Rankings, as always, are based on what teams have done so far, not how we believe they will finish. Leave us a comment and tell us who ain't played nobody, Pawwwwwwwwl.
Let's Go Bucks Index
1a. Alabama
1b. Georgia
3a. Notre Dame
3b. Ohio State
5. Wisconsin
6. Clemson
7. Miami
8. Oklahoma
9. Penn State
10. TCU
11. Oklahoma State
12. Virginia Tech
13. Iowa State
14. Washington
15. UCF
16. USC
17. Auburn
18. Mississippi State
19. Michigan State
20a. Arizona
20b. NC State
20c. Stanford
23a. LSU
23b. Washington State
25. Memphis
Others receiving votes: NC State, South Carolina, South Florida, Michigan
Let's Go Bucks Index
1. JT Barrett (QB--Ohio State)
2a. Bryce Love (RB--Stanford)
2b. Baker Mayfield (QB--Oklahoma)
Draper
Top 25
1. Georgia
2. Alabama
3. Notre Dame
4. Ohio State
5. Clemson
6. Wisconsin
7. Oklahoma
8. TCU
9. Penn State
10. Miami
11. Oklahoma State
12. Virginia Tech
13. Iowa State
14. Washington
15. USC
16. Mississippi State
17. LSU
18. Auburn
19. NC State
20. UCF
21. Arizona
22. Washington State
23. Michigan State
24. Stanford
25. Memphis
Heisman Ballot
1. Baker Mayfield (QB: OU)
2. J. T. Barrett IV (QB: OSU)
3. Saquon Barkley (RB: PSU)
Hoying
Top 25
1. Georgia
2. Alabama
3. Wisconsin
4. Miami
5. Notre Dame
6. Clemson
7. Ohio State
8. Penn State
9. TCU
10. Oklahoma
11. UCF
12. Virginia Tech
13. Oklahoma State
14. Iowa State
15. Auburn
16. Mississippi State
17. Michigan State
18. Memphis
19. Washington State
20. USC
21. South Carolina
22. Washington
23. NC State
24. LSU
25. Arizona
Heisman Ballot
1. Baker Mayfield (QB--Oklahoma)
2. JT Barrett (QB--Ohio State)
3. Bryce Love (RB--Stanford)
Schweinfurth
Top 25
1. Alabama
2. Georgia
3. Oklahoma
4. OSU
5. Notre Dame
6. Miami
7. Clemson
8. TCU
9. Penn State
10. Wisconsin
11. Oklahoma State
12. Washington
13. USC
14. Iowa State
15. N. C. State
16. UCF
17. Virginia Tech
18. Stanford
19. Arizona
20. Michigan State
21. Washington State
22. LSU
23. Memphis
24. Mississippi State
25. Michigan
Heisman Ballot
1. J.T. Barrett, QB Ohio State
2. Bryce Love, RB Stanford
3. Saquon Barkley, RB Penn State
Seeberg
Top 25
1. Alabama
2. Georgia
3. Ohio State
4. Wisconsin
5. Notre Dame
6. Clemson
7. Virginia Tech
8. Miami
9. Oklahoma
10. Penn State
11. Oklahoma State
12. Washington
13. Iowa State
14. TCU
15. Auburn
16. UCF
17. USC
18. Stanford
19. NC State
20. Mississippi State
21. Arizona
22. Michigan State
23. South Florida
24. Memphis
25. LSU
Heisman Ballot
1.) Bryce Love, RB Stanford
2.) J.T. Barrett, QB Ohio State
3.) Josh Adams, RB Notre Dame
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Friday, October 27, 2017
Week 9: Gray Day
Standings
1. Draper (27-8, 1-7 upset)
2. Schweinfurth (26-9, 0-8 upset)
3. Seeberg (24-11, 4-4 upset)
4. Hoying (23-12, 0-8 upset)
371 days after Buckeye Nation collectively vomited into their laps watching Grant Haley return a blocked FG for a touchdown in Happy Valley, the chance for revenge has arrived. There are a few other big games (I suppose) but all eyes are in Columbus this Saturday.
North Carolina State Wolfpack @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Draper: This is a tough one for me. I finally saw a little Notre Dame football last week and they looked pretty darn good slicing and dicing a hapless USC team (2nd biggest disappointment of the year?). NC State, on the other hand, has been taking care of business since the oops to South Carolina in week one. When the Irish play at home and they start to believe, they're tough to beat. Brian Kelly has this magical formula that he must coach a team and horribly suck or be really good. This year looks like the "very good" version. NC State still has a lot of noise to make in the ACC but the dream of the playoff dies on Saturday in South Bend. Wake up the echos. NCSt: 20 -- ND: 24
Hoying: Color me corrected. I heard the hype surrounding NC State in the preseason and dismissed it just as quickly. I even gave myself a little pat on the back after their fluky loss to South Carolina to open the season. But make no mistake, this is a (pretty) good Wolfpack team that's a win over Clemson away from running away with the Atlantic division. A win over the Irish could even vaunt them into Playoff contention. How likely is that? Somewhat. Notre Dame is a bit one-dimensional, and NC State was able to shut down Lamar Jackson as well as anyone else over the last 2 years. But while the Wolfpack have been slowing teams down this year, the Irish have been grinding their opponents to a near halt, giving up at least 20 points a total of once. The Wolfpack are good enough to pull this off, but ND wins this game 7 out of 10 times. This will be one of those 7. NCSt: 17--ND: 21
Schweinfurth: Talk about two teams I did not think would be in this position at this time of year. I'm still not sold on either as a top 10 team but that is kind of the state of college football this year. To be perfectly honest, I just haven't watched these teams enough but I will take the Irish in a close one. NCSt: 21--ND: 24
Seeberg: FINALLY some half-decent games this week. Both of these squads have been pleasant surprises this year (except for the fact I despise Notre Dame, of course), exceeding their preseason expectations. NC State has just about everything they could've hoped for this season still in front of them (ACC title, New Year's Six Bowl) if they can upend Clemson later this year, but it's tough to imagine them busting down the CFP door. The Golden Domers, meanwhile, play a pretty hearty schedule and are likely to make the playoff if their only loss is a one-point squeaker to the finally-living-up-to-expectations Georgia Bulldogs. NC State may well be ahead late, but the Wolfpack has a dismal kicking game that may very well do them in. I just hope they don't lose on a blocked FG return for a touchdown- not sure I can handle that two years in a row. NCSt: 13--ND: 20
Texas Christian Horned Frogs @ Iowa State Cyclones
Draper: Is Iowa State good? I don't think so, but they've strung together some nice little performances in the Big 12. TCU is another team that avoid the middle ground and sticks to major playoff contender or faceplant. Gary Patterson seems to have solved the formula this year and I expect that to continue until they meet the Sooners. Were Iowa State playing the role of sneaky good, I'd see upset potential. As it is, they have already snakebitten Oklahoma so the Horned Frogs will be ready. The Frogs take Ames and kill the Cyclone train before it got started. TCU: 28 -- ISU: 17
Hoying: How were we supposed to know that Iowa State of all teams would be Texas's big upset win in Tom Herman's first year? Yeah, the Cyclones aren't exactly Oklahoma (whoops), but outside of somehow both allowing Iowa to run all over them and Texas to completely shut them down, Iowa State has looked, well, competent. "Prove it" time has arrived, though, as the Clones now face 3 straight ranked opponents. Meanwhile, TCU and QB Kenny Hill have been quietly destroying most teams, but struggled a little against Oklahoma State and West Virginia. There isn't much chance of TCU sleeping on ISU, though, after what the Cyclones did to Oklahoma in Norman. The Frogs cross another lane of traffic toward their playoff lily pad. TCU: 31--ISU: 20
Schweinfurth: The Cyclones are revitalized after so many years of obscurity and have been fun to watch. It's odd to see Big 12 teams play defense, but that is what both of these teams do. As much as I have been rooting for ISU this year, TCU just has the superior talent. I wouldn't be shocked to see the Cyclones pull the upset, but I trust Kenny Hill just a little bit more. TCU: 31--ISU: 28
Seeberg: Do not adjust your eyes, folks, this IS a matchup of ranked teams. How the Cyclones gave up 44 at home to we-can't-spell-offense Iowa and then only 31 at Oklahoma is beyond me, but either way ISU shouldn't get too comfortable as a ranked squad. TCU struggled to put away the high-powered offensive teams it has played thus far, but Iowa State is still a notch below the likes of West Virginia and Okie State. TCU keeps marching towards a possible playoff bid. TCU: 35--ISU: 24
Oklahoma State Cowboys @ West Virginia Mountaineers
Draper: Do you like offense? Then enjoy some up and down the field action in Morgantown. There is absolutely no reason for this game to hit the under. Back and forth we go, but the Pokes still have Mason Rudolph the last time I checked. He was held in check in Austin, but a miracle interception (on one of the worst passes ever) saved the mullet. West Virginia is always a weird team under Holgo, but Gundy came ready to fight. Come after me! I'm a man, I'm 50! Sorry Larry Fine, Pokes keep rolling. OkSt: 44--WVU: 34
Hoying: Were both of these teams looking forward to this game last week? Oklahoma State escaped overtime with Texas thanks to a gift of an interception while West Virginia was a late failed 2-point conversion away from landing in OT themselves. The old West Virginia defense is back, giving up over 30 points in each of their last 4 games. That's bad news with Mason Rudolph coming to town; the nation's top passing attack isn't likely to be stopped 2 weeks in a row. Cowboys keep rolling. OkSt: 38-WVU: 27
Schweinfurth: It sure looks like everyone has figured out that vaunted Cowboy offense. The Pokes would be in even worse shape if Texas didn't throw to the wide open safety in OT last week. However, the WVU defense may be the medicine to cure the offensive woes. This will be a shootout and I hope we get to see an epic Holgerson meltdown. OkSt: 45--WVU: 38
Seeberg: I'm not entirely certain what to make of this contest. I know Texas actually plays SOME defense unlike most of the Big 12, but Mason Rudolph and Co. looked downright anemic last week, scoring a whopping 13 points in a game that included an overtime period. Still, I'm more inclined to consider that an aberration, particularly when facing West Virginia's nearly nonexistent defense. Cowboys get their big O back on track this week. OkSt: 45--WVU: 28
Penn State Nittany Lions @ THE Ohio State University Buckeyes
Draper: Alright Bucks. This is your moment. As soon as the clock hit zeros on Sept 9 (much earlier actually), the room for error went to zero. To their credit, they have been playing like a team on a mission ever since, but this is the first real test. Penn State is a very good squad with one of the most dynamic playmakers in college football in Saquon Barkley. Trace McSorley has also been quite proficient in playing "500" with a decent receiving corp for chunks of yards. Much of this will come down to 2 things: Can the Bullet defense slow down Barkley both rushing and passing? and Will JT continue his spectacular run of accuracy and precision? The Buckeyes have been phenomenal on offense over the last 5 games but a return to early September is simply not an option. I expect the D-line to harass McSorley, but they need to be quick to prevent Barkley from beating linebackers in the passing game. On offense, this is the time for the 3-headed rushing monster to emerge (Weber, Dobbins, AND Barrett). Yes, this is the Buckeyes best opponent remaining, but it's also PSU's best competition by a long shot. The Lions have been a tad shaky on the road and I expect some jitters to emerge. The Bucks are out for revenge and they're taking it out on the Penn State. Perhaps we meet again in January, but tonight belongs to the boys in Columbus. PSU: 24--OSU: 38
Hoying: Do you know the last conference opponent to beat Ohio State in back-to-back seasons? No, it isn't Michigan. It isn't Michigan State, either. And no, it's not Penn State (the Lions haven't won 2 consecutive against Ohio State since joining the B1G). It's Wisconsin, back in 2003-04. Needless to say, 13 years without consecutive losses to a conference opponent is the longest streak in the B1G (by a lot). Am I worried about it coming to an end? You bet. More than I've been worried about any opponent since Oklahoma last year. Not because Penn State ended OSU's 2016 undefeated run; that loss was a total fluke. But the Lions present some matchup problems for the boys in gray and...gray. No, I don't mean in the running game, since the run D is not going to be intimidated by Barkley. But gone are the days when McSorley would just close his eyes and chuck the ball into double coverage: PSU is deliberately working Barkley into the passing game as well. Add that to Gesicki making a nice big target coming off the end of the line and the safeties and linebackers are going to have their work cut out for them. And McSorley himself can move a bit, too. What about the Buckeye O? JT will be fine if he has time to work. The one non-fluky part of Penn State's win last year was the way they demolished our offensive line in the 4th quarter. The result was a foregone conclusion once Penn State took the lead, as Barrett took sack after sack to end the game. But even after losing Elflein to the draft and Bowen to injury, the line should hold a little better this time around. Add in a little thunder and lightning from Weber and Dobbins, and a little home cooking from the Buckeye faithful, and the Bucks should be able to pull out a big win. Should. PSU: 23--OSU: 28
Schweinfurth: First, as an aside, if anyone wants to have some fun check out Kirk Barton's twitter account. He's been putting kitty fans in their place all week (@Kirk_Barton) and it has been glorious. Penn State owes Ohio State a thank you for their Rose Bowl loss and current standing. PSU would be stuck in mediocrity and the illustrious James Franklin fired if it weren't for a blow PI call or a field goal block that is illegal this year. This game is all about revenge. Penn State is a very good defense, but what offense have they played ranked above 60 in scoring offense? Answer: No one. Everyone wants to talk about Penn State's offense, and they are good. But Barkley has struggled to get going against Northwestern AND Indiana. The only real part of Penn State's offense is the passing game. I'm still not quite sold on OSU's secondary. The good news is that McSorely likes to play 500 with his receivers when under pressure. Hit him, and hit him often. I don't expect this game to disolve into a blowout, but if, and it's a big if, Urban allows this offense to operate how it has the last four weeks, the PSU defense will have its hands full. Just remember, feed the running backs! This one is for all you Nittany Kitty fans out there: WE ARE...LOSERS!!! PSU: 21--OSU: 31
Seeberg: I told everyone who would listen (which was virtually nobody) that Penn State would pull away from UM and win easily, but even I didn't think it would be THAT easy. The question now becomes this: Was that game a referendum on just how GOOD the Nittanys are, or just how BAD that team up north might be? As always the answer is a little of both, but I'm betting on mostly the latter. Penn State blew out Indiana, UM needed overtime, essentially meaning UM and Indiana are equals, and then Penn State blew out UM. Seems to follow logic to me. Of course OSU also blew out Indiana, so that leaves us with two teams that are likely each other's equals again. As many of you Buckeye faithful, I still have nightmares about the endless, horribly thrown jump balls from Trace McSorearm that were lofted in the air and somehow kept coming down in the hands of Lion receivers. This year, that is a secondary option to all-world RB Saquon Barkley who, quite frankly, scares me a TON more as a receiver out of the backfield as an actual running back. Gesicki at TE is a matchup issue as well, but the real matchup is the OSU offense which is clicking to the tune of #1 in all of college football in points per game (47.3) against Penn State's D (9.6 ppg, also #1 in the country). I am still highly concerned that our suddenly brilliant offensive game planners will fall in love with the passing game that has worked so well of late and that it will stall against what is by far the best defense we have seen to date. Personally? I'd like to see a Weber/Dobbins/Barrett backfield. How terrifying would that be to ANY opposing defense? PLEASE run it early and often. If Weber/Dobbins combine for 35 or more carries there is absolutely no chance we lose this game. Oh, and let's score 7s instead of trying 3s again. Time to return Penn State to the purgatory of near-national relevance again. OSU: 28--PSU: 17
Upset Special
Draper: Arizona State over USC
Hoying: Arizona over Washington State
Schweinfurth: Georgia Tech over Clemson
Seeberg: Houston over South Florida
1. Draper (27-8, 1-7 upset)
2. Schweinfurth (26-9, 0-8 upset)
3. Seeberg (24-11, 4-4 upset)
4. Hoying (23-12, 0-8 upset)
371 days after Buckeye Nation collectively vomited into their laps watching Grant Haley return a blocked FG for a touchdown in Happy Valley, the chance for revenge has arrived. There are a few other big games (I suppose) but all eyes are in Columbus this Saturday.
North Carolina State Wolfpack @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Draper: This is a tough one for me. I finally saw a little Notre Dame football last week and they looked pretty darn good slicing and dicing a hapless USC team (2nd biggest disappointment of the year?). NC State, on the other hand, has been taking care of business since the oops to South Carolina in week one. When the Irish play at home and they start to believe, they're tough to beat. Brian Kelly has this magical formula that he must coach a team and horribly suck or be really good. This year looks like the "very good" version. NC State still has a lot of noise to make in the ACC but the dream of the playoff dies on Saturday in South Bend. Wake up the echos. NCSt: 20 -- ND: 24
Hoying: Color me corrected. I heard the hype surrounding NC State in the preseason and dismissed it just as quickly. I even gave myself a little pat on the back after their fluky loss to South Carolina to open the season. But make no mistake, this is a (pretty) good Wolfpack team that's a win over Clemson away from running away with the Atlantic division. A win over the Irish could even vaunt them into Playoff contention. How likely is that? Somewhat. Notre Dame is a bit one-dimensional, and NC State was able to shut down Lamar Jackson as well as anyone else over the last 2 years. But while the Wolfpack have been slowing teams down this year, the Irish have been grinding their opponents to a near halt, giving up at least 20 points a total of once. The Wolfpack are good enough to pull this off, but ND wins this game 7 out of 10 times. This will be one of those 7. NCSt: 17--ND: 21
Schweinfurth: Talk about two teams I did not think would be in this position at this time of year. I'm still not sold on either as a top 10 team but that is kind of the state of college football this year. To be perfectly honest, I just haven't watched these teams enough but I will take the Irish in a close one. NCSt: 21--ND: 24
Seeberg: FINALLY some half-decent games this week. Both of these squads have been pleasant surprises this year (except for the fact I despise Notre Dame, of course), exceeding their preseason expectations. NC State has just about everything they could've hoped for this season still in front of them (ACC title, New Year's Six Bowl) if they can upend Clemson later this year, but it's tough to imagine them busting down the CFP door. The Golden Domers, meanwhile, play a pretty hearty schedule and are likely to make the playoff if their only loss is a one-point squeaker to the finally-living-up-to-expectations Georgia Bulldogs. NC State may well be ahead late, but the Wolfpack has a dismal kicking game that may very well do them in. I just hope they don't lose on a blocked FG return for a touchdown- not sure I can handle that two years in a row. NCSt: 13--ND: 20
Texas Christian Horned Frogs @ Iowa State Cyclones
Draper: Is Iowa State good? I don't think so, but they've strung together some nice little performances in the Big 12. TCU is another team that avoid the middle ground and sticks to major playoff contender or faceplant. Gary Patterson seems to have solved the formula this year and I expect that to continue until they meet the Sooners. Were Iowa State playing the role of sneaky good, I'd see upset potential. As it is, they have already snakebitten Oklahoma so the Horned Frogs will be ready. The Frogs take Ames and kill the Cyclone train before it got started. TCU: 28 -- ISU: 17
Hoying: How were we supposed to know that Iowa State of all teams would be Texas's big upset win in Tom Herman's first year? Yeah, the Cyclones aren't exactly Oklahoma (whoops), but outside of somehow both allowing Iowa to run all over them and Texas to completely shut them down, Iowa State has looked, well, competent. "Prove it" time has arrived, though, as the Clones now face 3 straight ranked opponents. Meanwhile, TCU and QB Kenny Hill have been quietly destroying most teams, but struggled a little against Oklahoma State and West Virginia. There isn't much chance of TCU sleeping on ISU, though, after what the Cyclones did to Oklahoma in Norman. The Frogs cross another lane of traffic toward their playoff lily pad. TCU: 31--ISU: 20
Schweinfurth: The Cyclones are revitalized after so many years of obscurity and have been fun to watch. It's odd to see Big 12 teams play defense, but that is what both of these teams do. As much as I have been rooting for ISU this year, TCU just has the superior talent. I wouldn't be shocked to see the Cyclones pull the upset, but I trust Kenny Hill just a little bit more. TCU: 31--ISU: 28
Seeberg: Do not adjust your eyes, folks, this IS a matchup of ranked teams. How the Cyclones gave up 44 at home to we-can't-spell-offense Iowa and then only 31 at Oklahoma is beyond me, but either way ISU shouldn't get too comfortable as a ranked squad. TCU struggled to put away the high-powered offensive teams it has played thus far, but Iowa State is still a notch below the likes of West Virginia and Okie State. TCU keeps marching towards a possible playoff bid. TCU: 35--ISU: 24
Oklahoma State Cowboys @ West Virginia Mountaineers
Draper: Do you like offense? Then enjoy some up and down the field action in Morgantown. There is absolutely no reason for this game to hit the under. Back and forth we go, but the Pokes still have Mason Rudolph the last time I checked. He was held in check in Austin, but a miracle interception (on one of the worst passes ever) saved the mullet. West Virginia is always a weird team under Holgo, but Gundy came ready to fight. Come after me! I'm a man, I'm 50! Sorry Larry Fine, Pokes keep rolling. OkSt: 44--WVU: 34
Hoying: Were both of these teams looking forward to this game last week? Oklahoma State escaped overtime with Texas thanks to a gift of an interception while West Virginia was a late failed 2-point conversion away from landing in OT themselves. The old West Virginia defense is back, giving up over 30 points in each of their last 4 games. That's bad news with Mason Rudolph coming to town; the nation's top passing attack isn't likely to be stopped 2 weeks in a row. Cowboys keep rolling. OkSt: 38-WVU: 27
Schweinfurth: It sure looks like everyone has figured out that vaunted Cowboy offense. The Pokes would be in even worse shape if Texas didn't throw to the wide open safety in OT last week. However, the WVU defense may be the medicine to cure the offensive woes. This will be a shootout and I hope we get to see an epic Holgerson meltdown. OkSt: 45--WVU: 38
Seeberg: I'm not entirely certain what to make of this contest. I know Texas actually plays SOME defense unlike most of the Big 12, but Mason Rudolph and Co. looked downright anemic last week, scoring a whopping 13 points in a game that included an overtime period. Still, I'm more inclined to consider that an aberration, particularly when facing West Virginia's nearly nonexistent defense. Cowboys get their big O back on track this week. OkSt: 45--WVU: 28
Penn State Nittany Lions @ THE Ohio State University Buckeyes
Draper: Alright Bucks. This is your moment. As soon as the clock hit zeros on Sept 9 (much earlier actually), the room for error went to zero. To their credit, they have been playing like a team on a mission ever since, but this is the first real test. Penn State is a very good squad with one of the most dynamic playmakers in college football in Saquon Barkley. Trace McSorley has also been quite proficient in playing "500" with a decent receiving corp for chunks of yards. Much of this will come down to 2 things: Can the Bullet defense slow down Barkley both rushing and passing? and Will JT continue his spectacular run of accuracy and precision? The Buckeyes have been phenomenal on offense over the last 5 games but a return to early September is simply not an option. I expect the D-line to harass McSorley, but they need to be quick to prevent Barkley from beating linebackers in the passing game. On offense, this is the time for the 3-headed rushing monster to emerge (Weber, Dobbins, AND Barrett). Yes, this is the Buckeyes best opponent remaining, but it's also PSU's best competition by a long shot. The Lions have been a tad shaky on the road and I expect some jitters to emerge. The Bucks are out for revenge and they're taking it out on the Penn State. Perhaps we meet again in January, but tonight belongs to the boys in Columbus. PSU: 24--OSU: 38
Hoying: Do you know the last conference opponent to beat Ohio State in back-to-back seasons? No, it isn't Michigan. It isn't Michigan State, either. And no, it's not Penn State (the Lions haven't won 2 consecutive against Ohio State since joining the B1G). It's Wisconsin, back in 2003-04. Needless to say, 13 years without consecutive losses to a conference opponent is the longest streak in the B1G (by a lot). Am I worried about it coming to an end? You bet. More than I've been worried about any opponent since Oklahoma last year. Not because Penn State ended OSU's 2016 undefeated run; that loss was a total fluke. But the Lions present some matchup problems for the boys in gray and...gray. No, I don't mean in the running game, since the run D is not going to be intimidated by Barkley. But gone are the days when McSorley would just close his eyes and chuck the ball into double coverage: PSU is deliberately working Barkley into the passing game as well. Add that to Gesicki making a nice big target coming off the end of the line and the safeties and linebackers are going to have their work cut out for them. And McSorley himself can move a bit, too. What about the Buckeye O? JT will be fine if he has time to work. The one non-fluky part of Penn State's win last year was the way they demolished our offensive line in the 4th quarter. The result was a foregone conclusion once Penn State took the lead, as Barrett took sack after sack to end the game. But even after losing Elflein to the draft and Bowen to injury, the line should hold a little better this time around. Add in a little thunder and lightning from Weber and Dobbins, and a little home cooking from the Buckeye faithful, and the Bucks should be able to pull out a big win. Should. PSU: 23--OSU: 28
Schweinfurth: First, as an aside, if anyone wants to have some fun check out Kirk Barton's twitter account. He's been putting kitty fans in their place all week (@Kirk_Barton) and it has been glorious. Penn State owes Ohio State a thank you for their Rose Bowl loss and current standing. PSU would be stuck in mediocrity and the illustrious James Franklin fired if it weren't for a blow PI call or a field goal block that is illegal this year. This game is all about revenge. Penn State is a very good defense, but what offense have they played ranked above 60 in scoring offense? Answer: No one. Everyone wants to talk about Penn State's offense, and they are good. But Barkley has struggled to get going against Northwestern AND Indiana. The only real part of Penn State's offense is the passing game. I'm still not quite sold on OSU's secondary. The good news is that McSorely likes to play 500 with his receivers when under pressure. Hit him, and hit him often. I don't expect this game to disolve into a blowout, but if, and it's a big if, Urban allows this offense to operate how it has the last four weeks, the PSU defense will have its hands full. Just remember, feed the running backs! This one is for all you Nittany Kitty fans out there: WE ARE...LOSERS!!! PSU: 21--OSU: 31
Seeberg: I told everyone who would listen (which was virtually nobody) that Penn State would pull away from UM and win easily, but even I didn't think it would be THAT easy. The question now becomes this: Was that game a referendum on just how GOOD the Nittanys are, or just how BAD that team up north might be? As always the answer is a little of both, but I'm betting on mostly the latter. Penn State blew out Indiana, UM needed overtime, essentially meaning UM and Indiana are equals, and then Penn State blew out UM. Seems to follow logic to me. Of course OSU also blew out Indiana, so that leaves us with two teams that are likely each other's equals again. As many of you Buckeye faithful, I still have nightmares about the endless, horribly thrown jump balls from Trace McSorearm that were lofted in the air and somehow kept coming down in the hands of Lion receivers. This year, that is a secondary option to all-world RB Saquon Barkley who, quite frankly, scares me a TON more as a receiver out of the backfield as an actual running back. Gesicki at TE is a matchup issue as well, but the real matchup is the OSU offense which is clicking to the tune of #1 in all of college football in points per game (47.3) against Penn State's D (9.6 ppg, also #1 in the country). I am still highly concerned that our suddenly brilliant offensive game planners will fall in love with the passing game that has worked so well of late and that it will stall against what is by far the best defense we have seen to date. Personally? I'd like to see a Weber/Dobbins/Barrett backfield. How terrifying would that be to ANY opposing defense? PLEASE run it early and often. If Weber/Dobbins combine for 35 or more carries there is absolutely no chance we lose this game. Oh, and let's score 7s instead of trying 3s again. Time to return Penn State to the purgatory of near-national relevance again. OSU: 28--PSU: 17
Upset Special
Draper: Arizona State over USC
Hoying: Arizona over Washington State
Schweinfurth: Georgia Tech over Clemson
Seeberg: Houston over South Florida
Friday, October 20, 2017
Week 8: Bye Bye Bye
Standings
1. Draper (23-8, 1-6 upset)
2. Schweinfurth (22-9, 0-7 upset)
3. Seeberg (20-11, 3-4 upset)
4. Hoying (20-11, 0-7 upset)
Sorry, Buckeye Nation, our month-long tradition of offering human sacrifices to appease Brutus's insatiable hunger is going on hiatus while the table is set for some for more substantive feasts to come.
Michigan Wolverines @ Penn State Nittany Lions
Draper: Penn State gets there first "real" test of the year...or do they? So far, the Lions have gotten fat off of middling B1G teams and crap in the nonconference. Ok, IU isn't terrible this year and neither is Iowa, but they aren't setting the world on fire. Let's also look at those games. PSU pulled away late vs. IU but the Iowa game came down to the wire. Saquon Barkley has some flashes of brilliance and is definitely in the Heisman conversation, but he has been pedestrian for the last 2 weeks (IU and Northwestern...sheesh). In come the Wolverines and by far the best defense the Lions will have faced all year. I don't know if they can muster much against an angry Wolverine D. The good news for PSU is that Michigan is hot stinky poo on offense. While I don't have much respect for the Lion defense, Michigan's offense can't do much against anyone. I like the Lions to win an old fashioned Big Ten match with low scoring and boooooring football. I don't see much this week to prepare the Lions for what's coming in the Shoe. UM: 10 -- PSU: 17
Hoying: OK, sweetheart. The cupcake shop is closed for the next few weeks. It's time to show what Saquon & Co. can do against a real defense. PSU's has a dirty little secret: for all the love heaped on Barkley this season, the Nittany Lion rushing attack has kind of sucked the last couple of weeks. And now they have to face what may be the top run D in the country. Oh, but buck up, Happy Valley. It's not like John O'Scorn and his hapless crew have figured out that the red in "red zone" isn't a stoplight signal. This one could come down to attitude. Ever since the Rose Bowl, the voices in Penn State's ears have been gushing over how great they are (rat poison), while Michigan has come crashing down to earth after another loss to little brother. Don't underestimate the disrespekt factor. That said, don't underestimate the revenge factor, either. 49-10 is not quickly forgotten. UM: 9--PSU: 13
Schweinfurth: The best way to stop Penn State is to stop Saquan Barkley and tee off on Trace McSorely. Michigan has the defense that con do both. What is a huge prohibiting factor is that stinky poo offense. Seriously. Harbooger has himself a bad, injured QB, a bad QB, and a running game that can't run the ball. While I am not sold on Penn State's D being great, this is an easy offense to stop. All I ask out of this game is for these to teams to beat the crap out of each other. UM: 6--PSU: 14
Seeberg: Remember kids, through 31 games at UM, Harbaugh and Hoke have the exact same record...and Hoke's record against OSU and MSU is better. Tread lightly, TTUN is not back, and I have a sneaking suspicion this game will go a long way towards proving that opinion valid. True, the Nittany's offense is a bit one-dimensional person in Saquon Barkley, but UM's "offense" is 0-dimensional. A two-possession lead is a virtual certainty of victory, and even as stout as the Wolverine D may be, they gave up 20 at Indiana, half of which came from a backup QB. There's just no way this game stays close for four quarters. See you next week at 3:30, Penn State. UM: 10--PSU: 27
Central Florida Knights @ Navy Midshipmen
Draper: UCF and Scott Frost have become the belles of the ball. Undefeated against low level competition and Maryland (but I repeat myself) but they have looked pretty good doing it. Navy is the traditional Navy team that will end the year with 7-8 wins and frustrate the hell out of any team they play. Looking at UCF's upcoming schedule, this is the last decent game before the season finale vs. USF. There's a real chance UCF can be this year's WMU. Scott Frost will be headed to greener pastures (Nebraska?) soon, so enjoy it while you can Golden Knights. I like the Knights to take this from the option happy Midshipmen. UCF: 24 -- Navy: 17
Hoying: South Florida is the team on the 11 game winning streak, carrying all the hoopla going into the season. But the Group of 5's title contender might be a few miles east in Orlando. UCF has blasted all 5 teams it's played so far, including handing Memphis its only loss and crushing Maryland in College Park. The Knights are the highest-scoring team in FBS (ahead of two OSUs at #2 and #3) behind the steady arm of sophomore QB McKenzie Milton. Navy's coming off a bit of a fluky loss in which 5 turnovers doomed their hopes of an undefeated season. The triple option's a bit of a mess to prepare for, but a competent, well-coached team should have no problem putting the Midshipmen away. And it looks like UCF fits the profile. Keep an eye on Central Florida's coach, Scott Frost. He'll be resurrecting a big boy program soon. And keep an eye on the Knights. With a few (OK, a lot of) breaks, their season ending tilt against USF could be for a playoff spot. UCF: 31--Navy: 20
Schweinfurth: Anyone who knows me knows I love watching the service academies play. There is something nostalgic about watching college teams run the wing-T to perfection. The unfortunate part of the wing-T is that it is near impossible to come back from more than 2 scores down. I think UCF jumps Navy from the start to put them in a hole they just can't recover from. UCF: 28--Navy: 21
Seeberg: UCF has been putting up some gaudy numbers on offense this season, positioning themselves to be the Group of 5 representative in the money bowls this season. Those numbers are likely to take a bit of a dive this week as Navy comes rolling into town with their ball-control triple option offense. Stops on D will be at a premium in this matchup, and I would expect UCF to come up with one or two more than Navy. Knights pull away late. UCF: 38--Navy: 28
Southern California Trojans @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Draper: Does this game matter again? Surprise! It actually does. Notre Dame has been playing some good football this year and no one has noticed. USC is still the darling of the West but they've fallen backward into their 1-loss record (get lucky vs. Texas and Utah). I don't really think USC is for real, but they are firmly in control of their destiny. Are the Irish for real? I don't really think that either, but they have a nice win against Sparty and a close loss to a really good Georgia team. I'll begrudgingly take the home team, but I don't like it. I think the Irish have the ground game and the smarter team, but this reeks of a magical Trojan blowout. Let's hope the grass is mowed a little higher and the Irish put the nail in the coffin of the USC CFP hopes. USC: 27--ND: 33
Hoying: How is it possible that a team like Notre Dame can completely fall out of the national consciousness, particularly in the midst of a pretty good season? Everyone promptly forgot about the Irish after dropping a 1-point game at home against Georgia (who looks like they might be pretty, pretty good), and no one seems to remember that the Michigan State team that knocked off the Maize and Blue got smushed at home by the Golden Domers just a couple weeks prior. Notre Dame is a regular buzzsaw on offense, with a killer run attack fronted by RB Josh Adams, but they can be a bit one-dimensional. USC, on the other hand, can sling the rock, but there's a constant worry about to whom said rock shall be slung. Sam Darnold, or as I like to call him, Christian Hackenberg 2.0, has 9 picks on the season to go with 5 fumbles. That's bad news against a ball-hawking ND defense (what?) already +7 in turnover margin on the year. Fight off. USC: 23--ND: 30
Schweinfurth: Unfortunately, these are two teams I really haven't paid much attention to since each lost early in the season. Blame stupid start times (#Pac12AfterDark), having similar start times to the Buckeyes, and hockey started back up (yes, I have competing interests this time of year). From what I do know, Sam Darnold throws a lot of picks. It's almost to the point I could play in a secondary against him and pick him off (that's pretty bad). You can not turn the ball over in big games and USC has that track record. I am loathing this, but it's time for the talking heads to say the echos have awoken (they haven't). USC: 27--ND: 35
Seeberg: Wow. At the start of this season I would've expected this to be a blowout win for the Trojans, but one team has underperformed while the other has surpassed middling expectations this year. Sam Darnold's draft stock is plummeting with each turnover, already in the teens with 5 games remaining (by comparison, J.T. Barrett has a whopping 1 turnover the entire year). Essentially, the winner is still a viable candidate for the playoff and the loser is likely done. Based on last week (thanks Cal for making my upset pick look brilliant, by the way), I just can't trust anybody in the Pac-12 week to week. USC could very well blow the Irish out, but the Irish are more consistent, and my guess is that will make the difference in crunch time. Irish by a nose. USC: 31--ND: 34
Georgia Southern Eagles @ Massachusetts Minutemen
Draper: What? In the "well, someone's gotta win" category, we have this pillow fight between two defeated teams. Georgia Southern has been able to run on some decent teams in past years, but this year, they just plain suck. Luckily, so does UMass! I'm holding out hope for a ridiculous back and forth game in which it looks like the teams are trying to lose, but let's be honest, I'm not watching this. Minutemen have guns and can shoot the eagles. Clear UMass victory. Take it to the bank. GSU: 44 -- UMass: 45
Hoying: Did you know that UMass has a national championship? Did you know that they won it with their current coach? Sure, it was a I-AA title, and it was in 1998, and their coach left UMass to be a QB coach in the NFL (including coaching Brandon Weeden with the Browns) before returning, but hey, a recipe for success! Did you know that Georgia Southern beat Florida just 4 years ago? Not Florida International, Florida Florida. Like, the Gators. And they did it without completing a pass. Well, it's 2017 now, and Georgia Southern still might not complete a pass in this game, but I don't think anyone's going to confuse UMass with a title contender. The Minutemen haven't won more than 3 games in a season since jumping to FBS, and after an 0-6 start I wouldn't count on that streak to end. UMass hang tough with Tennessee a couple weeks ago, but they're going to lose again here. It's just what they do. GSU: 24--UMass: 20
Schweinfurth: These teams are bad. GSU: 31--UMass: 35
Seeberg: What a clash of the not-so-titans here. UMass manages to lose all sorts of ways: low-scoring (17-13, 17-7), shootouts (58-50, 38-35) and everything in between. GSU, meanwhile, just loses, badly, often, including to a 1-AA opponent. At least somebody's win column will go from a bagel to a breadstick. For my money? It's the Minutemen. GSU: 20--UMass: 31
Upset Special
Draper: Indiana over Sparty (SPARTY NOOOO!)
Hoying: Texas over Oklahoma State
Schweinfurth: Kansas St. over Oklahoma
Seeberg: Arizona State over Utah
1. Draper (23-8, 1-6 upset)
2. Schweinfurth (22-9, 0-7 upset)
3. Seeberg (20-11, 3-4 upset)
4. Hoying (20-11, 0-7 upset)
Sorry, Buckeye Nation, our month-long tradition of offering human sacrifices to appease Brutus's insatiable hunger is going on hiatus while the table is set for some for more substantive feasts to come.
Michigan Wolverines @ Penn State Nittany Lions
Draper: Penn State gets there first "real" test of the year...or do they? So far, the Lions have gotten fat off of middling B1G teams and crap in the nonconference. Ok, IU isn't terrible this year and neither is Iowa, but they aren't setting the world on fire. Let's also look at those games. PSU pulled away late vs. IU but the Iowa game came down to the wire. Saquon Barkley has some flashes of brilliance and is definitely in the Heisman conversation, but he has been pedestrian for the last 2 weeks (IU and Northwestern...sheesh). In come the Wolverines and by far the best defense the Lions will have faced all year. I don't know if they can muster much against an angry Wolverine D. The good news for PSU is that Michigan is hot stinky poo on offense. While I don't have much respect for the Lion defense, Michigan's offense can't do much against anyone. I like the Lions to win an old fashioned Big Ten match with low scoring and boooooring football. I don't see much this week to prepare the Lions for what's coming in the Shoe. UM: 10 -- PSU: 17
Hoying: OK, sweetheart. The cupcake shop is closed for the next few weeks. It's time to show what Saquon & Co. can do against a real defense. PSU's has a dirty little secret: for all the love heaped on Barkley this season, the Nittany Lion rushing attack has kind of sucked the last couple of weeks. And now they have to face what may be the top run D in the country. Oh, but buck up, Happy Valley. It's not like John O'Scorn and his hapless crew have figured out that the red in "red zone" isn't a stoplight signal. This one could come down to attitude. Ever since the Rose Bowl, the voices in Penn State's ears have been gushing over how great they are (rat poison), while Michigan has come crashing down to earth after another loss to little brother. Don't underestimate the disrespekt factor. That said, don't underestimate the revenge factor, either. 49-10 is not quickly forgotten. UM: 9--PSU: 13
Schweinfurth: The best way to stop Penn State is to stop Saquan Barkley and tee off on Trace McSorely. Michigan has the defense that con do both. What is a huge prohibiting factor is that stinky poo offense. Seriously. Harbooger has himself a bad, injured QB, a bad QB, and a running game that can't run the ball. While I am not sold on Penn State's D being great, this is an easy offense to stop. All I ask out of this game is for these to teams to beat the crap out of each other. UM: 6--PSU: 14
Seeberg: Remember kids, through 31 games at UM, Harbaugh and Hoke have the exact same record...and Hoke's record against OSU and MSU is better. Tread lightly, TTUN is not back, and I have a sneaking suspicion this game will go a long way towards proving that opinion valid. True, the Nittany's offense is a bit one-
Central Florida Knights @ Navy Midshipmen
Draper: UCF and Scott Frost have become the belles of the ball. Undefeated against low level competition and Maryland (but I repeat myself) but they have looked pretty good doing it. Navy is the traditional Navy team that will end the year with 7-8 wins and frustrate the hell out of any team they play. Looking at UCF's upcoming schedule, this is the last decent game before the season finale vs. USF. There's a real chance UCF can be this year's WMU. Scott Frost will be headed to greener pastures (Nebraska?) soon, so enjoy it while you can Golden Knights. I like the Knights to take this from the option happy Midshipmen. UCF: 24 -- Navy: 17
Hoying: South Florida is the team on the 11 game winning streak, carrying all the hoopla going into the season. But the Group of 5's title contender might be a few miles east in Orlando. UCF has blasted all 5 teams it's played so far, including handing Memphis its only loss and crushing Maryland in College Park. The Knights are the highest-scoring team in FBS (ahead of two OSUs at #2 and #3) behind the steady arm of sophomore QB McKenzie Milton. Navy's coming off a bit of a fluky loss in which 5 turnovers doomed their hopes of an undefeated season. The triple option's a bit of a mess to prepare for, but a competent, well-coached team should have no problem putting the Midshipmen away. And it looks like UCF fits the profile. Keep an eye on Central Florida's coach, Scott Frost. He'll be resurrecting a big boy program soon. And keep an eye on the Knights. With a few (OK, a lot of) breaks, their season ending tilt against USF could be for a playoff spot. UCF: 31--Navy: 20
Schweinfurth: Anyone who knows me knows I love watching the service academies play. There is something nostalgic about watching college teams run the wing-T to perfection. The unfortunate part of the wing-T is that it is near impossible to come back from more than 2 scores down. I think UCF jumps Navy from the start to put them in a hole they just can't recover from. UCF: 28--Navy: 21
Seeberg: UCF has been putting up some gaudy numbers on offense this season, positioning themselves to be the Group of 5 representative in the money bowls this season. Those numbers are likely to take a bit of a dive this week as Navy comes rolling into town with their ball-control triple option offense. Stops on D will be at a premium in this matchup, and I would expect UCF to come up with one or two more than Navy. Knights pull away late. UCF: 38--Navy: 28
Southern California Trojans @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Draper: Does this game matter again? Surprise! It actually does. Notre Dame has been playing some good football this year and no one has noticed. USC is still the darling of the West but they've fallen backward into their 1-loss record (get lucky vs. Texas and Utah). I don't really think USC is for real, but they are firmly in control of their destiny. Are the Irish for real? I don't really think that either, but they have a nice win against Sparty and a close loss to a really good Georgia team. I'll begrudgingly take the home team, but I don't like it. I think the Irish have the ground game and the smarter team, but this reeks of a magical Trojan blowout. Let's hope the grass is mowed a little higher and the Irish put the nail in the coffin of the USC CFP hopes. USC: 27--ND: 33
Hoying: How is it possible that a team like Notre Dame can completely fall out of the national consciousness, particularly in the midst of a pretty good season? Everyone promptly forgot about the Irish after dropping a 1-point game at home against Georgia (who looks like they might be pretty, pretty good), and no one seems to remember that the Michigan State team that knocked off the Maize and Blue got smushed at home by the Golden Domers just a couple weeks prior. Notre Dame is a regular buzzsaw on offense, with a killer run attack fronted by RB Josh Adams, but they can be a bit one-dimensional. USC, on the other hand, can sling the rock, but there's a constant worry about to whom said rock shall be slung. Sam Darnold, or as I like to call him, Christian Hackenberg 2.0, has 9 picks on the season to go with 5 fumbles. That's bad news against a ball-hawking ND defense (what?) already +7 in turnover margin on the year. Fight off. USC: 23--ND: 30
Schweinfurth: Unfortunately, these are two teams I really haven't paid much attention to since each lost early in the season. Blame stupid start times (#Pac12AfterDark), having similar start times to the Buckeyes, and hockey started back up (yes, I have competing interests this time of year). From what I do know, Sam Darnold throws a lot of picks. It's almost to the point I could play in a secondary against him and pick him off (that's pretty bad). You can not turn the ball over in big games and USC has that track record. I am loathing this, but it's time for the talking heads to say the echos have awoken (they haven't). USC: 27--ND: 35
Seeberg: Wow. At the start of this season I would've expected this to be a blowout win for the Trojans, but one team has underperformed while the other has surpassed middling expectations this year. Sam Darnold's draft stock is plummeting with each turnover, already in the teens with 5 games remaining (by comparison, J.T. Barrett has a whopping 1 turnover the entire year). Essentially, the winner is still a viable candidate for the playoff and the loser is likely done. Based on last week (thanks Cal for making my upset pick look brilliant, by the way), I just can't trust anybody in the Pac-12 week to week. USC could very well blow the Irish out, but the Irish are more consistent, and my guess is that will make the difference in crunch time. Irish by a nose. USC: 31--ND: 34
Georgia Southern Eagles @ Massachusetts Minutemen
Draper: What? In the "well, someone's gotta win" category, we have this pillow fight between two defeated teams. Georgia Southern has been able to run on some decent teams in past years, but this year, they just plain suck. Luckily, so does UMass! I'm holding out hope for a ridiculous back and forth game in which it looks like the teams are trying to lose, but let's be honest, I'm not watching this. Minutemen have guns and can shoot the eagles. Clear UMass victory. Take it to the bank. GSU: 44 -- UMass: 45
Hoying: Did you know that UMass has a national championship? Did you know that they won it with their current coach? Sure, it was a I-AA title, and it was in 1998, and their coach left UMass to be a QB coach in the NFL (including coaching Brandon Weeden with the Browns) before returning, but hey, a recipe for success! Did you know that Georgia Southern beat Florida just 4 years ago? Not Florida International, Florida Florida. Like, the Gators. And they did it without completing a pass. Well, it's 2017 now, and Georgia Southern still might not complete a pass in this game, but I don't think anyone's going to confuse UMass with a title contender. The Minutemen haven't won more than 3 games in a season since jumping to FBS, and after an 0-6 start I wouldn't count on that streak to end. UMass hang tough with Tennessee a couple weeks ago, but they're going to lose again here. It's just what they do. GSU: 24--UMass: 20
Schweinfurth: These teams are bad. GSU: 31--UMass: 35
Seeberg: What a clash of the not-so-titans here. UMass manages to lose all sorts of ways: low-scoring (17-13, 17-7), shootouts (58-50, 38-35) and everything in between. GSU, meanwhile, just loses, badly, often, including to a 1-AA opponent. At least somebody's win column will go from a bagel to a breadstick. For my money? It's the Minutemen. GSU: 20--UMass: 31
Upset Special
Draper: Indiana over Sparty (SPARTY NOOOO!)
Hoying: Texas over Oklahoma State
Schweinfurth: Kansas St. over Oklahoma
Seeberg: Arizona State over Utah
Sunday, October 15, 2017
Grading the Bucks: Week 7 -- Nebraska
Offense: A
What more can be said? If this team can do this against a contender, there is no stopping them. The offense is just humming like crazy with JT putting up Heisman level numbers (you laugh, but it's true). Yeah, yeah...the defenses are bad, blah, blah, blah, but if you've been watching this team, you see a difference since Oklahoma (and even Army). JT looks extremely sharp utilizing the middle of the field and the tandem of backs are just phenomenal. The O-line took a hit with the loss of Bowen, but they played a fantastic game in Lincoln. The only thing stopping the perfect game was the final drive where Urban decided to lay off. Two weeks to get ready for PSU. Do it there and prove the haters wrong.
Defense: A
The D-line is NSFW at this point. They are completely stifling. Here's hoping Jalyn Holmes is ok after a nasty hit, but they are at a whole different level. I was especially impressed with the secondary play last week (particularly the corners). I know Nebraska isn't going to set many passing records, but they were held to very little outside of garbage time to Spielman (yes, the whole second half was garbage time). Again, do it to Penn State, and shut the haters up.
Special Teams: Incomplete
Got the kickoff out of bounds done before the clock actually started. The kickoff coverage unit is still brutal, but they had a few okay stops. Can't say much about this unit when we might as well have left Cristman at home. No need for the field goal unit either. Man, it's easier when they don't play. 8-8 PATs though!
Coaching: A
This team has been a well oiled unit for the last 5 weeks. Very few turnovers, shut down defense, and tons of offense. Credit the coaches for finally realizing the strengths of this team and playing to them. I really had no issues that I can remember with this game. Well coached and well executed.
Overall: A
Get right over the bye and Beat the Lions!
What more can be said? If this team can do this against a contender, there is no stopping them. The offense is just humming like crazy with JT putting up Heisman level numbers (you laugh, but it's true). Yeah, yeah...the defenses are bad, blah, blah, blah, but if you've been watching this team, you see a difference since Oklahoma (and even Army). JT looks extremely sharp utilizing the middle of the field and the tandem of backs are just phenomenal. The O-line took a hit with the loss of Bowen, but they played a fantastic game in Lincoln. The only thing stopping the perfect game was the final drive where Urban decided to lay off. Two weeks to get ready for PSU. Do it there and prove the haters wrong.
Defense: A
The D-line is NSFW at this point. They are completely stifling. Here's hoping Jalyn Holmes is ok after a nasty hit, but they are at a whole different level. I was especially impressed with the secondary play last week (particularly the corners). I know Nebraska isn't going to set many passing records, but they were held to very little outside of garbage time to Spielman (yes, the whole second half was garbage time). Again, do it to Penn State, and shut the haters up.
Special Teams: Incomplete
Got the kickoff out of bounds done before the clock actually started. The kickoff coverage unit is still brutal, but they had a few okay stops. Can't say much about this unit when we might as well have left Cristman at home. No need for the field goal unit either. Man, it's easier when they don't play. 8-8 PATs though!
Coaching: A
This team has been a well oiled unit for the last 5 weeks. Very few turnovers, shut down defense, and tons of offense. Credit the coaches for finally realizing the strengths of this team and playing to them. I really had no issues that I can remember with this game. Well coached and well executed.
Overall: A
Get right over the bye and Beat the Lions!
Friday, October 13, 2017
Week 7: Legends and Leaders
Standings
1. Draper (18-7, 1-5 upset)
2. Schweinfurth (17-8, 0-6 upset)
3. Hoying (16-9, 0-6 upset)
4. Seeberg (15-10, 2-4 upset)
Temperatures in the 80s, thunderstorms, and a crappy, crappy slate of games? Is it early September or mid-October? There are zero, count 'em, ZERO ranked matchups this week. As such, we're going to keep it close to home and take a tour around the Big Ten while we wait for the rest of college football to get its act together.
Michigan Wolverines @ Indiana Hoosiers
Draper: Indiana was the nice upstart with a half long challenge vs. OSU but they've waned as of late. Don't let the score fool you, they slowed Saquon Barkley waaay down. Now, the Wolverines enter full-time John "Freak on a Leash" O'Korn time...not good for the sun and blue. After a horrendous game last week, I still think the Wolverines have enough to keep their long streak vs. the Hoosiers intact, but it will be close. Close enough that people may actually start questioning Harbaugh. Would I be shocked with an upset? No. Do I see it happening? Sadly no. UM: 20 -- IU: 13
Hoying: It appears that the enthusiasm that was building over the young Wolverines' early season may have been a bit overblown. Yes, last weekend was kind of a fluke loss in fluke conditions, but Michigan has found itself trailing or struggling in every game this season, whether the opponent is Michigan State or Air Force. The defense still seems to be working but the running game is nonexistent, and the situation at quarterback isn't exactly O'K either. The margin for error will be razor thin from now on, but even though the Hoosiers are much improved and looking somewhat competent, it may be overstating the situation a bit much to predict an Indiana win. Probably. UM: 17--IU: 13
Schweinfurth: We finally got to see what a full game of John O'Korn looked like and it was bad. That freak rain storm didn't help the Harboogers out either...but still, bad. Indiana has a legit defense this year and has given some good teams headaches (see Ohio State and Penn State). If you listen to Kirk Herbstreit, he will tell you that Lagow is one of the best QBs in the nation. Not sure I believe that. The Harboogers still have a very good defense and should be able to stop a very one dimensional Indiana team. The Harbooger D scores or sets up the game winner in this one. UM: 21--IU: 17
Seeberg: Unbelievably lousy slate of games this week. Bleh. In any event, how good/okay/medicore/awful is the 2017 TTUN? We still don't really know. Losing a rivalry game in a deluge by only 4 points with FIVE freakin' turnovers is less indicative of something greater and more a blip on the radar. Offensively, however, there are issues, and Indiana can score it...and likely should've won this matchup two years ago. I honestly would not be all that shocked to see them win it this year, but I have to think that the Khaki Eclipse can rally the troops enough to get back on track. UM: 23--IU: 16
Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ Illinois Fighting Illini
Draper: Rutgers vs. Illinois or carving your eyes out with a spoon? Tough call. This is just a game of fail. Buttgers has lived up to their name since 2006 (stupid Judge Ito) and the Illini have tried very hard to join them in the basement. I honestly have no idea how someone can watch this entire game. I definitely expect this to be shown to prisoners in Gitmo. That being said, slight lean towards the team with the Super Bowl coach (yeah, that's actually true...). RU: 17--Ill: 27
Hoying: Noon on BTN. Now that I've answered the burning question on everyone's mind, on to the preview of this must-see matchup. I could just say "you've seen Rutgers already (RIP)", but, quite frankly, the Buckeyes have been giving everyone the Rutgers treatment lately. More to the point, even though Rutgers played Washington and Nebraska kind of tough, they lost to a MAC team, and Illinois didn't. Illinois has looked...really bad lately, but you weren't expecting me to actually pick Rutgers, were you? RU: 17--Ill: 20
Schweinfurth: As I like to say, this game is a derp fest. I'm not even going to break this down. Rutgers is Butt and Illinois is barely better. Welcome to the "Wind Tunnel" Buttgers. RU: 10--Ill: 20
Seeberg: Woof. Easily the worst game we've ever picked here at Let's Go Bucks. Rutgers has oddly looked as though they're regressing after putting up a darn good fight against Washington and nearly beating Nebraska earlier this year. Illinois is, well, the new Indiana, B1G doormat extraordinaire (excluding the newcomers Rutgers and Maryland, of course). Tickets for this clash of the titans are less than a ticket to your local medicore high school game (seriously, $5 on Stub Hub). I really am tempted to pick Rutgers, but I assume their first B1G win won't come on the road. Please watch anything else at noon this Saturday, even me teaching tennis to kids early in the afternoon in Clintonville will be more entertaining. RU: 16--Ill: 23
Purdue Boilermakers @ Wisconsin Badgers
Draper: While Purdue isn't a darkhorse B1G contender as they used to be, they are the most fun team in the conference. You never know what is going to happen. The Badgers, on the other hand, constitute the most predictable team in the Midwest. I want the Boilermakers to win so bad in this matchup, but they just don't have the horses yet. I think they make this one surprisingly close as Northwestern almost stole one in Camp Randall two weeks back, but the Badgers keep bludgeoning teams to death. PU: 28 -- UW: 34
Hoying: The Boilermakers haven't won more than 3 games in a season since they got pasted by Oklahoma State in the Heart of Dallas Bowl back in 2012. 5 games into the Jeff Brohm era, and they're up to 3 wins already. The offense has been OK, but the real story is that there's an actual working defense operating in West Lafayette. The jury's out on whether it operates in Madison. RB Jonathan Taylor is chugging along nicely and he isn't about to be derailed by the likes of the Purdue defense. Illinois and Rutgers are still up ahead for the Boilers, meaning a bowl game may be within reach, but giant upsets aren't quite on the table yet. PU: 16--UW: 31
Schweinfurth: This game is actually a little intriguing to me. Purdue has looked better under Jeff Brohm. Unfortunately, the Badgers are just grinding teams to death with Jonathan Taylor. I see no reason why this doesn't continue. The Badgers could seriously be undefeated heading to Indy in December...I want to puke now. PU: 17--UW: 31
Seeberg: Well, Purdue looked...competent? against Louisville and UM, but competence doesn't necessarily translate to wins (but with Rutgers AND Illinois on the schedule, the Boilers are one win away from bowl eligibility almost by default now). Wisconsin, meanwhile, just keeps doing Wisconsin things, grinding out 10-20 point wins in spectacularly unspectacular fashion. Hard to expect much else than that here. PU: 13--UW: 35
Northwestern Wildcats @ Maryland Terrapins
Draper: I inadvertently skipped this game the first time through, posted and it didn't save the next time, so 3rd times a charm. Accidentally forgetting this game pretty much hits the nail on the head for this "middle child" game. All other games have an identity of potential upset or circle of suck (RU/Ill) but this game is the "oh yeah, these schools still have teams don't they" type game. Maryland has Bobby Boucher suiting up at QB and we are officially in the 2nd half of the season which is when Maryland hits that wall and crashes. Cats take a decent road win against the ICU to get Pat Fitzgerald nearer to that benchmark 6-7 win season. Yawn...NW: 27 -- MD: 17
Hoying: How bad is Northwestern, really? Getting pasted by Penn State is forgivable, and flagging late against Wisconsin is no problem, but getting blown out by Duke? Struggling against Nevada? The Wildcats are moving the ball behind the arm of Clayton Thorson, but they aren't finishing drives, and they aren't stopping anybody either. Maryland, on the other hand, is a total wild card. Bortenschale is questionable to start on Saturday, which means the Terps may have to pin their hopes on 4th-string QB Caleb Henderson in his first start. Can he play poorly enough to actually give the edge to the 'Cats on the road? Well, we aren't exactly talking about Alabama here. At some point, injuries have to have an impact on a middle-tier program. NW: 23--Mary: 17
Schweinfurth: Northwestern's defense actually looked very good against Penn St. last week. Saquan Barkley was held to negative yards into the third quarter last week. Maryland is now on QB number 4?!? Ouch. I know teams can win with a 3rd stringer, but #4? Good night sweet prince. NW: 20--Mary: 6
Seeberg: Maryland this season is a fantastic case study of what happens to typical college football programs when QB #1 and QB #2 go down (2014 Ohio State? NOT typical). The Terrapins dropped 51 at Texas week one, and only 55 points in their other 3 games combined versus D I-A competition. Until their TD drive late in the 4th quarter at the 'Shoe, Maryland had roughly 35 yards of offense for the entire game. Obviously the Wildcat D is not nearly as formidable, but they should be able to score enough to outlast the Terrapins at home. NW: 31--Mary: 20
Michigan State Spartans @ Minnesota Golden Gophers
Draper: Sparty, N..YES! The Spartans finally broke through to expose a horribly overrated Michigan (offense) and did just enough in the monsoon to keep little brother down. This week presents a return to normalcy....bad news for the Spartans. Dantonio gets his squad up for those big matchups, but tends to fall flat in a dumb game or two during the year. Honestly, I don't think MSU is very good, but we've seen those rowing the boat in Minneapolis need some more work. Minnesota jumps out to an early lead but the Spartans just keep chipping away until they sneak away with another win keeping PJ Fleck's inaugural season on the disappointing side. MSU: 27--Minn: 24
Hoying: Lost in the shuffle of last week's big win over big brother was MSU's complete inability to move the ball in the second half. The Spartans didn't so much as pick up a first down until their final drive. Sure, the defense looked great, but a good deal of that can be attributed to the Wolverines' ineptitude (see above), and the rain. Now, I checked the weather report, and it is supposed to rain on Saturday in Minneapolis. But the Gophers' newcult leader coach is looking for a statement win after puzzling losses to Purdue and Maryland, and a Sparty letdown after riding high all week provides a perfect opportunity. MSU: 24--Minn: 27
Schweinfurth: I loved every minute of the MSU game last week (you can never get enough Harbooger tears)...and it came down to a very close spot on a 4th down (let's pause so I can stop laughing maniacally). That being said, MSU's offense was very, very bad in the second half last week with their first second half first down comming on the game clinching drive. However, a win like that can springboard a team to bigger things. This game should be close as I think both teams are rebuilding. That Sparty momentum from last week brings home the W. MSU: 21--Minn: 17
Seeberg: Interesting how we've heard markedly less from hyperactive toddler/head football coach P.J. Fleck after his 0-2 conference start. Unfortunately, an actually respected program is now coming to town. Quite honestly, this has the feel of a trap game, with Sparty feeling good after swimming their way to a win over "big brother" last week, but I don't think Dantonio will let that happen. Gophers hang close, but Sparty closes the door late. MSU: 27--Minn: 17
THE Ohio State Buckeyes @ Nebraska Cornhuskers
Draper: After the debacle vs. the Sooners, Buckeye Nation knew that they had 3 weeks of crap to get things right followed by a step up in Maryland and Nebraska. So far, so good, but progress is always needed. Taking your game on the road to Lincoln is always interesting, but the Bucks have had extreme success vs. the Huskers. I think the Bucks keep in the upswing with JT and co. and the defense harasses Tanner "Pick 6" Lee all day. 2 turnovers forced with 4 sacks pair nicely with 250+ passing and rushing. The balanced attack sends the Bucks to the bye week on another uptick. In a surprise twist, the Buckeye special teams will also not look like hot garbage this week (maybe just garbage...but baby steps). OSU: 51--Neb: 17
Hoying: Everyone complaining about JT Barrett (who has been fantastic for the last month) might remember a young man named Joe Bauserman. After getting chased out of the starting QB spot by a hotshot freshman named Braxton Miller, Bauserman found himself back in the game to protect a 21 point lead in Lincoln. Yes, Braxton went down with an injury and the Buckeyes went down with him, suffering their only loss to the Huskers in 5 tries. Since then, the once vaunted Blackshirt defense hasn't been able to put a dent in the Buckeye attack, giving up 63 points in 2012 and another 62 last year. Any reason to believe this year will be different? Well, the Huskers are at home this time, and...well, they suck more than usual. The front seven will feast, the offense will move the ball at will, Tanner Lee might show a flash of brilliance or two, and the Urban death machine will crank right on toward Penn State. OSU: 45--Neb: 24
Schweinfurth: Good lord special teams. Are we just looking to have one unit totally suck every week? This is the last chance to get it together before the blue and white kitties come to town. I still don't know what to think of the secondary and this game will finally shed a bit more light on them. I have really liked the game plan the last few weeks. You can finally see Wilson and Day's fingerprints on the passing game. I just have one request this week...pull the starters if you get up by 35 this week. No need to risk injury in a game that shouldn't really be close. I do like a little more ground and pound this week. I think the best news for this game is that Joe "Bauserbomb" Bauserman isn't available and that the Walrus isn't calling the plays. This shouldn't be much of a game after the 1st quarter. OSU: 56--Neb: 10
Seeberg: Nebraska is a 24-point home 'dog this week, the worst it's been in over half a century. This number might have something to do with the 62-3 beatdown suffered at the hands of the Bucks last season. Nebraska looked decent for a half against Wiscy before being ground down into submission. This pundit hopes a similar tactic is employed in Lincoln this Saturday evening. A healthy dose of J.K. and Mike should open up some intermediate passing routes and wear down the Husker D. A 59-point margin of victory might be asking for a bit too much, but anything over that 24-point spread still looks darn good to me. Oh, AND FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY CAN WE NOT LOOK LIKE CONFUSED 6TH GRADERS ON SPECIAL TEAMS THIS WEEK??? Thanks. OSU: 41--Neb: 13
Upset Special
Draper: Texas over Oklahoma
Hoying: Georgia Tech over Miami
Schweinfurth: K-State over TCU
Seeberg: Cal over Washington State
1. Draper (18-7, 1-5 upset)
2. Schweinfurth (17-8, 0-6 upset)
3. Hoying (16-9, 0-6 upset)
4. Seeberg (15-10, 2-4 upset)
Temperatures in the 80s, thunderstorms, and a crappy, crappy slate of games? Is it early September or mid-October? There are zero, count 'em, ZERO ranked matchups this week. As such, we're going to keep it close to home and take a tour around the Big Ten while we wait for the rest of college football to get its act together.
Michigan Wolverines @ Indiana Hoosiers
Draper: Indiana was the nice upstart with a half long challenge vs. OSU but they've waned as of late. Don't let the score fool you, they slowed Saquon Barkley waaay down. Now, the Wolverines enter full-time John "Freak on a Leash" O'Korn time...not good for the sun and blue. After a horrendous game last week, I still think the Wolverines have enough to keep their long streak vs. the Hoosiers intact, but it will be close. Close enough that people may actually start questioning Harbaugh. Would I be shocked with an upset? No. Do I see it happening? Sadly no. UM: 20 -- IU: 13
Hoying: It appears that the enthusiasm that was building over the young Wolverines' early season may have been a bit overblown. Yes, last weekend was kind of a fluke loss in fluke conditions, but Michigan has found itself trailing or struggling in every game this season, whether the opponent is Michigan State or Air Force. The defense still seems to be working but the running game is nonexistent, and the situation at quarterback isn't exactly O'K either. The margin for error will be razor thin from now on, but even though the Hoosiers are much improved and looking somewhat competent, it may be overstating the situation a bit much to predict an Indiana win. Probably. UM: 17--IU: 13
Schweinfurth: We finally got to see what a full game of John O'Korn looked like and it was bad. That freak rain storm didn't help the Harboogers out either...but still, bad. Indiana has a legit defense this year and has given some good teams headaches (see Ohio State and Penn State). If you listen to Kirk Herbstreit, he will tell you that Lagow is one of the best QBs in the nation. Not sure I believe that. The Harboogers still have a very good defense and should be able to stop a very one dimensional Indiana team. The Harbooger D scores or sets up the game winner in this one. UM: 21--IU: 17
Seeberg: Unbelievably lousy slate of games this week. Bleh. In any event, how good/okay/medicore/awful is the 2017 TTUN? We still don't really know. Losing a rivalry game in a deluge by only 4 points with FIVE freakin' turnovers is less indicative of something greater and more a blip on the radar. Offensively, however, there are issues, and Indiana can score it...and likely should've won this matchup two years ago. I honestly would not be all that shocked to see them win it this year, but I have to think that the Khaki Eclipse can rally the troops enough to get back on track. UM: 23--IU: 16
Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ Illinois Fighting Illini
Draper: Rutgers vs. Illinois or carving your eyes out with a spoon? Tough call. This is just a game of fail. Buttgers has lived up to their name since 2006 (stupid Judge Ito) and the Illini have tried very hard to join them in the basement. I honestly have no idea how someone can watch this entire game. I definitely expect this to be shown to prisoners in Gitmo. That being said, slight lean towards the team with the Super Bowl coach (yeah, that's actually true...). RU: 17--Ill: 27
Hoying: Noon on BTN. Now that I've answered the burning question on everyone's mind, on to the preview of this must-see matchup. I could just say "you've seen Rutgers already (RIP)", but, quite frankly, the Buckeyes have been giving everyone the Rutgers treatment lately. More to the point, even though Rutgers played Washington and Nebraska kind of tough, they lost to a MAC team, and Illinois didn't. Illinois has looked...really bad lately, but you weren't expecting me to actually pick Rutgers, were you? RU: 17--Ill: 20
Schweinfurth: As I like to say, this game is a derp fest. I'm not even going to break this down. Rutgers is Butt and Illinois is barely better. Welcome to the "Wind Tunnel" Buttgers. RU: 10--Ill: 20
Seeberg: Woof. Easily the worst game we've ever picked here at Let's Go Bucks. Rutgers has oddly looked as though they're regressing after putting up a darn good fight against Washington and nearly beating Nebraska earlier this year. Illinois is, well, the new Indiana, B1G doormat extraordinaire (excluding the newcomers Rutgers and Maryland, of course). Tickets for this clash of the titans are less than a ticket to your local medicore high school game (seriously, $5 on Stub Hub). I really am tempted to pick Rutgers, but I assume their first B1G win won't come on the road. Please watch anything else at noon this Saturday, even me teaching tennis to kids early in the afternoon in Clintonville will be more entertaining. RU: 16--Ill: 23
Purdue Boilermakers @ Wisconsin Badgers
Draper: While Purdue isn't a darkhorse B1G contender as they used to be, they are the most fun team in the conference. You never know what is going to happen. The Badgers, on the other hand, constitute the most predictable team in the Midwest. I want the Boilermakers to win so bad in this matchup, but they just don't have the horses yet. I think they make this one surprisingly close as Northwestern almost stole one in Camp Randall two weeks back, but the Badgers keep bludgeoning teams to death. PU: 28 -- UW: 34
Hoying: The Boilermakers haven't won more than 3 games in a season since they got pasted by Oklahoma State in the Heart of Dallas Bowl back in 2012. 5 games into the Jeff Brohm era, and they're up to 3 wins already. The offense has been OK, but the real story is that there's an actual working defense operating in West Lafayette. The jury's out on whether it operates in Madison. RB Jonathan Taylor is chugging along nicely and he isn't about to be derailed by the likes of the Purdue defense. Illinois and Rutgers are still up ahead for the Boilers, meaning a bowl game may be within reach, but giant upsets aren't quite on the table yet. PU: 16--UW: 31
Schweinfurth: This game is actually a little intriguing to me. Purdue has looked better under Jeff Brohm. Unfortunately, the Badgers are just grinding teams to death with Jonathan Taylor. I see no reason why this doesn't continue. The Badgers could seriously be undefeated heading to Indy in December...I want to puke now. PU: 17--UW: 31
Seeberg: Well, Purdue looked...competent? against Louisville and UM, but competence doesn't necessarily translate to wins (but with Rutgers AND Illinois on the schedule, the Boilers are one win away from bowl eligibility almost by default now). Wisconsin, meanwhile, just keeps doing Wisconsin things, grinding out 10-20 point wins in spectacularly unspectacular fashion. Hard to expect much else than that here. PU: 13--UW: 35
Northwestern Wildcats @ Maryland Terrapins
Draper: I inadvertently skipped this game the first time through, posted and it didn't save the next time, so 3rd times a charm. Accidentally forgetting this game pretty much hits the nail on the head for this "middle child" game. All other games have an identity of potential upset or circle of suck (RU/Ill) but this game is the "oh yeah, these schools still have teams don't they" type game. Maryland has Bobby Boucher suiting up at QB and we are officially in the 2nd half of the season which is when Maryland hits that wall and crashes. Cats take a decent road win against the ICU to get Pat Fitzgerald nearer to that benchmark 6-7 win season. Yawn...NW: 27 -- MD: 17
Hoying: How bad is Northwestern, really? Getting pasted by Penn State is forgivable, and flagging late against Wisconsin is no problem, but getting blown out by Duke? Struggling against Nevada? The Wildcats are moving the ball behind the arm of Clayton Thorson, but they aren't finishing drives, and they aren't stopping anybody either. Maryland, on the other hand, is a total wild card. Bortenschale is questionable to start on Saturday, which means the Terps may have to pin their hopes on 4th-string QB Caleb Henderson in his first start. Can he play poorly enough to actually give the edge to the 'Cats on the road? Well, we aren't exactly talking about Alabama here. At some point, injuries have to have an impact on a middle-tier program. NW: 23--Mary: 17
Schweinfurth: Northwestern's defense actually looked very good against Penn St. last week. Saquan Barkley was held to negative yards into the third quarter last week. Maryland is now on QB number 4?!? Ouch. I know teams can win with a 3rd stringer, but #4? Good night sweet prince. NW: 20--Mary: 6
Seeberg: Maryland this season is a fantastic case study of what happens to typical college football programs when QB #1 and QB #2 go down (2014 Ohio State? NOT typical). The Terrapins dropped 51 at Texas week one, and only 55 points in their other 3 games combined versus D I-A competition. Until their TD drive late in the 4th quarter at the 'Shoe, Maryland had roughly 35 yards of offense for the entire game. Obviously the Wildcat D is not nearly as formidable, but they should be able to score enough to outlast the Terrapins at home. NW: 31--Mary: 20
Michigan State Spartans @ Minnesota Golden Gophers
Draper: Sparty, N..YES! The Spartans finally broke through to expose a horribly overrated Michigan (offense) and did just enough in the monsoon to keep little brother down. This week presents a return to normalcy....bad news for the Spartans. Dantonio gets his squad up for those big matchups, but tends to fall flat in a dumb game or two during the year. Honestly, I don't think MSU is very good, but we've seen those rowing the boat in Minneapolis need some more work. Minnesota jumps out to an early lead but the Spartans just keep chipping away until they sneak away with another win keeping PJ Fleck's inaugural season on the disappointing side. MSU: 27--Minn: 24
Hoying: Lost in the shuffle of last week's big win over big brother was MSU's complete inability to move the ball in the second half. The Spartans didn't so much as pick up a first down until their final drive. Sure, the defense looked great, but a good deal of that can be attributed to the Wolverines' ineptitude (see above), and the rain. Now, I checked the weather report, and it is supposed to rain on Saturday in Minneapolis. But the Gophers' new
Schweinfurth: I loved every minute of the MSU game last week (you can never get enough Harbooger tears)...and it came down to a very close spot on a 4th down (let's pause so I can stop laughing maniacally). That being said, MSU's offense was very, very bad in the second half last week with their first second half first down comming on the game clinching drive. However, a win like that can springboard a team to bigger things. This game should be close as I think both teams are rebuilding. That Sparty momentum from last week brings home the W. MSU: 21--Minn: 17
Seeberg: Interesting how we've heard markedly less from hyperactive toddler/head football coach P.J. Fleck after his 0-2 conference start. Unfortunately, an actually respected program is now coming to town. Quite honestly, this has the feel of a trap game, with Sparty feeling good after swimming their way to a win over "big brother" last week, but I don't think Dantonio will let that happen. Gophers hang close, but Sparty closes the door late. MSU: 27--Minn: 17
THE Ohio State Buckeyes @ Nebraska Cornhuskers
Draper: After the debacle vs. the Sooners, Buckeye Nation knew that they had 3 weeks of crap to get things right followed by a step up in Maryland and Nebraska. So far, so good, but progress is always needed. Taking your game on the road to Lincoln is always interesting, but the Bucks have had extreme success vs. the Huskers. I think the Bucks keep in the upswing with JT and co. and the defense harasses Tanner "Pick 6" Lee all day. 2 turnovers forced with 4 sacks pair nicely with 250+ passing and rushing. The balanced attack sends the Bucks to the bye week on another uptick. In a surprise twist, the Buckeye special teams will also not look like hot garbage this week (maybe just garbage...but baby steps). OSU: 51--Neb: 17
Hoying: Everyone complaining about JT Barrett (who has been fantastic for the last month) might remember a young man named Joe Bauserman. After getting chased out of the starting QB spot by a hotshot freshman named Braxton Miller, Bauserman found himself back in the game to protect a 21 point lead in Lincoln. Yes, Braxton went down with an injury and the Buckeyes went down with him, suffering their only loss to the Huskers in 5 tries. Since then, the once vaunted Blackshirt defense hasn't been able to put a dent in the Buckeye attack, giving up 63 points in 2012 and another 62 last year. Any reason to believe this year will be different? Well, the Huskers are at home this time, and...well, they suck more than usual. The front seven will feast, the offense will move the ball at will, Tanner Lee might show a flash of brilliance or two, and the Urban death machine will crank right on toward Penn State. OSU: 45--Neb: 24
Schweinfurth: Good lord special teams. Are we just looking to have one unit totally suck every week? This is the last chance to get it together before the blue and white kitties come to town. I still don't know what to think of the secondary and this game will finally shed a bit more light on them. I have really liked the game plan the last few weeks. You can finally see Wilson and Day's fingerprints on the passing game. I just have one request this week...pull the starters if you get up by 35 this week. No need to risk injury in a game that shouldn't really be close. I do like a little more ground and pound this week. I think the best news for this game is that Joe "Bauserbomb" Bauserman isn't available and that the Walrus isn't calling the plays. This shouldn't be much of a game after the 1st quarter. OSU: 56--Neb: 10
Seeberg: Nebraska is a 24-point home 'dog this week, the worst it's been in over half a century. This number might have something to do with the 62-3 beatdown suffered at the hands of the Bucks last season. Nebraska looked decent for a half against Wiscy before being ground down into submission. This pundit hopes a similar tactic is employed in Lincoln this Saturday evening. A healthy dose of J.K. and Mike should open up some intermediate passing routes and wear down the Husker D. A 59-point margin of victory might be asking for a bit too much, but anything over that 24-point spread still looks darn good to me. Oh, AND FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY CAN WE NOT LOOK LIKE CONFUSED 6TH GRADERS ON SPECIAL TEAMS THIS WEEK??? Thanks. OSU: 41--Neb: 13
Upset Special
Draper: Texas over Oklahoma
Hoying: Georgia Tech over Miami
Schweinfurth: K-State over TCU
Seeberg: Cal over Washington State
Monday, October 09, 2017
Grading the Bucks: Week 6 -- Maryland
Offense: A
Another fantastic performance by the buckeye offense. JT was phenomenal again as was pretty much all of the offense. The only negative was the random Dobbins fumble that is correctable for the future. It's actually a good thing as it will teach him the importance of ball security in a moment when it didn't hurt the team. I still claim Weber is the Buckeye's #1 back at this point in his career, but the sky's the limit for JK. The receivers are progressing as is the scheme. Maryland is not a great team, but a definite step up from Rutgers. Haskins still has a way to go as shown by more indecisiveness and ball security issues.
Defense: A
The Bullets did what they should have to the 3rd string Maryland QB. Bortenschlager couldn't do anything, and let's be honest, the entire Terp offense was ineffective until the Bucks checked out. The D-line was spectacular as usual and the linebackers showed up for a game! Let's hope there's more of that to come. The secondary even showed some life which is great. The highest point of the game came from the beautiful CLEAN hit by Denzel Ward and the even better call by national treasure, Gus Johnson. Hurt. My. Feelings (don't sleep on the "WOOOOOO") By the way, the Ozone can help us understand targeting in these confusing times.
Special Teams: BUTT
What can you say? What could have gone wrong, did. The only things we missed we fumbling a kick and a punt return. Let's list the flaws: 100 yard kickoff return, missed PAT, blocked FG, short punt, and kickoff out of bounds (AGAIN!!). This was a pathetic display and Urban needs to get a new philosophy. Pinning the opponent deep is great in theory, but if you can't place the kick or, you know, tackle, just boot it deep. Not like a mistake in the kicking game ever cost someone a game...oh wait.
Coaching: A
The scheme has improved every week which is incredibly satisfying. JT's skills are being highlighted more and more as are the receivers (Victor with the jump ball and getting Parris in space). Utilizing the middle of the field has been a major boon. How they replace Bowen on the O-line will be very interesting going forward.
Overall: A-
For a weird game with a great deal of mistakes, it was TOTALLY one sided. The defense completely blanked the Terps (until the 3rd stringers were in--after a bad fumble by Haskins). The minus is for the complete crap on special teams, but credit the offense and defense for fantastic games. No I don't care much about the targeting penalties. The first was awesome and not targeting and the second was just dumb. Keep getting better.
Another fantastic performance by the buckeye offense. JT was phenomenal again as was pretty much all of the offense. The only negative was the random Dobbins fumble that is correctable for the future. It's actually a good thing as it will teach him the importance of ball security in a moment when it didn't hurt the team. I still claim Weber is the Buckeye's #1 back at this point in his career, but the sky's the limit for JK. The receivers are progressing as is the scheme. Maryland is not a great team, but a definite step up from Rutgers. Haskins still has a way to go as shown by more indecisiveness and ball security issues.
Defense: A
The Bullets did what they should have to the 3rd string Maryland QB. Bortenschlager couldn't do anything, and let's be honest, the entire Terp offense was ineffective until the Bucks checked out. The D-line was spectacular as usual and the linebackers showed up for a game! Let's hope there's more of that to come. The secondary even showed some life which is great. The highest point of the game came from the beautiful CLEAN hit by Denzel Ward and the even better call by national treasure, Gus Johnson. Hurt. My. Feelings (don't sleep on the "WOOOOOO") By the way, the Ozone can help us understand targeting in these confusing times.
Special Teams: BUTT
What can you say? What could have gone wrong, did. The only things we missed we fumbling a kick and a punt return. Let's list the flaws: 100 yard kickoff return, missed PAT, blocked FG, short punt, and kickoff out of bounds (AGAIN!!). This was a pathetic display and Urban needs to get a new philosophy. Pinning the opponent deep is great in theory, but if you can't place the kick or, you know, tackle, just boot it deep. Not like a mistake in the kicking game ever cost someone a game...oh wait.
Coaching: A
The scheme has improved every week which is incredibly satisfying. JT's skills are being highlighted more and more as are the receivers (Victor with the jump ball and getting Parris in space). Utilizing the middle of the field has been a major boon. How they replace Bowen on the O-line will be very interesting going forward.
Overall: A-
For a weird game with a great deal of mistakes, it was TOTALLY one sided. The defense completely blanked the Terps (until the 3rd stringers were in--after a bad fumble by Haskins). The minus is for the complete crap on special teams, but credit the offense and defense for fantastic games. No I don't care much about the targeting penalties. The first was awesome and not targeting and the second was just dumb. Keep getting better.
Thursday, October 05, 2017
Week 6: Homecoming
Standings
1. Draper (15-6, 1-4 upset)
2. Schweinfurth (14-7, 0-5 upset)
3. Hoying (13-8, 0-5 upset)
4. Seeberg (12-9, 1-4 upset)
Louisville Cardinals @ NC State Wolfpack
Draper: Is NCState for real? They took down the Noles but that seems like not a big deal any more. Louisville laid a monster egg versus the defending champs which may not be a huge deal since Clemson is a juggernaut, but they looked passive and rolled over. Raleigh on Thursday night is an interesting snake pit. Lamar Jackson is clearly the best talent on the field but I think the Wolfpack defense might have surpassed the Caradinals. It comes down to Jackson vs. the NC State line...which I think might actually be a push. Does the craziness on the basketball side affect Petrino and Co.? Probably not, but I like the Pack to pull the upset and send the Cards home crying. UL: 24--NCSt 27
Hoying: OK, Cardinals. Getting past Murray State is one thing, but how will you fare in your first road test since your coach was...wait, what was that? It was Louisville's other scummy coach who was terminated in disgrace? Ah, OK then, back to football. Lamar Jackson continues to do Lamar Jackson things, except against Clemson. And NC State is not quite Clemson. The Wolfpack have righted the ship after an embarrassing home opener loss to big dumb Will Muschamp's Gamecocks, rolling off 4 straight including knocking off FSU in Tallahassee. Whose hot streak will end? Well, there's an extra variable in the equation: this game is on Thursday night. Louisville, as mentioned above, just got done playing Murray State, which really means they've been spending 2 weeks getting ready for this one. It's just too much to ask NC State to be fully ready for this one 5 days after a slugfest with Syracuse. Cards win close. UL: 31--NCSt: 27
Schweinfurth: Everyone seems to be all up on the Wolfpack. I guess beating Florida State will do that for you. Don't overlook the fact that FSU is severely depleted and could barely move the ball, even last week. Louisville on the other hand has a dynamic offense with Llamar Jackson leading the way. I can see the Pack keeping it close for a while, but Jackson is just too much. This one isn't as close as the experts think. UL: 35--NCSt: 20
Seeberg: Ah yes, the yearly question looms: What ranked team will the Wolfpack mysteriously beat before settling back into their 8-4, 7-5 mediocrity? Yes they beat Florida State already, but that hardly seems to qualify. After this one they have two more chances to beat a ranked team, and my money is on them beating Notre Dame. That means this one just can't end their way. Might be close, but the Wolfpack can't kick for crap, and it will cost them in this one. UL: 35--NCSt: 34
Miami Hurricanes @ Florida State Seminoles
Draper: What to do? I really believe FSU has the better talent, but they are just playing like a pile of warm poo. The offensive line is a train wreck but the skill positions show flashes every once in a while. Miami has looked good, but not great all year. Will the bling make the difference? FYI: Miami is on a 7 game losing streak to the Noles including last years "Block at the Rock". The question is: will the Noles rise up and take pride in what the season still could be, or simply throw in the towel? Heck, I have a one game lead. Might as well throw my co-conspirators a bone and pick this with heart. There's no evidence that the Noles should win...but screw Miami. I hate them. UM: 16--FSU: 17
Hoying: If one team wins 7 straight games in a series, does it even count as a rivalry anymore? (Hmmm...what if they win 14 of 16...?) The Canes have managed to put a scare into the Noles a few times in this last decade, coming a blocked extra point away from forcing OT last season, but FSU has always found a way to come out on top. Problem: this year, Florida State doesn't have Dalvin Cook at RB, and they don't have, well, anyone at QB, and Miami boasts a fierce pass rush looking to make what's-his-name pay. Yeah, the defense still works for Florida State, but Da U seems to be the complete package this year in a way they haven't been since the late Coker years (not the early Coker years). Did you see what they did to Duke last week? UM: 24--FSU: 17
Schweinfurth: Miami looks to have finally turned the corner with Mike Richt at the helm. They are getting Florida State at a very good time. The Noles' defense is still very, very good but that offense is stinky. It shows why the backup QB is the back up. I fully expect Miami to win this game, but the rivalry and FSU's defense keeps this close to be a good one. UM: 17--FSU: 14
Seeberg: This should have been a marquee matchup at the start of the year, but a massive injury to Francois has turned Florida State listless. I took Duke on a flyer last week against the 'Canes and regretted it as Miami pulled away for a convincing W. Their D is much better than anticipated, and with a still-unproven backup signal-caller for the Seminoles it's just not a great recipe for Florida State to get their season back on track. Fittingly, the Hurricanes win another one. UM: 23--FSU: 13
West Virginia Mountaineers @ TCU Horned Frogs
Draper: TCU is firing on all cylinders right now, but Holgo likes to come in and wreck up the place. The problem is that WVU and Will Grier isn't as good as I would have expected. TCU shut down Mason Rudolph and the Pokes which is a much bigger challenge than the Mountaineers so I expect more of the same. I know little about the other side of the ball for either team, but the Frogs should be able to score on a traditionally hapless West Virginia squad. Fort Worth will be fired up to keep TCU laser focused on those in Norman. WVU: 17--TCU: 31
Hoying: I feel like I've seen this one before. Hot team with lights-out passing game padding their stats against the cream puff gallery, now plays TCU. The last time this happened, TCU was on the road, and they flat out embarrassed Oklahoma State. Anyone want to make the case that Will Grier and the 'Neers can succeed where Mason Rudolph and the 'Pokes failed? Unless you think WVU's defense is going to deliver them? WVU: 23--TCU: 34
Schweinfurth: Man, TCU's defense is for real. WVU just doesn't do it for me. It seems like every WVU game I watch, the "improved defense" is exposed and give up chunk plays. TCU is on fire and looks to be one of the two best teams in the Big 12. I can see this getting ugly. WVU: 17--TCU: 38
Seeberg: We all know Va Tech dispatched the Mountaineers with ease in week one, and even though Clemson didn't let Sandman enter into their victory in Blacksburg, if you dig into the stats, they were pretty even throughout. Only three Hokie turnovers turned the game in Clemson's favor. Essentially, what I'm saying is Va Tech is pretty darn good and that loss by West Virginia wasn't too bad. Nevertheless, TCU can score with anyone and is actually playing a reasonable amount of defense- a rarity in the Big 12. Tough to picture WVU heading into Horned Frog territory and escaping with a win. WVU: 27--TCU: 42
Maryland Terrapins @ THE Ohio State University Buckeyes
Draper: I'm glad I had some Buckeye offense to plow my sidewalk for the last couple of weeks. Maryland is one of those sneaky teams this year with the surprising 3-1 start. Max Bortenschlager is the 70213498th string QB but has filled in quite well considering the situation. D.J. Durkin wasn't expected to defeat the 'new-Purdue' (every year darkhorse that underperforms) but they took down the Gophers...at home. This week will be very different. The Buckeyes are hitting their stride on offense, and I really think we are only scratching the surface of the possible at this point. Every week, the offense gets a little better against these bad defenses. Maryland is a little better on defense, but OSU is a lot better on offense. JT will continue his growth with these coaches and receivers as he MIGHT actually play late in the 3rd quarter this week. I'm going with a heavy 1-2 punch of Dobbins and Weber with some JT sprinkled in on the ground. The Buckeye D-line will harry Goldschlager to no end and force >=3 turnovers. This will be closer than the last 2 games...and still not close. JT throws for 3 scores and 275+ and runs for another. Bucks keep rolling. Mary: 10 -- OSU: 48
Hoying: Riddle me this: the Buckeyes take on Rutgers, who lost to the B1G East last year by a combined score of 288-40, and Ohio State opens -28. Now, the Buckeyes return home to face Maryland, a team that just knocked off undefeated Minnesota in the twin cities, and Ohio State opens -32. Maybe Vegas knows something I don't, like last year when Ohio State was -17 against top ten Nebraska and won 62-3. What I do know is that JT is scarlet-hot once again and the receivers have started to do their part to make a play or two as well. On the other side of the ball, is it appropriate to be concerned with the defense after a shutout? Yes, Rutgers had trouble moving the ball but I noticed a worrying amount of overpursuit and players being out of position (*cough* *Baker*). Maryland waterboy Max Bortenschlager is looking to make OSU pay, and if 2015 taught us anything, it's that the Silver Bullets have fits with backup mobile QBs. Am I worried? No. Just, no. No. Mary: 13--OSU: 52
Schweinfurth: Hey look, a test for the secondary! Okay, not a great one, but still better than Army, UNLV, and Buttgers. I'll mostly be watching to see if there has been any growth with the young corners. I still don't think these guys are ready to play man defense. Let's also see if the linebackers (looking at you Jarome Baker) stay disciplined and in position. The offense has had a couple of weeks to work the kinks out of the passing game, and I like the concepts that have been added by Day and Wilson. I doubt we see Dobbins and Weber on the field together until Penn State (why tip your hand), but both guys should get their touches and hopefully each goes for 100. Maryland will move the ball, especially through the air but the Bucks run away as usual. Mary: 20--OSU: 45
Seeberg: Be wary, Buckeye fans, the Terrapins are on the verge of respectability again. An impressive victory at Minnesota with a backup-backup QB is definitely something to hang their proverbial hat on, not to mention dropping half a hundred on the Longhorns in week one. I still worry that the recent passing game success will go to Kevin Wilson's head and the Buckeye offense will struggle early. However, as soon as we just hand the bleeping ball off to Dobbins and Weber, everything else will be fine. Maryland scores early, but the Buckeyes score early and often. Mary: 17--OSU: 49
Upset Special
Draper: Oregon over Wazzu
Hoying: Nebraska over Wisconsin
Schweinfurth: Northwestern over Penn St.
Seeberg: Michigan State over Michigan
1. Draper (15-6, 1-4 upset)
2. Schweinfurth (14-7, 0-5 upset)
3. Hoying (13-8, 0-5 upset)
4. Seeberg (12-9, 1-4 upset)
Louisville Cardinals @ NC State Wolfpack
Draper: Is NCState for real? They took down the Noles but that seems like not a big deal any more. Louisville laid a monster egg versus the defending champs which may not be a huge deal since Clemson is a juggernaut, but they looked passive and rolled over. Raleigh on Thursday night is an interesting snake pit. Lamar Jackson is clearly the best talent on the field but I think the Wolfpack defense might have surpassed the Caradinals. It comes down to Jackson vs. the NC State line...which I think might actually be a push. Does the craziness on the basketball side affect Petrino and Co.? Probably not, but I like the Pack to pull the upset and send the Cards home crying. UL: 24--NCSt 27
Hoying: OK, Cardinals. Getting past Murray State is one thing, but how will you fare in your first road test since your coach was...wait, what was that? It was Louisville's other scummy coach who was terminated in disgrace? Ah, OK then, back to football. Lamar Jackson continues to do Lamar Jackson things, except against Clemson. And NC State is not quite Clemson. The Wolfpack have righted the ship after an embarrassing home opener loss to big dumb Will Muschamp's Gamecocks, rolling off 4 straight including knocking off FSU in Tallahassee. Whose hot streak will end? Well, there's an extra variable in the equation: this game is on Thursday night. Louisville, as mentioned above, just got done playing Murray State, which really means they've been spending 2 weeks getting ready for this one. It's just too much to ask NC State to be fully ready for this one 5 days after a slugfest with Syracuse. Cards win close. UL: 31--NCSt: 27
Schweinfurth: Everyone seems to be all up on the Wolfpack. I guess beating Florida State will do that for you. Don't overlook the fact that FSU is severely depleted and could barely move the ball, even last week. Louisville on the other hand has a dynamic offense with Llamar Jackson leading the way. I can see the Pack keeping it close for a while, but Jackson is just too much. This one isn't as close as the experts think. UL: 35--NCSt: 20
Seeberg: Ah yes, the yearly question looms: What ranked team will the Wolfpack mysteriously beat before settling back into their 8-4, 7-5 mediocrity? Yes they beat Florida State already, but that hardly seems to qualify. After this one they have two more chances to beat a ranked team, and my money is on them beating Notre Dame. That means this one just can't end their way. Might be close, but the Wolfpack can't kick for crap, and it will cost them in this one. UL: 35--NCSt: 34
Miami Hurricanes @ Florida State Seminoles
Draper: What to do? I really believe FSU has the better talent, but they are just playing like a pile of warm poo. The offensive line is a train wreck but the skill positions show flashes every once in a while. Miami has looked good, but not great all year. Will the bling make the difference? FYI: Miami is on a 7 game losing streak to the Noles including last years "Block at the Rock". The question is: will the Noles rise up and take pride in what the season still could be, or simply throw in the towel? Heck, I have a one game lead. Might as well throw my co-conspirators a bone and pick this with heart. There's no evidence that the Noles should win...but screw Miami. I hate them. UM: 16--FSU: 17
Hoying: If one team wins 7 straight games in a series, does it even count as a rivalry anymore? (Hmmm...what if they win 14 of 16...?) The Canes have managed to put a scare into the Noles a few times in this last decade, coming a blocked extra point away from forcing OT last season, but FSU has always found a way to come out on top. Problem: this year, Florida State doesn't have Dalvin Cook at RB, and they don't have, well, anyone at QB, and Miami boasts a fierce pass rush looking to make what's-his-name pay. Yeah, the defense still works for Florida State, but Da U seems to be the complete package this year in a way they haven't been since the late Coker years (not the early Coker years). Did you see what they did to Duke last week? UM: 24--FSU: 17
Schweinfurth: Miami looks to have finally turned the corner with Mike Richt at the helm. They are getting Florida State at a very good time. The Noles' defense is still very, very good but that offense is stinky. It shows why the backup QB is the back up. I fully expect Miami to win this game, but the rivalry and FSU's defense keeps this close to be a good one. UM: 17--FSU: 14
Seeberg: This should have been a marquee matchup at the start of the year, but a massive injury to Francois has turned Florida State listless. I took Duke on a flyer last week against the 'Canes and regretted it as Miami pulled away for a convincing W. Their D is much better than anticipated, and with a still-unproven backup signal-caller for the Seminoles it's just not a great recipe for Florida State to get their season back on track. Fittingly, the Hurricanes win another one. UM: 23--FSU: 13
West Virginia Mountaineers @ TCU Horned Frogs
Draper: TCU is firing on all cylinders right now, but Holgo likes to come in and wreck up the place. The problem is that WVU and Will Grier isn't as good as I would have expected. TCU shut down Mason Rudolph and the Pokes which is a much bigger challenge than the Mountaineers so I expect more of the same. I know little about the other side of the ball for either team, but the Frogs should be able to score on a traditionally hapless West Virginia squad. Fort Worth will be fired up to keep TCU laser focused on those in Norman. WVU: 17--TCU: 31
Hoying: I feel like I've seen this one before. Hot team with lights-out passing game padding their stats against the cream puff gallery, now plays TCU. The last time this happened, TCU was on the road, and they flat out embarrassed Oklahoma State. Anyone want to make the case that Will Grier and the 'Neers can succeed where Mason Rudolph and the 'Pokes failed? Unless you think WVU's defense is going to deliver them? WVU: 23--TCU: 34
Schweinfurth: Man, TCU's defense is for real. WVU just doesn't do it for me. It seems like every WVU game I watch, the "improved defense" is exposed and give up chunk plays. TCU is on fire and looks to be one of the two best teams in the Big 12. I can see this getting ugly. WVU: 17--TCU: 38
Seeberg: We all know Va Tech dispatched the Mountaineers with ease in week one, and even though Clemson didn't let Sandman enter into their victory in Blacksburg, if you dig into the stats, they were pretty even throughout. Only three Hokie turnovers turned the game in Clemson's favor. Essentially, what I'm saying is Va Tech is pretty darn good and that loss by West Virginia wasn't too bad. Nevertheless, TCU can score with anyone and is actually playing a reasonable amount of defense- a rarity in the Big 12. Tough to picture WVU heading into Horned Frog territory and escaping with a win. WVU: 27--TCU: 42
Maryland Terrapins @ THE Ohio State University Buckeyes
Draper: I'm glad I had some Buckeye offense to plow my sidewalk for the last couple of weeks. Maryland is one of those sneaky teams this year with the surprising 3-1 start. Max Bortenschlager is the 70213498th string QB but has filled in quite well considering the situation. D.J. Durkin wasn't expected to defeat the 'new-Purdue' (every year darkhorse that underperforms) but they took down the Gophers...at home. This week will be very different. The Buckeyes are hitting their stride on offense, and I really think we are only scratching the surface of the possible at this point. Every week, the offense gets a little better against these bad defenses. Maryland is a little better on defense, but OSU is a lot better on offense. JT will continue his growth with these coaches and receivers as he MIGHT actually play late in the 3rd quarter this week. I'm going with a heavy 1-2 punch of Dobbins and Weber with some JT sprinkled in on the ground. The Buckeye D-line will harry Goldschlager to no end and force >=3 turnovers. This will be closer than the last 2 games...and still not close. JT throws for 3 scores and 275+ and runs for another. Bucks keep rolling. Mary: 10 -- OSU: 48
Hoying: Riddle me this: the Buckeyes take on Rutgers, who lost to the B1G East last year by a combined score of 288-40, and Ohio State opens -28. Now, the Buckeyes return home to face Maryland, a team that just knocked off undefeated Minnesota in the twin cities, and Ohio State opens -32. Maybe Vegas knows something I don't, like last year when Ohio State was -17 against top ten Nebraska and won 62-3. What I do know is that JT is scarlet-hot once again and the receivers have started to do their part to make a play or two as well. On the other side of the ball, is it appropriate to be concerned with the defense after a shutout? Yes, Rutgers had trouble moving the ball but I noticed a worrying amount of overpursuit and players being out of position (*cough* *Baker*). Maryland waterboy Max Bortenschlager is looking to make OSU pay, and if 2015 taught us anything, it's that the Silver Bullets have fits with backup mobile QBs. Am I worried? No. Just, no. No. Mary: 13--OSU: 52
Schweinfurth: Hey look, a test for the secondary! Okay, not a great one, but still better than Army, UNLV, and Buttgers. I'll mostly be watching to see if there has been any growth with the young corners. I still don't think these guys are ready to play man defense. Let's also see if the linebackers (looking at you Jarome Baker) stay disciplined and in position. The offense has had a couple of weeks to work the kinks out of the passing game, and I like the concepts that have been added by Day and Wilson. I doubt we see Dobbins and Weber on the field together until Penn State (why tip your hand), but both guys should get their touches and hopefully each goes for 100. Maryland will move the ball, especially through the air but the Bucks run away as usual. Mary: 20--OSU: 45
Seeberg: Be wary, Buckeye fans, the Terrapins are on the verge of respectability again. An impressive victory at Minnesota with a backup-backup QB is definitely something to hang their proverbial hat on, not to mention dropping half a hundred on the Longhorns in week one. I still worry that the recent passing game success will go to Kevin Wilson's head and the Buckeye offense will struggle early. However, as soon as we just hand the bleeping ball off to Dobbins and Weber, everything else will be fine. Maryland scores early, but the Buckeyes score early and often. Mary: 17--OSU: 49
Upset Special
Draper: Oregon over Wazzu
Hoying: Nebraska over Wisconsin
Schweinfurth: Northwestern over Penn St.
Seeberg: Michigan State over Michigan
Monday, October 02, 2017
Grading the Bucks: Week 5 -- Rutgers
Another little sister of the poor...another blowout. The shutout was an unexpected surprise but it is Rutgers after all. Here lies Rutgers....he never scored.
Offense: A
JT looked great again, albeit against subpar competition (but is there anything he could have done to satisfy Buckeye Nation at this game? Literally anything?). The receivers still dropped some passes that would have lessened the talk of JT's supposed inability to throw midrange-deep passes but I digress. While the receivers did have some dropsies, there were also some nice grabs (see Binjamin Victor for 6). Let us not forget to wish Mike Weber a hearty welcome back. Buckeye fans who have been calling for Dobbins to be the lead back have forgotten how good Mike Weber was last year. Now that the injury is almost gone, I'm excited to see the thunder and lightning approach in the backfield. Get rid of the stupid penalties (McLaurin) and we'd be good. Very little to be upset about in this game.
Defense: A
I believe the bright spot for Rutgers came on a 40 yard or so screen pass. Other than that, the Buckeye D was phenomenal. The shutout was flukey with the missed chip shot FG late (#karma for kicking to break the shutout) but the defensive line was just monstrous. Linebacker play has been 'eh' all year, but Rutgers couldn't exploit it. Fellow Let's Go Bucks contributor Steven Hoying brought up an excellent point concerning the disappearance of Baker in 2017. Let's hope he rights the ship soon because isolated plays focused on him were not friendly to Buckeye success.
Special Teams: A-
No kicks out of bounds! Hooray! Chrisman has been a treasure this year completely unexpectedly. Yeah, he had 1 clunker in this game (hence the -) but 13/18 punts have been downed inside the 20 with 1 touchback. That's a ridiculous stat with 5 50+ yarders. The coverage units were much better in this game (but it was Rutgers). Return game still needs work (especially punt return).
Coaching: A
See what happens when you finally let JT throw intermediate passes in the middle of the field? Great scheme and playcalling for pretty much the whole game. 56-0? What could the coaches have done better?
Overall: A
56-0....Not as good as last year but I think I'll let that slide. Good night Sweet Buttgers.
Offense: A
JT looked great again, albeit against subpar competition (but is there anything he could have done to satisfy Buckeye Nation at this game? Literally anything?). The receivers still dropped some passes that would have lessened the talk of JT's supposed inability to throw midrange-deep passes but I digress. While the receivers did have some dropsies, there were also some nice grabs (see Binjamin Victor for 6). Let us not forget to wish Mike Weber a hearty welcome back. Buckeye fans who have been calling for Dobbins to be the lead back have forgotten how good Mike Weber was last year. Now that the injury is almost gone, I'm excited to see the thunder and lightning approach in the backfield. Get rid of the stupid penalties (McLaurin) and we'd be good. Very little to be upset about in this game.
Defense: A
I believe the bright spot for Rutgers came on a 40 yard or so screen pass. Other than that, the Buckeye D was phenomenal. The shutout was flukey with the missed chip shot FG late (#karma for kicking to break the shutout) but the defensive line was just monstrous. Linebacker play has been 'eh' all year, but Rutgers couldn't exploit it. Fellow Let's Go Bucks contributor Steven Hoying brought up an excellent point concerning the disappearance of Baker in 2017. Let's hope he rights the ship soon because isolated plays focused on him were not friendly to Buckeye success.
Special Teams: A-
No kicks out of bounds! Hooray! Chrisman has been a treasure this year completely unexpectedly. Yeah, he had 1 clunker in this game (hence the -) but 13/18 punts have been downed inside the 20 with 1 touchback. That's a ridiculous stat with 5 50+ yarders. The coverage units were much better in this game (but it was Rutgers). Return game still needs work (especially punt return).
Coaching: A
See what happens when you finally let JT throw intermediate passes in the middle of the field? Great scheme and playcalling for pretty much the whole game. 56-0? What could the coaches have done better?
Overall: A
56-0....Not as good as last year but I think I'll let that slide. Good night Sweet Buttgers.
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