Week 12: It's SEC FCS WEEK Y'ALL!!

Standings

1) Hoying              32-13        (4-7 upset)
2) Schweinfurth    28-12        (5-5 upset)

3) Draper               30-15        (3-8 upset)

4) Seeberg             27-18       (4-7 upset)

Washington State Cougars @ Colorado Buffaloes

Draper: I love me some crazy Mike Leach.  Wazzu has once again crapped themselves in the early game vs a FCS opponent but then has exploded with an undefeated Pac12 slate.  Luke Falk has run the air raid wonderfully and has the Cougars set up to face the Huskies for the Pac12 North regardless of this game.  Colorado sits at 10 in the CFP rankings but their best win is against...yeah, I don't know either.  Boulder will be rocking but give me crazy genius all day.  Wazzu sets up a HUGE Apple Cup game next week.  WSU: 34 -- CU: 21
Hoying: Ah, a classic Pac-12 matchup: great offense vs. great...defense? You wouldn't think importing a team from the Big 12 would do anything for your conference's defensive prowess, but, nonetheless, Colorado is straight-up shutting down opponents, including giving up all of 5 points to Stanford. Taking care of Wazzu QB Luke Falk will be a taller order, as the Cougars have been very impressive since opening the season with losses to Eastern Washington and Boise State. They do struggle a bit on the road (except at Stanford, but that doesn't count because Stanford has no fans), and I like the Buffs D to close it out at Folsom Field. WSU: 24--CU: 27

Schweinfurth: So, I'm going out on a limb here are say that both of these teams (and all of the Pac12 for that matter) are fake good. Washington State can put up points. Colorado has beaten no one. Typical no defense Pac12 shootout. WSU: 42--CU: 35

Seeberg:  Anybody have Washington State vs. Colorado as the best Pac-12 matchup this year?  LIAR.  In any event, the Cougars are riding an eight-game winning streak...after dropping games to an FCS team and Boise State.  Colorado, meanwhile, played TTUN and USC tough, both on the road, before losing.  In short, I trust the Buffaloes (particularly at home where they are prone to get extra downs) more than the Cougars.  WSU: 27--CU: 35

Louisville Cardinals @ Houston Cougars

Draper: This was purported as the only game of consequence remaining on Louisville's schedule and it looks like it will be...but Houston didn't the Cardinals any favors by losing to Navy (not a big deal) and SMU (woof).  Louisville has been playing with fire in their last few games (don't let the final score last week fool you) and Houston is still a very talented team.  Greg Ward won't outperform the Heisman winner (yeah, it's done), but he and the Cougars will give Louisville all they can handle.  I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Herman gets a signature win to catapult his name back up the 'hot coaches to hire' scale.  Cardinals are spending too much time worrying about their playoff standing and get bit.  UL: 41 -- Hou: 45
Hoying: Houston may have played their way out of a New Year's Six bowl but they still have a shot at their biggest season since the Southwest Conference disbanded in 1996. We've already seen what the Cougars can do at home against a top-5 team, and one can only assume that starting the day after the Oklahoma game, Tom Herman has been focusing his big ol' brain on the Cardinals (he sure wasn't getting ready for SMU). Yeah, yeah, Louisville plays in the good ACC and Houston plays in the bad AAC, but the Cards haven't been exactly been playing world beaters week-to-week. Much like Houston, they scored a big win early and they've been coasting ever since. Time for the wheels to finally fall off. UL: 38--41

Schweinfurth: This game will have lots, and lots of offense. It really is too bad that Houston fell of the map midway through the year, because this is going to be fun. Louisville has defeated exactly 1 top 25 team and have lost to the only other elite team they played. Houston has actually beaten a team with a pulse. Louisville has been playing to the level of their competition and it could bite them if they take a peak at Houston's record. Touchdown Tom, the top MENSA man in college football will shut the Cardinals up and remove them from the CFP picture. UL: 42--Hou: 49 

Seeberg:  This one had a lot of intrigue for the first few weeks of the season.  Could the Houston Hermans, after beating Oklahoma week one, actually win this one too and get into the playoff??  Two losses later, and this one is now about Louisville keeping it's slim playoff hopes alive.  I don't expect a whole lot of defense in this one, so get your popcorn ready kids.  Houston had a lot to play for week one, but that motivation waned and is now in favor of the Cardinals.  The Ville wins a shootout.  UL: 52--HOU: 42

Oklahoma Sooners @ West Virginia Mountaineers

Draper: OU keeps rolling in the Big12 (defense is optional) Conference.  Dede Westbrook has been fantastic all year as have Joe Mixon, Samaje Perine, and to a lesser extent, Baker Mayfield.  This is gonna be a crazy shootout type game (i.e., Big12 day in the park), but WVU simply doesn't have the horses to keep up.  Holgo will make sure the points will flow in Morgantown, and the environment will be crazy, but the Sooners talent is simply better and will carry the day.  Take the over.  OU: 52 -- WVU: 42

Hoying: Other than the obvious, this is probably the biggest game of the week for Ohio State's playoff hopes other than Penn State - Rutgers. West Virginia keeps lurking around ready to leapfrog our Bucks if they can win out and claim "One True Champion" status. An Oklahoma win would all but eliminate the Big 12 from playoff contention and boost OSU's resume in the process. But enough of what we want to happen; what's going to happen? Here's a hot take, the Sooner D isn't going to be stopping Skyler Howard and the West Virginia offense very much. Urban wasn't kidding when he said Indiana's defense was the best OSU had faced to that point. But can Baker Mayfield and OU's version of Curtis Samuel, Joe Mixon, keep pace? Not in the unfriendly confines of Morgantown. WVU keeps the dream of a late playoff push alive. OU: 31--WVU: 41

Schweinfurth: I love all of the howling coming from West Virginia about their ranking this week. Here's a wild idea, play a tougher schedule and win your games. Oklahoma seems to have found their groove after getting whooped at home in three. Big Game Bob remembered that he has two elite running backs in Mixon and Perine and has been putting them in better positions to succeed. Perine and Mixon should be able to run over the Mountaineers. OU: 49--WVU: 35

Seeberg:  Let's be real Buckeye Nation, it's beneficial for us to have the Sooners keep winning, so picking the Sooners is what our collective heart wants.  However, despite just one loss, West Virginia has done very little to prove they belong with the big boys this season, dropping their only game against a ranked team (Oklahoma State) and looking pretty lousy in the process.  Meanwhile, non-big-game Bob Stoops has actually rallied the Sooners back to a top 10 team after being demolished at home by the Buckeyes in week three.  The home crowd may keep it close, but the Sooners are rolling too well on offense to drop this one. OU: 45--WVU: 34 

Florida Gators @ LSU Tigers

Draper: Coach O has the locker room and the team has really come together.  Yes, they lost to Bama but performed quite well on defense.  Florida is just like Bama....you know, without the good offense or stifling defense.  Yeah the Gators have come good corners and decent defense, but the offense is poop and LSU is truly playing for their coach.  I hope Orgeron gets the job because he truly seems like he cares about the players and they return the love.  I'm glad this game happens this weekend for 2 reasons: 1) 2 fewer stupid SEC/FCS matchups, 2) Should soften UF up a bit...I think they have a game next week.  UF: 10 -- LSU: 24
Hoying: Ewwwwww, there's an SEC East team in our picks. Well, better get this over with. Florida's defense has been enjoying a great year, except when they got lit up in Fayetteville against Woo Pig U. LSU's D has been better, allowing 16, 18, and 10 points in 3 tough losses. Look for this game to feature about 24 punts and be over in about 2 hours (be thankful it's not on CBS or it would stretch for the standard 4). And when the dust settles, I guess LSU will have scored? UF: 0--LSU: 6

Schweinfurth: Both of these teams are not good. Now that I have cleared the air, Florida has no offense and LSU has looked competent since Les moved on to making lawn clipping smoothies. LSU will win, but it won't matter in the grand scheme of things. UF: 14--LSU: 20
Seeberg:  This game is likely to be a LARGE departure from the games we have picked above (read:  NO OFFENSE).  It's a recipe for an ugly game to watch with solid defenses and meh (at best) offenses.  LSU almost made 0 points stand up against Bama for 3.5 quarters.  Florida's offense is much, much worse than the Tide's.  First to double digits wins!  UF: 9--LSU: 17

THE Ohio State Buckeyes @ Michigan State Spartans

Draper: Urban Meyer has lost 3 games to B1G opponents since he's been at OSU...and 2 of them were to the Spartans.  Something about the green and white seems to make the coaches at OSU forget what they're doing.  This year may be a tougher sell (to choke), but it's something to be concerned about.  The new focused coaching philosophy of taking each week as the entire season seems to have paid dividends over the last few weeks.  A noon kickoff is huge for OSU as the environment shouldn't be an issue.  I expect a very business like game in which the Buckeyes try to shorten the game and get out with a comfortable win--which I think they will.  JT and the backfield keep it simple and have nice games on the ground without any bells and whistles.  Defense teaches Tyler OConner that while he got the best of us last year, there are consequences.  Bucks keep moving and prepare for The Game.  OSU: 34 -- MSU: 17
Hoying: If Wisconsin is the fun rivalry, and Penn State is the must-win rivalry, and Michigan, is well, Michigan, then this one is the bizarre snakebite rivalry. I hesitate to even label it a rivalry since Ohio State is always favored to win it, but unlike Indiana, Michigan State actually beats us from time to time, usually at the most devastating moment possible. As Eleven Warriors pointed out, Ohio State has faced Michigan State in November or later while ranked #5 or higher 7 times, and have won twice. Twice! Another fun fact: the last home team that won in this series went on to make an improbable appearance in the national championship game during the last CHAOS SEASON: 2007. Will the streak end? I don't see it happening. MSU is just plain bad this year,. While they still have the pieces in place to take this series to the next level by adding a new biggest upset to a list of pretty big upsets, Ohio State is back in Urban November form. They may not be the green team, but you wouldn't like them when they're angry. OSU: 31--MSU: 23

Schweinfurth: REVENGE!!! That's what I want. I don't care that the Spartans are having a down year. They should be treated as the team that ruined your playoff chance last year, and that demon needs to be excised. I really hope that Meyer has learned from that game and doesn't go into a predicable "bad weather" shell. Ohio State will win this game on talent alone. Sparty will hang around in the first half, as is their MO this year, but the Bucks pull away after some epic SPARTY NO! meltdowns in the third quarter. Go Bucks Beat That State Up North! OSU: 42--MSU: 13

Seeberg:  I have to be honest with you, Buckeye Nation, I don't give a rat's rear end what MSU's record is, I'm still highly concerned about this game.  We coached ourselves out of a playoff appearance in this one last year, and the circumstances are eerily similar this year:  Heavily favored OSU team, lousy weather forecast (wind gusts in excess of 35 MPH in East Lansing) that could cause a painfully conservative game plan, MSU team with nothing to lose, etc.  Sparty showed up against ttun, losing by just nine, and a similar effort is likely this weekend.  The only things that give me solace are the fact that Sparty is without DT Malik McDowell and is also shuffling their O-line due to injury...that and Curtis Samuel.  Keep #4 involved (preferably more in the running game for that 1000/1000 season) and hopefully this one will be no longer in question by the fourth quarter.  OSU: 38--MSU: 17

Upset Special (Please don't pick lame upsets like OkSt over TCU)

Draper: Indiana over Michigan
Hoying: California over Stanford (sorry not sorry, Stanford band)

Schweinfurth: UCLA over USC

Seeberg:  UTSA over Texas A&M (seriously, they're still ranked and I'm just angry about it)

Heart over Head upset: GO RUTGERS!!!!!

Let's Go Bucks: Top 25 and Heisman Ballot

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 should've fallen farther after losing.

Let's Go Bucks Index
1. Alabama
2. OSU
3. Clemson
4. Michigan
5. Louisville
6. Wisconsin
7. Washington
8. Oklahoma
8. Penn State
10. West Virginia
11. Utah
12. Colorado
13. USC
14. Oklahoma State
15. Nebraska
16. LSU
17. Western Michigan
18. Florida State
19. Auburn
20. Washington State
21. Boise State
22. Florida
23. Tennessee
24. San Diego State
25. Texas A&M

Others receiving votes: Houston, Stanford, Troy, North Carolina

Let's Go Bucks Index
1. Lamar Jackson (QB -- UL)
2. J.T. Barrett (QB -- OSU)
3. Deshaun Watson (QB -- Clem)


Draper

Top 25
1. Bama
2. OSU
3. Clemson
4. Michigan
5. Louisville
6. Wisconsin
7. Washington
8. Oklahoma
9. Penn State
10. Oklahoma State
11. West Virginia
12. Colorado
13. USC
14. LSU
15. Utah
16. Western Michigan
17. Nebraska
18. Washington State
19. Florida State
20. Texas A&M
21. Auburn
22. Florida
23. Boise State
24. San Diego State
25. Houston

Heisman Ballot
1. Lamar Jackson (QB -- UL) (Winner)
2. J.T. Barrett (QB -- OSU)
3. Deshaun Watson (QB -- Clem)


Hoying

Top 25
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Clemson
4. Michigan
5. Washington
6. Wisconsin
7. Louisville
8. USC
9. West Virginia
10. Penn State
11. Utah
12. Nebraska
13. Tennessee
14. Oklahoma
15. Oklahoma State
16. Colorado
17. LSU
18. Auburn
19. Florida
20. Western Michigan
21. Boise State
22. Washington State
23. Stanford
24. Florida State
25. Houston

Heisman Ballot
1. Lamar Jackson (QB -- UL)
2. D'Onta Foreman (RB -- Texas)
3. Deshaun Watson (QB -- Clemson)


Schweinfurth

Top 25
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Clemson
4. Louisville
5. Michigan
6. Wisconsin
7. Washington
8. Oklahoma
9. Penn State
10. West Virginia
11. Utah
12. Western Michigan
13. Colorado
14. Oklahoma State
15. USC
16. Florida State
17. Nebraska
18. Washington State
19. Auburn
20. LSU
21. Boise State
22. San Diego State
23. Florida
24. Troy
25. North Carolina

Heisman Ballot
1. Lamar Jackson (QB -- UL)
2. Jake Browning (QB -- UW)
3. Curtis Samuel (RB -- OSU)


Seeberg

Top 25
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Clemson
4. Louisville
5. Michigan
6. Wisconsin
7. Washington
8. Oklahoma
9. West Virginia
10. Penn State
11. Colorado
12. Utah
13. Florida State
14. Nebraska
15. Oklahoma State
16. LSU
17. USC
18. Boise State
19. Auburn
20. Western Michigan
21. Washington State
22. Florida
23. Houston
24. San Diego State
25. North Carolina

Heisman Ballot
1. Lamar Jackson (QB -- UL)
2. Doesn't Really Matter (Deshaun Watson)
3. Doesn't Matter Whatsoever (J.T. Barrett)

Grading the Bucks -- Week 11: Maryland

Don't let the rosy talk fool you Buckeye fans.  This week was really, REALLY bad for Ohio State.  Let's look at this drubbing and focus on what we can control at this point.

Offense: A
MVP: Curtis Samuel/J.T. Barrett
This went about as expected.  J.T. was on fire and Curtis scored on 1/3 of his touches.  We simply didn't need to exert ourselves to dominate this team.  Pretty much every unit was clicking.  J.T. was hitting the underneath routes well as well as a few downfield strikes.  Weber and Samuel ran with ease and the O-line had no issues.  Hard to critique another 62-3 win when it could have been so much worse.  The younguns even looked pretty good when they got it which is nice for the future although there's a lot of youth in the starting lineup that won't be relinquishing that position soon.  McCall is showing that while Weber and Samuel have been fantastic all year, he deserves some looks as well with the starting unit.  The RB position is immensely deep.

Defense: A
MVP: All
Who to single out? It was hard to pay attention to the game after 10 minutes because the disparity in talent and execution was so great that there was nothing more to gain from breaking the tape down.  The line was all over the Maryland QB du jour and the secondary was ball-hawking like crazy.  I've gushed about this unit enough in the past few weeks so no need to go deeper.  There was little to nothing to be concerned about here.

Special Teams: A
No missed kicks; good coverage; good returns and most importantly NO FUMBLES!!  Johnston actually need to punt this week (which was odd) but the unit was fine.

Coaches: A
Remember when I said Victor would catch a TD and J.T. would get back to being a weapon in the running game? Looks like the coaches are avid readers.  I loved the playcalling this week because they tried (and succeeded) with pretty much everything.  The playbook was open and everything was clicking.  The gameplan to stop Maryland was obviously sound and this team looked like they were on a mission.

Overall: A
We beat Maryland...yay.  Keep the train rolling and root for a Rutgers miracle!

Playoffs?!? DO Talk About Playoffs!

Losing hurts. Depending on when the loss is and who gives you the loss, it can hurt a lot more.

For the second year in a row, a great Ohio State team lost to the exact wrong team at the exact wrong time. And for the second year in a row, our hated rivals crapped the bed at a most inopportune moment, just to spite us. And, for the second year in a row, it looks like the Buckeyes won’t be going to Indianapolis to play for the Big Ten championship, barring an unlikely Penn State loss to Rutgers next week Michigan State two weeks from now.

Unfortunately, this makes it very likely that, for the second year in a row, Ohio State will not be playing on New Year’s Eve for a shot at the National Championship. And so, for the second year in a row, I’m going to grasp at straws.

Fortunately, there’s a bit more substance on which to build a foolish hope this year, thanks to Ohio State’s dynamite resume and a great deal more chaos at the top.

What We Know about the Playoff Committee

1.  The committee likes teams that win their conference (see #6 Stanford, #7 Ohio State in final 2015 rankings).

2.  The committee likes teams that win conference championship games (see #4 Ohio State, #5 Baylor in the final 2014 rankings).

3.  The committee likes teams that play in conference championship games (see #5 Iowa, #7 Ohio State in final 2015 rankings).

4.  The committee is not afraid to put a team with a worse record ahead of a team with a better record (see #6 Stanford, #7 Ohio State in final 2015 rankings; #4 Texas A&M, #5 Washington 2 weeks ago).

5.  The committee likes head-to-head winners (see #8 Texas A&M, #9 Auburn last week).

#1, #2, #3 and #4 count against the Buckeyes. Barring something strange, they aren’t going to appear in a conference championship game, and they aren’t going to jump Alabama, but they could get jumped by a 2-loss conference champion. The question is, can #5 save them?

Remember to ignore this week’s Playoff Rankings, and every set of rankings before the last one. In 2014, TCU fell from #3 to #6 after drilling Kansas 55-3 and got shut out of the playoffs. Conference championships matter A LOT.

SEC, ACC, and PAC (or, hope for a lot of losses)

In 2 years of playoffs, we’ve seen eight Power 5 conference champions, and zero non-champions. There are five Power 5 champions (duh), so at least one is getting left out of the playoffs every year. Obviously, being a conference champion isn’t a prerequisite, otherwise Notre Dame would never have a shot at the title. But in order to get in, the Buckeyes would need to pass at least two champions.

SEC. Ohio State’s not going to pass SEC champion Alabama, even if they lose to Auburn. What if Florida beats Alabama for the title? If Florida loses to FSU or LSU, running their total to 3, they’re not going to the playoff, Bama or no Bama. If they win out, they go to the playoff at 11-2, and nobody bats an eye.

Could Alabama get in at 12-1 with a loss in the SEC title game? Wins over USC, LSU, Texas A&M, and Auburn would move the needle quite a bit, and a loss to 10-3 Florida wouldn’t be devastating. At any rate, they would get in over an Ohio State team that didn’t even appear in their conference title game. Would the same be true if Alabama loses to Auburn and Florida and finishes 12-2? Hard to say, but that’s asking for 2 improbable losses.

ACC. If Clemson loses to Wake Forest, Louisville goes to the ACC title game. Ohio State will probably not get in over an ACC champion Clemson or Louisville, even one with 2 losses. But nobody in the Coastal division has fewer than 3 losses. A 3-loss ACC champion will probably not get into the playoff, nor will a non-champ Louisville or Clemson (even if Louisville is 11-1). Hope for a Coastal win.

Pac-12. 12-1 Washington gets in easily. 12-2 Pac-12 Champ Washington gets in as well, even taking a bad loss to Arizona State. But if Wazzu takes the Apple Cup and goes on to win the Pac-12, NO WAY do they get in. Not with losses to Boise State and Eastern Washington.

What if the South takes the Pac-12 title? A 2-loss Utah or Colorado gets in without much question. A 3-loss USC getting in over 11-1 Ohio State is a reeeeaaallll tough sell, but a win over Washington (maybe 2, or maybe also a win over Washington State) would help, and the loss to Alabama is excusable, even though it was an obliteration. A 4-loss USC with a loss to ND can kiss the playoffs goodbye. This is probably the best outcome to hope for to get the Pac-12 out of the way, but it’s a stretch.

Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Oklahoma

Big 12. Whet your appetite, Buckeye Nation. The Big 12 has no conference championship game, so there’s no thirteenth game boost for the playoff committee. The league will still produce a champion, however, and it will likely be one of the two Ohio State will have to pass to make the playoff.

If Oklahoma State wins out, they’re the league’s “One True Champion” and would like jump Ohio State, even with 2 losses. True, they have a bad, bad loss to Central Michigan, but it was a fluky loss on a blown call. It’s difficult to project how the committee would view this.

If Oklahoma State loses and West Virginia wins out, 11-1 West Virginia definitely gets in over Ohio State. A championship, one acceptable loss, this one’s a no-brainer.

But what if Oklahoma wins out, beating Oklahoma State and West Virginia? The Sooners would be sitting at 10-2, and with a pretty humbling home loss to the Buckeyes. I don’t see a way for the committee to move a 2-loss Oklahoma ahead of Ohio State.

Big Ten. Might as well make your peace with it now, Buckeye Nation, for the 5^th time in the last 6 years (6 of 7 if you count the 2010 vacation), Ohio State is probably not going to be your Big Ten Champions. But who will? Assuming Ohio State goes 11-1, Michigan is going to be on the outside looking in as well, so get ready for the thriller of Penn State versus…one of five teams (!) still alive in the West. Only Wisconsin or Nebraska can get into the title game with 2 losses, and a 3 loss Big Ten champion isn’t going to get into the playoff over Ohio State. A Penn State win would be problematic for Ohio State, with only two losses, a conference championship, and a head-to-head win, PSU would get in ahead of OSU. But what if Wisconsin or Nebraska is your Big Ten champion? Now we’re back to the Oklahoma scenario: more losses, including a head-to-head loss. Could the committee put in a 2-loss Wisconsin or Nebraska in ahead of Ohio State? I don’t see it happening.

So, in short, if OSU stays home on December 3, hope for (in order of likelihood):

1.  Wisconsin to win out and win the B1G

2.  Oklahoma to win out and win the Big 12

3.  The ACC Coastal winner to upset Clemson or Louisville

4.  Washington State to win out and win the Pac 12

5.  Something really unlikely to happen

Week 11 - At Least It's Not SEC - FCS Week

Standings

1) Schweinfurth    26-10        (5-4 upset)

2) Hoying              29-12        (4-6 upset)

3) Draper               27-14        (2-8 upset)

4) Seeberg             26-15       (4-6 upset)

The problem with trying to backload college football schedules is the same problem with scheduling Monday Night Football before the season begins: the teams you think will be good, aren't, and then the games suck. Then again, it's been a big week for upsets already...

Louisiana State Tigers @ Arkansas Razorbacks

Draper: The Bayou Bengals played a nice boring game last week in which they lit the scoreboard up (with suck) but then, Bama is Bama. While the LSU offense is a lot of suck + Fournette, the defense is very very good.  Arkansas is led by Austin Allen and he actually had a good game against Bama, but the question is: Will Bert do Bert things? Will those Bert things result in a good surprise for WooPig or a bad surprise?  I really do believe that LSU is a very good team that has been mismanaged.  The talent on the LSU roster is too much for the Hogs to overcome.  LSU: 21 -- Ark: 17

Hoying: The battle for the Golden Boot was perhaps the nation's most entertaining rivalry back in the late Houston Nutt / Bobby Petrino years. The fun has cooled a bit, but anything can still happen, as a mediocre Arkansas team steamrolled LSU last year to salvage their season. Don't expect the same result this time. Coach Eaux is still fighting for his job, and the Tigers still have one of the top defenses in the nation. They didn't get their signature win last week, so beating their rival will have to do. LSU: 24--Ark: 10

Schweinfurth: LSU hung in there better than I expected last week. That match up has to have left some scars on the Tigers. They played for their season and lost. We've all seen this before at other schools and then they get housed the next week. Arkansas has actually looked like a decent team under Bert. While I'm still not sold on Arkansas being "good," they should win this game. LSU: 17--Ark: 31
Seeberg:  Not entirely sure what to make of this one.  Arkansas destroyed Auburn a couple weeks ago, but LSU made Alabama look rather pedestrian, at least offensively, last week.  I expect LSU to be worn out after that effort which may play into the Razorbacks' favor.  LSU finally gets on the board again, but not enough to win it.  LSU: 20--Ark: 27

Southern California Trojans @ Washington Huskies

Draper: Washington has a decent win in Salt Lake City over a decent Utah team thanks to a fluky punt return...and that's it.  Their resume is flaming pile of poo with horrid non-conference wins and a butt nonconference schedule.  USC has certainly not lived up to any expectations, but they certainly will provide a more viable opponent than most of the Pac 12. While the opponents have sucked, Washington has taken care of business with (mostly) ease.  The Huskies will be happy to be in Seattle for this showdown, but is the home-cookin enough?  I could honestly see this going either way, but there is still a chip on the Huskies' shoulders with most of the country doubting them.  I want to Fight On, but it's time to (once again) Bow Down to Washington.  USC: 17 -- UW: 27

Hoying: You don't get to be king of the Big Ten without dispatching Ohio State, you don't get to rule the SEC without unseating Alabama, and you don't get to be the best in the west without a sack of Troy. Allowing less than 20 ppg is nothing short of jaw-dropping in the land that defense forgot, but now the Huskies will have to deal with a pretty-good USC offense. Should they be worried? No, not really. USC: 23--UW: 38

Schweinfurth:  Does anyone remember week one? You know that game where USC went up against a top 5 team and got dismantled. But yet, USC is back baby...or not. Chris Peterson has Washinton humming along so far this year. While not a great defensive team (hello Pac-12) they can sure put up some points. Washington jumps out to a quick lead and never looks back. USC: 28--UW: 45
Seeberg:  Well looky here, Washington actually has to play someone respectable.  Aside from a narrow win at Utah, the Huskies have nothing to write home about on their resume, but at least they've beaten everyone they were supposed to beat.  USC enters on a five-game streak themselves after a rough start.  I don't respect UW's solid defensive numbers as they haven't played much of anybody; however, I am convinced they can score on just about anybody, and they should outscore the Trojans at home.  USC: 24--UW: 38

Minnesota Golden Gophers @ Nebraska Cornhuskers

Draper: Hello there Golden Gophers at 7-2.  Yeah, they've been unimpressive, but this is a perfect game for Tracy Claeys to 'earn' B1G Coach of the Year for no good reason.  While the Gophers and Huskers have the same record, the wins for both are jsut pathetic.  Nebraska has a few more decent wins and better losses by far.  In Omaha, even with the potential of no Tommy Armstrong, I'll give a slight edge to Nebraska.  It doesn't mean much but it will end a 2-game skid.  Minn: 17 -- Neb: 24

Hoying: YEEEEAAAAHHHH prime time on Big Ten Network, which is exactly what these teams deserve. A week ago, you may have thought that this game would be a total mismatch, and you might still be right, but Minnesota hasn't been run out of the building in any of their games this season. True, the best team they've played is Penn State, back when PSU's whole defense was injured, but they're two scores away from being 9-0 and the nation's most laughable paper tiger. Instead they're 7-2 and probably getting ready to kick off a nice 3 game skid (1-2 at best) to finish the season. Future Nebraska star QB Rykyr Fyfye begins his career as a starter 1-0. Minn: 13--Neb: 24

Schweinfurth: This game now has some intrigue with the possibility of Tommy Armstrong not playing. I expect the Huskers to bounce back against a Minnesota team that has been feasting on the bottom of the B1G the last few weeks. This game will be close, only because of the questions surrounding Armstrong's health. The Huskers bounce back and keep OSU and Wisconsin's schedule looking good to the committee. Minn: 20 --Neb: 28
Seeberg:  Minnesota and Nebraska are a combined 14-4, yet one of the squads isn't even ranked while the other is ranked largely on the strength of its losses.  Is Tommy Armstrong good to go?  He practiced without contact today (Thursday) and is said to be likely to play.  I don't buy it.  Minnesota does not have the athletes that Nebraska has, but they are more disciplined and likely fuming at a lack of respect given their current record.  A lousy backup or a rusty Armstrong are both bad scenarios for the Huskers.  The state full of nuclear waste gets a signature(?) win with an upset on the road.  Minn: 21--Neb: 16

THE Ohio State Buckeyes @ Maryland Terrapins

Draper: After a definite return to form, the Bucks played at another level last week.  This week is about maintaining and keeping the Wolverines on edge.  Maryland is bad (and should feel bad), but will OSU treat them as the weirdly dressed stepchildren they are?  I expect the coaches will have the team focused on the week to week and keep the pain train running.  JT needs to continue to up the air game with the intermediate passes while the ground game continues to steamroll.  JT hasn't been running much lately so it's time to return that aspect of the offense to prominence.  JT runs for 150 and throws for 250 with Samuel the prime back as Weber heals up.  Look for a Binjamin Victor TD and much more underneath routes.  Defense gets another TD and the Bucks roll. OSU: 45 -- Maryland: 10

Hoying: Last year the Buckeyes faced a bad, bad Maryland team but couldn't put them away until well into the third quarter. Why? Perry Hills. The Terp QB couldn't complete a pass but gashed the Bullets for 170 yards rushing. What will happen when this year's Buckeye defense faces an athletic quarterback who can't throw, and this year's offense faces a defense that just got lit up by the Wolverines for 59 points...OSU: 49--Maryland: 13

Schweinfurth:  November always brings out the best in the Buckeyes. The last few weeks prove this out. Now to keep the pedal to the floor. Maryland is a banged up team, especially on offense. the Silver Bullets should have themselves a day here. No more Dontre Wilson fielding punts should mean less heartburn for Buckeye fans and coaches. What will be interesting is how much Mike Weber plays this week. We will probably see lots of McCall if the Bucks get up big early just to protect Weber's shoulder. Urban usually backs off late in games against friends and former coaches so we won't see 60 this week. Enjoy the blowout and get ready for revenge next week! OSU: 56--Maryland: 10
Seeberg:  Sixty-freaking-two to three.  Cameron Johnston had nine friends fly in from Australia for the game...and they didn't even get to see him punt.  Tough to do much better than that.  Enter the once-thought-to-be-decent-this-year Terrapins who have fallen predictably down to a snail's turtle's pace (#seewhatIdidthere?).  As long as we get Samuel and Weber the ball and keep the suddenly lucid play-calling up, there's no reason why we can't dismantle Maryland in a similar fashion as Nebraska.  Well, 62-3 might be asking a bit much, but you get the idea.  OSU: 49--Maryland: 6

Upset Special

Draper: Georgia over Auburn

Hoying: Ole Miss over Texas A&M

Schweinfurth: Indiana over Penn St.
Seeberg:  Tulsa over Navy

Grading the Bucks--Week 10: Nebraska

Looks like I was wrong about the days being gone in which we bash opponents to the ground.  That's the performance I've been waiting for the last few weeks.  Now, it's time to keep the trajectory to greatness.

Offense: A
MVP: Curtis Samuel
What a difference a 3rd lackluster performance makes.  The game was defined early by Nebraska being unable to generate any short of pass rush and the Buckeye's carving up the secondary.  I love that the coaches finally started utilizing the middle of the field in intermediate passing routes (perhaps it took a realization that Samuel is the best receiver in the middle of the field).  JT looked great even though he still missed on a few deep balls (although people need to realize that the greatest QB in the world doesn't hit all the downfield bombs).  Weber still looked phenomenal between the tackles fighting for extra yards, but the day belonged to Samuel.  It really felt that he was used a lot in the game, but used properly.  He seemed to get the ball via pass and run in appropriate situations in which it didn't feel like he was forced into the action.  The action came to him and the Buckeyes flourished.

Defense: A
MVP: Malik Hooker
What more can you say? The front seven demolished the Husker line and the secondary shut them down.  Tommy Armstrong or no, this game was over before it started.  McMillan has really had a great year that has gone unappreciated with the defenses avoiding him.  The tipped balls yielding interceptions show his dedication to film and quick reaction.  The only reason Nebraska got their 3 was because of a fluky tipped pass on 3rd and 7.  Without that, we're staring a goose-egg in which the defense puts up another 2 scores.  Total domination.

Special Teams: C+
MVP: Everyone not named Dontre Wilson
Urban, you've had your fun, but it's done.  #2 should not ever return a punt again.  The muffed punt by Wilson was really the only negative play in the game and gave a little momentum to the Big Red (that the defense quickly destroyed).  Durbin made his FG (yay) and the kickoff coverage was actually really good.  Johnston...didn't punt (even though he said 9 people came from Australia to see him play) so no problems there.  I don't care what happens going forward as long as we try someone else returning punts that doesn't make all of Buckeye Nation hold their breath (in a bad way) ever time he attempts to catch the ball.  Demario McCall looked really good (albeit in a small sample size).  I'd love to get the ball in his hands more often via punt returns.

Coaching: A-
The playcalling finally found that groove from earlier in the season which was a joy to see.  Both sides of the ball schemed and executed nearly flawlessly.  The only problem was the special teams which I believe will be rectified soon enough.  I need that fire from the coaches to continue over the next few weeks.  No mercy to Maryland or Sparty.  Those need to be absolute drubbings with no let ups to let the Sun and Blue know...we're coming for you.

Overall: A
It's hard to have 'beef' when you beat a top 10 team by 59, never punt, and stifle the opponent at every turn.  Sure, Nebraska probably isn't as good as their record, but it never hurts to teach the young-uns who's boss.  No mercy.

Week 10: The SEC West game actually matters this week!

Standings

1) Schweinfurth    23-10        (5-3 upset)

2) Hoying              26-12        (4-5 upset)

3) Draper               25-13        (2-7 upset)

4) Seeberg             23-15       (3-6 upset)

Alabama Crimson Tide @ Louisiana State Tigers

Draper: I really...REALLY want to pick this upset.  Coach O has the Tigers rolling to the point that they are playing (almost) to the level of the talent on the roster. Before the season started, this game was circled as the marquee game of the year--and much of that hasn't changed.  Fornette fell flat in last year's matchup, but he's a special special player.  The problem is that Bama's defense is amazingly good this year.  Jonathan Allen is a beast in the middle and no one gets his team ready for a big game quite like Nick Saban.  LSU's main problem is that Bama's defense is designed to combat a pro-style offense...which is what the Bayou Bengals run.  The horses on the defensive side for LSU are very very good, but Jalen Hurts will do just enough to keep the Tide rolling.  Many people wrote the Tigers off, but they wil make this close to the very end.  CUBS AIN'T PLAYED NOBODY, PAAAWWWWLLL!!  WE WANT THE WORLD SERIES TOO!!! Bama: 31 -- LSU: 27

Hoying: Whew, LSU finally dumped their mediocre coach that was holding their offense back all these years. Or...did they? Sure, things looked bad when the Tigers were 2-2 and scoring a total of 27 points in their 2 losses. But now, Wisconsin and Auburn are sitting at #8 and #9 in the rankings, and have two of the top 10 scoring defenses in the nation. A freak hurricane has deprived us of Florida-LSU, which would have been our only real data point for Coach Eaux's newly-discovered offensive juggernaut. I think it's a mirage. But it really doesn't matter either way. The Tide had a 30 minute brain fart against Ole Miss but has been absolutely untouchable otherwise. Bama might yet lose a regular season game, but not this one. Bama: 28--LSU: 13

Schweinfurth: Ed Ogeron is some sort of miracle worker. The guy takes over an underperforming USC team a few years ago and they begin to look like a decent team. The same can be said for his work at LSU, and it looks like the team is beginning to have fun again. I still don't believe LSU is very good. Alabama has looked near unstoppable so far this year. I don't see anything that will change that fact. Bama wins this one fairly convincingly. Bama: 35--LSU: 14
Seeberg:  Don't look now folks, but Bama's SEC nemesis not named Ole Miss is playing decent ball.  The Tigers are clearly sapping our Buckeyes' offensive mojo to the tune of 42.5 ppg since the Mad Hatter departed.  Oh, AND they have two weeks to prepare, so at least the Bucks aren't the only ones who can grumble about a schedule oddly stacked in opponents' favors.  All those factors, plus a home atmosphere, will certainly keep this one close.  Unfortunately for the underdog, the Tide now have 3 weeks of game film to study the upgraded offense, and we saw what happened after OSU had 3 weeks of game film out for the world to see.  Bama, again, sadly, ad nauseam, pulls away late.  Bama: 31--LSU: 20

Iowa Hawkeyes @ Penn State Nittany Lions

Draper: Penn State entered the initial playoff rankings at a surprising #12.  Let's be real, they beat the Bucks which is great, but #12? C'mon man.  Good thing they get the dumpster fire Hawkeyes...not so fast my friend.  Iowa entered the year as a clear B1G West favorite (so, you know, 2nd place in the MAC), but have fallen flat.  I think the Hawkeyes still have horses to hang with most teams but Ferentz is too busy counting money to be bothered by coaching.  Let's not forget that Penn State still has James Franklin at the helm...so Tweedle Dee vs. Tweedle Dum on the sidelines.  Here's the deal: if Iowa wants to do something this year, this may be the last hurrah before Nebraska (don't see them beating the Wolverines).  It's a night game in Happy Valley which certainly moves the needle, but the fans won't be as rabid as 2 weeks ago.  I'm going with the upset (mainly because I want it and see this as the last real game for the Lions to lose).  Iowa: 17 -- PSU: 13

Hoying: This one's on prime time on Big Ten Network, so you know it's a barnburner. OK, we're not fooling anyone, but do you have any idea the games we passed over so that we could pick this masterpiece for you? Did you know that TCU plays Baylor this week? That game mattered a whole lot 2 years ago. It might've meant something this year if Baylor could stop Texas on a drive or two or stopped scheduling Texas high school teams. At any rate, Penn State is white-hot right now, and Iowa is enjoying a nice correction after last year's bizarre aberration. I wouldn't count on the Lions losing anytime soon. *sigh* Go Blue. Iowa: 13--PSU: 24

Schweinfurth: Here's my #hottake for the year, this game will not be high scoring. Penn State got lucky the Buckeyes had a total meltdown and then struggled for awhile against lowly Purdue. Iowa's offense has looked like hot garbage almost all year. I'll take PSU at home, but first touchdown wins. Iowa: 9--PSU: 10
Seeberg:  Wow, the committee REALLY respects the Buckeyes if Penn State can vault all the way to #12 despite a rough loss to Pitt and a dump trucking by the Wolverines.  Technically, both of these teams have a shot at a division title (then again, everyone has a shot in the west not named Purdue or Illinois), so there is something to play for.  I personally think this is a pretty even game under normal conditions, but we've seen what a drunken night crowd in Happy Valley is capable of, good and bad.  Penn State shook off the letdown after a lousy first half to smash the Boilers, and even a lousy first half at home against Iowa won't be enough to cost them.  Roar Lions Roar.  Iowa: 16--PSU: 27

NO OTHER GAMES THIS WEEK ARE GOOD. THIS STATEMENT IS NOT INTENDED TO IMPLY ANYTHING ABOUT THE GAME ABOVE.

Nebraska Cornhuskers @ THE Ohio State Buckeyes

Draper: I think the ship has sailed on this Buckeye team bashing good teams to the ground, but that doesn't mean this team isn't incredibly talented and shouldn't take care of business.  The last 2 weeks have shown Buckeye squads who seemed disinterested and that's very troubling as a fan.  The team seems to believe they are entitled to the win simply due to wearing the scarlet and gray.  That isn't the way things work.  I'm hoping we finally see a return of that raw emotion and pride we saw with the young Bucks in Norman.  OSU is far more talented than the Huskers and it's time to show it.  The coaches will renew the commitment to the run by actually running on 1st down sometimes and drop in some of those intermediate and deep passes when needed.  This is a true 'sac-up' game.  JT throws for 200+ (but he's much more efficient) and the ground game overpowers the 'Blackshirts' to the tune of 300 yards.  The defensive secondary also returns to form by shutting down Tommy Armstrong and forcing two picks.  Even with all that, it's not a blow out, but a comfortable Buckeye win over a top ten foe.  Fans: let's wake up a bit before the 4th quarter this week.  Neb: 17 -- OSU: 28

Hoying: The good news is the playoff committee hasn't given up on the Buckeyes. The bad news is that Buckeye Nation has. In 2002, the Bucks won 6 of their last 7 games by a touchdown or less. In 2014, Ohio State followed an impressive win in East Lansing by bizarre lackluster displays against Minnesota, Indiana, and a bad Michigan team. Yeah, I'd like to win every game by 50, too, but the pieces are still in place. Just don't ask anyone named Damon to do too much on defense, but do ask a WR to make a play every other drive or so. As for their opponent, the most impressive thing Nebraska has done this season is lose to Wisconsin (or their practice squad, I couldn't tell with the uniform similarity). I'll see that and raise you a gusty overtime victory. Sorry for the string bet. Neb: 20--OSU: 31

Schweinfurth: It is time for the wide receiver room to man up. We keep hearing about all the talent, but it hasn't manifested itself outside of Noah Brown at Oklahoma. The rotation is good in theory but you have to keep your best players on the field. That means more KJ Hill and Terry McLauren and less Paris Campbell. The good news for the Buckeyes is that Nebraska has been more one dimensional than OSU this year. I fully expect the secondary to have a field day against Armstrong. These guys are due for a few turnovers. Again, I think Nebraska will move the ball and put up a few scores, but Ohio State continues to grow as a team. Time to come together and just be the best team on the field every Saturday. Neb: 17--OSU: 35
Seeberg:  I hate to say I told you so, but...expectations must be adjusted to where we thought this team would be at the beginning of September, not the end.  The O-line has holes, the WRs can't get separation, McMillan is being keyed on by opposing offenses and his productivity has fallen, and after Conley, Lattimore and Hooker, the DBs are a liability as well.  In comes Nebraska, off a respectable showing in Madison, coming back from 17-7 down in the 4th quarter to force OT before falling.  The Huskers have the ability to give our once-potent offense some issues, but offensively they have issues of their own.  They haven't managed more than three touchdowns against any B1G foe except Illinois who hardly qualifies.  A two-TD win against a top 10 opponent is nothing to sneeze at, and given the way the Bucks are currently trending, it would be a step in the right direction.  Neb: 13--OSU: 27

Upset Special

Draper: Cal over Washington

Hoying: NC State over Florida State

Schweinfurth: Georgia Tech over North Carolina
Seeberg:  TCU over Baylor

Grading the Bucks: Week 9 -- Northwestern

A win is a win, right?....RIGHT?!?!

Offense: C-
MVP: Noah Brown (just for the awesome block on JT's game sealing run)
Something just isn't right.  The line has been questionable, there is zero threat of a downfield passing game, and the playcalling is baffling.  The line was better than the game against PSU, but JT seemed to look to the flat immediately on every play.  Also, while the running game wasn't terrible, the explosion from earlier in the year just isn't there.  Maybe that's caused by the defenses being stronger, but it appears to be more than that.  Watching the game from the band's seats last week, I see that the receivers are simply getting no separation which allows the safeties/linebackers to cheat up and support the run. If the receivers can't develop into a semblance of a threat downfield (even if it's 5-10 yards downfield), this year can go south quickly.

Defense: C
MVP: Malik Hooker
Versus PSU, the defense held up their end other than 2 drives.  This week, the dink-and-dunk/rub routes just gave the team fits.  Credit to the coaches at Northwestern for identifying a scheme to accentuate the lesser talent of the team.  Nerdwestern was able to identify the alignment of the defense and run short plays to defeat the look (slant/quick in or out vs. man and finding the holes in the zone).  There was no pressure on Clayton Thorson most of the game which was concerning with the size differential on the line. The biggest issue with the Buckeye defense that MUST be fixed going forward is the atrocious 3rd down conversion rate.  The Cats converted a frustrating FOUR 3rd downs on their final drive (2 of which were 3rd and long).  With the game on the line and so many chances at getting off the field, the defense needs to rise up and take control of a lesser opponent.  They bent but didn't break on the final drive, but they shouldn't have bent that far....at home...against Northwestern.

Special Teams: C-
MVP: none
Cameron Johnston wasn't right.  His last punt was a nice 9 iron inside the 10, but the few he had early on were simply atrocious.  I'm guessing the block is still in his head from last week.  The kick return/coverage and punt return/coverage has been less than enthralling.  Last year (and at points this year), the return game was a momentum generator in key points by tackling the opponent short of the 25.  That seems to be gone as most kicks have resulted in a positive return.  I give credit to Durbin for kicking well, but the special units were a net (slight) negative.

Coaching: D+
Once again, I (and most of Buckeye Nation) just don't get it.  The offensive playcalling has become stagnant and predictable.  There is no fire; no tempo; no excitement.  When the reverse/end around went to Parris Campbell early on, there was some explosion and fun.  After that, you could essentially intuit what play was coming....swing pass behind the line.  I'm very concerned with the lack of running on first down.  It appeared that Urban wanted to make a point and work on the passing game...but they didn't work on anything but the checkdown to the RB in the flat every single time.  NW knew what was coming and it set us up in 2nd and 3rd and long too often, when the Buckeye's options were very limited.  Defensively, the Wildcats provide a problem for traditional offenses (kind of like the Princeton offense in basketball) where they just slowly bleed you to death. I was surprised there wasn't more pressure by the defensive front.

Overall: C-
Let's be real: this was not a great game.  Northwestern may be better than most think, but they are 4 point dogs to the Buckeyes in their house.  There was no excuse for the Buckeye offense to not have more success.  These issues need to be fixed and soon.  Nebraska comes to town this week, and there is no room for error.

Week 9 - Go, Ohio. Beat Chicago

Standings

1) Schweinfurth    19-10        (5-2 upset)*

2) Hoying              22-12        (3-5 upset)

3) Draper               21-13        (2-6 upset)

4) Seeberg             19-15       (3-5 upset)*%

*picked a ranked team to beat an unranked team. Shaaaaaaame.

% UCLA was favored by a FULL TOUCHDOWN, wasn't a coin flip proposition according to Vegas!

There's nothing worse than losing to Penn State. Except for losing two games in a row...

Washington Huskies @ Utah Utes

Draper:  I was big on Washington early and continue to be somewhat bullish, but the schedule has been pretty weak.  The win over Stanford was lauded as a watershed moment...but Stanford sucks.  I keep picking Utah to lose and they keep scraping by.  This will be a test for the Huskies on the road, but the talent gap is a bit too much.  Utah keeps it closer than the experts think, but UW pulls out a late field goal win behind Jake Browning.  UW: 48 -- UU: 45
Hoying: So finally meet the top 2 teams of the Pac-12, in a possible preview of the Pac-12 title game. The problem is that the Pac-12...kind of sucks. What's their best win? Stanford over Kansas State? Washington has looked great, yeah, but their schedule might as well have been designed by Baylor. How well will they respond now that they're not playing the Little Sisters of the Poor? (looking at you, Stanford and Oregon). Husky QB Jake Browning has looked like a legit Heisman contender (against west-of-the-Mississippi defense, not that that's going to change this week), and Utah is fresh off of surrendering 45 points to UCLA. Keep an eye on Browning. If Lamar Jackson stumbles, Browning might win the Heisman in a walk. He won't face a real defense all year. UW: 52--UU: 27
Schweinfurth: Washington has been impressive this year. Chris Peterson has done a wonderful job turning that program around so far. Jake Browning has been nothing short of magnificent thus far. Utah is the Pac-12 version of Tennessee and keeps getting reaaaaal lucky. That luck has to end some time... UW: 45--UU: 35
Seeberg:  I have decided, officially, that I will buy the Huskies this season.  However, that purchase has less to do with the Huskies and more to do with the abomination that is the remainder of the PAC-12.  The PAC-12 is essentially Big 12 Light:  lots of offense, minimal defense, no real title contenders with the possible exception of these Huskies.  However, Jake Browning does not have the benefit of playing in east coast primetime, yet is still likely to get an invite to NYC come December.  Utah may make it into the 30s offensively, but that will not be nearly enough.  Huskies pull away after half.  UW: 49--UU: 31

Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers

Draper: Does anyone have ANY faith in the Huskers? Yeah, they're undefeated, and we can't ignore that, but c'mon.  The schedule is supremely mediocre to this point.  Wisconsin has two losses but they're 7 point losses vs. #2 and #6.  The Badger defense is just too much (especially at home) for Mike Riley and Tommy Armstrong.  The brutal 5 game stretch for Wisky (MSU, UM, OSU, Iowa, Neb) ends at 3-2...and the Madison faithful should be happy with that.  In a game that will likely decide the B!g West (poop), Badgers emerge victorious.  And for the Huskers....you get the Bucks next week...uh oh.  Neb: 10 -- UW: 24
Hoying: Speaking of untested undefeated teams...How about those Huskers? 7-0 for the first time since they backed into the 2002 Rose Bowl and got backhanded by one of the greatest teams of all time, the 2001 Miami Hurricanes. Don't worry, Nebraska. I believe that America is still the land of opportunity, and nowhere is this more evident than in the B1G West. All you need is a fluky win over Wisconsin (see 2015 Iowa) and you can earn a trip to Indianapolis with a shot at the playoffs! What a country! Unfortunately, these Badgers are a bit tougher than last year's version, even with star LB Jack Cichy out for the season. Expect this still-fearsome Wisconsin front seven to jump around all over Tommy Armstrong and remind our new scarlet friends just how we do things in Big Ten football. The more demoralizing the better. Let's go for a biiiiig hangover effect. Neb: 10--UW: 17
Schweinfurth: I have no faith in this Nebraska team to win this game. Remember, this is a team that lost a lot of close games last year. Wisconsin lost their best linebacker in Cichy for the year and I think that will hurt a bit down the road. Even so, that Badger front seven is hyper aggressive against the run and forcing Tommy Armstrong to throw is the way to beat this Husker team. This will be low scoring and Wisconsin will leave the Huskers bruised for a rough matchup next week against the Bucks. Neb: 13--UW: 17
Seeberg:   To answer my colleague Mr. Draper, no.  Nobody outside of Mike Riley and a handful of intern staffers have faith in them anyways.  Similar to the Huskies they have taken advantage of a middling schedule to start 7-0.  However, the Huskers victories have been far less convincing.  Take similar foe Oregon:  Nebraska wins by 3 at home, Washington wins by FORTY-FREAKING-NINE, even in Eugene and dealing with whatever highlighter disaster of a uniform combination the Ducks put together.  Wisconsin, meanwhile, shut down ttun, Leonard Fournette, and, for at least one half, J.T. and Co.  That's enough evidence for me to trust Bucky more.  Jump Around again.  Neb: 6--UW: 21

Clemson Tigers @ Florida State Seminoles 

Draper: Barring a 54 yard field goal after a complete meltdown, this game would likely decide the ACC Atlantic.  This game was to be the showdown of showdowns at the start of the season, but the luster has come off the Noles.  Dalvin Cook has been a shadow of himself (and still can't block), the offense has been unimpressive,  and the defense in Tally has been a roller coaster.  Enter Clemson who had a hiccup 2 weeks ago vs. NC State (get lucky), but has been impressive most of the year.  The Noles have the talent to hang, but they need EVERYTHING to click...I don't think that's gonna happen.  The Doak crowd will come out and rattle Dabo and Co. but I don't think the Seminole D without Derwin James can contain Mike Williams and Deshaun Watson.  The Tiger D will make Francois miserable and the Noles fall at home.  Clem: 38--FSU: 30
Hoying: You don't just walk into Doak Campbell Stadium, unless you're North Carolina, that is. How did the Heels pull the upset? Was it an upset? These aren't your slightly older brother's Seminoles. The defense has been a no-show too many times, although, granted, it was against superb offensive teams like Louisville and Ole Miss. And, wouldn't you know it, Clemson is a superb offensive team. Maybe if the Noles bench Deondre Francois in favor of Sean Maguire, they can pull off another bullllllcraaaap upset like they did in 2014. Otherwise, I don't see it happening. Clem: 45--FSU: 31
Schweinfurth: Florida State is no longer the kings of the ACC. The only way this game stays close is because of Dalvin Cook. The Nole's QB play has been absolutely spotty. Clemson has looked like the class of the ACC (yes, even with their struggles). It's time for Deshaun Watson to make another statement. Clem: 38--FSU: 21
Seeberg:  THE benchmark game in the ACC, except the Seminoles pooped the bed...twice.  I still haven't decided if they're more 2015 Ohio State (talent-laden underachievers) or every Clemson team from 2008-2013 (just not quite as good as we thought they would/should be).  Regardless, 2016 Clemson rolls in as significant favorites.  Louisville had Clemson on the ropes in Death Valley but couldn't finish the job.  Then Clemson somehow got out Clemsoned by the Wolfpack and squeaked out a win to stay perfect.  My guess is that lousy outing, coupled with two weeks to prepare, will be too much for Jimbo's squad to prevail.  Clem: 38--FSU: 28  

Northwestern Wildcats @ THE Ohio State Buckeyes

Draper: What's gonna happen? Do you suck it up, take your medicine, and get better or quietly fade away and die?  That Urban Meyer guy tends to favor the former (remember 42-13 last year).  The loss to the Lions was horrid and shouldn't have happened, but home cures many wounds.  The young team faltered after two incredibly tough road environments and I think they can't wait to get home.  Northwestern enters on a high, but a loss for the Bucks last week has poked the bear.  I fully expect to get back on the right track with the passing and running game (to the tune of 250 passing and 350+ on the ground).  Samuel, Weber, and JT all get over 80 yards on the ground (maybe 100) and the Bucks roll back to normal.  Enjoy the Halloween halftime drill!  NW: 10 -- OSU: 52

Hoying: Losing sucks. A lot. But we haven't hit rock bottom. Losing to Northwestern for the second time since 1971 would be rock bottom. This year's Wildcats are better than most, and with Purdue and Illinois left on the schedule, they might even make a bowl game. But you don't want to head into Ohio Stadium to face an angry and wounded Buckeye squad. In 2014, the Buckeyes followed up their loss to Virginia Tech with a 66-0 obliteration of Kent State. In 2015, the Buckeyes followed up their loss to Michigan State with a 42-13 dismantling of That Team Up North in Ann Arbor. If we haven't seen this team's ceiling over the last two weeks, if there's untapped greatness ready to burst forth a la 2008 Florida, this one will look like the classic OSU-Northwestern matchups of old. Happy Homecoming. NU: 13--OSU: 42

Schweinfurth: Time for a relaxation technique. Everone breath in slowly and exhale slowly. Better? Look, the reality is, this Ohio State team is really, really young. As in, 29 of 70 traveling players are FRESHMAN. This team will only get better. Look at the history of Urban's teams after losses. They go out and obliterate everyone in their way. Sorry Northwestern, you are in the way. You can believe that special teams were a point of emphasis. I also expect this Buckeye offense to figure out what works best and stop trying to force the ball. The defense is fine and I expect Robert Landers and Nick Bosa to start getting more playing time. This week is a return to form and a refocus. NU: 13--OSU: 48

Seeberg:  Let's be real Buckeye Nation, it's time to adjust expectations...sort of.  Before the year, with roughly 49 new starters to break in, 10-2 would have been a successful regular season by most accounts.  After obliterating BGSUcks (no high safeties on D=ripe for the picking), Tulsa (only 34 offensive points, remember) and Oklahoma (Big 12=allergic to defense), the Buckeyes have fallen back to Earth.  I agree with Professor Draper that Urban is generally great in these post-loss situations, the issue, however, is the fact that we have a loss to perennial 8-4 Penn State to start.  The garbage fire fourth quarter as as un-Urban as I have ever seen, but there are consistencies to prior Buckeye losses under Urban:  abandoning RB carries (2 for Samuel all game), questionable clock management, WRs getting less separation than Sam Bradford's shoulder, etc.  Meanwhile, NW is riding the Cubs wave and a three-game winning streak.  Before the season I would've been happy with a 3-TD win in this game, and I'll gladly take that on Saturday to get back on track.  I'll be in 27D about 40 minutes before game time if anybody needs me.  NU: 10--OSU: 31

Upset Special 

Draper: Ole Miss over Auburn

Hoying: Texas over Baylor

Schweinfurth: Purdue over Penn State

Seeberg:  Georgia over Florida