Standings
1) Schweinfurth 23-5 (3-4 upset)
2) Hoying 19-9 (2-5 upset)
3) Draper 18-10 (2-5 upset--missed 2 pts conv!!)
4) Auer 15-9 (0-6 upset)
Louisiana State Tigers @ Texas A&M Aggies
Draper: The Aggies have been electric on offense but terrible on defense. LSU has been the exact opposite. Were this game in Death Valley, I'd call for a blowout, but the 12th Man evens the playing field a bit. Manziel has put up stupid good numbers but hasn't faced a defense like this. Mingo and Montgomery pull LSU solidly back into the national title hunt. LSU:20--TAMU: 10
Auer: A huge game in College Station, a place where LSU has never won. The Tigers missed out on a lot of scoring opportunities last week and still came away with a win over South Carolina. LSU is the real deal and will win a close one. LSU: 34--TAMU: 28
Hoying: Give credit to Texas A&M for a win over a ranked team, but is anyone feeling good about their chances after a WAC opponent took them to the brink of disaster? LSU's defense won't be giving up 59 points, even to Johnny Football, everyone's newest blip on the Heisman radar. LSU has a little trouble scoring, but that rarely seems to be a problem for them (anyone remember watching the 2003 Buckeyes?) The Aggies continue their nasty "Welcome to the SEC tour" as another quality opponent kicks them to the curb. LSU: 22--TAMU: 16
Schweinfurth: So far this season, Texas A&M have held their own in their first SEC season. This will be LSU's first trip into Kyle Field, but I think it will matter not. LSU is the all around better, and oversigned (sorry I couldn't help myself) team. Tigers win close, but that is their identity this year. LSU: 17--TAMU: 13
South Carolina Gamecocks @ Florida Gators
Draper: The schedulers certainly did South Carolina no favors with back to back road games at Death Valley and the Swamp. Sometimes, a loss can tell just as much as a win. LSU is almost unbeatable at home at night, and the Cocks brought it to an onside kick. Driskell has been very good at QB but no one is blown away by the Gator offense. Lattimore and Shaw were able to score some on the Tigers but couldn't push it over the edge. Florida has an excellent defense, but while some predict the Tigers softened the Gamecocks, I think it strengthened their resolve. Also, I can't pick Florida (they are 4 of my losses I believe). Go Cocks! USC: 20--UF: 13
Auer: USC may be without Lattimore and the Gators are at home... this may get ugly. Factor in a revenge factor of Florida, and this will certainly be another big statement game from the Gainesville Gators. USC: 17--UF: 35
Hoying: South Carolina fans were feeling Cocky after their a big win over Georgia but got a sobering dose of reality at the hands of the punishing LSU defense. SC QB Connor Shaw is probably better than Florida QB Jeff Driskell, but the Gator D might be even better than LSU's. Going to the Swamp is no fun for anybody, and the ol' ball coach is going to get another reminder of why he never should have left. USC: 13--UF: 21
Schweinfurth: This game could have been epic if South Carolina could have held on last week. Both of these teams sport efficient offenses and stout defenses. I expect the same offensive formula that has worked for the most part from the Gamecocks: Lattimore, Lattimore, and and then Shaw over the top. Unfortunately I'm not sure if that will be enough. The Gators get a roughed up USC in Gainsville, which is huge for this game. The Head Ball Coach throws his visor at the end of this one. USC: 21--UF: 24
Kansas State Wildcats @ West Virginia Mountaineers
Draper: No one is giving Kansas State any credit. Collin Klein (in my opinion) is the clear frontrunner for the Heisman. West Virginia is the flash and Wildcars are the grind it out hardworking 'Mericans. Geno and company will put up points, but the defense can't stop anything. AARP Bill Snyder's team makes a few stops to win a close one in Morgantown. KSU: 30--WVU: 28
Auer: I haven't watched KSU play, but WVU was exposed in a big way this past weekend and it makes it very hard to be confident in their ability to win against a real opponent. Then again, I kind of question the legitimacy of the Wildcats. What the hell, I'll call for the home team upset. KSU: 38--WVU: 41
Hoying: West Virginia was exposed in a BIG way last week, both by their dismantling at the hands of Texas Tech and the discrediting of their previous vanquished opponent, Texas. The Mountaineers seem to have a problem with teams that can play defense. What's that thing that Kansas State does really well? It may be old man football, but KSU will pull out a big road win as they finally prove they can handle the spotlight. KSU: 27--WVU: 23
Schweinfurth: Texas Tech showed the world how to beat WVU last week: score and don't let Geno Smith beat you. While I haven't watched enough (or any) of KSU this year, Bill Snyder is a smart man and has been around the block a few times. Geno will get at least 2 TDs but Collin Klein busts out and takes the lead in the Heisman race after this one. KSU: 42--WVU: 21
Purdue Boilermakers @ THE Ohio State University Buckeyes
Draper: Let's be real: we play like last week, we lose. Thankfully, we're at home and I think last week was a giant notice for the defense (coaches and players). Purdue can play (sort of), but the Shoe makes the difference here. The crowd's electricity will prevent apathy from seeping back in. Purdue has beaten OSU 2 of the past 3 years, but the year we beat them, was an absolute beatdown at home. I expect a repeat of 2010. Braxton and Hyde will tear apart the Boilers and the defense, while still not worthy of being called Bullets, will do enough. Bucks get back on track at home. PU: 20--OSU: 48
Auer: Another closer than expected game. The defense is still bad, meh. PU: 31--OSU: 44
Hoying: Let's take a step back from the horrendous defense we saw last week. Before the last 4 minutes of the game, there wasn't an actual fear the Buckeyes were going to lose. And after the fear set in, Braxton never touched the ball until he ran out the clock. A consistent pattern has emerged of this Buckeye offense making plays when it has to, and I reiterate that as long as Braxton isn't busted, Ohio State will not lose another game. (Qualification: he has to be on the field. Multiple onside kicks void my prediction.) What about our worthy opponent? Ehhh, it's Purdue. We've lost to them once at home in the last 44 years. Plus they've been exposed in the last two weeks as the mediocre team they are. Bucks win big. Probably. PU: 27--OSU: 44
Schweinfurth: Another week, another spread offense for the Silver Pop Gun. While Purdue is bad defensively, this is the type of offense that has confounded Luke Fickle and Everett Withers. The focus this week was on minimizing the big play and it may show up in softer secondary coverages. Purdue WILL move the ball, and the Boilers WILL score...just not enough. The Buckeye offense is putting up just sick rushing numbers. Braxton Miller can become the first Ohio State QB to rush for 1000 yards, and this is only game 8! Carlos "El Guapo" Hyde has been a beast since Hall went down and I expect nothing less than 150 yards out of him. Bucks win and put up 50+ for the third week in a row (and I puke over the points given up again, bleh) PU: 38--OSU: 54
Upset Special
Draper: Cal over Stanford
Auer: Virginia Tech over Clemson
Hoying: Baylor over Texas
Schweinfurth: Tennessee over Bama (!!!)
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Rankings post Week 7 /Heisman Ballots
Heisman Ballot
Draper
1) Collin Klein--QB KSU
2) Johnny Manziel--QB TAMU
3) Geno Smith--QB WVU
(Braxton Miller is a close 3a)
Hoying
1) Geno Smith--QB WVU
2) Johnny Manziel--QB TAMU
3) Collin Klein--QBKSU
Schweinfurth
1) Geno Smith--QB WBU
2) Braxton Miller--QB OSU (close second)
3) Collin Klein--QB KSU
Top 25 Ballots
Draper
1. Bama
2. Oregon
3. Florida
4. Kansas State
5. Notre Dame
6. LSU
7. South Carolina
8. Oklahoma
9. Oregon State
10. Ohio State
11. Mississippi State
12. USC
13. Florida State
14. Louisville
15. Rutgers
16. Texas Tech
17. West Virginia
18. Ohio
19. Georgia
20. Clemson
21. Cincinnati
22. Texas A&M
23. Michigan
24. Stanford
25. LA Tech
Hoying
1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Florida
4. Notre Dame
5. Kansas State
6. Oregon State
7. Ohio State
8. LSU
9. South Carolina
10. Mississippi State
11. Texas A&M
12. Rutgers
13. Florida State
14. Oklahoma
15. Texas Tech
16. Cincinnati
17. Louisville
18. Georgia
19. Ohio
20. West Virginia
21. Michigan
22. USC
23. Arizona State
24. Clemson
25. Louisiana Tech
Schweinfurth
1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Florida
4. Kansas State
5. Notre Dame
6. South Carolina
7. LSU (yes I know LSU beat South Carolina...)
8. Ohio State
9. Oregon State
10. Oklahoma
11. Florida State
12. USC
13. Clemson
14. Georgia
15. West Virginia
16. Mississippi State
17. Cincinnati
18. Louisville
19. Texas A&M
20. Rutgers
21. Ohio
23. Stanford
24. Arizona State
25.Michigan
Draper
1) Collin Klein--QB KSU
2) Johnny Manziel--QB TAMU
3) Geno Smith--QB WVU
(Braxton Miller is a close 3a)
Hoying
1) Geno Smith--QB WVU
2) Johnny Manziel--QB TAMU
3) Collin Klein--QBKSU
Schweinfurth
1) Geno Smith--QB WBU
2) Braxton Miller--QB OSU (close second)
3) Collin Klein--QB KSU
Top 25 Ballots
Draper
1. Bama
2. Oregon
3. Florida
4. Kansas State
5. Notre Dame
6. LSU
7. South Carolina
8. Oklahoma
9. Oregon State
10. Ohio State
11. Mississippi State
12. USC
13. Florida State
14. Louisville
15. Rutgers
16. Texas Tech
17. West Virginia
18. Ohio
19. Georgia
20. Clemson
21. Cincinnati
22. Texas A&M
23. Michigan
24. Stanford
25. LA Tech
Hoying
1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Florida
4. Notre Dame
5. Kansas State
6. Oregon State
7. Ohio State
8. LSU
9. South Carolina
10. Mississippi State
11. Texas A&M
12. Rutgers
13. Florida State
14. Oklahoma
15. Texas Tech
16. Cincinnati
17. Louisville
18. Georgia
19. Ohio
20. West Virginia
21. Michigan
22. USC
23. Arizona State
24. Clemson
25. Louisiana Tech
Schweinfurth
1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Florida
4. Kansas State
5. Notre Dame
6. South Carolina
7. LSU (yes I know LSU beat South Carolina...)
8. Ohio State
9. Oregon State
10. Oklahoma
11. Florida State
12. USC
13. Clemson
14. Georgia
15. West Virginia
16. Mississippi State
17. Cincinnati
18. Louisville
19. Texas A&M
20. Rutgers
21. Ohio
23. Stanford
24. Arizona State
25.Michigan
Monday, October 15, 2012
Grading the Bucks: IU--A win is a win...right...RIGHT!!
I've never felt this gross after a win since...well, UAB or Cal. Cal has since proven that they aren't total garbage, but the others...woof. This was a travesty of a game for the Buckeyes and truly worries me for the future. Yes, the win (or lack of a loss) is nice, but the extreme apathy exhibited by the players and coaches is a red flag.
Offense: B+
I give one player a passing grade for this game and he played like an absolute beast: Carlos Hyde. He ran extremely hard, 2 TDs, solid receiving, breaking tackles, decent blocks (that was the weakest part of his game), etc. Others trumpet Braxton Miller, but the interception in the endzone was embarrassing for a Pop Warner team. Miller ran fairly well but refused to feed the beast of Carlos Hyde enough and his passes we still off target. I have to give him a solid B/B+ grade because 2 nice TD passes were dropped by his number one (and only?) receiver Devin Smith. Miller could have had a stellar game for the books, but drops, lack of leadership, apathy, and lack of consistency are his Achilles heel. The O-line is playing well as well so let's not forget them. Miller needs to improve the decision making A LOT and the play-calling should focus a little more on Hyde.
Defense: F
49 points....let that sink in. 49 points....to Indiana. The last time OSU gave up more than 40 was the National Championship to UF. My. Hoying did a stellar exposition illustrating the extreme depths of depravity to which this unit has been relegated. Our leading tackler was a full back who was told he was switching to defense this week....that's pathetic. The secondary is laughably bad. I'll make one small excuse as my eyes told me that Hankins was getting held on EVERY SINGLE PLAY (Note: there was not a single holding penalty called the entire game on either team). With that being said, even if our line was handcuffed the whole game, IU shouldn't have sniffed 30 points. The linebacking corps is extremely depleted, but it was INDIANA!!! I knew they'd score; I had them scoring 20; but 49! This unit was apathetic the entire second half which comes down to coaching and desire. Weak tackling reared its ugly head. I can't call them the Bullets until they earn it back. For now, they're the Silver Swiss Cheese.
Special Teams: C+
I have no clue what to do with this unit. Giving up another blocked punt is just embarrassing--then they block a punt AND TOTALLY REDEEM THEMSELVES!! Very solid kick coverage for most of the game (most drives started inside the 15 for IU and around the 30 for us); and then we give up a 60 yard return at the end of the game. We never kick FGs anymore, so Basil yanks one (but makes another). And then there was the onside kick. Bradley Roby, I love you and think you're arguably the best talent on the defense, but what are you doing? The apathy reared its head again and we kept the door open.
Coaching: D
I've spoken of apathy as a recurring theme and this is a serious coaching issue. The Bucks played as if the game was over with 12 minutes to go. As a coach, you need to keep stoking the fire until zeros are on the clock, and if you don't keep the intensity up, that's on you (especially in a year with no postseason). Playcalling has been pedestrian (triple option every time Brown motions into the backfield), but the mood of the team and coaches on the sideline is more of an issue. I'm calling out Urban on this one. He trumpets hardnose, no-nonsense style in which any deviation from greatness is punished. I'm sorry, but I don't see it. If you want to be no-nonsense, you need to be going CRAZY on the sideline coaching this team as they give up the 7th most points in OSU history TO INDIANA! This is not acceptable in Columbus. It reminds me of the RichRod cartoon..."But we will score a lot of points". If we score 52, that's all well and good, but what if IU had scored 53? Is Urban on the hot seat? Probably not yet, but this is offputting to say the least.
Offense: B+
I give one player a passing grade for this game and he played like an absolute beast: Carlos Hyde. He ran extremely hard, 2 TDs, solid receiving, breaking tackles, decent blocks (that was the weakest part of his game), etc. Others trumpet Braxton Miller, but the interception in the endzone was embarrassing for a Pop Warner team. Miller ran fairly well but refused to feed the beast of Carlos Hyde enough and his passes we still off target. I have to give him a solid B/B+ grade because 2 nice TD passes were dropped by his number one (and only?) receiver Devin Smith. Miller could have had a stellar game for the books, but drops, lack of leadership, apathy, and lack of consistency are his Achilles heel. The O-line is playing well as well so let's not forget them. Miller needs to improve the decision making A LOT and the play-calling should focus a little more on Hyde.
Defense: F
49 points....let that sink in. 49 points....to Indiana. The last time OSU gave up more than 40 was the National Championship to UF. My. Hoying did a stellar exposition illustrating the extreme depths of depravity to which this unit has been relegated. Our leading tackler was a full back who was told he was switching to defense this week....that's pathetic. The secondary is laughably bad. I'll make one small excuse as my eyes told me that Hankins was getting held on EVERY SINGLE PLAY (Note: there was not a single holding penalty called the entire game on either team). With that being said, even if our line was handcuffed the whole game, IU shouldn't have sniffed 30 points. The linebacking corps is extremely depleted, but it was INDIANA!!! I knew they'd score; I had them scoring 20; but 49! This unit was apathetic the entire second half which comes down to coaching and desire. Weak tackling reared its ugly head. I can't call them the Bullets until they earn it back. For now, they're the Silver Swiss Cheese.
Special Teams: C+
I have no clue what to do with this unit. Giving up another blocked punt is just embarrassing--then they block a punt AND TOTALLY REDEEM THEMSELVES!! Very solid kick coverage for most of the game (most drives started inside the 15 for IU and around the 30 for us); and then we give up a 60 yard return at the end of the game. We never kick FGs anymore, so Basil yanks one (but makes another). And then there was the onside kick. Bradley Roby, I love you and think you're arguably the best talent on the defense, but what are you doing? The apathy reared its head again and we kept the door open.
Coaching: D
I've spoken of apathy as a recurring theme and this is a serious coaching issue. The Bucks played as if the game was over with 12 minutes to go. As a coach, you need to keep stoking the fire until zeros are on the clock, and if you don't keep the intensity up, that's on you (especially in a year with no postseason). Playcalling has been pedestrian (triple option every time Brown motions into the backfield), but the mood of the team and coaches on the sideline is more of an issue. I'm calling out Urban on this one. He trumpets hardnose, no-nonsense style in which any deviation from greatness is punished. I'm sorry, but I don't see it. If you want to be no-nonsense, you need to be going CRAZY on the sideline coaching this team as they give up the 7th most points in OSU history TO INDIANA! This is not acceptable in Columbus. It reminds me of the RichRod cartoon..."But we will score a lot of points". If we score 52, that's all well and good, but what if IU had scored 53? Is Urban on the hot seat? Probably not yet, but this is offputting to say the least.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Worst defense ever?
I don't write the weekly "Grading the Bucks" column. But after watching the most pitiful defensive performance from the Scarlet and Gray that I've ever seen, I thought I would provide a little historical perspective for the inevitable "F" that John will award them later.
Just how bad was that showing? Indiana racked up 481 yards on 78 plays (6.2 yards per play), despite only having the ball for 23:06. The Buckeye D did have 6 tackles for loss, but recorded no sacks and forced no turnovers. Indiana broke off a 59-yard TD run and a 76-yard TD pass. To their merit, the OSU defense forced 5 three-and-outs, but only one of these came in the second half, in which the defense managed to stop Indiana from scoring all of two times.
Don't blame the offense and special teams for putting the defense in a bad spot, either. Indiana's average starting field position was at their own 29 yard line and they started only 3 of 16 drives inside Ohio State territory (blocked punt in 1st, long kick return in 3rd, onside kick at the end).
But these failings are not the point of this post. To find the most glaring problem, we need look no farther than the scoreboard. 49 points. Ohio State gave up forty-nine points. Let that sink in for a moment. When was the last time you saw Ohio State surrender (and I mean surrender) 49 points? If you're drawing a blank, don't worry, it doesn't happen often. Let's crack open the record books to see how historically awful this performance truly was.
Before we start, guess how many times before Saturday a team had scored 49 or more points against OSU. Keep in mind that's 123 years and 1,202 games from which to draw. Ready? It's seven. Unsurprisingly, all were blowout losses (0-64 to Wooster in 1890, 6-50 to Western Reserve in 1891, 0-50 to Oberlin in 1892, 0-49 to Western Reserve in 1898, 0-86 to Michigan in 1902, 6-58 to Michigan in 1946, and 14-63 to Penn State in 1994).
You may have noticed from that list that most of these defensive embarrassments occurred when the Bucks were essentially a mid-major team, prior to joining the Big Ten. The only one of those games you may have possibly remembered was the debacle against an unstoppable Penn State team in 1994.
"But what's the big deal?" you may say. "It's just one game, and besides, we won!" That's true; this game was an outlier of historical magnitude. But it's part of a disturbing trend that has arisen in the wake of Jim Tressel's exit. For all the scathing abuse the offense took last season, the losing record fell squarely on the shoulders of the defense. The 2011 Buckeyes gave up 23.25 points per game in Big Ten play, their fifth worst effort of all time. The only worse conference marks were produced by the 1999 (26 ppg), 1988 (24.875 ppg), 1946 (24 ppg), and 1943 (26.8 ppg) squads. Those of you with long memories know that 1999 and 1988 were the last two years before 2011 that the Bucks did not have a winning record (thank you John Cooper). The worst effort came in last year's Michigan game, where Ohio State exploded for 34 points...and lost, the highest score the Buckeyes have ever attained in a loss.
So 2011 was bad. How is 2012 going? In 3 conference games, the Silver BB's have given up 16, 38, and 49 points, good for a 34.3 ppg average. In other words, the 2012 crew are on track to be the worst defense in Ohio State history, and by a wide margin to boot. Remember, this is Ohio State. 5 years ago the Buckeyes led the nation in scoring defense. Ohio State has had 27 seasons in which the defense allowed less than 49 points or less total in Big Ten play.
Perhaps the game has changed. Perhaps the balance has shifted toward offensive efficiency and defensive futility. But what occurred in Bloomington on October 13th was an embarrassment. OSU defensive coaches, you're on notice.
Oh, and I don't know whether this is a glimmer of hope or a sign of how far we've sunk, but the leading tackler yesterday? Zach Boren. The fullback who became a linebacker 5 days ago.
Just how bad was that showing? Indiana racked up 481 yards on 78 plays (6.2 yards per play), despite only having the ball for 23:06. The Buckeye D did have 6 tackles for loss, but recorded no sacks and forced no turnovers. Indiana broke off a 59-yard TD run and a 76-yard TD pass. To their merit, the OSU defense forced 5 three-and-outs, but only one of these came in the second half, in which the defense managed to stop Indiana from scoring all of two times.
Don't blame the offense and special teams for putting the defense in a bad spot, either. Indiana's average starting field position was at their own 29 yard line and they started only 3 of 16 drives inside Ohio State territory (blocked punt in 1st, long kick return in 3rd, onside kick at the end).
But these failings are not the point of this post. To find the most glaring problem, we need look no farther than the scoreboard. 49 points. Ohio State gave up forty-nine points. Let that sink in for a moment. When was the last time you saw Ohio State surrender (and I mean surrender) 49 points? If you're drawing a blank, don't worry, it doesn't happen often. Let's crack open the record books to see how historically awful this performance truly was.
Before we start, guess how many times before Saturday a team had scored 49 or more points against OSU. Keep in mind that's 123 years and 1,202 games from which to draw. Ready? It's seven. Unsurprisingly, all were blowout losses (0-64 to Wooster in 1890, 6-50 to Western Reserve in 1891, 0-50 to Oberlin in 1892, 0-49 to Western Reserve in 1898, 0-86 to Michigan in 1902, 6-58 to Michigan in 1946, and 14-63 to Penn State in 1994).
You may have noticed from that list that most of these defensive embarrassments occurred when the Bucks were essentially a mid-major team, prior to joining the Big Ten. The only one of those games you may have possibly remembered was the debacle against an unstoppable Penn State team in 1994.
"But what's the big deal?" you may say. "It's just one game, and besides, we won!" That's true; this game was an outlier of historical magnitude. But it's part of a disturbing trend that has arisen in the wake of Jim Tressel's exit. For all the scathing abuse the offense took last season, the losing record fell squarely on the shoulders of the defense. The 2011 Buckeyes gave up 23.25 points per game in Big Ten play, their fifth worst effort of all time. The only worse conference marks were produced by the 1999 (26 ppg), 1988 (24.875 ppg), 1946 (24 ppg), and 1943 (26.8 ppg) squads. Those of you with long memories know that 1999 and 1988 were the last two years before 2011 that the Bucks did not have a winning record (thank you John Cooper). The worst effort came in last year's Michigan game, where Ohio State exploded for 34 points...and lost, the highest score the Buckeyes have ever attained in a loss.
So 2011 was bad. How is 2012 going? In 3 conference games, the Silver BB's have given up 16, 38, and 49 points, good for a 34.3 ppg average. In other words, the 2012 crew are on track to be the worst defense in Ohio State history, and by a wide margin to boot. Remember, this is Ohio State. 5 years ago the Buckeyes led the nation in scoring defense. Ohio State has had 27 seasons in which the defense allowed less than 49 points or less total in Big Ten play.
Perhaps the game has changed. Perhaps the balance has shifted toward offensive efficiency and defensive futility. But what occurred in Bloomington on October 13th was an embarrassment. OSU defensive coaches, you're on notice.
Oh, and I don't know whether this is a glimmer of hope or a sign of how far we've sunk, but the leading tackler yesterday? Zach Boren. The fullback who became a linebacker 5 days ago.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Week 7: Couple nice games here
Standings
1. Schweinfurth 20-4 (3-3 upset)
2. Hoying 16-8 (2-4 upset)
3. Draper 15-9 (2-4 upset)
4. Auer 11-9 (0-5 upset)
Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners
Draper: The Red River Shootout actually look relevant for first time. Neither of these teams is a threat for the National Title, but at least they're both alive for the conference. Oklahoma had tons of preseason hype yet have been a disappointment. Texas has been about as good as advertised--good offense, bad defense. I'll go with the better defense but I'm not sold. Also, Landry Jones has the edge on David Ash. Booooomahrrrr!! UT: 24--OU: 31
Auer: Whichever team loses here will be facing an uphill battle in the fight for Big 12 Championship. 11 of the past 14 match-ups have been decided by double digits and the Longhorns' losing streak to ranked opponents will continue here. Aren't you glad the Buckeyes just scheduled a home-and-home with a program that is faltering? UT: 10--OU: 35
Hoying: But, but, but, this was the year this game was supposed to meeeeean something! The perennial default picks to win the Big 12 (base 8) limp into the Red River Shootout after dropping home games to superior opponents in the last two weeks. And one of them is going to lose again, essentially dropping them out of the Big 12 title hunt. Texas finally gets to see a real defense after their tour against Okie State and West Virginia, while Oklahoma should have a little more room to work with on offense than against K-State and T-Tech. In a matchup like this, the team to beat is the team with the better defense. Advantage: Oklahoma. UT: 21--OU: 24
Schweinfurth: I can't remember a year when this game doesn't appear relevant for the national title. And to be honest, this is the least I have heard about these two teams coming into the game. I know the QBs and beyond that, not much. I'll just say it'll be a Big 12 shootout. UT: 35--OU: 42
Stanford Cardinal @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Draper: Stanford is fake good. Yeah, they manhandled the Trojan lines...at home...in the biggest game of the year, but that's it. Oh yeah, they squeaked out that win with total dominance on the lines yet needed OT to beat Arizona's spread. The Irish have been playing exceptional defense and just enough offense to get by. I was surprised their offense wasn't more explosive against Miami early but they eventually scored some points. I like the Irish at home to keep beating overrated teams. I believe OU and USC will give them fits (especially the Trojans). TD Jesus FTW! Stan: 13--ND: 24
Auer: When I tried to read up on this match-up, it became blatantly obvious that I don't care about this game, and that's mostly because Stanford is really overrated. Notre Dame hasn't done crap and is even more overrated than Stanford. Stan: 10--ND: 31
Hoying: Sooo, the Irish are good. Really good. Notre Dame has not allowed a TD in over a month. And Stanford has not been lighting up many teams without DickRod defenses. This one's easy. Stan: 10--ND: 27
Schweinfurth: Notre Dame is playing very good football right now. The defense behind Monte Te'o is playing lights out. The offense, yea not so much. Stanford looks a bit watered down from the Luck and Harbaugh days. First one to score a TD wins. Stan: 6--ND: 10
South Carolina Gamecocks @ Louisiana State Tigers
Draper: This one should be the best game of the week. LSU may not be as talented as advertised, but Death Valley is an exceptionally difficult place to play. Jadaveon Clowny is a monster for the Cocks on defense and should tear the Tiger line to shreds. LSU's DEs are very talented and should induce Connor Shaw into a few mistakes in the Baton Rouge craziness. With that being said, LSU is just not good on offense...at all. The Tiger D is good, but so are the Gamecocks. South Carolina will get a HUGE win in a slugfest to rocket into the forefront of the title discussion. USC: 17--LSU: 13
Auer: LSU has NEVER lost at home at night under Les Miles.... let that sink in. USC is coming off of a HUGE win against Georgia, so there's the hangover factor. The Tigers are coming off of a tough road loss at Florida, so there's another hangover factor. I haven't watched much of either team, but my instincts tell me that USC is a better team that will be lacking against a team looking to make a statement and playing with serious energy at home under the lights. USC: 10--LSU: 20
Hoying: Speaking of teams with pedestrian offenses, LSU has put up all of 18 points in 2 conference games so far. Keep in mind the Tigers started one drive on the Florida 7 and still managed to score 6 points in the entire game. Meanwhile, Cocky has been blasting everyone since their opening night scare at Vanderbilt, riding the one-two punch of QB Connor Shaw and RB Marcus Lattimore. It will be tough for the Foghorn Leghorns to match last week's emotional intensity, especially with Florida next on the schedule, but the Tigers are so bad it won't matter. USC: 24--LSU: 9
Schweinfurth: South Carolina is scary, and maybe a team that can challenge Alabama for SEC supremacy. The Gamecocks are a very complete team. Lattimore and Shaw have the offense humming along and Clowny on defense has been a beast. LSU on the other hand has looked pedestrian. Even in the Bayou, USC wins going away. USC: 31--LSU: 13
THE Ohio State University Buckeyes @ Indiana Hoosiers
Draper: That's what I'm talking about. Total dominance by the Buckeye offense next week. And now....the Hoosiers. This could (and should) get ugly quickly. The Buckeye faithful (including yours truly) will invade Memorial Stadium and bring the pain. I'm hoping to put any hopes of an upset to bed early and get Braxton some needed rest (and Guiton some experience). The Hoosiers tested the Spartans last week. Hopefully, they have nothing left in the tank so we can win in a walk. Even if IU is on fire, I still expect a Buckeye win. This game comes at a great time to give the offense a break and the defense some confidence. Step up Silver Bullets! This is your first quiz to see if you can improve before the big final test vs. the Wolverines. OSU: 52--IU: 20
Auer: Meh, another blowout, or at least it should be. The defense will give up more points than it should and the offense will struggle at first. OSU: 38--IU: 20
Hoying: And we were worried about the Buckeyes. Maybe Urban was trying to look as bad as possible during the nonconference slate so our opponents wouldn't have reliable game film to prepare them for us (insert your own joke here). Anyway, it's time for the one game Indiana sells out every two years, also known as Ohio State's 6th home game this season. If Jim Tressel were still coaching, we might play down to their level and win by 10 or so. But last week's first half against MSU notwithstanding, hapless Indiana is going to feel the hurt at the hands of the B1G's finest (sorry Michigan). OSU: 49--IU: 13
Schweinfurth: That was a big test past last week by the Buckeyes. Still a few worries about the defense, which are only increased by the loss of Sabino. The Hoosier defense should be no concern for Braxton and the guys, who are finally firing on all cylinders. Indiana will score, but the Bucks will score more...Urban wants 70. He gets it this week. OSU: 73--IU: 24
Upset Special
Draper: LA Tech over TAMU
Auer: BYU over Oregon St.
Hoying: Washington over USC
Schweinfurth: Tennessee over Miss St.
1. Schweinfurth 20-4 (3-3 upset)
2. Hoying 16-8 (2-4 upset)
3. Draper 15-9 (2-4 upset)
4. Auer 11-9 (0-5 upset)
Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners
Draper: The Red River Shootout actually look relevant for first time. Neither of these teams is a threat for the National Title, but at least they're both alive for the conference. Oklahoma had tons of preseason hype yet have been a disappointment. Texas has been about as good as advertised--good offense, bad defense. I'll go with the better defense but I'm not sold. Also, Landry Jones has the edge on David Ash. Booooomahrrrr!! UT: 24--OU: 31
Auer: Whichever team loses here will be facing an uphill battle in the fight for Big 12 Championship. 11 of the past 14 match-ups have been decided by double digits and the Longhorns' losing streak to ranked opponents will continue here. Aren't you glad the Buckeyes just scheduled a home-and-home with a program that is faltering? UT: 10--OU: 35
Hoying: But, but, but, this was the year this game was supposed to meeeeean something! The perennial default picks to win the Big 12 (base 8) limp into the Red River Shootout after dropping home games to superior opponents in the last two weeks. And one of them is going to lose again, essentially dropping them out of the Big 12 title hunt. Texas finally gets to see a real defense after their tour against Okie State and West Virginia, while Oklahoma should have a little more room to work with on offense than against K-State and T-Tech. In a matchup like this, the team to beat is the team with the better defense. Advantage: Oklahoma. UT: 21--OU: 24
Schweinfurth: I can't remember a year when this game doesn't appear relevant for the national title. And to be honest, this is the least I have heard about these two teams coming into the game. I know the QBs and beyond that, not much. I'll just say it'll be a Big 12 shootout. UT: 35--OU: 42
Stanford Cardinal @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Draper: Stanford is fake good. Yeah, they manhandled the Trojan lines...at home...in the biggest game of the year, but that's it. Oh yeah, they squeaked out that win with total dominance on the lines yet needed OT to beat Arizona's spread. The Irish have been playing exceptional defense and just enough offense to get by. I was surprised their offense wasn't more explosive against Miami early but they eventually scored some points. I like the Irish at home to keep beating overrated teams. I believe OU and USC will give them fits (especially the Trojans). TD Jesus FTW! Stan: 13--ND: 24
Auer: When I tried to read up on this match-up, it became blatantly obvious that I don't care about this game, and that's mostly because Stanford is really overrated. Notre Dame hasn't done crap and is even more overrated than Stanford. Stan: 10--ND: 31
Hoying: Sooo, the Irish are good. Really good. Notre Dame has not allowed a TD in over a month. And Stanford has not been lighting up many teams without DickRod defenses. This one's easy. Stan: 10--ND: 27
Schweinfurth: Notre Dame is playing very good football right now. The defense behind Monte Te'o is playing lights out. The offense, yea not so much. Stanford looks a bit watered down from the Luck and Harbaugh days. First one to score a TD wins. Stan: 6--ND: 10
South Carolina Gamecocks @ Louisiana State Tigers
Draper: This one should be the best game of the week. LSU may not be as talented as advertised, but Death Valley is an exceptionally difficult place to play. Jadaveon Clowny is a monster for the Cocks on defense and should tear the Tiger line to shreds. LSU's DEs are very talented and should induce Connor Shaw into a few mistakes in the Baton Rouge craziness. With that being said, LSU is just not good on offense...at all. The Tiger D is good, but so are the Gamecocks. South Carolina will get a HUGE win in a slugfest to rocket into the forefront of the title discussion. USC: 17--LSU: 13
Auer: LSU has NEVER lost at home at night under Les Miles.... let that sink in. USC is coming off of a HUGE win against Georgia, so there's the hangover factor. The Tigers are coming off of a tough road loss at Florida, so there's another hangover factor. I haven't watched much of either team, but my instincts tell me that USC is a better team that will be lacking against a team looking to make a statement and playing with serious energy at home under the lights. USC: 10--LSU: 20
Hoying: Speaking of teams with pedestrian offenses, LSU has put up all of 18 points in 2 conference games so far. Keep in mind the Tigers started one drive on the Florida 7 and still managed to score 6 points in the entire game. Meanwhile, Cocky has been blasting everyone since their opening night scare at Vanderbilt, riding the one-two punch of QB Connor Shaw and RB Marcus Lattimore. It will be tough for the Foghorn Leghorns to match last week's emotional intensity, especially with Florida next on the schedule, but the Tigers are so bad it won't matter. USC: 24--LSU: 9
Schweinfurth: South Carolina is scary, and maybe a team that can challenge Alabama for SEC supremacy. The Gamecocks are a very complete team. Lattimore and Shaw have the offense humming along and Clowny on defense has been a beast. LSU on the other hand has looked pedestrian. Even in the Bayou, USC wins going away. USC: 31--LSU: 13
THE Ohio State University Buckeyes @ Indiana Hoosiers
Draper: That's what I'm talking about. Total dominance by the Buckeye offense next week. And now....the Hoosiers. This could (and should) get ugly quickly. The Buckeye faithful (including yours truly) will invade Memorial Stadium and bring the pain. I'm hoping to put any hopes of an upset to bed early and get Braxton some needed rest (and Guiton some experience). The Hoosiers tested the Spartans last week. Hopefully, they have nothing left in the tank so we can win in a walk. Even if IU is on fire, I still expect a Buckeye win. This game comes at a great time to give the offense a break and the defense some confidence. Step up Silver Bullets! This is your first quiz to see if you can improve before the big final test vs. the Wolverines. OSU: 52--IU: 20
Auer: Meh, another blowout, or at least it should be. The defense will give up more points than it should and the offense will struggle at first. OSU: 38--IU: 20
Hoying: And we were worried about the Buckeyes. Maybe Urban was trying to look as bad as possible during the nonconference slate so our opponents wouldn't have reliable game film to prepare them for us (insert your own joke here). Anyway, it's time for the one game Indiana sells out every two years, also known as Ohio State's 6th home game this season. If Jim Tressel were still coaching, we might play down to their level and win by 10 or so. But last week's first half against MSU notwithstanding, hapless Indiana is going to feel the hurt at the hands of the B1G's finest (sorry Michigan). OSU: 49--IU: 13
Schweinfurth: That was a big test past last week by the Buckeyes. Still a few worries about the defense, which are only increased by the loss of Sabino. The Hoosier defense should be no concern for Braxton and the guys, who are finally firing on all cylinders. Indiana will score, but the Bucks will score more...Urban wants 70. He gets it this week. OSU: 73--IU: 24
Upset Special
Draper: LA Tech over TAMU
Auer: BYU over Oregon St.
Hoying: Washington over USC
Schweinfurth: Tennessee over Miss St.
Rankings Week 6 and Heisman votes
Heisman Ballots
Draper:
1) Geno Smith (QB WVU)
2) Collin Klein (QB KSU)
3) Braxton Miller (QB OSU)
Hoying:
1) Geno Smith (QB WVU)
2) Collin Klein (QB KSU)
3) Braxton Miller (QB OSU)
Schweinfurth:
1) Geno Smith (QB WVU)
2)Braxton Miller (QB OSU)
3)Kenyon Varner (RB/WR Oreg)
Rankings
Draper
1. Bama
2. Oregon
3. South Carolina
4. Florida
5. West Virginia
6. Kansas State
7. Notre Dame
8. Ohio State
9. USC
10. Oregon State
11. Florida State
12. Oklahoma
13. LSU
14. Mississippi State
15. Georgia
16. Louisville
17. Rutgers
18. Cincinnati
19. Texas
20. Louisiana Tech
21. Stanford
22. Clemson
23. Ohio
24. Michigan
25. Boise State
Hoying
1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Florida
4. South Carolina
5. Notre Dame
6. Kansas State
7. West Virginia
8. Ohio State
9. Oregon State
10. Rutgers
11. Louisiana Tech
12. Mississippi State
13. Florida State
14. Stanford
15. Cincinnati
16. Louisville
17. Georgia
18. Ohio
19. Iowa State
20. LSU
21. Texas A&M
22. USC
23. Arizona State
24. Texas Tech
25. Texas
Schweinfurth
1. Alabama
2. South Carolina
3. Oregon
4. Kansas State
5. Florida
6. West Virginia
7. Notre Dame
8. Ohio State
9. Oregon State
10. Clemson
11. Texas
12. LSU
13. Georgia
14. Florida State
15. USC
16. Oklahoma
17. Stanford
18. Louisville
19. Mississippi State
20. Rutgers
21. Cincinnati
22. Texas A&M
23. Ohio
24. Louisiana Tech
25. Iowa State
Draper:
1) Geno Smith (QB WVU)
2) Collin Klein (QB KSU)
3) Braxton Miller (QB OSU)
Hoying:
1) Geno Smith (QB WVU)
2) Collin Klein (QB KSU)
3) Braxton Miller (QB OSU)
Schweinfurth:
1) Geno Smith (QB WVU)
2)Braxton Miller (QB OSU)
3)Kenyon Varner (RB/WR Oreg)
Rankings
Draper
1. Bama
2. Oregon
3. South Carolina
4. Florida
5. West Virginia
6. Kansas State
7. Notre Dame
8. Ohio State
9. USC
10. Oregon State
11. Florida State
12. Oklahoma
13. LSU
14. Mississippi State
15. Georgia
16. Louisville
17. Rutgers
18. Cincinnati
19. Texas
20. Louisiana Tech
21. Stanford
22. Clemson
23. Ohio
24. Michigan
25. Boise State
Hoying
1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Florida
4. South Carolina
5. Notre Dame
6. Kansas State
7. West Virginia
8. Ohio State
9. Oregon State
10. Rutgers
11. Louisiana Tech
12. Mississippi State
13. Florida State
14. Stanford
15. Cincinnati
16. Louisville
17. Georgia
18. Ohio
19. Iowa State
20. LSU
21. Texas A&M
22. USC
23. Arizona State
24. Texas Tech
25. Texas
Schweinfurth
1. Alabama
2. South Carolina
3. Oregon
4. Kansas State
5. Florida
6. West Virginia
7. Notre Dame
8. Ohio State
9. Oregon State
10. Clemson
11. Texas
12. LSU
13. Georgia
14. Florida State
15. USC
16. Oklahoma
17. Stanford
18. Louisville
19. Mississippi State
20. Rutgers
21. Cincinnati
22. Texas A&M
23. Ohio
24. Louisiana Tech
25. Iowa State
Monday, October 08, 2012
Grading the Bucks--Week 6: Nebraska
That's what I'm talking about. Still holes on defense and the slow start to complain about, but the Shoe was rockin' and sent the Huskers home crying.
Offense: A-
Hard to not give an A for a 63 point effort but Nebraska made us look like a pee-wee team in the first quarter...then we woke up. Hyde is running exceptionally well as he scored 4 TDs. The WRs are still dropping too many key passes and Braxton still needs to shore up those passes. The running game was eye-popping. I'm just drooling about what could happen when Miller and his receivers get better. The Husker defense isn't anything special, but that was by far the best outing on offense of the year (including Miami). Rod Smith also looked good which is a plus for the future.
Defense: B-
Let me be clear, we got some turnovers, but there is absolutely no excuse for giving up 38 points at home at night. We have 2 NFL ready players right now: Hankins and Roby (with Simon knocking on the door). The secondary still needs work as shown by deep passes by a mediocre passing team not directed to Roby. Tackling was better (other than the Martinez TD run--that one's on Roby). Line play is getting very good. I do feel bad for the pain that will be visited on Shazier for not falling on the fumble (trust me, he's going to get crushed--deservedly so). 3 picks and a defensive TD is very very nice, but way too many points were surrendered.
Special Teams: A
No kicks but a punt return for a TD and exceptional coverage on kickoffs/punts. Most of the Huskers drives started inside the 20 which is more than you can ask for. I'm nervous about Basil having to kick in a pressure situation as he has gotten 0 practice, but let's just hope we can keep scoring TDs.
Coaching: B+
It looked like someone actually taught tackling this week (see Christian Bryant). The offensive scheme was focused on the ground game and the commitment to the run was fantastic. Defensively, they did a decent job hiding the weak secondary, but you can't coach inability. The downgrade comes for the fake punt in the 1st. Way to early and to dangerous to roll the dice in my opinion.The defense stepped up after. Major cajones, but OSU should be able to win with sound scheme. It felt like a panic decision.
Overall: A-
Great game. I find it difficult to give an A rating with a defense giving up that many points but the game felt well covered from the middle of the second. If the defense can return to the Bullets of old with the new offensive scheme, look out.
Offense: A-
Hard to not give an A for a 63 point effort but Nebraska made us look like a pee-wee team in the first quarter...then we woke up. Hyde is running exceptionally well as he scored 4 TDs. The WRs are still dropping too many key passes and Braxton still needs to shore up those passes. The running game was eye-popping. I'm just drooling about what could happen when Miller and his receivers get better. The Husker defense isn't anything special, but that was by far the best outing on offense of the year (including Miami). Rod Smith also looked good which is a plus for the future.
Defense: B-
Let me be clear, we got some turnovers, but there is absolutely no excuse for giving up 38 points at home at night. We have 2 NFL ready players right now: Hankins and Roby (with Simon knocking on the door). The secondary still needs work as shown by deep passes by a mediocre passing team not directed to Roby. Tackling was better (other than the Martinez TD run--that one's on Roby). Line play is getting very good. I do feel bad for the pain that will be visited on Shazier for not falling on the fumble (trust me, he's going to get crushed--deservedly so). 3 picks and a defensive TD is very very nice, but way too many points were surrendered.
Special Teams: A
No kicks but a punt return for a TD and exceptional coverage on kickoffs/punts. Most of the Huskers drives started inside the 20 which is more than you can ask for. I'm nervous about Basil having to kick in a pressure situation as he has gotten 0 practice, but let's just hope we can keep scoring TDs.
Coaching: B+
It looked like someone actually taught tackling this week (see Christian Bryant). The offensive scheme was focused on the ground game and the commitment to the run was fantastic. Defensively, they did a decent job hiding the weak secondary, but you can't coach inability. The downgrade comes for the fake punt in the 1st. Way to early and to dangerous to roll the dice in my opinion.The defense stepped up after. Major cajones, but OSU should be able to win with sound scheme. It felt like a panic decision.
Overall: A-
Great game. I find it difficult to give an A rating with a defense giving up that many points but the game felt well covered from the middle of the second. If the defense can return to the Bullets of old with the new offensive scheme, look out.
Thursday, October 04, 2012
Rankings: Week 5
Draper Top 25
1. Bama
2. FSU
3. Oregon
4. Kansas State
5. Florida
6. Georgia
7. South Carolina
8. Texas
9. Notre Dame
10. LSU
11. West Virginia
12. Ohio State
13. Oregon State
14. USC
15. Northwestern
16. Oklahoma
17. Rutgers
18. Louisville
19. Cincinnati
20. Stanford
21. UCLA
22. Nebraska
23. Washington
24. Clemson
25. TCU
Hoying Top 25
1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Florida State
4. Georgia
5. Notre Dame
6. Kansas State
7. Oregon State
8. Florida
9. Texas
10. West Virginia
11. Ohio State
12. Texas Tech
13. South Carolina
14. LSU
15. TCU
16. Louisiana Tech
17. Rutgers
18. Northwestern
19. Mississippi State
20. Stanford
21. Cincinnati
22. Louisville
23. UCLA
24. Ohio
25. Washington
Schweinfurth Top 25
1. Bama
2. FSU
3. Oregon
4. Kansas State
5. Florida
6. Georgia
7. South Carolina
8. Texas
9. Notre Dame
10. LSU
11. West Virginia
12. Ohio State
13. Oregon State
14. USC
15. Northwestern
16. Oklahoma
17. Rutgers
18. Louisville
19. Cincinnati
20. Stanford
21. UCLA
22. Nebraska
23. Washington
24. Clemson
25. TCU
2. Oregon
3. Florida State
4. Georgia
5. Notre Dame
6. Kansas State
7. Oregon State
8. Florida
9. Texas
10. West Virginia
11. Ohio State
12. Texas Tech
13. South Carolina
14. LSU
15. TCU
16. Louisiana Tech
17. Rutgers
18. Northwestern
19. Mississippi State
20. Stanford
21. Cincinnati
22. Louisville
23. UCLA
24. Ohio
25. Washington
Schweinfurth Top 25
- Alabama
- Florida State
- Oregon
- Georgia
- South Carolina
- LSU
- Kansas State
- Florida
- West Virginia
- Texas
- Notre Dame
- Clemson
- Ohio State
- Stanford
- USC
- Oklahoma
- TCU
- Oregon State
- Louisville
- Northwestern
- Nebraska
- Rutgers
- Mississippi State
- Ohio
- Cincinnati
Wednesday, October 03, 2012
Week 6 Picks: SEC!!!!!
Standings
1. Schweinfurth 16-4 (3-2 upset)
2. Draper 13-7 (2-3 upset)
2. Hoying 13-7 (2-3 upset)
3. Auer 9-7 (0-4 upset)
LSU Tigers @ Florida Gators
Draper: Everyone....EVERYONE is going to jump on the Gators this week. Ben Hill Griffin stadium is the most insane stadium I've ever been in when the Gators are on top, but I just don't see a great Florida team. They continually prove me wrong, but I'm going for it again. LSU looked horrid against Towson (who?) but I'm going with that being a look ahead game. The Tiger D-line is studly. Their offense is not good but neither is Florida's. This should be a slugfest but LSU will play their best game of the year to come out with a big road win. LSU: 13--UF: 10
Auer: The Gators are at home, coming off a bye, and Will Muschamp has "made hay while the sun shines" for Florida. LSU hasn't been impressive and hasn't faced the competition that the Gators have. I expect the pretender to be exposed as the Gators' balanced attack gets it done on the home field. LSU: 17--UF: 31
Hoying: I keep picking against the Gators, and I keep getting proven wrong. Florida has traveled to two of the toughest venues in the game, Kyle Field and Neyland Stadium, and come away with victories. Meanwhile, the Tigoueauxrs have struggled of late against pedestrian competition. Florida QB Jeff Driskel is still developing as a passer, but LSU QB Zach Mettenberger has the purple and gold faithful missing the likes of...Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson. Yikes. The Swamp will be rocking, and Florida's absence from the ranks of the elite ends Saturday night. LSU: 17--UF: 20
Schweinfurth: LSU has definitely struggled the last few weeks and, most recently, Towson. Will Muschamp has shown the ability to make huge adjustments during halftime. Gators QB Jeff Driskel has improved every week and has brought home some big wins in some very difficult environments. I expect the Tigers to jump out to a modest lead and the Gators to come roaring back in the second half for the win. LSU: 10--UF: 17
Georgia Bulldogs @ South Carolina Gamecocks
Draper: Both teams avoided gagging last week on the road to set up what should be a battle for the SEC East. I expect a very close game in which one big play sways it. These SEC defenses are superbly overrated but their offenses have been humming. Aaron Murray has looked like the best QB in the SEC and the UGA defense has shown flashes (of brilliance and crap). Marcus Lattimore is a stud running the ball and Shaw has looked remarkably confident behind Spurrier's tutelage. I'm so torn on this one because I could see it fall either way. I'll go with the home team (begrudgingly) in a very close battle. UGA: 24--USC: 27
Auer: Last year South Carolina squeaked out a win over the 'Dogs scoring 4 defensive and special team touchdowns. I don't see them getting that lucky again as the Gamecocks have struggled against subpar competition thus far. UGA: 35--USC: 27
Hoying: The Bulldogs and the Gamecocks have been able to live up to their preseason hype, setting up the biggest matchup of the year so far. SC QB Connor Shaw has been an absolute beast after recovering from his early injury, and Georgia slinger Aaron Murray has been terrific as well. If you loved not seeing any defense last weekend, tune into this one, as both squads will be powerless to stop each other's attack. Ummm...Dawgs win, I guess. UGA: 49--USC: 42
Schweinfurth: South Carolina looks like the real deal this year. Marcus Lattimore is an absolute beast as a running back who does a great job taking the pressure off of Connor Shaw. Georgia looked a little shaky last week and is without one of their top receivers. Both teams have good offenses, but this will be lower scoring than a lot of people think. The Gamecocks win on a late field goal. UGA: 21--USC: 24
West Virginia Mountaineers @ Texas Longhorns
Draper: Everyone loved the scorefest by Geno Smith and the Mountaineers last week, but Baylor's (and WVU's ) defense is...non-existent. Texas doesn't have a world beater defense, but they are better. The Neers attack is very good with the Holgo scheme, but Texas at DKR will get just enough key stops. The Longhorns are humming behind David Ash and the WVU 'defense' shouldn't stop a thing. Look for another shootout with Bevo taking out the hillbillies. WVU: 34--UT: 41
Auer: Yeah yeah yeah, WVU looked so awesome last week.... wait, you're supposed to actually play defense and cover guys? Frankly I don't think WVU has a chance against a team with a pulse, but that's just me. The Longhorns surprised me with their win against Oklahoma State last week, and will continue to garner attention from the pollsters as they shutdown the Mountaineers. WVU: 21--UT: 42
Hoying: While the media swooned over Geno Smith's performance against Baylor, I watched in horror and wondered how so many scholarships could be wasted on flatfooted defenders. West Virginia is an offensive juggernaut, but defense wins championships, and there is none to be found in Morgantown. The good news for WVU is Texas doesn't have much of a defense either, and their attack isn't quite as strong. No athlete on the field in this matchup is capable of stopping or outdueling Smith. Texas is improving, but they have reached their ceiling. WVU: 49--UT: 38
Schweinfurth: Texas has been sneaky good this year and is quietly undefeated. However, the Longhorns are still in a rebuilding phase. The Longhorns play better defense than Baylor, but it's still a Big 12 defense. Geno Smith is good, but I could have hit some of the receivers last week (especially if they don't have a defender within 10 yards). West Virginia has no defense. This is the week Geno comes down to earth (and throws for 4 TDs). WVU: 35--UT: 31
Nebraska Cornhuskers @ THE Ohio State Buckeyes
Draper: Martinez is not a great passer--advantage OSU. Sad thing is, he may be the best passer left on the Buckeye's schedule. The run defense was spectacular last week against a traditional attack, but the outside runs (QB and RB) have flustered the Buckeyes of late. I expect Martinez and Burkhead to exploit the screen game to pick on the weak Buckeye secondary, but Hankins will totally eat up the inside run game. Look for the turnovers to be cleaned up on offense and a fairly efficient attack as Miller and the Bucks return to the friendly confines. The crowd will be rocking and will be the deciding factor in a 2 score win. Neb: 24--OSU: 34
Auer: The Buckeyes come into this one after an unlikely win in East Lansing. For whatever reason night games have been hit or miss for the Bucks, losing 3 of the last 5 home night games, and overall going 5-5 in night games over the last 4 seasons. After the emotional and physical toll the win over Michigan State took out on the Bucks, this could be a bit of a let down for Ohio State. This game will come down to Braxton Miller learning from last week's HORRIBLE reads and some questionable passing decisions. Neb: 35--OSU: 37
Hoying: Revenge! The Cornhuskers roll into Columbus with a terrific rushing attack but not much in the way of a passing game. Yeah, Martinez looked great against Southern Miss, Arkansas State, and Idaho State, but he hasn't been able to deliver through the air when it counts. What happened to the last team of this makeup that faced the Buckeyes? Make no mistake, the Buckeye secondary is still horrible, but that may not matter the rest of this season. Last year we learned that the Nebraska can't stop Miller, so once again: as goes Braxton, so go the Buckeyes. NU: 20--OSU: 31
Schweinfurth: Tackling for the Buckeyes has been an issue and shifty running backs seem to give the Silver Bullets issues. Enter Nebraska's Abdullah, who is a quick shifty back. The Buckeyes will need another big game out of Big Hank to control the middle of the line and good gap control by Sabino and Shazier. On offense, the Huskers couldn't stop Braxton in a very boring, vanilla offense last year. Only Bauserbombs allowed Nebraska back into the game. If Braxton stays healthy and plays for more than 2 1/2 quarters, the Buckeyes win easy. These are not the Blackshirts of old and it's Urban's first night game. As Jay Cutler says, "Good luck!" NU: 17--OSU: 35
Upset Special
Draper: Purdue over Michigan
Auer: Arizona over Stanford
Hoying: Texas Tech over Oklahoma
Schweinfurth: Washington State over Oregon St.
1. Schweinfurth 16-4 (3-2 upset)
2. Draper 13-7 (2-3 upset)
2. Hoying 13-7 (2-3 upset)
3. Auer 9-7 (0-4 upset)
LSU Tigers @ Florida Gators
Draper: Everyone....EVERYONE is going to jump on the Gators this week. Ben Hill Griffin stadium is the most insane stadium I've ever been in when the Gators are on top, but I just don't see a great Florida team. They continually prove me wrong, but I'm going for it again. LSU looked horrid against Towson (who?) but I'm going with that being a look ahead game. The Tiger D-line is studly. Their offense is not good but neither is Florida's. This should be a slugfest but LSU will play their best game of the year to come out with a big road win. LSU: 13--UF: 10
Auer: The Gators are at home, coming off a bye, and Will Muschamp has "made hay while the sun shines" for Florida. LSU hasn't been impressive and hasn't faced the competition that the Gators have. I expect the pretender to be exposed as the Gators' balanced attack gets it done on the home field. LSU: 17--UF: 31
Hoying: I keep picking against the Gators, and I keep getting proven wrong. Florida has traveled to two of the toughest venues in the game, Kyle Field and Neyland Stadium, and come away with victories. Meanwhile, the Tigoueauxrs have struggled of late against pedestrian competition. Florida QB Jeff Driskel is still developing as a passer, but LSU QB Zach Mettenberger has the purple and gold faithful missing the likes of...Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson. Yikes. The Swamp will be rocking, and Florida's absence from the ranks of the elite ends Saturday night. LSU: 17--UF: 20
Schweinfurth: LSU has definitely struggled the last few weeks and, most recently, Towson. Will Muschamp has shown the ability to make huge adjustments during halftime. Gators QB Jeff Driskel has improved every week and has brought home some big wins in some very difficult environments. I expect the Tigers to jump out to a modest lead and the Gators to come roaring back in the second half for the win. LSU: 10--UF: 17
Georgia Bulldogs @ South Carolina Gamecocks
Draper: Both teams avoided gagging last week on the road to set up what should be a battle for the SEC East. I expect a very close game in which one big play sways it. These SEC defenses are superbly overrated but their offenses have been humming. Aaron Murray has looked like the best QB in the SEC and the UGA defense has shown flashes (of brilliance and crap). Marcus Lattimore is a stud running the ball and Shaw has looked remarkably confident behind Spurrier's tutelage. I'm so torn on this one because I could see it fall either way. I'll go with the home team (begrudgingly) in a very close battle. UGA: 24--USC: 27
Auer: Last year South Carolina squeaked out a win over the 'Dogs scoring 4 defensive and special team touchdowns. I don't see them getting that lucky again as the Gamecocks have struggled against subpar competition thus far. UGA: 35--USC: 27
Hoying: The Bulldogs and the Gamecocks have been able to live up to their preseason hype, setting up the biggest matchup of the year so far. SC QB Connor Shaw has been an absolute beast after recovering from his early injury, and Georgia slinger Aaron Murray has been terrific as well. If you loved not seeing any defense last weekend, tune into this one, as both squads will be powerless to stop each other's attack. Ummm...Dawgs win, I guess. UGA: 49--USC: 42
Schweinfurth: South Carolina looks like the real deal this year. Marcus Lattimore is an absolute beast as a running back who does a great job taking the pressure off of Connor Shaw. Georgia looked a little shaky last week and is without one of their top receivers. Both teams have good offenses, but this will be lower scoring than a lot of people think. The Gamecocks win on a late field goal. UGA: 21--USC: 24
West Virginia Mountaineers @ Texas Longhorns
Draper: Everyone loved the scorefest by Geno Smith and the Mountaineers last week, but Baylor's (and WVU's ) defense is...non-existent. Texas doesn't have a world beater defense, but they are better. The Neers attack is very good with the Holgo scheme, but Texas at DKR will get just enough key stops. The Longhorns are humming behind David Ash and the WVU 'defense' shouldn't stop a thing. Look for another shootout with Bevo taking out the hillbillies. WVU: 34--UT: 41
Auer: Yeah yeah yeah, WVU looked so awesome last week.... wait, you're supposed to actually play defense and cover guys? Frankly I don't think WVU has a chance against a team with a pulse, but that's just me. The Longhorns surprised me with their win against Oklahoma State last week, and will continue to garner attention from the pollsters as they shutdown the Mountaineers. WVU: 21--UT: 42
Hoying: While the media swooned over Geno Smith's performance against Baylor, I watched in horror and wondered how so many scholarships could be wasted on flatfooted defenders. West Virginia is an offensive juggernaut, but defense wins championships, and there is none to be found in Morgantown. The good news for WVU is Texas doesn't have much of a defense either, and their attack isn't quite as strong. No athlete on the field in this matchup is capable of stopping or outdueling Smith. Texas is improving, but they have reached their ceiling. WVU: 49--UT: 38
Schweinfurth: Texas has been sneaky good this year and is quietly undefeated. However, the Longhorns are still in a rebuilding phase. The Longhorns play better defense than Baylor, but it's still a Big 12 defense. Geno Smith is good, but I could have hit some of the receivers last week (especially if they don't have a defender within 10 yards). West Virginia has no defense. This is the week Geno comes down to earth (and throws for 4 TDs). WVU: 35--UT: 31
Nebraska Cornhuskers @ THE Ohio State Buckeyes
Draper: Martinez is not a great passer--advantage OSU. Sad thing is, he may be the best passer left on the Buckeye's schedule. The run defense was spectacular last week against a traditional attack, but the outside runs (QB and RB) have flustered the Buckeyes of late. I expect Martinez and Burkhead to exploit the screen game to pick on the weak Buckeye secondary, but Hankins will totally eat up the inside run game. Look for the turnovers to be cleaned up on offense and a fairly efficient attack as Miller and the Bucks return to the friendly confines. The crowd will be rocking and will be the deciding factor in a 2 score win. Neb: 24--OSU: 34
Auer: The Buckeyes come into this one after an unlikely win in East Lansing. For whatever reason night games have been hit or miss for the Bucks, losing 3 of the last 5 home night games, and overall going 5-5 in night games over the last 4 seasons. After the emotional and physical toll the win over Michigan State took out on the Bucks, this could be a bit of a let down for Ohio State. This game will come down to Braxton Miller learning from last week's HORRIBLE reads and some questionable passing decisions. Neb: 35--OSU: 37
Hoying: Revenge! The Cornhuskers roll into Columbus with a terrific rushing attack but not much in the way of a passing game. Yeah, Martinez looked great against Southern Miss, Arkansas State, and Idaho State, but he hasn't been able to deliver through the air when it counts. What happened to the last team of this makeup that faced the Buckeyes? Make no mistake, the Buckeye secondary is still horrible, but that may not matter the rest of this season. Last year we learned that the Nebraska can't stop Miller, so once again: as goes Braxton, so go the Buckeyes. NU: 20--OSU: 31
Schweinfurth: Tackling for the Buckeyes has been an issue and shifty running backs seem to give the Silver Bullets issues. Enter Nebraska's Abdullah, who is a quick shifty back. The Buckeyes will need another big game out of Big Hank to control the middle of the line and good gap control by Sabino and Shazier. On offense, the Huskers couldn't stop Braxton in a very boring, vanilla offense last year. Only Bauserbombs allowed Nebraska back into the game. If Braxton stays healthy and plays for more than 2 1/2 quarters, the Buckeyes win easy. These are not the Blackshirts of old and it's Urban's first night game. As Jay Cutler says, "Good luck!" NU: 17--OSU: 35
Upset Special
Draper: Purdue over Michigan
Auer: Arizona over Stanford
Hoying: Texas Tech over Oklahoma
Schweinfurth: Washington State over Oregon St.
Monday, October 01, 2012
Grading the Bucks--Week 5: MSU
That's better. Still plenty of issues, but this was the best executed game since Miami (OH) and this one was against a team with a pulse. The Bucks are certainly not ready for the big time, but they're on the way.
Offense: B
Pedestrian play calling but Braxton is this offense. This might become a real issue as Buckeye nation holds their collective breath whenever he goes down. Carlos Hyde really ran well, but there's still an aversion to I-formation smack-em in the mouth at times. The biggest knock for this game was clearly turnovers. The interception was just awful and the fumbles need to go (I know Miller was in pain...but you can't drop the ball inbounds). I believe all 3 turnovers happened on the MSU side of the field which was the only reason this game was close. I will say this: the pass from Miller to Smith was absolutely perfect. The O-line has improved by leaps and bounds which leads me to think things are moving in the right direction. The only knock on the receivers is that Smith isn't blocking particularly well--he should take notes from Corey Brown who had a career day catching the ball and blocks exceptionally well.
Defense: B
Yes. We held a beast of a runner to almost nothing. This shows where the athletes are on this defense. Luckily, there isn't a QB/offense remaining on the schedule that can hurt us downfield, which leads me to believe we'll be favored from here on out. I love Nathan Williams at rush linebacker. Hankins and Roby are NFL ready right now...unfortunately, that's it. Simon needs to live up to the hype and the rest of the secondary needs to learn how to tackle. If I were Urban, Christian Bryant would be riding the pine until he learns to tackle with his arms and not his shoulder (2 horrendous missed tackles). Johnson had a nice game, but not without flaw. The worry is that Maxwell who had done nothing thus far, played a solid game because our secondary can hang. The run stuffers were fantastic so I wish we played no one but pro style offenses.
Special Teams: B+
Thankfully, the special teams wasn't in the forefront this week like last. The blocked punt was a thing of beauty (hence the upgrade). No missed kicks and some nice punts....that's enough.
Coaching: B
Good scheme on defense but the corners are still playing in left field on every play (15 yards off the line) which will be exploited over and over again. The offensive playcalling is so predictable and that has to change. Everything is from the gun, but sometimes, you have to smack them in the mouth (especially with an unpolished QB and a better-than-advertised O-line).
Overall: B+/B
Win on the road is always a plus vs. a ranked opponent. It was close, but that's nice for the coaches as we don't fall into a sense of complacency. This is a very good team with aspirations of greatness. Probably not this year, but we're moving in the right direction. Get rid of the turnovers and this is an A- performance. Keep it rolling.
Offense: B
Pedestrian play calling but Braxton is this offense. This might become a real issue as Buckeye nation holds their collective breath whenever he goes down. Carlos Hyde really ran well, but there's still an aversion to I-formation smack-em in the mouth at times. The biggest knock for this game was clearly turnovers. The interception was just awful and the fumbles need to go (I know Miller was in pain...but you can't drop the ball inbounds). I believe all 3 turnovers happened on the MSU side of the field which was the only reason this game was close. I will say this: the pass from Miller to Smith was absolutely perfect. The O-line has improved by leaps and bounds which leads me to think things are moving in the right direction. The only knock on the receivers is that Smith isn't blocking particularly well--he should take notes from Corey Brown who had a career day catching the ball and blocks exceptionally well.
Defense: B
Yes. We held a beast of a runner to almost nothing. This shows where the athletes are on this defense. Luckily, there isn't a QB/offense remaining on the schedule that can hurt us downfield, which leads me to believe we'll be favored from here on out. I love Nathan Williams at rush linebacker. Hankins and Roby are NFL ready right now...unfortunately, that's it. Simon needs to live up to the hype and the rest of the secondary needs to learn how to tackle. If I were Urban, Christian Bryant would be riding the pine until he learns to tackle with his arms and not his shoulder (2 horrendous missed tackles). Johnson had a nice game, but not without flaw. The worry is that Maxwell who had done nothing thus far, played a solid game because our secondary can hang. The run stuffers were fantastic so I wish we played no one but pro style offenses.
Special Teams: B+
Thankfully, the special teams wasn't in the forefront this week like last. The blocked punt was a thing of beauty (hence the upgrade). No missed kicks and some nice punts....that's enough.
Coaching: B
Good scheme on defense but the corners are still playing in left field on every play (15 yards off the line) which will be exploited over and over again. The offensive playcalling is so predictable and that has to change. Everything is from the gun, but sometimes, you have to smack them in the mouth (especially with an unpolished QB and a better-than-advertised O-line).
Overall: B+/B
Win on the road is always a plus vs. a ranked opponent. It was close, but that's nice for the coaches as we don't fall into a sense of complacency. This is a very good team with aspirations of greatness. Probably not this year, but we're moving in the right direction. Get rid of the turnovers and this is an A- performance. Keep it rolling.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Week 5 Picks: Where are the good games?
Standings
1. Schweinfurth 12-4 (3-1 upset)
2. Draper 10-6 (1-3 upset)
3. Hoying 9-7 (2-2 upset)
4. Auer 6-6 (0-3 upset)
Baylor Bears @ West Virginia Mountaineers
Draper: Baylor has taken a dose of reality after RGIII and most of their receiver talent headed to the greener pastures of the NFL. Baylor's a nice little team and WVU is a little flaky with insane head coach Holgerson, but Geno Smith is solid. The Mountaineers high powered offense will simply out score the Bears in their first visit to the backwoods. BU: 20--WVU: 45
Auer: Not sure this is a real game... but the Morgantown faithful will help the Mountaineers earn their first ever home Big 12 win... relatively easily. BU: 10--WVU: 46
Hoying: There is one reason Baylor snuck into the rankings, and you might have seen him losing to the Bengals last Sunday. Give credit to the Bears for not pulling an Arkansas against ULM last Saturday, but the lack of defense is troubling. Meanwhile, West Virginia's Geno Smith may be this year's RGIII, racking up 12 TD's in 12 quarters this year. This game looks like bad news Bears for Baylor. BU: 24--WVU: 48
Schweinfurth: The West Virginia offense is humming along against very inferior opponents so far this year. Baylor is another inferior opponent. This isn't the RGIII Baylor Bears from last year. That missing element and the first home Big 12 game for WVU equals a blowout with some points piling up. BU: 31--WVU: 56
Oregon State Beavers @ Arizona Wildcats
Draper: Rich Rod's offense looked good in weeks 1-3...then they played a real team in Oregon and got shut out. I'm shocked. The Beavers are a solid team but not flashy at all. Oregon State will hope for a boring low scoring game while the Cats want high scoring and flash. This should be a very good game that flies under the radar. I think the home field advantage makes the difference. Zona couldn't get in the endzone on any possessions last week, but I think a few big plays will beat the grind that the Beavers want. OSU: 17--Zona: 20
Auer: After an ugly loss for the Wildcats last week (getting shutout 49-0 at Oregon), RichRod's troops will be looking to make a statement against the upset specialist of the 2012 season. OSU is 11-2 in their series with Arizona, and have won 5 straight in Tuscon. Arizona is going to put up a great fight, but the Beaver train keeps on rolling OSU: 24--Zona: 21
Hoying: Few teams have a win over a ranked opponent in this young season. Oregon State has two. In two games. Of course, this was before we knew Wisconsin was horrible, but the Beavers were the first to show that the world-beating Montee Ball running game could be stopped. Shutting down a hot UCLA offense was even more impressive. Now the famed DickRod offense steps up to the plate after getting horribly embarrassed by the Pac-12 fashion models. We all remember how DickRod squads perform in these games, right? Right? OSU: 21--Ariz: 20
Schweinfurth: The Beaver defense has been sneaky good this year. The Beaver's D held Wisconsin's (albeit Jim Bollman-esque anemic) offense in check and looked impressive doing so. The Wildcat's offense is a different animal than UCLA or Wisky. I don't know much about the players that Arizona is running out there, but I still do not trust in a Rich Rod offense without White and Slaton (see Michigan). Arizona struggles with another team from Oregon. OSU:24--Ariz: 10
Texas Longhorns @ Oklahoma State Cowboys
Draper: Texas is undefeated and no one is talking about them (see what happens when you take a year off and aren't in the SEC?). David Ash has played extremely well. Look for a big performance on the road vs. a weak Cowboy defense. Wes Hunt, the true freshman QB for the Pokes, will not be prepared for the big home stage and the Longhorns will take the shootout. UT: 45--OSU: 38
Auer: After countless comeback wins by the Longhorns over the Pokes, the Fightin' T. Boone Pickens' have a battle on their hands. OSU is coming off a bye and waiting to head on another, while Texas is waiting to face-off against West Virginia and Oklahoma. The deciding factor could be that OSU is breaking in a new QB, JW Walsh in lieu of injured Wes Lunt, but the extra prep time could make the difference. Going for the OSU winning trifecta. UT: 31--OSU: 34
Hoying: The Cowboys have put up ridiculous numbers against the poor, poor defenses they've played so far, but DickRod's Destroyers managed to fight back and hang 59 on them in Tucson two weeks ago. Will the Texas offense have similar success? QB David Ash seems to be getting comfortable handling the Texas attack, directing the Longhorns to a great victory over Ole Miss of the mighty SEC, and he should continue to improve in this matchup. Oklahoma State has had Texas's number lately, but a total lack of defense will be their downfall. UT: 41--OSU: 35
Schweinfurth: Mike Gundy is known for his offense, and has had the perfect storm the last few years with Weeden and Blackmon running the offense. This year is a major offensive rebuild for the Cowboys. This Texas team is very under the radar this year. The Longhorns are quietly undefeated and are not getting the press like the flashy teams (FSU, Alabama, LSU) are. I expect lots of points and Texas pulls away late. UT: 45--OSU: 35
THE Ohio State Buckeyes @ Michigan State Spartans
Draper: After watching the atrocity in the Shoe this weekend, I feared that this was the first time I'd have to pick against the Bucks...then I went home and watched the MSU game. Woof. The B1G is so bad that we honestly could win all of our games....and that's sad. Le'Veon Bell is an absolute beast but the one-dimensional nature of the Green and White will fail to exploit the Buckeye's weak secondary. Bell will get his, but the safeties and corners will be able to cheat up and limit his effectiveness. On the other side, Braxton needs to be Braxton. We've seen what can happen, now we just need to make that the norm. Good news is the tough running Hyde should be back to balance the offensive threats. I like the Bucks to steal a close one on the road by limiting the Spartan attack. OSU: 24--MSU: 20
Auer: Well, we realized our team isn't quite what they are. The defense is average at best (not a surprise when you hire a defensive coordinator because you want to be nice), and Urban doesn't want to set Braxton loose like he should. This game is setting up perfectly for a defensive struggle, but the first meeting between Meyer and Dantonio should bring out the best in both coaches. This game has to be about making statements on both sides, both for the remainder of the season and for the ensuing recruiting battles into the future. Urban gets the wake-up call and turns Braxton loose and relaunches his Heisman campaign. OSU: 35--MSU: 20
Hoying: Buckeye Nation is collectively vomiting after another poor showing against a hapless opponent. But lost in all the postgame doom and gloom was the equally poor showing Michigan State put on against...Eastern Michigan. The Spartans, despite the outstanding effort of Le'Veon Bell, have no offense, which is good news for our Silver Slugs (the slimy kind, not the bullet kind). Braxton is more than enough to counter Bell all by himself. It's simple: if Braxton carries the ball and doesn't die, the Buckeyes win. Next question. OSU: 20--MSU: 17
Schweinfurth: Everyone is talking about the match up between OSU offense and the MSU defense (I'll get to that in a sec). The real match up is OSU's D and MSU's offense. If the Buckeyes can stuff Le'Veon Bell and force Andrew Maxwell to throw the ball, the Bucks will be in this game until the end. The corners need to get in the receiver's faces and give the pass rush some time to get to Maxwell. On the other side of the ball, the Spartan defensive front seven is very, very good. The secondary can be beat deep and Devin Smith can stretch the field. If the OSU coaches stop scripting the first however many plays and take the running "handcuffs" off Miller, this offense can be explosive. I don't expect the 10-7, defensive slugfest we saw last year but this won't be a barn burner either. The OSUMB will be there and, as Woody said, they are good for three points on the road. OSU: 24--MSU: 21
Upset Special
Draper: Washington over Stanford
Auer: Wisconsin over Nebraska
Hoying: Tennessee over Georgia
Schweinfurth: South Florida over Florida State
1. Schweinfurth 12-4 (3-1 upset)
2. Draper 10-6 (1-3 upset)
3. Hoying 9-7 (2-2 upset)
4. Auer 6-6 (0-3 upset)
Baylor Bears @ West Virginia Mountaineers
Draper: Baylor has taken a dose of reality after RGIII and most of their receiver talent headed to the greener pastures of the NFL. Baylor's a nice little team and WVU is a little flaky with insane head coach Holgerson, but Geno Smith is solid. The Mountaineers high powered offense will simply out score the Bears in their first visit to the backwoods. BU: 20--WVU: 45
Auer: Not sure this is a real game... but the Morgantown faithful will help the Mountaineers earn their first ever home Big 12 win... relatively easily. BU: 10--WVU: 46
Hoying: There is one reason Baylor snuck into the rankings, and you might have seen him losing to the Bengals last Sunday. Give credit to the Bears for not pulling an Arkansas against ULM last Saturday, but the lack of defense is troubling. Meanwhile, West Virginia's Geno Smith may be this year's RGIII, racking up 12 TD's in 12 quarters this year. This game looks like bad news Bears for Baylor. BU: 24--WVU: 48
Schweinfurth: The West Virginia offense is humming along against very inferior opponents so far this year. Baylor is another inferior opponent. This isn't the RGIII Baylor Bears from last year. That missing element and the first home Big 12 game for WVU equals a blowout with some points piling up. BU: 31--WVU: 56
Oregon State Beavers @ Arizona Wildcats
Draper: Rich Rod's offense looked good in weeks 1-3...then they played a real team in Oregon and got shut out. I'm shocked. The Beavers are a solid team but not flashy at all. Oregon State will hope for a boring low scoring game while the Cats want high scoring and flash. This should be a very good game that flies under the radar. I think the home field advantage makes the difference. Zona couldn't get in the endzone on any possessions last week, but I think a few big plays will beat the grind that the Beavers want. OSU: 17--Zona: 20
Auer: After an ugly loss for the Wildcats last week (getting shutout 49-0 at Oregon), RichRod's troops will be looking to make a statement against the upset specialist of the 2012 season. OSU is 11-2 in their series with Arizona, and have won 5 straight in Tuscon. Arizona is going to put up a great fight, but the Beaver train keeps on rolling OSU: 24--Zona: 21
Hoying: Few teams have a win over a ranked opponent in this young season. Oregon State has two. In two games. Of course, this was before we knew Wisconsin was horrible, but the Beavers were the first to show that the world-beating Montee Ball running game could be stopped. Shutting down a hot UCLA offense was even more impressive. Now the famed DickRod offense steps up to the plate after getting horribly embarrassed by the Pac-12 fashion models. We all remember how DickRod squads perform in these games, right? Right? OSU: 21--Ariz: 20
Schweinfurth: The Beaver defense has been sneaky good this year. The Beaver's D held Wisconsin's (albeit Jim Bollman-esque anemic) offense in check and looked impressive doing so. The Wildcat's offense is a different animal than UCLA or Wisky. I don't know much about the players that Arizona is running out there, but I still do not trust in a Rich Rod offense without White and Slaton (see Michigan). Arizona struggles with another team from Oregon. OSU:24--Ariz: 10
Texas Longhorns @ Oklahoma State Cowboys
Draper: Texas is undefeated and no one is talking about them (see what happens when you take a year off and aren't in the SEC?). David Ash has played extremely well. Look for a big performance on the road vs. a weak Cowboy defense. Wes Hunt, the true freshman QB for the Pokes, will not be prepared for the big home stage and the Longhorns will take the shootout. UT: 45--OSU: 38
Auer: After countless comeback wins by the Longhorns over the Pokes, the Fightin' T. Boone Pickens' have a battle on their hands. OSU is coming off a bye and waiting to head on another, while Texas is waiting to face-off against West Virginia and Oklahoma. The deciding factor could be that OSU is breaking in a new QB, JW Walsh in lieu of injured Wes Lunt, but the extra prep time could make the difference. Going for the OSU winning trifecta. UT: 31--OSU: 34
Hoying: The Cowboys have put up ridiculous numbers against the poor, poor defenses they've played so far, but DickRod's Destroyers managed to fight back and hang 59 on them in Tucson two weeks ago. Will the Texas offense have similar success? QB David Ash seems to be getting comfortable handling the Texas attack, directing the Longhorns to a great victory over Ole Miss of the mighty SEC, and he should continue to improve in this matchup. Oklahoma State has had Texas's number lately, but a total lack of defense will be their downfall. UT: 41--OSU: 35
Schweinfurth: Mike Gundy is known for his offense, and has had the perfect storm the last few years with Weeden and Blackmon running the offense. This year is a major offensive rebuild for the Cowboys. This Texas team is very under the radar this year. The Longhorns are quietly undefeated and are not getting the press like the flashy teams (FSU, Alabama, LSU) are. I expect lots of points and Texas pulls away late. UT: 45--OSU: 35
THE Ohio State Buckeyes @ Michigan State Spartans
Draper: After watching the atrocity in the Shoe this weekend, I feared that this was the first time I'd have to pick against the Bucks...then I went home and watched the MSU game. Woof. The B1G is so bad that we honestly could win all of our games....and that's sad. Le'Veon Bell is an absolute beast but the one-dimensional nature of the Green and White will fail to exploit the Buckeye's weak secondary. Bell will get his, but the safeties and corners will be able to cheat up and limit his effectiveness. On the other side, Braxton needs to be Braxton. We've seen what can happen, now we just need to make that the norm. Good news is the tough running Hyde should be back to balance the offensive threats. I like the Bucks to steal a close one on the road by limiting the Spartan attack. OSU: 24--MSU: 20
Auer: Well, we realized our team isn't quite what they are. The defense is average at best (not a surprise when you hire a defensive coordinator because you want to be nice), and Urban doesn't want to set Braxton loose like he should. This game is setting up perfectly for a defensive struggle, but the first meeting between Meyer and Dantonio should bring out the best in both coaches. This game has to be about making statements on both sides, both for the remainder of the season and for the ensuing recruiting battles into the future. Urban gets the wake-up call and turns Braxton loose and relaunches his Heisman campaign. OSU: 35--MSU: 20
Hoying: Buckeye Nation is collectively vomiting after another poor showing against a hapless opponent. But lost in all the postgame doom and gloom was the equally poor showing Michigan State put on against...Eastern Michigan. The Spartans, despite the outstanding effort of Le'Veon Bell, have no offense, which is good news for our Silver Slugs (the slimy kind, not the bullet kind). Braxton is more than enough to counter Bell all by himself. It's simple: if Braxton carries the ball and doesn't die, the Buckeyes win. Next question. OSU: 20--MSU: 17
Schweinfurth: Everyone is talking about the match up between OSU offense and the MSU defense (I'll get to that in a sec). The real match up is OSU's D and MSU's offense. If the Buckeyes can stuff Le'Veon Bell and force Andrew Maxwell to throw the ball, the Bucks will be in this game until the end. The corners need to get in the receiver's faces and give the pass rush some time to get to Maxwell. On the other side of the ball, the Spartan defensive front seven is very, very good. The secondary can be beat deep and Devin Smith can stretch the field. If the OSU coaches stop scripting the first however many plays and take the running "handcuffs" off Miller, this offense can be explosive. I don't expect the 10-7, defensive slugfest we saw last year but this won't be a barn burner either. The OSUMB will be there and, as Woody said, they are good for three points on the road. OSU: 24--MSU: 21
Upset Special
Draper: Washington over Stanford
Auer: Wisconsin over Nebraska
Hoying: Tennessee over Georgia
Schweinfurth: South Florida over Florida State
Top 25 Votes
Our bloggers would like to put our top 25 ballots out for consumption. Enjoy!
Draper Top 25
Draper Top 25
- Bama
- Florida State
- Oregon
- LSU
- Kansas State
- Georgia
- Stanford
- South Carolina
- Notre Dame
- West Virginia
- USC
- Florida
- Texas
- Ohio State
- Oregon State
- Louisville
- Northwestern
- Oklahoma
- Clemson
- TCU
- Rutgers
- Nebraska
- Michigan State
- Ohio
- Mississippi State
- Alabama
- Oregon
- Florida State
- Georgia
- Notre Dame
- Kansas State
- Stanford
- Oregon State
- Florida
- LSU
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Rutgers
- TCU
- Texas Tech
- Louisville
- Mississippi State
- Northwestern
- West Virginia
- Ohio State
- UCLA
- Ohio
- Minnesota
- Iowa State
- Louisiana Tech
- Alabama
- Florida State
- Oregon
- Georgia
- LSU
- South Carolina
- Stanford
- Kansas State
- Florida
- West Virginia
- Texas
- Notre Dame
- Clemson
- USC
- Oklahoma
- Ohio State
- TCU
- Louisville
- Oregon State
- Northwestern
- Michigan State
- Rutgers
- Mississippi State
- Nebraska
- Ohio
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