Wisconsin Badgers @ Michigan State Spartans
Draper: This is BY FAR, the game of the week. Sparty enters on a huge high after beating the hated rival...again, and Wisconsin comes in following their cream puff schedule. MSU has been playing with huge heart and has been the best defense in the B1G but Wisconsin is another story. I think Wisconsin will start slow as they're not ready for the defensive talent from Sparty, but the overall edge still rests with the Badgers. I see MSU jumping out to a quick lead but the lack of offensive talent will allow Wisconsin to slowly take back control of the game. UW: 24--MSU: 17
Auer: Michigan State has proven week after week that their defense is legit. Luckily the Buckeyes loss to the Spartans looks better and better, but how does MSU's loss to the Golden Domers look now? There's no way Wisconsin is going to be looking ahead to next week's night game at the 'Shoe, but me-thinks the Spartans are in for a let-down after another win over "big brother". I think UW is on the fast track to the BCS National Championship game after a big win in East Lansing. UW: 17--MSU:9
Hoying: A week after these teams were established as the clear Legends and Leaders...uh...leaders (no, Penn State, you don't count), the two meet for what is probably the Big Ten clash of the year. Thanks to the new division format, this game will probably not play too heavily into the final B1G standings, but Wisconsin is hoping to stay in the national title chase and MSU needs to build up their resume if they're fighting for a second BCS spot. Wisconsin FINALLY gets to face a superior defense and I think the Badgers will have their hands full, but Russell Wilson is no Braxton Miller or Denard "Notorious I.N.T." Robinson. Notre Dame threw all over Sparty's defense, so this will be the week we find out just how good Wilson is. My guess is just good enough. UW: 21--MSU: 20
Schweinfurth: Ahh, the only game I am looking forward to this week. The big news out of this game will be the absence of William Gholston. Gholston is one of the main anchors for that nasty Spartan D and against the power running game (and containment of Russell Wilson), he will be sorely missed. This one will be old school B1G smash mouth football. The Badgers have one of last true power offenses in the country and they use it to their advantage. This game will be much closer than the experts think, but in the end, Russell Wilson wins the game for the Badgers and the Wilson for Heisman campaign will truly pick up some steam.
UW: 24 -- MSU -- 17
Auburn Tigers @ LSU Tigers
Draper: News flying on the wire that LSU has 3 players suspended including the 'Honey Badger'. Will it matter?.....No. Auburn doesn't have the horses to hang with the big boys in Death Valley. Jarret Lee or Jordan Jefferson will do enough to get over the 14 point mark that will seal it. Auburn took down the Gators but that was at home. Bayou Bengals win easily even with the suspensions. Aub: 10--LSU: 27
Auer: Auburn really isn't that good, LSU is. The interesting thing is the home team in this series has won 10 of the last 11 games. LSU is coming off of their largest victory ever over the Volunteers, and they'll continue to make things miserable for opponents. Aub: 7--LSU: 35
Hoying: Hmm...LSU in Baton Rouge versus an Auburn team that's struggled to stop anyone but the two SEC East patsies they stumbled upon. Looks like an easy pick at first, but this is a potential trap game for the Tigers (the ugly purple ones). LSU may be looking ahead to the colossal showdown at Tuscaloosa, and Auburn has the right coach to match wits with Les Miles. Expect this game to come down to one team making a last-second stupid decision. That team will inexplicably win. Aub: 14 -- LSU: 16
Schweinfurth: Earlier this week, I would have said this game would be no contest. Granted I still think LSU wins, but the score will be much closer after LSU suspended several players this week. Regardless, LSU is the better team here and I think Auburn sticks around because of Les Miles and because Auburn has a tendency to stick around in games. Tigers win... Aub: 17 -- LSU: 38
Washington Huskies @ Stanford Cardinal
Draper: Here's a ranked matchup that no one is looking at because...no one knows that Washington is ranked. Keith Price has been phenomenal for the Huskies but the lack of national attention has hidden the slight resurgence in Seattle. Luck has been playing well but this is the first team that might actually be able to win the Sun Belt that they have played. Were it in Seattle, I might pull the trigger, but the TEs and the Luck factor in Stanford provide too much. UW: 27--Stan:38
Auer: This game shouldn't be close. Andrew Luck is legit, and will continue to prove it with another huge win over the Huskies. UW: 7--Stan: 41
Hoying: For some reason, the Pac-12 continues to play football, so here's a great match-up of teams that are definitely undeserving of their rankings. Of these teams' combined 11 wins, the best one is probably...Washington's win over 3-3 Cal to start their yearly free-fall. Look for another West Coast shootout, as both teams feature excellent QB's and NO pass defense. Stanford has the edge in both, so they win. UW: 31 -- Stan: 45
Schweinfurth: To be honest, I don't know much about the Pac-12 outside of Arizona State, Oregon, and Andrew Luck. With that said I am just gonna pick a score. UW: 21 -- Stan: 45
USC Trojans @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Draper: Remember when this game was relevant? Yes, I know...it's still not important, but this is the best we've got. Kelly's offense has been chugging out tons of yards and should put up points (so long as they quit turning the ball over). USC has been playing pretty well, but they are still suffering from those suspensions. Barkley and Woods have been nice for the Trojan offense, but that's it. Neither defense is worth anything (USC's is still better than ND defensively). Unfortunately for the Trojans, the ND offense is much better than USC (again, without turning the ball over). I like the Irish in a shootout. USC: 27--Irish: 38
Auer: Screw Notre Dame. Go Trojans and dreamy Matt Barkley. USC: 41--ND: 28
Hoying: My report of Notre Dame's death may have been exaggerated. The Irish have put together a decent season since their disaster in Ann Arbor, now that the turnover hemorrhage has dried up, but they face a better-than-expected Trojan team out for revenge after breaking the streak last year. USC, being from the other WAC, has beaten nobody on the way to 5-1, but the passing attack is a legitimate threat and Notre Dame, being Notre Dame, is lacking in pass defense. SC lacks the playmakers on defense to force enough turnovers to make a difference, and the Irish march onward to victory for the 2nd year in a row. USC: 24--Irish 35
Schweinfurth: This is the last chance for for Notre Dame to make a case to play in a BCS game this year and I'm sure this isn't lost on Brian Kelly. Notre Dame's offense is very good (just stay out of the red zone) and this isn't the USC defense of three - four years ago. USC's offense is adequate but the loss of Marc Tyler will hurt. I don't buy into Notre Dame's defense at all so I expect this game to be somewhat high scoring. USC: 28 -- ND: 38
Upset Special:
Draper: Duke over Wake, Northwestern over PSU
Auer: Purdue over Illinois
Hoying: Purdue over Illinois
Schweinfurth: Da U over GT
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Five Thoughts on the Week that was: Week 7
1) Officials need to slow down their whistles
If you had the ability to stay up for the Oregon/ASU game, congratulations! You were treated to a decent game that started way too late. Late in the game (I believe late 3rd quarter) when the game was still in doubt, another fantastic ref blunder occurred that may have changed the outcome. Oregon's backup QB fumbled the ball on a nice run, an ASU player made a phenomenal diving play to keep the ball in bounds, and ASU recovered it! What a turn of events! But....the official (who didn't have the correct angle on the play) blew the whistle too soon. Upon review, the ball was fumbled and recovered by ASU, but the referee couldn't change the call because of the inadvertent whistle. As I've been trained as an official, I feel free to comment that in football you never blow the whistle until you're SURE you know the play is dead. This is the worst mistake an official can make (trust me, I've made it and seen it made in intramurals and it sucks). There was no way to correct it even though everyone would admit that ASU got hosed. Of course, Oregon was the better team, but who knows what would have happened. Officials must be held accountable.
2) Just. Win. Baby.
I feel the need to comment on this after the passing of Al Davis. To often, the media hype surrounding the game of football (or other sports for that matter) have focused all the spotlight on glitz and flash. The top 10 highlights garner attention and touchdown passes are sexy. Lost in all this are the wins and losses. OSU will be a water cooler joke around the country this week for completing 1 of 4 passes, but I guarantee you the Illini fans won't see it that way. Ask Georgia Tech if they would have enjoyed an 'ugly' win over Virginia rather than a monumental collapse. ESPiN shows you that winning big is all that matters, but ask the players in the losing locker rooms if they'd prefer 10 highlights and a loss to an ugly walrusball style win. I guarantee you that the coaches and players will take the W any day.
3) Last week's slate of games SUCKED
Remember when I said there's no one good. This is when you feel it. The big games last week were
1) Pac12 showdown between a contender and an upstart no one believed had a chance
2) Big 12 showdown between a flashy offensive contender and a big name with little bite
3) SEC showdown between 2 of the last 3 teams to win a title that have fallen reasonably far
4) B1G showdown between Big Blue and little brother than has been the same outcome for 4 straight years...
Yawn. Everything comes down to Oregon/Stanford, Bedlam (OU/OSU), and Bama/LSU. Maybe throw in Wisky/(MSU, OSU) but seriously, where have all the fun intriguing matchups gone?
4) When will some of these contenders be tested?
Of the top 10, there are still 2 teams (3 if you count Boise) that have yet to be tested, and may not be. Stanford hasn't played a team with a pulse and Wisconsin's only 'big' game was against a supremely overrated Nebraska team. These teams may be for real, but looking at their schedules, there's not a lot of chances to prove it. Stanford has USC and Oregon but the remainder of their schedule is akin to the standard Boise State schedule (1 big game a year). This year, Boise doesn't even have that 1 signature game (no, I don't count UGA). Wisconsin has a big one next week in East Lansing, but no one sees Sparty as a complete team. OSU could come from nowhere to bite them but otherwise.... One big issue with no one being good is that it's hard to find proof that these teams touted as contenders are deserving. If Wisconsin wins comfortably in East Lansing, I'll buy. Stanford: Beat Oregon if you're for real, then we'll talk. Boise: sorry but enjoy the kid's table. You may be great, but we'll never know.
5) I don't wanna sound like a broken record but....
Read my last few weeks of ranting.
Refs: fail--see point 1
Commentators: SUPER FAIL--This week, I couln't choose the dumbest crew between Davie and Wischusen attacking Zook for not going for a quick 80 yard score in the last 40 seconds before halftime, Brent clearly hitting the bottle and not watching the game, or Todd Blackledge saying how a QB protected the ball while going down as the video shows a perfect stiff arm of the ground. Oh yeah, then there's Craig James (Remember the 5!) and Jesse 'The Bachelor' Palmer. It's painful to watch anyone but Spielman and Meyer.
Teams: All suck
I keep waiting to be proven wrong, but every week provides more and more fodder for criticism. I love college football, but the media, shoddy officiating, and pure lack of quality teams (sans top 3-4) take away from the experience. In fact, the lack of quality isn't necessarily bad if there were parity but the few rich teams are taking away from the fun. In regards to the commentary, try this: listen to the commentary just to find out how many
a) grammatical errors
b) conceptual errors
c) subject matter mistakes
d) inane chatter that adds nothing to the broadcast
Remove all that and the crickets would take over. Tell me about X's and O's, not 'You have got to make that catch!' That adds nothing that my grandmother couldn't add--and at least she'd be able to explain the ins and outs better.
Bonus: I thought every play was reviewed...
Can we get at least a trained monkey in the booth for replay? Every game I watch, it seems that plays that are incorrectly called are not reviewed quickly enough (see OSU/Ill 25 yard completion) and those that are correctly called (so clearly that even those with radio can tell--yes, that's the joke) are always being reviewed. A Denard Robinson TD run was reviewed (about 2-3 minutes) when everyone at home could see it live. One replay showed it....game over. I'll give ESPiN credit on the replays they show us at home, but will someone explain to me why I can see the definitive replay before the next snap, but the monkeys in the booth are too slow to react--except when it's clearly unnecessary.
If you had the ability to stay up for the Oregon/ASU game, congratulations! You were treated to a decent game that started way too late. Late in the game (I believe late 3rd quarter) when the game was still in doubt, another fantastic ref blunder occurred that may have changed the outcome. Oregon's backup QB fumbled the ball on a nice run, an ASU player made a phenomenal diving play to keep the ball in bounds, and ASU recovered it! What a turn of events! But....the official (who didn't have the correct angle on the play) blew the whistle too soon. Upon review, the ball was fumbled and recovered by ASU, but the referee couldn't change the call because of the inadvertent whistle. As I've been trained as an official, I feel free to comment that in football you never blow the whistle until you're SURE you know the play is dead. This is the worst mistake an official can make (trust me, I've made it and seen it made in intramurals and it sucks). There was no way to correct it even though everyone would admit that ASU got hosed. Of course, Oregon was the better team, but who knows what would have happened. Officials must be held accountable.
2) Just. Win. Baby.
I feel the need to comment on this after the passing of Al Davis. To often, the media hype surrounding the game of football (or other sports for that matter) have focused all the spotlight on glitz and flash. The top 10 highlights garner attention and touchdown passes are sexy. Lost in all this are the wins and losses. OSU will be a water cooler joke around the country this week for completing 1 of 4 passes, but I guarantee you the Illini fans won't see it that way. Ask Georgia Tech if they would have enjoyed an 'ugly' win over Virginia rather than a monumental collapse. ESPiN shows you that winning big is all that matters, but ask the players in the losing locker rooms if they'd prefer 10 highlights and a loss to an ugly walrusball style win. I guarantee you that the coaches and players will take the W any day.
3) Last week's slate of games SUCKED
Remember when I said there's no one good. This is when you feel it. The big games last week were
1) Pac12 showdown between a contender and an upstart no one believed had a chance
2) Big 12 showdown between a flashy offensive contender and a big name with little bite
3) SEC showdown between 2 of the last 3 teams to win a title that have fallen reasonably far
4) B1G showdown between Big Blue and little brother than has been the same outcome for 4 straight years...
Yawn. Everything comes down to Oregon/Stanford, Bedlam (OU/OSU), and Bama/LSU. Maybe throw in Wisky/(MSU, OSU) but seriously, where have all the fun intriguing matchups gone?
4) When will some of these contenders be tested?
Of the top 10, there are still 2 teams (3 if you count Boise) that have yet to be tested, and may not be. Stanford hasn't played a team with a pulse and Wisconsin's only 'big' game was against a supremely overrated Nebraska team. These teams may be for real, but looking at their schedules, there's not a lot of chances to prove it. Stanford has USC and Oregon but the remainder of their schedule is akin to the standard Boise State schedule (1 big game a year). This year, Boise doesn't even have that 1 signature game (no, I don't count UGA). Wisconsin has a big one next week in East Lansing, but no one sees Sparty as a complete team. OSU could come from nowhere to bite them but otherwise.... One big issue with no one being good is that it's hard to find proof that these teams touted as contenders are deserving. If Wisconsin wins comfortably in East Lansing, I'll buy. Stanford: Beat Oregon if you're for real, then we'll talk. Boise: sorry but enjoy the kid's table. You may be great, but we'll never know.
5) I don't wanna sound like a broken record but....
Read my last few weeks of ranting.
Refs: fail--see point 1
Commentators: SUPER FAIL--This week, I couln't choose the dumbest crew between Davie and Wischusen attacking Zook for not going for a quick 80 yard score in the last 40 seconds before halftime, Brent clearly hitting the bottle and not watching the game, or Todd Blackledge saying how a QB protected the ball while going down as the video shows a perfect stiff arm of the ground. Oh yeah, then there's Craig James (Remember the 5!) and Jesse 'The Bachelor' Palmer. It's painful to watch anyone but Spielman and Meyer.
Teams: All suck
I keep waiting to be proven wrong, but every week provides more and more fodder for criticism. I love college football, but the media, shoddy officiating, and pure lack of quality teams (sans top 3-4) take away from the experience. In fact, the lack of quality isn't necessarily bad if there were parity but the few rich teams are taking away from the fun. In regards to the commentary, try this: listen to the commentary just to find out how many
a) grammatical errors
b) conceptual errors
c) subject matter mistakes
d) inane chatter that adds nothing to the broadcast
Remove all that and the crickets would take over. Tell me about X's and O's, not 'You have got to make that catch!' That adds nothing that my grandmother couldn't add--and at least she'd be able to explain the ins and outs better.
Bonus: I thought every play was reviewed...
Can we get at least a trained monkey in the booth for replay? Every game I watch, it seems that plays that are incorrectly called are not reviewed quickly enough (see OSU/Ill 25 yard completion) and those that are correctly called (so clearly that even those with radio can tell--yes, that's the joke) are always being reviewed. A Denard Robinson TD run was reviewed (about 2-3 minutes) when everyone at home could see it live. One replay showed it....game over. I'll give ESPiN credit on the replays they show us at home, but will someone explain to me why I can see the definitive replay before the next snap, but the monkeys in the booth are too slow to react--except when it's clearly unnecessary.
Monday, October 17, 2011
One more thing...Draper Index without Bowls/Championships
As the ranking is a pure system not based on percentages but rather win/losses, this can help or punish those who have extra games (bowls or conf championship games). Surprisingly, this was actually more accurate (TCU/Aub/OSU all overvalued from bowl wins last year). Here they are:
Draper Index (no bowls/championship games)
1) LSU
2) Alabama
3) Oklahoma
4) Oklahoma State
5) Boise State
6) Clemson
7) Oregon
8) Wisconsin
9) South Carolina
10) Stanford
11) Auburn
12) Arkansas
13) Nebraska
14) Virginia Tech
15) Kansas State
16) Michigan State
17) USC
18) Penn State
19) West Virginia
20) Michigan
21) Texas A&M
22) TCU
23) Washington
24) Georgia Tech
25) Ohio State
Draper Index (no bowls/championship games)
1) LSU
2) Alabama
3) Oklahoma
4) Oklahoma State
5) Boise State
6) Clemson
7) Oregon
8) Wisconsin
9) South Carolina
10) Stanford
11) Auburn
12) Arkansas
13) Nebraska
14) Virginia Tech
15) Kansas State
16) Michigan State
17) USC
18) Penn State
19) West Virginia
20) Michigan
21) Texas A&M
22) TCU
23) Washington
24) Georgia Tech
25) Ohio State
Week 7: Draper Index Released
My own personal computer ranking system was developed about 10 years ago (!!) to attempt to mirror the BCS rankings. They have correctly tabbed the two opponents in the BCS championship game all but one year.
This formula is based on 3 components:
1) Win/Loss
2) Strength of Opponent (when the game occurred)
3) Margin of Victory (capped at 21 with considerations for game site and opponent rank)
The rankings are tied to the previous year's ranking for an initial ranking (compressed) which leads to some problems early on but they work themselves out as the season progresses. Also, points are earned or lost for playing games (there are no points shifted during byes---points are based on win/losses not win percentage). With that being said, here we go.
In case you are interested, the worst team is.......New Mexico
Draper Index: Week 7
1) LSU
2) Alabama
3) Oklahoma
4) Oklahoma State
5) Boise State
6) Clemson
7) Oregon
8) Auburn *
9) Wisconsin
10) Stanford
11) South Carolina
12) Arkansas
13) Virginia Tech
14) Nebraska
15) Kansas State
16) USC
17) Michigan State
18) Penn State
19) TCU
20) Washington
21) Michigan
22) West Virginia
23) Texas A&M
24) Ohio State
25) Georgia Tech
Obviously, the biggest hiccup is Auburn at 8 (but there only losses are @ 6 Clemson and @ 12 Arkansas...so maybe not THAT crazy for now) but that's a remnant of the number 1 ranking entering the year. Also, OSU being at 24 and TCU at 19 are clearly too high but the artifact from last year's rankings. I'm pretty pleased considering the top 5 are spot on. Here's to another success.
This formula is based on 3 components:
1) Win/Loss
2) Strength of Opponent (when the game occurred)
3) Margin of Victory (capped at 21 with considerations for game site and opponent rank)
The rankings are tied to the previous year's ranking for an initial ranking (compressed) which leads to some problems early on but they work themselves out as the season progresses. Also, points are earned or lost for playing games (there are no points shifted during byes---points are based on win/losses not win percentage). With that being said, here we go.
In case you are interested, the worst team is.......New Mexico
Draper Index: Week 7
1) LSU
2) Alabama
3) Oklahoma
4) Oklahoma State
5) Boise State
6) Clemson
7) Oregon
8) Auburn *
9) Wisconsin
10) Stanford
11) South Carolina
12) Arkansas
13) Virginia Tech
14) Nebraska
15) Kansas State
16) USC
17) Michigan State
18) Penn State
19) TCU
20) Washington
21) Michigan
22) West Virginia
23) Texas A&M
24) Ohio State
25) Georgia Tech
Obviously, the biggest hiccup is Auburn at 8 (but there only losses are @ 6 Clemson and @ 12 Arkansas...so maybe not THAT crazy for now) but that's a remnant of the number 1 ranking entering the year. Also, OSU being at 24 and TCU at 19 are clearly too high but the artifact from last year's rankings. I'm pretty pleased considering the top 5 are spot on. Here's to another success.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
TS Index Week 8
After a one year hiatus, the TS Index is back. I will try and post these every week to coincide with the BCS rankings just to give little more fodder to the rankings. Take note that the are all computer generated and do not actually reflect who I believe should be ranked and where. And here we go:
1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Oklahoma State
4. Boise State
5. Oklahoma
6. Michigan
7. Clemson
8. South Carolina
9. Stanford
10. Virginia Tech
11. Kansas State
12. Penn State
13. Nebraska
14. Wisconsin
15. Illinios
16. Michigan State
17. Texas A&M
18. Rutgers
19. Houston
20. Notre Dame
21. Georgia Tech
22. Oregon
23. Texas
24. North Carolina
25. West Virginia
1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Oklahoma State
4. Boise State
5. Oklahoma
6. Michigan
7. Clemson
8. South Carolina
9. Stanford
10. Virginia Tech
11. Kansas State
12. Penn State
13. Nebraska
14. Wisconsin
15. Illinios
16. Michigan State
17. Texas A&M
18. Rutgers
19. Houston
20. Notre Dame
21. Georgia Tech
22. Oregon
23. Texas
24. North Carolina
25. West Virginia
Grading the Bucks: Week 7--Illinois-- That's better
Offense: B-
Everyone will spend time talking about the 1 completed pass (for a TD I might add), but the simple fact is that the Bucks were running the ball with success so, why change? Boom looked like he hasn't been suspended with some really hard runs. Braxton handed the ball off spectacularly and ran fine when needed. The O-Line looked good. I like it. It was boring, but it worked. In terms of execution, the Dave play worked well. My only beef was the lack of off tackle runs in favor of Dave up the middle. Boom was seeing the field so well so he should have been in a little more. Hall was ok but not as good. I liked Hyde better than Hall coming in, but to bring Hyde in for his first carry right after Illinois scored was dumb. Give me a steady dose of Boom with a sprinkling of Hyde and spread Hall out as a receiver. As W is a W.
Defense: B+
Howard....yes Travis Howard, makes a key interception to more or less seal the game. What the heck? He even looked like a competent corner on that one play which blew my mind...especially after giving a 20 yard cushion on every play previous. Watch the film. He was beaten on EVERY curl route with ease, but give credit where credit is due because he made a key play. Also, where has this Tyler Moeller been? He's been a lump on the field for 6 games and all of a sudden he's back to being a play maker with key tackles and forced fumbles. The D held strong and only game up the 7 points but I didn't give them an A for one glaring problem. Tackling. Every play in which the OSU D made a tackle, it seemed the ball carrier fell forward between 1 and 4 yards. That is not the Silver Bullet D I expect. They need to knock people backwards. This may be picky, but it is a MUST. Vrabel and Fickell can't be happy with the 70 or so yards given up after first contact. That is a point of pride that this defense needs to get. We forced 2 turnovers and were handed a 3rd. Got the job done this week, but need to clean it up for Wisky.
Special Teams: A-
Once again, the special teams comes up HUGE. Basil made an early kick to set the tone in a windstorm. Buchanan was placing punts with precision for the most part (I downgraded for a weak punt or 2 in the 4th quarter). Regardless, Buchanan has arguably been the MVP of this team thusfar. No big returns (the squib kicks worked SPECTACULARLY in the wind), no missed kicks, no turnovers. I'll take it.
Coaching: B+
Bucks score a rocking 17 points and set football back 100 years with 1 completed pass...and you know what? It was the EXACT right play. What have I been saying since the Miami game? Run. the. ball. Everyone is pining for a 'healthy balance' but I ask, why? Passing in that wind would have been a horrible decision; we don't have a QB who can throw a pass; we have very good running backs; the return of Boom was a breath of fresh air; and most importantly, IT WORKED! You coach to the players you have and the situation and they did well. That being said, the walrus (Jim Bollmen) should have called more than Dave up the middle and draw plays. Boom was running well and had great vision so get him into space. Everyone will use the 1/4 passing stats to snicker at OSU but the joke is on them as the Bucks were victorious. Don't get cute Fickell. Follow the late Al Davis' advice: Just Win, Baby!
Everyone will spend time talking about the 1 completed pass (for a TD I might add), but the simple fact is that the Bucks were running the ball with success so, why change? Boom looked like he hasn't been suspended with some really hard runs. Braxton handed the ball off spectacularly and ran fine when needed. The O-Line looked good. I like it. It was boring, but it worked. In terms of execution, the Dave play worked well. My only beef was the lack of off tackle runs in favor of Dave up the middle. Boom was seeing the field so well so he should have been in a little more. Hall was ok but not as good. I liked Hyde better than Hall coming in, but to bring Hyde in for his first carry right after Illinois scored was dumb. Give me a steady dose of Boom with a sprinkling of Hyde and spread Hall out as a receiver. As W is a W.
Defense: B+
Howard....yes Travis Howard, makes a key interception to more or less seal the game. What the heck? He even looked like a competent corner on that one play which blew my mind...especially after giving a 20 yard cushion on every play previous. Watch the film. He was beaten on EVERY curl route with ease, but give credit where credit is due because he made a key play. Also, where has this Tyler Moeller been? He's been a lump on the field for 6 games and all of a sudden he's back to being a play maker with key tackles and forced fumbles. The D held strong and only game up the 7 points but I didn't give them an A for one glaring problem. Tackling. Every play in which the OSU D made a tackle, it seemed the ball carrier fell forward between 1 and 4 yards. That is not the Silver Bullet D I expect. They need to knock people backwards. This may be picky, but it is a MUST. Vrabel and Fickell can't be happy with the 70 or so yards given up after first contact. That is a point of pride that this defense needs to get. We forced 2 turnovers and were handed a 3rd. Got the job done this week, but need to clean it up for Wisky.
Special Teams: A-
Once again, the special teams comes up HUGE. Basil made an early kick to set the tone in a windstorm. Buchanan was placing punts with precision for the most part (I downgraded for a weak punt or 2 in the 4th quarter). Regardless, Buchanan has arguably been the MVP of this team thusfar. No big returns (the squib kicks worked SPECTACULARLY in the wind), no missed kicks, no turnovers. I'll take it.
Coaching: B+
Bucks score a rocking 17 points and set football back 100 years with 1 completed pass...and you know what? It was the EXACT right play. What have I been saying since the Miami game? Run. the. ball. Everyone is pining for a 'healthy balance' but I ask, why? Passing in that wind would have been a horrible decision; we don't have a QB who can throw a pass; we have very good running backs; the return of Boom was a breath of fresh air; and most importantly, IT WORKED! You coach to the players you have and the situation and they did well. That being said, the walrus (Jim Bollmen) should have called more than Dave up the middle and draw plays. Boom was running well and had great vision so get him into space. Everyone will use the 1/4 passing stats to snicker at OSU but the joke is on them as the Bucks were victorious. Don't get cute Fickell. Follow the late Al Davis' advice: Just Win, Baby!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Week 7 picks: Couple of winners...
Michigan @ Michigan State
Draper: Alright Michigan, here's your shot. I really don't think that MSU is that solid of a team, but they are certainly much better (especially on defense) than the dregs the Wolverines have played thus far. The Spartans defensive line is super tough (see 9 sacks against OSU) but it will be interesting to see if they can hang with Denard. The UM defense is still pretty awful so Cousins should have a pretty good game. I think the stepchild will keep it rolling and send the Denards home crying. Go Green! UM: 20--MSU:23
Auer: Little brother no more, MSU has evolved into a consistent winner in this Big Ten Blood Feud. With Kirk Cousins' improved accuracy and Denard Robinson's enjoyment of throwing to the other team, MSU remains the pesky little brother to big blue. UM: 24--MSU: 35
Hoying:The UM-MSU rivalry heats up this year, as the winner of this game takes the inside track to the Legends division title. Mich QB Denard Robinson should pile up a few yards on the ground, but the brutal Spartan line should take quite a few back, forcing a few horrible decisions along the way. The Michigan defense was exposed last weekend against Northwestern, and while the Spartan passing attack is nothing special, Kirk Cousins and Co. should be able to do enough to get the job done. Not this year, maize and blue. UM: 20 --MSU:27
Schweinfurth: Nothing like the battle for the Paul Bunyan trophy. Michigan "Little Brother" State's defense has looked good so far this year with the exception of the debacle at Notre Dame. Sparty did a great job of bottling up a mobile quarterback against OSU but Denard is a better and more experienced runner (I refuse to call him a QB). Robinson will toss up his requisite three picks and Sparty takes advantage. Denard will keep big Blue in it but it wont be enough. UM: 24--MSU: 31
Baylor @ Texas A&M
Draper: A nice Big 12 game between 2 ok teams....but nothing more. Baylor took their first loss of the year and most likely knocked RG3 out of the Heisman race (unfairly) but they'll be looking to rebound. TAMU comes off of an underrated win against Texas Tech after the 2 collapses in the preceding weeks. The 12th man makes the difference as Tannehill leads the Aggies to victory. RG3 will get his but will throw a key interception (only his 2nd of the year) due to the raucous crowd. I'd love for Baylor to get back on track, but I'm not seeing it. TAMU rights the ship at home. Baylor: 20--TAMU: 27
Auer: Not even a clue on this one... Baylor hasn't won much of significance ever and A&M usually messes things up when they shouldn't. I'll go with talent in this one. Baylor: 42--TAMU: 53
Hoying: Next up is the Flaky Bowl. Baylor features mediocre talent surrounding the nation's most dynamic player in Robert Griffin III, but Texas A&M has shown they can pound on anybody...for a half. Baylor's only loss was by 1 point to an underrated Kansas State squad, which involved a 4th quarter mini meltdown of its own. The question is: if Baylor finds itself down early, can they make the plays necessary to pull out a win? I believe they can. The Aggies blow it again. Baylor: 42--TAMU: 35
Schweinfurth: The intrigue of this game is: how much offense can RG3 put up? He is my Heisman frontrunner for sure (but won't win, unfortunately) and it will be interesting to see what he can do against a better defense that what he has faced. Unfortunately for RG3, Baylor is still Baylor and I don't see many stops by the Baylor defense. I got the Aggies (Whooooo!) in a shootout. Baylor: 35--TAMU: 45
Oklahoma State @ Texas
Draper: The Longhorns come off an absolute drubbing at the hands of the Sooners while Okie State played their starters for only the first half in a romp over Kansas. While Texas returns home to lick their wounds, I think the Pokes smell blood in the water. Absolutely no one is talking about the sick numbers being put up by the Cowboys. Yeah, the defense is so-so, but the offense cannot be stopped. Blackmon goes for 2 TDs and the Longhorns return to earth as they wait for McCoy and Shipley to mature. Bedlam is going to be INSANE! OSU: 48--UT: 20
Draper: Alright Michigan, here's your shot. I really don't think that MSU is that solid of a team, but they are certainly much better (especially on defense) than the dregs the Wolverines have played thus far. The Spartans defensive line is super tough (see 9 sacks against OSU) but it will be interesting to see if they can hang with Denard. The UM defense is still pretty awful so Cousins should have a pretty good game. I think the stepchild will keep it rolling and send the Denards home crying. Go Green! UM: 20--MSU:23
Auer: Little brother no more, MSU has evolved into a consistent winner in this Big Ten Blood Feud. With Kirk Cousins' improved accuracy and Denard Robinson's enjoyment of throwing to the other team, MSU remains the pesky little brother to big blue. UM: 24--MSU: 35
Hoying:The UM-MSU rivalry heats up this year, as the winner of this game takes the inside track to the Legends division title. Mich QB Denard Robinson should pile up a few yards on the ground, but the brutal Spartan line should take quite a few back, forcing a few horrible decisions along the way. The Michigan defense was exposed last weekend against Northwestern, and while the Spartan passing attack is nothing special, Kirk Cousins and Co. should be able to do enough to get the job done. Not this year, maize and blue. UM: 20 --MSU:27
Schweinfurth: Nothing like the battle for the Paul Bunyan trophy. Michigan "Little Brother" State's defense has looked good so far this year with the exception of the debacle at Notre Dame. Sparty did a great job of bottling up a mobile quarterback against OSU but Denard is a better and more experienced runner (I refuse to call him a QB). Robinson will toss up his requisite three picks and Sparty takes advantage. Denard will keep big Blue in it but it wont be enough. UM: 24--MSU: 31
Baylor @ Texas A&M
Draper: A nice Big 12 game between 2 ok teams....but nothing more. Baylor took their first loss of the year and most likely knocked RG3 out of the Heisman race (unfairly) but they'll be looking to rebound. TAMU comes off of an underrated win against Texas Tech after the 2 collapses in the preceding weeks. The 12th man makes the difference as Tannehill leads the Aggies to victory. RG3 will get his but will throw a key interception (only his 2nd of the year) due to the raucous crowd. I'd love for Baylor to get back on track, but I'm not seeing it. TAMU rights the ship at home. Baylor: 20--TAMU: 27
Auer: Not even a clue on this one... Baylor hasn't won much of significance ever and A&M usually messes things up when they shouldn't. I'll go with talent in this one. Baylor: 42--TAMU: 53
Hoying: Next up is the Flaky Bowl. Baylor features mediocre talent surrounding the nation's most dynamic player in Robert Griffin III, but Texas A&M has shown they can pound on anybody...for a half. Baylor's only loss was by 1 point to an underrated Kansas State squad, which involved a 4th quarter mini meltdown of its own. The question is: if Baylor finds itself down early, can they make the plays necessary to pull out a win? I believe they can. The Aggies blow it again. Baylor: 42--TAMU: 35
Schweinfurth: The intrigue of this game is: how much offense can RG3 put up? He is my Heisman frontrunner for sure (but won't win, unfortunately) and it will be interesting to see what he can do against a better defense that what he has faced. Unfortunately for RG3, Baylor is still Baylor and I don't see many stops by the Baylor defense. I got the Aggies (Whooooo!) in a shootout. Baylor: 35--TAMU: 45
Oklahoma State @ Texas
Draper: The Longhorns come off an absolute drubbing at the hands of the Sooners while Okie State played their starters for only the first half in a romp over Kansas. While Texas returns home to lick their wounds, I think the Pokes smell blood in the water. Absolutely no one is talking about the sick numbers being put up by the Cowboys. Yeah, the defense is so-so, but the offense cannot be stopped. Blackmon goes for 2 TDs and the Longhorns return to earth as they wait for McCoy and Shipley to mature. Bedlam is going to be INSANE! OSU: 48--UT: 20
Auer: Texas was annihilated by the Sooners, and their "little brother", Oklahoma State, shouldn't have a problem doing the same thing. The Longhorns will be looking to right the ship, especially after going 0-4 in Big 12 play last year at home. OSU is not the defensive juggernaut that the Sooners are, but they still should not have a problem thwarting the Texas attack. OSU: 37--UT: 24
Hoying: Can it be? So soon? Yes, boys and girls, it's the magical week that ruins Oklahoma's State's season EVERY SINGLE YEAR. The Cowpokes finally got over the hump last year, beating a terrible Texas squad. This year both squads come in a little sharper, but, unfortunately for Texas, the gap hasn't closed. This Okie State squad is mature, confident, and ready to make a statement in a game that will get more hype than the Cowboys-Aggies matchup of two weeks ago. Get ready for the Longhorn defense to look BAD for the second week in a row. OSU: 61--UT:31
Schweinfurth: Texas is reeling from that loss last week for sure. You don't just get over a blowout at the hands of a rival. It doesn't get any easier this week for the Longhorns. It's gonna be Blackmon all game and the Pokes use this game as a tune up for Bedlam. In the words of Bart Scott "CAN'T WAIT!"
OSU: 50--UT:24
Arizona State @ Oregon
Draper: No Lamichael it appears; no problem. ASU and 6'8'' tall Brock Osweiler (notice the commentators can't say his name without mentioning his height) have been fairly decent this year and will most likely win the Pac 12 south, but the Ducks are a different animal. It took a half before UO got going last week, but then they dropped the hammer. Look for the Ducks to jump out quickly and keep the pressure on. ASU: 23--UO: 45
Hoying: Can it be? So soon? Yes, boys and girls, it's the magical week that ruins Oklahoma's State's season EVERY SINGLE YEAR. The Cowpokes finally got over the hump last year, beating a terrible Texas squad. This year both squads come in a little sharper, but, unfortunately for Texas, the gap hasn't closed. This Okie State squad is mature, confident, and ready to make a statement in a game that will get more hype than the Cowboys-Aggies matchup of two weeks ago. Get ready for the Longhorn defense to look BAD for the second week in a row. OSU: 61--UT:31
Schweinfurth: Texas is reeling from that loss last week for sure. You don't just get over a blowout at the hands of a rival. It doesn't get any easier this week for the Longhorns. It's gonna be Blackmon all game and the Pokes use this game as a tune up for Bedlam. In the words of Bart Scott "CAN'T WAIT!"
OSU: 50--UT:24
Arizona State @ Oregon
Draper: No Lamichael it appears; no problem. ASU and 6'8'' tall Brock Osweiler (notice the commentators can't say his name without mentioning his height) have been fairly decent this year and will most likely win the Pac 12 south, but the Ducks are a different animal. It took a half before UO got going last week, but then they dropped the hammer. Look for the Ducks to jump out quickly and keep the pressure on. ASU: 23--UO: 45
Auer: Oregon has won 19 straight games at home, the Sun Devils are playing on the road for the second straight week, seems like the perfect setup for a big game that will be just plain ugly. LaMichael James is not going to play, but the Ducks are deep, and always seem to have another running back waiting in the wings to pick up the slack. Today will be no different and the Ducks will run their home win streak to 20 games. ASU: 17--UO: 52
Hoying: Finally, Oregon and AState get a break from playing awful teams. The effect of losing LaMichael James to injury cannot be overstated, but the talent gap between these two teams is too wide for the injury to tip the balance of the game. If you aren't willing to stay up late and watch this game, don't worry about it. We'll see it again in December. ASU: 27--UO: 38
Schweinfurth: This game is all offense, all the time. LaMichael "Sabretooth" James is out for this one, but Oregon has a stable in the backfield starting with Kenyon Barner. Not to be outdone, Brock Osweiler (look, Chief, I didn't mention he was 6' 8"...doh) and the Sun Devils can light up the scoreboard as well. This will be a fun and exciting game to watch (and with these offenses, this game could last for 5 hours). The team that gets the ball last will win this game. ASU: 45--UO: 49
Ohio State @ Illinois
Draper: Which Buckeye team shows up? Is Illinois for real or another flash in the pan? The Bucks need a rebound game after that second half debacle in Lincoln. They can fall over and die or rally. I'm choosing rally. Scheelhouse is a solid QB and Jenkins is a fantastic receiver but the OSU D-Line will turn up the heat. The run D will hold up and I'm hoping that someone other than Howard covers Jenkins. Miller will be sufficient again in the passing game and the return of Herron will bolster the already decent running game. Bollman gets overruled by every fan in the world with more sense and the Bucks RUN THE BALL to victory. OSU: 23--Ill:17
Hoying: Finally, Oregon and AState get a break from playing awful teams. The effect of losing LaMichael James to injury cannot be overstated, but the talent gap between these two teams is too wide for the injury to tip the balance of the game. If you aren't willing to stay up late and watch this game, don't worry about it. We'll see it again in December. ASU: 27--UO: 38
Schweinfurth: This game is all offense, all the time. LaMichael "Sabretooth" James is out for this one, but Oregon has a stable in the backfield starting with Kenyon Barner. Not to be outdone, Brock Osweiler (look, Chief, I didn't mention he was 6' 8"...doh) and the Sun Devils can light up the scoreboard as well. This will be a fun and exciting game to watch (and with these offenses, this game could last for 5 hours). The team that gets the ball last will win this game. ASU: 45--UO: 49
Ohio State @ Illinois
Draper: Which Buckeye team shows up? Is Illinois for real or another flash in the pan? The Bucks need a rebound game after that second half debacle in Lincoln. They can fall over and die or rally. I'm choosing rally. Scheelhouse is a solid QB and Jenkins is a fantastic receiver but the OSU D-Line will turn up the heat. The run D will hold up and I'm hoping that someone other than Howard covers Jenkins. Miller will be sufficient again in the passing game and the return of Herron will bolster the already decent running game. Bollman gets overruled by every fan in the world with more sense and the Bucks RUN THE BALL to victory. OSU: 23--Ill:17
Auer: Funny that the week I pick for the Bucks, everyone else goes opposite, and then Fickell's squad blows a 21-point lead... disgusting. I was perusing OSU-Wisconsin tickets this week, spoke to a co-worker, she had a pair on eBay listed at face value that DID NOT RECEIVE A SINGLE BID. The Bucks are bad, but the spark of Boom Herron's return could make a difference. The Bucks should win, but won't. OSU: 20--Ill: 26
Hoying: Each week seems to create more questions than answers for this Buckeye squad. The Buckeyes clearly have the more talented squad, especially with Boom Herron returning, but do they possess the will of the warrior? Illinois features another nasty pass rush, so Braxton will have to be able to make quick decisions and run the ball effectively for the Bucks to have a chance. The secondary will have its hands full with All-B1G caliber receiver AJ Jenkins (can we get one quality DB?) but Illinois will have serious trouble running the ball if the Buckeye defense plays to their full caliber. Play this game 10 times and Illinois wins 7 or 8 of them, but this team is just BEGGING to get tagged. Buckeyes score the upset. OSU: 14--Ill:13
Schweinfurth: Boom's back this week and Miller should be ready to go (tape up those ankles Brax!). Walrusball will have the Bucks pounding the ball early as the Bucks always struggle throwing in the wind tunnel of Memorial Stadium. This Illinois team is 6-0 and looking toward getting a "big name win" over the Bucks. The Silver Bullets were exposed a bit last week and had a hard time chasing Martinez all over the field in the second half and Scheelhouse is a better passer than Martinez. The Silver Bullets are looking for redemption and will get and hold onto a lead this week. OSU: 24--Ill: 21
Upset Special(s)
Draper: Texas Tech over KSU
Hoying: Each week seems to create more questions than answers for this Buckeye squad. The Buckeyes clearly have the more talented squad, especially with Boom Herron returning, but do they possess the will of the warrior? Illinois features another nasty pass rush, so Braxton will have to be able to make quick decisions and run the ball effectively for the Bucks to have a chance. The secondary will have its hands full with All-B1G caliber receiver AJ Jenkins (can we get one quality DB?) but Illinois will have serious trouble running the ball if the Buckeye defense plays to their full caliber. Play this game 10 times and Illinois wins 7 or 8 of them, but this team is just BEGGING to get tagged. Buckeyes score the upset. OSU: 14--Ill:13
Schweinfurth: Boom's back this week and Miller should be ready to go (tape up those ankles Brax!). Walrusball will have the Bucks pounding the ball early as the Bucks always struggle throwing in the wind tunnel of Memorial Stadium. This Illinois team is 6-0 and looking toward getting a "big name win" over the Bucks. The Silver Bullets were exposed a bit last week and had a hard time chasing Martinez all over the field in the second half and Scheelhouse is a better passer than Martinez. The Silver Bullets are looking for redemption and will get and hold onto a lead this week. OSU: 24--Ill: 21
Upset Special(s)
Draper: Texas Tech over KSU
Auer: Michigan State over scUM, MSU over USC, Texas Tech over K-State,
Hoying: Indiana over Wisconsin (just kidding) Maryland over Clemson (it's time)
Schweinfurth: Wake over VaTech
Hoying: Indiana over Wisconsin (just kidding) Maryland over Clemson (it's time)
Schweinfurth: Wake over VaTech
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Five Thoughts from the Week that was
1) The definition of personal foul unsportsmanlike conduct has to change.
Anyone reading this knows where this post is coming from. In the LSU-Florida game, LSU faked a punt that led to a long TD run. At the end of the run, the punter spread his arms in celebration at the 5 for 1 second, realized he shouldn't, and ran into the endzone. The new rule states that an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty is assessed from the spot of the foul and the points are taken off the board. This cost LSU a TD (they failed to convert and scored a FG instead). This, of course, had no impact on the outcome of the game as Florida was clearly outclassed, but this ruling is insane. By the letter of the law, you could call it taunting, but it clearly wasn't vindictive or overbearing. The rule needs to be changed to avoid the no-fun league. My solution is to maintain the unsportsmanlike penalty and perhaps even maintain the 'taking the points off the board' (even though I'm not sold on that), but the definition of excessive celebration should be defined as anything that either delays the normal progress of the game (throwing the ball in the stands or choreography) or directly taunts the other team (like throwing the ball in the defense's face or moonwalking into the endzone). This was clearly a case of excitement when a punter was caught up in the moment and quickly rectified his error (the only way we saw this was through a camera replay). Let the kids have fun without degrading the other team. The punter did not celebrate excessively so it was harmless and needs to be ignored. By the current letter of the law, the flag could have been thrown (judgement call). I propose changing the rule so the flag could not be properly thrown for such a minor infraction.
2) Schedules don't matter to the voters.
Look at the rankings: 4 Wisconsin, 5 Boise, 7 Stanford, 11 Michigan, 13 West Virginia, 14 Nebraska...I could go on, but what do these teams have in common? They've beaten no one of consequence (yes, Wisky beat Neb by I don't think the Huskers are for real). These high rankings are vestiges of high preseason opinions in areas and in others, pollsters are blinded by the undefeated records. WVU and Nebraska have each played 1 quality opponent and got smashed. UM beat ND on the final second because they were playing 11 on 0. I believe that Wisconsin, Boise, and Stanford are pretty solid teams, but the schedule is never factored. The mock BCS has Wisconsin at 7 which draws some ire, but they simply haven't played anyone (and won't until the bowl as the B1G is down). Stanford plays Oregon which will define the season, and Boise plays....no one. Who knows if they hold, but look at the opponents before you crown a team.
3) Momentum is crucial in college football
This point is easily made by watching the downfalls of OSU and FSU. OSU fumbles the ball with a 21 point lead. This woke up the crowd and gave Nebraska the momentum to completely turn the game around. FSU had complete control and got totally jacked up for the huge showdown vs. OU. They went all out yet still lost to the experience laden Sooners. After that, with their QB injured, they went into the hornets nest in Clemson and lost to the sexy team of the moment, at which they were upset. Following the 2nd disappointment, the Noles entered Wake Forest where they habitually have trouble (usually in the form of an injury). 1 broken RB and 5 turnovers later, the Noles (starting at number 4 overall) are staring at a losing record. Pretty much all of the hardship is due to the momentum shift after all the wind was taken out by losing when they put it on the line vs. #1. Of all the sports, momentum is clearly defining in college football which is why we love it!
4) Commentating has reached an all-time low
Watching games on mute is a now a soothing decision. Craig James blathering about why it's wrong to take illegal benefits (hyposcrisy anyone?), Jesse Palmer talking about his hair, Pam Ward talking about God knows what, Matt Millen evaluating receiver prospects (with clearly no clue), and Brent Musburger's drunken reverie; it's all so trite and ridiculous. Normally, not only don't they add the the broadcast, but they detract from it using blatantly incorrect or stupid 'insights'. If you want to actually learn something about the game and how it should be played, listen to Urban Meyer and Chris Spielmen. They're really the only 2 that don't dumb down their football talk (too much) and have reasonable snippets to add to the game's enjoyment. I've had enough with the ESPiN talking heads fall over themselves looking stupid when they don't understand what a ref is signally or why a certain play worked (or not). The commentators of today feel it is their obligation to dumb down what is happening for the 'idiots' watching. I've had enough. The commentators are the idiots. Thank you Urban and Chris for keeping it real (by the way Urban, Columbus is awesome this time of year).
5) The contenders are separating themselves
Parity exists in most of college football which is what has led to some really exciting games...excepting those with the few actually good teams out there. I'm in the 91 percentile in the college pick-em with confidence. While I like to think I know something, it's been all too easy. The big teams are completely disconnected from the pretenders as of now. Look at the blowouts of LSU and Bama over Florida, Wisconsin over Nebraska, and OU over Texas. There are many more instances of the elite crushing the 'also-rans', but I won't list them all. Some of the games are exciting but the high profile teams are blowing everyone out. LSU/Bama will be epic, OU/OkSt will be thrilling, and Stan/Oreg will be a shootout, but as I look over the schedule, there are very few games of interest to me in this regular season.
Anyone reading this knows where this post is coming from. In the LSU-Florida game, LSU faked a punt that led to a long TD run. At the end of the run, the punter spread his arms in celebration at the 5 for 1 second, realized he shouldn't, and ran into the endzone. The new rule states that an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty is assessed from the spot of the foul and the points are taken off the board. This cost LSU a TD (they failed to convert and scored a FG instead). This, of course, had no impact on the outcome of the game as Florida was clearly outclassed, but this ruling is insane. By the letter of the law, you could call it taunting, but it clearly wasn't vindictive or overbearing. The rule needs to be changed to avoid the no-fun league. My solution is to maintain the unsportsmanlike penalty and perhaps even maintain the 'taking the points off the board' (even though I'm not sold on that), but the definition of excessive celebration should be defined as anything that either delays the normal progress of the game (throwing the ball in the stands or choreography) or directly taunts the other team (like throwing the ball in the defense's face or moonwalking into the endzone). This was clearly a case of excitement when a punter was caught up in the moment and quickly rectified his error (the only way we saw this was through a camera replay). Let the kids have fun without degrading the other team. The punter did not celebrate excessively so it was harmless and needs to be ignored. By the current letter of the law, the flag could have been thrown (judgement call). I propose changing the rule so the flag could not be properly thrown for such a minor infraction.
2) Schedules don't matter to the voters.
Look at the rankings: 4 Wisconsin, 5 Boise, 7 Stanford, 11 Michigan, 13 West Virginia, 14 Nebraska...I could go on, but what do these teams have in common? They've beaten no one of consequence (yes, Wisky beat Neb by I don't think the Huskers are for real). These high rankings are vestiges of high preseason opinions in areas and in others, pollsters are blinded by the undefeated records. WVU and Nebraska have each played 1 quality opponent and got smashed. UM beat ND on the final second because they were playing 11 on 0. I believe that Wisconsin, Boise, and Stanford are pretty solid teams, but the schedule is never factored. The mock BCS has Wisconsin at 7 which draws some ire, but they simply haven't played anyone (and won't until the bowl as the B1G is down). Stanford plays Oregon which will define the season, and Boise plays....no one. Who knows if they hold, but look at the opponents before you crown a team.
3) Momentum is crucial in college football
This point is easily made by watching the downfalls of OSU and FSU. OSU fumbles the ball with a 21 point lead. This woke up the crowd and gave Nebraska the momentum to completely turn the game around. FSU had complete control and got totally jacked up for the huge showdown vs. OU. They went all out yet still lost to the experience laden Sooners. After that, with their QB injured, they went into the hornets nest in Clemson and lost to the sexy team of the moment, at which they were upset. Following the 2nd disappointment, the Noles entered Wake Forest where they habitually have trouble (usually in the form of an injury). 1 broken RB and 5 turnovers later, the Noles (starting at number 4 overall) are staring at a losing record. Pretty much all of the hardship is due to the momentum shift after all the wind was taken out by losing when they put it on the line vs. #1. Of all the sports, momentum is clearly defining in college football which is why we love it!
4) Commentating has reached an all-time low
Watching games on mute is a now a soothing decision. Craig James blathering about why it's wrong to take illegal benefits (hyposcrisy anyone?), Jesse Palmer talking about his hair, Pam Ward talking about God knows what, Matt Millen evaluating receiver prospects (with clearly no clue), and Brent Musburger's drunken reverie; it's all so trite and ridiculous. Normally, not only don't they add the the broadcast, but they detract from it using blatantly incorrect or stupid 'insights'. If you want to actually learn something about the game and how it should be played, listen to Urban Meyer and Chris Spielmen. They're really the only 2 that don't dumb down their football talk (too much) and have reasonable snippets to add to the game's enjoyment. I've had enough with the ESPiN talking heads fall over themselves looking stupid when they don't understand what a ref is signally or why a certain play worked (or not). The commentators of today feel it is their obligation to dumb down what is happening for the 'idiots' watching. I've had enough. The commentators are the idiots. Thank you Urban and Chris for keeping it real (by the way Urban, Columbus is awesome this time of year).
5) The contenders are separating themselves
Parity exists in most of college football which is what has led to some really exciting games...excepting those with the few actually good teams out there. I'm in the 91 percentile in the college pick-em with confidence. While I like to think I know something, it's been all too easy. The big teams are completely disconnected from the pretenders as of now. Look at the blowouts of LSU and Bama over Florida, Wisconsin over Nebraska, and OU over Texas. There are many more instances of the elite crushing the 'also-rans', but I won't list them all. Some of the games are exciting but the high profile teams are blowing everyone out. LSU/Bama will be epic, OU/OkSt will be thrilling, and Stan/Oreg will be a shootout, but as I look over the schedule, there are very few games of interest to me in this regular season.
Sunday, October 09, 2011
Grading the Bucks--Week 6: Nebraska...Words cannot express....
Offense: B+ 1st half/F 2nd half
Have to split this up after what I just saw. The 1st half showed a competent OSU attack. Good solid blocking, strong runs, and some decent (not great but ok) passing. OSU effortlessly moved the ball effectively right through a porous defense that the Cornhuskers boast. Miller looked confident (even though he still throws a horrible ball) and he actually started to hit the hole. I'm still scared with the way he carries the ball but he is definitely maturing. Jordan Hall seems to be regressing in the running attack but Carlos Hyde has been a pleasant surprise. Why 34 wasn't in the game more, I'll never know. The O-line protected MUCH better and was opening holes (see Carlos Hyde). Now to the elephant in the room. Bauserman. I'm done. I defended him and thought he could do it. I was wrong. I believe a lot of this regression is due to the TOTAL lack of faith by everyone in Columbus, but I don't care about the why anymore. He just can't lead this team anymore. With that being said, anyone saying we lost because of Bauserman is just plain ignorant and stupid. He entered the game with a 14 point lead. He didn't give up the 28 unanswered points. All the defense had to do was make A stop. Bauserman was terrible I agree and his time is done, but he wasn't the reason we lost. In fact, the turning point of the game was Miller handing the ball to the Nebraska LB and the D giving up a 22 yard run immediately to wake up the Sea of Red. Bauserman didn't help us maintain the lead, but he didn't cause the Buckeyes to fall down. Trust me, this collapse was a team effort.
Defense: A- 1st half/F 2nd half
Now we come to the problem. The first 30 showed the Bullets back to form stuffing Martinez and Burkhead. They flew all over the field and gave up next to nothing the 1st half. After the Miller fumble, I think Greg Robinson took over. The defense was confused and out of position on seemingly every play. They looked like the normal OSU defense that can't handle the option/ zone read. The offense shut off but you'd imagine the OSU D that has only taken 2 series off all year would hold.......nope. This collapse was much MUCH more troubling on the defensive side. To be clear, the athletic talent on the OSU defense is not as good as the recent past, but they've played above it. This week, in the 2nd half, it all crashed to earth. All the defensive finger pointing from last week toward the painfully horrendous offense was turned right around. I don't think I've ever seen an OSU defense collapse like that. Vrabel, Fickell....looking at you.
Special Teams: B+
Another solid enough week for the specialty teams. 1/1 on field goals and some nice punts inside the 20. Punt coverage was pretty good, but the kick coverage was definitely taking a step back (hence the lack of an A). Why didn't they try the long field goal? Not the special teams problems....but it was due to:
Coaching: B 1st half/ F---- 2nd half
The experiment is over. The walrus looked like he was calling a decent game in the first half, but what happened? Here's a stat for you: Miller threw 8 passes in 2.75 quarters (completing 5). Bauserman enters the game (WITH A 14 POINT LEAD!!!) and in 1.25 quarters of work, he throws 10 passes. 10!!! And he completed 1. WHAT KIND OF A GAME PLAN IS THAT?!?!?! When it doesn't work, TRY SOMETHING ELSE!!! The ground game with Hyde was working, and yet, Jordan Hall was getting the ball to run into the lineman. Bauserman is sent into the game due to injury and Bollman opens the playbook? What are these monkeys doing? Everyone gets on Bollman (mostly deserved) for running on EVERY 1st down...here's the difference this week: it worked. Then in comes Bauserman. Since he's essentially equivalent to Aaron Rodgers, we go run and shoot. Joe B doesn't call the plays. Blame the idiots up top. Now to Fickell, you have a 7 point lead and the ball at the 32. You defense can catch a cold.... what do you do? Punt?....What?!? KICK THE FG!!! At least try it. You aren't Tressel. He had defense to bail him out. It was clear ours already left Lincoln. Love you Luke, but good luck at Akron next year. Bring on Urban.
Have to split this up after what I just saw. The 1st half showed a competent OSU attack. Good solid blocking, strong runs, and some decent (not great but ok) passing. OSU effortlessly moved the ball effectively right through a porous defense that the Cornhuskers boast. Miller looked confident (even though he still throws a horrible ball) and he actually started to hit the hole. I'm still scared with the way he carries the ball but he is definitely maturing. Jordan Hall seems to be regressing in the running attack but Carlos Hyde has been a pleasant surprise. Why 34 wasn't in the game more, I'll never know. The O-line protected MUCH better and was opening holes (see Carlos Hyde). Now to the elephant in the room. Bauserman. I'm done. I defended him and thought he could do it. I was wrong. I believe a lot of this regression is due to the TOTAL lack of faith by everyone in Columbus, but I don't care about the why anymore. He just can't lead this team anymore. With that being said, anyone saying we lost because of Bauserman is just plain ignorant and stupid. He entered the game with a 14 point lead. He didn't give up the 28 unanswered points. All the defense had to do was make A stop. Bauserman was terrible I agree and his time is done, but he wasn't the reason we lost. In fact, the turning point of the game was Miller handing the ball to the Nebraska LB and the D giving up a 22 yard run immediately to wake up the Sea of Red. Bauserman didn't help us maintain the lead, but he didn't cause the Buckeyes to fall down. Trust me, this collapse was a team effort.
Defense: A- 1st half/F 2nd half
Now we come to the problem. The first 30 showed the Bullets back to form stuffing Martinez and Burkhead. They flew all over the field and gave up next to nothing the 1st half. After the Miller fumble, I think Greg Robinson took over. The defense was confused and out of position on seemingly every play. They looked like the normal OSU defense that can't handle the option/ zone read. The offense shut off but you'd imagine the OSU D that has only taken 2 series off all year would hold.......nope. This collapse was much MUCH more troubling on the defensive side. To be clear, the athletic talent on the OSU defense is not as good as the recent past, but they've played above it. This week, in the 2nd half, it all crashed to earth. All the defensive finger pointing from last week toward the painfully horrendous offense was turned right around. I don't think I've ever seen an OSU defense collapse like that. Vrabel, Fickell....looking at you.
Special Teams: B+
Another solid enough week for the specialty teams. 1/1 on field goals and some nice punts inside the 20. Punt coverage was pretty good, but the kick coverage was definitely taking a step back (hence the lack of an A). Why didn't they try the long field goal? Not the special teams problems....but it was due to:
Coaching: B 1st half/ F---- 2nd half
The experiment is over. The walrus looked like he was calling a decent game in the first half, but what happened? Here's a stat for you: Miller threw 8 passes in 2.75 quarters (completing 5). Bauserman enters the game (WITH A 14 POINT LEAD!!!) and in 1.25 quarters of work, he throws 10 passes. 10!!! And he completed 1. WHAT KIND OF A GAME PLAN IS THAT?!?!?! When it doesn't work, TRY SOMETHING ELSE!!! The ground game with Hyde was working, and yet, Jordan Hall was getting the ball to run into the lineman. Bauserman is sent into the game due to injury and Bollman opens the playbook? What are these monkeys doing? Everyone gets on Bollman (mostly deserved) for running on EVERY 1st down...here's the difference this week: it worked. Then in comes Bauserman. Since he's essentially equivalent to Aaron Rodgers, we go run and shoot. Joe B doesn't call the plays. Blame the idiots up top. Now to Fickell, you have a 7 point lead and the ball at the 32. You defense can catch a cold.... what do you do? Punt?....What?!? KICK THE FG!!! At least try it. You aren't Tressel. He had defense to bail him out. It was clear ours already left Lincoln. Love you Luke, but good luck at Akron next year. Bring on Urban.
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Week 6 Picks--Midseason rivalries aren't as appealing this year
Oklahoma vs. Texas
Draper: The Red River Shootout (yeah, I said it, big whoop, wanna fight about it) is actually semi-relevant this year after Texas disappearing. That being said, these aren't the polished McCoy to Shipley from 2006-2009. While the younger brothers are improving, they aren't good enough to take down the Sooners. Jones will have a field day with Broyles and Stills, and the Stoops defense will knock the Longhorns off their undefeated high horse with relative ease. OU: 48--UT: 20
Auer: Texas has seemingly returned to form after an abysmal 2010 season, and here they sit at 4-0. The problem is Texas really hasn't beaten anyone. The Sooners on the other hand have a key win at Florida State, and look to continue on their collision course for a date with the Crimson Tide. This one really shouldn't be close, as much as I want UT to make it so. OU: 35--UT: 10
Hoying: In so many other years, 4-0 Oklahoma vs. 4-0 Texas would serve as a mid-season determinant of the Big XII South champion. Not so this year; there are five (Five!) undefeated Big X(II) teams heading into this week, and all of them will play each other before the season is done. This is the first (second if you count KSU-Baylor of what should be an excellent set of Big X(II) showdowns. Look for Oklahoma's steadier offense, led by veteran QB Landry Jones, to have a big day and the better-than-advertised OU defense to cause confusion for the 2-headed Texas QB monster. OU: 34 -- UT: 16
Schweinfurth: Undefeated Texas and undefeated Oklahoma? One would think this game would be close but you have to go with McCoy and Shipley. Wait, it's not Colt and Jordan? In all seriousness, Oklahoma is the better team. The Sooner D is down right nasty and will just be too much for both Texas QBs. OU: 42 -- UT: 17
Florida @ LSU
Draper: Sucks for Florida that they get the 2 best teams in the country back-to-back. Also, they have lost their QB (Brantley) to dismemberment at the hands of the Saban defense. This could have been a good matchup, but the Gators haven't turned the corner yet. LSU is rolling and should make easy work of the Gators without a QB. Demps and Rainey are good, but no passing threat will be a killer. Death Valley will be insane and will send more Gators to the doctor. UF: 6--LSU: 24
Auer: Not much chance for Will Muschamp's Gators as they head to Death Valley without a QB. LSU is really good, but not quite as good as Alabama, but still won't have a problem with UF this week. UF: 10--LSU: 32
Hoying: I still think Florida is shaping up to make some noise in the weak SEC East (and get hammered by 'Bama again), but LSU in Baton Rouge is too tall an order for the Gators, especially without their starting QB (we've seen what effect losing your only good QB can have). The LSU defense is slightly more forgiving than the Crimson Brick Wall, but Florida will be in no position to challenge it. UF: 13 -- LSU: 20
Schweinfurth: Will Muschamp has the Gators turning the corner and Jabba the Weiss has figured has been putting Demps and Rainey in positions to succeed. Unfortunately for Florida, LSU has one of the best secondaries in the nation. This should be an exciting game but Baton Rouge will prove to be too much for Florida. UF: 14 -- LSU: 31
Auburn @ Arkansas
Draper: Auburn has been living on borrowed time with 3 of their 4 wins coming in heart-stopping fashion. The little known secret is that they're not that good and have been super lucky. Give them credit for hanging around long enough to steal a win, but not happening in Fayetteville. Tyler Wilson and the Hogs dug a HUGE hole last week (thankfully it was against the choke artists at TAMU) but looked great and under poise coming back. Expect another huge passing day from Wilson to lead the Hogs to victory and send the Tigers back to reality. Aub: 17--Ark: 38
Auer: Auburn is officially about to become the schizophrenic team of 2011. They'll upset highly ranked USC one week, then turn around and lose to Clemson, and then struggle against the likes of Utah State. The Tigers will surely come back to earth after last week's upset of the Gamecocks. Aub: 21--Ark: 45
Hoying: In the last two weeks, Arkansas got hammered by the best team in the country and looked beatable against Texas A&M before a well-played comeback. This team is itching to make a statement and dismantle an opponent, and look who's coming to Fayetteville. The Auburn Tigers have derailed two trendy SEC picks (South Carolina and Mississippi State) and their only loss is to a quality Clemson team, but anyone who's been watching this team has to be scratching their head wondering how long Gene Chizik's brain farts can power this team to victory. Here's a fun stat to close with: the SEC-worst Auburn defense gives up 233 passing yards per game. Arkansas's QB Tyler Wilson led the SEC's best offense to 510 passing yards last week against Texas A&M. Uh-oh. Aub: 20 -- Ark: 56
Schweinfurth: Auburn continues to live on the edge and keeps gutting out close wins. The last time the Tigers faced a top offense (in Clemson), the Tiger defense was exposed. Auburn can score and I don't buy into the Razorback defense. Auburn's magic touch has to run out sometime and, even though I say it every week, it runs out this week in a not so close shootout. Aub: 28 -- Ark: 42
Ohio State @ Nebraska
Draper: We just can't catch a break (mostly due to stupid players). No Boom and No Posey most likely means no help on offense. The return of Mike Adams (and possibly even Solomon Thomas) will help but the biggest boon to the offense will be Nebraska. Their defense is well behind MSU at the line of scrimmage. This bodes well for the OSU running game. Hall will run for a solid 100 yards, but the flip side is Nebraska's O is better than MSU. One aspect that has given the Bullets fits is a running QB...uh oh. The Bullets play tough and the offense looks more competent, but on the road is gonna be trouble for the young QB. I think it will be much closer than the experts think. I have to do it (for the first real time), but I don't have to like it. OSU: 20--Neb: 27
Auer: Struggling to find the positives in this one. The Buckeyes have to click eventually, don't they? The defense has to score eventually, right? I have literally no rhyme or reason to do this, but I have a feeling that Nebraska *might* be the type of team that chokes under pressure. The Buckeyes are going to be lucky to have anything to play for by the time November rolls around, so they might as well throw whatever they've got out Saturday night in Lincoln and maybe Lady Luck will be on the side of Fickell's team. OSU: 13--Neb: 10
Hoying: The Buckeyes are bad, m'kay? The team has no quarterback, its best running back and wide receiver have slipped through its grasp indefinitely, and key players are being lost left and right to serious injuries (Verlon Reed, Philly Brown, Nate Williams). The Bucks are teetering on the edge of collapse as evidenced by RB Carlos Hyde's comments about the coaching staff. Now for the good news. Aside from a few problems with the secondary (looking at you, #7), the defense still works, which is remarkable considering how long they've had to stay on the field. Also, Nebraska's defense isn't going to be anywhere near as tough as MSU's to crack. However, nighttime in Lincoln is going to be very unforgiving to this young team. Even though this one is winnable, the young Bucks don't quite have the poise to get it done. OSU: 16 -- Neb: 17
Schweinfurth: This game is will be all about defense. Ohio State has a walrus calling plays and Taylor Martinez makes my throwing motion look good. If one offense has an advantage, it has to be the 'Husker's pseudo-option attack. One gets the feeling that, if Nebraska scores early, the Silver Bullets may revolt against the offense. The Buckeyes are on tilt and Bo Pelini is looking to make a statement. This one is close but Nebraska moves the ball thanks to a few missed tackles. Martinez throws a few picks (including a pick 6) but the Bucks can't take advantage of the field position. OSU: 10 -- Neb: 17
Upset Specials
Draper: Mizzou over Kansas State
Auer: Ohio State over Nebraska
Hoying: Northwestern over Michigan (I don't know, I don't see a lot of upsets this week)
Schweinfurth: Maryland over Georgia Tech (I'm with Hoying on this one. Not many upset chances)
Draper: The Red River Shootout (yeah, I said it, big whoop, wanna fight about it) is actually semi-relevant this year after Texas disappearing. That being said, these aren't the polished McCoy to Shipley from 2006-2009. While the younger brothers are improving, they aren't good enough to take down the Sooners. Jones will have a field day with Broyles and Stills, and the Stoops defense will knock the Longhorns off their undefeated high horse with relative ease. OU: 48--UT: 20
Auer: Texas has seemingly returned to form after an abysmal 2010 season, and here they sit at 4-0. The problem is Texas really hasn't beaten anyone. The Sooners on the other hand have a key win at Florida State, and look to continue on their collision course for a date with the Crimson Tide. This one really shouldn't be close, as much as I want UT to make it so. OU: 35--UT: 10
Hoying: In so many other years, 4-0 Oklahoma vs. 4-0 Texas would serve as a mid-season determinant of the Big XII South champion. Not so this year; there are five (Five!) undefeated Big X(II) teams heading into this week, and all of them will play each other before the season is done. This is the first (second if you count KSU-Baylor of what should be an excellent set of Big X(II) showdowns. Look for Oklahoma's steadier offense, led by veteran QB Landry Jones, to have a big day and the better-than-advertised OU defense to cause confusion for the 2-headed Texas QB monster. OU: 34 -- UT: 16
Schweinfurth: Undefeated Texas and undefeated Oklahoma? One would think this game would be close but you have to go with McCoy and Shipley. Wait, it's not Colt and Jordan? In all seriousness, Oklahoma is the better team. The Sooner D is down right nasty and will just be too much for both Texas QBs. OU: 42 -- UT: 17
Florida @ LSU
Draper: Sucks for Florida that they get the 2 best teams in the country back-to-back. Also, they have lost their QB (Brantley) to dismemberment at the hands of the Saban defense. This could have been a good matchup, but the Gators haven't turned the corner yet. LSU is rolling and should make easy work of the Gators without a QB. Demps and Rainey are good, but no passing threat will be a killer. Death Valley will be insane and will send more Gators to the doctor. UF: 6--LSU: 24
Auer: Not much chance for Will Muschamp's Gators as they head to Death Valley without a QB. LSU is really good, but not quite as good as Alabama, but still won't have a problem with UF this week. UF: 10--LSU: 32
Hoying: I still think Florida is shaping up to make some noise in the weak SEC East (and get hammered by 'Bama again), but LSU in Baton Rouge is too tall an order for the Gators, especially without their starting QB (we've seen what effect losing your only good QB can have). The LSU defense is slightly more forgiving than the Crimson Brick Wall, but Florida will be in no position to challenge it. UF: 13 -- LSU: 20
Schweinfurth: Will Muschamp has the Gators turning the corner and Jabba the Weiss has figured has been putting Demps and Rainey in positions to succeed. Unfortunately for Florida, LSU has one of the best secondaries in the nation. This should be an exciting game but Baton Rouge will prove to be too much for Florida. UF: 14 -- LSU: 31
Auburn @ Arkansas
Draper: Auburn has been living on borrowed time with 3 of their 4 wins coming in heart-stopping fashion. The little known secret is that they're not that good and have been super lucky. Give them credit for hanging around long enough to steal a win, but not happening in Fayetteville. Tyler Wilson and the Hogs dug a HUGE hole last week (thankfully it was against the choke artists at TAMU) but looked great and under poise coming back. Expect another huge passing day from Wilson to lead the Hogs to victory and send the Tigers back to reality. Aub: 17--Ark: 38
Auer: Auburn is officially about to become the schizophrenic team of 2011. They'll upset highly ranked USC one week, then turn around and lose to Clemson, and then struggle against the likes of Utah State. The Tigers will surely come back to earth after last week's upset of the Gamecocks. Aub: 21--Ark: 45
Hoying: In the last two weeks, Arkansas got hammered by the best team in the country and looked beatable against Texas A&M before a well-played comeback. This team is itching to make a statement and dismantle an opponent, and look who's coming to Fayetteville. The Auburn Tigers have derailed two trendy SEC picks (South Carolina and Mississippi State) and their only loss is to a quality Clemson team, but anyone who's been watching this team has to be scratching their head wondering how long Gene Chizik's brain farts can power this team to victory. Here's a fun stat to close with: the SEC-worst Auburn defense gives up 233 passing yards per game. Arkansas's QB Tyler Wilson led the SEC's best offense to 510 passing yards last week against Texas A&M. Uh-oh. Aub: 20 -- Ark: 56
Schweinfurth: Auburn continues to live on the edge and keeps gutting out close wins. The last time the Tigers faced a top offense (in Clemson), the Tiger defense was exposed. Auburn can score and I don't buy into the Razorback defense. Auburn's magic touch has to run out sometime and, even though I say it every week, it runs out this week in a not so close shootout. Aub: 28 -- Ark: 42
Ohio State @ Nebraska
Draper: We just can't catch a break (mostly due to stupid players). No Boom and No Posey most likely means no help on offense. The return of Mike Adams (and possibly even Solomon Thomas) will help but the biggest boon to the offense will be Nebraska. Their defense is well behind MSU at the line of scrimmage. This bodes well for the OSU running game. Hall will run for a solid 100 yards, but the flip side is Nebraska's O is better than MSU. One aspect that has given the Bullets fits is a running QB...uh oh. The Bullets play tough and the offense looks more competent, but on the road is gonna be trouble for the young QB. I think it will be much closer than the experts think. I have to do it (for the first real time), but I don't have to like it. OSU: 20--Neb: 27
Auer: Struggling to find the positives in this one. The Buckeyes have to click eventually, don't they? The defense has to score eventually, right? I have literally no rhyme or reason to do this, but I have a feeling that Nebraska *might* be the type of team that chokes under pressure. The Buckeyes are going to be lucky to have anything to play for by the time November rolls around, so they might as well throw whatever they've got out Saturday night in Lincoln and maybe Lady Luck will be on the side of Fickell's team. OSU: 13--Neb: 10
Hoying: The Buckeyes are bad, m'kay? The team has no quarterback, its best running back and wide receiver have slipped through its grasp indefinitely, and key players are being lost left and right to serious injuries (Verlon Reed, Philly Brown, Nate Williams). The Bucks are teetering on the edge of collapse as evidenced by RB Carlos Hyde's comments about the coaching staff. Now for the good news. Aside from a few problems with the secondary (looking at you, #7), the defense still works, which is remarkable considering how long they've had to stay on the field. Also, Nebraska's defense isn't going to be anywhere near as tough as MSU's to crack. However, nighttime in Lincoln is going to be very unforgiving to this young team. Even though this one is winnable, the young Bucks don't quite have the poise to get it done. OSU: 16 -- Neb: 17
Schweinfurth: This game is will be all about defense. Ohio State has a walrus calling plays and Taylor Martinez makes my throwing motion look good. If one offense has an advantage, it has to be the 'Husker's pseudo-option attack. One gets the feeling that, if Nebraska scores early, the Silver Bullets may revolt against the offense. The Buckeyes are on tilt and Bo Pelini is looking to make a statement. This one is close but Nebraska moves the ball thanks to a few missed tackles. Martinez throws a few picks (including a pick 6) but the Bucks can't take advantage of the field position. OSU: 10 -- Neb: 17
Upset Specials
Draper: Mizzou over Kansas State
Auer: Ohio State over Nebraska
Hoying: Northwestern over Michigan (I don't know, I don't see a lot of upsets this week)
Schweinfurth: Maryland over Georgia Tech (I'm with Hoying on this one. Not many upset chances)
5 Thoughts from the Week that Was
1) Still we have questionable officiating...with no explanation or consequences.
Last weeks problem was much more crucial with a missed PAT call but the fact remains that too many calls are missed or not addressed. As the time ticked down in a critical matchup between South Carolina and Auburn, the Gamecocks get a first down with 2 seconds left; (barely) enough time to spike the ball and get a last second field goal off to tie the game. Alas, the clock ran out and when Spurrier asked for the referee to review it, he refused and called the game. One argument was that there was only 1 second left and that means there was not enough time to spike the ball with time remaining. If that's the case, then come out at confirm it! As of now, the South Carolina faithful are left holding the bag with questions abounding and Gene Chizik (the current edition of Les Miles-'winning games despite poor coaching). This is yet another incident of poor referee-ing with no consequences or explanations. It's time to hold these officials to a higher standard.
2) Media money drives opinion and, therefore, polls
OSU has a near miss against Toledo and everyone destroys the B1G. South Carolina has a near miss against Navy (arguably closer than OSU/Toledo) and no one mentions it rather than another SEC win. Give credit to Navy who is always a tough matchup. Unfortunately, you'll never know because the $EC drives E$PiN. The polls are clearly driven by the highlights shown on ESPiN and those highlights are skewed in favor of those who pay the bills. The top SEC teams are that good, but the rest are the same as every other conference also-ran.
3) Undefeated doesn't always mean the best.
Quick, one conference has 5 undefeated teams, which is it? No, not the be-all, end-all SEC, but the Big 12. Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech, and Kansas State. This is more than double any other conference, but hold the phone folks. The Oklahoma teams each have quality wins (FSU and TAMU) but the other 3 played no one but the Little Sisters of the Poor (yeah, I said it). KSU under Snyder is known to play no one but creampuffs (yes, this year he played Miami but whopee...). Texas played UCLA....yawn. I didn't even know Texas Tech has played a game since Michael Crabtree left. Good for them being undefeated, but let's wait until they play quality opponents to anoint the conference. The Oklahoma teams are legit, but I don't think the others will get more than 8 wins a piece.
4) Pains me to say this, but the National Championship (as of now) should be a
rematch of Alabama vs. LSU.
I said this before and I'll say it again: everyone sucks. This year has been extremely painful to watch. That being said, Bama and LSU are (as of now) the clear best teams in the country. Yes, OU is good, but they'll most likely drop one like they always do. Ok St offense can't keep the questionable defense going undefeated. Wisconsin is very tough but who knows if they can hold up against a defense on the road. Boise is Boise and will most likely go undefeated but no one cares. Stanford and Oregon play in a tossup but the Cardinal have an easy schedule and the Ducks already lost to LSU. The SEC powers are very very good and I really think there is a possibility that they rematch in the Title Game. The most likely contender is Wisconsin in my opinion due to schedule and what I've seen. I hate the SEC, but those 2 teams have the best resumes and talent that I've seen thus far.
5) Fair or foul, Robert Griffin III is most likely out of the Heisman race already.
Remember how I said that it's very hard to break into the Heisman race without preseason hype; it's nearly impossible when you're on a team that's out of the race (translation: has a loss). This is, of course, not fair at all, but it's the world we live in. RG3 has eye-popping stats with slightly fewer TDs than incompletions, 1 interception, and 5 TD passes a piece in 3 games, but no one will remember him if he doesn't win. Small market and non-contender never really have a chance. Many people are giving him lip-service in the media, but I don't buy that they actually believe it. I do think he is a legit candidate, but when the voters turn in their ballots, I feel they will be skewed by their preconceptions and drop him down below the NFL #1 pick (Luck), the golden boy (Kellen Moore), the best player on the best team (Trent Richardson), the hot transfer (Russell Wilson), and the best QB the number 1 team (Jones). RG3 needs to go crazy EVERY game from here on out and he absolutely HAS to beat OU with some crazy stats to even get back in the legit discussion. Pay attention to this kid because he's really good (and he'll get his compensation next year in the NFL), but the preconceptions kill his realistic chance in my opinion.
Last weeks problem was much more crucial with a missed PAT call but the fact remains that too many calls are missed or not addressed. As the time ticked down in a critical matchup between South Carolina and Auburn, the Gamecocks get a first down with 2 seconds left; (barely) enough time to spike the ball and get a last second field goal off to tie the game. Alas, the clock ran out and when Spurrier asked for the referee to review it, he refused and called the game. One argument was that there was only 1 second left and that means there was not enough time to spike the ball with time remaining. If that's the case, then come out at confirm it! As of now, the South Carolina faithful are left holding the bag with questions abounding and Gene Chizik (the current edition of Les Miles-'winning games despite poor coaching). This is yet another incident of poor referee-ing with no consequences or explanations. It's time to hold these officials to a higher standard.
2) Media money drives opinion and, therefore, polls
OSU has a near miss against Toledo and everyone destroys the B1G. South Carolina has a near miss against Navy (arguably closer than OSU/Toledo) and no one mentions it rather than another SEC win. Give credit to Navy who is always a tough matchup. Unfortunately, you'll never know because the $EC drives E$PiN. The polls are clearly driven by the highlights shown on ESPiN and those highlights are skewed in favor of those who pay the bills. The top SEC teams are that good, but the rest are the same as every other conference also-ran.
3) Undefeated doesn't always mean the best.
Quick, one conference has 5 undefeated teams, which is it? No, not the be-all, end-all SEC, but the Big 12. Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech, and Kansas State. This is more than double any other conference, but hold the phone folks. The Oklahoma teams each have quality wins (FSU and TAMU) but the other 3 played no one but the Little Sisters of the Poor (yeah, I said it). KSU under Snyder is known to play no one but creampuffs (yes, this year he played Miami but whopee...). Texas played UCLA....yawn. I didn't even know Texas Tech has played a game since Michael Crabtree left. Good for them being undefeated, but let's wait until they play quality opponents to anoint the conference. The Oklahoma teams are legit, but I don't think the others will get more than 8 wins a piece.
4) Pains me to say this, but the National Championship (as of now) should be a
rematch of Alabama vs. LSU.
I said this before and I'll say it again: everyone sucks. This year has been extremely painful to watch. That being said, Bama and LSU are (as of now) the clear best teams in the country. Yes, OU is good, but they'll most likely drop one like they always do. Ok St offense can't keep the questionable defense going undefeated. Wisconsin is very tough but who knows if they can hold up against a defense on the road. Boise is Boise and will most likely go undefeated but no one cares. Stanford and Oregon play in a tossup but the Cardinal have an easy schedule and the Ducks already lost to LSU. The SEC powers are very very good and I really think there is a possibility that they rematch in the Title Game. The most likely contender is Wisconsin in my opinion due to schedule and what I've seen. I hate the SEC, but those 2 teams have the best resumes and talent that I've seen thus far.
5) Fair or foul, Robert Griffin III is most likely out of the Heisman race already.
Remember how I said that it's very hard to break into the Heisman race without preseason hype; it's nearly impossible when you're on a team that's out of the race (translation: has a loss). This is, of course, not fair at all, but it's the world we live in. RG3 has eye-popping stats with slightly fewer TDs than incompletions, 1 interception, and 5 TD passes a piece in 3 games, but no one will remember him if he doesn't win. Small market and non-contender never really have a chance. Many people are giving him lip-service in the media, but I don't buy that they actually believe it. I do think he is a legit candidate, but when the voters turn in their ballots, I feel they will be skewed by their preconceptions and drop him down below the NFL #1 pick (Luck), the golden boy (Kellen Moore), the best player on the best team (Trent Richardson), the hot transfer (Russell Wilson), and the best QB the number 1 team (Jones). RG3 needs to go crazy EVERY game from here on out and he absolutely HAS to beat OU with some crazy stats to even get back in the legit discussion. Pay attention to this kid because he's really good (and he'll get his compensation next year in the NFL), but the preconceptions kill his realistic chance in my opinion.
Sunday, October 02, 2011
Grading the Bucks--Week 5: Michigan State.....GROSS
Offense: F
What a pathetic display! I thought this was Ohio State but apparently not. Under 100 yards of offense until late in the 4th and shutout until 10 seconds left....putrid. It's painfully clear that we do not have a quarterback on the roster. I still support Bauserman but he's the lesser of two evils. Miller has happy feet and is afraid to hit the hole. The running lanes open but he dances rather than just running. His passing has much to be desired as well. JB shows that he can throw...sometimes, but he can also overthrow the receivers by 20 yards. The running game took a giant step back and the best O-line I've seen obviously was a fluke. Jordan Hall failed to step up to the plate for his audition and the offensive line was pathetic after 2 solid weeks of above average play. Maybe the suspended players will make a difference but it's hard to envision fixing all of these holes. Give some credit to MSU's D-line but the guard play and QB play at OSU is inexcusable. Who starts at QB next week? God only knows. Personally, I'd start JB on the road, but I'm not comfortable with it. I expect Fickell to go with Miller, but there is no good answer.
Defense: A- (Side grade--Travis Howard: F-----)
How can you fail to gain more than 100 yards until the 4th and still have a (legit) chance to win in the waning seconds? Have a defense that plays sound and bends but doesn't break. While the offense was throwing up on the field, the defense never seemed to get a break. Yet, they continued to run out there and shut down the senior QB. The return of Nate Williams from injury and Solomon Thomas from suspension to join John Simon and Jonathan Hankins will make the front four very very scary. The run defense was stout but the secondary had some holes. The hole is named Travis Howard. BJ Cunningham (the leading receiver in MSU history) absolutely torched the Buckeyes because Howard was burnt toast on every play. Yes, Cunningham is good, but no adjustments to help Howard (or simply pull him) is just dumb. OSU defense is certainly not the reason for the loss, but I've seen that opposing teams will learn to pick on the weak link. Look for number 7 on the D to be continually beat (just think, some booster actually paid him extra benefits!!).
Special Teams: B-
Nothing special here, but the punting was not as good this week. Buchanan was asked to do a lot, but he wasn't a sharp as usual. Returns and coverage were fine, but the punting has been above average in the last few weeks. Simply average this week. With all the punts, you don't expect perfection but I don't think the net average was as good as the past few weeks. Passable but nothing to wow me.
Coaching: D
Sorry Luke, you never had a chance. Lost in the talk of Fickell is the fact that he was not allowed to hire his own staff. His defensive staff is just fine and the addition of Mike Vrabel is very good, but the offensive coaching staff is just awful. Jim Bollman (the OC) has been terrible since he began coaching and he has arguably regressed. OSU hasn't learned about simple plays to relax your QB like screens and quick slants (and this has been true since I arrived at OSU). Every play is a dave block run or a deep pattern down field. Without simply underneath, slant, or intermediate routes, the QBs cannot get into a rhythm and make the defense respect any semblance of a passing game. Also, while the first half showed an absolute failure by the offense, the second half showed that no one knows how to adjust as we just got more failure. Nothing is changing. The coaches seem to be beating their heads against the wall expecting to have the wall to apologize. If it doesn't work with your personnel, you must adjust. Fickell is a great guy and probably a great coach. He has coached up the defense to a high level without the top level talent, but there is just no hope for him if he gets no help from the offensive coaching staff. It's pretty much a done deal that Gene Smith is targeting Urban Meyer right now. Just think that every weekend, Chris Spielman calls games with Urban Meyer. Wouldn't be surprised if he's dropping hints during commercials. Nothing against Luke, but the situation pretty much screwed whomever got the interim job.
What a pathetic display! I thought this was Ohio State but apparently not. Under 100 yards of offense until late in the 4th and shutout until 10 seconds left....putrid. It's painfully clear that we do not have a quarterback on the roster. I still support Bauserman but he's the lesser of two evils. Miller has happy feet and is afraid to hit the hole. The running lanes open but he dances rather than just running. His passing has much to be desired as well. JB shows that he can throw...sometimes, but he can also overthrow the receivers by 20 yards. The running game took a giant step back and the best O-line I've seen obviously was a fluke. Jordan Hall failed to step up to the plate for his audition and the offensive line was pathetic after 2 solid weeks of above average play. Maybe the suspended players will make a difference but it's hard to envision fixing all of these holes. Give some credit to MSU's D-line but the guard play and QB play at OSU is inexcusable. Who starts at QB next week? God only knows. Personally, I'd start JB on the road, but I'm not comfortable with it. I expect Fickell to go with Miller, but there is no good answer.
Defense: A- (Side grade--Travis Howard: F-----)
How can you fail to gain more than 100 yards until the 4th and still have a (legit) chance to win in the waning seconds? Have a defense that plays sound and bends but doesn't break. While the offense was throwing up on the field, the defense never seemed to get a break. Yet, they continued to run out there and shut down the senior QB. The return of Nate Williams from injury and Solomon Thomas from suspension to join John Simon and Jonathan Hankins will make the front four very very scary. The run defense was stout but the secondary had some holes. The hole is named Travis Howard. BJ Cunningham (the leading receiver in MSU history) absolutely torched the Buckeyes because Howard was burnt toast on every play. Yes, Cunningham is good, but no adjustments to help Howard (or simply pull him) is just dumb. OSU defense is certainly not the reason for the loss, but I've seen that opposing teams will learn to pick on the weak link. Look for number 7 on the D to be continually beat (just think, some booster actually paid him extra benefits!!).
Special Teams: B-
Nothing special here, but the punting was not as good this week. Buchanan was asked to do a lot, but he wasn't a sharp as usual. Returns and coverage were fine, but the punting has been above average in the last few weeks. Simply average this week. With all the punts, you don't expect perfection but I don't think the net average was as good as the past few weeks. Passable but nothing to wow me.
Coaching: D
Sorry Luke, you never had a chance. Lost in the talk of Fickell is the fact that he was not allowed to hire his own staff. His defensive staff is just fine and the addition of Mike Vrabel is very good, but the offensive coaching staff is just awful. Jim Bollman (the OC) has been terrible since he began coaching and he has arguably regressed. OSU hasn't learned about simple plays to relax your QB like screens and quick slants (and this has been true since I arrived at OSU). Every play is a dave block run or a deep pattern down field. Without simply underneath, slant, or intermediate routes, the QBs cannot get into a rhythm and make the defense respect any semblance of a passing game. Also, while the first half showed an absolute failure by the offense, the second half showed that no one knows how to adjust as we just got more failure. Nothing is changing. The coaches seem to be beating their heads against the wall expecting to have the wall to apologize. If it doesn't work with your personnel, you must adjust. Fickell is a great guy and probably a great coach. He has coached up the defense to a high level without the top level talent, but there is just no hope for him if he gets no help from the offensive coaching staff. It's pretty much a done deal that Gene Smith is targeting Urban Meyer right now. Just think that every weekend, Chris Spielman calls games with Urban Meyer. Wouldn't be surprised if he's dropping hints during commercials. Nothing against Luke, but the situation pretty much screwed whomever got the interim job.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)