Week 8 - It's Not Like Next Week Is Any Better

Standings
1) Seeberg              29-8    (0-7 upset)
2) Draper                26-11    (4-3 upset) 
2) Hoying               26-11    (1-6 upset)
2) Schweinfurth     26-11    (1-6 upset)

Hope you enjoyed last week, college football fans. These games suuuuuuuuck. At least we get to see the Buckeyes again before their Halloween bye.

#19 California Bears @ UCLA Bruins
Draper: Cal has been rising quickly under Sonny Lubick and his fast paced offense.  Jared Goff seeks to be the next great Cal QB, albeit quite different from A.A.Ron Rodgers.  UCLA had the crazy hype after a quick start but the Bruins and freshman 'sensation' Josh Rosen have slowly disappeared from memory like a fart in the wind.  The game is in the Rose Bowl but all the west coast fans have leapt off the band wagon and now are focused on...well, all sports kinda suck out there now....Golden State? Bears of the Golden variety triumph in a high scoring affair. Cal: 45--UCLA: 34
Hoying: Welcome to Rivalry Week. California vs. California. Bears vs. Bears. Blue and Gold vs. Blue and Gold. Are you excited yet? Yeah, me neither. Still, this is the wacky Pac-12, where almost every team (sorry, Oregon State and Colorado) is still chasing a berth at Sinkhole Stadium at season's end. Cal still controls its own destiny, and it remains undefeated in games in which QB Jared Goff doesn't throw 5 interceptions. UCLA is reeling after getting blown out in back-to-back games. The Bruins' defense just can't stop anyone, giving up 56 points to a Stanford team that racked up all of 6 against Northwestern. Expect the Bear O to go Goff on the Bruin D, and watch UCLA QB Josh Rosen crumble under the pressure yet again. Cal: 40--UCLA: 27
Schweinfurth: Ahh yes, another PAC-12 game. I don't have a bias against the PAC-12, I just hate that they all play after I go to bed. With that said, I really don't know much about either team and I'll just make a pick. Cal: 38--UCLA: 35
Seeberg:  Not 100% sure what to make of this game.  UCLA has a defense like a steel sieve, but the last time we saw Jared Goff he was a turnover machine in a narrow loss to Utah.  Should I be impressed that Cal had 5 INTs and only lost to Utah by 6?  I don't know, because I still don't fully trust that the Utes are that good.  My educated guess is that the loss of Myles Jack in the UCLA defense was bigger than anyone realized at the time, and with two weeks to prep, a Cal team looking to re-establish itself after the Utah loss will be too much offensively for the Bruins to handle.  Cal: 42--UCLA: 34

#15 Texas A&M Aggies @ #21 Ole Miss Rebels
Draper: Ole Miss returns to the Grove after losing to perennial championship contender Memphis.  Memphis may be really good, but Ole Miss is supposed to be one of the premier programs in the premier league.  The loss of Robert Nkemdiche led to a meltdown.  This week will test the intestinal fortitude of the Rebels.  How do you respond to a blowout loss to Florida in the Swamp and a surprising loss to an undefeated but supposedly overmatched foe?  A&M was beat fairly soundly at home by the all and powerful Bama, but other than that blip, they have been quite good.  I expect a rebound game for Ole Miss.  Yeah, they could crash and burn, but returning home to the crazy fans, I expect the Rebels to play for their lives.  TAMU: 24--Miss: 31
Hoying: Is Memphis a legitimate playoff contender, or is Ole Miss just a complete mirage? After spotting Ole Miss a quick 14-0 lead, the Tigers dominated the Rebels at home last Saturday. The Landsharks were shredded through the air, particularly after superstar DL Robert Nkemdiche left the game with a concussion. That's bad news with Kyle Allen and the Aggies coming to town. This isn't the Alabama secondary that's going to return 3 Allen throws for TDs. The Rebels are going to have to outscore A&M, and that's tough without a running game, no matter how good Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly has been. Memphis would love Ole Miss to run the table and win the SEC, legitimizing their big win, but the wheels have fallen off and the cart is about to crash. TAMU: 38--Miss: 34
Schweinfurth: How is Ole Miss still ranked? Because they beat Bama? Memphis put a beat down on the Rebels last week and the Landshark defense is reeling after losing Nkemdiche (probably for a few weeks too). Be prepared for a long game with all the passing (this one may take over 4 hours). I'll take A&M in the marathon. TAMU: 42--Miss: 31
Seeberg:  This is a matchup of two oddly similar teams.  Both have solid QBs but no running game.  Both have legit chances to win the SEC West but are coming off of stinging losses.  Both have one conference loss so this is essentially an elimination game (though the Rebels' loss to Memphis may have them out of CFP contention anyway).  I think the combination of Robert Nkemdiche potentially being out (no word yet as of Wednesday afternoon as I type this) and Memphis torching the Rebels through the air provide the perfect blueprint for Sumlin to get his Aggies back on track.  TAMU: 34--Miss: 28

#1 Utah Utes @ USC Trojans
Draper:  This is the one.  SC could be in complete disarray after the Sark disaster, but they acquitted themselves quite well in South Bend when there was nothing positive to play for.  Utah has a nice win against Michigan at home that has aged well, a close win over Cal that is nice...but at home, a good win over ASU...at home, and a blowout of Oregon in Eugene.  Normally, that last would be incredibly valuable but not as much this year.  The Trojans have an incredible amount of talent and this is the week in which it shows.  They won't break any records this year, but they'll screw with some Utah hopes.  I'm surprised SC is favored, but I lean with Vegas.  Utah: 28--USC: 31
Hoying: No coach? Check. No great wins to date? Check. Favored to beat a team with a legitimate case to be ranked #1? Chec.....what??? A week after Utah handled the only team with a winning record USC's beaten (Arizona State) and USC lost by multiple scores to "eh" team Notre Dame, the bookies are giving Utah more than a field goal in this matchup. What gives? Cody Kessler has been pretty good...against crap, but the Trojans looked completely lost against Washington 2 weeks ago and I don't think the middle of a coaching change is the time for USC to start solving tough defenses. Remember that the Utes forced 6 turnovers to grind out a win against Cal. Kessler has thrown 4 INTs himself in the Trojans' last 2 losses. Uh oh. I'm not drinking the Kool-Aid (or anything Sark offers me). Utah preserves the Pac-12's hope for an unbeaten champion. Utah: 28--USC: 20
Schweinfurth: Utah has looked good all season and USC is in bad shape without a head coach. Utah: 31--USC: 17
Seeberg:  I have to be honest- I assumed my colleagues had gone blind in one eye and had that milky film over the other eye in reporting that Utah was an underdog, yet somehow, they're right.  I admit I don't fully trust the Utes yet, but there's no reason to think a 3-3 team should be favored over the Utes...or is there?  The Trojans looked more than competent under 5-day head coach and presumably more sober than his predecessor Clay Helton in a 10-point loss at Notre Dame.  They've got talent for days...or at least hours, but no serviceable depth and no RB that has even 400 yards through 6 games.  Cody Kessler is good but he just can't do it by himself.  The Trojans find themselves in too many 2nd and 9s and 3rd and 10s to overcome and Utah stays perfect.  Utah: 34--USC: 28

#3 THE Ohio State University Buckeyes @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Draper: When I heard the news, I felt like Big Mike after saving the Buy More.  Joe Thomas Barrett IV returns under center to bring a sense of command and precision to the Buckeye offense.  Captain Smooth directs the offense like a symphony with dashing runs, precision passes, and an overall presence that the team can look to for solace.  The O-line certainly upped their game last week when JT returned and the seas parted as the magical misdirection returned.  Zeke found fewer defenders to deal with (JT had to be accounted for), the WR's blocked harder, and when needed, the short to intermediate passing game was very sharp.  Rutgers his never a team to strike hearts in the fears of men, but they are coming off a huge comeback over the Hoosiers...but now the Bucks have returned to form.  This won't be close.  My only request is that the defense stops giving up a few explosive plays a game. Show the nation what the Defending National Champs look like. OSU: 56--Rutgers...more like Buttgers: 9
Hoying: We've been asking for it, and it's finally arrived: Just Touchdowns Barrett is back. What will a defense do given a full week to prepare for him? The two-headed monster has (probably) been a nightmare to prepare for, but now DCs can full their full attention towards stopping the read option. I don't expect any slowdown this week, since Rutgers is surrendering up almost 30 points a game (and 1/3 of their opponents were Kansas and Norfolk State). If you're desperate for something to hold your attention, watch how the Ohio State passing game develops. Will JT finally be on the same page as his receivers, or at least close enough to keep the drives alive? Will Ohio State even try to throw the ball after racking up over 300 yards on the ground against a pretty good Penn State defense? Will Cardale see more action in garbage time than during his starting duties the last 2 weeks? How long until Stephen Collier gets to hand the ball off to Bri'onte Dunn? Does Ohio State have a greater chance of losing this weekend or next? OSU: 49--Rut: 17
Schweinfurth: Rutgers has one player: Leonte Carroo. Rutgers QB? Not mobile and they have some meh RBs. I'm not real worried about the Silver Bullets this week. Yes, there are lots of injuries, but this game should be some good experience for the young Bucks. On offense, it's time to get into a rhythm. Expect lots of up tempo with JT at the helm. Barrett is a good distributor of the ball and should get Thomas and Miller in some short/medium routes as the defense sucks up to stop the run. This is going to be a rout and we should be able to get some important guys rest early. OSU: 56--Rutgers: 13
Seeberg:  OK first and foremost, the jerseys alone are great.  The all-black look?  We looked like Oregon State.  Wrong OSU to be emulating.  Not a good call.  All that aside, I STILL don't know what to make of the QB situation.  Is J.T. that much better?  Maybe...but probably not.  I am going to review the game play by play tomorrow but watching it live in the stadium I am about 90% certain Cardale did not even attempt one throw between the hashes, and he may not have even attempted one to someone inside the NUMBERS (or at least to a receiver that started inside the numbers except super-wide swing passes to Zeke).  It's as if the play callers are so enamored with his strong arm to stretch the field horizontally that they are forgetting to stretch the field vertically.  No crossing routes, no inside slants, no in routes, no posts, NOTHING anywhere near the middle of the field, and it didn't look as if Penn State was doing anything special to shut that area of the field off.  In any case, the red zone O is still clicking, and Zeke is getting more north and south runs finally.  The D was gashed again by some big runs.  Rutgers has a reasonably effective RB by committee attack, but no one special RB that will consistently give the Silver Bullets problems (unless Joshua Perry is out, heal up quick #37!).  I expect a pretty similar game to the blackout.  The best part of 7-0?  The chance to go 8-0.  OSU: 45--RUT: 13

Upset Special
Draper: Washington over Stanford
Hoying: Texas Tech over Oklahoma
Schweinfurth: Tennessee over Alabama
Seeberg:  I canNOT get one of these, ugh.  Let's try Boston College over Louisville.

2015 Rankings Premiere! Top 25 and Heisman Favorites - After Week 7

So ends the Cardale Jones half of the 2015-15 season. Now that we've actually seen the teams play a few times and have a factual basis for comparing them, it's time to break out the Let's Go Bucks! Index, which is about as relevant as the AP and Coaches' polls in the playoff era.

Rankings, as always, are based on what teams have done so far, not how we believe they will finish. The top 4 teams indicated below have NO RELATION to the teams we think will appear in the playoff. If the season ended today, THE PLAYOFF WOULDN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE THAT'S NOT HOW IT'S DESIGNED.

Let's Go Bucks Index
1. Utah
2. LSU
3. Ohio State
4a. Clemson
4b. Michigan State
6. Baylor
7. TCU
8. Iowa
9. Memphis
10. Florida State
11. Alabama
12. Oklahoma State
13. Stanford
14. Florida
15. Texas A&M
16. Notre Dame
17. Michigan
18. Temple
19. California
20. Houston
21. Ole Miss
22a. Toledo
22b. Northwestern
22c. Oklahoma
25. Pittsburgh

Others receiving votes: UCLA, Navy, Duke, Penn State

Let's Go Bucks Heisman Index
1. Leonard Fournette (RB--LSU)
2. Dalvin Cook (RB--FSU)
3. Ezekiel Elliott (RB--OSU)

Others receiving votes: Seth Russell (QB--Baylor), Trevone Boykin (QB--TCU)

Draper Top 25
1. Ohio State
2. Utah
3. Louisiana State
4. Baylor
5. Clemson
6. Michigan State
7. Memphis
8. TCU
9. Florida State
10. Iowa
11. Bama
12. Stanford
13. Florida
14. Oklahoma State
15. Notre Dame
16. Texas A&M
17. Michigan
18. Toledo
19. Houston
20. Temple
21. Northwestern
22. Oklahoma
23. California
24. Duke
25. Pitt

Draper Heisman Ballot
1. Leonard Fournette (RB--LSU)
2. Dalvin Cook (RB--FSU)
3. Ezekiel Elliot (RB--OSU)


Hoying Top 25
1. Utah
2. Louisiana State
3. Iowa
4. Michigan State
5. Memphis
6. Clemson
7. Ohio State
8. TCU
9. Baylor
10. Florida State
11. Temple
12. Oklahoma State
13. Florida
14. Alabama
15. California
16. Texas A&M
17. Michigan
18. Mississippi
19. Northwestern
20. Stanford
21. Notre Dame
22. Pittsburgh
23. Navy
24. UCLA
25. Penn State

Hoying Heisman Ballot
1. Leonard Fournette (RB--LSU)
2. Dalvin Cook (RB--FSU)
3. Seth Russell (QB--Baylor)


Seeberg Top 25
1.) Ohio State
2.) LSU
3.) Utah
4.) Clemson
5.) Michigan State
6.) Baylor
7.) TCU
8.) Florida State
9.) Alabama
10.) Stanford
11.) Iowa
12.) Texas A&M
13.) Notre Dame
14.) Memphis
15.) Oklahoma State
16.) Michigan
17.) Florida
18.) Oklahoma
19.) Houston
20.) Temple
21.) Ole Miss
22.) Toledo
23.) Cal
24.) UCLA
25.) Pitt

Seeberg Heisman Ballot
1.) Leonard Fournette (RB--LSU)
2.) Ezekiel Elliott (RB--OSU)
3.) Trevone Boykin (QB--TCU)

Grading the Bucks: Week 7 -- Penn State

The Return of Captain Smooth (let's hope)

Offense: Incomplete
How to grade this unit? Cardale looked horrible and the offense sputtered with him at the helm.  To be clear, this was the worst Cardale has looked as a starter.  Passes were 'Brett Favre'd' off target, indecisiveness reigned, and there was no rhythm.  Enter Captain Smooth, Joe Thomas Barrett IV, who calmly stepped into the breech and took charge.  4/4 passing, of course a very small sample size), was perfect as well as total command of the ground game.  All of a sudden, Zeke started to break free, the receivers looked more crisp in routes and blocking, O-line gained confidence, and J.T. was able to run the read option that we love.  Once the change happened, I love what I saw from the offense on almost all levels.  The misdirection JT excels at was phenomenal, so much so that the Penn State D-line (who is quite good) felt the need to celebrate the one time they broke up a play.  Tale of two leaders.  Grades will be completed once we see a full JT game...if we see a whole JT game.

Defense: C+
This was the most difficult grade of all time.  This game had some absolutely fantastic plays but there were some historic fails.  Apple was off as he has been most of the year, tackling was sloppy, and PSU's freshman RB Saquon Barkley tore us up.  Yes, he looks like he could be really good, but giving up nearly 200 yards is unacceptable.  The D-line was great on the pass rush, even while being held on every play, but the rush defense needs to step it up.  The loss of Perry could be costly going forward as Booker looked a little iffy in his absence.  We'll see if there are any lingering effects.

Special Teams: A
Cam Johnston was fantastic pinning most punts inside the 5 (!) after great coverage.  The one attempted FG was converted and coverage on all kicks/punts was fantastic.  There is little (if anything) to complain about from this unit.  They were fantastic.  The return game wasn't special, but no turnovers are good enough for me.  Cam Johnston for Ray Guy? If only we punted more...let's hope not.

Coaching: C
This has to be the final straw, doesn't it?...DOESN'T IT??? I've been shocked at the refusal to see facts by the coaching staff.  JT jumpstarting the offense upon arrival is due to more than his abilities.  He exudes a quiet confident presence of a leader who's skill set fits the talents of this team to a tee.  The misdirection opens up running lanes for both him and Zeke as well as confusing the DBs.  For the air game, he doesn't have the cannon Cardale has, but he can diagnose the defense and carve them up efficiently.  He takes what is given and gets as much as possible.  In game adjustments were ok but the failure to stop the run was an issue.  The D-line could stop all but quick passes by forcing the issue, but there didn't seem a concerted effort to stop the run.  While the decision eventually paid off, I was baffled by Urban's decision to punt from the opponent 34.  Yes, Johnston is good and pinned them deep (although I believe they scored on that drive), but I would prefer to go for it that deep in enemy territory.  The extra yards of field position don't seem worth giving up the chance to extend the drive.

Overall: B
Solid victory over a decent team (one of the best we've played) that is improving greatly.  Note: they've only lost to currently undefeated teams.  Good performance, but I'd like to see a stauncher run D.  From a 'point' perspective, the defense was great, but I worry down the road.  Offensively, JT ran a great game...but the question is: 'Has he earned the keys to the car?"  In my opinion, yes (but you already knew that).  Can Urban swallow his pride and make the call? The time is now.

Uniforms: BUTT
Here are my thoughts: If you really think recruits choose their school based on uniforms, I think you're insane.  Yes, high school students are not known for their deep wisdom, but if you don't want to come to OSU for the tradition, the excellence, and, oh yeah, the Championships, the fame, the exposure, and the ticket to the next level of the NFL, then I can't help you.  This is nothing more than a money grab because fans will pay whatever they ask for new 'swag'.  I know the players like them, I know the recruits like them, but there's something to be said for the strength of tradition and the pride of donning the Scarlet and Gray.  We don't need gimmicks...we're Ohio State.  The tradition of excellence speaks for itself.