Week 1 - Title Defense Mode

Welcome back to Ohio State's sport: college football. We're still a few days away from seeing the Bucks take the field but there's plenty of action in the meantime, starting with the enemy heading out west for a revenge game of their own. 

Here are our thoughts on the best five games of the week. Maybe. It's Week 1; who knows where any of these teams will end up?

Michigan Wolverines @ Utah Utes
Draper: Harbaugh, Harbaugh, Harbaugh....blah, blah, blah.  The Wolverines had a decent roster last year and limped to a 5-7 record.  Is the coach enough to turn this team around in a snap? I just don't see it.  They'll be improved, but I think the national media is giving far to much credit to the coach.  Harbaugh is also nuts so let's pump the brakes.  I think Michigan ends the season with 8 wins, but this isn't one of them.  UM: 20-Utah: 24
Hoying: How bad was Maize and Blue Satan last year, really? The defense was quite good, the running game was passable, and What What Jake Butt was enough by himself to bail out any semi-competent QB. Except...they didn't have a competent QB, and there's nobody swooping in to take the job. Any improvement will have to come from the top down, but fortunately for You Know Who, Harbaugh excels at developing QBs. Not everyone can take a 3rd string QB and guide him to a win over a 41-point favorite. What difference does a stellar head coach make? Ask 2011 and 2012 Ohio State.  UM: 27--Utah: 20
Schweinfurth: I can't wait for this game to kick off just so I don't have to hear about Harbaugh.  Yes, the QB situation at TTUN isn't ideal, but the defense is a bit underrated. I think this game is close to the end with the Utes kicking a last second field goal for the win. UM: 21--Utah: 24
Seeberg:  Last year, Utah's victory over TTUN was a big deal.  Except it shouldn't have been.  Utah was the better team last season and, at least early on, it's likely to be the better team again.  Remember, Utah should've been up 14-0 on Oregon going into the second quarter last year if it weren't for that whole "who needs to actually carry the ball over the goalline" issue.  The Khaki Eclipse gets off to a rocky start out west.  UM: 23- Utah: 31

Wisconsin Badgers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
Draper:  I'll be honest, I know very little about these teams.  I do know Bama tends to have a revolving door of good players and they usually come out like gangbusters in these early season games.  Wisconsin was overrated last year and most of their offense now plays for the Chargers.  I'm banking on the Tide reloading.  Wisc: 16--Bama: 31
Hoying: Oh boy, another marquee non-conference game for Wisconsin. Wisc: 13--Bama: 27
Schweinfurth: I really don't know what to think of Wisconsin. Paul Chryst did a great job as a coordinator but Pitt was meh with him as head coach. Both teams lost a lot of talent but Bama has the (oversigned) talent to restock. This is the first game of, what I think will be, a long season for Wisconsin. Wisc: 10--Bama: 35
Seeberg:  This is likely to be a defensive battle as both squads return solid units on that side of the ball but have lost Heisman finalists in Melvin Gordon and Amari Cooper.  Wisconsin will have to rely on Stave and/or McEvoy to make some plays which is a dicey prospect at best.  The best offensive player on either team is easily Derrick Henry, who torched the Buckeyes in last year's Sugar Bowl (and probably should have gotten the ball more often in that game).  He will make enough plays to keep the Badgers in passing situations which is the kiss of death for the Wisconsin offense.  Wisc: 13- Bama: 27

Texas Longhorns @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Draper:  Are these teams ready to burst back onto the big stage? Texas hasn't really been the same since the Colt McCoy injury in the National Title game vs. Bama and the Irish had a brief resurgence the following year before crashing back to earth.  While Notre Dame seems to be the media darling to return to prominence, I don't think they're ready for big time yet...that being said, neither is Texas.  Charlie Strong is working to improve things in Austin, but we aren't back to the VY era yet.  Here come the Irish.  UT: 21--ND: 31
Hoying: Can the Irish survive without Everett Golson? After Golson's precipitous drop last year, which resulted in him...transferring to the team that beat him, the Irish now turn to Malik Zaire (Congo?). The sky's the limit for Malik, but Texas knows that they still have butt at QB, where the ineffective Tyrone Swoopes still holds handoff duties. The Longhorns can't keep getting worse, but a road game in South Bend is not the place to turn their fortunes around. UT: 13--ND: 28
Schweinfurth: I honestly don't know much about either team. While both teams are typically media darlings, I just don't see much in either team.  I do know that Notre Dame has more talent and should win this game. UT: 17--ND: 35
Seeberg:  Ah yes, the age-old question:  How overrated is Notre Dame this season?  In years past, an opening game against powerhouse Texas might have answered that question immediately.  Not so much recently.  Texas just hasn't gotten back to Mack Brown levels since, well, Mack Brown.  Charlie Strong just can't get any offense going to supplement his typically solid D.  Notre Dame's strength is it's offense so those possessions will be interesting, but the Texas O versus Notre Dame D confrontations might set the game back a generation or two.  Sadly, the golden domers should prevail, allowing the hype to continue a while longer.  UT: 13- ND: 24

Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Texas A&M Aggies
Draper:  No clue.  ASU was sneaky good last year and A&M is always tough to pin down.  The Sun Devils should be a factor in the Pac 12 (along with most of the crowd out west).  The Aggies love the flash from Manziel and then Kenny Trill (for a few games last year) but I think the Sun Devils' more blue collar mentality will lead to a close win.  Kyle Field is a bear to deal with, but the creepy boom mike Todd Graham emerges victorious. ASU: 40--TAMU: 35
Hoying: Here we see two teams heading in different directions. The Aggies have fallen off a bit after storming their way into the SEC in 2012, while the Sun Devils were a touchdown away from playing in the Pac-12 championship game for a second consecutive year. A&M isn't going to turn anything around without some solid QB play, and I need to see more from Kyle Allen (or Kenny Trill) before I buy in. SEC QBs should be BAD this year, and A&M sadly should be no exception. ASU: 38--TAMU: 24
Schweinfurth: ASU looked good last year, and I think that momentum will carry over into this year. The Aggies just seem to be going the other way since Johnny Football left.  Yes, A&M looked good and surprised everyone to start the year last year, but I just don't see it this year.  ASU: 42--TAMU: 31
Seeberg:  If I were a betting man (and I am- but only when I actually have money to bet, which means currently I'm not), I'd wager this one will be high-scoring.  Both teams return most pieces from good offensive units and lackluster defensive squads.  A&M's new D-coordinator, John Chavis, may help- but he was hired almost as much to stop thwarting A&M's offense as he was to improve their defense.  The Sun Devils have a decent shot to make some noise in the Pac-12 and a big win against the now-slightly-less-vaunted SEC could slingshot them to a third-straight 10-win season.  ASU: 45- TAMU- 35

THE Ohio State University Buckeyes @ Virginia Tech Hokies
Draper: I didn't see it last year...and I really don't see it this year.  OSU will have the bullseye on their back all year...but if they will be amped for any game this year, this is it.  Revenge is a dish best served cold.  Yes, suspensions surround the team, but I can't believe Urban is terribly concerned.  Michael Brewer had the game of his life last year and the Buckeyes folded.  This time, they will rain fire and brimstone on their opponents from the first down.  There are far too many weapons on this team to breed concern.  Zeke dominates the lunch box defense and the huge question at QB...is rendered moot after a beat down.  OSU: 45--VT: 20
Hoying: Why did the Buckeyes lose this game last year? The undermanned Hokies counted on an inexperienced offensive line that couldn't handle a relentless blitzing front, and a QB that couldn't make the right reads under tremendous pressure. VT will have neither luxury this year; it'll be their personnel vs. ours. Anyone who watched Tech carefully last season (including this gem) shouldn't be too worried. Look for the Buckeyes to come out a little too excited (especially the backups for our boneheaded dopers), gagging away some early opportunities on both sides of the ball, but ths one shouldn't be in doubt in the second half. Hopefully. OSU: 38--VT: 20
Schweinfurth: The Hokies defense absolutely mugged the Buckeyes offense last year.  That was a very inexperienced offensive line and a guy making his second career start. I just don't foresee the Buckeyes being underprepared and not ready for whatever Bud Foster has to throw at the offense. The loss of Bosa for this will be felt by the defense, but the Hokie offense is okay not great. I think we see a heavy dose of Zeke, a few slants to Thomas, and Braxton catches a bomb for a TD. This game is only close because of the suspensions. OSU: 35--VT: 21
Seeberg:  Ah yes, redemption time (and also brag time:  I have 35-yard line seats for this one!).  This felt like a relatively open and shut game before the one-game suspensions were levied against the Buckeyes.  Despite the fact that three were offensive, the loss of Bosa may be the most critical (see my post on preseason predictions).  The Hokies will be amped up for this game as well and even under Tressel I would've been nervous for this one.  The key is Urban, no doubt.  The grind for nine will get tougher the longer the season wears on- manufacturing motivation to play the likes of Purdue and Maryland.  That won't be an issue September 7th.  'Zeke runs well, J.T. Jones runs and throws and Braxton scares the crap out of 11 other defensive coordinators.  The Grind for Nine starts with a revenge win.  VT: 27- OSU: 38


Upset Special
Draper: Minnesota over TCU (get lucky)
Hoying: Louisville over Auburn
Schweinfurth: Northwestern over Stanford
Seeberg:  North Carolina over South Carolina