Week 4 - Return of JT?

Standings
1) Seeberg               12-2    (0-3 upset)
1) Draper                 11-3    (2-1 upset)
3) Schweinfurth     10-4    (1-2 upset)
4) Hoying                8-6    (1-2 upset)

Saturday saw the return of two JTs to the field at Ohio Stadium. One led his team to victory but was subsequently officially benched as a co-starter. The other was welcomed  back with a game-long tribute in his honor, recalling everyone's fond 2002-03 memories of pulling out their hair while watching the Bucks escape another Little Sister of the Poor. Let's hope that the era of Tresselball is not alive and well in Columbus.

UCLA Bruins @ Arizona Wildcats
Draper: UCLA showed some chinks in the armor looking quite vulnerable to an overrated BYU squad.  Josh Rosen reminded us that he's a freshman that got off to a good start.  That being said, this game has ENORMOUS implications in the Pac12 South, the Pac12, and the playoff hunt.  Let's not forget that Arizona won the South last year and went to a New Years 6 bowl (and got killed).  RichRod and QB Anu Solomon have a solid offense clicking with a defense that's no slouch.  LB Scooby Wright might return which would really shore up the middle of the defense.  I like the Wildcats at home in a fantastic game.  Bruins have been getting the pub, but the Cats are returning to form.  UCLA: 27--Zona: 28
Hoying: Who's the best of the west? High-profile teams Oregon, Stanford, and USC have each suffered a loss in this young season, and while none of them is out of the picture yet, I contend (as I have from the start) that the best team in the Pac-12 is hosting the game of the week this Saturday night. DickRod and company took the South division last year and went 1 for 2 against national runner-up Oregon, and there's no reason they can't do it again.  On the other sideline, that crashing sound you hear is the wreck of QB Josh Rosen's bandwagon after a 3 interception performance against a (really quite good) BYU team. Bruins don't do well at night in the desert. UCLA: 24--Zona: 31
Schweinfurth: This is probably the best game of the week and should be a good one. Scooby Wright may return, but how effective can he really be with a quick turnaround after knee surgery. Without Wright I think UCLA will outscore Zona. UCLA: 35--Zona:31
Seeberg:  Arizona has looked good, surprisingly, after a lackluster week one performance in which their superstar linebacker was lost for multiple weeks.  Enter UCLA...who just lost their superstar linebacker for the season.  I have trouble thinking a freshman QB can lead an admittedly slightly more talented team into Rich Rod's home and overcome that mental loss.  Not to mention that the Wildcats can score it and score it often.  Arizona- not just for basketball talent anymore.  UCLA: 20--Zona: 30

Brigham Young Cougars @ Michigan Wolverines
Draper:  Oh....boy...  I was considering this for my upset pick simply because we have a supremely overrated BYU team entering the Big House, but asking me to pick it?  It's a tough call.  Michigan is still nowhere near as a everyone thinks...but neither is BYU.  The game is in Ann Arbor: Advantage Michigan.  BYU has played teams with a pulse: Advantage Cougars.  I'm giving a slight edge to BYU for 3 reasons: 1. BYU has thrived on the road in difficult environments already this season, 2. Michigan has won the last 2 against bad opponents, but I wasn't wowed by their offensive or defensive efficiency, and 3. Michigan Sucks.  Go Cougs! BYU: 35--UM: 31
Hoying: You think Ohio State's been having quarterback problems...say hello to BYU-Michigan. True, Tanner Mangum's cannon has delivered the Cougars two miracle wins but the magic ran out last week against a competent UCLA defense. As for Meatchicken's QB...well, their defense should pose a serious challenge to Mangum anyway. As I'm sure you all know, your QB can play like garbage and you can still eke out a win over a pretty good team if they can't score. Michigan has just enough of a talent edge to get it done at home. BYU: 13--UM: 20
Schweinfurth: BYU has more consistent QB play. I think the Wolverines have a slightly better defense but Harbaugh can only do so much with the offensive talent he has available. Jake Butt will catch his token touchdown but ultimately BYU pulls this one out on the road. BYU: 24--UM: 14
Seeberg:  What an odd era it is in college football when BYU's backup QB is playing markedly better than TTUN's starter.  Harbaugh has UM running the ball well and playing stout D, but Rudock just hasn't picked up the offense yet.  Meanwhile, BYU's offense has barely missed a beat under Tanner Mangum, dropping a heartbreaker (after winning two of a similar ilk) to UCLA last week.  I honestly think TTUN is more than capable of winning this game in spite of Rudock's play, but I don't know if I would pick them against UCLA or Boise State, two teams BYU played essentially even.  The one-dimensional nature of UM's offense allows the Cougars to stop the run in the red zone, forcing too many FG attempts for UM to overcome, and BYU squeaks out another quality win.  BYU: 21--UM: 16

TCU Horned Frogs @ Texas Tech Red Raiders
Draper:  Yeesh...another game I was considering for my upset pick, but asking to legit pick the game? Man...  While the Buckeyes have been unimpressive in victory, look no further than TCU to find another team with huge aspirations limping through the start of the year.  Texas Tech is on a high after  'kicking fat Bielma's a$$' last week, but Arkansas sucks (as their players admit).  Lubbock will be rocking, but TCU is ready to remind the country that they are ready for the big time.  Kliff Kingsbury/Ryan Gosling won't stop Treyvone Boykin from finally having a breakout game.   Frogs win comfortably.  TCU: 35 -- TT: 24
Hoying: The Big XII season starts in earnest with this clash of two undefeated teams, each boasting what it hopes is a major non-conference win (TCU over Minnesota, Texas Tech over Arkansas). Has Kliff finally worked the kinks out after an atrocious 2014 that saw Texas Tech surrendering over 40 points per game, including 82(!) to TCU? Maybe, but a good effort isn't enough to take down the Frogs, who are still stinging from being left out of the inaugural College Football Playoff. In another era, Texas Tech might have had the benefit of TCU looking forward to Texas next week, but somehow I think TCU will be able to stay focused in this one. TCU: 45--TT: 24
Schweinfurth: Kliff Kingsbury has some swagger but TCU is about to drop that down a peg or so. TCU: 42--TT: 21
Seeberg:  In a week of "bleh" games to pick this may be the bleh-iest of all.  Texas Tech probably feels like it got a legitimate win over an SEC foe last week- except that SEC foe is Arkansas who just lost to Toledo and has forgotten that they're supposed to run the ball.  TCU's defense has looked surprisingly lousy at times, giving up a whopping 37 to SMU last week (the same total OSU has surrendered in all three games combined this season).  Still, with Boykin & Co. their offense should be plenty prolific enough to keep the Red Raiders at bay.  TCU: 48--TTU: 31

Utah Utes @ Oregon Ducks
Draper: Wooo...the games of 'eh' just keep coming.  Utah always seems poised early to make a run, but the South is too tough.  Oregon is a perennial contender in the North, but the hiccup in East Lansing isn't something they're used to.  Vernon Adams played ok in the loss to the Spartans but he won't need to be in peak shape to beat the Utes.  Utah is a nice story every year, but it's time to revert back to 7-8 wins like every year. Games in Eugene....QUACK.  Utah: 31--UO: 52
Hoying: You may laugh, but the Utes were the only team in America to beat both UCLA and USC last year. And they would've started with a 14 point lead on the Ducks if Kaelin Clay could remember that you have to actually take the ball into the endzone to score. The Utes have the horses to compete with the Pac-12's best, and Oregon has taken a step back on both sides of the ball since their playoff run. Could Utah win? Sure. Will they with the Autzen Zoo ringing in their ears? Probably not. Utah: 38--UO: 48
Schweinfurth: This game really shouldn't be close. Oregon wins. Utah: 35--UO: 63
Seeberg:  Utah's opening week win over TTUN is starting to look pretty good.  Oregon is essentially "Oregon light" this season, all the flash, but 1/3 less substance than the national runner-up a year ago.  Still, assuming Vernon Adams' finger is fully healed, the Ducks just have too much for Utah to overcome on the road.  Utah: 34--UO: 49

Western Michigan Broncos @ THE Ohio State University Buckeyes
Draper: Last tune up before 'conference; play (what, Indiana..counts...).  Time to act on the issues from the film.  I think the decision was made in the first quarter of last week's game that JT is now the starter.  I could be wrong, but I have a feeling 16 will be getting the glut of first team reps. (*Author's Note: Oops...I still disagree with Urban)  Dr. Smooth returns the offense to a well oiled machine while the Bullets keep firing.  O-line has too much talent to look like last week ever again...especially against an inferior opponent.  Time to wave the big boy stick and be the bully.  The halftime circus show (with drill designed by Yours Truly--this is from my last show) will just be entertainment in the middle of another high-flying circus before and after the band. Sorry WMU.  Nothing personal, but this better be a beatdown.  Take no prisoners.  WMU: 0--OSU: 52 (Side Note: The last three games Mr. Hoying and I attended had a collective score of 163-0.  Keep the shut out streak intact!)
Hoying: How bad was last week's win? Tough to say without knowing how good Northern Illinois really is. However, looking into my crystal ball, I feel pretty confident that the Broncos are much, much worse. The defense should continue to have success against a team that scored all of 17 against Georgia Southern. Of course, once the Bucks get the ball back, they have to do something with it. Now that Urban has officially named a starter, look for a boost in Cardale's play. The offense hasn't been horrible, they've just been off enough to keep the great moments from happening. Expect Urban to play to his team's strengths this week to build everyone's confidence back up for B1G season. Then he can spend the next 6 weeks or so exploring what Cardale can and can't do. The sad (comforting?) reality is that Northern Illinois might be the best team we see until November, so it's not like any tinkering is going to cost us a game. As for our #1 ranking, well... Western rows the boat aground (hallelujah), the Bucks win going away, and the nation quickly forgets the last two lackluster performances. WMU: 6--OSU: 38
Schweinfurth: Well, the Silver Bullets are back. That's a bonus. Look, this offense is going to get rolling soon. I think moving the playcalling from the booth will help. Cardale looked awful last week, but JT didn't look much better. I think we are getting to the point that JT needs to get the snaps in practice and let Cardale be the backup. I trust Urban and company will make the necessary adjustments. I expect that Braxton will be used to take the top off the defense and Zeke will get that swagger back. WMU: 7--OSU: 35
Seeberg:  Well the best part about 3-0 is the chance to go 4-0...and that's about where the positives end.  The 'Shoe was positively uneasy almost from the start last week.  Just for perspective, the Bucks had four turnovers in the national championship game and still won by 22.  This year's offense is sputtering on about 2 of 8 cylinders, and five turnovers might've spelled the end against the MAC attack were it not for Darron Lee's heroics.  For all of the woes on offense, the defense is markedly better than I had anticipated.  Gareon Conley and Tyquan Lewis have been nice surprises, turning what I thought would be this squad's weakness into its unquestioned strength.  It's time to adjust expectations accordingly.  Solid D, marginally better O, dear lord please no more kickoffs out of bounds, and let's get to 4-0.  P.S.  I had my scoreline up BEFORE Hoying!  OSU: 38--WMU: 6

Upset Special
Draper: Kentucky over Missouri
Hoying: Texas over Oklahoma State
Schweinfurth: Cincinnati over Memphis
Seeberg:  Northern Illinois over Boston College  (watching Cinci/Mem right now- Mem's helmets are sick!)