rushing attack racked up 371 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Sophomore running back Tevin Coleman, who is turning into a star, had another great game rushing for a whopping 215 yards and two touchdowns. Backup running back Stephen Houston rushed for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Indiana needs one more win to reach bowl eligibility and they still have to play Purdue, so it looks like the Hoosiers will be going to a bowl for the first time in six years. Indiana will only finish with a 6-6 record, but like Iowa I think they have a very bright future ahead if they can get better on defense because the offense has all of their top play makers returning next season.
#24 Wisconsin 27 BYU 17
The final score of this game is deceiving because it was never really this close. Wisconsin appeared in control for the whole game and didn’t really let BYU get any momentum going. The defense clamped down on the Cougars’ running attack and never let quarterback Taysom Hill get into a consistent rhythm. It definitely helped having the anchor of the unit back, (likely All-American) linebacker Chris Borland. Borland was a wrecking ball on the field, racking up 13 total tackles and two sacks. Expect to see and hear about Borland playing on Sundays next fall. The Wisconsin rushing attack was flawless as always. James White led in rushing for the second straight week, going for 147 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Melvin Gordon, who had been the best running back for most of the season, chipped in 86 yards rushing. I do not envy whomever faces Wisconsin in a bowl game because you have to deal with two star running backs and a suffocating defense. I’m not even mentioning consistently solid quarterback Joel Stave and underrated wide receiver Jared Abbrederis. Wisconsin will need a little help to reach a BCS bowl game now, but there’s still a good bit of football left to play.
Nebraska 17 Michigan 13
The misery continues in Ann Arbor. Woohoo! Sorry Wolverine fans, but it’s my job to take joy in your losing (even if it’s actually hurting Ohio State in the BCS rankings). I’m not sure what to make of the mess, so let’s talk about Nebraska. Looking at the Huskers you wouldn’t think this team has only lost two games. And yet this team continues to find a way to win games. This is the sign of a good team (or a lot of luck). I could talk about the stats of this game, but it would only confuse you more. And as far as highlights I got nothing for you. This was an ugly game and I’m thankful it didn’t go to overtime. It was one of the more painful games I’ve watched this season. I never want to see this game again. Michigan ran for negative yards again, rushing for -21 yards. Both Ohio State and Michigan State out rushed the Wolverines this past weekend (both were on byes). Nebraska turned the ball over twice and only had 273 total yards. With the win, Nebraska has a showdown with Michigan State this weekend that will determine who wins the Legend’s division and faces Ohio State in the B1G Championship game. As for Michigan, well….a 6-6 record is very possible. Will there be a coaching change in Ann Arbor? We’ll have to wait and see how far Michigan continues to fall.
B1G Power Rankings- Week 11
November 12, 2013 by 1 Comment
1.) Ohio State (9-0)- OSU was on a BYE this week.
2.) Michigan State (8-1)- MSU was on a BYE this week.
3.) Wisconsin (8-2)- Beat BYU 27-17. Not much to say here as Wisky was Wisky. They won the game on a strong running game and stout defense. BYU is a good team and that is a quality OOC win for the Badgers and B1G.
4.) Minnesota (8-2)- Beat Penn State 24-10. Minnesota won and Jerry Kill danced in the locker room after the game with his players. That is why we all love CFB. The heart warming story of a coach with a serious illness inspiring a team to an extended winning streak is the kind of thing that ESPNs 30 for 30s and BTN The Journeys are made of. Ride the wave Gopher fans ride the wave.
5.) Nebraska (8-2)- Beat TTUN 17-13. Honestly the Cornhuskers were lucky they faced an awful Wolverines team because they were barely better. The defense won them the game which is to say the TTUN offense was so horrible that they were barely better.
6.) Iowa (6-4)- Beat Purdue 38-14. Jordan Canzeri carried the ball 20 times for 165 yards and 1 TD and carried this team to victory. The offense looked almost decent. The defense as always was reliably good.
7.) Indiana (5-4)- Beat Illinois 52-35. Indiana is an offensive juggernaut. That much we know for sure. The defense is awful we also know that as well. They are close to being bowl eligible and when they go to a bowl it will be interesting to see how that goes.
8.) Northwestern (4-5)- Northwestern was on a BYE this week.
9.) Penn State (5-4)- Lost to Minnesota 24-10. Penn State was just outplayed by a team who has improved weekly. The Nittany Lions are at the point of the season where having smaller scholly players is hurting them. They are tired and drained.
10.) Illinois (3-6)- Lost to Indiana 52-35. Illinois defense lost this game. The offense was good putting up 600+ yards and 35 points. The defense just gave up more of both.
11.) Purdue (1-8)- Lost to Iowa 38-14. Purdue is awful there is no doubt about that. Coach Hazell needs something positive for his team to just get a breather. Probably won’t happen this year though.
12.) Michigan (6-3)- Lost to Nebraska 17-13. That is 3 losses in their last 4 games. Not only are they losing but they are embarrassing themselves in the process. I have never seen an OL this bad ever on any team at any level. Seriously they are Bad News Bears and Mighty Ducks before getting inspired by a drunk coach bad. The Running Backs are abysmal and unable to overcome the OL weakness in any way. Devin Gardner is making bad decision on top of bad decisions. The defense is being asked to do things they don’t have the talent for right now. The coaching from top to bottom in every aspect of the game is dreadful. The Wolverines earned a week at this spot based on their game play. They can easily move up the list if they can do something positive this week at Northwestern.
