Championship Weekend: MotSaG B1G Pick ‘em and Tidbits

By: Phil Schoch, Twitter me @osuphil95

Each week Pick ’em & Tidbits risks public humiliation and mockery by predicting each B1G game, as well as a few national spotlight games, versus the Vegas spread.

If we learned anything whatsoever from this past weekend, it’s this…

I am officially on fire! My record the past three weeks against the spread is 20-6! Yo-Yo-Ma! In Week 13, Pick ‘em & Tidbits registered an 8-2 record versus the spread and 9-1 straight up. My PM Stukenborg Fearless Prediction that Minnesota would wrastle the Axe from the Badgers was a flop.

Heading into the Championship Weekend, my season record stands at 76-66 (53.5%!!!) ATS and 107-35 (75.4%) SU!

I know youall are pulling for me. I can telepathically feel the love and vibrations of positivity each week as you briefly consider clicking on my article then mutter, “Why the hell would I want to read his crap?” It truly means a lot to me. Thanks!

The Game… The Glorious (slightly hollow-feeling) Game.

A victory over Jim Harbaugh’s Adidas Boys of Navy & Sun should never be minimized, but I admit, a twinge of hollowness and what if still haunted me after the Buckeye beatdown Saturday. Now the Buckeyes are reduced to rationalizing how a North Carolina upset win over Clemson could vault the Bucks into the top four or clinging to desperate hopes that Florida can score more than two points this week and stun Bristol’s Team – ‘Bama. I don’t remember much from 1998, but I do remembered this feeling – Sparty’d.

Lift your spirits by enjoying the destruction of a Michigander’s spirits.

The five stages of grief experienced by Jim Harbaugh as Urban Meyer, the Slobs, Zeke and the Silver Bullets laid waste to the Team Up North.

1. DENIAL

2. ANGER

3. BARGAINING

4. DEPRESSION

5. ACCEPTANCE

Hanging banners in Ann Arbor (Part II)

I feel better. I hope you do too.

You gots to be kidding me?!

Word surfaced on Tuesday that NCAA Division I, FBS, Power 5 schools are actually interested in interviewing former Florida Gator head coach, current Auburn defensive coordinator and future Criminal Minds ripped-from-the-headlines unsub – Will Muschamp. What? Why? South Carolina? What could you possibly be thinking? Disturbing and befuddling.

Watch Criminal Minds on Wednesday nights at 9:00 on CBS.

Disclaimer: Please! For the love of gawd, do not wager real money based on anything you think you may have learned here this week. On any given Saturday, I am Mr. Madison.

Saturday, December 5

Temple

 

AAC Championship

12:00

ABC

Vegas says… Cougars -6.5

At Houston

 Image result for tom herman houston

Temple coach, Matt Rhule, and Houston coach, Tom Herman, have been two of the hottest names in the crazy 2015 season of coaching musical chairs. With both coaches linked to interviews, offers, contract extensions, etc… it will be interesting to see which squad is more focused and prepared for the title game.

Pick ‘em says…Houston has a New Year’s Day big boy bowl on the line, they are playing at home and how can I bet against former Buckeye OC Herman? Cougs, 31-21.

Alabama

 

SEC Championship

4:00 at Atlanta

CBS

Vegas says… Bama -17

Florida

 

Florida’s offense has been putrid since starting QB Will Grier failed an NCAA-administered drug test and was suspended for a calendar year. Last week the measly Gators hung a 2 on the scoreboard versus the Seminoles. Things won’t be easier this week.

Pick ‘em says… Buckeye fans, there is no hope here. Bama 20-6.

Southern Cal

 

PAC-12 Championship

7:45 at Santa Clara

ESPN

Vegas says… Stanford -4.5

Stanford

 

If Stanford had only played Stanford Football (instead of Illinois football) against Northwestern in Week 1, the dancing tree would be playing for a spot in the playoff four.

Conrad Ukropina:

You were my hero Saturday night!

Thank you!

Pick ‘em says… This week, Southern Cal hired a Hollywood movie extra as their new head coach. He’ll lead the Trojans to a PM Stukenborg Fearless Prediction upset. USC, 35-31.

Michigan State

 

B1G Championship

8:00 at Indianapolis

FOX

Vegas says…

Spartans -3.5

Iowa

 

Iowa has decent victories over Pitt, Wisconsin (who can forget that 10-6 crapfest), Northwestern and Nebraska. The Spartans of the B1G East are a whole ‘nuther beast.

Pick ‘em says… Spartans, 28-17.

Clemson

ACC Championship

8:00 at Charlotte

ABC

Vegas says… Tigers -5

North Carolina

 

Buckeye fans, this is it. We need the mother of all Clemsoning’s Saturday night. Dancing Dabo can shuffle off to a number one seed in the playoffs and slam the door on the defending National Champs chances. High drama in the ACC. Oh, and Carolina Blue Lady, a few local guys said they would love to meet you.

Pick ‘em says… PLEEEEEEASE HEELS! Don’t turn the ball over and you’ve got a chance to give the Buckeyes a chance. Clemson, 42-38.

Crap! Sparty’d!

B1G Weekly Recap: Iowa Finishes Undefeated, Michigan State Takes the East

A playoff spot will be on the line this weekend in Indianapolis when Iowa and Michigan State square off for the Big Ten Championship. Iowa had sewn up their spot a week ago but still had to take care of Nebraska to finish off an unbeaten regular season. Michigan State only needed a home victory over Penn State to head back to Indy for the third time in five years.

Iowa 28, Nebraska 20

Nebraska dominated on the box score in every category except the one that matters as their upset bid of undefeated Iowa fell short. Tommy Armstrong threw for 296 yards but also threw four interceptions, including a pick-six that gave the Hawkeyes a lead they would never relinquish.

Iowa’s two scoring drives in the second half lasted a combined total of three plays, two of them being long touchdown runs by Jordan Canzeri. Canzeri finished the day with 140 yards on 17 carries to go with his two scores. Nebraska awaits their bowl fate despite finishing the season 5-7 thanks to not enough teams getting to six wins and Iowa will make the trip east to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship.

Ohio State 42, That Team Up North 13

It’s a good thing Urban Meyer didn’t listen to all of the Twitter hot takes and bench Ezekiel Elliott for this one, huh? The junior running back earned his third pair of gold pants while running all over the Wolverine defense. Elliott finished with 214 yards on the ground to go with a pair of touchdowns.

The offense ran at tempo for much of the game until it was well in hand, allowing for J.T. Barrett to pick apart the Wolverines both on the ground and through the air. Barrett had three rushing touchdowns and a passing score to Jalin Marshall on the opening drive of the second half. Both teams now wait to see where they will be going bowling, with Ohio State still having a slim chance at getting in the College Football Playoff.

Indiana 54, Purdue 36

Indiana’s going bowling! No, not down at the local alley but in a real bowl game! The team that started out 4-0 and dropped to 4-6 looked like it was going to be on the outside looking in once again come bowl season but the Hoosiers rebounded to win their last two and earn a spot in the postseason.

Nate Sudfeld threw for 350 yards and four touchdowns while Devine Redding carried the rock for a career-high 144 yards as Indiana took the Old Oaken Bucket back to Bloomington.

Maryland 46, Rutgers 41

In one of the more exciting games of the B1G weekend, it was a battle with nothing but pride on the line as both teams had already been knocked out of bowl eligibility. The teams combined for nearly 1,200 yards of offense and Maryland finished the game on a 43-17 run after the Scarlet Knights jumped out to a 24-3 midway through the 2nd quarter.

Both teams will be looking to rebuild for the future this offseason, as they will be searching for head coaches following the dismissal of Randy Edsall during the season and Kyle Flood’s firing after this game.

Wisconsin 31, Minnesota 21

Five turnovers by the Golden Gophers doomed their chances of gaining automatic bowl eligibility against Wisconsin. Minnesota drops to 5-7 but have said they will accept a bowl bid should one come their way.

Wisconsin quietly put together another 9-win season, riding the legs of Dare Ogunbowale 33 times for 155 yards and a score in this one. It was the Badgers’ 11th straight victory over Minnesota.

Michigan State 55, Penn State 16

Once the rout in Ann Arbor was over, Buckeye Nation turned a hopeful eye to East Lansing, needing a Penn State miracle to get in to the Big Ten Championship. Prayers were denied seeing as James Franklin is still the coach of the Nittany Lions and still getting blown out by ranked teams as the coach of the Nittany Lions.

Connor Cook came back from his shoulder injury for Senior Day at Spartan Stadium and put on a show for the crowd. Cook threw for 248 yards and three TDs in his final home game. Penn State drops to 7-5 on the season and Michigan State will be playing a de facto College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Iowa in the Big Ten Championship.

Northwestern 24, Illinois 14

Despite dropping to 5-7 on the season and possibly on the outside looking in of a bowl game, Illinois rewarded interim coach Bill Cubit with a 2-year contract. Wes Lunt threw for 241 yards with 100 of them going to Josh Ferguson, but the Illini offense could only muster one scoring drive on the day.

Somehow Northwestern managed to win 10 games without anybody really knowing about it. Stanford will certainly point to that when they make their case for the Playoff should they take down USC in Santa Clara. Justin Jackson took the lead for the Wildcats, rushing for 172 yards and a score on 37 carries in Soldier Field.

Who do you have winning this year’s Big Ten title? Can the Buckeyes sneak in the back door of the College Football Playoff?

Is Ohio State Better Off Not Making the Playoffs?

What if NOT making the College Football Playoffs is the best thing for the Ohio State football team?

It sounds ridiculous and resembles the mindset of a loser and non-competitor, I realize that, but what if the Buckeyes just aren’t that good this season? Maybe, despite all the preseason hype and an abundance of talented individuals, OSU isn’t actually one of the top four teams in the country after all.

It’s a thought that popped into my head after Ohio State lost to Michigan State in an incredibly forgettable performance. I first thought about the crazy collection of elite football players that litter the roster, even after all the season-ending injuries that have permeated the offensive lineup. Think about the playmaking possibilities outside of the quarterback position – Parris Campbell, Ezekiel Elliott, Jalin Marshall, Braxton Miller, Curtis Samuel, Michael Thomas, Nick Vannett, and Dontre Wilson. And that’s leaving a few names out. That’s a lot of athletic people who can run really fast, catch the football, and score touchdowns. Head Coach Urban Meyer and the rest of the offensive brain trust often mention the need to get all of their top playmakers more touches. In essence, it’s true – but that might be the exact mindset that is holding this team back.

The reality may just be that the 2015 Buckeyes are more a collection of talented individuals than one of the strongest teams in the country. That might explain why they lost their first game against a quality opponent – the Spartans in Game 11. The MSU roster comes nowhere close to Ohio State’s roster on paper, in terms of comparing athletes, but it does arguably constitute a better team. Their offense seems to be more predicated on getting the ball to the open man, instead of force-feeding specific players on pre-determined plays in order to come close to their respective quotas. Honestly, even though Michigan was absolutely throttled by Ohio State, the Wolverines’ offense seems better-suited to “find the open man” and move the chains, as opposed to throwing to a particular person because it’s his turn.

Speaking of the Buckeyes throttling Michigan this past Saturday, that looked like a darn impressive outing by the Scarlet and Gray. To beat that team, in that stadium, with that head coach, by the score of 42-13 is tremendously impressive. For the first time in 12 games, it looked like OSU had finally put together a complete performance and played up to their potential. And now, Buckeye fans are taking that one impressive outing and using it mental fuel as we hope for any slim chance at qualifying for the playoffs based on other teams’ misfortune. But what if that’s a mistake? If Ohio State played well in one out of 12 games, isn’t it more likely that the particular game was more of an anomaly than the other 11 games? One would be hard=pressed to say that the Buckeyes’ performance on November 21 against MSU was a true representation of their potential, but if the team that showed up that day is closer to the team’s true identity than the one that pummeled Michigan?

Perhaps the recency effect is taking over the minds of Ohio State fans around the country, and the impressive outing against the Wolverines is clouding our collective opinion of how good OSU actually is. We, as a fan base, are assuming that if were to slip into the playoffs that we’d continue to look like a fluid, dominating team. But what happens if we get into the playoffs as the No. 4 seed and play against Clemson or Alabama similar to how we played against Northern Illinois? Or like we played against Western Michigan? Would all this wishing and hoping and finger crossing be worth it if we got in and then lost to Alabama by 17 points? Maybe the Buckeyes are exactly where they should be, based on how good of a team – or collection of individuals – they actually are.

…Just kidding, I really hope Ohio State makes the playoffs!

All Things Buckeyes

Wolverine Tears:

These Wolverine tears taste amazing!  After a heartbreak at home, the Buckeyes once again showed that they should at least be considered as a potential College Football Playoff candidate.  The Buckeyes entered the game limping after a home loss to those darn Spartans and a major heartbreaker.  The gameplan was not working and the Buckeyes couldn’t maintain control in the trenches.  Fast forward to this past weekend, the Buckeyes demonstrated that they should at least be considered to be a part of this years playoffs, IF and I mean IF, chaos happens during the Conference Championship weekend.

A couple of losses to for the teams that are ahead of the Buckeyes would do wonders for their cause.  While we are all hoping for a miracle, I will hold out just a smidgen of hope for this to happen.  I will pray to the College Football gods for a miracle.  Just like 2007 when the Buckeyes utilized said “chaos” to sneak into the BCS Championship Game, but now it will be used to get into the CFB Playoff.  A Conference Championship Game would’ve helped the Buckeyes cause, but that is just how it is and that is how it will stay.  For now at least.  I for one would be hoping for a miracle.

Now, back to the tears, that taste SO GOOD!  This was supposed to be a tightly contested game.  The Game of all games.  The Scarlet and Gray versus The Maize and Blue.  The first installment of Urban Meyer VS Jim Harbaugh.  It went the way that I wanted it to go.  I was screaming well into the fourth quarter for Coach Meyer and the Buckeyes to run up the score.  This was no time for pity.  We needed to crush the Wolverines in the fashion that we had done to get the attention of the Committee.  To keep the Buckeyes fresh in their minds.

The Buckeyes offense rose from the dead.  Literally!  After a snoozer and after poor game planning, Coach Meyer assisted in the play calling.  And it worked and/or helped.  Tremendously.  J.T. Barrett looked less predictable as opposed to the Michigan State game, the play calling was more straight forward, the execution was crisp and ZEEEEEEEEEEKE RAN WILD!!!  Let’s feed this man and help his cause for the Heisman or should I say HE15MAN.  The Silver Bullets returned and stuffed every run, but it did enough to disrupt the Wolverines.  Yes, they passed on us, but could they run?  NO!  Meh!  Well there are 363 days left until TTUN comes into the Shoe for a date with Coach Meyer, round 2!

All The Gold Pants:

For what its worth, I find it interesting how recruiting works out.  After terrible seasons, like Coach Fickell’s Interim Head Coaching year after the ousting of the one and only Jim Tressel, the one’s who were a part of that class and for those who have stayed, congrats to you all.  Congratulations are in store for the players who have been there through those tough times.  Players like Taylor Decker, who stuck with their commitment have had quite the career.  Case and point, four, I say again FOUR pairs of gold pants.  Now for all the noobs who just started following the Buckeyes, Gold Pants are gained after defeating that team up north.  The ones who have stuck with their commitment have four of them.  The class of 2011 also have a Conference Championship AND a National Title.

Now, a certain recruit comes to mind, Kyle Kalis.  I follow recruiting closely and I remember all the fuss and all the talking that he was doing after he flipped to play for Coach Hoke.  I guess the Buckeyes get the last laugh.  What do you have to show for yourself?  I guess you thought that Coach, ahem Former Coach would still be around or that Michigan would go back to how they were in the early years.  I think that it is comical and I could name a bunch of other Michigan players who were once Buckeye targets.  Jabrill Peppers, Jake Butt, and so on and so fourth.  They made careers out of what they had accomplished, but until you guys can consistently beat the Scarlet and Gray, (shrug).

The Waiting Game:

This will be a weekend to watch.  As opposed to putting hope out there and hoping that Penn State would help us out, it is just laughable right now.  I want to believe but we will just have to see.  Either way, I see the Buckeyes still getting a great bowl game.  Either way, here’s to hoping for the Football gods to answer.

Not So Fast Jimmy!

Oh how sweet it is to to be a Buckeye fan today! After everything that has happened this year from the QB issues to the offensives struggles, finally accumulating into a loss to Michigan State, the only thing that could make a true Buckeye fan feel even a little bit better is a win over TTUN. Boy did the football Gods shine down on us. Not only did we beat TTUN, but we essentially embarrassed them on their own field.

All we have heard all year was how impressive TTUN had become and how Jim Harbaugh has completely turned this program around. It turned out that even Vegas had become believers due to the fact that this game was essentially a “Pick Um”. Well unfortunately for them the Buckeyes blew that theory out of the water. The TTUN defense literally had no clue what to do with our running game. It seemed like our offense had finally hit its stride and every player knew where they were suppose to be at all times. The read option offense was just too much for the Wolverines to handle as JT had over 100 yards on the ground along with Zeke putting up over 200.

I guess the moral to this story is we all should be ashamed of ourselves to actually think there is a coach anywhere in the country (not named Mark Dantonio) that could actually coach on Urbans level. Old Urb  embarrassed Jim in every phase of the game, and man it was beautiful to watch! Better luck next year Jimmy.

Now let’s talk a little about what it’s going to take for us to have a chance to get into the College Football Playoff. First of all we should have known better than to trust Penn State to do our dirty work for us, but I did at least expect them to be competitive, but they weren’t…. SO due to those unfortunate circumstances we need a little help from some other teams. The best case scenario is that Florida is able to beat Alabama in the SEC championship game. If that were to happen, Alabama would have 2 loss’s giving the Buckeyes an edge on them to get into the top four. Unfortunately the changes of this happening are very slim. Florida is just not on that level yet, although they are on their way.

The next best chance we have is for North Carolina to beat Clemson in the ACC championship game. This, in my opinion, is our best shot. After what turned out to be a very bad loss at the beginning of the season to South Carolina, North Carolina has been on a roll. Playing very well in every game since and riding high coming into the championship game. The nice thing for them is that few believe they can compete with Clemson, so they can come into the game with a chip on their shoulder. The only possible downfall here is that if NC is able to pull off the upset they will have a legitimate argument to be in over us since they only have 1 loss as well, but we will cross that bridge when we get there!

Finally, the biggest thing that we need is for MSU to beat Iowa in the Big Ten Championship game. That makes our loss to them look that much better! At the end of the day it is all in the hands of the football Gods now so all we can do is sit back and watch!

The Rivals, Part XIV: The Game

College football is the greatest game on Earth. It’s unlikely that anyone reading this disagrees. Part of what makes college football so exciting, so captivating, so maddening is its unpredictability. The season is so short, the playoff field is so small, and there so many teams vying for a spot that a single misstep can end anyone’s championship hopes in a matter of seconds, or less. Michigan State severely damaged the playoff chances of both Michigan and Ohio State this year, and both times they did it without ever having a lead while there was still time on the clock. And while that is excruciating for fans of the losing team—the epitome of the agony of defeat, in fact—it is exactly what we, as college football fans, should want.

Imagine the alternative. Imagine the world where everything goes exactly the way we expect it to. In that world, we would be watching Ohio State dominate every opponent on their way to a national title. No one would even come close to challenging the Buckeyes all season, except maybe Alabama or TCU in the playoffs. Michigan would be playing better but not really doing anything impressive as new coach Jim Harbaugh tries to manage as best he can in a transition year. Sounds great for Ohio State fans, but it certainly would make today’s game much less exciting than it is right now.

Oh, and let’s not forget that in this alternate, no-surprises reality, we’re not vying for a repeat championship, because we didn’t even make the playoff last year. There was no Kick Six, no Fifth Down, no Because We Couldn’t Go For Three. Appalachian State never beat Michigan. The Holy Buckeye pass glanced off Michael Jenkins’ fingertips, then Miami steamrolled Georgia in the Fiesta Bowl. We never got to see Boise State’s bag-of-tricks upset of Oklahoma. There was no fumblerooski, no Bush Push, no Hello Heisman. The band stayed off the field.

But fortunately, that’s not the world we live in. We live in the world where Ohio State’s offense has underperformed in more games than it’s dazzled. (But it has dazzled.) We live in the world where Michigan is in the top 6 nationally in every defensive category, but can’t crack the top 50 on offense. We live in the world where an upset by Penn State will vault the winner of The Game into the Big Ten championship game and, with a little bit of national help, that team’s national title hopes will be revived too.

Unpredictability. It’s what fuels Ohio State/Michigan, still the greatest rivalry in all of sport. For the first time in a long time, the teams enter the game at a virtual dead heat. As I type this, the Buckeyes are a 1-point favorite, but that’s probably changed now that you’re reading it. Urban Meyer has yet to lose to Michigan as the head coach of Ohio State. Wolverine head coaches are 12-2 against the Buckeyes in their first year. Ohio State is coming off their first loss in 23 games; Michigan has won 9 games for just the third time in the last 10 years.

Today is the dawning of a new era of The Game. It’s a coaching matchup that this rivalry hasn’t seen since Woody/Earle vs. Bo. (Coach Bruce doesn’t usually get billed along with Coach Hayes, but he had a 5-4 record against Schembechler and deserves recognition for that.) John Cooper could never overcome his Michigan bugaboo, and Lloyd Carr and Rich Rodriguez proved to be no match for the ruthless Jim Tressel. Brady Hoke took advantage of the rocky wake of Tressel’s abrupt departure but couldn’t best Urban Meyer in three tries, despite some very competitive games.

But Harbaugh vs. Meyer seems like a slam dunk. Urban is the best active coach in college football, having amassed a 48-4 record at Ohio State so far. Harbaugh has had an illustrious career himself, reinvigorating Stanford and dominating in the NFL with the 49ers. And now, he has Michigan in the top 10 of the playoff rankings. All signs point to a fierce battle between two bitter rivals for many years to come, the kind of edge-of-your-seat back-and-forth that few fans of either team have witnessed in their lifetimes.

The Game is back.

Does History Really Repeat Itself?

Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel, center, leads his team on the field during the second half against Penn State, Saturday, Sept 23, 2006, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Terry Gilliam)

Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel, center, leads his team on the field during the second half against Penn State, Saturday, Sept 23, 2006, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Terry Gilliam)

Once upon a time in the not so distant past, the Ohio State football staff led by coach Jim Tressel, was preparing their players to compete in the season opener against Youngstown State. The year was 2007. The Buckeyes would go on to win that game by a score of 38 to 6. What is special about this Ohio State team, is that they were just coming off of a 41-14 shellacking in the BCS national championship, at the hands of the University of Florida and their budding head coach, Urban Meyer. The Buckeyes were an angry football team with a lot to prove; to themselves and to the nation. The angry Buckeyes would go on a tear in their next nine games against the likes of Washington, Penn State, Purdue, Michigan State and Minnesota among others, where only one of their opponents (Michigan State) was able to keep the score within two touchdowns. However, on November 10th, Ohio State would meet their match when they faced the fighting Illini and their all everything quarterback, Juice Williams. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Williams said,

“Good teams are going to hit you,” “They’re going to hit you hard and they’re going to hit you often. It’s about how you respond. My whole thing was just go hit them back in the mouth.”

That’s exactly what Williams and Illinois did as Ohio State started the game by throwing down field, looking for big plays. OSU would score early but not often; as they were held to just two touchdowns after their first drive of the game. Eventually Illinois would go on to schock Ohio State and the rest of the country on that night by knocking off the number one ranked Buckeyes. Unfortunately for Ohio State, the loss to Illinois came on the second to last week of their season; so in all likelihood, after dropping to number seven in the polls, there would not be enough time for the Buckeyes to revive their season. But as fate would have it, Oregon, Oklahoma, Kansas, West Virginia, Mizzouri and LSU would all lose, in between Ohio State’s loss to Illinois and the BCS national championship selection show. Ohio State dropped from number one, down to number seven and climbed back up to number one in the rankings within about two weeks, on their journey to play in the championship game.

Ohio State finds itself in a similar situation eight years later, as they have fallen to Michigan State in the second to last game of the season. The Buckeyes need some help to get into the championship picture again by the end of the year; but not nearly as much help as they needed in 2007. The Buckeyes could find themselves back in the playoff picture if they win this weekend and the Spartans lose to Penn State; and with a hurt Connor Cook, Penn State has a significantly improved chance of beating MSU. There are a number of scenarios that would place the Buckeyes back in the top 4, but this is one that would require the least amount of help from teams around the country.

Finally and most important of all, Ohio State must have an extremely strong performance against our rivals this weekend, much like how they did against Wisconsin in the title game last season. We will see how the season ends and whether the Bucks can make it back to the top 4, but believe me, crazier things have happened!

2015 Buckeyes Playing For Pride In “THE GAME”

It is far too common and completely understandable to want to dwell on a painful event or moment. Asking yourself, “What happened?!?”, over and over, trying to make sense of something that does not make sense.

At some point, you have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and proceed forward. If you do not let the past go, it will remain with you into the present.

It is at this juncture where we pick up the 2015 Ohio State Buckeyes, fresh off a disappointing loss to Michigan State. While there are shades of the 1998 loss in this latest setback to the Spartans, a couple prominent points need to be made ~ 1. The 1998 team lost to an unranked Michigan State team that wound up 6-6; this year’s team came into Ohio Stadium with only one loss, so this was a loss to a good team. And 2. The 1998 team had the good fortune to get to play at Iowa after the Michigan State, before having to face That Team Up North in Ohio Stadium, while this year’s team gets no opportunity to regroup, having to travel to Ann Arbor – hence, the points I made in the second paragraph, up above.

The College Football Playoff is not dead, but is pretty ill. Ohio State needs to focus on what they can control, and that is defeating That Team Up North.

Three Things I Will Keep An Eye On During “THE GAME” ~

1. Ohio State’s Offensive Approach ~ To call Ohio State’s offensive output ‘disappointing’ sullies the word. Ohio State had five total first downs against Michigan State. That is not a mistyped word – five. Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer will be very hands on for this game, and it will bear watching how Ohio State attacks That Team Up North. Beyond Ezekiel Elliott, look for the various playmakers on the Ohio State to be involved far, far more than they were against Michigan State.

2. Line Play ~ Players on both teams will want to make sure their respective chinstraps are tightened up for this one. Somewhere, Woody and Bo will be smiling, as this game promises to be very physical along the lines of scrimmage. As Ohio State lost this battle last week against the Spartans, how will the Buckeyes respond to an equally physical Wolverines team?

3. Watch Out For This Unsung Player On That Team Up North ~ Ohio State fans are familiar with Jake Rudock, Jake Butt, De’Veon Smith. Here is a player you may not know now, but I am guessing you will be with by the end of the game – Sione Houma. A bruising fullback, the Wolverines use Houma as a receiving option, as well as an occasional ball carrier. If the Wolverines are near the goal line, do not be surprised if Houna gets the call or carry.

Throw out the record books. This is all about pride. The Buckeyes will battle a hostile crowd, and a very physical football team on both sides of the ball. Even with a refreshed offensive approach, this game should come down to the wire, as usual. I like Ohio State to eek it out in the end, with a score of Ohio State 20, That Team Up North 17.

Week 13: MotSaG B1G Pick ‘em and Tidbits – The Sadness

By: Phil Schoch, Twitter me @osuphil95

Each week Pick ’em & Tidbits risks public humiliation and mockery by predicting each B1G game, as well as a few national spotlight games, versus the Vegas spread.

A Pie & A Song: Busting out of my Buckeye Blues

Buckeye fans dealing with a football loss have a spectrum of coping methods. The more volatile may drink themselves into a thrashing rage or rage-Tweet at players and coaches (if this is you, seek help now). Others seek group therapy sessions. On Saturday night I replaced the Buckeye flag affixed to the front of our home with a black skull-and-crossbones flag, then I withdrew and analyzed. I listened to post-game interviews, read Tweets, studied the dreadful statistics, considered or dismissed various opinions and takes and ate pie.

I never intended for my Meijer Rich Caramel Apple Pie to be consumed in mournful solitude. It is a flavorsome, friends and family, celebratory pie. After three hours of analysis and one-third of the pie ingested, I fell into a tumultuous sleep. Morning arrived, blanketed in the post-Buckeye loss blues. Another slice of pie was no help. Then my three year old daughter walked through the kitchen singing a Trombone Shorty song and my blues were lifted. I was still aggravated to no end, but no longer brooding. Wait. Did I just experience perspective? If so, I certainly could have used some perspective and pie in ’95, ’96 and ’97 after those cannonball-to-the-gut Michigan losses.

I highly recommend the Meijer Rich Caramel Apple Pie. It is coated in a quarter-to-a-half-inch (no lie) of breakfast-y caramel you would find on an iced cream-filled donut and weighs about 8 pounds (also not a lie). Lift with your legs, not your back.

If Trombone Shorty comes to your town – buy tickets, get a babysitter and go! Core-melting New Orleans funk-rock-jazz. Here is the song my daughter was singing Sunday.

Buckeye fans: Have rage? George does too.

Overview of the Aggravation

A philosophy and commitment to championship expectations among the football program, school administration and fan base is what makes Ohio State football an all-time great. Ohio State football and its fans should never be ashamed or afraid of championship expectations, because without them – we’re Purdue or Illinois or what has become of Nebraska. Losses happen – and if it hurts as a coach, a player or a fan, good – it should.

Some perspective. Losses happen – in Ohio State’s case, it had been 441 days between losses. Before the Spartans invaded The ‘Shoe, the Buckeyes last regular season B1G loss had taken place 1,445 days ago. An undefeated season, a National Championship and 23 & 24-game winning streaks have taken place in the past four years. On Saturday, the Buckeyes lost – and it hurt. It hurt Ezekiel Elliott.

Championship expectations and championship preparation and performance against perfection are what make Urban Meyer teams great. On Saturday, a season of disheveled preparation and uneven performances reached a confluence – and the Buckeyes lost to a tenacious, resolute and undermanned Spartan squad. Afterward, Zeke spoke out. Did he say too much and go too far? Yup. Was he a robust, 100% correct? Yup. Will he likely learn from this situation and become a better leader down the road? Yup. Will it harm his draft status, as some national drama-instigators have suggested? Hecks no!

As if they broke down my own thoughts on Saturday’s debacle and put them into words for me, here are two excellent local Buckeye writers:

From Chris Lauderback of ElevenWarriors.com (@chris11w)

PLAYING NOT TO LOSE ENDS IN LOSS

Remember when Urban Meyer tried to score 50 points on every team by speeding up the tempo and throwing haymakers at opposing defenses? I do, but not this year.

 Instead, with a three-headed monster of Ed Warinner, Tim Beck and Meyer calling the plays for an offense featuring bouts of indecision around staffing the quarterback position, a line that has yet to match last year’s effectiveness and spotty wide receiver play all complemented by the best running back in America, the play calling became painfully conservative.

SHAKE IT UP

The season is far from over but last night served as the greatest example yet that Ohio State needs to shake up the offensive staff’s roles in the offseason. Maybe that’s through turnover, maybe it’s through shuffling responsibility but the status quo won’t suffice.

The current setup has taken some of Warinner’s time away from coaching the offensive line and it seems logical to correlate that fact with the lack of consistency and improvement from a group that was the strength of last year’s championship run.

Beck has taken over some of the play calling duties while moonlighting as the quarterbacks coach and it’s telling that the offense looks rudderless at times as both quarterbacks have shown zero improvement – if not regression – in comparison to last year. Specific to yesterday, to not even attempt to attack Sparty’s depleted secondary was flat out criminal. How much of that decision was Beck and how much was Meyer isn’t totally clear but either way it’s on Meyer as the head coach.

From Tony Gerdeman of TheOzone.net (@GerdOZone)

Boy, oh boy, was that an irresponsible offensive game plan by the Ohio State coaches, or what?

URBAN MEYER HAS GONE TOO CONSERVATIVE

I cannot believe that what we witnessed on Saturday was an Urban Meyer offense. This was not the offense of an elite head coach.

THIS IS THE REAL 2015 OHIO STATE BUCKEYES

This isn’t a team that was bored by the schedule. This wasn’t a team that was waiting for a real challenge. This is a team that scored twice at home against Michigan State on touchdown drives of 32 and 6 yards. Those are fake drives. This is a team that struggled on offense at times all season long.

IF YOU HAVE A BAD OFFENSE, IT’S ON PURPOSE

This is my longest-held and most firm football belief, and I have mentioned it many, many times: If you are a college football head coach and you have a bad offense, you’re doing it on purpose. There is no reason for it. There are far too many successful offenses out there with lesser skill looking like world beaters.

The only excuse for Ohio State’s offense to look like it did against Michigan State is that Ohio State caused it. You can’t give this much credit to the Spartans. Give them some, they took some things away from the Buckeyes, but the Buckeyes didn’t look for replacements, they just simply threw their arms up and hoped that they could get away with doing absolutely nothing.

The Buckeyes ran just 45 plays, which is what good up-tempo teams want to run in a half. Getting 45 plays is due to a lack of trying on the coaches’ part and that’s a total disservice to the players. Limiting opportunities is the exact opposite of what Urban Meyer has always said his offense is about. He talks about writing down his list of 10 playmakers and how he’s going to get them the ball, but where is the evidence of that list and those intentions this season? It never existed.

THE GAME IS ONLY DAYS AWAY!

With the Michigan Game and their first tangle with Jim Harbaugh just days away, can this Buckeye squad bounce back? Mentally? Emotionally? Strategically? Organizationally? Urban Meyer has spoken glowingly all season of the leadership and focus of his team. That leadership will be tested to the extreme this week in preparation for a rejuvenated Michigan program with a stout front 7 and better DB’s than Sparty. My guts are churning already.

To the good news…

My late season push continued in Week 12, as Pick ‘em & Tidbits registered a 6-2 record versus the spread and 6-2 straight up. My PM Stukenborg Fearless Prediction of the Indiana Creepy Creans (+3) over Maryland won outright as well.

Heading into the final week of the B1G regular season, my record stands at 68-64 (51.5%!!!) ATS and 98-34 (74.2%) SU.

Disclaimer: Keep your holidays merry and bright. Don’t wager your kids Christmas present money on anything you think you may have learned here.

Around the B1G…

Friday, November 27

Iowa

3:30

ABC

Vegas says… Iowa -1

At Nebraska

 

This is how legendary Iowa coach used to slump around the football offices. Now he has swagger.

Not only is this link SFW, it is officially Iowa SFW. blob:https%3A//vine.co/e7217ecc-fb37-4015-ab8c-c84ea284205c

Pick ‘em says… Too much on the line for the Hawkeyes to lose this one. Iowa, 27-24.

Saturday, November 28

Ohio State

 

12:00

ABC

Vegas says… Blue -1

At Michigan

 

A lot of questions need answers. Does Ohio State have the leadership and focus to move past the Michigan State loss and be ready for a battle in Ann Arbor? Can OSU find offensive balance in less than a week? Under the Radar X-Factor: Can OSU OLB, Darron Lee (New Albany), neutralize Michigan TE, Jake Butt (Pickerington) on 3rd down and get the defense off the field?

Pick ‘em says… At mid-week, my stomach feels like this Michigan Man’s face. Buckeyes, 24-23. 

Indiana

12:00

BTN

Vegas says…

Hoosiers -6.5

At Purdue

 

The Hoosier state’s battle for the Old Oaken Bucket.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pick ‘em says… Add another I to the chain. Hoosiers, 38-16.

Maryland

12:00

BTN

Vegas says… Terps -1

At Rutgers

The Eastern Seaboard’s Battle for Jim Delany’s Cash.

 

 

 

 

 

Pick ‘em says… Everybody loses when Rutgers and Maryland square off in a B1G sanctioned event. Turtles, 24-20.

Penn State

 

3:30

ESPN

Vegas says… Sparty -11

At Michigan State

 

The Land Grant Trophy is the second worst trophy in B1G history. Remember the short-lived Farmer Buys Young Boy for a Bushel of Corn Cy-Hawk Trophy (creepy image below)? That one is the worst, but half of the blame goes to the Big XII. The Land Grant is all B1G and celebrates a federal government real estate program of 1855 involving property agencies as Pyramis – trash talking over 160 year old government programs – oo’yeah! The pads will be poppin’! Here is the Land Grant Trophy in it’s 7th grade junior high yearbook photo. Here is my favorite version – The Lou Grant Trophy. Man, that Ed Asner was a hairy guy. In case you did not know, multiple David Letterman Top 10 Lists referenced the full-body shagginess of the actor – including this gem from a 1997 list: Top Ten Surprises In The New Version Of Star Wars – #10 Part of Chewbacca now played by a shirtless Ed Asner. B1G comedic trophy gold!

 

 

 

 

 

Pick ‘em says… Sparty in a squeeeeeeeeeker, 20-19.

Wisconsin

 

3:30

BTN

Vegas says… W -2.5

At Minnesota

 

Southern Canada’s Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe

 

 

Pick ‘em says… It’s the PM Stukenborg Fearless Prediction! Gophers in a mild-flavored Gouda upset. Gophers, 24-17. 

Northwestern

 

3:30

At Soldier Field

ESPNU

Vegas says… NW -3.5

Illinois

 

Battle for the Land of Lincoln Trophy

Pick ‘em says… Northwestern’s resurgent season has been a pleasant surprise that Wildcat fans won’t go see. Wildcats, 24-17.

National Spotlight games…

Baylor

 

Friday, November 27

7:30

ESPN

Vegas says… Bears -1

At TCU

 

It’s amazing how far these two programs have come in the past decade. They have temporarily put the blue-blooded Longhorns out to pasture. This battle of third-string quarterbacks will be determined by turnovers.

Pick ‘em says… I’ll postulate that TCU is the tougher team. Frogs, 38-31.

Notre Dame

 

7:30

FOX

Vegas says…Stanford -4

At Stanford

 

Pick ‘em says… Please lose Notre Dame. Cardinal, 27-24.

Oklahoma

 

8:00

ABC

Vegas says…

Sooners -6.5

At Oklahoma State

 

If you are a rooting for the perfect storm to get the Buckeyes back into the Final 4, you are a mid-day Nittany Lion fan and a late night Cowboy fan.

Pick ’em says… Sooners are on a roll, but I hope Jim Ross is sadly shaking his head like this at midnight. Sooners, 45-35.

Thanks for reading, Dan of Crestwood.

Men of the Scarlet and Gray Podcast The Game Edition

Chip and I recap (autopsied) That Michigan State game along with fan behavior, which seems more and more Buckeye fans are getting out of hand acting like Penn State fans. We also did our weekly #AskMotSag and MotSaG Pick’Em segments.

We went over to the Darkside to talk about TUN and The Game. Anthony Broome from maizenbrew.com along with David Mormino from TheBigHouseReport.com got to hang out with the cool kids that enjoy the Scarlet and Gray. We fist pay tribute to Chad Carr, the grandson of former Wolverine head coach who just recently passed away from cancer. This rivalry means so much that this young child became a part of Buckeye Nation and we are right there weeping with the Carr family.

Anthony and David we gracious enough to try and help us understand how to recover from a loss. Been so long for the Buckeye’s you forget how to cope with it, who better to turn to right. We actually did discuss the maize and Blue football team and gave our predictions on who would win. Let’s just say it was unanimous.

You should follow Anthony Broome on twitter @anthonytbroome and David Mormino @davidmomino. Even for being fans/bloggers/writers for TUN they really are great guys and always a blast having them on the show.