Michigan State Spartans @ Nebraska CornhuskersDraper: I've gone back and forth, but I've decided this is going to be the traditional 'Sparty' game. Don't get me wrong. I think MSU is a far better team than Nebraska. In fact, I truly believe that the Huskers are supremely overrated, but the omens all point to an upset. MSU comes off of back to back high energy wins (UM and Wisc) including the epic Hail Mary on the last second. Now they head to Lincoln with the total confidence (cockiness?) to steamroll the Legends. Remember that Nebraska was the preseason favorite and they can play some football. I expect a matchup much like MSU/OSU with low scoring blah football but Taylor Martinez breaks one big play at home to shakeup the B1G even more. MSU: 17--Neb: 20
Auer: The stout defense of the Spartans must come to play against a schizophrenic Nebraska team that looks to make a statement in the Big Ten. Kirk Cousins should be able to have a field day against the iffy Blackshirts, and send an even bigger message to the college football world. MSU: 31--Neb: 10
Hoying: Michigan State continues to build momentum after consecutive victories over Ohio State, Michigan, and Wisconsin, but another disturbing trend has been lurking: this team plays like GARBAGE on the road. MSU came to Columbus and faced an Ohio State team with a severely broken offense, and still only won by 3. Before that, they faced a mediocre Notre Dame team in South Bend and got hammered. Now they face an environment they have never seen before. Let's not forget, the Huskers still control their own destiny and they are looking for the statement win that has eluded them so far. Taylor Martinez has his work cut out for him against an excellent Spartan front, but recent media darling Kirk Cousins will make more mistakes as Nebraska pulls out the win. MSU: 13 -- Neb: 21Schweinfurth: Ahh Sparty, we can always count on you once a year for a let down game. As Corso would say "Not so fast my friend." Michigan State does an excellent job shutting down mobile quarterbacks who can't throw (see Robinson, Denard) and even the woeful Ohio State offense moved the ball on Nebraska. The Spartans get William Gholston back this week, making that front four that much better. Nebraska will get one, maybe two drives in and State rolls on. MSU: 24 -- Neb: 10
Oklahoma Sooners @ Kansas State WildcatsDraper: Is Kansas State for real? Every week, we (and by we I mean I) expect the collapse but they just keep winning. I think it ends here. OU was embarrassed at home by Texas Tech in a game in which all the chips were on the table. The defense was exposed by a pass happy offense, but I don't think Colin Klein has the weapons needed. Also, Oklahoma will come in desperate for a rebound after that debacle. Landry Jones creeps back into Heisman runner-up contention with a big day and Bill Snyder finally takes a hit against a good team. OU: 48--KSU: 24
Auer: Oklahoma lived up to their nickname last week. They will make up for it against a definite pretender. OU: 49--KSU: 17
Hoying: Apocalypse indicator #34: Oklahoma lost at home to an inferior opponent. This Sooner team is going to be severely rattled following the collapse of their national title hopes. The last thing they need is a road game against a legitimate threat. Kansas State kicks off a murderer's row of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, and Texas over the next four weeks, and it's hard to believe they'll escape the slate unscathed. But this week they still have a full head of steam, and their rushing attack will be just good enough to deal the swooning Sooners a momentous blow. OU: 34--KSU: 35Schweinfurth: Who saw Oklahoma losing to Texas Tech? Who saw K-State undefeated until this point? Oklahoma rebounds this week. (Sorry there isn't more, I just don't know enough about Kansas State). OU: 42 -- KSU: 17
Georgia Bulldogs vs. Florida GatorsDraper: The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (yeah, I said it, big whoop wanna fight about it?) is for....nothing really. The winner of this game has an inside track to get crushed in the SEC title game (assuming South Carolina disappears without Lattimore), but that's about it. Georgia really isn't that good despite all the SEC apologists out there. Of course, neither is Florida, but they have the playmakers. A lot will depend on John Brantley (not promising for UF), but I think he'll be healthy enough to do what he does best: get the ball to Demps and Rainey. Let's not forget that UF owns this rivalry of late. They win again and in the process, really hurt Boise (by beating their only 'quality' win). UGA: 17--UF: 24
Auer: With the return of Demps and Brantly, UF will probably fare a lot better than expected. The Bulldogs started off with two rough losses, and now have rattled off 5 straight wins. UF has suffered a lot due to injuries, and will get back on track with the return of their QB. UGA: 20--UF: 29
Hoying: Another storied rivalry game falls by the wayside. The battle for the Who Cares? division of the SEC features two teams headed in very different directions. Georgia has overcome a weak start to feast on a slate of 5 terrible teams in a row, while Florida's once-potent offense has gone out the window after losing John Brantley and facing 3 teams with a pulse. However, the only trend that will reverse this Saturday is Florida's 18 wins in the last 21 Parties. Hey Bulldog! UGA: 28 -- UF: 13Schweinfurth: This is one of the least hyped Cocktail Parties in recent memory. Georgia has been very quiet this year after losing to Boise early. Will Muschamp has also had a pretty quiet season at Florida, especially after Brantley went down with an injury. All said, the Gators are the better team. Look for Demps and Rainey to have a big day. UGA: 14 -- UF: 35
Stanford Cardinal @ USC TrojansDraper: TRAP GAME!!! TRAP GAME!!! Andrew Luck and the Cardinal haven't played a real opponent until last week (and even that was a stretch), but they have DEMOLISHED everyone. USC has very quietly been stockpiling wins and would be a factor in the Pac 12 (if not the BCS) were they not still on probation. This is their bowl game as they don't get the Ducks and they will throw all they have at the Cardinal to avenge the last few embarrassing losses to Stanford including 'What's your deal?' and the 41 point underdog upset (only a few years passed surprisingly). While this points to a potential upset, I think too many factors have the Cardinal on their toes. Yes, USC is down, but they're still the pretty boys in LA. Look for Luck to lock up the Heisman in his first real test of the year. Stanford: 31--USC: 20
Auer: USC is NOT the USC that everyone used to fear. The Trojans are riding high after a win on the road in South Bend, but really, how good is Notre Dame? I say not so good. Stanford and Andrew Luck will continue their win streak and make a mess of the Trojans. Stanford: 38--USC: 14
Hoying: Remember 4 years ago? USC, riding a #1 and a 35-game home win streak, was already being discussed as the greatest team of all time (idiotic) and Stanford waltzed in with their 3rd string quarterback and pulled the shocker. Anyone recognize those teams now? That being said, the Trojans' win last week in South Bend was way, way more impressive than anything Stanford has done this season (no, Washington, you're not relevant) and the men of Troy seem to be getting better each week. USC has no hope of achieving any kind of title this year, so THIS GAME is their season. Stanford has been flashy but they haven't seen a passing attack as effective as Barkley to Woods (no, Washington, you're not that special). Stanford stumbles. Stanford: 38 -- USC: 41Schweinfurth: Okay, so USC surprised me last week by beating Notre Dame (quitters). The Stanford D is relatively unknown and a big question mark for this team. However, USC may be with out Robert Woods and Marc Tyler. If that's the case, this one could get ugly. It's a big stage for Andrew Luck and he won't disappoint. Stanford in a close one. Stanford: 24 -- USC: 21
Wisconsin Badgers @ Ohio State Buckeyes
Draper: Wisconsin comes off a devastating loss to Sparty and will be seeking blood over the mighty (yet down) Buckeyes. Buckeyes have had two weeks to prepare, but is that enough? Heart or head? Heart or head? I have to maintain journalistic integrity and go with my head. Braxton Miller explodes onto the scene with his best passing performance of the season and compiles a school record 7 total TDs (4 passing, 3 rushing). Boom and Hyde both eclipse the 200 yards mark but settle for 2 TDs each. Bauserman enters in mop up duty in the third quarter to mass applause and cheers and begins with a picture perfect 90 yard TD pass. He is removed late 3rd after his 3th TD for Guiton who takes a knee on every snap (including 4th downs) in a taunting fashion for the whole 4th quarter. Oh yeah, OSU goes for 2 after every TD and got them all--Basil threw for 4 2-pt conversions. The Bullets return 2 Russell Wilson interceptions for scores but are crushed by allowing a late TD. Fickell, in a rage over the Wisky TD in the final seconds, rushes over and chokes out Bielema as the clock reaches zero. The Badgers limp out of Columbus, with half of the team injured and Bielema rushed to the hospital where they can't figure out if he has suffered brain damage or is really that dumb. GO BUCKS! UW: 6 (PAT blocked)--OSU: 128
Auer: With the Senator walking the sidelines, this game might go differently. The Bucks are coming off a bye, and lord only knows what Fickell and that staff have messed up... I mean added to the already amazing offense of the Bucks. Remember when Tress couldn't win a game after the Bucks had a bye week? Maybe, just maybe, Fickell and friends have found something to surprise us all... an actual game plan. No realistic reason, but the Bucks are gonna find a way in front of 105,000 frantic fans. UW: 30--OSU: 34
Hoying: We saw in the Illinois game that the Bucks aren't giving this season up yet, and they are improving each week. However, this is no schedule-inflated Illini squad. Last year, the Buckeyes were embarrassed on every side of the ball by a Wisconsin team giving the performance of their lives. The Badgers will probably not be able to match that intensity, especially after such a deflating loss. Even so, this game can be boiled down to 3 questions:
1. Is Ohio State more talented than they were last season?..................................No
2. Is Wisconsin less talented than they were last season?.....................................No
3. Is Ohio State better led and more poised than they were last season?...........No
Barring Wisconsin letting MSU beat them two weeks in a row, this one won't be close. The Bucks get plowed. UW: 27 -- OSU: 9Schweinfurth: The question floating around Columbus is, "Can the Bullets stop Russel Wilson?" In reality it should be "Can the Bullets stop Montee Ball." Ball is a beast and has shown he can run through weak arm tackles. The Bucks are gonna be amped for this game. Ohio State is tough to beat at night, in the 'Shoe. Fickell has had two weeks to get the troops ready to go. Miller has a breakout game and Bielema starts crying (again) on the sideline. UW: 17 -- OSU: 28
Upset Special:Draper: Georgia Tech over Clemson, Tennessee over South Carolina
Auer: Ohio State over Wisconsin, Florida over Georgia, Illinois over PSU
Hoying: Georgia Tech over Clemson, Baylor over Oklahoma StateSchweinfurth: Illinois over Penn St.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Five Thoughts on the week that was--Week 8
1) Oklahoma upset was HUGE
Everyone is swooning over the Hail Mary MSU win over Wisconsin and what that means to the future, but that is but a drop in the bucket to the storm that erupted in Norman. Let's make this clear: Oklahoma does NOT lose in Norman. They play so much better at home than on the road, they never play Texas at home, and they just own the rest of the country when they come to their house. Texas Tech was a nice little upstart, but they shouldn't have had a prayer with all on the line in the Sooner's house. The OU defense was befuddled by Doege and even though they put up points, no one expected them to need a comeback to make it close. This loss is HUGE for the shakeup of the BCS (much much bigger than the Wisconsin loss) and will also haunt Bob Stoops. Big game Bob showed the 'Chokelahoma' moniker is more deserved.
2) Don't forget about Oregon
With all the hype around the SEC matchup in 2 weeks and all the other top 5 upsets, people are forgetting about the Ducks sneaking around the chicken coop. Yes, they lost to LSU at a 'neutral site' in Jerry world because they nicely handed the ball to LSU many times, but since then, they are trouncing everyone. I know the competition is much much weaker, but I'm not sold that Stanford can take the Ducks this year. If LSU dominates Bama, we may have to face the possibility that the Ducks are the 2nd best team in the country. Perhaps they deserve a rematch against LSU in a more neutral location in the national championship....wait....it's in New Orleans? Crap.
3) B1G is an absolute mess
Is there a team (outside of Indiana or Minnesota--maybe Purdue) in the B1G that you can say is out of the race? The answer is no. Why? OSU is down. There is no National Title contender in the conference (as I said preseason) and the conference contains a bunch of mid-level teams for this season. The clear favorites for the B1G Conference Title Game is Wisconsin v. MSU, but pretty much every other team (more or less) controls their destiny. Let's be honest. When this Ohio State team is 1 additional Penn State loss from controlling their destiny, this conference has issues. Perhaps this is the B1G basketball year!
4) Wisconsin faced a defense and....
They were exposed. The Wisconsin offense put some points up, but the unstoppable force was not so impressive in East Lansing. The game turned into a shootout and Wilson couldn't quite hang on. Let's recall that OSU gave up 10 points to the Spartans. This Wisconsin team is pretty good, but certainly not elite. They have been feasting off the dregs in Madison and weren't ready for a real test. They come into Columbus this week to face another defense with some bite and an offense that.....well the defense is good. It's not that big of a stretch to think that Wisconsin was all bark no bite.
5) BCS teams are more or less fixed right now
Can anyone imagine a situation in which a team other than those listed below will make a BCS game?
Big 12: OU/OSU
Pac 12: Stanford/Oregon
SEC: LSU/Bama
B1G: Champ (Wisc or MSU probable)
Big East: Champ (who cares)
ACC: Champ (Clemson probable)
At-Large: Boise
In my opinion, this will be the slate and I would be surprised with anything else. Yeah, Oklahoma could die off, but I'm not seeing it. One loss also does Boise in, but can anyone on their schedule beat them. Again, the excitement is somewhat tempered with the lack of top contenders. My midseason BCS Bowl predictions are:
Rose: Oregon vs. MSU
Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. Boise State
Sugar: Alabama vs. Stanford
Orange: Clemson vs. WVU
BCS Title: LSU vs. Oklahoma State
Pretty good matchups (except for the Orange....)
Everyone is swooning over the Hail Mary MSU win over Wisconsin and what that means to the future, but that is but a drop in the bucket to the storm that erupted in Norman. Let's make this clear: Oklahoma does NOT lose in Norman. They play so much better at home than on the road, they never play Texas at home, and they just own the rest of the country when they come to their house. Texas Tech was a nice little upstart, but they shouldn't have had a prayer with all on the line in the Sooner's house. The OU defense was befuddled by Doege and even though they put up points, no one expected them to need a comeback to make it close. This loss is HUGE for the shakeup of the BCS (much much bigger than the Wisconsin loss) and will also haunt Bob Stoops. Big game Bob showed the 'Chokelahoma' moniker is more deserved.
2) Don't forget about Oregon
With all the hype around the SEC matchup in 2 weeks and all the other top 5 upsets, people are forgetting about the Ducks sneaking around the chicken coop. Yes, they lost to LSU at a 'neutral site' in Jerry world because they nicely handed the ball to LSU many times, but since then, they are trouncing everyone. I know the competition is much much weaker, but I'm not sold that Stanford can take the Ducks this year. If LSU dominates Bama, we may have to face the possibility that the Ducks are the 2nd best team in the country. Perhaps they deserve a rematch against LSU in a more neutral location in the national championship....wait....it's in New Orleans? Crap.
3) B1G is an absolute mess
Is there a team (outside of Indiana or Minnesota--maybe Purdue) in the B1G that you can say is out of the race? The answer is no. Why? OSU is down. There is no National Title contender in the conference (as I said preseason) and the conference contains a bunch of mid-level teams for this season. The clear favorites for the B1G Conference Title Game is Wisconsin v. MSU, but pretty much every other team (more or less) controls their destiny. Let's be honest. When this Ohio State team is 1 additional Penn State loss from controlling their destiny, this conference has issues. Perhaps this is the B1G basketball year!
4) Wisconsin faced a defense and....
They were exposed. The Wisconsin offense put some points up, but the unstoppable force was not so impressive in East Lansing. The game turned into a shootout and Wilson couldn't quite hang on. Let's recall that OSU gave up 10 points to the Spartans. This Wisconsin team is pretty good, but certainly not elite. They have been feasting off the dregs in Madison and weren't ready for a real test. They come into Columbus this week to face another defense with some bite and an offense that.....well the defense is good. It's not that big of a stretch to think that Wisconsin was all bark no bite.
5) BCS teams are more or less fixed right now
Can anyone imagine a situation in which a team other than those listed below will make a BCS game?
Big 12: OU/OSU
Pac 12: Stanford/Oregon
SEC: LSU/Bama
B1G: Champ (Wisc or MSU probable)
Big East: Champ (who cares)
ACC: Champ (Clemson probable)
At-Large: Boise
In my opinion, this will be the slate and I would be surprised with anything else. Yeah, Oklahoma could die off, but I'm not seeing it. One loss also does Boise in, but can anyone on their schedule beat them. Again, the excitement is somewhat tempered with the lack of top contenders. My midseason BCS Bowl predictions are:
Rose: Oregon vs. MSU
Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. Boise State
Sugar: Alabama vs. Stanford
Orange: Clemson vs. WVU
BCS Title: LSU vs. Oklahoma State
Pretty good matchups (except for the Orange....)
Draper Index Week 8
Draper Index Week 8 (bowls included)
1) LSU
2) Alabama
3) Oklahoma State
4) Oklahoma
5) Boise State
6) Clemson
7) Oregon
8) Stanford
9) Arkansas
10) Auburn
11) Virginia Tech
12) Michigan State
13) USC
14) Wisconsin
15) Nebraska
16) South Carolina
17) Kansas State
18) Penn State
19) Texas A&M
20) TCU
21) Michigan
22) Washington
23) Ohio State
24) Texas Tech
25) Houston
Were I to have a vote, this is my ballot
Draper Ballot
1) LSU
2) Bama
3) Ok St
4) Stanford
5) Clemson
6) Boise State
7) Oregon
8) Oklahoma
9) Michigan State
10) Kansas State
11) Arkansas
12) Wisconsin
13) South Carolina
14) Texas A&M
15) Virginia Tech
16) Nebraska
17) Houston
18) USC
19)Georgia
20) Penn State
21) Arizona State
22) Michigan
23) Florida State
24) Miami
25) Florida
1) LSU
2) Alabama
3) Oklahoma State
4) Oklahoma
5) Boise State
6) Clemson
7) Oregon
8) Stanford
9) Arkansas
10) Auburn
11) Virginia Tech
12) Michigan State
13) USC
14) Wisconsin
15) Nebraska
16) South Carolina
17) Kansas State
18) Penn State
19) Texas A&M
20) TCU
21) Michigan
22) Washington
23) Ohio State
24) Texas Tech
25) Houston
Were I to have a vote, this is my ballot
Draper Ballot
1) LSU
2) Bama
3) Ok St
4) Stanford
5) Clemson
6) Boise State
7) Oregon
8) Oklahoma
9) Michigan State
10) Kansas State
11) Arkansas
12) Wisconsin
13) South Carolina
14) Texas A&M
15) Virginia Tech
16) Nebraska
17) Houston
18) USC
19)Georgia
20) Penn State
21) Arizona State
22) Michigan
23) Florida State
24) Miami
25) Florida
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Week 8 Picks---Look's like it's a bye week...FROM GOOD GAMES!!! BAZING!!
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
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
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)