Week 7 - Another Top Ten Road Battle

Standings

1) Schweinfurth    14-7        (4-1 upset)

2) Draper               17-9        (2-4 upset)

3) Hoying              17-9        (3-3 upset)

4) Seeberg             15-11       (1-5 upset)

It's a top-heavy week in college football. Two top 10 showdowns and...a lot of crud.

Alabama Crimson Tide @ Tennessee Volunteers

Draper:  Tennessee was the zombie that wouldn't die until Texas A&M was able to avoid one of the all-time gags last week.  Even though UT has lived on Luck Street to finish games, they are a very talented team that doesn't get credit for their resilience and overall talent.  But this is Bama: a team that does get and deserves credit for their resilience and talent.  Entering Neyland Stadium will be interesting as the Vols gave Nick Saban and crew a run for their money last year, but one of Tennessee's greatest strengths was an aura of invincibility.  Last week killed that (after almost solidifying it to 2013 Auburn territory).  The Tide usually drop one game a year, but I don't think a wounded and now vulnerable Tennessee squad gets it done.  Ala: 31 -- UT: 20
Hoying: Well, the shine is off this one a little after Tennessee was proven mortal last week, but this is still the highest combined ranking of Alabama and Tennessee in the nearly 100-year history of the rivalry. Too bad it's going to end up the same as the other entries in this series of late. The Vols may have exorcised a big green scaly demon earlier this season, but their D is too depleted by injury to end their 10 year skid against the Tide. Freshman QB Jalen Hurts is leading Alabama to nearly 45 points a game, and unlike the Vols' other opponents, they keep their foot on the gas until the final gun. Arkansas showed the that the Tide D was mortal, but the Vols won't quite be able to keep up. Ala: 45--UT: 34
Schweinfurth: So my write ups didn't save this week. You only get scores, sorry.  Ala: 38--UT: 21
Seeberg:  The Vols' dream season crashed as brilliantly and predictably as possible at Kyle Field last weekend, storming back from 2 TDs down late in the fourth only to anticlimactically throw a pick to lose in double OT.  The Vols' four-game death stretch had to end at 3-1 for them to have a shot at the SEC title game and the playoff, but now the Tide come calling, likely with an angry defense after the Hogs (Bret Bielema included, of course) hung 30 on them in a losing effort.  Tennessee may be back or for real or however you want to state it, but Bama hasn't left since Saban arrived, and UT doesn't have the correct personnel to exploit Bama like Arkansas did.  Bama again *sigh*.  Ala: 34--UT: 17

Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Indiana Hoosiers

Draper: The Hoosiers may have the most prolific passing attack/QB in the B1G outside of Columbus.  What scares me about picking the Hoosiers is that underdogs tend to face plant after a tough game vs. OSU.  But are the Huskers a contender? Surely in the B1G Juniors (aka West), but overall? I have no idea.  There's a nice win over Oregon, but Oregon has proven to be a fancy name in a duck suit.  IU has nothing really impressive on which to hang their hats either, but I like Kevin Wilson's offense, and more importantly, their defense is slightly better than a wet paper towel this year (nothing great, but better).  I'm with Seeberg: when in doubt, upsets are fun! Neb: 20 -- IU: 24
Hoying: Fun fact: did you know the Huskers are 7-9-3 all time against Indiana? True, Indiana's last win in the series came in 1959, but Indiana will still wake up Sunday with more wins than losses over the 4th-winningest program of all time. As for this matchup, it's hard to know where either of these teams stands. If I had told you before the season that one would enter this game with a win over Oregon and the other with a win over Michigan State, you'd probably be thinking about a possible matchup in Indianapolis. Since every green team in America sucks this season (don't worry, Baylor, the shoe will drop soon), it's hard to know just how much credit these squads have earned. Look for Husker QB Tommy Armstrong to find just enough holes in the Hoosier D, a la JT, to deliver Nebraska a tough road win and keep them in the running for the playoffs (*snicker*). Neb: 24--IU: 21
Schweinfurth: Neb: 35--IU: 31
Seeberg:  Is Nebraska ranked in the top ten?  Yes.  Are they a top-ten caliber team?  Maybe????  Do they have a top ten resume?  Absolutely not.  The Huskers' schedule has been chock full of nada thus far.  For comparison's sake, their three-point win at home over Oregon doesn't look good against legitimate top 10 Washington's obliteration of the Ducks at Eugene.  IU, meanwhile, out-toughed Sparty (never thought I'd type that), and again put up a reasonable fight against the Buckeyes.  If this game were any other week, I would likely take the Hoosiers in an upset despite Bloomington having exactly squadoosh whe it comes to home field advantage.  Indiana may be down after their solid first half effort in Columbus came up short in the end, but quite frankly I don't trust either team much, so why not go with the upset?  What's a Hoosier anyway?  Neb: 27--IU: 35

Ole Miss Rebels @ Arkansas Razorbacks

Draper: The hits keep coming in the SEC don't they (or maybe the hype machine is driving the boat with no substance).  Ole Miss has looked fantastic at times (first half vs. FSU and most of the Bama game) and down right poo in others (2nd half vs. FSU and the suck part vs. Bama).  Bert? Mainly poo.  Arkansas has some talented individuals, but no one that will elevate that team to the next level.  Chad Kelly has the ability (albeit inconsistent) as well as the 'Landshark' defense to take control and I think they do.  It's in Fayetteville so I'll give the Hogs a little due, but not enough.  Ole Miss hangs on in a close one to stake a claim of this year's Supremely overrated SEC squad! Ole Miss: 38 -- Ark: 28
Hoying: Haven't these teams played already? It feels like we're picking the same teams every week...Ah well, such is life in the ALMIGHTY INVINCIBLE SEC WEST. Ole Miss has been this year's bizarro Tennessee, grabbing early 21 point leads and blowing them in spectacular fashion. Meanwhile the Hogs are doing just enough to get beat soundly by every team they play with a pulse (with one squeaker over a so-so TCU team). Chad Kelly continues to light up the field for the Rebels, which is bad news for a Razor D that's looked paper thin against TCU, A&M, and Bama. No surprises here; any late furious rallies will fall just short. Ole Miss: 45--Ark: 38
Schweinfurth: Ole Miss: 48--Ark: 31
Seeberg:  There's good news and bad news for the Razorbacks.  They're 4-2 overall (good), but 0-2 against the SEC (bad...actually really bad since that's the conference in which they play).  After getting sliced and diced by Bama, another high-powered offense (BUT THE SEC IS SO GREAT AT DEFENSE YOU GUYS) comes calling with Hugh Freeze, Chad Kelly and Co. at Ole Miss.  Remember, this Rebels squad put up over 40 against Bama in a losing effort and it's unlikely the Hogs will be able to keep them under that number either.  Plus, I'll be honest, it's just fun watching Bie-loser, well, lose.  Cue Billy Idol for the Rebel Yell.  Ole Miss: 42--Ark: 34

THE Ohio State Buckeyes @ Wisconsin Badgers

Draper: Don't we love Madison at night.  The Badgers trot out a defense that appears to be for real....and an offense that is real(ly bad).  The Badgers slate thus far featured some great names (LSU, MSU, Michigan) but not much substance other than the Wolverines.  In fact, have they played an offense with a pulse? Michigan is OK and have run the ball well against the likes of Rutgers...but LSU and MSU's offenses are trash.  The Buckeyes roll in in a whole new sports car to give this Badger D a real test.  JT won't be as hesitant or shaky in the passing game this week and I think he gets it done through the air and on the ground.  Weber posts another hundred yard game and the Bucks win with (primarily) stifling defense on an overmatched foe.  All week, I've been saying Wisconsin will slow us down...into the 20s--but the Bullets can handle that.  Get that 5th quarter going early, Badgers, because there won't be anything on the field to cheer about.  OSU: 28 -- UW: 10

Hoying: The Game will always carry greater meaning, but there hasn't been a more fun rivalry in the B1G since the Earle Bruce era than OSU/Wisconsin. The Badgers were total garbage before Alvarez arrived, yet they still took 5 of 9 from Earle, something even Bo Schembechler couldn't claim. Tressel likewise struggled, going 4-4 and enduring linebackers choking QBs, game-opening kickoff return TDs, and blown 17-point leads (thanks, Steve Bellisari). Equally remarkable are the constantly high stakes when the Buckeyes visit Camp Randall: the last 10 OSU squads to visit Madison (including this year's) strolled in with a COMBINED 1 loss. Three found their first loss there. But none of those players will be taking the field for either team this weekend; how will this one play out? The Badgers held a very good Michigan attack to 14 points in Ann Arbor. That should turn a few heads, particularly after Ohio State put up all of 93 yards passing at home against Indiana. However, the UW offense is even more pitiful than usual; they still have no QB, but they can't run the ball either, and they have no magic tight end to give the Buckeye secondary fits all day. Short of a barrage of stupid turnovers, I can't see how Wisconsin can pull this one off. Every opponent has tried to slow down the Buckeye rushing attack and has failed miserably. Expect to see it at a somewhat lower potency, but Barrett, Samuel, and Weber are too explosive to be cooped up for long. When Meyer's Buckeyes hunker down and commit to the run, good things happen. OSU: 28--UW: 6

Schweinfurth: OSU: 24 -- UW: 14

Seeberg:  Oh boy, another nighttime clash in Madison.  This time it's between two legitimate top ten teams.  The Badgers boast a defense that allowed 64 fewer points to TTUN than Rutgers did but, seemingly for the umpteenth year in a row (not including Russell Wilson's cameo in the cheese state), it has a quarterback better suited for a half-decent 1-AA squad.  OSU is likely stewing after the subpar performance against suddenly-perennial-thorn-in-their-side Indiana, and 38 points on the road against an elite defense would be the perfect cure.  PLEASE get the ball to Curtis Samuel early and often, and PLEASE don't forget about the intermediate passing game.  Assuming the coaches show up and the ball doesn't bounce to UW several times, this one should be all but decided before Jump Around hits the stadium sound system.  OSU: 38--UW: 10

Upset Special 

Draper: Tulsa over Houston

Hoying: NC State over Clemson

Schweinfurth: Oregon State over Utah

Seeberg:  North Carolina over Miami

Grading the Bucks: Week 6 -- Indiana

It's time to take a deep breath Buckeye Nation.  We just beat a team by 21 points (should have been 28) and everyone is losing their minds.  Let's not forget that this team has played nearly flawless football for the first 4 games.  They weren't perfect this week but still pretty darn good.

Offense: B
MVP: Mike Weber and Curtis Samuel
Let me give you a stat line: 137 yards on the ground on 26 carries with 1 touchdown and a fumble.  Pretty much every running back in the nation would take that.  Throw on top 93 yards passing with 1 TD and 1 interception? Pretty nice day.  Yeah, that's JT's stat line on a bad day.  I'm not defending his day through the air.  He missed some deep balls and wasn't super crisp, but we need to calm down.  Indiana was giving the ground game, and JT took advantage.  The interception wasn't his fault (drop by Baugh) and his rushing stats more than made up for the poor day passing.  I know, I know, he needs to be better throwing the rock, but there will be ups and downs.  Everyone is ignoring the fantastic game he had on the ground.  Weber and Samuel were great as usual (Samuel needed more touches again) and the O-line play was fine.  Receivers dropped some passes that continue to reflect on JT but overall, nice day.  Primary concern for me wasn't the lack of passing efficiency today, but the number of hits JT took.  That needs to decrease going forward.

Defense: B+
MVP: No standout
I'm gonna throw something out there: Indiana might be the best passing offense OSU faces all regular season.  With that considered, the defense played pretty well.  IU is a decent running team as well but that was bottled up after the first few plays.  The lack of 3rd down production was concerning but the Hoosier's game plan was solid with dinks and dunks down the field which worked on 3rd down.  I was surprised that Kevin Wilson committed so much to the run when the Bullets shut them down, but that's the way it goes.  There were a few big plays given up which we haven't seen and a rare brain fart overreaction by Malik Hooker on the TD (he's covering the slip screen unnecessarily and leaving the TE wide open), but holding IU to 17 points (10 of them coming from gift turnovers) is pretty good.  They stiffened on the 4th down stop when IU threatened to get back in the game.  Let's also credit Hooker with another touchdown even though the ref jobbed him of it with a pathetic low block call.  TD's scored is now tied between OSU defense and their opponents (should be +1).

Special Teams: B+
MVP: Parris Campbell
Another kick out of bounds....then Parris Campbell finally does something positive with a huge return (I think he would have scored had he tucked his shirt in).  The punting has been great as usual; the punt return team has been less than optimal; the kick return team has been blase (except for Campbell's return); the field goal unit is fine; and the kick coverage team needs to stay in their lanes to prevent the big return.  I think Urban is so concerned with special teams giving positive plays (hitting them short of the 20), he's giving up far too many big plays (kicks out of bounds and big returns).  I'd prefer a more conservative approach.

Coaching: B
The team did seem to suffer from a bit of 'this is Indiana, who cares' syndrome which shouldn't have happened after they beat the Spartans and the last few years of struggling.  Coaches need to be more on top of the mental aspects of the team, especially since IU has been steadily improving over the last few years.  I thought the Bucks would put the hammer down, but the fire wasn't there.  The gameplan was fine to focus on the run game, but I would really like more safe passes dialed up.  Hit Brown with a quick slant or Samuel on a screen.  It just seems too obvious.  Schiano and the defense was better than they're getting credit for.  IU was stoned at the line for most of the game and the secondary held up pretty well with the linebackers supporting the run game.

Overall: B
21 point Big Ten win that should have been 28.  Yes, I know it was Indiana, and yes, I know JT wasn't 'on' in the passing game, but hiccups happen.  If a 'hiccup' is a 21 point win when we truly weren't threatened in the 2nd half, I'm ok with that.  I think this team gets back on the 'beat people up' train as we head to Madison.  Beat Wisconsin!