Welcome back, Buckeye Nation. We hope you have enjoyed the extended preseason of exhibition games, featuring some impressive performances by some southern team with numbers on their helmets and some other program coached by one of the first team's former players. But now the meat and potatoes of the 2020 college football schedule can begin. The B1G is back in a big way, and the spotlight isn't brighter anywhere than Columbus, Ohio, as the Playoff Committee desperately searches for a reason not to send 3 SEC teams to Pasadena and New Orleans.
Michigan Wolverines @ Minnesota Golden Gophers
Draper: It's good to be back. Welcome in to the oldest rivalry in college football. Normally, you'd expect Michigan to just overwhelm Minnesota with sheer talent, but while the Gopher's are rowing the boat, Michigan players are jumping off faster than ever. While the Buckeyes have players fleeing back to OSU, the Wolverines can't leave fast enough. I actually think a fully stocked Michigan team would win going away, but this shell with no McCaffery, Collins, etc. will struggle. I like the Gophers to snag the Little Brown Jug and help ease Michigan fans into the recognition that it's over before it began. Mich: 17--Minn: 24
Hoying: Beating ranked teams on the road really isn't Michigan's bag, baby. And yet they find themselves favored to dump the Big Ten's recent upstart program in Minneapolis despite the fact that they've lost (i) the former presumed heir to Shea Patterson's throne of mediocrity (Dylan McCaffrey), (ii) their best WR (Nico Collins) and (iii) four of last year's starters on the O-line. This offense took until halftime of the Penn State game last year to figure out which direction was downfield, and now they have to start all over again, other than their adequate stable of running backs. Meanwhile, lurking on the other sideline are one of top QB-WR combos in the conference, maybe even the nation, in Tanner Morgan and Rashod Bateman. Antoine Winfield, Jr. isn't anchoring the Gopher D anymore and the unit as a whole should take a step back from last year, so we'll see how long Josh Gattis needs to break in a new Wolverine offense again. I'm usually pretty bullish on the Wolverines (except the Notre Dame game last year, whoops) but I'm thinking it will take more than one week. Mich: 20--Minn: 23
Schweinfurth: No spring football and a new quarter back for the Harboogers? That's a problem. The Rowboaters return most of their offense and seem to have the better coaching staff (yea, I went there). While the wolverines have the "better recruits," I do think that the Gophers have the better team. The Little Brown Jug heads back to the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Mich: 24--Min: 30
Hoying: Beating ranked teams on the road really isn't Michigan's bag, baby. And yet they find themselves favored to dump the Big Ten's recent upstart program in Minneapolis despite the fact that they've lost (i) the former presumed heir to Shea Patterson's throne of mediocrity (Dylan McCaffrey), (ii) their best WR (Nico Collins) and (iii) four of last year's starters on the O-line. This offense took until halftime of the Penn State game last year to figure out which direction was downfield, and now they have to start all over again, other than their adequate stable of running backs. Meanwhile, lurking on the other sideline are one of top QB-WR combos in the conference, maybe even the nation, in Tanner Morgan and Rashod Bateman. Antoine Winfield, Jr. isn't anchoring the Gopher D anymore and the unit as a whole should take a step back from last year, so we'll see how long Josh Gattis needs to break in a new Wolverine offense again. I'm usually pretty bullish on the Wolverines (except the Notre Dame game last year, whoops) but I'm thinking it will take more than one week. Mich: 20--Minn: 23
Schweinfurth: No spring football and a new quarter back for the Harboogers? That's a problem. The Rowboaters return most of their offense and seem to have the better coaching staff (yea, I went there). While the wolverines have the "better recruits," I do think that the Gophers have the better team. The Little Brown Jug heads back to the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Mich: 24--Min: 30
Iowa State Cyclones @ Oklahoma State Cowboys
Draper: Oh goody...a Big 12 match of who cares? Oklahoma St. is carrying the torch for the Big 12 after all the other teams crapped the bed in spectacular fashion, but it seems like we're just waiting for the presumptive shoe to drop. No one believes they're that great...they just haven't tripped yet. That being said, I don't necessarily see the Clones as a world beater either. I think I'll lean on the Pokes keeping the dream alive a bit longer. The mullet has to be worth something, right? ISU: 24 -- OkSt: 38
Hoying: The Big 12 has never sent a team to a Playoff championship, and it doesn't look that that trend is in jeopardy this year, either. Four weeks into the B12 season, only five teams have yet to accumulate 2 losses, and two of those teams have losses to Sun Belt teams. However, a loss to Sun Belt powerhouse Louisiana hasn't stopped Iowa State from climbing to the top of the Big 12 standings, where they face off against the conference's only remaining undefeated squad, the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Cowboys' offense has been a bit off so far in this young season, but that could be attributed to the Big 12's odd decision to scavenge the defense that the SEC and ACC decided they wouldn't be using this season. Not that Iowa State has much room to talk; they scored 14 points in that brutal opening loss to the Ragin' Cajuns. Oklahoma State should be nice andrusty rested after last week's game against Baylor was postponed, so I'll ride with the Cowboys at home. ISU: 20--OKSt: 27
Schweinfurth: I have watched more Big 12 football this year than I have in a long time. My biggest takeaway? This league plays some bad football. I really don't trust any of these teams. The Cyclones are known for those wild upsets. Really though, I just don't see it happening. ISU: 21--OKState: 35
Hoying: The Big 12 has never sent a team to a Playoff championship, and it doesn't look that that trend is in jeopardy this year, either. Four weeks into the B12 season, only five teams have yet to accumulate 2 losses, and two of those teams have losses to Sun Belt teams. However, a loss to Sun Belt powerhouse Louisiana hasn't stopped Iowa State from climbing to the top of the Big 12 standings, where they face off against the conference's only remaining undefeated squad, the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Cowboys' offense has been a bit off so far in this young season, but that could be attributed to the Big 12's odd decision to scavenge the defense that the SEC and ACC decided they wouldn't be using this season. Not that Iowa State has much room to talk; they scored 14 points in that brutal opening loss to the Ragin' Cajuns. Oklahoma State should be nice and
Schweinfurth: I have watched more Big 12 football this year than I have in a long time. My biggest takeaway? This league plays some bad football. I really don't trust any of these teams. The Cyclones are known for those wild upsets. Really though, I just don't see it happening. ISU: 21--OKState: 35
North Carolina State Wolfpack @ North Carolina Tar Heels
Draper: The problem of picking ranked games is that you have to pick ranked games between two mirages. The powerhouse Noles took down the plucky Tarheels in Tally last week proving that the #5 ranking was a joke (easy to see by anyone watching football). The Wolfpack are....a team that plays football, I guess? I know nothing about them. While UNC isn't super special, they are a decent 15-25 ranked team that should be able to take down the cross state rival. NCSt: 20 -- UNC: 31
Hoying: One of the unfortunate effects of the Big Ten and Pac-12 delaying their starts is some poll voters are only listing teams on their ballots that have actually played football already. This leads to unfortunate circumstances like UNC - NC State being a ranked matchup. This...rivalry...I guess? (it doesn't have a name despite these teams being in the same conference and same state and having almost the same name) hasn't had much of an impact on anything ever and that isn't fixing to change this year. NC State has been good enough in recent memory to validate analysts' constant propping them up as a dark horse contender the ACC Atlantic division, but it's still Clemson's world out there east of the Alabama-Georgia border (sigh). As for this one, Wolfpack QB Devin Leary is out for the foreseeable future, and while UNC is nowhere near top 5 caliber (my reaction to them being ranked ahead of Ohio State last week), their offense is good enough to dispatch NC State and stay in the ACC title game hunt (not the ACC title hunt though). NCSU: 27--UNC: 30
Schweinfurth: I still don't understand how UNC was ranked as a top 5 team (there was a lot of ranking inflation without the B1G and Pac12). They are a good team that won't put a scare into Clemson, but should be good enough the beat the Wolfpack. Yea, they had issues last week, but the 'Heels should be good enough to pull this one out. NCSU: 31--UNC: 35
Hoying: One of the unfortunate effects of the Big Ten and Pac-12 delaying their starts is some poll voters are only listing teams on their ballots that have actually played football already. This leads to unfortunate circumstances like UNC - NC State being a ranked matchup. This...rivalry...I guess? (it doesn't have a name despite these teams being in the same conference and same state and having almost the same name) hasn't had much of an impact on anything ever and that isn't fixing to change this year. NC State has been good enough in recent memory to validate analysts' constant propping them up as a dark horse contender the ACC Atlantic division, but it's still Clemson's world out there east of the Alabama-Georgia border (sigh). As for this one, Wolfpack QB Devin Leary is out for the foreseeable future, and while UNC is nowhere near top 5 caliber (my reaction to them being ranked ahead of Ohio State last week), their offense is good enough to dispatch NC State and stay in the ACC title game hunt (not the ACC title hunt though). NCSU: 27--UNC: 30
Schweinfurth: I still don't understand how UNC was ranked as a top 5 team (there was a lot of ranking inflation without the B1G and Pac12). They are a good team that won't put a scare into Clemson, but should be good enough the beat the Wolfpack. Yea, they had issues last week, but the 'Heels should be good enough to pull this one out. NCSU: 31--UNC: 35
Cincinnati Bearcats @ Southern Methodist Mustangs
Draper: Are we....Are we really doing this? Two group of five teams that no one cares about? Ok, Ok, Cincy might have stirred the pot a bit in a non-COVID year, but no one seriously expected a playoff push. Luke Fickell has put together a nice culture in the Lard of Chili and seems to have kept the ball rolling. The Bearcats are arguably the best Group of Five team out there so I can see them going undefeated and completely ignored come playoff time (likely as they should be). Unfortunately, there is really nothing they can do with their schedule that will rock the boat. Regardless, I think they handle the Mustangs so long as there aren't more COVID scares. UC: 34 -- SMU: 17
Hoying: What do these teams have in common? After the postponement of SMU's game against TCU, it's likely that neither one of these teams will play a Power 5 school this fall. In other words, it doesn't matter at all that these teams are undefeated and ranked in the top 16; they aren't sniffing the Playoff unless every SEC team except Alabama is 5-5. But it's still fun to watch SMU try to score lots of points and Luke Fickell's Bearcats try to stop them. Look, UC QB Desmond Ridder isn't going to light the world on fire. But the 'Cats picked off 5 passes last time they saw the field and held Army to 182 rushing yards the week before. The Ponies will be penned up in this one. UC: 31--SMU: 24
Schweinfurth: Cincinnati is the better team here. SMU can move the ball, but this is a Luke Fickell team. They will play good defense and all they need to do is slow the Mustangs down. UC: 28--SMU:20
Hoying: What do these teams have in common? After the postponement of SMU's game against TCU, it's likely that neither one of these teams will play a Power 5 school this fall. In other words, it doesn't matter at all that these teams are undefeated and ranked in the top 16; they aren't sniffing the Playoff unless every SEC team except Alabama is 5-5. But it's still fun to watch SMU try to score lots of points and Luke Fickell's Bearcats try to stop them. Look, UC QB Desmond Ridder isn't going to light the world on fire. But the 'Cats picked off 5 passes last time they saw the field and held Army to 182 rushing yards the week before. The Ponies will be penned up in this one. UC: 31--SMU: 24
Schweinfurth: Cincinnati is the better team here. SMU can move the ball, but this is a Luke Fickell team. They will play good defense and all they need to do is slow the Mustangs down. UC: 28--SMU:20
Draper: Welcome home, boys. I'm so excited we get the privilege of seeing this Buckeye team again. While last year was heart-breaking, I don't expect to see a team with a bigger chip on their shoulder/statement to make than the 2020 Buckeyes. This may lead to some sloppy play at the beginning which might scare a few Buckeye faithful, but when this machine gets rolling, get out of the way. Fields, Olave, Wilson, and Teague are going to feast on a Nebraska team who is going to regret pushing for a season. Defensively, the real focus should be on the impact of Kerry Combs return to the sideline. Along with Shaun Wade's surprising return, Coach Coombs was a HUGE get by Day and Co. (and maybe for the receiving corps). Expect the Bucks to make a statement to the Clemson's and Bama's of the college football landscape: We're back, we're hungry, and we're coming for you. (On a related note: OSU Hype Video Team>>>>>>>>>) Neb: 20 -- OSU: 62
Hoying: I'm sure that you, like me, are still not over it. We (most of us) believed that the Buckeyes had what it takes to defeat Clemson. We found that it was we who were mistaken...about a great many things. Everything that transpired did so according to Dabo's design. An entire legion of his best players awaited us. Only now, at the end of the longest offseason in history, do we understand. But Scott Frost and Ryan Day are here to put us back on schedule, and after 10 months of stewing in the "what could have been" for perhaps the most complete Ohio State team of all time, the returning players' hate has made them powerful. You want this matchup, don't you? The hate is swelling in you now. Nebraska is unarmed. Strike them down, and our journey toward a redemptive national championship will be...well commenced. It is unavoidable. It is our destiny. It may be that our overconfidence is our weakness, since we've lost our three starting WRs, a 2000 yard stud in JK Dobbins, and consensus All Americans both in the defensive backfield and more often than not in opponents' offensive backfields, not to mention pretty much all of the rest of the DBs and D-Line. But the Silver Bullets' deflector shield will be quite operational when the Cornhuskers arrive. Adrian Martinez's feeble skills are no match for the power of Kerry Coombs. Now witness the power of this fully armed and operational juggernaut offense! Neb: 17--OSU: 52
Schweinfurth: This is a mismatch all over the place. Yes, both teams led the charge to get B1G football back, but the Buckeyes are the team with the most to play for. Talent does not equate here. I'm excited for Ohio State football. The kids are excited for Ohio State football (they've only been asking for the last two months). Let's get this kicked off. Neb: 13--OSU: 62
Upset Special
Draper: Indiana over Penn State
Hoying: Pittsburgh over Notre Dame
Schweinfurth: Illinois over Wisconsin
