Standings:
1.) Draper 12-5 (1-4 upset)2.) Schweinfurth 11-6 (1-4 upset)
2.) Hoying 11-6 (0-5 upset)
Happy holidays to all celebrating Thanksgiving together or alone this week. We're particularly lonely without our favorite turkeys up north for the Buckeyes to pound on this year. But we're always hopeful for an early Christmas present in a couple of weeks.
FRIDAY
Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ North Carolina Tar Heels [shhhhh...you saw nussing last week]
Draper: I just can't get behind this Notre Dame team. I don't know why, but they don't scare or excite me. Even after defeating the Big Bad Dabo (without their QB....at home...with many fans spread viruses), I don't believe. I remember watching that Louisville game which was just gross. UNC is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. Mack Brown can sprinkle some magic dust and get Sam Howell to play in the stratosphere and potentially make this a shootout, but I'm not seeing the upset here. ND: 42--UNC: 31
Hoying: Florida State has beaten two teams this year. One was Jacksonville State, who actually led the Noles into the 3rd quarter. The other was North Carolina, a team that threw all over FSU all day but was playing from behind all day after an early punt block and pick six. When the Heels are hot they get points in bunches, but the defense is a bit lacking, as shown in their last outing, a 59-53 shootout with Wake Forest. Notre Dame has a potent attack of its own, led by dual-threat QB Ian Book, and they're not quite as mistake prone as Carolina is. Yeah, they struggled with BC for a hot minute but they looked a lot better than Clemson did. They also looked a lot better than Clemson against...Clemson. I don't see Notre Dame overlooking this game, which means I don't see them losing. ND: 45--UNC: 24
Hoying: Florida State has beaten two teams this year. One was Jacksonville State, who actually led the Noles into the 3rd quarter. The other was North Carolina, a team that threw all over FSU all day but was playing from behind all day after an early punt block and pick six. When the Heels are hot they get points in bunches, but the defense is a bit lacking, as shown in their last outing, a 59-53 shootout with Wake Forest. Notre Dame has a potent attack of its own, led by dual-threat QB Ian Book, and they're not quite as mistake prone as Carolina is. Yeah, they struggled with BC for a hot minute but they looked a lot better than Clemson did. They also looked a lot better than Clemson against...Clemson. I don't see Notre Dame overlooking this game, which means I don't see them losing. ND: 45--UNC: 24
Schweinfurth: I don't believe in Notre Dame, but I really don't believe in this Tar Heel team. The Heels have been letting teams get out to these ridiculous leads and then somehow coming back to win. I can really see the Irish jumping out to a huge lead and not looking back. UNC will score, but there will be no comeback this time. ND: 45--UNC: 21
Iowa State Cyclones @ Texas Longhorns
Draper: Is Texas back? Depends on what they are ‘back’ to...2nd - 4th place in the Big Twelve seems to be ‘back lately. Iowa State has put together a nice little run in the conference that no one believes has a chance to make the playoff (no one remembers the Pac 12 exists so they don’t count). Sam Meh-linger has shown some sparks of very goodness, but it’s too sporadic. Oh, and the defense... Tom Herman is about ready to go quietly into that goodnight. Send in the CLONES! ISU: 38–UT: 34
Hoying: ISU coach Matt Campbell's name continues to be whispered in wish lists for replacement coaches (including our neighbors up north) while Texas coach Tom Herman is mentioned in the same circles with some measure of trepidation. Why? Because Iowa State is a total of one game worse than Texas over Tom Herman's tenure at Texas, despite the fact that, you know, Iowa State is Iowa State and Texas is Texas. This season, Iowa State shook off a blowout loss to Louisiana to surge to sole possession of the Big 12 lead, and with the big bad Sooners already out of the way, a win over Texas would just about lock them into their first Big 12 championship appearance. The Horns are a late TCU touchdown and a weird Red River overtime away from being undefeated but they haven't exactly been impressive in their wins either. They're a bit too reliant on their pass game. Iowa State also boasts a formidable pass attack, and Texas's pass D has been abysmal. I know it's something of a cliché at this point for Texas Tom to overperform in a big game like this before soiling the bed against the next goober of the week, but I think his magic is starting to run out. ISU: 34--UT: 31
Hoying: ISU coach Matt Campbell's name continues to be whispered in wish lists for replacement coaches (including our neighbors up north) while Texas coach Tom Herman is mentioned in the same circles with some measure of trepidation. Why? Because Iowa State is a total of one game worse than Texas over Tom Herman's tenure at Texas, despite the fact that, you know, Iowa State is Iowa State and Texas is Texas. This season, Iowa State shook off a blowout loss to Louisiana to surge to sole possession of the Big 12 lead, and with the big bad Sooners already out of the way, a win over Texas would just about lock them into their first Big 12 championship appearance. The Horns are a late TCU touchdown and a weird Red River overtime away from being undefeated but they haven't exactly been impressive in their wins either. They're a bit too reliant on their pass game. Iowa State also boasts a formidable pass attack, and Texas's pass D has been abysmal. I know it's something of a cliché at this point for Texas Tom to overperform in a big game like this before soiling the bed against the next goober of the week, but I think his magic is starting to run out. ISU: 34--UT: 31
Schweinfurth: Matt Campbell has the Cyclones leading a messy Big 12. ISU plays hard and is a hard out for any team right now. Texas may be playing for Tom Herman's job. A three loss season will not sit will in Austin, especially after Ohio State just poached two of the top recruits. Yes, the Longhorns have righted the ship a bit since that rough start, but I just can't trust that Ehlinger won't turn the ball over. ISU: 35--UT: 31
SATURDAY
Penn State Nittany Lions @ Michigan Wolverines
Draper: Why? Why would we do this to ourselves? Why would we do this to you? Because it’s just so....fun...to watch these teams struggle and fail. Michigan may have found their QB for the rest of the year (future is a bit too strong) after taking down their rivals in scarlet last week in 3OT, but Penn State is an abject mess. Everyone is jumping ship. We thought UM was a train wreck? Well, PSU is the Titanic. The Wolverines string together a second win to build a little confidence before the truth hits in 2 weeks. McNamera will look good and give the announcers some fuel concerning The Game....but whatevs. PSU: 17—UM: 27
Hoying: I believed in you, Buttgers, and you tore my heart out. Did the Wolverines finally turn a corner in triple-OT in Piscataway, under the steady arm of Cade McNamera? I'm not convinced. Again, Buttgers. I think Michigan is one of those teams that is exactly as good as their record. Penn State, on the other hand, has found a few creative ways to give games away this season. Yes, they're still missing Journey Brown and Micah Parsons, and yes, they just lost Pat Freiermuth as well, but Michigan is missing something like their entire starting defense (the competent ones anyway, yeah, you heard me, Dax Hill). The Wolverine D can't really stop anybody right now, Buttgers included, and while Penn State remains a turnover machine, I think they'll score fast enough on Michigan that turnovers won't keep them out of the game. This should be another classic for all you sickos out there who love to see Michigan in nailbiters against bad teams (*raises hand*), but the Nittany Lions will finally get their first win and leave the Wolverine faithful to wonder what their worst loss of the season is: giving Sparty their only win, or doing the same for PSU? PSU: 31--UM: 27
Hoying: I believed in you, Buttgers, and you tore my heart out. Did the Wolverines finally turn a corner in triple-OT in Piscataway, under the steady arm of Cade McNamera? I'm not convinced. Again, Buttgers. I think Michigan is one of those teams that is exactly as good as their record. Penn State, on the other hand, has found a few creative ways to give games away this season. Yes, they're still missing Journey Brown and Micah Parsons, and yes, they just lost Pat Freiermuth as well, but Michigan is missing something like their entire starting defense (the competent ones anyway, yeah, you heard me, Dax Hill). The Wolverine D can't really stop anybody right now, Buttgers included, and while Penn State remains a turnover machine, I think they'll score fast enough on Michigan that turnovers won't keep them out of the game. This should be another classic for all you sickos out there who love to see Michigan in nailbiters against bad teams (*raises hand*), but the Nittany Lions will finally get their first win and leave the Wolverine faithful to wonder what their worst loss of the season is: giving Sparty their only win, or doing the same for PSU? PSU: 31--UM: 27
Schweinfurth: It's your B1G laughing stock game of the week! Penn State took that haymaker from Indiana and just hasn't recovered. I mean 0-5? They are the first team in the history of the AP poll to start in the top ten and then go 0-5. That is terrible and makes you question Franklin's culture. One loss shouldn't cause a season to go straight in the tank. The Fighting Harboogers, on the other hand, actually found something that works with McNamera and Haskins. The only question is if Harbaugh is smart enough to keep riding them. I think Penn State is broken beyond repair this year. PSU: 14--UM: 28
Auburn Tigers @ Alabama Crimson Tide
Draper: Bama enters the Iron Bowl without their general, but no one will notice. Something tells me that Sagan has developed a chip to implant into the players so he can coach them remotely and 24/7. Mac Jones and Co. are a force of nature that lead the pack of National Title favorites (of course, the list of potential winners is about 4...). What do we (I?) know about Auburn this year? Nothing really. Roll Dang Tide. Auburn: 10–Bama: 38
Hoying: Did you know that mighty Alabama, unquestionably the premier team of the New '10s, went a meager 6-4 against Auburn over the last decade? Amazingly, Nick Saban's Tide are a rather pedestrian 8-5 against the Tigers, including a paltry 3-5 when Auburn is ranked. Alabama has been ranked #1 five times going into this game during Saban's tenure, and has 3 wins to show for it. Should we expect another miracle this week? Well, Saban is out with the virus for real this time, so anything's possible. The Tide have followed up last year's disappointing (11-win, top ten) season with another "Bama by a million" campaign including a pantsing of Texas A&M and a comfortable win over Georgia. QB Mac Jones looks as good as anybody north of the Florida-Georgia border, and RB Najee Harris is a devastating weapon in his own right. Auburn...squeaked out some wins against Arkansas and Ole Miss...I got nothing. I saw the 2013 and 2019 upsets coming, but this time, the Magic 8 Ball says "Don't count on it." Bama by a million. Auburn: 13--Bama: 45
Hoying: Did you know that mighty Alabama, unquestionably the premier team of the New '10s, went a meager 6-4 against Auburn over the last decade? Amazingly, Nick Saban's Tide are a rather pedestrian 8-5 against the Tigers, including a paltry 3-5 when Auburn is ranked. Alabama has been ranked #1 five times going into this game during Saban's tenure, and has 3 wins to show for it. Should we expect another miracle this week? Well, Saban is out with the virus for real this time, so anything's possible. The Tide have followed up last year's disappointing (11-win, top ten) season with another "Bama by a million" campaign including a pantsing of Texas A&M and a comfortable win over Georgia. QB Mac Jones looks as good as anybody north of the Florida-Georgia border, and RB Najee Harris is a devastating weapon in his own right. Auburn...squeaked out some wins against Arkansas and Ole Miss...I got nothing. I saw the 2013 and 2019 upsets coming, but this time, the Magic 8 Ball says "Don't count on it." Bama by a million. Auburn: 13--Bama: 45
Schweinfurth: No Saban, no problem. Seriously, Auburn is going to get crushed. Bo Nix is going to turn the ball over and Alabama is going to feast. Auburn: 17--Bama: 42
THE Ohio State University Buckeyes @ Illinois Fighting Illini
Draper: Please, please, please don’t drop this game too. The Buckeyes need these games just to stay on track. Illinois got a nice little win vs. Nebraska last week, but is there anyone that expects lightning to strike twice. Indiana may have found the chink in the Buckeye armor (blitz on defense — if you can cover— and play 500 on offense—if you have a good QB), but lucky for the Buckeyes, Illinois has none of those things. This is a get right game for Fields. We saw some terrible decision making and execution last week, but it seemed like it was more of a lock on hero-ball, Heisman moments. Day and Co. will settle the young man down and he, Olive, and Wilson will put on a clinic. Teague and Sermon will lay the wood when needed, but barring poor weather, I think the coaches will try to reestablish Fields’ confidence. The defense needs to shore up the secondary (obviously) but I think Coach Coombs will analyze the situation and simplify the scheme. Even if the Illini can’t attack like Indiana, they need to prepare for the future and fix the communication and execution (Hooker...) issues. The biggest worry I have going into this one is the COVID scare. OSU: 58 — Ill: 20
Hoying: Hurrah, the Buckeyes defeated their only regular season top ten opponent and are now in full-on season cleanup mode. Reminds me of a time when a Buckeye team made a run at the title but were upset in the postseason, then followed it up with another impressive string of wins to start the season. Then they played a 3-loss Illinois team, who was quarterbacked by a guy named Isaiah Williams...........oh no...nooooooo...OK, relax. This Illinois team is not exactly 2007's Rose Bowl (lol) squad. They've been using the old quarterback-by-committee offense, and it looks like this week's spin of the wheel points back to former Michigan QB Brandon Peters. You may scoff, but Peters posted a 167.2 QBR against the Buckeyes in The Game Version 2018 in cleanup duty for Shea Patterson while setting up a Michigan TD (1 for 1 for 8 yards). The Illini don't have a lot of weapons and they haven't really scored many points until the floodgates opened against Nebraska last week. The good news is that Illinois did most of its damage on the ground, which Ohio State is pretty good at not allowing to happen. Swirling Champaign winds cut both ways, and even if the Ohio State passing game is a bit nerfed (hopefully not by throwing lobs into the middle of the field while falling down) the same breezes should prevent another fiasco in the Buckeye secondary. The good news is that the Silver Bullets won't see another team that can really put them to the test until the Playoff. The bad news is that we probably won't be able to tell until January what the results of that test will be (unless Michigan throws all over us, then it's time to start praying). OSU: 45--Ill: 20
Schweinfurth: Fix the defense! Look, last week was bad and they took their foot off the gas against Rutgers. Everyone take a breath. They are working on it. There were several miscommunications and guys not knowing the play call (zone or man). This is a young secondary, and I think Indiana was a wake up call. Look for new rotations in the secondary (more Josh Proctor). On the offensive side of the ball, Fields just needs to settle down and stop forcing the ball. He was clearly trying to win the game with one thrown on every possession last week. The big plays will be there, but every play doesn't have to be a forced ball. This game should be a reset and hopefully not a wind tunnel as we tend to see in Champaign. Bucks bring the Illibuck back to Columbus. OSU: 45--Ill: 17
Hoying: Hurrah, the Buckeyes defeated their only regular season top ten opponent and are now in full-on season cleanup mode. Reminds me of a time when a Buckeye team made a run at the title but were upset in the postseason, then followed it up with another impressive string of wins to start the season. Then they played a 3-loss Illinois team, who was quarterbacked by a guy named Isaiah Williams...........oh no...nooooooo...OK, relax. This Illinois team is not exactly 2007's Rose Bowl (lol) squad. They've been using the old quarterback-by-committee offense, and it looks like this week's spin of the wheel points back to former Michigan QB Brandon Peters. You may scoff, but Peters posted a 167.2 QBR against the Buckeyes in The Game Version 2018 in cleanup duty for Shea Patterson while setting up a Michigan TD (1 for 1 for 8 yards). The Illini don't have a lot of weapons and they haven't really scored many points until the floodgates opened against Nebraska last week. The good news is that Illinois did most of its damage on the ground, which Ohio State is pretty good at not allowing to happen. Swirling Champaign winds cut both ways, and even if the Ohio State passing game is a bit nerfed (hopefully not by throwing lobs into the middle of the field while falling down) the same breezes should prevent another fiasco in the Buckeye secondary. The good news is that the Silver Bullets won't see another team that can really put them to the test until the Playoff. The bad news is that we probably won't be able to tell until January what the results of that test will be (unless Michigan throws all over us, then it's time to start praying). OSU: 45--Ill: 20
Schweinfurth: Fix the defense! Look, last week was bad and they took their foot off the gas against Rutgers. Everyone take a breath. They are working on it. There were several miscommunications and guys not knowing the play call (zone or man). This is a young secondary, and I think Indiana was a wake up call. Look for new rotations in the secondary (more Josh Proctor). On the offensive side of the ball, Fields just needs to settle down and stop forcing the ball. He was clearly trying to win the game with one thrown on every possession last week. The big plays will be there, but every play doesn't have to be a forced ball. This game should be a reset and hopefully not a wind tunnel as we tend to see in Champaign. Bucks bring the Illibuck back to Columbus. OSU: 45--Ill: 17
Upset Special
Draper: Nebraska over Iowa
Draper: Nebraska over Iowa
Hoying: Oregon State over Oregon
Schweinfurth: LSU over TAMU
Schweinfurth: LSU over TAMU
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