Several quick impressions from the Ohio State -v- New Mexico State game Saturday.

Domination, as expected
First downs for Ohio State- 24; first downs for New Mexico State- 2. That’s about all you need to know from Saturday. The Buckeyes exploded for 559 yards of total offense while holding a dismal NMSU team to 62. As expected, the game wasn’t competitive, and that’s a good sign considering Ohio State has played down to their competition in similar games of the past.

Tresselball, we have a problem
We’ve got a problem at kicker, or to be more specific, we’ve got a bigger problem at kicker. Aaron Pettrey was already having a shaky year nailing the long balls but missing on the short ones. Pettrey left the game with what is being described as a sprained knee (rumors of an acl tear though), and the 3rd stringer Devin Barclay struggled pretty badly in his place. I would expect Pettrey to at least miss next week which means we’ll need Ben Buchanan to get healthy in a hurry.

Looks like we’ve got a quarterback controversy on our hands, and it’s not Joe Bauserman
At this point in the season, we know what Terrelle Pryor brings to the table- athleticism, brilliance at times, questionable decision making, and plenty of balls that never should be thrown. What we didn’t know is that Drew Brees is playing Wide Receiver for the Buckeyes.

The touchdown throw from Devier Posey on a reverse now stands as the best touchdown pass of the season for the Buckeyes. Not only did Posey throw a perfect strike 30 yards down the field to the end zone, but the throw was to his second read. That’s right, a receiver going through progressions on a reverse, making the right read and delivering a bomb. The play was designed to go to Terrelle Pryor but he since he was covered, Posey threw to Sanzenbacher in the end zone. Freaking brilliant Devier. I sure hope we see that again this year, and with the same level of execution.

Trick plays against a patsy- showing the other team up?
Not at all. The onside kick and the reverse/wide receiver pass and a few other things shown by the Buckeyes are for our future opponents. An opponent like New Mexico State presents the perfect opportunity to get some of these plays on film, have some success with them, and ensure future opponents have to spend time in practice working on those plays- even if the Buckeyes never run them again. That’s less time our opponents will have to spend on our base packages which can only help our chances of winning. Well done Tress.

Positive spin
Ohio State did an awful lot of positive things Saturday against New Mexico State- forced turnovers, pressured the quarterback, opened up huge rushing lanes, converted 3rd downs, limited penalties. All in all a good night. Unfortunately the problems are still there and could spell trouble next week- inconsistent run game, inconsistent special teams and sporadic passing.

More to come on Monday.

Candy, beer, and virtually no chance of a Buckeye loss- sounds like the perfect way to end October. Here’s what I’ll be watching:

High Noon
New Mexico State @ Ohio State, Big Ten Network (watching, recording, hoping the Buckeyes make it through the game without any injuries).
Indiana @ Iowa, ESPN/360 (flipping, scoreboard watching)
Cincinnati @ Syracuse, ESPNU (scoreboard watching)

3:30pm
Georgia vs. Florida, CBS (watching, recording)
Michigan @ Illinois, ESPN/360 (flipping, scoreboard watching)

4:30pm
Penn State @ Northwestern, ESPN/360 (flipping, scoreboard watching)

8:00pm
USC @ Oregon, ABC (watching, recording, flipping)
Texas @ Oklahoma State, ESPN2 (scoreboard watching, flipping, recording)

Here’s the coverage map for the 8:00 ABC games:

Go Buckeyes.

USC -v- Oregon is the marquee matchup, but there are a few other games to catch this Halloween weekend. Here are your ten (seven) questions:

1. Pac-10 Coach of the Year for Chip Kelly if Oregon beats USC?
Not that Oregon isn’t a good football team, they are. Following the implosion to start the season against Boise State, Chip Kelly has done a masterful job pulling the Ducks together (getting their ducks in a row if you will), with Oregon ripping off six straight wins.

USC and their 2011 Heisman Trophy winning Quarterback Matt Barkley come into Autzen Stadium to try and give Oregon their first conference loss.

In case you haven’t seen Oregon much this year, they’re a quality team, with a few exceptions.

The defense is solid, particularly their pass defense which will be tested early and often from Damian Williams and well…pretty much just Damian Williams. They’re getting a lot of pressure on quarterbacks ranking 10th nationally in sacks- the leader of that group is Kenny Rowe who’s getting a sack per game.

On offense the Ducks are very one-dimensional, getting lots on the ground and little through the air. Also, despite a decent turnover margin, Oregon is fumbling much more than they’d like to.

This game, just like the Oregon-Boise State game comes down to the lines and Jeremiah Masoli. Boise State manhandled Oregon on the offensive and defensive lines, putting the game in Masoli’s hands and forcing him to win by throwing. USC obviously has the athletes to do that, I’m just not sure yet they’ve got the heart. The USC defense in particular has played complacently at times the last couple weeks. They’ll have to play better than that to best an Oregon team that should be plenty motivated.

Oregon also will need a running back to step up and take pressure off Masoli. The best candidate for that is LaMichael James (translates to “the Michael” James) who has three 150 yard games this year including two in a row.

USC is favored by 3 but I like Oregon to win by the same.

2. What are the oddsmakers in Vegas smoking (besides weed, surplus stripper hand bills, and the deed to their value-less home)?
The current line on Ohio State -v- New Mexico State is 44 points. It started at 40 on Monday and has gone up by 4 which means gamblers weren’t originally willing to lay money on NMSU (or UNMS?).

This is a stunning fact considering that Ohio State has yet to score 40 points this season and continues to have injury issues at running back and on the offensive line.

The Buckeyes covered the spread with authority last week which could be part of the reason for the monster line this week. That, plus the fact that a 3-5 WAC team is coming into town. Not only a 3-5 WAC team, but a 3-5 WAC team that has won all three of their games by three points, and statistically the worst offense in Division I football. Still, 44 points is setting the bar awfully high.

Ohio State by 30.

3. I hear you’re a man and I understand you’re 40, but can you beat Texas without Dez Bryant?
Oklahoma State is a good team. They’re explosive and balanced on offense, they’re forcing turnovers on defense and they’ve got a quality veteran at quarterback. The one place they’re vulnerable unfortunately is passing defense. Not exactly the place to be vulnerable when Colt McCoy is playing for the other team.

Texas is going to score but I’m anxious to see if they can get the running game going against a good OSU rush d. Okie State will need to score often to keep up and I think they will do it- pulling off the upset over Texas by 4. Texas is favored by 9.

4. How much does Georgia miss Knowshon Moreno?
The 2009 Georgia Bulldog team is a shell of the ‘08 team, mostly because of the loss to Moreno to the NFL (and Matt Stafford). Georgia ranks 103rd nationally in rushing and dead last in the SEC. On top of that they’ve got a bad defense and are giving up way too many turnovers.

As much as I’d like Florida to lose, this isn’t the game for that to happen. In fact, after the bad outing Tebow had last week, I expect the Gators to rebound big winning by 20+. Florida is favored by 15 and Gators are favored by 2 over humans on land (by 19 in the water).

5. How can you not be intrigued by Michigan at Illinois?
If for no other reason than morbid curiosity, I’m going to watch this game Saturday. Michigan should still be wobbling after getting the business end of JoePa’s highwater sneakers last week in Ann Arbor. Meanwhile Illinois has been a complete disappointment this year and needs to win all five remaining games just to qualify for a bowl game (and a crappy one at that).

Baby Tate Forcier hit the wall last week going 13-of-30 for 130 yards, 0 touchdowns and 1 interception. He’ll get an underperforming and Peep-like soft Illini defense to rebound, and I expect he will. Michigan should win by 10+. The Wolverines are favored by 7.

6. Might Penn State get tripped up at Northwestern?
Not bloody likely. With a Senior at Quarterback, a Senior at the Head Coaching position, and a blossoming run game, I’d like to think the Nits have the leadership and experience not to overlook an inferior opponent, even if it is the week before the showdown with Ohio State. Still, Northwestern can score points and has made a habit of winning close games. The Wildcat defense is putrid and Penn State should have no trouble scoring so it falls on the Nittany defense to shutdown Team Kafka in the purple and white.

Penn State is favored by 17 and I like them to win by at least that.

7. Are you ready for the Big East Fiesta?
With the exception of the love affair with Cincinnati, there’s been little reason to watch Big East football this year. That’s about to change, starting this week with West Virginia at South Florida (WVU is favored by 3). The remaining games in the Big East include:

West Virginia @ Cincinnati
West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh
Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh vs. Notre Dame
South Florida vs. Miami
Louisville vs. Syracuse (basketball, not football. Sorry Greg Paulus).

Go Buckeyes.

Texas Tech Head Coach Mike Leach is like an onion blossom- many layers of crispy fried goodness. He’s also an expert at making press conferences entertaining, something lacking in Columbus (both good and bad I suppose).

In his latest blast he goes after the nubile, milk-fed “distractions” aka the girlfriends of Texas Tech football players. Here’s Leach’s latest plus some from the greatest hits collection. Enjoy:

Long live Coach Leach’s tenure at TTU.

With three or four conference games left (depending on the team), the Big Ten race and the race for the Rose Bowl is coming down to three schools. Time to take a look at what’s left on the table as well as some statistical analysis on the Buckeyes. I hope to have some special coverage up for OSU-Penn State next week as well.

Iowa
The cardiac kids (one of many) will spend all but one of their remaining games in the comfy confines of Kinnick Stadium. Iowa has Indiana then a tricky matchup with Northwestern before traveling to Columbus for the showdown with Ohio State. Game time hasn’t been announced yet for the OSU game, but it sure would make sense for it to be a night game in the ‘Shoe.

The Hawkeyes finish the season with Minnesota, who may or may not be fighting for bowl eligibility. It’s hard to believe an undefeated Iowa team would get tripped up in this game, particularly because the Gophers don’t have many teeth, but stranger things have happened.

The formula is simple for the Hawkeyes- win and you’re in. In what exactly remains to be seen, but the Rose Bowl at a minimum. As much as the computers love them, there would be a strong possibility of them playing in the National Championship. With a win over Penn State already, Iowa is in the driver’s seat for the conference championship.

Penn State
At the start of the season, the view from State College was pretty good with both Iowa and Ohio State visiting the roaring Lion. With a loss to Iowa already in the books, Penn State’s room for error is razor thin in two weeks when Ohio State comes calling.

Before Team JoePa can get to the Buckeyes, they have a trip to Evanston to take on a 5-3 Northwestern team. Northwestern has a serviceable defense and a strong passing game which should provide a good tune up, the same of which can’t be said for Ohio State’s opponent.

Following the Buckeyes, Penn State has a home game with Indiana before closing on the road against Michigan State. Just like Minnesota for Iowa (see above), Sparty likely will be fighting for a bowl game as well.

Ohio State
Of the three, Ohio State has the trickiest road to go. The Buckeyes get the scrimmage at home this weekend against a horrendous WAC team before traveling to State College to play Penn State. They return home the following weekend for Iowa before traveling to Ann Arbor for the annual grudge match with Michigan.

Just like Iowa and Penn State, the final game for the Buckeyes is a big time trap. Michigan stands at 5-3 now with Illinois, Purdue and Wisconsin before Ohio State. It’s likely they too will be fighting for bowl eligibility heading into that final Big Ten weekend. And nothing salvages a disappointing season better than taking your rival to the woodshed (this applies to both squads).

How I think it will end up:
As things stand now, I think Penn State will beat Ohio State and Ohio State will beat Iowa. That would knock Ohio State out of the race and leave Iowa and Penn State both with one conference loss.

Iowa obviously holds the tie-breaker with the win over the Nits, but the championship will be decided on the final game. In those final games, I think Iowa will beat Minnesota and Penn State will lose at Michigan State, sending Iowa to the Rose Bowl or perhaps the BCS Championship game.

Taking a quick peek at the numbers…
First, the happy news for the Buckeyes. Despite the offense turning the ball over early and often, the defense is forcing enough turnovers that OSU ranks 23rd nationally in turnover margin. The Buckeyes also average almost 3 sacks per game which is good enough for 16th nationally.

Most defensive statistics are very strong, with the Buckeyes ranking 7th in scoring defense, 13th in total defense, 10th in rush defense and 29th in passing D. Pass efficiency defense is also strong ranking 15th nationally.

Not surprisingly, the futility of the offense can be expressed numerically in those national rankings as well. Worst is passing offense which at 182 yards per game is ranked 100th. Rushing offense tempers that somewhat with Ohio State ranked 42nd nationally with 171 yards per game.

Scoring offense is 42nd nationally with 29 points per game (obviously not all from the offense). Pass efficiency, which was a bright spot for Terrelle last season, has declined this year to 63rd nationally (Penn State is 5th for example).

The one bright spot for the offense is that they’ve improved in sacks allowed (hard to believe). Last year they were giving up more than two per game. This year they’ve gotten that “down” to 1.75. While one sack fewer every four games doesn’t sound like much, it’s a lot for a team that can’t run the ball consistently and faces sellout blitzes every down.

You’re welcome.

Just a little shake up in the Ocho this week. With only a few games of interest this week, shouldn’t change much next week either. Were the season to end today, this would be the first round playoff matchups:

#8 Cincinnati @ #1 Texas
#7 Boise State @ #2 Alabama
#6 TCU @ #3 Florida
#5 Iowa @ #4 USC

Checking in on Dan Rubenstein and his weekend wrap up, here’s episode 8 of the tailgate. Line of the vid: “…nobody tell the Cyclones you get six points for getting into the end zone.” Enjoy:

Not nearly enough upsets this weekend for my liking. Nonetheless, here are your ten answers:

1. Would you, could you bet your hard-earned money (or your trust fund money, or your government bailout money) on the Buckeyes?
What I wrote:

Ohio State is favored by a staggering 16.5 points over Minnesota in Columbus this weekend. This after dropping a game on the road to a 1-5 Purdue team last week and having an anemic showing on offense the week before against Wisconsin. If one is watching the Buckeyes closely, you have to wonder how they’d score 17 points total, let alone enough to cover a 16.5 point spread.

The eternal optimist in me says this is the week the Buckeyes find the right mix of plays on offense to finally get things rolling, but seriously, if you’re putting money on this game, you have a problem. Put down the meth and the quarter rolls and go get help. That said, I like the Buckeyes by 10 at home.

The answer:
Eric Decker leaving the game for Minnesota obviously had a dramatic impact on the final result- Ohio State 38, Minnesota 7. The defense for Ohio State saved the day again getting two Minnesota turnovers inside the Gopher 20. Terrelle Pryor played like Buckeye nation needs him to throwing for two touchdowns, running for another and unfortunately throwing another interception (9 now on the season).

Devier Posey continues to show that he’s a playmaker that can be counted on at Wide Receiver. Saturday he caught 8 passes for 161 yards. Playmakers at running back are thin but props to big man Jermil Martin for getting 75 yards on the ground and a meaty 10.7 yards per carry average.

2. Might Oklahoma fall to 3-4?
What I wrote:

The unthinkable could happen when the 3-3 Sooners travel to the 5-1 Kansas Jayhawks. The Sooners outscored the Jayhawks 45-31 last year in Norman. This year there will be no Sam Bradford, no Jermaine Gresham, and a withered OU offensive line will be without Senior Left Guard Brian Simmons.

Neither team has run the ball very well this year but Kansas will have experience behind center in Todd Reesing, the forgotten power thrower in the Big XII. Reesing is coming off consecutive 400-yard passing games, despite losing to Colorado last week. Kansas has also been successful getting sacks, ranking 9th nationally just 1/2 sack less per game then the fearsome Sooner pass rush. Whichever team establishes the run wins.

Oklahoma is favored by 7.5 and I like them to win, but not to cover the spread. Sooners by 3.

The answer:
I half-missed on this too. The Sooners won, and blew away the spread despite my call for a close game. Neither team got the running game going like I suggested but the bottom line is that Landry Jones and his mustache played better than Todd Reesing (Reesing- 3 INT’s, 0 TD’s). With Sam Bradford going under the knife, the Landry Jones era is officially upon Sooner nation- drink it in. Next up for Oklahoma is a ride in the time machine to play Bill Snyder and the KSU Wildcats.

3. Will the protege beat the student?
What I wrote:

Long before Urban Meyer was giving Tim Tebow eskimo kisses, Urb was rebuilding programs with offensive coordinator Dan Mullen. If anyone knows the nuances of the Tebow super spread, it’s Mullen. Unfortunately he doesn’t have the defense to stop it, even as unspectacular as Florida has been on offense this year.

MSU has been dreadful in the turnover department this year which is partly to blame for their 3-4 record. If they can flip that Saturday night, it could make for an interesting night, especially considering how uninspiring the Gators have played the last two games. Both teams will look to run the ball a lot so possessions will be at a premium, further stressing the importance of turnovers.

Florida is favored by 23 but I’m crazy enough to pick MSU in the stunner at home.

The answer:
I still haven’t gotten the vomit taste out of my mouth from watching this game. Florida won by 10 in yet another example of bad offense in the SEC (and not just good defense, bad offense). Florida continues to underwhlem on offense and do their best “Southern version of Iowa” impression, though they’re ultimately more awesome because the SEC is more awesome and well that’s empirical data because I say it’s so.

This is one of those games that gets conveniently forgotten when Heisman voters are penciling in Tebow for his second trophy. Mississippi State- you had them at hello, and you let ‘em off the hook (how’s that for a mixed reference?). Georgia is up next for Florida, followed by a whole lot of nothing.

4. How much Jacquizz would Jacquizz Jacquizz if Jacquizz could Jacquizz JaUSC?
What I wrote:

Doubtful. The USC Trojans may be a team fed off emotion, and they’ll certainly be drained from the struggling road game 2,000 miles away last week, but the game this Saturday comes down to pride. And if anyone on the Trojan team has pride, it’s the baddest safety in college football Taylor Mays (maybe second baddest to Eric Berry). Mays, if but for no one else, should prevent a repeat of the 189 yard 4 TD performance from Jacquizz last year. That plus the fact that the game is in the Coliseum translates to a USC win, but it sure would make for a fun Saturday should they lose. Trojans are favored by 21.

The answer:
A complacent group that USC Trojan team is. With 27 second half points given up, the Trojans nearly lost to the very same Oregon State team that beat them last year. Jacquizz got another 100+ yard game but it was the 329 passing yards the Trojans gave up that is more concerning. No matter, the USC-Oregon winner has already been determined to be the de facto “#3 seed” should Texas lose or Florida-Alabama not end in a tie.

More proof that nobody is really watching USC, I heard someone on ESPN radio (don’t remember who) throw out Matt Barkley for Heisman. 202 yards passing with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Heisman indeed. Watch the games assholes.

5. Will Penn State exercise their Michigan demons?
What I wrote:

Not since 1996 have the Nits won in the big house and PSU is 1-4 in the last five meetings overall with the only win coming last year against the Michigan JV squad. The Penn State defense has played very strong this year but haven’t yet faced an offense in the top half statistically. They will in Michigan.

The Penn State offense should have no trouble moving the ball against a Wolverine “defense” that’s giving up 130 yards per game on the ground, 230 yards through the air and not getting any pressure on opposing quarterbacks (86th nationally in sacks).

I expect RichRod to throw in his usual contribution to the “wtf” plays of the week by putting in Denard Robinson in passing situations and going for it on 4th and 4 from the red zone, their own red zone. Despite all that I think Michigan will make a game of it and yes, they will beat Penn State (by 1). Penn State is favored by 4.5.

The answer:
Reality check for the Wolverine “they’re back baby” lovefest. Penn State looked very strong on both sides of the ball, showing they’re clearly not done making some noise in the Big Ten. Michigan on the other hand re-affirmed their bad defense and showed what happens when the still young offense goes up against a big-boy offense: bad things happen. Penn State 35, Michigan 10. Up next for PSU is a road trip to Northwestern.

6. What will it take for Tennessee to knock of # 1/2 Alabama?
What I wrote:

Alabama is unbeaten but a formula exists to do just that.

step 1: Shut down the running game. Running Back Mark Ingram is a bad mammer-jammer. If you’re going to beat the Tide, you have to contain rushing attack.

step 2: Get some rest. Alabama delivers a beating. Getting a bye week to get ready for the Tide is a must.

step 3: Counter with a balanced offense. Alabama’s defense is very good but if you can show some diversity on offense, you’ve got a chance to keep them off balance.

step 4: Take Julio Jones out of the game. Jones has been quiet this year with only one touchdown and ranking fourth on the team in reception, but he’s a threat to take a game over at any time with his size and leaping ability.

step 5: Have a teen heart throb for a head coach. Well, it can’t hurt I suppose.

It’s about time for Lane Kiffin to put his money where his mouth is, wouldn’t you agree?

This game sets up perfectly for Tennessee. Though they haven’t been getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, they’ve got the ability to limit rushing yards and they’ve got one of the best secondaries in the country. It will be a supreme challenge to slow down Mark Ingram but with Rico McCoy and Eric Berry playing close to the line of scrimmage, UT will have a shot.

Tennessee counters with a decent running game of their own. It has been a patchwork offensive line this season but Montario Hardesty ranks 12th nationally and when he’s resting, they counter with all-everything recruit true Freshman Bryce Brown.

The Volunteers are coming off a bye so they’ll be rested, and the week before the bye mercurial (and by mercurial I mean mostly sucky) Quarterback Jonathan Crompton went off on Georgia going 20-of-27 for 310 yards and four touchdowns.

UT will need a couple turnovers and will need another very strong performance from Crompton in order to pull off the win, and somehow I think they’ll get it. Volunteers by 6 at home. Alabama is favored by 15.

The answer:
UT got decent production from QB Jonathan Crompton (not great), somewhat limited the Alabama rushing game, and had ‘Bama beat until Head Coach Lane Kiffin stepped in.

Using clock management tactics that should make Charlie Weis blush, Kiffin let the clock run down to nothing from the Alabama 28 and try a field goal to win. The kick was blocked again (third miss of the game) and the Volunteers lost 12-10. There is no excuse why Tennessee didn’t at least take one shot into the end zone- no excuse, not even as shitty of a quarterback as Crompton is. It was a gross tactical error and one of many reasons why Tennessee lost, and why they will sit at home this bowl season like losers do.

The Alabama offense has now failed to score more than 22 points for three games in a row. It’s awe-inspiring, I know. Next up for the Tide- LSU. Good luck with that.

7. Is Iowa the reincarnation of the 2002 Buckeyes?
What I wrote:

Just might be. The Hawkeyes venture into East Lansing Saturday night for a green out, Dantonio style. Iowa is winning with a good defense, big plays on offense when they need it, good special teams and forcing turnovers.

Their offense is quite unremarkable, not ranking in the top 30 in any statistical category, yet they get plays when they need it. QB Ricky Stanzi has thrown 11 touchdowns against 8 interceptions but he seems to have a knack for hitting the open receiver, particularly Tight End Tony Moeaki who is the team leader in receptions (only 20).

The strength of the Hawkeyes is their offensive line and they will be tested from a Sparty defensive front that is very active, ranking 11th nationally in sacks. If Michigan State can get to Stanzi and force some turnovers, it could be a long night Hawkeye fans. The game is a pick ‘em so it wouldn’t be an upset by Vegas standards for MSU to win, but Iowa is ranked # 6 so an upset by those standards. I like Michigan State to win.

8. Letdown for Texas?
What I wrote:

Doubt it. The Longhorns have to play a night game at Missouri but this is not the ‘07 or ‘08 Tiger team, not even close. Missouri looked ready to make some noise after their season opening beating of Illinois but they’ve lost two conference games in a row and the win over Illinois matters less and less as the weeks go on.

The night game at home might be worth something to Missouri but I think Texas will work on establishing the running game, and will be effective in doing so, and they’ll win. Texas is favored by 12.5.

The answer:
Texas didn’t get the running game going but dominated Missouri behind an above average performance from Colt McCoy and a strong performance from the defense. The Longhorns held Missouri to 173 yards of total offense and got two turnovers. Next up is a road game at Oklahoma State, at night, looking live, in T. Boone Pickens Stadium, at night. Wheeeeeee!

9. Is TCU ranked 8th?
What I wrote:

Yes they are. They’ll go on the road at night against # 16 BYU. Call it analysis fatigue but I’m half-assing this one. Matchup of the game will be BYU’s offense against TCU’s defense. I like BYU to pull off the upset at home. TCU is favored by 2.5.

10. Might Oregon get caught looking ahead to USC?
What I wrote:

Oregon travels to Washington to play a tricky 3-4 Husky team. This thing is sounding big time upset alerts. Oregon is favored by 10 but 99% of the money in Vegas is going to Washington. That should tell you all you need to know.

Oregon has the Pac-10 championship on their mind with USC coming into town for a night game next weekend, but Washington has already shown they’re a team you can’t sleep on. That said, I’ll say this as delicately as I can, the Huskie defense sucks. 86th in rushing d, 110th in passing d, 87th in scoring defense. Ick. I’m taking Oregon in this one in a close one.

The answer:
Total yardage: Oregon (416), Washington (395). Close game? Nope. Washington got field goals and Oregon got touchdowns- it ended up as simply as that. Oregon 43, Washington 19. Next up for the Ducks is USC.

You’re welcome.

Road tripping all day Monday so I’ll get weekend summaries up late Monday evening. In the meantime, enjoy NFL films superstar Chip Morton:

Busy day Saturday and plenty of media darling to take a tumble. Here’s what I’ll be watching…

12:00pm
Minnesota @ Ohio State, ESPN/360 (watching, recording, hoping that the Ohio State offensive slot machine hits triple 7’s)
South Florida @ Pittsburgh, ESPN/360 (scoreboard watching)

3:30pm
Penn State @ Michigan, ABC (watching, recording, flipping)
Oklahoma @ Kansas, ABC/360 (scoreboard watching, flipping)
Oregon @ Washington, ABC/360 (scoreboard watching, flipping)
Tennessee @ Alabama, CBS (scoreboard watching, recording, flipping)

7:00pm
Iowa @ Michigan State, Big Ten Network (watching, recording, flipping)

7:30pm
Florida @ Mississippi State, ESPN/360 (watching, recording, flipping)
Auburn @ LSU, ESPN2 (scoreboard watching, flipping)
TCU @ BYU, scoreboard watching

8:00pm
Oregon State @ USC, ABC/360 (scoreboard watching, flipping)
Texas @ Missouri, ABC/360 (watching, recording, flipping)

Go Buckeyes.

Poster “Gern” on kissingsuzykolber.com and I must have been separated at birth. Last week, he posted:

Gern Says:
October 17th, 2009 at 11:53 am

I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to figure it out. Bobby Bowden is Paula Deen!! Have you ever seen them in the same place.

I had the exact same thought when watching FSU-NC last night. I never have seen them in the same place at the same time and it certainly explains why he’s still around Florida State- the dude can cook. For your consideration:

Mr. Bowden:

Ms. Dean:

You’re welcome.

We’ve got a new addition to the blogroll- PlayoffPAC.com Realizing that the only real way to affect change in Washington is with lobbying money, some blokes got together to form a political action committee in order to get a D-I playoff. Their mission statement is:

Playoff PAC is a federal political committee dedicated to establishing a competitive post-season championship for college football. The Bowl Championship Series is inherently flawed. It crowns champions arbitrarily and stifles inter-conference competition. Fans, players, schools, and corporate sponsors will be better served when the BCS is replaced with an accessible playoff system that recognizes and rewards on-the-field accomplishment. To that end, Playoff PAC helps elect pro-reform political candidates, mobilizes public support, and provides a centralized source of pro-reform news, thought, and scholarship.

Not surprisingly, I’m in full support and will donate a portion of my immense free time resources to their cause. Hopefully between this and Senator Orrin Hatch asking President Obama to step in, the BCS garbage will end soon.

You’re welcome.

Seven of the top ten teams have night games this weekend, five of those on the road. Pace yourself in the afternoon because it’s going to be a long night (yes you can use that line on your wife). The 3:30 games aren’t too shabby either. Here are your ten questions…

1. Would you, could you bet your hard-earned money (or your trust fund money, or your government bailout money) on the Buckeyes?
Ohio State is favored by a staggering 16.5 points over Minnesota in Columbus this weekend. This after dropping a game on the road to a 1-5 Purdue team last week and having an anemic showing on offense the week before against Wisconsin. If one is watching the Buckeyes closely, you have to wonder how they’d score 17 points total, let alone enough to cover a 16.5 point spread.

The eternal optimist in me says this is the week the Buckeyes find the right mix of plays on offense to finally get things rolling, but seriously, if you’re putting money on this game, you have a problem. Put down the meth and the quarter rolls and go get help. That said, I like the Buckeyes by 10 at home.

2. Might Oklahoma fall to 3-4?
The unthinkable could happen when the 3-3 Sooners travel to the 5-1 Kansas Jayhawks. The Sooners outscored the Jayhawks 45-31 last year in Norman. This year there will be no Sam Bradford, no Jermaine Gresham, and a withered OU offensive line will be without Senior Left Guard Brian Simmons.

Neither team has run the ball very well this year but Kansas will have experience behind center in Todd Reesing, the forgotten power thrower in the Big XII. Reesing is coming off consecutive 400-yard passing games, despite losing to Colorado last week. Kansas has alos been successful getting sacks, ranking 9th nationally just 1/2 sack less per game then the fearsome Sooner pass rush. Whichever team establishes the run wins.

Oklahoma is favored by 7.5 and I like them to win, but not to cover the spread. Sooners by 3.

3. Will the protege beat the student?
Long before Urban Meyer was giving Tim Tebow eskimo kisses, Urb was rebuilding programs with offensive coordinator Dan Mullen. If anyone knows the nuances of the Tebow super spread, it’s Mullen. Unfortunately he doesn’t have the defense to stop it, even as unspectacular as Florida has been on offense this year.

MSU has been dreadful in the turnover department this year which is partly to blame for their 3-4 record. If they can flip that Saturday night, it could make for an interesting night, especially considering how uninspiring the Gators have played the last two games. Both teams will look to run the ball a lot so possessions will be at a premium, further stressing the importance of turnovers.

Florida is favored by 23 but I’m crazy enough to pick MSU in the stunner at home.

4. How much Jacquizz would Jacquizz Jacquizz if Jacquizz could Jacquizz JaUSC?
Doubtful. The USC Trojans may be a team fed off emotion, and they’ll certainly be drained from the struggling road game 2,000 miles away last week, but the game this Saturday comes down to pride. And if anyone on the Trojan team has pride, it’s the baddest safety in college football Taylor Mays (maybe second baddest to Eric Berry). Mays, if but for no one else, should prevent a repeat of the 189 yard 4 TD performance from Jacquizz last year. That plus the fact that the game is in the Coliseum translates to a USC win, but it sure would make for a fun Saturday should they lose. Trojans are favored by 21.

5. Will Penn State exercise their Michigan demons?
Not since 1996 have the Nits won in the big house and PSU is 1-4 in the last five meetings overall with the only win coming last year against the Michigan JV squad. The Penn State defense has played very strong this year but haven’t yet faced an offense in the top half statistically. They will in Michigan.

The Penn State offense should have no trouble moving the ball against a Wolverine “defense” that’s giving up 130 yards per game on the ground, 230 yards through the air and not getting any pressure on opposing quarterbacks (86th nationally in sacks).

I expect RichRod to throw in his usual contribution to the “wtf” plays of the week by putting in Denard Robinson in passing situations and going for it on 4th and 4 from the red zone, their own red zone. Despite all that I think Michigan will make a game of it and yes, they will beat Penn State (by 1). Penn State is favored by 4.5.

6. What will it take for Tennessee to knock of # 1/2 Alabama?
Alabama is unbeaten but a formula exists to do just that.

step 1: Shut down the running game. Running Back Mark Ingram is a bad mammer-jammer. If you’re going to beat the Tide, you have to contain rushing attack.

step 2: Get some rest. Alabama delivers a beating. Getting a bye week to get ready for the Tide is a must.

step 3: Counter with a balanced offense. Alabama’s defense is very good but if you can show some diversity on offense, you’ve got a chance to keep them off balance.

step 4: Take Julio Jones out of the game. Jones has been quiet this year with only one touchdown and ranking fourth on the team in reception, but he’s a threat to take a game over at any time with his size and leaping ability.

step 5: Have a teen heart throb for a head coach. Well, it can’t hurt I suppose.

It’s about time for Lane Kiffin to put his money where his mouth is, wouldn’t you agree?

This game sets up perfectly for Tennessee. Though they haven’t been getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, they’ve got the ability to limit rushing yards and they’ve got one of the best secondaries in the country. It will be a supreme challenge to slow down Mark Ingram but with Rico McCoy and Eric Berry playing close to the line of scrimmage, UT will have a shot.

Tennessee counters with a decent running game of their own. It has been a patchwork offensive line this season but Montario Hardesty ranks 12th nationally and when he’s resting, they counter with all-everything recruit true Freshman Bryce Brown.

The Volunteers are coming off a bye so they’ll be rested, and the week before the bye mercurial (and by mercurial I mean mostly sucky) Quarterback Jonathan Crompton went off on Georgia going 20-of-27 for 310 yards and four touchdowns.

UT will need a couple turnovers and will need another very strong performance from Crompton in order to pull off the win, and somehow I think they’ll get it. Volunteers by 6 at home. Alabama is favored by 15.

7. Is Iowa the reincarnation of the 2002 Buckeyes?
Just might be. The Hawkeyes venture into East Lansing Saturday night for a green out, Dantonio style. Iowa is winning with a good defense, big plays on offense when they need it, good special teams and forcing turnovers.

Their offense is quite unremarkable, not ranking in the top 30 in any statistical category, yet they get plays when they need it. QB Ricky Stanzi has thrown 11 touchdowns against 8 interceptions but he seems to have a knack for hitting the open receiver, particularly Tight End Tony Moeaki who is the team leader in receptions (only 20).

The strength of the Hawkeyes is their offensive line and they will be tested from a Sparty defensive front that is very active, ranking 11th nationally in sacks. If Michigan State can get to Stanzi and force some turnovers, it could be a long night Hawkeye fans. The game is a pick ‘em so it wouldn’t be an upset by Vegas standards for MSU to win, but Iowa is ranked # 6 so an upset by those standards. I like Michigan State to win.

8. Letdown for Texas?
Doubt it. The Longhorns have to play a night game at Missouri but this is not the ‘07 or ‘08 Tiger team, not even close. Missouri looked ready to make some noise after their season opening beating of Illinois but they’ve lost two conference games in a row and the win over Illinois matters less and less as the weeks go on.

The night game at home might be worth something to Missouri but I think Texas will work on establishing the running game, and will be effective in doing so, and they’ll win. Texas is favored by 12.5.

9. Is TCU ranked 8th?
Yes they are. They’ll go on the road at night against # 16 BYU. Call it analysis fatigue but I’m half-assing this one. Matchup of the game will be BYU’s offense against TCU’s defense. I like BYU to pull off the upset at home. TCU is favored by 2.5.

10. Might Oregon get caught looking ahead to USC?
Oregon travels to Washington to play a tricky 3-4 Husky team. This thing is sounding big time upset alerts. Oregon is favored by 10 but 99% of the money in Vegas is going to Washington. That should tell you all you need to know.

Oregon has the Pac-10 championship on their mind with USC coming into town for a night game next weekend, but Washington has already shown they’re a team you can’t sleep on. That said, I’ll say this as delicately as I can, the Huskie defense sucks. 86th in rushing d, 110th in passing d, 87th in scoring defense. Ick. I’m taking Oregon in this one in a close one.

You’re welcome.

Opinions on Terrelle Pryor are flowing like debt to China, the latest to weigh in being TP’s High School coach Ray Reitz. Here’s some of what he said in an interview with Joe Schad from ESPN (a man who’s last name is one letter away from what Ohio State did against Purdue last week):

They need Terrelle to run more. They’ve put the reins on him and they need to let him go free. When I watch Terrelle play right now, I see a robot.

In fairness to robots, I don’t think they’d throw lob balls into triple coverage, but I definitely agree that Terrelle clearly looks uncomfortable on passing downs and the designed running plays aren’t working. I view those issues as 75% coaching and scheming and only 25% on Terrelle’s shoulders.

Coach Reitz went on:

Jim Tressel is a great coach and he’s been running his offense successfully for 30 years. But I’d like to see some zone-read plays where with one mistake [by the defense], he can be gone. With some zone-read plays, they wouldn’t be able to take away all the outside runs because he’d be a threat to go between the tackles.

Reitz may be on to something there, the offense certainly needs to evolve into something else and more zone-read/option type plays would help.

I also agree with my esteemed colleague Klo that elements of the west coast offense need to be integrated. With an excellent pass-catching back like Brandon Saine and decent Tight Ends (or so we’ve heard), and another stud slot receiver (Sanzenbacher), the short passing game needs to be the focal point. 15+ yard pass plays don’t work. We don’t have an offensive line that can block for more than two Mississippi’s and Terrelle simply doesn’t have the confidence right now to see downfield.

Reitz continued:

Give him time to grow. Put the ball in his hands and if there is a breakdown let him run. It doesn’t look to me like he’s relaxed. It doesn’t look like he has rhythm. It doesn’t look like he’s comfortable.

Word.

And then Reitz dropped the “M” word:

There is no question that Rich Rodriguez’s offense, for example, would be more apt to suit Terrelle’s skills, but Ohio State sold him on the idea that they would prepare him for the NFL and that they don’t run ‘zone-read’ in the NFL. Jim Tressel is a great coach. But I can tell you there is more to Terrelle Pryor than what we’ve been seeing.

And that quote gets at the heart of the matter- untapped potential. Tress and Bollman have only tapped 10% of Terrelle’s potential and that is the challenge they have in front of them.

Pryor may never develop into an NFL quarterback but it’s Tressel’s duty to make him the very best college quarterback he can be while giving him the skills to get a shot at the next level. Whether Pryor shines as Steve McNair or flails as Jamarcus Russell in the NFL is entirely up to him. For now, let’s just get college right.

Go Buckeyes.

Multiple teams in the top 8 this week play road games at night so could be some fun, or not, whatever. These would be the first round playoff matchups should the sport be perfected by the old white guys that run it:

#8 Cincinnati @ #1 Alabama
#7 Boise State @ #2 Florida
#6 Iowa @ #3 Texas
#5 USC @ #4 Miami

You’re welcome.

It always helps to get some perspective from outside of Block O, especially from knowledgeable Penn State fans, of which I only know two. A good friend of mine Klo kicks in with some accurate, albeit painful affirmation-type observations of Ohio State. His wife’s a Buckeye so it’s all good. Enjoy:

>>I think at this point it is obvious that Pryor is long on physical talent and short on a system that he’s comfortable, defensive reads and awareness, and passing fundamentals like squaring shoulders, driving into the throw, and not throwing jump balls into coverage with clear safety help. What’s probably worse, even when he scrambles it’s like he’s uncomfortable…stutter stepping and quasi-drunken slow side-stepping into tacklers. Worse than that, he looks the same way on DESIGNED runs. Didn’t he ever scramble in high school? Somebody needs to pull him aside and fire him up with a little go-bat-shit-crazy-and-run-like-your-life-depended-on-it for those designed runs. Hurdle some tacklers, pull a spin move, do something….because right now he looks like the 40 year old virgin on a bra strap.

>>Tressel ball is not broken, never has been. Ask any coach in the history of football including the Super Bowl losing coach of the Greatest Show on Turf, the 17-0 Patriots, and the Oakland Raiders circa 2002. This is a lead pipe lock of football strategy: 1) Great defense first, preferably by stopping run then a bonus if you have a good pass rush. 2) don’t turn the ball over, and then if you do make sure you clearly win the turnover differential 3) run the ball to set up the pass. An incidental benefit of these 3 is field position, which you will always win if you play good D, move chains with the run, and don’t turn the ball over.

>>What is broken in Columbus is not Tressel ball, it’s Tressel’s lack of recognition, adjustments, or realizations that his schemes, packages, and personnel are not a good mix. Running the ball is a hell of a lot tougher with 8 defenders ready to force your QB to pass. Defenses can’t stack 8 men in the box if you can threaten with the pass.

>>Pryor needs better passing plays with more short routes. See Tom Brady from 2002-2004. I don’t think he threw a pass longer than 8 yards. Everything was a rb screen, wr screen, tight end buttonhook, etc. He won a Super Bowl with that stuff. Two step drop and bang, ball is on target and on time on a frozen rope. And I F’n hate Tom Brady along with that cheater Belichick.

I think a key problem with the OSU offense is the lack of passing schemes that will set Pryor up for success. 17 yard out routes to the far side of the field are difficult for even the best arms. That takes tremendous coordination with your wideout’s pattern timing and knowledge of how long the cornerback can close the distance. 20 yard post routes down the middle require first, enough time to get down field (see 8 men in box, some or all of them coming strong), then a knowledge of safety and linebacker coverages coupled with the cb’s position. Not an easy read. I’m not suggesting a full blown west coast offense, but they need some plays that pick up small chunks of yards….first to build some momentum, second to wind the defenders a little with pursuit, and third to ease the running reliance a little.

>>The OSU defense is very good, might be best in conference if they weren’t on the field for 40 minutes each game. Penn State is so far the best D in the conference, though they have not played enough quality offenses.

>>Somebody also needs to coach the “floater” pass out of Pryor’s game. Stop trying to be a touch passer. He should step up and deliver every pass like he’s trying to dislocate fingers. Instead, he’s heaving shotputs at a 70 degree up angle into double coverage. I can think of at least 3 big plays in the PSU/OSU game that were basically broken play jump balls.

My idea….Put him in a cafeteria with no more than 15 feet of ceiling and have him practice throwing to receivers at the far end. Frozen ropes, every time. Even let them run left to right to help with his timing and leading the receiver.

>>Navarro Bowman might be better than Sean Lee, even when healthy. He’s really coming along in his ability to shed blocks and get after the football. They’re certainly the best LB tandem in the conference, can’t say nationally.

>>Can’t freakin wait to see if Penn State, particularly the defense, is for real at Michigan. Like Iowa, Michigan tends to have our number. Don’t know why or how, but they usually do. RichRod’s team hasn’t played a defense like ours yet, so I’m psyched to see how they handle things if they get down 2 scores and give our pass rushers a chance to pin back the ears and get after it. Then again, we could easily get blown out if the offense can’t sustain drives.

>>This is a weird situation. After the USC loss, I predicted OSU would recover to kill the rest of the conference and give Penn State all they could handle in the promised land. And shortly thereafter, Penn State got their teeth punched down their throats by Iowa at home. In the time since the Iowa game, OSU has gone the opposite direction with the questions backing up like my plumbing on Thanksgiving and the answers filling with a few hope-more-than-fact blurbs from those Luckeye fans who see the program’s legacy on the field more than the results. Penn State on the other hand has rebounded nicely and has put together what might be a better defense than last year.

Go Buckeyes. (Go Buckeyes comment added by editor and may or may not represent the thoughts or beliefs of the guest commentator)

Episode 7 from Dan Rubenstein for your viewing enjoyment. Line of the vid: “A quick reminder for Mike Sherman and Ron Zook, both Word and PDF are acceptable resume formats at most modern companies.” Enjoy:

You’re welcome.

I missed this one last week- episode 6 of the Postgame Tailgate from Dan Rubenstein. Line of the vid: “…Sooner fans are just itchin’ to scrab some more Texas scrotum.” Enjoy:

You’re welcome.

I’m not convinced anyone deserves to play in the BCS championship after watching the games this weekend. Another good year for a playoff but I suppose that’s not needed when the National Semifinals are the Big XII and SEC Championship games. On to the answers…

1 & 2. The Red River Shootout- Can Texas run it? Can OU protect Sam Bradford?
What I wrote:

Talk about the difference a year can make. At the beginning of this season, there were several scenarios I thought might present themselves for OU-Texas this year, a 20th ranked two-loss Oklahoma team wasn’t in any of those. OU gets Wide Receiver Ryan Broyles back from injury which should help, but the losses on offense for OU may be too much to overcome.

On the Texas side, the Longhorns lost three of their defensive linemen to the NFL but they still have Sergio Kindle, Roddrick Muckelroy, and Sam Acho- good enough for 20th nationally in sacks. They’ll need to get to Sam Bradford in order to affect timing.

Also of note for Texas is the amount of carries, or lack of Colt McCoy is taking. His carries are way down this year, as are his yards per (1.7 vs. 4.1) and touchdowns on the ground (1 TD this year, 11 last year). Texas has running back by committee this year, which is to say they don’t have anyone that can really dominate. In fact, over the last two games, they don’t have anyone that’s gotten more than ten carries. That’s a problem. That screams for Colt running the ball to make a difference in the outcome of the game- he’s clearly capable and he hasn’t taken nearly the hits he took last year so should be fresher.

The final piece to the puzzle is obviously Texas WR Jordan Shipley- a playmaker whenever he’s on the field. Dan Buckner is the other key target for Texas at receiver but Shipley is the guy that makes the offense go. It will be fun to watch Shipley vs. either of the veteran Cornerbacks for OU- Dominique Franks or Brian Jackson.

I think the game will be unusually low scoring (at least by Big XII standards), and because of that it could go either way. I like Texas to win and avenge the wrong done unto them by the Big XII rules last year. Texas is favored by 3.

The answer:
Nailed this one- Texas won in a low scoring game (16-13). Another bizarre twist in OU’s season with Sam Bradford leaving the game after injuring the same shoulder. Hard to tell if the game would have gone differently with Bradford in the game, but Landry “Mustachio” Jones was largely ineffective in Bradford’s place.

Texas didn’t do much offensively with Colt McCoy throwing a meager 127 yards (21-for-39), 1 TD/1 INT. They did manage to get 142 yards rushing but that was on 40 carries so only 3.1 per. Neither team was effective on 3rd down and there were five combined fumbles.

More startling was -16 yards rushing for OU- a further sign of their offensive line woes, magnified by having to play an inexperienced mustachioed-QB.

The path for the now 3-3 Sooners remains very interesting- road games at Kansas, Nebraska and Texas Tech plus the home finale against Oklahoma State. With Sam Bradford’s health in question and a questionable offensive line, it’s not out of the realm for this team to lose one more, if not two. Hardly the fairy tale Bradford expected; one has to wonder if he’d rather be starting for the Jets right about now.

Texas’ stiffest remaining test looks to be a road game at Oklahoma State. Go ahead and pencil them into Pasadena.

3. Can Clausen put USC in a pickle? (see what I did there- Clausen. Pickle. I’ll give you a minute to catch your breath).
What I wrote:

The only real drama in this game for me is if USC Freshman QB Matt Barkley can play without mistakes in another hostile environment and what will happen to Charlie Weis and the Notre Dame team if and when they lose.

The stakes can’t be bigger for Notre Dame what with Weis’ job and a potential BCS matchup on the line. For USC, the season already has a transitional feel to it so there’s less to risk.

With Notre Dame not getting consistent enough rushing and getting absolutely torched in their secondary, it’s going to take a flawless performance at home for the Irish to win, and as tight as they’re likely to be, I don’t see it happening. I like USC by a couple touchdowns. The Trojans are favored by 10.

The answer:
Thanks to an undisciplined USC team that isn’t too interested in putting teams away, the final margin was only 7 instead of the two touchdown plus I anticipated.

This game was unimpressive on many levels- first neither offensive line played very well. It’s a disturbing trend for USC from a team that’s being pushed as a national title contender. For ND, despite loads of 3 and 4 star offensive line recruits over the last several years, the Notre Dame offensive line was abysmal Saturday and now stands 80th nationally in sacks allowed.

The Notre Dame secondary is bad. Really bad. They got torched on multiple occasions on Saturday and are now ranked 117th nationally in pass defense.

With all the pissing and moaning Charlie Weis has done about officiating the last two years, it may be finally paying off. Weis got two bogus calls that were pivotal to the outcome- the second touchdown drive was kept alive by a bogus taunting penalty after USC sacked Clausen on 3rd down, and the 3rd touchdown drive was kept alive by a bogus personal foul call. I don’t suppose Weis will be bloviating about those gifts in his weekly call this week.

USC is far from the powerhouse that at least the AP makes them out to be (#4). The defense is solid. The offense is still very suspect with too much youth and inexperience and problems with the offensive line. Stanley Havili left the game with an arm injury; if he’s out for any period of time that’s a crushing blow since he’s the glue that holds that whole O together in my opinion.

Matt Barkley is, despite the hyperbole by ESPN and several analysts, exactly what he should be- a freshman QB making freshmen mistakes. Barkley may win the Heisman trophy some day but right now he holds on to the ball too long, he makes throws to receivers that are completely covered, and he misses on some throws that should be completions.

4. Which Georgia Tech team is going to show up against the Hokies?
What I wrote:

Georgia Tech is able to put up points; in bunches even. The trouble for them is stopping the other team.

In their key wins over Clemson and Florida State, they simply outscored and outlasted their opponents. Against the Miami Hurricanes they couldn’t score or move the ball when they needed to. They’ll be faced with a similar dilemma when Virginia Tech comes into town Saturday.

Hokie QB Tyrod Taylor is capable of laying some steaming piles on the field, witness his 9-for-20 game against Alabama or throw up the film from half a dozen games last year. Unfortunately for Georgia Tech, their defense is probably not even equivalent to ‘Bama’s scout team.

I really want Georgia Tech to win because that removes another team from Ohio State’s path (to where, I’m not sure), but I think the Hokies are going to be too much offensively. Virginia Tech is favored by 3.

The answer:
Georgia Tech dominated time of possession nearly 2-to-1 running up 309 yards on the ground in a 28-23 victory. Tyrod Taylor managed only 14 passing attempts for Virginia Tech and completed 10. Unfortunately he also completed two to the other team. The win gives Georgia Tech the advantage in the ACC Coastal division with neither them or Virginia Tech having a ranked team left on the schedule.

5. Might South Carolina QB Stephen Garcia earn his scholarship this week?
What I wrote:

Actually, Garcia’s stats aren’t all that bad this year- 61% completion, 9 TD’s, 3 INT’s. Still, when you watch South Carolina play on offense, it feels like time is standing still; and not the good times.

The South Carolina defense is decent, particularly stingy against the pass so the game at Alabama should be a low scoring affair. Like Georgia Tech, I’ll be rooting hard for South Carolina to pull the upset, and they might have been able to if this game were in SC, it’s not and unfortunately ‘Bama wins. Tide is favored by 18.

The answer:
Another classic matchup of two SEC teams that have average to below average offenses, Alabama obviously with the better of the two. Alabama won 20-6 despite four turnovers and a 10-for-20 performance for 92 yards from QB Greg McElroy. Fortunately for ‘Bama South Carolina was generous in their run defense allowing the Tide to roll up 264 yards, all but 18 of those coming from stud running back Mark Ingram. There are several running backs in college football fun to watch- Mark Ingram takes the place of my favorite back from last year- Glen Coffee.

Alabama gets LSU in two weeks then Florida in the national semifinal. South Carolina is now two games back of Florida in the SEC East standings with the Gators still on the schedule so another midling bowl game looks to be on tap for the perennially disappointing gamecocks.

6. Will Arkansas spoil Homecoming?
What I wrote:

The 3-2 Razorbacks head to the Swamp to battle #1 Florida. Arkansas has the 10th ranked pass offense while Florida has the #1 pass defense- that matchup alone is worth the watch. Beyond that though I’m not sure it’s going to be much of a game. Arkansas’ D is not good and their offense is sure to be stifled by a fantastic Florida defense. Florida wins; they’re favored by 24.5.

The answer:
Call it a post big-game letdown; call it looking ahead to Alabama in seven weeks. Rationalize it any way you want to but Florida should have been beat Saturday. Arkansas missed two field goals (net one with Florida missing one), the Florida secondary got beat deep on several occasions, there were multiple missed tackles, the offensive line gave up way too many sacks (now ranked 73rd nationally), and the offense isn’t anywhere near as explosive as it was last year.

On top of all of that, two bogus penalties- one pass interference, the other a personal foul, contributed ~30 yards toward Florida’s tying touchdown. Arkansas missed two touchdown catches in the end zone, got beat on a couple long runs, and yet with all that, Florida still won, which is exactly what it takes to get to the National Championship. Just win. And they did.

On a special side note- if you thought you saw former Michigan State boss John L. Smith trolling the Arkansas sideline, you’d be right. John L. took over this year as the Razorbacks Special Teams Coach/Outside Linebacker Coach.

7. Will Wisconsin knock off the only Big Ten unbeaten?
What I wrote:

Iowa has a tricky trip to Camp Randall Saturday to take on the Badgers. Wisconsin has potential but can’t make the kind of mistakes they did last week against Ohio State, and they’ll need to protect their QB much better after giving up 6 sacks to the Buckeyes. I don’t believe in comparing games against common opponents, but it will be interesting to see how Iowa’s defensive line performs against Wiscy after OSU’s dominating performance last week.

To me this game simply comes down to John Clay- he must dominate in order for Wisconsin to win. He has the size and ability to take over a game, and if he does he takes the pressure off his still inexperienced QB and an average defense. Believe it or not, the Badgers are favored (by 2.5) and I like them to win.

The answer:
Iowa 20, Wisconsin 10. Wiscy QB Scott Tolzien threw three interceptions (see not making mistakes above). Iowa got decent production from their running game and Ricky Stanzi threw some darts, particularly to my new favorite Big Ten Tight End Tony Moeaki, and the defense did the rest. Better luck next time Badgers.

Next up for Iowa is a very interesting night game in East Lansing against the 4-3 Spartans. Green out baby!!

8. The ultimate trick play- punting on 3rd down?
What I wrote:

On Columbus radio this week, Kirk Herbstreit suggested that the Buckeyes might be better off running it up the middle three plays in a row and then just punting, in hopes that the defense can score. I’d take it a step further. Teach Terrelle the rugby kick and punt a few on third down. That’ll really catch Purdue off guard and swing field position for sure.

Perhaps they can run a couple variations off of it- like the fake punt-pass and fake punt-option. Hell- that defense is nasty enough- I say we punt on 1st down. We just stopped you three and out. Here’s the ball again bitches- it’s on. At least we know the defense can score.

Reports from West Lafayette indicate the field is going to be very sloppy tomorrow so expect plenty of running, which clearly favors the Buckeyes. Purdue has been bad against the run and horrible in the turnover department, two things that will give Tress an extra spring in his step Saturday morning. I like Buckeyes to win by 17; they’re favored by 13.5.

The answer:
Couldn’t have been wronger on this one. Five turnovers. 66 yards rushing. USC-ing it to a 1-5 team. Making Joey Elliott look like the second coming of Drew Brees. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long cold winter in Columbus.

9. Can Texas Tech get their pirate-swaggerrrrr back with a win on the road against Nebraska?
What I wrote:

Nebraska is favored by 10.5 at home but Texas Tech needs a win bad. I like the Red Raiders to pull off the upset.

The answer:
Damn I’m good. Texas Tech 31, Nebraska 10. Despite “only” getting 234 yards passing, Texas Tech moves on toe 5-2 with a much needed win.

10. SEC spotlight game of the week: 3-3 Georgia @ 2-4 Vanderbilt- how awesome is the SEC?
What I wrote:

The answer of course is “more awesome than you can comprehend”. Georgia fans have to be getting tired of starting the season with dreams of a national championship and finishing the season with the reality of the Citrus Bowl (or Chick-fil-a). Ooh- sorry, I did forget the 1-1 record in Sugar Bowls too- my bad. Georgia is favored by 8. The SEC wins either way because as we all know, they’re the best conference in the country, hands down. Unless you’re actually watching the games.

The answer:
I answered this one in the question. Georgia won stopping a two-game losing streak and now stands at 4-3. Oh snap- bye week then Florida. Make that 4-4.

You’re welcome.

All of the shit Todd Boeckman took last year, getting yanked during his Senior year in place of a true freshman, getting booed at home, all the while handling it with class, and all of that leading up to this.

Purdue - 26
Ohio State - 18

By far Coach Tressel’s worst loss among the “normal profile” games, as Dr. Saturday so deftly pointed out. Getting dominated by a 2-5 conference pony is inexcusable for top ten teams, and especially incalcable (the Office) in Tressel’s complex theorems on winning the Big Ten.

As painful as it will be, I need to re-watch the game to further digest the steamer in West Lafayette, but this much I know for sure:

1.) The offensive line is abysmal. Whether it’s coaching, lack of experience, lack of depth, bad recruiting, or bad luck- giving up five sacks to a team that came in only getting two per game is absolutely unacceptable, particular with the caliber of athletes being recruited to The Ohio State University. There is a systemic problem here and if Coach Tressel isn’t willing to address it, Athletic Director Gene Smith should.

2.) Terrelle’s progression is going backward; that’s called regression to you and me. I trust the coaches that Terrelle is showing improvement in practice, but in games he’s not seeing the field. He’s gone from 10% of his throws being jump balls to more than half per game, and with eight interceptions on the season already, and only one game where he didn’t throw an interception, the leash should be short.

Tress was asked in the post-game press conference if he considered benching TP and bringing in backup Joe Bauserman. Tressel’s answer to the question was no, but surely it was at least discussed on the headsets, if not the coaching staff is even more to blame. Unless Bauserman is going all Brandon Marshall in practice, he deserves a shot.

Worse still is the lack of leadership Terrelle is exhibiting on the field- the temper tantrums, the inexplicable finger pointing at players, the facial expressions. He has a lot to learn both physically and emotionally, and to help expedite that process, he needs to sit. This team is on its’ way to two or three more losses so there’s little to lose by giving Bauserman a shot and giving your franchise QB some perspective. We’re perilously close to entering the Juice Williams death spiral and evasive action needs to be taken immediately to avoid that.

3.) The offensive schemes aren’t working. How can it when defenses, even average ones know all you can do is run the ball, and you can’t even do that very well? There’s something wrong when called runs using one of the most athletically-gifted quarterbacks in the country don’t work- ever. There’s no threat of the pass, and because of that, nothing is working. There’s no rhythm, there’s no continuity, there’s no sense of urgency, there’s very little execution. Watching this offense is as if they’re not practicing at all during the week. It’s like the Brett Favre Wrangler jeans commercial- a pickup game with a bunch of 40-year olds, except this Saturday, Brett Favre didn’t show up and it was just his friends playing.

4.) The offense is starting to negatively affect the defense. In past years, the Buckeyes D dutifully did their job despite the bad field position or situation the offense happened to put them in. Saturday I saw defensive players not playing with 100% effort and obviously not executing (except Kurt Coleman- that dude is a stud).

There are only two paths that lead from here- one builds to a successful season in 2010, the other leads to a loss at Michigan and unspeakable off-season pain. Let’s hope the former is chosen and not the latter.

Put down that rake (or snow shovel)- big games all day today. Here’s what I’ll be watching…

Noon
Red River Shootout- Oklahoma vs. Texas, ABC (watching/recording/flipping)
Ohio State @ Purdue, Big Ten Network (watching/recording/flipping/praying for the forward pass and other offensive peculiarities)
Iowa @ Wisconsin, ESPN/360 (recording/flipping/scoreboard watching)
Northwestern @ Michigan State, ESPN2/360 (scoreboard watching)

12:21pm
Georgia @ Vanderbilt, ESPN/360 (scoreboard watching)

3:30pm
Arkansas @ Florida, CBS (watching/recording/flipping/wearing one of those ridiculous red razorback foam hats)
USC @ Notre Dame, NBC (watching/recording/flipping/cursing NBC’s college football coverage)
Minnesota @ Penn State, ABC (recording/scoreboard watching)
Texas Tech @ Nebraska, ESPN/360 (scoreboard watching)

6:00pm
Virginia Tech @ Georgia Tech, ESPN2/360 (recording/watching/flipping)

7:45pm
South Carolina @ Alabama, ESPN/360 (watching/recording/flipping)

9:15pm
Missouri @ Oklahoma State, ESPN2/360 (scoreboard watching/flipping)

Go Buckeyes.

I was in Florida for business this week and ended up in Gainesville for lunch. The Garden Café in Gainesville to be more specific. If you ever happen upon the Garden Café, you’ll find this signed photo hanging (among others):

The photo quality stinks (Blackberry phone) but the picture should bring back nightmares for Buckeye fans nonetheless. The photo is of a helmetless Florida Linebacker Earl Everett blowing up Troy Smith (one of many such situations if you recall). The photo is autographed by Everett and also written in on the back of Troy’s jersey is “Heisman”. That about sums up that game- still painful after all these years too.

For the record the french dip sandwich was cold and the sweet potato fries were average, neither of which I finished because I was staring at that picture the entire meal.

Here’s a clearer picture of that event in case you’re not haunted yet.

The first BCS standings come out Monday so expect everybody to be on their best behavior this weekend. Several key matchups loom, with a Cincinnati-South Florida game already in the books. I also made it to Tampa this week to catch that game live.

As an eye witness I can tell you Cincy is not a pretender and they’re not a contender, they’re somewhere in between. Losing QB Tony Pike for at least a week should make things interesting against Pittsburgh but their backup QB Zach Collaros looks like Tim Tebow in waiting (gasp). I don’t see them losing any more games this season but only time will tell.

On to Ten Questions…

1 & 2. The Red River Shootout- Can Texas run it? Can OU protect Sam Bradford? Talk about the difference a year can make. At the beginning of this season, there were several scenarios I thought might present themselves for OU-Texas this year, a 20th ranked two-loss Oklahoma team wasn’t in any of those. OU gets Wide Receiver Ryan Broyles back from injury which should help, but the losses on offense for OU may be too much to overcome.

On the Texas side, the Longhorns lost three of their defensive linemen to the NFL but they still have Sergio Kindle, Roddrick Muckelroy, and Sam Acho- good enough for 20th nationally in sacks. They’ll need to get to Sam Bradford in order to affect timing.

Also of note for Texas is the amount of carries, or lack of Colt McCoy is taking. His carries are way down this year, as are his yards per (1.7 vs. 4.1) and touchdowns on the ground (1 TD this year, 11 last year). Texas has running back by committee this year, which is to say they don’t have anyone that can really dominate. In fact, over the last two games, they don’t have anyone that’s gotten more than ten carries. That’s a problem. That screams for Colt running the ball to make a difference in the outcome of the game- he’s clearly capable and he hasn’t taken nearly the hits he took last year so should be fresher.

The final piece to the puzzle is obviously Texas WR Jordan Shipley- a playmaker whenever he’s on the field. Dan Buckner is the other key target for Texas at receiver but Shipley is the guy that makes the offense go. It will be fun to watch Shipley vs. either of the veteran Cornerbacks for OU- Dominique Franks or Brian Jackson.

I think the game will be unusually low scoring (at least by Big XII standards), and because of that it could go either way. I like Texas to win and avenge the wrong done unto them by the Big XII rules last year. Texas is favored by 3.

3. Can Clausen put USC in a pickle? (see what I did there- Clausen. Pickle. I’ll give you a minute to catch your breath).

The only real drama in this game for me is if USC Freshman QB Matt Barkley can play without mistakes in another hostile environment and what will happen to Charlie Weis and the Notre Dame team if and when they lose.

The stakes can’t be bigger for Notre Dame what with Weis’ job and a potential BCS matchup on the line. For USC, the season already has a transitional feel to it so there’s less to risk.

With Notre Dame not getting consistent enough rushing and getting absolutely torched in their secondary, it’s going to take a flawless performance at home for the Irish to win, and as tight as they’re likely to be, I don’t see it happening. I like USC by a couple touchdowns. The Trojans are favored by 10.

4. Which Georgia Tech team is going to show up against the Hokies? Georgia Tech is able to put up points; in bunches even. The trouble for them is stopping the other team.

In their key wins over Clemson and Florida State, they simply outscored and outlasted their opponents. Against the Miami Hurricanes they couldn’t score or move the ball when they needed to. They’ll be faced with a similar dilemma when Virginia Tech comes into town Saturday.

Hokie QB Tyrod Taylor is capable of laying some steaming piles on the field, witness his 9-for-20 game against Alabama or throw up the film from half a dozen games last year. Unfortunately for Georgia Tech, their defense is probably not even equivalent to ‘Bama’s scout team.

I really want Georgia Tech to win because that removes another team from Ohio State’s path (to where, I’m not sure), but I think the Hokies are going to be too much offensively. Virginia Tech is favored by 3.

5. Might South Carolina QB Stephen Garcia earn his scholarship this week? Actually, Garcia’s stats aren’t all that bad this year- 61% completion, 9 TD’s, 3 INT’s. Still, when you watch South Carolina play on offense, it feels like time is standing still; and not the good times.

The South Carolina defense is decent, particularly stingy against the pass so the game at Alabama should be a low scoring affair. Like Georgia Tech, I’ll be rooting hard for South Carolina to pull the upset, and they might have been able to if this game were in SC, it’s not and unfortunately ‘Bama wins. Tide is favored by 18.

6. Will Arkansas spoil Homecoming? The 3-2 Razorbacks head to the Swamp to battle #1 Florida. Arkansas has the 10th ranked pass offense while Florida has the #1 pass defense- that matchup alone is worth the watch. Beyond that though I’m not sure it’s going to be much of a game. Arkansas’ D is not good and their offense is sure to be stifled by a fantastic Florida defense. Florida wins; they’re favored by 24.5.

7. Will Wisconsin knock off the only Big Ten unbeaten? Iowa has a tricky trip to Camp Randall Saturday to take on the Badgers. Wisconsin has potential but can’t make the kind of mistakes they did last week against Ohio State, and they’ll need to protect their QB much better after giving up 6 sacks to the Buckeyes. I don’t believe in comparing games against common opponents, but it will be interesting to see how Iowa’s defensive line performs against Wiscy after OSU’s dominating performance last week.

To me this game simply comes down to John Clay- he must dominate in order for Wisconsin to win. He has the size and ability to take over a game, and if he does he takes the pressure off his still inexperienced QB and an average defense. Believe it or not, the Badgers are favored (by 2.5) and I like them to win.

8. The ultimate trick play- punting on 3rd down? On Columbus radio this week, Kirk Herbstreit suggested that the Buckeyes might be better off running it up the middle three plays in a row and then just punting, in hopes that the defense can score. I’d take it a step further. Teach Terrelle the rugby kick and punt a few on third down. That’ll really catch Purdue off guard and swing field position for sure.

Perhaps they can run a couple variations off of it- like the fake punt-pass and fake punt-option. Hell- that defense is nasty enough- I say we punt on 1st down. We just stopped you three and out. Here’s the ball again bitches- it’s on. At least we know the defense can score.

Reports from West Lafayette indicate the field is going to be very sloppy tomorrow so expect plenty of running, which clearly favors the Buckeyes. Purdue has been bad against the run and horrible in the turnover department, two things that will give Tress an extra spring in his step Saturday morning. I like Buckeyes to win by 17; they’re favored by 13.5.

9. Can Texas Tech get their pirate-swaggerrrrr back with a win on the road against Nebraska? Nebraska is favored by 10.5 at home but Texas Tech needs a win bad. I like the Red Raiders to pull off the upset.

10. SEC spotlight game of the week: 3-3 Georgia @ 2-4 Vanderbilt- how awesome is the SEC? The answer of course is “more awesome than you can comprehend”. Georgia fans have to be getting tired of starting the season with dreams of a national championship and finishing the season with the reality of the Citrus Bowl (or Chick-fil-a). Ooh- sorry, I did forget the 1-1 record in Sugar Bowls too- my bad. Georgia is favored by 8. The SEC wins either way because as we all know, they’re the best conference in the country, hands down. Unless you’re actually watching the games.

Doing my best to keep you current…

Surveying the Big Ten from SEC country
Here’s a humorous review of the Big Ten from EDSBS.com, with an albeit sexual tone.

Somebody has a future in the WWE
I’m not sure how many fantasy points bloodying your own head is worth, but somehow I think Owen Schmitt isn’t interested in his roto performance.

And the bodies hit the floor
Speaking of fantasy points, click the link to see fantasy superstar WR Andre Johnson blow up 3/4 of the Cardinal secondary on the way to the end zone. Damn he’s good.

I am very much looking forward to kicking your ass good sir
I love India for their helpdesk expertise, Bollywood, and how their pilots and flight crew get into fist fights at 30,000 feet.

Pack of raccoons mauls 74-year old woman
Dateline: Lakeland, Florida. According to Polk County Sheriff, a woman was attempting to chase a pack of raccoons from her yard when the pack turned on her and “filleted” her, giving her extensive cuts from her neck to her legs. Since the attack, animal control has attempted to catch the raccoons with cat food and sardines. I have no formal animal control training but it would seem to me that the pack of raccoons in question can be lured by 74-year old women.

You’re welcome.

Only one change this week to the rankings, but no team is a unanimous #1 in my opinion. Several opportunities for shakeups this weekend. If the season were to end today this would be the first round playoff matchups:

#8 Iowa @ #1 Florida
#7 Ohio State @ #2 Alabama
#6 USC @ #3 Texas
#5 Miami @ #4 Virginia Tech

You’re welcome.

The season is halfway over for the Buckeyes so time for a bit of reflection. And not the type of reflection that Hollywood types do on the terrace of their French chateau, but raw naked introspection, the kind that usually ends in tears and chocolate.

In addition to comparing this year’s vintage of the Buckeyes vs. ‘08, I thought it would be interesting to also compare vs. the ‘02 Bucks, the Tressel gold standard ‘06 notwithstanding. Keep in mind this is half year ‘09 vs. full year ‘08 and ‘02 so not exactly apples to apples, but let’s be honest- statistically a bunch of surprises aren’t likely for a Jim Tressel team.

Let’s start with the happy thoughts…

Scoring Defense
The 2009 defense is improved vs. last year in this category (7th vs. 45th) and compares very favorably to the ‘02 D (finished the season ranked 2nd). Based on who’s left on the schedule, scoring defense should remain top ten for the remainder of the year.

Total Defense
The 2009 defense leads this category currently ranked 11th nationally vs. 14th (2008) and 23rd (2002). The ‘02 team was of the bend-but-don’t-break variety and this year’s Buckeye team is clearly doing a better job of shutting people down, at least through this point in the year.

Rush Defense
2009 also looks good, showing improvement over 2008 (12th vs. 18th). The ‘02 team was 3rd against the run nationally so still some room for improvement from this unit.

Pass Defense
Pretty much on par so far with 2008, despite the loss of four of the back seven to the NFL. 2009 ranks 30th nationally vs. 25th last year and 95th in 2002 (again- bend but don’t break in ‘02).

Sacks
The 2009 Buckeyes are strongest up front, and one clear indication of this is sacks. Less than halfway through the season, this defense has 2/3rds the number of sacks the unit had all of last year (18 vs. 27). I couldn’t find stats for this for the ‘02 squad but I suspect it would have been in the range of 32.

Scoring Offense
The ‘02 offense had a better offensive line, more experienced (and more talented wide receivers) and clearly a stronger running game, yet scoring offense between the years is nearly identical. 2002 (41st), 2008 (45th) and 2009 (46th)- consistently painful is the picture that’s painted in my head.

Total Offense
There’s no way to sugar coat this category, painful no matter which season you look at. The ‘02 performed the best here, at least to the extent that 70th in the nation can be called “best”. 2008 finished 76th and the current Buckeyes sit at 86th. Yikes.

Passing Offense
Shield your children’s eyes for this one. 2008 - 105th; 2009 - 108th; 2002 - not much better at 92nd. There’s a pattern there and at the moment, for my own mental well-being, I choose to ignore it.

Rushing Offense
2009 is lagging its’ peers midway through the year. The 2002 squad finished the season ranked 31st; the ‘08 squad finished 24th, and this year sits at 42nd. Clearly some work left to do here.

Pass Efficiency
Efficient was certainly what the ‘02 offense was (not proficient, efficient), and the numbers bear that out. Craig Krenzel and the ‘02 team ranked 10th nationally in pass efficiency. Last year Pryor led the Big Ten and finished 30th nationally. This year, the offense has taken several steps backward now ranking 63rd nationally. Lots of room for improvement here.

Turnovers
Championship teams win the turnover battle and that was clearly evident in 2002 when the team ranked 18th nationally in turnover margin. The ‘08 Buckeyes were even better at 6th and this year’s team doing very well at 22nd nationally.

The bottom line for the 2009 Buckeyes is despite their problems on offense this year, if the team can find a way out of some of that mess, the end result could be a National Championship at least if the 2002 team is any guide.

You’re welcome.