Every year, I have a write up of the season before game 1. I had this finished this past Tuesday, but I'm posting it now for consumption/laughter after the season. I traditionally do fairly well (preseason rankings, Heisman rankings, conference standings, thoughts, etc.), but last year was a challenge. Remember, this is for fun. The analysis is there with some humor sprinkled in. If I offend anyone, perhaps you should remember this is a blog and for fun. Read. Enjoy. Go Bucks!
Draper Preseason Predictions 2012
(Side note: This Google thing is a test for me. Hope it works!)
Saturday, September 01, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Week 1 Picks: A New Era
Welcome back to the most wonderful time of the year: college football season. We return this year to make some inspired game picks and perhaps we can keep track this year. The expectations in Columbus are through the roof with the advent of the Urban Meyer era even without the hope of postseason play. The first few weeks have very few games of interest, but we're here to present you with our opinions and thoughts on the biggest games of the week. Stay tuned and GO BUCKS!
Boise State Broncos @ Michigan State Spartans
Draper: I like the Spartans as a 'surprise' front runner in the B1G. Michigan has the flash, Wisconsin has the recent history, and the Bucks are ineligible. This is the time for the Spartans to forget who they are and actually break through. A new QB in green and white has a very nice security blanket in Le'veon Bell toting the rock. Boise burns me on this 1st game every year but this is a true road game and the smurfs don't have that special QB leading the way. MSU makes a statement by beating up the traditional "David". BSU: 17--MSU: 31
Hoying: Finally, the Bluegrass Boys get an out-of-conference opponent that will really challenge them. Michigan State has been on the rise over the past few seasons, and the boys in green and white would love a chance to make a statement to kick off what they hope is a Big Ten Championship season. Both of these have some questions, with both losing star senior QB's and Boise State missing practically all of last year's defense. The Spartans still have some playmakers, like RB Le'Veon Bell and DE William Gholston, but Bronco coach Chris Petersen lives for match-ups like this. Must be nice not to have to prepare for anyone else all year now that TCU's out of the Mountain West. Expect the whole bag of Bronco tricks to spill out as Boise shocks Sparty in East Lansing. BSU: 28--MSU: 27
Schweinfurth: This is Boise State's season this year. The one big match up that the Broncos look forward to. Like normal, I know nothing about Boise State coming into the season except that Keelen Moore is gone. Even with a "green" (yes, pun intended) QB under center, I think Michigan State is just the flat out better team. Only Ohio State has a better front 7 in the B1G and they have their way with the Broncos. Go State! BSU: 10--MSU: 35
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ Virginia Tech Hokies
Draper: ACC Coastal powers collide...sort of. I like the Hokies in the division but the Yellow Jackets option attack is ridiculously pesky. That being said, I don't know any of the backs at Tech. The option is tough to adjust to, but the lack of the absolute stud may be an issue. Logan Thomas is a great QB and should have a fantastic year as a dual threat. This is the start of his campaign. Blacksburg is always tough so advantage VT. GT: 17--VT: 27
Hoying: Why do teams play conference games in week 1? Too much at stake for early season jitters. Well, one Tech will start the season in a nice big hole. On paper, this looks like an easy win for VT. They beat the Yellow Jackets last year, the defense should continue to be impressive, the players are still all pissed off about ending last season with 2 miserable performances, and the game is in Blacksburg at night. So.....they win. GT: 10--VT: 27
Schweinfurth: These early season rivalry games are always a wild one and any night game in Blacksburg is bound to be insane. Georgia Tech's offense is always fun to watch with all of the pre-snap movement and triple option. Unfortunately for the Yellow Jackets, the ACC is starting to catch up to "gimmiky" offense. Virgina Tech "Beamer Balls" their way to a win in this one. GT: 7--VT: 20
Michigan Wolverines vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
Draper: Everyone's huge matchup of week one features the winningest college program of history vs. defending National Champion (with a history that's not too shabby). The Michigan defense is being lauded for their major 'strides' last year. If you watched the games, you'd realize that the defensive improvement is fools' gold. Yes, they've improved, but the defense is still soft (OSU went nuts on them and we sucked!). Robinson is electric but Bama is going to break him. Denard will try to throw for the win, but he just doesn't have the skill while running for his life. Bama wins solidly and the SEC chants echo into the night. Mich: 13--Bama: 27
Hoying: Two of the greatest football programs of all time square off in the premier matchup of kickoff Saturday. Alabama has been king of the college football landscape over the last few seasons, helped by that abomination of a do-over they got in last year's title game, while Corn and Blue are trying to prove they are back among the ranks of the elite. ScUM QB Denard Robinson has never seen a defense this dominant, not even when he got shut down by...nobody...in some beatdown in Columbus that apparently never happened. Look for Shoelace to throw a few picks before getting broken in half, while Tide QB AJ McCarron and friends expose the overrated Big Blue D. Not this year, Michigan. Not this year. UM: 13--Bama: 31
Schweinfurth: This game is a severely overrated team versus the defending national champs. Denard may be the most electrifying player in college football, but that Alabama defense is just down right nasty. In all honesty, I expect to see Robinson playing more wide receiver as the game rolls on, Gardner is just a better passer. TTUN lost a lot off that defense from last year as well and they will be exposed as a still building team. Alabama "rolls" in this one. TTUN: 6--Bama: 33
Miami (OH) Redhawks @ THE Ohio State Buckeyes
Draper: And we're back. After a tumultuous year, the Bucks look to forget 2011 ever happened, make a statement in 2012, and, most importantly, use this as a springboard into 2013. The team is stacked on defensive line; so much so that every QB facing the Scarlet and Gray will spend most of the game in a fetal position. Miller is ready to break out under Meyer's system (so long as he stays healthy--but Guiton is ready in the wings). The running attack will be just fine, but the WR corps is a little weak. This game, this season, is all about Urban saying hello and putting the fear of God into the rest of the conference/nation. Sorry Redhawks.... MU: 10--OSU: 48
Hoying: Indiana State over Indiana
Schweinfurth: Ohio over Penn State (I promise I didn't copy Draper)
Boise State Broncos @ Michigan State Spartans
Draper: I like the Spartans as a 'surprise' front runner in the B1G. Michigan has the flash, Wisconsin has the recent history, and the Bucks are ineligible. This is the time for the Spartans to forget who they are and actually break through. A new QB in green and white has a very nice security blanket in Le'veon Bell toting the rock. Boise burns me on this 1st game every year but this is a true road game and the smurfs don't have that special QB leading the way. MSU makes a statement by beating up the traditional "David". BSU: 17--MSU: 31
Hoying: Finally, the Bluegrass Boys get an out-of-conference opponent that will really challenge them. Michigan State has been on the rise over the past few seasons, and the boys in green and white would love a chance to make a statement to kick off what they hope is a Big Ten Championship season. Both of these have some questions, with both losing star senior QB's and Boise State missing practically all of last year's defense. The Spartans still have some playmakers, like RB Le'Veon Bell and DE William Gholston, but Bronco coach Chris Petersen lives for match-ups like this. Must be nice not to have to prepare for anyone else all year now that TCU's out of the Mountain West. Expect the whole bag of Bronco tricks to spill out as Boise shocks Sparty in East Lansing. BSU: 28--MSU: 27
Schweinfurth: This is Boise State's season this year. The one big match up that the Broncos look forward to. Like normal, I know nothing about Boise State coming into the season except that Keelen Moore is gone. Even with a "green" (yes, pun intended) QB under center, I think Michigan State is just the flat out better team. Only Ohio State has a better front 7 in the B1G and they have their way with the Broncos. Go State! BSU: 10--MSU: 35
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ Virginia Tech Hokies
Draper: ACC Coastal powers collide...sort of. I like the Hokies in the division but the Yellow Jackets option attack is ridiculously pesky. That being said, I don't know any of the backs at Tech. The option is tough to adjust to, but the lack of the absolute stud may be an issue. Logan Thomas is a great QB and should have a fantastic year as a dual threat. This is the start of his campaign. Blacksburg is always tough so advantage VT. GT: 17--VT: 27
Hoying: Why do teams play conference games in week 1? Too much at stake for early season jitters. Well, one Tech will start the season in a nice big hole. On paper, this looks like an easy win for VT. They beat the Yellow Jackets last year, the defense should continue to be impressive, the players are still all pissed off about ending last season with 2 miserable performances, and the game is in Blacksburg at night. So.....they win. GT: 10--VT: 27
Schweinfurth: These early season rivalry games are always a wild one and any night game in Blacksburg is bound to be insane. Georgia Tech's offense is always fun to watch with all of the pre-snap movement and triple option. Unfortunately for the Yellow Jackets, the ACC is starting to catch up to "gimmiky" offense. Virgina Tech "Beamer Balls" their way to a win in this one. GT: 7--VT: 20
Michigan Wolverines vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
Draper: Everyone's huge matchup of week one features the winningest college program of history vs. defending National Champion (with a history that's not too shabby). The Michigan defense is being lauded for their major 'strides' last year. If you watched the games, you'd realize that the defensive improvement is fools' gold. Yes, they've improved, but the defense is still soft (OSU went nuts on them and we sucked!). Robinson is electric but Bama is going to break him. Denard will try to throw for the win, but he just doesn't have the skill while running for his life. Bama wins solidly and the SEC chants echo into the night. Mich: 13--Bama: 27
Hoying: Two of the greatest football programs of all time square off in the premier matchup of kickoff Saturday. Alabama has been king of the college football landscape over the last few seasons, helped by that abomination of a do-over they got in last year's title game, while Corn and Blue are trying to prove they are back among the ranks of the elite. ScUM QB Denard Robinson has never seen a defense this dominant, not even when he got shut down by...nobody...in some beatdown in Columbus that apparently never happened. Look for Shoelace to throw a few picks before getting broken in half, while Tide QB AJ McCarron and friends expose the overrated Big Blue D. Not this year, Michigan. Not this year. UM: 13--Bama: 31
Schweinfurth: This game is a severely overrated team versus the defending national champs. Denard may be the most electrifying player in college football, but that Alabama defense is just down right nasty. In all honesty, I expect to see Robinson playing more wide receiver as the game rolls on, Gardner is just a better passer. TTUN lost a lot off that defense from last year as well and they will be exposed as a still building team. Alabama "rolls" in this one. TTUN: 6--Bama: 33
Miami (OH) Redhawks @ THE Ohio State Buckeyes
Draper: And we're back. After a tumultuous year, the Bucks look to forget 2011 ever happened, make a statement in 2012, and, most importantly, use this as a springboard into 2013. The team is stacked on defensive line; so much so that every QB facing the Scarlet and Gray will spend most of the game in a fetal position. Miller is ready to break out under Meyer's system (so long as he stays healthy--but Guiton is ready in the wings). The running attack will be just fine, but the WR corps is a little weak. This game, this season, is all about Urban saying hello and putting the fear of God into the rest of the conference/nation. Sorry Redhawks.... MU: 10--OSU: 48
Hoying: Well, Buckeye fans, our nightmare is half over. Even though this season will end with no championship and no bowl (and no bowl trip, sad face), Urban and the Buckeyes have plenty to prove to the world after the wretched 2011 campaign. And they get a nice squishy opponent to pound on! Much like last year's opener against Akron, which featured a nearly flawless thrashing by the Scarlet and Gray, this game will tell us nothing. Miami is a cupcake team from a cupcake conference, who will take their check and their bruises and go back on the Paul Ryan campaign trail. Buckeyes get their first win since Indiana on November 5. MU: 6--OSU: 41
Schweinfurth: The Urban Renewal is upon us friends. 2011 was one of the worst years in recent memory to be a Buckeye fan. A returning, more mature Braxton Miller (with free run of the offense and confidence of the coaches) is ready for a breakout season. It all starts Saturday. I expect the offense to have a monster day on the poor, hapless Red Hawks. Braxton and Hyde both have big days and the Hawks only cross the 50 once against a nasty and angry Buckeye D. Urban will show no mercy on any opponent this year. The Silver Bullets are back!!! Miami (OH) at Oxford: 3--OSU:56
Upset Special
Draper: Ohio over Penn StateHoying: Indiana State over Indiana
Schweinfurth: Ohio over Penn State (I promise I didn't copy Draper)
Ridiculous BCS game matchup picks
Subject to the following rules:
BCS National Championship has #1 vs. #2
B1G and Pac 12 Champ play in the Rose Bowl
SEC Champ to Sugar Bowl
ACC Champ to Orange Bowl
Big 12 Champ to Fiesta
Big East Champ gets an autobid
Once the auto tie-ins are down, the pecking order for the remaining bowls is as such
1) If BCS #1 had a tie-in, that bowl selects its replacement from the at large pool (and Big East Champ)
2) If BCS #2 had a tie-in, that bowl will select its replacement from the at large pool (and Big East Champ)
3) The remaining slots are filled by the bowls choosing from the at-large teams (and Big East champ) in the following order: Fiesta, Sugar, Orange.
Draper:
Rose: Michigan State vs. Oregon
Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. Michigan
Sugar: Louisiana State vs. Texas
Orange: Florida State vs. Louisville
BCS National Title: USC vs. Alabama
Hoying:
Rose: Michigan vs. Oregon
Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. Boise State
Sugar: Louisiana State vs. Texas Christian
Orange: Florida State vs. Rutgers
BCS National Title: USC vs. Alabama
Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. Michigan
Sugar: Alabama vs. Notre Dame
Orange: Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech
BCS National Title: Florida St. vs. USC
BCS National Championship has #1 vs. #2
B1G and Pac 12 Champ play in the Rose Bowl
SEC Champ to Sugar Bowl
ACC Champ to Orange Bowl
Big 12 Champ to Fiesta
Big East Champ gets an autobid
Once the auto tie-ins are down, the pecking order for the remaining bowls is as such
1) If BCS #1 had a tie-in, that bowl selects its replacement from the at large pool (and Big East Champ)
2) If BCS #2 had a tie-in, that bowl will select its replacement from the at large pool (and Big East Champ)
3) The remaining slots are filled by the bowls choosing from the at-large teams (and Big East champ) in the following order: Fiesta, Sugar, Orange.
Draper:
Rose: Michigan State vs. Oregon
Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. Michigan
Sugar: Louisiana State vs. Texas
Orange: Florida State vs. Louisville
BCS National Title: USC vs. Alabama
Hoying:
Rose: Michigan vs. Oregon
Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. Boise State
Sugar: Louisiana State vs. Texas Christian
Orange: Florida State vs. Rutgers
BCS National Title: USC vs. Alabama
Schweinfurth:
Rose: Michigan St. vs. OregonFiesta: Oklahoma vs. Michigan
Sugar: Alabama vs. Notre Dame
Orange: Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech
BCS National Title: Florida St. vs. USC
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Basketball Time--OSU @ KU
Thought I needed to start some thoughts on the basketball Buckeyes. The Bucks entered Phog Allen Fieldhouse without (arguably) their best player. I've heard many apologists that say that OSU is a 'good' team without Sully and a 'great' team with him. I disagree with this assessment as I believe this Buckeye team is still a 'great' team without Sully and a nearly unstoppable one with him. Listen, the offense certainly struggled yesterday, but we lost in one of college basketball's most intimidating venues without our number 1 in a game in which we were never out of it (within 4 with 4 to go and 5 with 2 min. to go). Kansas (a good team--not great) couldn't shake a team with no rhythm. This Buckeye team showed me a lot of heart and talent in the loss. I have a hard time finding a team that will beat us when we have the whole lineup.
Now, some X's and O's:
--Craft had a poor game (by his standards) which may be attributed to the loss of the rock in the middle. He was out of sync on offense but his usual pesty self on defense. I was concerned with the lack of drives to the buckets from #4 but again, this may be due to the absence of Sully as the bigs could double the drive. Craft has to improve his jump shot then he will be the best guard in the nation.
--Thomas was the hot hand in the 1st and kept us hanging around. I don't understand why the team left him in the 2nd but when 'Shooter McGavin' feels it, feed the beast.
--Buford shows that he is our number 2 (Sully as number 1) offensive threat. He was cold as ice in the first, but you have to keep feeding him without Sully as he'll get it done eventually. If we had more offensive threats, I'd say spread the wealth, but our other guards aren't great scoring options (especially when Craft can't drive the bucket).
--Ravenel had a really nice game filling in for Sully. Not perfect by any stretch, but he's stepped up big time when needed.
--Amir Williams is the guy who struggled mightily, but that will happen with a freshman on the road. He will get better, but experience is needed. Also, guarding Thomas Robinson in major minutes isn't a baptism by fire, it's a baptism by an inferno.
--Smith and Sibert need to step up their presence on the offensive end. Sibert needs to develop into a 3-point (consistent) threat and Lenzelle just needs to get a shot worked out--his shot needs work. I love their defensive intensity, but you need to play both ends (usually it's defense that suffers but they need to polish the O).
--Matta is always criticized for not using the bench, but I didn't see a real problem. I might have seen if Scott could have provided a little more offense than Craft early on, and perhaps give Weatherspoon a couple minutes to spell Smith/Sibert to spark some offense, but I trust the coach.
Two issues going forward:
1) Lack of depth for the big men.
--This has always been an issue for Matta but I like what I saw from Ravenel. Sully will be back so this isn't a huge problem in the future unless injuries flare. I think Craft and Buford are more integral but we have depth at the guard position. Underneath, there's Sully, Ravenel, and Williams (maybe count Ross in the future but not a true post guy). Having a freshman in the post is always a scare (unless it was Sully--but he still had Lauderdale to learn from). This can't be fixed so let's just not get hurt and develop Williams (I think Matta's on this).
2) 3-point consistency
--I said coming into this season that the only glaring weakness is consistency from long range. The loss of Jon Diebler is always going to hurt, but we just don't have anyone to stretch the defense. Thankfully, Sully can create for himself, but without him, we need to have the threat of the 3-ball. Buford is probably the best, but that's not his game. Thomas and Sibert are streaky. If Shooter, Craft, and Sibert can get the 3-ball around 50+%, we'll be unstoppable.
Overall, this loss means little going forward. I love the fight the team showed and I'm very excited going forward. If Sully comes back healthy, I find it hard to see a loss before the tournament. Kohl center is always tough and IU is starting to emerge as a contender, but OSU is still the force in the B1G. Keep the train rolling and we'll be fine. Congrats to KU on a big win, and I hope we get a chance for revenge in March (with Sully of course)!
Now, some X's and O's:
--Craft had a poor game (by his standards) which may be attributed to the loss of the rock in the middle. He was out of sync on offense but his usual pesty self on defense. I was concerned with the lack of drives to the buckets from #4 but again, this may be due to the absence of Sully as the bigs could double the drive. Craft has to improve his jump shot then he will be the best guard in the nation.
--Thomas was the hot hand in the 1st and kept us hanging around. I don't understand why the team left him in the 2nd but when 'Shooter McGavin' feels it, feed the beast.
--Buford shows that he is our number 2 (Sully as number 1) offensive threat. He was cold as ice in the first, but you have to keep feeding him without Sully as he'll get it done eventually. If we had more offensive threats, I'd say spread the wealth, but our other guards aren't great scoring options (especially when Craft can't drive the bucket).
--Ravenel had a really nice game filling in for Sully. Not perfect by any stretch, but he's stepped up big time when needed.
--Amir Williams is the guy who struggled mightily, but that will happen with a freshman on the road. He will get better, but experience is needed. Also, guarding Thomas Robinson in major minutes isn't a baptism by fire, it's a baptism by an inferno.
--Smith and Sibert need to step up their presence on the offensive end. Sibert needs to develop into a 3-point (consistent) threat and Lenzelle just needs to get a shot worked out--his shot needs work. I love their defensive intensity, but you need to play both ends (usually it's defense that suffers but they need to polish the O).
--Matta is always criticized for not using the bench, but I didn't see a real problem. I might have seen if Scott could have provided a little more offense than Craft early on, and perhaps give Weatherspoon a couple minutes to spell Smith/Sibert to spark some offense, but I trust the coach.
Two issues going forward:
1) Lack of depth for the big men.
--This has always been an issue for Matta but I like what I saw from Ravenel. Sully will be back so this isn't a huge problem in the future unless injuries flare. I think Craft and Buford are more integral but we have depth at the guard position. Underneath, there's Sully, Ravenel, and Williams (maybe count Ross in the future but not a true post guy). Having a freshman in the post is always a scare (unless it was Sully--but he still had Lauderdale to learn from). This can't be fixed so let's just not get hurt and develop Williams (I think Matta's on this).
2) 3-point consistency
--I said coming into this season that the only glaring weakness is consistency from long range. The loss of Jon Diebler is always going to hurt, but we just don't have anyone to stretch the defense. Thankfully, Sully can create for himself, but without him, we need to have the threat of the 3-ball. Buford is probably the best, but that's not his game. Thomas and Sibert are streaky. If Shooter, Craft, and Sibert can get the 3-ball around 50+%, we'll be unstoppable.
Overall, this loss means little going forward. I love the fight the team showed and I'm very excited going forward. If Sully comes back healthy, I find it hard to see a loss before the tournament. Kohl center is always tough and IU is starting to emerge as a contender, but OSU is still the force in the B1G. Keep the train rolling and we'll be fine. Congrats to KU on a big win, and I hope we get a chance for revenge in March (with Sully of course)!
Friday, December 09, 2011
Draper Index--Final Rankings Pre Bowl
Well, it had to happen. For the 2nd time in 12 years of making this computer poll, I did not correctly tab 1-2 in the BCS (although I think mine 1-2 is better than the BCS). Of course, I'm referring to Oklahoma State over Alabama. The only way it could have happened was a blow out of the Sooners (which happened). My computer poll is unbiased when compared to the SEC-centric media giant of ESPiN which was the downfall. Regardless, I'm pretty pleased. Here we go.
Draper Index Top 25 (Final)
1) LSU (They can't be caught even after the bowl. They are the National Champions)
2) Oklahoma State
3) Alabama
4) Oregon
5) Oklahoma (Only losses @OSU, @Baylor, home TT--bad, but good wins like @FSU/@KSU)
6) Stanford
7) Boise State
8) Wisconsin
9) Arkansas
10) USC
11) Virginia Tech
12) South Carolina
13) TCU
14) Clemson
15) Nebraska
16) Kansas State
17) Michigan State (ahead of UM like they should be)
18) Michigan
19) Georgia
20) Baylor
21) Houston
22) Penn State
23) Auburn
24) West Virginia
25) Southern Miss
Were these the final rankings of the BCS, the bowls would look like this:
BCS Title: LSU vs. Oklahoma State
Rose: Wisconsin vs. Oregon
Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. Stanford
Sugar: Alabama vs. TCU
Orange: WVU vs. Clemson
TCU would be guaranteed and OU is too sexy to pass up in the Fiesta. Bama and Stanford are no brainer at large picks.
My top 25
1) LSU
2) Oklahoma State
3) Alabama
4) Oregon
5) Stanford
6) Wisconsin
7) Boise State
8) USC
9) Arkansas
10) Kansas State
11) South Carolina
12) Oklahoma
13) Clemson
14) Michigan State
15) Michigan
16) Baylor
17) Virginia Tech
18) Nebraska
19) TCU
20) Georgia
21) Florida State
22) Houston
23) West Virginia
24) Penn State
25) Southern Miss
Draper Index Top 25 (Final)
1) LSU (They can't be caught even after the bowl. They are the National Champions)
2) Oklahoma State
3) Alabama
4) Oregon
5) Oklahoma (Only losses @OSU, @Baylor, home TT--bad, but good wins like @FSU/@KSU)
6) Stanford
7) Boise State
8) Wisconsin
9) Arkansas
10) USC
11) Virginia Tech
12) South Carolina
13) TCU
14) Clemson
15) Nebraska
16) Kansas State
17) Michigan State (ahead of UM like they should be)
18) Michigan
19) Georgia
20) Baylor
21) Houston
22) Penn State
23) Auburn
24) West Virginia
25) Southern Miss
Were these the final rankings of the BCS, the bowls would look like this:
BCS Title: LSU vs. Oklahoma State
Rose: Wisconsin vs. Oregon
Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. Stanford
Sugar: Alabama vs. TCU
Orange: WVU vs. Clemson
TCU would be guaranteed and OU is too sexy to pass up in the Fiesta. Bama and Stanford are no brainer at large picks.
My top 25
1) LSU
2) Oklahoma State
3) Alabama
4) Oregon
5) Stanford
6) Wisconsin
7) Boise State
8) USC
9) Arkansas
10) Kansas State
11) South Carolina
12) Oklahoma
13) Clemson
14) Michigan State
15) Michigan
16) Baylor
17) Virginia Tech
18) Nebraska
19) TCU
20) Georgia
21) Florida State
22) Houston
23) West Virginia
24) Penn State
25) Southern Miss
Sunday, December 04, 2011
Gut reaction to the end of the regular season
1) LSU and Oklahoma State should play for the National Title
--Bama is really, really good. However, been there, done that. We know that LSU is better than Alabama, on the field; on Bama's field. Why do they need to prove it again? The one knock on the Pokes is a worse loss, but it was on the road, in double OT, after a tragedy in the school. This is not the only correct answer, but I strongly believe that this is what should happen to make sure the integrity of the regular season is upheld. Also, I want to see what the explosive Cowboy offense does to a stingy Tiger defense.
2) RGIII deserves the Heisman
--No, he's not the best pro prospect, or on a title contender, but he's had the best season of any college player this season. Stellar numbers, Heisman moments in key times, and leadership of a mediocre team to a 9-3 record. Ball is a close second, but he doesn't match up to Robert Griffin III. Don't give me Luck or Richardson. Their numbers pale when compared to RGIII and Ball. In fact, Richardson and Luck did it against worse competition.
3) Bama and Michigan just had the worst day ever!
--LSU blows out UGA which is helpful, and Houston loses which is kind of middling for UM, but the Ok State blowout of OU is a killer for Bama. That was the only thing that could prevent the rematch and I think it just may have. Speaking of bad news, Wisconsin squeaks by MSU....which means they both may be ranked ahead of Michigan....uh oh... TCU and almost certainly Clemson may jump the Wolverines....Yikes since Big Blue needs to move up 2 spots to even be eligible. I think there's a decent shot that Bama gets knocked out of the championship and Michigan will be relegated to the Capitol One Bowl (or lower). If OSU goes to the title, the Fiesta may desire another Big 12 team to replace the Sooners...which knocks UM out since TCU, Bama, and Stanford are more or less guaranteed the other at large spots.
BCS Predictions
Championship: LSU vs. Oklahoma State
Rose: Oregon vs. Wisconsin
Fiesta: Stanford vs. Kansas State
Sugar: TCU vs. Alabama
Orange: WVU vs. Clemson
My Heisman vote (if I had one)1) Robert Griffin III
2) Montee Ball
3) Trent Richardson (I can be swayed on this one)
--Bama is really, really good. However, been there, done that. We know that LSU is better than Alabama, on the field; on Bama's field. Why do they need to prove it again? The one knock on the Pokes is a worse loss, but it was on the road, in double OT, after a tragedy in the school. This is not the only correct answer, but I strongly believe that this is what should happen to make sure the integrity of the regular season is upheld. Also, I want to see what the explosive Cowboy offense does to a stingy Tiger defense.
2) RGIII deserves the Heisman
--No, he's not the best pro prospect, or on a title contender, but he's had the best season of any college player this season. Stellar numbers, Heisman moments in key times, and leadership of a mediocre team to a 9-3 record. Ball is a close second, but he doesn't match up to Robert Griffin III. Don't give me Luck or Richardson. Their numbers pale when compared to RGIII and Ball. In fact, Richardson and Luck did it against worse competition.
3) Bama and Michigan just had the worst day ever!
--LSU blows out UGA which is helpful, and Houston loses which is kind of middling for UM, but the Ok State blowout of OU is a killer for Bama. That was the only thing that could prevent the rematch and I think it just may have. Speaking of bad news, Wisconsin squeaks by MSU....which means they both may be ranked ahead of Michigan....uh oh... TCU and almost certainly Clemson may jump the Wolverines....Yikes since Big Blue needs to move up 2 spots to even be eligible. I think there's a decent shot that Bama gets knocked out of the championship and Michigan will be relegated to the Capitol One Bowl (or lower). If OSU goes to the title, the Fiesta may desire another Big 12 team to replace the Sooners...which knocks UM out since TCU, Bama, and Stanford are more or less guaranteed the other at large spots.
BCS Predictions
Championship: LSU vs. Oklahoma State
Rose: Oregon vs. Wisconsin
Fiesta: Stanford vs. Kansas State
Sugar: TCU vs. Alabama
Orange: WVU vs. Clemson
My Heisman vote (if I had one)1) Robert Griffin III
2) Montee Ball
3) Trent Richardson (I can be swayed on this one)
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Week 14 Picks--Championship Week
B1G--Michigan State Spartans vs. Wisconsin Badgers
Draper: The first of many rematches....why championship games suck. I expect something very different as the Spartans are totally different when not at home. Wisconsin is the better team and that will be shown here. Bielema will try to feed Ball the ball to get some more Heisman love, but the Spartans will slow him down. Then comes Russell Wilson who will be the difference. Kirk Cousins won't be able to hang around. MSU: 13--UW: 27
Auer: The Spartans found a way to capitalize on the Badgers mistakes, as well as took some serious risks in their surprising win over Wisconsin. Face it, MSU was lucky to win the initial game, and Wiscy has had quite the run of bad luck for being such a talented team. The Badgers win the the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game in style. MSU: 24--UW: 38
Hoying:Let's see, Michigan State has the best conference record in the B1G and a head-to-head win over Wisconsin...the most sensible course of action would be to make them play again! I foresee another classic in this matchup. In such a close contest, the edge goes to the biggest playmaker, which, in this case, is Wisconsin RB Montee Ball, possibly the most outstanding player in college football this season. The Spartan defensive front is talented, but Rex Burkhead was able to have success and the Wisconsin running game is clicking too well. Please let me be wrong. MSU: 27--UW:34
Schweinfurth: Well, it looks like we got the rematch some of the talking heads wanted. The last time these two squared off, it was an epic battle that came down to one of the most exciting finishes in recent memory. This one will not be as close but will have the same result. Last time these two played, Spartan defensive end William Gohlston was suspended. This time he is ready to knock some heads. It will be a tough go for Montee Ball and the Badger offense. MSU: 24 -- UW: 10
Pac 12--UCLA Bruins vs. Oregon Ducks
Draper: 31.5 point favorites are the Ducks...in the championship game...and smart money is probably on them. UCLA is only in this game because USC is ineligible. The Trojans are the only viable candidate in the South. The Bruins will play hard for their recently fired coach, but it won't be enough to overcome the talent of the Ducks. Ducks roll to the Rose Bowl. UCLA: 13--UO: 41
Auer: Why does this game matter? Oh wait, it doesn't. UCLA: 6--UO: 75
Hoying: Win one for Neuheisel, right? Right? Right? Anyone...? Maybe if UCLA brings their A-game and Oregon is caught sleeping...it won't be over by the end of the 1st quarter. UCLA: 6--UO: 63
Schweinfurth: This game will be an absolute slaughter. TheMichael has a big day and jumps back into the Heisman talk. UCLA: 14 -- UO: 52
SEC--LSU Tigers vs. Georgia Bulldogs
Draper: Can it happen? Can we get some more stupid craziness with a Bulldog win that most likely lets 3 SEC teams into the BCS (barf)? No. It can't. It would be funny, but the only reason Georgia is here over South Carolina is that they haven't faced any of the top 3 teams in the SEC West (LSU, Bama, Arkansas). This will be a rude awakening for the Dawgs who have been feeding off the dregs of the SEC. LSU: 41--UGA: 10
Auer: A meaningless game in the grand scheme of things. Some will use its outcome to praise the BCS, others to justify the importance of switching to a playoff system. Me on the other hand, this game will prove why going back to the old bowl system and ties would make more sense. LSU is better than anyone they've played so far this year, and most people think they deserve a spot in the BCS Championship regardless of outcome. It won't matter because they'll win easily. LSU: 35--UGA: 17
Hoying: There hasn't been a game this unimportant for the BCS's top team since Oklahoma - Kansas State in 2003. This would be a perfect trap game for the Tigeouxrs if the SEC East had a single viable candidate. Georgia has put together a nice 10-game win streak, but the best team they faced was Auburn? Georgia Tech? This one's not as cut and dry as the Pac-12 embarrassment, but Georgia doesn't have the tenacity or the defensive fortitude to pull this one out. LSU: 40 -- UGA: 20
Schweinfurth: All LSU has to do in this game is show up and they will play for the National Title. Marc Richt will have the 'Dogs ready to go. If Georgia can limit the big plays and turnovers, this game will be close. Unfortunately for Georgia, that LSU defense is just too good. LSU: 17 -- UGA: 3
ACC--Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Clemson Tigers
Draper: Rematch of another matchup. The Tigers beat the Hokies in Lane Stadium, but now they need to do it AGAIN at a neutral site. Unfortunately for them, Clemson has reemerged as Clemson. Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins are supremely talented, but also supremely inconsistent. The Hokies have beaten NO ONE, but they'll tag Clemson this time to go slaughter the Big East champion. VT: 24--Clem: 17
Auer: VT is the better coached team and it's not even close. I firmly believe the early season loss of the Hokies to the Tigers was a bit of a fluke, but then again, both these teams are a bit flaky. VT wins this one going away. VT: 41--Clem: 20
Hoying: Thanks to Florida State crapping the bed, the Clemson Tigers have been able to skate backwards on their faces into the ACC Championship in a "prove-it" game against their most valiant vanquished opponent. VT, meanwhile, has ridden the cupcake train on the way to crushing the laughable ACC Coastal division. Who wins the rematch? It all depends on whether Clemson decides to be Clemson. They did everything they could in November to escape the Atlantic crown, but fate pushed them to this point. This must be the Tigers' year. VT: 17--Clem: 20
Schweinfurth: Virginia Tech can cap off a very good, albiet quiet, season with yet another ACC Championship. Taj Boyd and Clemson have been a let down (typical for them, I know). I have faith that this is Clemson's year. The Tigers' D is bad, but the offense is explosive. Dabo will get to spout off again. VT: 35 -- Clem: 38
Big 12 (Defacto)--Oklahoma Sooners @ Oklahoma State Cowboys
Draper: Biggest game of the weekend that still means something. If OSU can beat the Sooners soundly, they will (and should) get back in the title talk. I think they can do it. Weeden and Blackmon laid an egg in Ames, but this game surpasses the rest. The Pokes know how to rile the Sooners. This will be hard hitting and really high scoring. Neither defense is worth much, but the Orange Nation in Stillwater tip the offensive scales. A late key turnover sends the Cowboys to the Fiesta at worst and maybe, dare we dream, New Orleans? OU: 45--OSU: 51
Auer: Time for Mike Gundy's team to get off the schnide against OU and beat up on the depleted sooners. This game will come down to turnovers, and OSU's offense will capitalize as they lead the nation in forced turnovers. OU: 28--OSU: 45
Hoying: Who can handle the pressure? Oklahoma State rides in on an 8-game losing streak in the series, but this matchup is potentially the biggest in the history of Cowboy football. Meanwhile, Oklahoma still has a chance to grab their 5th conference title in the last 6 years? Sadly, experience often wins out in such a situation. Big Game Bob and the Sooners are used to these types of clashes, while Okie State's nerves will cause some critical mistakes to doom their title chances and set up the worst. BCS. title. ever. OU: 42--OSU: 38
Schweinfurth: Ahh Bedlam. This game was setting up to be an epic battle of two undefeated only a few weeks ago. Losses to Texas Tech and Baylor have derailed the Sooner Schooner. A loss to Iowa State also knocked the Cowboys out of the national title picture. A win here for OSU would be big and could put them back into the national title game. In true Big 12 fashion, this will be a shootout in Stillwater. OU: 42 -- OSU: 49
CUSA--Southern Miss Golden Eagles @ Houston Cougars
Draper: This was circled as the one game the Cougs could lose, but Southern Miss has recently been exposed as crap after losing to UAB (shocker). Case Keenum will not disappoint and Kevin Sumlin will continue to pad the resume with a BCS game appearance. Let's go 7 TD passes for Keenum just to pad those stats and book a flight to New York....to lose the Heisman to ESPN; I mean Luck. USM: 20--UH:52
Auer: Don't care, not one iota. Houston wins easily in another stat-padding rout. USM:28--UH: 57
Hoying: Hey! Houston is still undefeated! Whoopee! And how about that great Southern Miss win over...SMU...why is this game necessary? USM: 10--UH: 49
Schweinfurth: The Golden Eagles will be the biggest test for the Cougars all year. I expect Case Keenum to continue his tear and score big.
Upset Special:
Draper: Iowa State over Kansas State (not copying Tyler...I swear)
Auer: Texas over Baylor
Hoying: Connecticut over Cincinnati
Schweinfurth: Iowa State over Kansas State
Draper: The first of many rematches....why championship games suck. I expect something very different as the Spartans are totally different when not at home. Wisconsin is the better team and that will be shown here. Bielema will try to feed Ball the ball to get some more Heisman love, but the Spartans will slow him down. Then comes Russell Wilson who will be the difference. Kirk Cousins won't be able to hang around. MSU: 13--UW: 27
Auer: The Spartans found a way to capitalize on the Badgers mistakes, as well as took some serious risks in their surprising win over Wisconsin. Face it, MSU was lucky to win the initial game, and Wiscy has had quite the run of bad luck for being such a talented team. The Badgers win the the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game in style. MSU: 24--UW: 38
Hoying:Let's see, Michigan State has the best conference record in the B1G and a head-to-head win over Wisconsin...the most sensible course of action would be to make them play again! I foresee another classic in this matchup. In such a close contest, the edge goes to the biggest playmaker, which, in this case, is Wisconsin RB Montee Ball, possibly the most outstanding player in college football this season. The Spartan defensive front is talented, but Rex Burkhead was able to have success and the Wisconsin running game is clicking too well. Please let me be wrong. MSU: 27--UW:34
Schweinfurth: Well, it looks like we got the rematch some of the talking heads wanted. The last time these two squared off, it was an epic battle that came down to one of the most exciting finishes in recent memory. This one will not be as close but will have the same result. Last time these two played, Spartan defensive end William Gohlston was suspended. This time he is ready to knock some heads. It will be a tough go for Montee Ball and the Badger offense. MSU: 24 -- UW: 10
Pac 12--UCLA Bruins vs. Oregon Ducks
Draper: 31.5 point favorites are the Ducks...in the championship game...and smart money is probably on them. UCLA is only in this game because USC is ineligible. The Trojans are the only viable candidate in the South. The Bruins will play hard for their recently fired coach, but it won't be enough to overcome the talent of the Ducks. Ducks roll to the Rose Bowl. UCLA: 13--UO: 41
Auer: Why does this game matter? Oh wait, it doesn't. UCLA: 6--UO: 75
Hoying: Win one for Neuheisel, right? Right? Right? Anyone...? Maybe if UCLA brings their A-game and Oregon is caught sleeping...it won't be over by the end of the 1st quarter. UCLA: 6--UO: 63
Schweinfurth: This game will be an absolute slaughter. TheMichael has a big day and jumps back into the Heisman talk. UCLA: 14 -- UO: 52
SEC--LSU Tigers vs. Georgia Bulldogs
Draper: Can it happen? Can we get some more stupid craziness with a Bulldog win that most likely lets 3 SEC teams into the BCS (barf)? No. It can't. It would be funny, but the only reason Georgia is here over South Carolina is that they haven't faced any of the top 3 teams in the SEC West (LSU, Bama, Arkansas). This will be a rude awakening for the Dawgs who have been feeding off the dregs of the SEC. LSU: 41--UGA: 10
Auer: A meaningless game in the grand scheme of things. Some will use its outcome to praise the BCS, others to justify the importance of switching to a playoff system. Me on the other hand, this game will prove why going back to the old bowl system and ties would make more sense. LSU is better than anyone they've played so far this year, and most people think they deserve a spot in the BCS Championship regardless of outcome. It won't matter because they'll win easily. LSU: 35--UGA: 17
Hoying: There hasn't been a game this unimportant for the BCS's top team since Oklahoma - Kansas State in 2003. This would be a perfect trap game for the Tigeouxrs if the SEC East had a single viable candidate. Georgia has put together a nice 10-game win streak, but the best team they faced was Auburn? Georgia Tech? This one's not as cut and dry as the Pac-12 embarrassment, but Georgia doesn't have the tenacity or the defensive fortitude to pull this one out. LSU: 40 -- UGA: 20
Schweinfurth: All LSU has to do in this game is show up and they will play for the National Title. Marc Richt will have the 'Dogs ready to go. If Georgia can limit the big plays and turnovers, this game will be close. Unfortunately for Georgia, that LSU defense is just too good. LSU: 17 -- UGA: 3
ACC--Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Clemson Tigers
Draper: Rematch of another matchup. The Tigers beat the Hokies in Lane Stadium, but now they need to do it AGAIN at a neutral site. Unfortunately for them, Clemson has reemerged as Clemson. Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins are supremely talented, but also supremely inconsistent. The Hokies have beaten NO ONE, but they'll tag Clemson this time to go slaughter the Big East champion. VT: 24--Clem: 17
Auer: VT is the better coached team and it's not even close. I firmly believe the early season loss of the Hokies to the Tigers was a bit of a fluke, but then again, both these teams are a bit flaky. VT wins this one going away. VT: 41--Clem: 20
Hoying: Thanks to Florida State crapping the bed, the Clemson Tigers have been able to skate backwards on their faces into the ACC Championship in a "prove-it" game against their most valiant vanquished opponent. VT, meanwhile, has ridden the cupcake train on the way to crushing the laughable ACC Coastal division. Who wins the rematch? It all depends on whether Clemson decides to be Clemson. They did everything they could in November to escape the Atlantic crown, but fate pushed them to this point. This must be the Tigers' year. VT: 17--Clem: 20
Schweinfurth: Virginia Tech can cap off a very good, albiet quiet, season with yet another ACC Championship. Taj Boyd and Clemson have been a let down (typical for them, I know). I have faith that this is Clemson's year. The Tigers' D is bad, but the offense is explosive. Dabo will get to spout off again. VT: 35 -- Clem: 38
Big 12 (Defacto)--Oklahoma Sooners @ Oklahoma State Cowboys
Draper: Biggest game of the weekend that still means something. If OSU can beat the Sooners soundly, they will (and should) get back in the title talk. I think they can do it. Weeden and Blackmon laid an egg in Ames, but this game surpasses the rest. The Pokes know how to rile the Sooners. This will be hard hitting and really high scoring. Neither defense is worth much, but the Orange Nation in Stillwater tip the offensive scales. A late key turnover sends the Cowboys to the Fiesta at worst and maybe, dare we dream, New Orleans? OU: 45--OSU: 51
Auer: Time for Mike Gundy's team to get off the schnide against OU and beat up on the depleted sooners. This game will come down to turnovers, and OSU's offense will capitalize as they lead the nation in forced turnovers. OU: 28--OSU: 45
Hoying: Who can handle the pressure? Oklahoma State rides in on an 8-game losing streak in the series, but this matchup is potentially the biggest in the history of Cowboy football. Meanwhile, Oklahoma still has a chance to grab their 5th conference title in the last 6 years? Sadly, experience often wins out in such a situation. Big Game Bob and the Sooners are used to these types of clashes, while Okie State's nerves will cause some critical mistakes to doom their title chances and set up the worst. BCS. title. ever. OU: 42--OSU: 38
Schweinfurth: Ahh Bedlam. This game was setting up to be an epic battle of two undefeated only a few weeks ago. Losses to Texas Tech and Baylor have derailed the Sooner Schooner. A loss to Iowa State also knocked the Cowboys out of the national title picture. A win here for OSU would be big and could put them back into the national title game. In true Big 12 fashion, this will be a shootout in Stillwater. OU: 42 -- OSU: 49
CUSA--Southern Miss Golden Eagles @ Houston Cougars
Draper: This was circled as the one game the Cougs could lose, but Southern Miss has recently been exposed as crap after losing to UAB (shocker). Case Keenum will not disappoint and Kevin Sumlin will continue to pad the resume with a BCS game appearance. Let's go 7 TD passes for Keenum just to pad those stats and book a flight to New York....to lose the Heisman to ESPN; I mean Luck. USM: 20--UH:52
Auer: Don't care, not one iota. Houston wins easily in another stat-padding rout. USM:28--UH: 57
Hoying: Hey! Houston is still undefeated! Whoopee! And how about that great Southern Miss win over...SMU...why is this game necessary? USM: 10--UH: 49
Schweinfurth: The Golden Eagles will be the biggest test for the Cougars all year. I expect Case Keenum to continue his tear and score big.
Upset Special:
Draper: Iowa State over Kansas State (not copying Tyler...I swear)
Auer: Texas over Baylor
Hoying: Connecticut over Cincinnati
Schweinfurth: Iowa State over Kansas State
Monday, November 28, 2011
Draper Index--Week 13
Draper Index--Top 25
1) LSU
2) Alabama
3) Oklahoma
4) Oklahoma State
5) Oregon
6) Stanford
7) Boise State
8) Virginia Tech
9) Arkansas
10) USC
11) South Carolina
12) Wisconsin
13) Michigan State
14) TCU
15) Nebraska
16) Georgia
17) Michigan
18) Houston
19) Kansas State
20) Clemson
21) Penn State
22) Auburn
23) Baylor
24) Notre Dame
25) West Virginia
My Ballot
1) LSU
2) Bama
3) Oklahoma State (will move to 2 with win over OU)
4) Stanford
5) Virginia Tech
6) Oregon
7) Oklahoma
8) Boise State
9) Houston
10) Wisconsin
11) Arkansas
12) USC
13) Michigan State
14) South Carolina
15) Kansas State
16) Michigan
17) Georgia
18) Baylor
19) Nebraska
20) TCU
21) Florida State
22) Clemson
23) West Virginia
24) Texas
25) Penn State
BCS Bowl Predictions
BCS National Championship: LSU vs. Bama
Rose: Oregon vs. Wisconsin
Fiesta: Oklahoma State vs. Stanford
Sugar: Michigan* vs. Houston
Orange: Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia
* If UM ends outside the top 14 (real possibility), replace them with Oklahoma
Gator: OSU vs. Florida
1) LSU
2) Alabama
3) Oklahoma
4) Oklahoma State
5) Oregon
6) Stanford
7) Boise State
8) Virginia Tech
9) Arkansas
10) USC
11) South Carolina
12) Wisconsin
13) Michigan State
14) TCU
15) Nebraska
16) Georgia
17) Michigan
18) Houston
19) Kansas State
20) Clemson
21) Penn State
22) Auburn
23) Baylor
24) Notre Dame
25) West Virginia
My Ballot
1) LSU
2) Bama
3) Oklahoma State (will move to 2 with win over OU)
4) Stanford
5) Virginia Tech
6) Oregon
7) Oklahoma
8) Boise State
9) Houston
10) Wisconsin
11) Arkansas
12) USC
13) Michigan State
14) South Carolina
15) Kansas State
16) Michigan
17) Georgia
18) Baylor
19) Nebraska
20) TCU
21) Florida State
22) Clemson
23) West Virginia
24) Texas
25) Penn State
BCS Bowl Predictions
BCS National Championship: LSU vs. Bama
Rose: Oregon vs. Wisconsin
Fiesta: Oklahoma State vs. Stanford
Sugar: Michigan* vs. Houston
Orange: Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia
* If UM ends outside the top 14 (real possibility), replace them with Oklahoma
Gator: OSU vs. Florida
Grading the Buckeyes--Week 13 Michigan
Offense: B
Overall, the offense....did their job. Crazy, but true. It appeared Bollman had already headed out the door with some diversified playcalling. The running game wasn't too hot from the RBs but Boom got his and Miller was electric running. If Miller could throw a deep ball, we may be undefeated with the WRs streaking open deep on every play. A real QB coach will do wonders for that. The O-Line was degenerated, but they had a decent performance. This is the first loss that lays nearly no blame on the offense. The 2-minute drill was disgusting, but that was the only real issue. No turnovers is another plus.
Defense: D
You knew it...I knew it...Everyone in the world knew it. Denard can win the game unless you take him out of his zone. Our defense seemed to help him turn in the performance of his career. The correct defensive playcall is to assign a linebacker or defensive lineman whose one job is to knock Denard down on EVERY PLAY!! He runs the QB belly read perfectly so the only solution is to make the RB beat you and knock him flat. We didn't. Missed tackles, blown coverages, unacceptable at OSU. The Bullets made Denard look like a competent pocket passer....that's on us.
Special Teams: B
Punting fine, kicks fine, coverage fine, returns ok. No complaints, no accolades. Buchanan had ups and downs but nothing that changed the game. Also, can't give credit to OSU for the UM punter's failure.
Coaching: B-
Offensively, up to the last drive, the offensive coaching was just fine. Calling the first slant of the year on 2nd down in a 2 minute drill, and then spiking the ball on 3rd!!!, is simply ridiculous. After 3 quarters of innovation with the offense, we regressed horribly in the final drive. Also, the defensive gameplan of tiptoeing around Denard was completely asinine. To beat him, you must physically beat him down. Force the handoff by selling out on hitting Denard. If the back beats you, tip your cap. The only mistake we could have make was letting Denard beat us running. OSU let him do that, and it was over. The best offensive performance of the year was overshadowed by the worst defensive performance. The team had talent, but it was never utilized...and that's why we now have Meyer. The expectations being laid at his feet are completely crazy, but I'm certainly excited for what he can do with this team. I see great things in the future! GO BUCKS! And Michigan still sucks!
Overall, the offense....did their job. Crazy, but true. It appeared Bollman had already headed out the door with some diversified playcalling. The running game wasn't too hot from the RBs but Boom got his and Miller was electric running. If Miller could throw a deep ball, we may be undefeated with the WRs streaking open deep on every play. A real QB coach will do wonders for that. The O-Line was degenerated, but they had a decent performance. This is the first loss that lays nearly no blame on the offense. The 2-minute drill was disgusting, but that was the only real issue. No turnovers is another plus.
Defense: D
You knew it...I knew it...Everyone in the world knew it. Denard can win the game unless you take him out of his zone. Our defense seemed to help him turn in the performance of his career. The correct defensive playcall is to assign a linebacker or defensive lineman whose one job is to knock Denard down on EVERY PLAY!! He runs the QB belly read perfectly so the only solution is to make the RB beat you and knock him flat. We didn't. Missed tackles, blown coverages, unacceptable at OSU. The Bullets made Denard look like a competent pocket passer....that's on us.
Special Teams: B
Punting fine, kicks fine, coverage fine, returns ok. No complaints, no accolades. Buchanan had ups and downs but nothing that changed the game. Also, can't give credit to OSU for the UM punter's failure.
Coaching: B-
Offensively, up to the last drive, the offensive coaching was just fine. Calling the first slant of the year on 2nd down in a 2 minute drill, and then spiking the ball on 3rd!!!, is simply ridiculous. After 3 quarters of innovation with the offense, we regressed horribly in the final drive. Also, the defensive gameplan of tiptoeing around Denard was completely asinine. To beat him, you must physically beat him down. Force the handoff by selling out on hitting Denard. If the back beats you, tip your cap. The only mistake we could have make was letting Denard beat us running. OSU let him do that, and it was over. The best offensive performance of the year was overshadowed by the worst defensive performance. The team had talent, but it was never utilized...and that's why we now have Meyer. The expectations being laid at his feet are completely crazy, but I'm certainly excited for what he can do with this team. I see great things in the future! GO BUCKS! And Michigan still sucks!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Week 13 Picks--Rivalry Madness
Texas Longhorns @ Texas A&M Aggies
Draper: Thanksgiving ends with a nice rivalry to kick off the weekend. A&M took this game to kick Texas from the ranks of the bowl bound. This year, the game means even less. Kyle Field and the 12th man will be the difference. Tannehill will lead the underachieving Aggies to another win over the vaunted Longhorns. UT: 24--TAMU: 38
Auer: While it may not be the last time these two teams ever meet, but now the Aggies are headed to the SEC. A&M will certainly look back on this season as "What if..." considering four of their five losses came by a total of 15 points... ouch. The Aggies are a better team and will send one final goodbye present to "big brother" in Austin. UT: 18--TAMU: 31
Hoying: If the game goes 30 minutes, bet heavily on the Aggies. Unfortunately, Texas A&M will be forced to come out after halftime and finish a game against a dangerous team looking for a statement win. The Longhorns feature a decent defense but lack the offensive firepower to keep up with Tannehill. Texas dies, Texas dies, and it's goodbye to A&M! Maybe West Virginia can be Texas's crappy rival from now on. UT: 17 -- TAMU: 34Schweinfurth: Aggies (woooo!) and the Longhorns, the battle for Texas. This is the last go 'round for this rivalry as a Big 12 conference game. Texas has shown some life, but is still a middle of the road team. The Aggies (woooo!) are just better and it's at Kyle Field. Aggies (woooo!) barbeque the Horns. UT: 17 -- TAMU: 45
Arkansas Razorbacks @ Louisiana State TigersDraper: The (arguably) biggest game of the weekend is this 'rivalry'. Neither of these teams have an in state rival, but Arkansas is familiar with knocking LSU from the BCS title (until everyone else lost the following week in 2007). This Arkansas team doesn't have Run DMC. Tyler Wilson has been very good except for the game vs. a defense (Bama)...uh oh. I will be rooting like crazy for the Razorbacks to win this and create utter chaos, but it's not going to happen. LSU keeps rolling. Ark: 13--LSU: 23
Auer: Without a doubt LSU has a chance to book their flights to the BCS National Championship game with a win today, regardless of what happens in the SEC Championship game next weekend. I will admit that I've watched R-kansas a grand total of maybe 15 minutes this year, and I didn't see anything that makes me think they can beat LSU in Death Valley. Ark: 7--LSU: 31
Hoying: LSU has indisputably built the best body of work to date, but they have a tough game this week against Ar-Kansas (have a grrreat day). Last time the Tigers came into this one ranked #1 the Razors knocked them down...into the title game. This season is just crazy enough for that scenario to play out again! Arkansas QB Tyler Wilson will test the LSU defense more than McCarron did in Tuscaloosa, but it'll take more than 9 points to match LSU's output against a good-but-not-great Hog defense. This rivalry has produced some of the most exciting clashes in the past 5 years, so let's hope the 1-3 matchup gives a better show than the 1-2 snoozefest earlier this month. Go Razor. Ark: 28--LSU: 21Schweinfurth: SEC gets teams 1, 2, 3 *puke*. But that ends this week. Arkansas has just been steady all year and very quietly putting together a good season. The Razorbacks can send the BCS and the SEC into utter chaos with a win (which I would love to see). Unfortunately, LSU is deserving of the number one ranking. I expect no Les than one fake kick out of Miles and LSU (see what I did there?). Ark: 17 -- LSU: 32
Georgia Bulldogs @ Georgia Tech Yellow JacketsDraper: Clean, Old-fashioned Hate has little implications nationally, but it's always of importance to beat your neighbors. UGA looks forward to an SEC title game that they ascend to thanks to scheduling leaving Bama, LSU, and Arkansas off the schedule. Tech has been flighty but I think the bring the Bulldogs down to earth. Richt will focus on the SEC title and lose sight of the rivalry. Tech has nothing else to look to. Close game taken by Paul Johnson's tricky option. UGA: 27--GT: 28
Auer: I've got a special place in my heart for a team and coach like Paul Johnson. I believe this could end up being the best game of Rivalry Weekend with UGA coming on strong lately, and UGA possibly looking ahead to the SEC Title game, it should be a doozy. Not to mention that the triple option is still a b*tch to defend against. UGA: 31--GT: 38
Hoying: GT looked like an ACC steamroller at the start of this season, until they played a team that had...what's it called...defense. Since then, the Yellow Jackets have looked shaky, taking advantage of a Clemson moment to score a big win. Meanwhile, Georgia has knocked out 8 creampuffs, punctuated with a nice dismantling of a decent Auburn squad. It's simple. One team is getting better, and one team is getting worse (ehhhh...ahhsome). Bulldogs win, again. UGA: 31--GT: 20Schweinfurth: A good old fashioned in-state rivalry. It's the ACC vs. the SEC except in this case I think the better team isn't in the SEC. The Yellow Jackets have a quick strike (!) offense that can effectively shorten any game. It's in the ATL and Johnson is the better coach. UGA: 17 -- GT: 24
Alabama Crimson Tide @ Auburn TigersDraper: Iron Bowl could also provide some intrigue into the SEC/National title. Last year was Bama's shot to derail Auburn and perhaps elevate themselves back into the title hunt and they gagged away a huge lead. This year is all about payback. No Cam Newton=no Auburn win. Saban will be ruthless in this one at home remembering last year. Expect Dyer's running game to be stopped stone cold and the Tide to roll. Aub: 6--Bama: 24
Auer: Alabama is good, Auburn is not. What else needs to be explained? Auburn is a shell of what they were last year, and Gene Chizik should not last much longer in the SEC. Trent Richardson is a beast and may use this game to vault his name to the top of the Heisman Race. Aub: 7--Bama: 37
Hoying: Remember when Auburn beat South Carolina in Columbia? Anyone? Back when the Tigers were living on crazy late-game idiocy from their opponents, this team still had a bright future. Since then, they've been embarrassed by their other not-horrible opponents, losing to Arkansas, LSU, and Georgia by an average of 32 points. The Iron Bowl is always close, but Auburn has neither the offensive firepower to move the ball on the nation's best defense nor the the defensive fortitude to slow down Trent Richardson. This is going to be ugly. Like 2008 Ohio State - Michigan ugly. Aub: 3--Bama: 30Schweinfurth: Ahh the Iron bowl. I want to start off by saying that Auburn is not good and Alabama is. For some reason, Auburn has the ability to keep teams close. Alabama's D will be the difference in the game. This is closer than the experts think and and the Tide keep rolling toward a NC birth. Aub: 7 -- Bama: 13
Penn State Nittany Lions @ Wisconsin BadgersDraper: A berth in the B1G title is on the line in Madison. Penn State has fought through the controversy to win in Columbus for the second time since God knows when. Wisconsin has been rolling since the 2 Hail Mary upsets. This one could get ugly. PSU doesn't have the talent to hang with Wisconsin...and it's in Camp Randall. This is going to be brutal for the players and fans. Bielema doens't know what's happening so will go for 2 when up 40. OSU was lauded for keeping it relatively clean when the Lions came to town (avoiding the jokes/comments about Sanducky); don't expect the Badgers to hold back. Real potential to completely mute the game with the FCC issues of the crowd's chants. South Park's take on the situation will look tame in comparison. PSU: 9--UW: 34
Auer: Penn State now promptly gets to make a fool of themselves (again), after the Buckeyes let them off the hook in Columbus. The Badgers are an outstanding team that honestly should be playing in the BCS Championship game, but some odd losses, yes we got lucky, will keep them from that. PSU will use this game as an opportunity to remind everyone how bad they really are. PSU: 6--UW: 48
Hoying: Here you go, Penn State. One last chance to take a big game and a division title before your university ceases to exist as we know it. Penn State supposedly features the conference's top defense, but the only teams to really move the ball on Wisconsin were an imposter Ohio State squad and a very good Spartan team that Penn State had the fortune to miss. Wisconsin has Russell Wilson and Montee Ball. Penn State has...nasty all-white road uniforms. Bucky lays the beatdown Penn State managed to duck in Columbus. PSU: 0 -- UW: 24Schweinfurth: Penn State, after all the turmoil, the terrible offense, and the removal of JoPa, have rallied and find themselves on the brink of the B1G Championship game. Defense leads the way for the Nittany Lions. Wisconsin has shown this year, that, when up against a decent defense, they struggle. The Lions D is good, but I can't see them winning a third high stress, big game in a row. the Lions keep it close, but Russell and Ball lead the way. PSU: 9 -- UW: 25
Clemson Tigers @ South Carolina GamecocksDraper: Another unsung rivalry. Clemson reminded us that they're still Clemson in a big way by choking at NC State. South Carolina has been forgotten after the loss of Lattimore, but the only reason they're not in the SEC title game is scheduling (beat UGA and lost to Ark and Aub). Home field gives the Head Ball Coach another win. Clem: 24--USC: 31
Auer: Flaky versus Flaky... should be a fun one. Let's look at this how the media will... SEC vs. ACC... automatic win for the SEC squad... and I can't disagree. Clem: 20--USC: 37
Hoying: Welcome to the Head & Shoulders Bowl, featuring the flakiest teams in the SEC and ACC. South Carolina has been able to avoid the bad loss this year, but at the cost of not getting a big win (Georgia in Athens is OK, I suppose). Meanwhile, Tajh Boyd and the Tigers are recovering from pooping the bed against a terrible NC State squad last week. Who has the advantage? Clemson is clearly more talented, but South Carolina has played more cohesively and consistently. Unfortunately, they also happen to be ranked higher than Clemson, so you know what that means. Clem: 31 -- USC: 27Schweinfurth: What happened to Clemson? Well, the Tiger's pulled the typical Clemson choke, going from national title contender to just another underachieving Clemson team. Like all schools, a win in the rivalry can salvage a disappointing season. South Carolina just hasn't been the same team without Lattimore. The Gamecocks keep it close, but Clemson pulls away late. Clem: 45 -- USC: 28
Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Stanford CardinalDraper: Blah, Blah, Blah. Andrew Luck. Everyone says that he will prove Heisman mettle vs. Oregon and ND. He sucked against Oregon and Notre Dame has no defense. Luck will destroy the Irish secondary and will Stefphan Taylor will steam roll. The Irish offense will score some points, but this game is not as close/important and it's hyped. ND: 24--Stan: 35
Auer: My fellow predictors decided to against their favorite homer pick and be realistic for once. Notre Dame is vastly overrated, Brian Kelly has gotten away with far worse than what has been allowed to happen at Penn State, and Stanford is still a much better team. ND: 12--Stan: 38
Hoying: I am always wrong about Notre Dame. I'm Catholic and I hate Stanford's band, so I pick the Irish to lose. ND: 17 -- Stan: 41Schweinfurth: Notre Dame is still an underachieving team and Stanford has Andrew Luck. I don't expect much out of this game except that Luck throws for 4 TDs. ND: 20 -- Stan: 35
Florida State Seminoles @ Florida GatorsDraper: FSU loses another game by a field goal....shocker. Talk about a lost season after all the hype. How do you save it? Beat the Gators. The Gators have also underacheived, and even more than the Noles in my opinion. The Swamp is a huge advantage, but athletically, FSU is just better. Look for the Noles to save their season by winning the State of Florida. Future is bright, but this was a befuddling year. FSU: 31--UF: 23
Auer: Interesting game in a down year for both squads. FSU has more talent this year than UF, but that doesn't always translate to wins, especially on the road in your arch-nemesis' stadium. UF has struggled all year for consistency and could find it here in their regular season finale. FSU: 19-UF: 21
Hoying: How does a state with loads of talent and 4 BCS conference teams manage to produce 4 crappy teams? Florida hasn't been the same since John Brantley went down, and the Noles have had trouble producing against quality competition. Fortunately, the Gators are not quality competition. Expect to see a lot of great defense as FSU pulls out a close one in BHG. FSU: 14--UF: 10Schweinfurth: Has any team been more snake bitten than the Seminoles? FSU loses to Oklahoma and in the process loses some of their best playmakers. Once healthy, the 'Noles miss a FG wide left...again. Redemption is nigh for the 'Noles. Florida is bad, enough said. EJ Manuel has a big day. FSU: 35 -- UF: 17THE Ohio State Buckeyes @ Michigan WolverinesDraper: The Game. After a season of garbage, this is all the matters to Buckeye Nation. Michigan is quietly hanging around by outscoring opponents. Yes, their defense is improved, but the stats are a reflection of poor opponents (the B1G is bad, mmmkay). These teams are remarkably similar (mobile QB who can't pass, passable running game, ok receivers, decent D-line, crap secondary), but UM has decent playcalling while the walrus calling plays for the Buckeyes is killing us. I am not confident at all in this game, but I can't pick the Maize and Blue. I'm going total heart that this Buckeye team will enter the game with one goal: Beat Michigan; Save the Season; Destroy their hopes. GO BUCKS!! BEAT BLUE!! OSU: 20--UM: 17
Auer: A one game season it is. The Buckeyes have literally nothing to play for but pride. Luke Fickell can give on final middle finger to all those clamoring for Urban Meyer, or as I call him, scUM (part II). The Buckeyes have been a modern day version of Jekyll and Hyde, usually with the worst outcome, at the worst possible time. Michigan and it's fans are chomping at the bit to start off the Brady Hoke era with a win. This could either be 8 years of frustration coming to a head, and the Buckeyes getting bounced, and hard... or the squad that beat Wisconsin will make an appearance and keep us on our toes to the very end. OSU: 24--UM: 23
Hoying: The game of IF
IF the offensive line can get a good push at the line of scrimmage and handle the talented Wolverine D Line, the Buckeyes can have success running the ball, as the talent on the Michigan D drops off from there. If not, expect a long day of sacks, fumbles, and overall confusion out of the scarlet and gray.
IF the play-calling is creative and situation-appropriate, the vision and power of Boom, the escapability of Braxton, and the penetrating instincts of Posey will mold the Buckeye offense into the juggernaut we saw against Wisconsin and Nebraska. If not, expect 2nd and 9, 2nd and 11, and lots of punts (if we're lucky, and hopefully not from the Michigan 35).
IF the linebackers remember how to tackle, arrange themselves intelligently pre-snap, and take good pursuit angles, Denard's potential will be severely limited, and his frustration will lead to a few key turnovers. If not, Shoelace will shred the secondary with his legs and even his arm. Just ask Nebraska.
IF these pieces can come together, the Buckeyes are more than talented enough to take down Meatchicken for the 8th straight year. OSU: 28--UM: 20If not, at least we'll have Urban Meyer next time.
Schweinfurth: The one game I point to on the calendar every year. This is the first time in since Cooper was the coach that I am actually scared about this game. Both teams are identical. Both QBs can't, or aren't allowed to throw the ball. Both teams have young and questionable defenses. The Walrus, in his last game calling plays, unleashes the full force of Braxton Miller. Denard Robinson is broken in half by Ryan "The Razor" Shazier and the band rushes the field again!!! GO BUCKS, BEAT BLUE!!!!!
OSU: 1234478972 -- UM: -7 (Hoke ate the ball and the Wolverines are penalized for it)
Upset Specials:
Draper: UVA over Va Tech, Tulsa over Houston
Auer: Northwestern over Michigan State, Ohio State over Michigan
Hoying: Boston College over Miami, and 4 freaking upsets aboveSchweinfurth: Lions over the Packers!!!
Draper: Thanksgiving ends with a nice rivalry to kick off the weekend. A&M took this game to kick Texas from the ranks of the bowl bound. This year, the game means even less. Kyle Field and the 12th man will be the difference. Tannehill will lead the underachieving Aggies to another win over the vaunted Longhorns. UT: 24--TAMU: 38
Auer: While it may not be the last time these two teams ever meet, but now the Aggies are headed to the SEC. A&M will certainly look back on this season as "What if..." considering four of their five losses came by a total of 15 points... ouch. The Aggies are a better team and will send one final goodbye present to "big brother" in Austin. UT: 18--TAMU: 31
Hoying: If the game goes 30 minutes, bet heavily on the Aggies. Unfortunately, Texas A&M will be forced to come out after halftime and finish a game against a dangerous team looking for a statement win. The Longhorns feature a decent defense but lack the offensive firepower to keep up with Tannehill. Texas dies, Texas dies, and it's goodbye to A&M! Maybe West Virginia can be Texas's crappy rival from now on. UT: 17 -- TAMU: 34Schweinfurth: Aggies (woooo!) and the Longhorns, the battle for Texas. This is the last go 'round for this rivalry as a Big 12 conference game. Texas has shown some life, but is still a middle of the road team. The Aggies (woooo!) are just better and it's at Kyle Field. Aggies (woooo!) barbeque the Horns. UT: 17 -- TAMU: 45
Arkansas Razorbacks @ Louisiana State TigersDraper: The (arguably) biggest game of the weekend is this 'rivalry'. Neither of these teams have an in state rival, but Arkansas is familiar with knocking LSU from the BCS title (until everyone else lost the following week in 2007). This Arkansas team doesn't have Run DMC. Tyler Wilson has been very good except for the game vs. a defense (Bama)...uh oh. I will be rooting like crazy for the Razorbacks to win this and create utter chaos, but it's not going to happen. LSU keeps rolling. Ark: 13--LSU: 23
Auer: Without a doubt LSU has a chance to book their flights to the BCS National Championship game with a win today, regardless of what happens in the SEC Championship game next weekend. I will admit that I've watched R-kansas a grand total of maybe 15 minutes this year, and I didn't see anything that makes me think they can beat LSU in Death Valley. Ark: 7--LSU: 31
Hoying: LSU has indisputably built the best body of work to date, but they have a tough game this week against Ar-Kansas (have a grrreat day). Last time the Tigers came into this one ranked #1 the Razors knocked them down...into the title game. This season is just crazy enough for that scenario to play out again! Arkansas QB Tyler Wilson will test the LSU defense more than McCarron did in Tuscaloosa, but it'll take more than 9 points to match LSU's output against a good-but-not-great Hog defense. This rivalry has produced some of the most exciting clashes in the past 5 years, so let's hope the 1-3 matchup gives a better show than the 1-2 snoozefest earlier this month. Go Razor. Ark: 28--LSU: 21Schweinfurth: SEC gets teams 1, 2, 3 *puke*. But that ends this week. Arkansas has just been steady all year and very quietly putting together a good season. The Razorbacks can send the BCS and the SEC into utter chaos with a win (which I would love to see). Unfortunately, LSU is deserving of the number one ranking. I expect no Les than one fake kick out of Miles and LSU (see what I did there?). Ark: 17 -- LSU: 32
Georgia Bulldogs @ Georgia Tech Yellow JacketsDraper: Clean, Old-fashioned Hate has little implications nationally, but it's always of importance to beat your neighbors. UGA looks forward to an SEC title game that they ascend to thanks to scheduling leaving Bama, LSU, and Arkansas off the schedule. Tech has been flighty but I think the bring the Bulldogs down to earth. Richt will focus on the SEC title and lose sight of the rivalry. Tech has nothing else to look to. Close game taken by Paul Johnson's tricky option. UGA: 27--GT: 28
Auer: I've got a special place in my heart for a team and coach like Paul Johnson. I believe this could end up being the best game of Rivalry Weekend with UGA coming on strong lately, and UGA possibly looking ahead to the SEC Title game, it should be a doozy. Not to mention that the triple option is still a b*tch to defend against. UGA: 31--GT: 38
Hoying: GT looked like an ACC steamroller at the start of this season, until they played a team that had...what's it called...defense. Since then, the Yellow Jackets have looked shaky, taking advantage of a Clemson moment to score a big win. Meanwhile, Georgia has knocked out 8 creampuffs, punctuated with a nice dismantling of a decent Auburn squad. It's simple. One team is getting better, and one team is getting worse (ehhhh...ahhsome). Bulldogs win, again. UGA: 31--GT: 20Schweinfurth: A good old fashioned in-state rivalry. It's the ACC vs. the SEC except in this case I think the better team isn't in the SEC. The Yellow Jackets have a quick strike (!) offense that can effectively shorten any game. It's in the ATL and Johnson is the better coach. UGA: 17 -- GT: 24
Alabama Crimson Tide @ Auburn TigersDraper: Iron Bowl could also provide some intrigue into the SEC/National title. Last year was Bama's shot to derail Auburn and perhaps elevate themselves back into the title hunt and they gagged away a huge lead. This year is all about payback. No Cam Newton=no Auburn win. Saban will be ruthless in this one at home remembering last year. Expect Dyer's running game to be stopped stone cold and the Tide to roll. Aub: 6--Bama: 24
Auer: Alabama is good, Auburn is not. What else needs to be explained? Auburn is a shell of what they were last year, and Gene Chizik should not last much longer in the SEC. Trent Richardson is a beast and may use this game to vault his name to the top of the Heisman Race. Aub: 7--Bama: 37
Hoying: Remember when Auburn beat South Carolina in Columbia? Anyone? Back when the Tigers were living on crazy late-game idiocy from their opponents, this team still had a bright future. Since then, they've been embarrassed by their other not-horrible opponents, losing to Arkansas, LSU, and Georgia by an average of 32 points. The Iron Bowl is always close, but Auburn has neither the offensive firepower to move the ball on the nation's best defense nor the the defensive fortitude to slow down Trent Richardson. This is going to be ugly. Like 2008 Ohio State - Michigan ugly. Aub: 3--Bama: 30Schweinfurth: Ahh the Iron bowl. I want to start off by saying that Auburn is not good and Alabama is. For some reason, Auburn has the ability to keep teams close. Alabama's D will be the difference in the game. This is closer than the experts think and and the Tide keep rolling toward a NC birth. Aub: 7 -- Bama: 13
Penn State Nittany Lions @ Wisconsin BadgersDraper: A berth in the B1G title is on the line in Madison. Penn State has fought through the controversy to win in Columbus for the second time since God knows when. Wisconsin has been rolling since the 2 Hail Mary upsets. This one could get ugly. PSU doesn't have the talent to hang with Wisconsin...and it's in Camp Randall. This is going to be brutal for the players and fans. Bielema doens't know what's happening so will go for 2 when up 40. OSU was lauded for keeping it relatively clean when the Lions came to town (avoiding the jokes/comments about Sanducky); don't expect the Badgers to hold back. Real potential to completely mute the game with the FCC issues of the crowd's chants. South Park's take on the situation will look tame in comparison. PSU: 9--UW: 34
Auer: Penn State now promptly gets to make a fool of themselves (again), after the Buckeyes let them off the hook in Columbus. The Badgers are an outstanding team that honestly should be playing in the BCS Championship game, but some odd losses, yes we got lucky, will keep them from that. PSU will use this game as an opportunity to remind everyone how bad they really are. PSU: 6--UW: 48
Hoying: Here you go, Penn State. One last chance to take a big game and a division title before your university ceases to exist as we know it. Penn State supposedly features the conference's top defense, but the only teams to really move the ball on Wisconsin were an imposter Ohio State squad and a very good Spartan team that Penn State had the fortune to miss. Wisconsin has Russell Wilson and Montee Ball. Penn State has...nasty all-white road uniforms. Bucky lays the beatdown Penn State managed to duck in Columbus. PSU: 0 -- UW: 24Schweinfurth: Penn State, after all the turmoil, the terrible offense, and the removal of JoPa, have rallied and find themselves on the brink of the B1G Championship game. Defense leads the way for the Nittany Lions. Wisconsin has shown this year, that, when up against a decent defense, they struggle. The Lions D is good, but I can't see them winning a third high stress, big game in a row. the Lions keep it close, but Russell and Ball lead the way. PSU: 9 -- UW: 25
Clemson Tigers @ South Carolina GamecocksDraper: Another unsung rivalry. Clemson reminded us that they're still Clemson in a big way by choking at NC State. South Carolina has been forgotten after the loss of Lattimore, but the only reason they're not in the SEC title game is scheduling (beat UGA and lost to Ark and Aub). Home field gives the Head Ball Coach another win. Clem: 24--USC: 31
Auer: Flaky versus Flaky... should be a fun one. Let's look at this how the media will... SEC vs. ACC... automatic win for the SEC squad... and I can't disagree. Clem: 20--USC: 37
Hoying: Welcome to the Head & Shoulders Bowl, featuring the flakiest teams in the SEC and ACC. South Carolina has been able to avoid the bad loss this year, but at the cost of not getting a big win (Georgia in Athens is OK, I suppose). Meanwhile, Tajh Boyd and the Tigers are recovering from pooping the bed against a terrible NC State squad last week. Who has the advantage? Clemson is clearly more talented, but South Carolina has played more cohesively and consistently. Unfortunately, they also happen to be ranked higher than Clemson, so you know what that means. Clem: 31 -- USC: 27Schweinfurth: What happened to Clemson? Well, the Tiger's pulled the typical Clemson choke, going from national title contender to just another underachieving Clemson team. Like all schools, a win in the rivalry can salvage a disappointing season. South Carolina just hasn't been the same team without Lattimore. The Gamecocks keep it close, but Clemson pulls away late. Clem: 45 -- USC: 28
Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Stanford CardinalDraper: Blah, Blah, Blah. Andrew Luck. Everyone says that he will prove Heisman mettle vs. Oregon and ND. He sucked against Oregon and Notre Dame has no defense. Luck will destroy the Irish secondary and will Stefphan Taylor will steam roll. The Irish offense will score some points, but this game is not as close/important and it's hyped. ND: 24--Stan: 35
Auer: My fellow predictors decided to against their favorite homer pick and be realistic for once. Notre Dame is vastly overrated, Brian Kelly has gotten away with far worse than what has been allowed to happen at Penn State, and Stanford is still a much better team. ND: 12--Stan: 38
Hoying: I am always wrong about Notre Dame. I'm Catholic and I hate Stanford's band, so I pick the Irish to lose. ND: 17 -- Stan: 41Schweinfurth: Notre Dame is still an underachieving team and Stanford has Andrew Luck. I don't expect much out of this game except that Luck throws for 4 TDs. ND: 20 -- Stan: 35
Florida State Seminoles @ Florida GatorsDraper: FSU loses another game by a field goal....shocker. Talk about a lost season after all the hype. How do you save it? Beat the Gators. The Gators have also underacheived, and even more than the Noles in my opinion. The Swamp is a huge advantage, but athletically, FSU is just better. Look for the Noles to save their season by winning the State of Florida. Future is bright, but this was a befuddling year. FSU: 31--UF: 23
Auer: Interesting game in a down year for both squads. FSU has more talent this year than UF, but that doesn't always translate to wins, especially on the road in your arch-nemesis' stadium. UF has struggled all year for consistency and could find it here in their regular season finale. FSU: 19-UF: 21
Hoying: How does a state with loads of talent and 4 BCS conference teams manage to produce 4 crappy teams? Florida hasn't been the same since John Brantley went down, and the Noles have had trouble producing against quality competition. Fortunately, the Gators are not quality competition. Expect to see a lot of great defense as FSU pulls out a close one in BHG. FSU: 14--UF: 10Schweinfurth: Has any team been more snake bitten than the Seminoles? FSU loses to Oklahoma and in the process loses some of their best playmakers. Once healthy, the 'Noles miss a FG wide left...again. Redemption is nigh for the 'Noles. Florida is bad, enough said. EJ Manuel has a big day. FSU: 35 -- UF: 17THE Ohio State Buckeyes @ Michigan WolverinesDraper: The Game. After a season of garbage, this is all the matters to Buckeye Nation. Michigan is quietly hanging around by outscoring opponents. Yes, their defense is improved, but the stats are a reflection of poor opponents (the B1G is bad, mmmkay). These teams are remarkably similar (mobile QB who can't pass, passable running game, ok receivers, decent D-line, crap secondary), but UM has decent playcalling while the walrus calling plays for the Buckeyes is killing us. I am not confident at all in this game, but I can't pick the Maize and Blue. I'm going total heart that this Buckeye team will enter the game with one goal: Beat Michigan; Save the Season; Destroy their hopes. GO BUCKS!! BEAT BLUE!! OSU: 20--UM: 17
Auer: A one game season it is. The Buckeyes have literally nothing to play for but pride. Luke Fickell can give on final middle finger to all those clamoring for Urban Meyer, or as I call him, scUM (part II). The Buckeyes have been a modern day version of Jekyll and Hyde, usually with the worst outcome, at the worst possible time. Michigan and it's fans are chomping at the bit to start off the Brady Hoke era with a win. This could either be 8 years of frustration coming to a head, and the Buckeyes getting bounced, and hard... or the squad that beat Wisconsin will make an appearance and keep us on our toes to the very end. OSU: 24--UM: 23
Hoying: The game of IF
IF the offensive line can get a good push at the line of scrimmage and handle the talented Wolverine D Line, the Buckeyes can have success running the ball, as the talent on the Michigan D drops off from there. If not, expect a long day of sacks, fumbles, and overall confusion out of the scarlet and gray.
IF the play-calling is creative and situation-appropriate, the vision and power of Boom, the escapability of Braxton, and the penetrating instincts of Posey will mold the Buckeye offense into the juggernaut we saw against Wisconsin and Nebraska. If not, expect 2nd and 9, 2nd and 11, and lots of punts (if we're lucky, and hopefully not from the Michigan 35).
IF the linebackers remember how to tackle, arrange themselves intelligently pre-snap, and take good pursuit angles, Denard's potential will be severely limited, and his frustration will lead to a few key turnovers. If not, Shoelace will shred the secondary with his legs and even his arm. Just ask Nebraska.
IF these pieces can come together, the Buckeyes are more than talented enough to take down Meatchicken for the 8th straight year. OSU: 28--UM: 20If not, at least we'll have Urban Meyer next time.
Schweinfurth: The one game I point to on the calendar every year. This is the first time in since Cooper was the coach that I am actually scared about this game. Both teams are identical. Both QBs can't, or aren't allowed to throw the ball. Both teams have young and questionable defenses. The Walrus, in his last game calling plays, unleashes the full force of Braxton Miller. Denard Robinson is broken in half by Ryan "The Razor" Shazier and the band rushes the field again!!! GO BUCKS, BEAT BLUE!!!!!
OSU: 1234478972 -- UM: -7 (Hoke ate the ball and the Wolverines are penalized for it)
Upset Specials:
Draper: UVA over Va Tech, Tulsa over Houston
Auer: Northwestern over Michigan State, Ohio State over Michigan
Hoying: Boston College over Miami, and 4 freaking upsets aboveSchweinfurth: Lions over the Packers!!!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Five Thoughts on the Week that was--Week 12
1) Chaos has doomed us to a rematch
All the rooting for the underdogs this past week has essentially sewn up an all SEC title. Are they the best teams in the country? Maybe. Is it definite? No. I will be rooting to absolute brutal chaos this weekend and next. If Arkansas beats LSU and the underdogs win in the conference title games, it's absolutely nuts. That being said, OU/OSU means significantly less; Oregon is out; Clemson is out. The only chance to avoid the punter's rematch is for Ok State to blow out Oklahoma and get lucky. I hope the voters avoid the rematch, but they may not have a choice. SEC is the best we have this year, but they don't stack up to the great teams of the decade let alone history.
2) The one problem of the BCS is that Bama's road to the title game is easier than LSU's (yes, playoffs dilute the season but rule changes could help).
Yes, I like the BCS in principle. I do not wholly support a playoff because I'd rather ensure that my title recipient deserves it (even if it excludes a team or two that also deserves it). A playoff allows teams to sneak away with championships (Steelers, Packers, Giants in football and Cardinals in baseball). The playoffs showed that a team can get hot and not necessarily be the best team but be crowned champion. This year's problem is that non-conference champion (Bama) has the easiest path to the title. They need not play an extra game because they lost at home to LSU. LSU is 'punished' with another game. I wouldn't be opposed to requiring BCS title participants win their conference. In regards to griping this year, there is only 1 team that can (potentially) complain about being 'left out': Houston. Everyone else has a loss so the remaining argument among 1-loss teams could have been avoided by winning all the games. Houston has a crap schedule so their argument is valid yet weak. Every season is a playoff is the argument for BCS apologists which isn't that bad an argument. Without the BCS, Oregon's game vs. USC is a seeding game, not an elimination game. Same with Bedlam (if they didn't suck last week). BCS requires your champion to be worthy while the playoff makes sure all worthy (and some unworthy) have a chance. It's a tradeoff that can't be solved with one system, but Bama's road being easier than LSU's is unfair.
3) RG3 finally had a Heisman quality moment/win
Andrew Luck was/is the Heisman frontrunner all year due to media hype and NFL potential. Is it deserved? For the NFL? Sure. For the Heisman? No. His stats are weak against a bad schedule. Many have pointed to Robert Griffin III as a potential contender but his low exposure and losses have buried him. Now he is resurrected by the upset of Oklahoma. Without the OU win, RG3 had no chance (fair or not), now.... He's right there. If the voters are fair, they should give him a second and third look. His stats are incredible against decent competition and he finally led his team to a HUGE win. I think it's time to jump off the Luck bandwagon. Hype shouldn't determine the greatest individual award in sport.
4) Urban Meyer will be the next coach at Ohio State in 2012.
Read between the lines. It's a done deal. Yes, he's denied 'being offered or accepting a job', but that doesn't mean that hypotheticals haven't been discussed and/or agreed upon in principle. Chris Spielman is his commentating partner so you know it's been discussed around the meeting room table. He will return home to Ohio to lead the Buckeyes in the next phase of success. ESPiN has even taken Meyer out of the 'field' and put him behind a desk due to the rumors. OSU must wait until the season is over to be fair to the coaching staff and players, but it's done. Fickell will be asked to hang around and we'll see what happens, but look for new excitement in Columbus.
5) Rivalries can make or break a season
OSU/Michigan, enough said. This season has been nothing but disappointment for the Scarlet and Gray but all wounds are healed by 1 game. If the Buckeyes beat the Wolverines, this year, Fickell's short tenure as head coach, and this senior class legacy will go down as a success. Without it, everything fails. Auburn can derail Bama's title dreams. The Cowboys can send the Sooners crying and stay in the hunt or be relegated to mediocrity. Gators vs. Noles is for Florida (and recruiting) supremacy. It's all that matters. In the NFL, the Superbowl is the only thing that matters. In college, the title matters, but for most teams who won't get that shot, the rivalry defines the season. So eat the turkey and cheer for your team. Let's break the 3000 day barrier for days since that school up north has beaten THE Ohio State University. It's all we have left....but it's enough.
All the rooting for the underdogs this past week has essentially sewn up an all SEC title. Are they the best teams in the country? Maybe. Is it definite? No. I will be rooting to absolute brutal chaos this weekend and next. If Arkansas beats LSU and the underdogs win in the conference title games, it's absolutely nuts. That being said, OU/OSU means significantly less; Oregon is out; Clemson is out. The only chance to avoid the punter's rematch is for Ok State to blow out Oklahoma and get lucky. I hope the voters avoid the rematch, but they may not have a choice. SEC is the best we have this year, but they don't stack up to the great teams of the decade let alone history.
2) The one problem of the BCS is that Bama's road to the title game is easier than LSU's (yes, playoffs dilute the season but rule changes could help).
Yes, I like the BCS in principle. I do not wholly support a playoff because I'd rather ensure that my title recipient deserves it (even if it excludes a team or two that also deserves it). A playoff allows teams to sneak away with championships (Steelers, Packers, Giants in football and Cardinals in baseball). The playoffs showed that a team can get hot and not necessarily be the best team but be crowned champion. This year's problem is that non-conference champion (Bama) has the easiest path to the title. They need not play an extra game because they lost at home to LSU. LSU is 'punished' with another game. I wouldn't be opposed to requiring BCS title participants win their conference. In regards to griping this year, there is only 1 team that can (potentially) complain about being 'left out': Houston. Everyone else has a loss so the remaining argument among 1-loss teams could have been avoided by winning all the games. Houston has a crap schedule so their argument is valid yet weak. Every season is a playoff is the argument for BCS apologists which isn't that bad an argument. Without the BCS, Oregon's game vs. USC is a seeding game, not an elimination game. Same with Bedlam (if they didn't suck last week). BCS requires your champion to be worthy while the playoff makes sure all worthy (and some unworthy) have a chance. It's a tradeoff that can't be solved with one system, but Bama's road being easier than LSU's is unfair.
3) RG3 finally had a Heisman quality moment/win
Andrew Luck was/is the Heisman frontrunner all year due to media hype and NFL potential. Is it deserved? For the NFL? Sure. For the Heisman? No. His stats are weak against a bad schedule. Many have pointed to Robert Griffin III as a potential contender but his low exposure and losses have buried him. Now he is resurrected by the upset of Oklahoma. Without the OU win, RG3 had no chance (fair or not), now.... He's right there. If the voters are fair, they should give him a second and third look. His stats are incredible against decent competition and he finally led his team to a HUGE win. I think it's time to jump off the Luck bandwagon. Hype shouldn't determine the greatest individual award in sport.
4) Urban Meyer will be the next coach at Ohio State in 2012.
Read between the lines. It's a done deal. Yes, he's denied 'being offered or accepting a job', but that doesn't mean that hypotheticals haven't been discussed and/or agreed upon in principle. Chris Spielman is his commentating partner so you know it's been discussed around the meeting room table. He will return home to Ohio to lead the Buckeyes in the next phase of success. ESPiN has even taken Meyer out of the 'field' and put him behind a desk due to the rumors. OSU must wait until the season is over to be fair to the coaching staff and players, but it's done. Fickell will be asked to hang around and we'll see what happens, but look for new excitement in Columbus.
5) Rivalries can make or break a season
OSU/Michigan, enough said. This season has been nothing but disappointment for the Scarlet and Gray but all wounds are healed by 1 game. If the Buckeyes beat the Wolverines, this year, Fickell's short tenure as head coach, and this senior class legacy will go down as a success. Without it, everything fails. Auburn can derail Bama's title dreams. The Cowboys can send the Sooners crying and stay in the hunt or be relegated to mediocrity. Gators vs. Noles is for Florida (and recruiting) supremacy. It's all that matters. In the NFL, the Superbowl is the only thing that matters. In college, the title matters, but for most teams who won't get that shot, the rivalry defines the season. So eat the turkey and cheer for your team. Let's break the 3000 day barrier for days since that school up north has beaten THE Ohio State University. It's all we have left....but it's enough.
Grading the Bucks--Week 12 Penn State
Offense: C-
The one good thing about this game is we won't have to see Jim Bollman in the Shoe ever again. Playcalling was as expected with unimaginative runs up the middle on most of the plays. Surprisingly poor play our of Senior Mike Brewster was offputting to say the least. Also, the return of Posey is quite infuriating seeing the impact he has on the field. If only he wasn't so stupid, perhaps a few more wins could have been squeezed out of this trying season. Braxton can still run but his passing is not up to FBS standards let alone OSU. He is late on throws and they are consistently off target. The bomb to Philly Brown should have been caught, but had it been thrown early, he's wide open and waltzes into the endzone. Hopefully defenses don't realize that our option plays consist of Option 1: Miller run and Option 2: Miller run. The turnovers killed us (Hyde and Hall....looking at you). More to come on this in the coaching section.
Defense: B-
2nd half featured some play by the Bullets. The goal line stand was spectacular but that can't hold up against the missed tackles and poor pursuit angles in the first half. The first TD by PSU was blamed on the Lion wildcat but it was really a sense of poor angles (see Orhian Johnson). The PSU running game was sufficiently bottled up (except for the wildcat). McGloin clearly can't pass but our secondary makes anyone look like Montana. Travis Howard went back to being beaten every play then bringing the wood...too late. Opposing offenses have learned to avoid the beasts inside of Simon and Hankins and just pick on the edges of our defense. Quick releases and screens nullify the pass rush....if only we could figure that out.
Special Teams: B-
Nothing good, nothing bad. Can't comment much here. Buchanan was inexplicably sent in to punt at the OSU 38 and it sailed 10 yards deep. That's a loss for the special teams unit. Nice tackling but nothing else of note.
Coaching: D-
Slants, screens, sneaks, short passes, etc. These are all illegal for the Buckeyes according to the coaches. How do you get a young, inexperienced and semi-talented QB used to throwing the ball? Run quick routes or screens. Miller can't get in a groove or get used to reading defenses because the routes drawn up take way to long to develop. The most glaring error is the incredibly stupid/forced use of the wildcat. What is the purpose of the wildcat? To get the ball into the running backs hand earlier so he can make something happen. Who is our best runner? OUR QB!!! You can run the 'wildcat' with Miller. It's call a QB draw! There's no need to bring Hall or Hyde in to take the snap. Just call the 'wildcat' plays with our best player taking the snap. OSU has dropped from the top 20 in total offense in 2010 to the bottom 20 this year. How big the impact the loss of one head coach can make. Great defensive adjustments at half, but the whole offensive staff is bye bye. To whom it may concern: Urban Meyer will be the coach of OSU next year, it has been discussed (not 'officially'), and most likely agreed upon by both parties (in 'principle'). Read his statements and he doesn't deny the possibility. It will happen. Just wait and let this team and staff finish the season. Fickell deserves this last hurrah and let's face it, this game is all that matters. Fickell's short tenure at OSU will be completely ruled by the outcome of this next game. GO OHIO, BEAT MICHIGAN!!!
The one good thing about this game is we won't have to see Jim Bollman in the Shoe ever again. Playcalling was as expected with unimaginative runs up the middle on most of the plays. Surprisingly poor play our of Senior Mike Brewster was offputting to say the least. Also, the return of Posey is quite infuriating seeing the impact he has on the field. If only he wasn't so stupid, perhaps a few more wins could have been squeezed out of this trying season. Braxton can still run but his passing is not up to FBS standards let alone OSU. He is late on throws and they are consistently off target. The bomb to Philly Brown should have been caught, but had it been thrown early, he's wide open and waltzes into the endzone. Hopefully defenses don't realize that our option plays consist of Option 1: Miller run and Option 2: Miller run. The turnovers killed us (Hyde and Hall....looking at you). More to come on this in the coaching section.
Defense: B-
2nd half featured some play by the Bullets. The goal line stand was spectacular but that can't hold up against the missed tackles and poor pursuit angles in the first half. The first TD by PSU was blamed on the Lion wildcat but it was really a sense of poor angles (see Orhian Johnson). The PSU running game was sufficiently bottled up (except for the wildcat). McGloin clearly can't pass but our secondary makes anyone look like Montana. Travis Howard went back to being beaten every play then bringing the wood...too late. Opposing offenses have learned to avoid the beasts inside of Simon and Hankins and just pick on the edges of our defense. Quick releases and screens nullify the pass rush....if only we could figure that out.
Special Teams: B-
Nothing good, nothing bad. Can't comment much here. Buchanan was inexplicably sent in to punt at the OSU 38 and it sailed 10 yards deep. That's a loss for the special teams unit. Nice tackling but nothing else of note.
Coaching: D-
Slants, screens, sneaks, short passes, etc. These are all illegal for the Buckeyes according to the coaches. How do you get a young, inexperienced and semi-talented QB used to throwing the ball? Run quick routes or screens. Miller can't get in a groove or get used to reading defenses because the routes drawn up take way to long to develop. The most glaring error is the incredibly stupid/forced use of the wildcat. What is the purpose of the wildcat? To get the ball into the running backs hand earlier so he can make something happen. Who is our best runner? OUR QB!!! You can run the 'wildcat' with Miller. It's call a QB draw! There's no need to bring Hall or Hyde in to take the snap. Just call the 'wildcat' plays with our best player taking the snap. OSU has dropped from the top 20 in total offense in 2010 to the bottom 20 this year. How big the impact the loss of one head coach can make. Great defensive adjustments at half, but the whole offensive staff is bye bye. To whom it may concern: Urban Meyer will be the coach of OSU next year, it has been discussed (not 'officially'), and most likely agreed upon by both parties (in 'principle'). Read his statements and he doesn't deny the possibility. It will happen. Just wait and let this team and staff finish the season. Fickell deserves this last hurrah and let's face it, this game is all that matters. Fickell's short tenure at OSU will be completely ruled by the outcome of this next game. GO OHIO, BEAT MICHIGAN!!!
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