Week 3 - I Just Figured Something Out, Beavis...huh huh...This Sucks

Standings
1) Schweinfurth     4-4    (1-1 upset)
1) Draper                4-4    (1-1 upset)
1) Hoying               4-4    (0-2 upset)
1) Seeberg              4-4    (0-2 upset)

In case you missed this past weekend's action, here's a quick recap:

1. Michigan was shut out for the first time in 30 years, losing by 31.
2. Michigan State and Ohio State flirted with competence before losing by multiple scores.
3. Purdue was crushed at home by a MAC team that almost lost to Chattanooga.
4. Northwestern lost at home to another MAC team.
5. Iowa needed two touchdowns in the game's final 3:00 to avoid losing to yet another MAC team.
6. Nebraska needed a last-minute touchdown to avoid overtime with a D1-AA school.
7. Maryland needed a fourth-quarter comeback to beat an AAC team that went 2-10 last year.
8. Illinois needed a fourth-quarter comeback to beat a C-USA team at home (actually not bad for Illinois).
9. Penn State, Rutgers, Wisconsin, and Minnesota managed to avoid crapping the bed.
10. Indiana didn't play.

All in all, not a banner day for the conference that we play in. It sucked more than anything has ever sucked before. We at Let's Go Bucks! are not SEC hive-minders, but we understand that a poor conference perception might limit Ohio State's chances to make the inaugural College Football Playoff after they win their next 11 games.

With that out of the way, let's turn to the snore-fest that is Week 3. The B1G conference season kicks off on the east coast, two blue-chip programs meet in Norman, and the presumptive SEC East favorites butt heads (huh huh).

Georgia Bulldogs @ South Carolina Gamecocks
Draper: Two words: Todd Gurley.  SEC folk want to tout the toughness of the Gamecocks, but nothing on the field has supported that.  The Dawgs, however, are led by a grown a$$ man in Todd Gurley who look absolutely beastly in week 1 over a tough Clemson team.  It's in Columbia, but A&M handles the Cocks in their house.  I expect UGA to follow suit and cruise to a fairly easy win.  UGA: 48--SCar: 20
Hoying: I know, faithful readers, you'd rather hear our thoughts on the weekend's showdown between two undefeated SEC teams, Kentucky and Florida. But the inconsequential AP still inexplicably has South Carolina ranked after getting spanked by Kenny Football and a newly-functioning Aggie defense, so you'll have to suffer through this analysis instead. After their aforementioned loss, Cocky almost laid another egg against their directional rival, East Carolina. The Bulldogs looked fantastic in their only showing this season, dominating Clemson behind Todd Gurley and an imposing O-line (sigh). I imagine this game will play out about as you'd expect. UGA: 45--SCar: 24
Schweinfurth: We can keep this one short.  South Carolina was exposed by TAMU.  Yes, that was a spread system vs. a pro system but the Dawgs have the Gurley man.  I fully expect Georgia to hop out to an early lead and not look back.  UGA: 38--SCar: 17
Seeberg:  On the surface, this looks like a solid game.  Two ranked, divisional SEC foes doing battle.  Unfortunately looks (and rankings) can be deceiving.  The Gamecocks are still ranked solely because voters were slightly uncomfortable taking them from #9 all the way out after their debacle against A&M.  Thankfully, that won't be an issue after this week.  Gurley, Mason & Co. will pull away after the SC home crowd keeps them in it early.  UGA: 41--SCar: 21

Penn State Nittany Lions @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Draper: Blech...scraping the bottom of the barrel here.  This matchup faces the 2 programs with the most impressive out of conference wins for the B1G (UCF and Washington State....yeah....).  Can Hackenburg not suck it up like he did last week?  I'd say yes.  I have no faith that the undefeated juggernaut of the State School of New Jersey will continue to press on.  Why is this a thing?  Thanks Jim Delany.  PSU: 34--RSUNJ: 20
Hoying: Ah, Big Ten football the way it was meant to be played: between the flagship state programs of two original American colonies. Good news: the B1G will get a victory out of this game. Better news (or not): the NCAA burned a chicken's entrails and decided not to care anymore about child molestation negligence, paving the way for a brighter future for Penn State football, chock full of bowl appearances and full scholarship rosters. The Nittany Lions sport the most extreme road win of the young season, beating a Bortles-less UCF in...Ireland...but they've looked terribly one-dimensional so far, relying far too heavily on QB Christian Pick, er, Hackenberg. The Scarlet Knights don't feature a great pass defense, but they showed great balance in wins against Washington State and Howard (don't laugh). Let's see how long Rutgers' B1G reign of terror can last (spoiler alert: next four conference games are against Michigan, Ohio State, Nebraska, and Wisconsin). PSU: 20--RSUNJ: 24
Schweinfurth: It's time for Rutgers to become B1G.  This is time for Franklin and Freeze to work on that grudge match that's been brewing in the off season as well.  The Knights are going to come hard at the Penn State O-Line to rattle Hackenberg.  If Hackenberg stays vertical, the Lions will pull of the win.  PSU: 28--RSUNJ: 24
Seeberg:  Fifteen years ago, this would have been a pretty rude welcome to the B1G for the Scarlet Knights.  Now, however, the Lions have been tamed somewhat.  An upset by Rutgers is a distinct possibility here, but the Nittanys will be buoyed by the recent news that they can actually head to a bowl this year (what're they calling the Alamo Bowl now?  Still, better than spending the Christmas holiday in Happy Valley, the most misnomered place in the known universe).  Hack-a-Shaqberg avoids just enough disasters to squeak out a win.  PSU: 20--RSUNJ: 13

Tennessee Volunteers @ Oklahoma Sooners
Draper: I expect this to be another blood bath.  OU has absolutely demolished their first 2 foes and UT was simply OK.  Where is this game? Norman? Good God.  Stoops should have no problem with the Vols at home.  Knight has looked fantastic.  Expect the Sooner Schooner to get tired out early.  UT: 17--OU: 41
Hoying: Oklahoma entered the 2014 season as an overwhelming favorite to storm through the B12G and secure a spot in the playoffs. The Sooners have looked the part so far, plastering Louisiana Tech and Tulsa by a combined score of 100-23. Will the undefeated Volunteers provide a stiffer test? Last year's squad also started 2-0, then got shellacked by Oregon on the way to a 5-7 skid of a season. A trip to Norman this Saturday won't be any more forgiving. UT: 17--OU: 38
Schweinfurth:  This is an SEC suck team versus one of the best teams in the country.  It's gonna show too.  Big Game Bob has the best QB in this game and that offense is gonna make a SEC defense look like swiss cheese.  Oklahoma in a rout.  UT: 10--OU: 45
Seeberg:  Ah yes, my alma mater- at least for my master's degree.  The Vols have been supposedly on the upswing for years, yet have middled around .500 for nearly a decade now.  This looked like a banner matchup when it was scheduled in probably 2008 or so, but now OU is still solid and UT has fallen by the wayside.  UT has some skill talent, but their O-line is as inexperienced as tOSU, and we all saw what happened there.  Boomer Sooner big.  UT: 13--OU: 42

Kent State Golden Flashes @ THE Ohio State University Buckeyes
Draper: Time to bounce back.  KSU is just what the doctor ordered.  The O-line should not (and better not!) have any problems here.  Time to work on fundamentals and get back to winning individual battles.  If this is close, time to panic in Columbus.  The defensive line should absolutely smoke the Flashes and harry the QB all day.  JT throws for 250+, Zeke/Marshall/Wilson run for 150+ and the d shuts it down.  Big bounceback win that really means nothing.  KSU: 10--OSU: 48
Hoying: How bad was last week? Our offensive line was embarrassed so completely that one of the linemen quit the team. Fortunately, our beloved Bucks get a chance to regroup against a truly awful squad. Dr. Lou's alma mater has already lost to D-1A newcomer South Alabama and an Ohio team that got blasted by Kentucky. Look for the Buckeyes to try to establish the run with anybody but Barrett, given that they only have about 5 or 6 running backs from which to choose. Look for the receivers to bring their hands closer together when the ball arrives, to better counteract the downward force the Earth puts on it. Look for the D-line to play containment and get a few stops on third down. Look for signs this team won't end up 7-6 after a bowl loss to a MAC school. KSU: 10--OSU: 38
Schweinfurth: Man I did not see that one coming last week.  We all knew the offensive line would be a work in progress but 7(!) sacks.  That is just horrendous.  What also worries me is the offensive play calling.  It's like the coaching staff writes scripts the entire game and won't deviate from that plan.  This has been going on for the last two years, it's just Braxton and El Guapo masked the issues.  Herman and Urban need to make adjustments other than throw bombs to a wide out who dropped every thing thrown at him.  The Silver Bullets will be fine.  The play calling on first and second down was great...third down was same old, same old.  Time to bring some pressure and get in the QB's face.  There is talent there, it just needs to be put in a better place to succeed.  I expect these changes to be made.  An inferior opponent will help that as well and give that offensive line time to gel.  I feel bad for the Golden Flashes.  Urban's boys are mad as hell and are going to take that anger out on the rest of the teams on the Buckeye schedule.  KSU: 14--OSU: 52
Seeberg:  Well, despite how horrendous we looked for 3.25 quarters or so last week, we were STILL within one possession with the ball with less than two minutes to play.  There is another silver lining:  The D-line looked much more solid than in the Navy run-game gashing we took the first week.  J.T. Barrett actually handled himself reasonably well- it's not his fault we couldn't seem to run a single screen pass, or slant, or 5-yard out, or any pass play not requiring a 7-step drop for that matter.  At this time last year, this game could have been a bit scary with Dri Archer running the ball and returning kicks.  He's gone, and the Golden Flashes are pretty flashless again.  Urban's message to the team after the loss?  That tOSU can still accomplish everything it set out to at 11-1.  With no discernable threats on the schedule until PSU in late October, it is still not out of the realm of possibility.  OSU: 38--KSU: 13

Upset Special
Draper: UCF over Missouri
Hoying: Iowa State over Iowa
Schweinfurth: Central Michigan over Syracuse
Seeberg: UMass over Vanderbilt

Grading the Bucks: Week 2--Virginia Tech

Oof...that one hurt.  This team has some serious gaps (paging the offensive line), but give credit to the Hokies.  They brought their A game with a solid transfer QB and a relentless pass rush.  I was impressed with them...but that was not a good day for the Bucks.

Offense: D+
Let's nip this in the bud right away--J.T. Barrett was not the problem.  He wasn't perfect, but that line was a dumpster fire.  He showed his youth with his quick abandonment of looking downfield, but he had good reason.  The line is a train wreck.  No QB would have had a chance in that situation.  If they don't improve, it will be a rough season.  The silver lining is that the Bucks won't face anyone near the quality of VT until MSU, but they have serious retooling work ahead of them.  In addition, the WR corps needs to get better (Corey Smith? I'm talking about you).  A freshman QB delivered a giftwrapped TD and he became Greg Little.  There is no excuse for that at OSU.  Running game?  Where were you?  JT ran well, but it's not his job! Tom Herman needs to utilize his athletes and sprinkle in quick slants/screens with some runs to keep that crazy pass rush honest.  The Oline couldn't stop my grandma...

Defense: B-
Watching the game, I saw a lot of hate being lumped on the defense.  I'll be honest, I thought they looked markedly better than last year.  They are not world beaters by any stretch of the imagination, but it appears that the stud line was harrassing and the secondary prevented the big play. The main knock (giant elephant in the room) is the inability to get off the field on third down.  That being said, Brewer played like a polished veteran and looked fantastic.  I'm not convinced that was due to our defense as much as to VT having a competent QB.  The secondary was improved, but still not there.  I maintain that Darron Lee is a man but the other linebackers need work.  Again, the silver lining is a nice soft schedule before PSU (which shouldn't be too bad).

Special Teams: F-
 While the offensive line was offensive, the special teams was special.  2 missed kicks (including a 27 yarder!?!), a kick out of bounds, and a shanked punt?  This cannot stand.  I was impressed in week 1with the freshman kicker, but this is unacceptable.  Yeah, he's young and the stage was huge, but we need consistent play in that aspect.  I have a feeling the mystique of VT special teams created more havoc than the actual special teams.  Tech was fine on special teams, but not any better than any other team.  OSU let themselves down without much pressure.

Coaching: B-
The coaching wasn't horrific in this game other than some questionable playcalling.  When the pressure turned up, it's time to start looking for quick throws.  I don't like an offense based on flanker screens, but they can be involved in the gameplan.  Also, maybe a HB screen or a FREAKING QUICK SLANT would relax some of the pressure on the QB from the revolving door Oline.  The defensive gameplan was fine in my opinion, but Brewer just had a great game.  Is the lack of usage of a power running game an artefact of a) a horrid Oline, b) no good backs, or c) a refusal to run between the tackles.  a) I can understand, but we didn't keep the defense honest, so they pinned their ears back and attacked.

Overall: D
I want to give an F for failing when all that matters is winning, but I can't forget about Barrett playing at a non-F level and the defense showing up.  This was a game the Buckeyes needed and they didn't show up.  Credit to the Hokies for a superior gameplan that exploited the weakness in the O-line.  At the end of the day, a loss is a loss and there are some serious holes that need plugging.  You have a month to get better Bucks.  Time to get to work.  (Anyone seeking to play O-line for the Bucks should contact Urban ASAP).