Oklahoma State @ Texas A&M
Draper: This will most likely be the biggest game of the weekend that no one will talk about (even though it's between top 10 teams). The Aggies have high hopes on the season but haven't been able to show their skills against quality competition. The Pokes have the most explosive offense in the country but the defense is suspect. The home field advantage of the 12th man will be spectacular, but I'm riding the Cowboys all the way. Justin Blackmon will enter the Heisman race (even though he's already the clear cut number 1 WR in the country) with a huge performance. OSU: 42--TAMU: 35
Auer: Color me shocked that Texas A&M hasn't lost a game they shouldn't yet. Just like my esteemed colleague mentioned, this is probably the best game this weekend that literally no one is talking about. Frankly, I had no idea that Ok State was ranked this high. Based on how each team has performed this season, this is going to be a close one. The consistency of the fan support will help put the Aggies over the top in this one. OSU: 28--TAMU: 38
LSU @ West Virginia
Draper: The Mountaineers are riding an undefeated streak after squeaking by Maryland after the Terps roared back late. LSU won a big game in Starksville last Thurs which I believe is a more threatening environment than Morgantown. The WVU faithful will be out burning couches and showing their tooth, but the Tiger defense is just too good. Geno Smith will spend most of the game on his back and Jarrett Lee will do enough to not blow it. LSU: 20--WVU: 10
Auer: LSU has already ran through a gamut of difficult teams, and WVU will be no rollover. The Tigers have proved to be both unstoppable, and a bit lucky, waiting for teams to make the mistake that gives the Mad Hatter and his squad the win. The Mountaineers are on the cusp of making a huge statement, and vaulting themselves back onto the national scene, and into the BCS Championship conversation. I believe the Tigers will be looking ahead to the home-opener, and get nipped here by the 'Neers. LSU: 27--WVU: 29
Arkansas @ Alabama
Draper: Arkansas has been a surprise with the crazy loss of Knile Davis in the off season and Ryan Mallet's departure to the NFL. Problem is, Bama is a whole different animal. Richardson is a beast (even if he is the only offense they have) and the Tide defense is an immoveable object. Arkansas will start fast, but die off near halftime. Bama will score enough to win comfortably while the defense shuts it down. Ark: 10--Bama: 24
Auer: Alabama is nearly an unstoppable force it seems. The running game and defense form almost a perfect beast that is next to impossible to stop. Arkansas just does not have the horses to run with the Tide this year. Ark: 6--Bama: 38
Florida State @ Clemson
Draper: My Noles may have lost to the Sooners, but boy were they pumped. They got me excited for the remainder of this year and the future. EJ Manuel's injury could cost them but Trickett stepped up big time (even though he's 10 years old). Clemson looked pretty good last week ending Auburn's winning streak. Tajh Boyd and Edwards are very good but the Nole D is a bigger animal. I will admit that Death Valley is the 3rd loudest stadium I've been too (1. Swamp 2. Horseshoe) but they just don't have the horses. Noles roll! FSU: 34--Clem: 20
Auer: FSU proved last weekend that they are a very good team, but with a variety of injuries, and the HUGE potential of a let-down, Clemson is going to surprise everyone and pull off the upset. Ironically, with a QB who would have come to OSU had Terrelle Pryor not been here... FSU: 18--Clem: 28
Colorado @ Ohio State
Draper: The Buckeyes absolutely need this rebound game. Thankfully, Colorado is woefully bad. The lines for the Bucks need to completely dominate and I believe they will. It's looking like Braxton will get his first start so hold your breath on turnovers. Expect a conservatively called game with a heavy heavy dose of the run and a few safe passes. I'm sure Miller was coached up this week on ball security when running. Bauserman will most likely get some time so do me a favor Buckeye fans: don't boo your players. This is just what the doctor ordered after last week's abomination. The Bullets will turn up the heat and I expect to see an offense this week. CU: 0--OSU: 27
Auer: After quite possibly the ugliest offensive showing I've ever seen out of Ohio State the work really begins for Coach Fickell. Colorado isn't as bad as Akron, but they also aren't as good as Toledo or Miami. The Bucks defense took some time to gel in Miami, and the offense never really made an appearance. There must be some sort of consistency established, and it all starts with the quarterback position. CU: 10--OSU: 38
Upset Special
Draper: Arizona State over USC and San Diego State over Michigan
Auer: WVU over LSU and ASU over USC
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Five Thoughts on the Week that was
1) I hope Brady Hoke never realizes how to use Denard Robinson at the beginning of the game.
Watching another Michigan game (part in parcel), I can see that Michigan's offense is being handcuffed by their coaches. The defense is atrocious and that won't change until the athletes change because they simply don't have the personnel. With regard to the offense, there's a reason the Wolverines continually get behind in every game and come storming back. Al Borges and Brady Hoke are convinced that they can force their system and make Robinson a pocket passer and that simply is not possible. After a few stalled drives against terrible defenses, they remove the reins and let Denard run all over the field to defeat the small schools they are playing now by himself. Denard Robinson is a stellar athlete but he is not a great quarterback. Hoke may install the offense bit by bit, but I hope he fails to use his most powerful weapon as effectively as possible. When the teams get better as the year goes on, Denard won't be able to come that size of a deficit with a decent defense. He will NOT win the Heisman either way because he simply cannot throw effectively, but he is the most explosive player in the country when let loose.
2) FSU is right on the cusp of being back
Some of the swagger is back in Tally. I loved the environment bringing me back to my rookie season with the Garnet and Gold. The town's rocking and the belief is there, but the talent is JUST short. Don't get me wrong, they are extremely talented and most likely will finish in the top 10 with a BCS berth and an ACC title, but the game against OU showed the importance of experienced veterans in a national title contender. The Noles will be a force to deal with in the years to come which is what is getting me excited about the future. Finally, I see a team that expects to win every game again. This year of experience and swagger will continue the reloading in Tallahassee. The country will once again fear the spear with the huge hits and rowdy atmosphere.
3) Suspensions kill
Yikes Buckeyes! That was pathetic. But let us look at the situation: suspensions have removed the quarterback (Pryor), #1 Running Back (Herron), #1 Receiver (Posey), Left Tackle (Adams), and an up-and-coming defender (Thomas). Imagine any team in which those pieces are removed for a few games...train wreck--and we in Columbus are seeing the brutal reality and results of the Tat 5 indiscretions and selfishness. Miami has a decent team which was underrated from the week 1 loss somewhat attributed to suspensions, but the Buckeyes should never let that happen to a mediocre team. Excuses don't feed the family, but there it is. This loss can be attributed in part to the selfishness of the 5 athletes who put themselves over the team. You have to rebound, but that severe of a loss is a killer.
4) Realignment is here...why couldn't this have been taken care of over the offseason.
After all the talk and speculation in the offseason surrounding conference realignment (primarily focused around the Big 12 schools), nothing happened before the season started. Everything looked to be at a standstill after the Pac 12 expansion until Texas A&M rocked the boat and sought out the SEC. Now, all of a sudden, the big boys in Texas and Oklahoma are seeking a move and out of left field, Pitt and Syracuse jump to the ACC in a move than will most likely destroy the Big East. Let's recap: we appear in line for 4 superconferences (Big Ten, Pac 12, SEC, and ACC). The ACC will be the basketball powerhouse and the SEC will be the football powerhouse (on paper). Three of the four are scrambling to catch the pieces as the fall while the schools in the Big East, Big 12, and non-AQ conferences scramble to find some conference to take them on. The Big Ten is notoriously absent from the realignment talks and they probably have to get in the game. Notre Dame is the big fish that will fall to the Big Ten shortly, but, like it or not, it appears the Big Ten must seek expansion to keep up--or, more likely, they will refuse any and all newcomers (other than ND) and show all other conferences how financially stable they are in comparison and stick with 13-14. Some think it won't work, but the Big Ten has enough of a following and traditional fanbase than it might. It appears that Texas and Oklahoma (and therefore Okie State and Texas Tech) are Pac 12 bound so all of the big fish are already gone (sans Notre Dame) so if Delany doesn't get on it, the Big Ten will be left with nothing but scrubs. I don't know how I feel about superconferences but, as I said last year, they are about to become a reality. I just wished that the schools could have handled this business in the summer rather than taking away from the sport.
5) This is a down year for the Big Ten (for real this year)--mostly due to Ohio State.
The Big Ten has always taken the heat from the media (sorry from ESPiN) because they aren't the ESPiN cash cow of the SEC and the Big Ten Network has actually survived in a world in which the worldwide leader is an essential monopoly. They are always hammered for being slow and weak when most of the criticism was undeserved. Yes, the SEC has had the premier program in college football for the last few years and I won't argue it, but it has the Ole Miss, Vandys, and Kentuckys of the world like every other conference. Ohio State has been the standard bearer and has rebounded from the national championship losses of 06 and 07. The suspensions have hurt the premier program and led to more pundits smelling blood. Unfortunately, the much of the criticism is right this year. Wisconsin is pretty good but we have no real benchmark given the competition. Ditto for Nebraska but the defense has been very suspect. MSU drops the first 'big one' to ND, OSU is embarrassed in Miami, Michigan has been stupid bad defensively, and Penn State was spanked (no big surprise) at home to Bama and struggled with Temple. The one bright spot has been a better than expected Illinois team. I have defended the Big Ten in the past, but it's tough to argue this year. Yes, it's better than the Big East and maybe even with the other big conferences in the meat, but I don't see a single elite team that you can find in the other 4 big conferences (Bama/LSU, OU/OkSt, Oreg/Stanford, FSU). Wisky and Nebraska might join the 'elite' but the downfall of the Buckeyes is felt all around the midwest. Perhaps when the suspensions abate, the Buckeyes will reemerge as a contender, but no matter what, the Big Ten is in a down year.
Watching another Michigan game (part in parcel), I can see that Michigan's offense is being handcuffed by their coaches. The defense is atrocious and that won't change until the athletes change because they simply don't have the personnel. With regard to the offense, there's a reason the Wolverines continually get behind in every game and come storming back. Al Borges and Brady Hoke are convinced that they can force their system and make Robinson a pocket passer and that simply is not possible. After a few stalled drives against terrible defenses, they remove the reins and let Denard run all over the field to defeat the small schools they are playing now by himself. Denard Robinson is a stellar athlete but he is not a great quarterback. Hoke may install the offense bit by bit, but I hope he fails to use his most powerful weapon as effectively as possible. When the teams get better as the year goes on, Denard won't be able to come that size of a deficit with a decent defense. He will NOT win the Heisman either way because he simply cannot throw effectively, but he is the most explosive player in the country when let loose.
2) FSU is right on the cusp of being back
Some of the swagger is back in Tally. I loved the environment bringing me back to my rookie season with the Garnet and Gold. The town's rocking and the belief is there, but the talent is JUST short. Don't get me wrong, they are extremely talented and most likely will finish in the top 10 with a BCS berth and an ACC title, but the game against OU showed the importance of experienced veterans in a national title contender. The Noles will be a force to deal with in the years to come which is what is getting me excited about the future. Finally, I see a team that expects to win every game again. This year of experience and swagger will continue the reloading in Tallahassee. The country will once again fear the spear with the huge hits and rowdy atmosphere.
3) Suspensions kill
Yikes Buckeyes! That was pathetic. But let us look at the situation: suspensions have removed the quarterback (Pryor), #1 Running Back (Herron), #1 Receiver (Posey), Left Tackle (Adams), and an up-and-coming defender (Thomas). Imagine any team in which those pieces are removed for a few games...train wreck--and we in Columbus are seeing the brutal reality and results of the Tat 5 indiscretions and selfishness. Miami has a decent team which was underrated from the week 1 loss somewhat attributed to suspensions, but the Buckeyes should never let that happen to a mediocre team. Excuses don't feed the family, but there it is. This loss can be attributed in part to the selfishness of the 5 athletes who put themselves over the team. You have to rebound, but that severe of a loss is a killer.
4) Realignment is here...why couldn't this have been taken care of over the offseason.
After all the talk and speculation in the offseason surrounding conference realignment (primarily focused around the Big 12 schools), nothing happened before the season started. Everything looked to be at a standstill after the Pac 12 expansion until Texas A&M rocked the boat and sought out the SEC. Now, all of a sudden, the big boys in Texas and Oklahoma are seeking a move and out of left field, Pitt and Syracuse jump to the ACC in a move than will most likely destroy the Big East. Let's recap: we appear in line for 4 superconferences (Big Ten, Pac 12, SEC, and ACC). The ACC will be the basketball powerhouse and the SEC will be the football powerhouse (on paper). Three of the four are scrambling to catch the pieces as the fall while the schools in the Big East, Big 12, and non-AQ conferences scramble to find some conference to take them on. The Big Ten is notoriously absent from the realignment talks and they probably have to get in the game. Notre Dame is the big fish that will fall to the Big Ten shortly, but, like it or not, it appears the Big Ten must seek expansion to keep up--or, more likely, they will refuse any and all newcomers (other than ND) and show all other conferences how financially stable they are in comparison and stick with 13-14. Some think it won't work, but the Big Ten has enough of a following and traditional fanbase than it might. It appears that Texas and Oklahoma (and therefore Okie State and Texas Tech) are Pac 12 bound so all of the big fish are already gone (sans Notre Dame) so if Delany doesn't get on it, the Big Ten will be left with nothing but scrubs. I don't know how I feel about superconferences but, as I said last year, they are about to become a reality. I just wished that the schools could have handled this business in the summer rather than taking away from the sport.
5) This is a down year for the Big Ten (for real this year)--mostly due to Ohio State.
The Big Ten has always taken the heat from the media (sorry from ESPiN) because they aren't the ESPiN cash cow of the SEC and the Big Ten Network has actually survived in a world in which the worldwide leader is an essential monopoly. They are always hammered for being slow and weak when most of the criticism was undeserved. Yes, the SEC has had the premier program in college football for the last few years and I won't argue it, but it has the Ole Miss, Vandys, and Kentuckys of the world like every other conference. Ohio State has been the standard bearer and has rebounded from the national championship losses of 06 and 07. The suspensions have hurt the premier program and led to more pundits smelling blood. Unfortunately, the much of the criticism is right this year. Wisconsin is pretty good but we have no real benchmark given the competition. Ditto for Nebraska but the defense has been very suspect. MSU drops the first 'big one' to ND, OSU is embarrassed in Miami, Michigan has been stupid bad defensively, and Penn State was spanked (no big surprise) at home to Bama and struggled with Temple. The one bright spot has been a better than expected Illinois team. I have defended the Big Ten in the past, but it's tough to argue this year. Yes, it's better than the Big East and maybe even with the other big conferences in the meat, but I don't see a single elite team that you can find in the other 4 big conferences (Bama/LSU, OU/OkSt, Oreg/Stanford, FSU). Wisky and Nebraska might join the 'elite' but the downfall of the Buckeyes is felt all around the midwest. Perhaps when the suspensions abate, the Buckeyes will reemerge as a contender, but no matter what, the Big Ten is in a down year.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Grading the Buckeyes: Week 3 Miami...OUCH
Not much good to say here. Let's just get to it.
Offense: D+
Talk about ineptness. 2 completed passes before the last 2 plays....2. Many will hate me for my opinion, but here it is: Bauserman is and must be our quarterback. There is no doubt that Miller is the more talented of the two but he is just not ready. If we throw him to the wolves now, we will waste his talent and potential for future success for another win or two this season. Bauserman is serviceable (no matter what you think) but he needs help. Many point to the stats and the throw-aways (to the ghost men). The stats don't tell the story of failure by our receivers who dropped at least 6 passes that were on the numbers--by the way, our receivers caught, you guessed it, 0 passes. If those passes thrown away were forced in to the covered receivers (and they were covered) he would have at least 3 interceptions. Given the choice, I'm fine with it. He managed the game well, but he isn't a playmaker (all of ours are suspended). Miller can be a GREAT quarterback in the future, but he needs to learn first. I have seen this story before with an old quarterback benched for the flashy freshman. Learn from the past, Luke. I gave D+ rather than an F because there was a HUGE positive on this side. The best unit on the field for the Buckeyes was the offensive line (never thought I'd say that). They were opening up monster holes and the Buckeyes had great success with Jordan Hall running (why we abandoned that, I'll never know). The Buckeye offense will be boring this year, but it COULD be effective if we run. the. ball.
Defense: B+
This unit would deserve an A if it weren't for the first 2 drives where they obviously though the game started at 8:00. The Buckeyes could have been absolutely smoked if the defense didn't tighten up after the first 2 possessions. They came up with some Jacory Harris picks but dropped another two. With that being said, you can't expect the defense to stop the opposing team and score the points. They stiffened up and really gave the Buckeyes life until the last 2 minutes of the game but they definitely dug a hole from which this offense could not come back. The defensive line is not as deep as the past and the loss of Nate Williams really hurt. Giving up nearly 200 yards to a running back is inexcusable (even though most of those came on the first 2 drives. Clean up the slow start and some sloppy tackling and we'll talk.
Special Teams: A
Yes ladies and gentlemen, you read that right. The Ohio State Special Teams gets my coveted A grade for what seems like the first time ever. Ben Buchanan was phenomenal punting the ball and constantly flipping the field after the offense stalled (usually after 3 plays). Beautiful punts and very nice coverage prevented the big play from Miami. Also, Drew Basil made his first (and second) field goals of his career which will give him much needed confidence for the future. If special teams can get help from the offense, we might win some games. Absolutely loved the punting game but would rather not punt the ball that much anymore.
Coaching: F
Ok Luke, I think we've found you're in over your head. The camera caught the deer in headlights on the sideline which was difficult to watch. As I stated, the biggest mistake of the coaching staff in my opinion is the exact opposite of the greater Columbus area. Bauserman needs to be the guy and we need to run the ball (almost to the exclusion of the pass). Miller will learn and improve over time, but he's not there. When he was running free, Columbus was screaming MILLER TIME but I could see the cockiness in his eyes. I was waiting for the mistake and wasn't disappointed. Again, he. will. be. great. Not yet. Let Bauserman hand it off and run Woody style offense (3 yards and a cloud of dust) with the bevy of great backs and surprisingly good offensive line play. It will be boring, but it will work better than what we are seeing. The playcalling was forced and felt like they had to call a balanced game. Play to the strengths and ignore the pass until the run is stopped. The biggest coaching error occurred in the waning seconds of the game and had no effect of the outcome. As a coach, you never, ever, EVER give up on your team. EVER. Fickell had 3 timeouts in a 2 score game (1TD and 1FG) and he stuffed them in his pocket for a later date. I know that we had a 1 in a trillion chance of winning, but you always hold on and show your team belief in them and their abilities. By giving up, he showed me more than ever that he cannot stay without a major overhaul. I'd love to see Earle Bruce rip him a new one for giving up. I know Woody or Earle wouldn't slink away with his tail between his legs after this. He would claw and scratch until the clock strikes zero. We weren't going to win and you could see Luke thought that, but you never give up even when the world is against you....what about the lesson you're trying to teach with the off the field, 'us against the world' mentality. His actions showed his philosophy was nothing but empty words and that was the most painful thing about the loss.
Here's to leaving this week behind and hitting it hard for another day. Go Bucks!
Offense: D+
Talk about ineptness. 2 completed passes before the last 2 plays....2. Many will hate me for my opinion, but here it is: Bauserman is and must be our quarterback. There is no doubt that Miller is the more talented of the two but he is just not ready. If we throw him to the wolves now, we will waste his talent and potential for future success for another win or two this season. Bauserman is serviceable (no matter what you think) but he needs help. Many point to the stats and the throw-aways (to the ghost men). The stats don't tell the story of failure by our receivers who dropped at least 6 passes that were on the numbers--by the way, our receivers caught, you guessed it, 0 passes. If those passes thrown away were forced in to the covered receivers (and they were covered) he would have at least 3 interceptions. Given the choice, I'm fine with it. He managed the game well, but he isn't a playmaker (all of ours are suspended). Miller can be a GREAT quarterback in the future, but he needs to learn first. I have seen this story before with an old quarterback benched for the flashy freshman. Learn from the past, Luke. I gave D+ rather than an F because there was a HUGE positive on this side. The best unit on the field for the Buckeyes was the offensive line (never thought I'd say that). They were opening up monster holes and the Buckeyes had great success with Jordan Hall running (why we abandoned that, I'll never know). The Buckeye offense will be boring this year, but it COULD be effective if we run. the. ball.
Defense: B+
This unit would deserve an A if it weren't for the first 2 drives where they obviously though the game started at 8:00. The Buckeyes could have been absolutely smoked if the defense didn't tighten up after the first 2 possessions. They came up with some Jacory Harris picks but dropped another two. With that being said, you can't expect the defense to stop the opposing team and score the points. They stiffened up and really gave the Buckeyes life until the last 2 minutes of the game but they definitely dug a hole from which this offense could not come back. The defensive line is not as deep as the past and the loss of Nate Williams really hurt. Giving up nearly 200 yards to a running back is inexcusable (even though most of those came on the first 2 drives. Clean up the slow start and some sloppy tackling and we'll talk.
Special Teams: A
Yes ladies and gentlemen, you read that right. The Ohio State Special Teams gets my coveted A grade for what seems like the first time ever. Ben Buchanan was phenomenal punting the ball and constantly flipping the field after the offense stalled (usually after 3 plays). Beautiful punts and very nice coverage prevented the big play from Miami. Also, Drew Basil made his first (and second) field goals of his career which will give him much needed confidence for the future. If special teams can get help from the offense, we might win some games. Absolutely loved the punting game but would rather not punt the ball that much anymore.
Coaching: F
Ok Luke, I think we've found you're in over your head. The camera caught the deer in headlights on the sideline which was difficult to watch. As I stated, the biggest mistake of the coaching staff in my opinion is the exact opposite of the greater Columbus area. Bauserman needs to be the guy and we need to run the ball (almost to the exclusion of the pass). Miller will learn and improve over time, but he's not there. When he was running free, Columbus was screaming MILLER TIME but I could see the cockiness in his eyes. I was waiting for the mistake and wasn't disappointed. Again, he. will. be. great. Not yet. Let Bauserman hand it off and run Woody style offense (3 yards and a cloud of dust) with the bevy of great backs and surprisingly good offensive line play. It will be boring, but it will work better than what we are seeing. The playcalling was forced and felt like they had to call a balanced game. Play to the strengths and ignore the pass until the run is stopped. The biggest coaching error occurred in the waning seconds of the game and had no effect of the outcome. As a coach, you never, ever, EVER give up on your team. EVER. Fickell had 3 timeouts in a 2 score game (1TD and 1FG) and he stuffed them in his pocket for a later date. I know that we had a 1 in a trillion chance of winning, but you always hold on and show your team belief in them and their abilities. By giving up, he showed me more than ever that he cannot stay without a major overhaul. I'd love to see Earle Bruce rip him a new one for giving up. I know Woody or Earle wouldn't slink away with his tail between his legs after this. He would claw and scratch until the clock strikes zero. We weren't going to win and you could see Luke thought that, but you never give up even when the world is against you....what about the lesson you're trying to teach with the off the field, 'us against the world' mentality. His actions showed his philosophy was nothing but empty words and that was the most painful thing about the loss.
Here's to leaving this week behind and hitting it hard for another day. Go Bucks!
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