1.) Hoying 12-2 (2-2 upset)
1.) Schweinfurth 12-2 (1-3 upset)
1.) Seeberg 12-2 (0-4 upset)
4.) Draper 11-3 (1-3 upset)
ESPN's College Gameday is in Lincoln this week to see the Buckeyes take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers. You know what that means: the rest of the games must really suck this week if that's the best they can come up with. Maybe so, but here are a few worth a read for our dozens of loyal fans:
Virginia Cavaliers @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Draper: I entered last week's ND/UGA showdown with absolutely no faith in the Irish, but they played a nice game. I still think Georgia shot themselves in the foot too often, but alas, the Irish showed that they have a reason to be mentioned in the top 10-15 discussion. Virginia got lucky to beat FSU....yeah..... I think this is a game in which the Irish make a big national splash...with no substance as the Cavaliers are, like the nonClemson ACC, poo. The media will fall over themselves giving Notre Dame a huge ranked win, but it won't mean much to me. UVA: 13 -- ND: 27
Hoying: One of these teams put up a good fight against Georgia for a few quarters (and covered, as only one writer here predicted) and has the passing game and the defense to put a decent season together. The other came out two weeks ago and just about lost to a Florida State team that has been a steaming pile of you-know-what for the better part of 3 years now. Look for Virginia to screech to a halt again in this one, as the ND doesn't stand for "No Defense" anymore. UVA: 10--ND: 20
Schweinfurth: Notre Dame surprised me last week. I really didn't expect the Irish to go toe to toe with the Dawgs for four quarters like that. Ultimately, the lack of talent depth cost them. Enter the Virginia "we struggled against FSU" Cavaliers. I fully expect the Domers to bounce back this week, but the first quarter or so could be a slog. UVA: 17--ND: 27
Seeberg: Before last week's game against the Bulldogs, I stated that I thought the Fighting Irish were slightly better than last season, which seemed to pan out as they were very much up to the task of competing with UGA, but couldn't finish the job. Now enter Virginia who (good news!) is ranked, but (bad news!) needed 4 quarters to put away Old Dominion. By the end of the season this will be a mediocre win for the Golden Domers as the Cavaliers are destined to go 8-4, but for now it keeps their slim playoff hopes alive. UVA: 20--ND: 31
University of Southern California Trojans @ Washington Huskies
Draper: This is a tough one. I really liked Hoying's upset last week and I think the Trojans are a nice scrappy little bunch, but the Huskies really have no excuse reestablishing dominance on their home turf. Yes, Cal waltzed into Seattle and took out the Huskies...but it was in the midst of a typhoon and huge weather delay. I'm guessing that was a fluke (and maybe the Bears are decent??). I'm expecting a bit of a resurgence from the Purple and Gold to remind USC that they're not back in the days of Pete Carroll (and bag dropping). USC: 24 -- UW: 37
Hoying: USC is currently on something like their third quarterback, and dropped an early season game to a questionable non-conference foe. Might as well pencil them into the CFP championship now! On the other sideline is a Washington team that might as well be 4-0 because nobody stayed up until 4 AM to watch them lose to Cal (including the poll voters). And they play something not usually seen in the Pac-12 called "de fense". I could say that USC coach Clay Helton is on the hot seat if he loses this game and the Trojans threaten to tumble out of the Pac-12 title chase, but the only way he gets the ax at this point is if there's an Urban renewal in the works out on the west coast. USC: 20--UW: 28
Schweinfurth: I really can't see a scenario where USC wins this game. Washington is still one of the "better" teams in the Pac-12. USC seems to be in the middle to upper tier of the Pac-12. Not where they should be. This will be close and fun to watch regardless. Washington puts it away late. USC: 28--UW: 38
Seeberg: And now, onto the conference that is definitely #5 of the power 5. Everyone is taking turns pooping the proverbial bed out west, so this game will be a middling win not unlike Notre Dame beating Virginia. Home field seems to mean very little out there, and with a new QB, third-stringer Matt Fink, who hasn't put much on tape yet, the Huskies defense may be in trouble. All that said, however, I trust Chris Petersen more than Clay Helton in a game with at least conference title implications on the line. Huskies pull out a close one. USC: 27--UW: 31
THE Ohio State University Buckeyes @ Nebraska Cornhuskers
Draper: Everyone's favorite Buckeye landmine game from the preseason has taken a bit of a nosedive, yet Gameday is coming because why not? On paper, there is nothing to concern yourself with, but the games aren't played on paper. That being said, the Buckeyes have had the Huskers' number since they joined the B1G, especially in night games (let's forget about the Bauserman experiment). Frost may be building something in Lincoln, but I don't know how he can turn a team of pure 'eh' and make it great in a year. Martinez is a fine QB, but he has a lot of room to grow. I'm hoping the Buckeyes get the old kick in the butt from the coaches after the slow start last week and blow it open early. If the rest of the Buckeye defensive line plays this week (everyone was 'hurt' last week), I expect fantastic performance on D. They'll give up one big TD, but that's it. On offense, I want to see the continued growth of the receivers and Fields. When Fields misses, he misses high so hopefully, that will abate. Dobbins hits the century mark and Master Teague continues to look like the 3rd best back in the B1G (I'll give Taylor some props). Bucks big. OSU: 45 -- Neb: 16
Hoying: Time for the game everyone was pooping their pants about preseason. A night game on the road against a middling Big Ten West opponent! The Buckeyes always lose those, right? Not really. In 7 years under Urban Meyer, Ohio State lost exactly 2 conference night games (both on the road): the 2016 Penn State fluke, and last year's Purdue debacle. R-E-L-A-X. The Buckeyes lost to Iowa and Purdue the last two seasons because their defense wasn't prepared for some gimmick the opposing offense had. For Purdue, it was a 5'9" receiver (Rondale Moore) as fast as Parris Campbell. For Iowa, it was...having a tight end. What does Nebraska have? Mobile quarterback Adrian Martinez (bad news) and deep threat receiver JD Spielman (more bad news). This will be the week we determine if the Silver Bullets can pass a hard test after acing the easy ones. But even if they can't, I don't see the Ohio State offense slowing down for the likes of the erstwhile blackshirts. And here's the kicker...is something Nebraska can't say because their starting kicker got hurt in the preseason and they've had to turn to their backups and their safety, who (spoiler alert) can't kick. Buckeyes won big last time they visited 2 years ago, and I expect more of the same. OSU: 42--Neb: 13
Schweinfurth: Freak out everyone. It's a night game on the road against an overmatched appointment. It's time for this year's version of Iowa or Purdue...or not. What's the difference this year? Defensive scheme and coaching. Nebraska has not faced a defensive line like the Buckeyes are going to roll out there. Chase Young is a one man offense wrecking crew. Add in the guys who sat out last week and this line is fresh and down right nasty. Not sure that special teams will get kick block number 4 this week. Offensively, the two headed monster of Dobbins and Teague is going to hammer the Nebraska defense. I expect lots of runs and then play action over the top. Chris Olave could have a big game yet again. Nebraska will probably start quick, but roll with the punch and then throw the haymaker. OSU: 45--Neb: 21
Seeberg: OK, here's the thing about these two teams: We've seen Ohio State's ceiling at times, and it is insanely, national-title-worthy high. However, the lows can get pretty dicey too (see: the last 3 quarters vs. FAU, first 8 minutes vs. Miami). Meanwhile, Nebraska's low cost them a game against Pac-12 also-ran Colorado, but we haven't seen their high...but it's likely to emerge under the lights of College Gameday Saturday night. How long it can be sustained depends on how well the Buckeyes- specifically the Silver Bullets- perform. I don't expect a ton of resistance from the Husker D, but if their offense is clicking they are dangerous enough to pull the upset. I truly hope for an Indiana-like game plan. Just hammer Dobbins for four quarters if necessary, watch him gash a tired defense in the second half, give Fields as much time as possible on play-action passes against a defense stuffing the box. I don't expect it to be pretty, but I do expect the final scoreline to look good enough to keep the haters at bay. OSU: 38--Neb: 20
Upset Special
Draper: Maryland over Penn State
Hoying: Indiana over Michigan State
Schweinfurth: Washington State over Utah
Seeberg: Arizona State over Cal
