Guest Panel-Week 2

Please note that I will not be tabulating the standings for the Guest Panel. I will accept picks as comments to this post and I will publish the comments on Thursday night. I will not send out an email to Guest Panel members. Good luck!

Games for this week:

1. Hawaii vs. Ohio State

2. Oklahoma vs. Tennessee

3. Oregon vs. Michigan State

4. LSU vs. Mississippi

5, Iowa vs. Iowa St.

And the oddball game this week:

6. Austin Peay vs. Southern Mississippi

Guest Panel-Week 1

Please note that I will not be tabulating the standings for the Guest Panel. I will accept picks as comments to this post and I will publish the comments on Thursday night. I will not send out an email to Guest Panel members. Good luck!

Games for this week:

1. Ohio State vs. Virginia Tech (Monday)

2. Wisconsin vs. Alabama

3. Michigan vs. Utah

4. Texas vs. Notre Dame

5, Bowling Green vs. Tennessee

And the oddball game this week:

6. Florida A&M vs. South Florida

Scouting the Hokies

Virginia Tech jumped into the rankings last season after its second week victory over top-ten Ohio State. The Hokies were unable to maintain the momentum and finished with a 7-6 record last season.

Offense
Michael Brewer returns for his second year as the VTech QB, after transferring from Texas Tech. Last year he completed 59% of his passes for 2692 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. This season the Hokies will work to reduce the number of interceptions and sacks of Brewer. Back at receiver are Isaiah Ford, Cam Phillips, and TE Bucky Hodges. At running back will likely be J.C. Coleman and Trey Edmunds.

Defense

The defensive line will be a strength of this team, as the defensive ends Dadi Ncolas and Ken Ekanem return after combining for 18.5 sacks and 33 tackles for loss last year. The secondary is anchored by All-American corner Kendall Fuller, but there are some question marks with previously injured cornerback Brandon Facyson returning as a starter and safety Chuck Clark who is likely changing positions.

OSU 2015 Roster

QB

J.T. Barrett
J.T. Barrett took over during preseason camp last year and lead the Buckeyes until he was injured during the season finale against Michigan. In his twelve games last season he completed 64% of his passes for 2,834 yards and 34 touchdown passes. On the ground Barrett rushed for 938 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. He set school and Big Ten records in most of those categories. Barrett struggled against Virginia Tech, but he redeemed himself as the season progressed, but most notably in the Michigan State game passing for 300 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.

Cardale Jones

Cardale Jones played limited minutes leading up to the Michigan game, when he stepped in for the injured J.T. Barrett. In those three postseason games: (1) he completed 12/17 for 257 yards and three touchdowns against Wisconsin; (2) he completed 18/35 for 243 yards with one touchdown and one interception against Alabama; and (3) he completed 16/23 for 242 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Missing in those statistics are how his cannon like arm opened up the running game.

RB

Like Cardale Jones, Ezekiel Elliott built his legacy in the three post season games last season. He ran for 220 yards and two touchdowns against Wisconsin, 230 yards and two touchdowns against Alabama, and 246 yards and four touchdowns against Oregon. Those postseason numbers put him over 1800 yards for the season, second only to Eddie George. That total is more impressive considering his lingering wrist injury and how he split carries with Curtis Samuel and the halfbacks Dontre Wilson and Jalin Marshall early in the season. Throughout the season Elliott also shared running duties with the quarterbacks.

This season he will get most of the touches, but backing him up will be Curtis Samuel, Bri'onte Dunn, and Warren Ball. Unfortunately freshman Mike Weber tore his meniscus and will miss a number of games. Dontre Wilson and Jalin Marshall will miss the season opener as punishment for a team violation, but look for them to be a factor running the ball. Braxton Miller will also see some time at halfback running the ball.

Receivers

Ohio State will miss the deep threat of Devin Smith, especially if Cardale Jones is in at QB. Ohio State will be without the services of Dontre Wilson, Jalin Marshall, Corey Smith in the opener due to a team violation. Also missing will be Noah Brown who suffered a leg injury in preseason camp. Michael Thomas will be the main threat due to his size and speed. Braxton Miller will be available as a halfback. The remaining receivers are unproven, but highly hyped, Johnnie Dixon, Paris Campbell, Terry McLaurin, James Clark, Alex Stump, and K.J. Hill.

O-Line

Returning as starters are Jacoby Boren, Taylor Decker, Billy Price, and Pat Elflein. Chase Farris is expected to be a starter as well.

D-Line

Gone are Michael Bennett and Steve Miller from last year's solid unit. Two returning starters are Joey Bosa and Adolphus Washington. Bosa was a beast, selected as an All-American. He had 55 total tackles, 21 tackles for loss, and 13.5 sacks. Bosa will miss the Virginia Tech game due to a team violation. Washington had 48 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks. Some players competing for a starter position are Tommy Schutt, Michael Hill, Tyquan Lewis, and Darius Slade.

Linebackers

Back at linebacker are stars Joshua Perry and Darron Lee and Raekwon McMillan. Perry led the team with 124 tackles last year. Lee is a converted QB who as a redshirt freshman last year recorded 81 tackes, 16.5 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks. McMillan will be a full-time starter this year, but even when sharing minutes he had 54 tackles last year. There are a number of exciting players available in the reserves.

Defensive Backs

Returning at safety are Vonn Bell and Tyvis Powell. Returning at defensive back is Eli Apple, but gone is Doran Grant to graduation. Gaeron Conley is expected to start opposite of Eli Apple. This unit intercepted the ball 19 times, including seven in the postseason last year.

Kicker

There is a competition currently between Sean Nuernberger and Duke graduate transfer Jack Willoughby. Nuerenberger handled placekicks last year and Kyle Clinton handled kickoffs, but Clinton graduated. Nuernberger was only 13 of 20 in FGs. Willoughby averaged 65.4 yards/kickoff but he never attempted a PAT or FG at Duke. It is possible Willoughby will fill the same role as a kickoff specialist, much like Clinton last season.

Punter

Cameron Johnston returns as the punter.

What to Expect

Both teams played Michigan State this season. In the second week of the season Oregon defeated Michigan State in Eugene with a final score of 46-27. Michigan State actually led 24-18 at halftime but Oregon took control in the second half with two interceptions which led to touchdowns. Ohio State defeated Michigan State at East Lansing in November with a final score of 49-37, in a game which Ohio State controlled from start to finish.

Oregon has been fairly consistent with its running offense, including a season low of 144 rushing yards against Arizona (regular season) and a season high of 301 rushing yards against Arizona (Pac-12 Championship) and Florida State (Rose Bowl). The Ducks only failed to eclipse 172 rushing yards in one game. Oregon has been even more consistent with the passing game with a season low of 210 against UCLA and a season high of 380 against South Dakota. Oregon has only failed to exceed 238 passing yards once. Look for Oregon to have 170 rushing yards and 225 passing yards.

The Oregon defense has been strong against the run limiting all but two teams to under 200 rushing yards, including a low of 63 for Washington State. UCLA did break through for 328 rushing yards and Arizona did have 208 rushing yards in the regular season. The Ducks have been vulnerable to the pass with four teams passing for over 300 yards and eight teams passing for over 250 yards. Look for Ohio State to have 275 rushing yards and 275 passing yards. Ohio State will win 42-31.

Scouting the Ducks

Oregon has a record of 13-1 with victories over South Dakota, Michigan State, Wyoming, Washington State, UCLA, Washington, California, Stanford, Utah, Colorado, Oregon State, Arizona (Pac-12 Championship), and Florida State (Rose Bowl). Oregon lost to Arizona in the regular season but beat the Wildcats in the Pac-12 Conference Championship Game. Oregon averages 241 rushing yards/game, 311 passing yards, and 47 points. The Duck defense allows 156 rushing yards/game, 265 passing yards, and 22 yards.

Offense

Marcus Mariota won the Heisman this season while completing 68% of his passes for 4,121 yards, 40 touchdowns, and three interceptions. Mariota also has 731 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. Leading the Ducks in rushing yards is true freshman Royce Freeman with 1343 yards and 18 touchdowns. At receiver are Byron Marshall with 834 yards and 5 touchdowns and Dwayne Stanford with 578 yards and six touchdowns. Marshall was the starting running back last year, and he still take snaps in the backfield, and also returns kicks. Receiver Darron Carrington will miss the game due to a positive drug test. Receiver Devon Allen missed most of the Rose Bowl and will be out again with a knee injury. 

Defense

Senior safety Erick Dargan leads the team with 90 tackles and 7 interceptions in his first season as a starter. Linebacker Derrick Malone has 81 tackles. Linebacker Joe Walker has 8 tackles for loss. Corner back Ifo Ekpre-Olomu will miss another game due to a knee injury in December. 

Things to Watch

See You in 2020

These two teams are scheduled to play each other in 2020 in Eugene and 2021 in Columbus.

Eighth Title?

Ohio State looks to add to its list of seven national championships. Ohio State previously won the national championship in 1942 (Paul Brown), 1954 (Woody Hayes), 1957 (Woody Hayes), 1961 (Woody Hayes), 1968 (Woody Hayes), 1970 (Woody Hayes), and 2002 (Jim Tressel).

OSU Last Game

It was an exciting game which lived up to the pregame hype. Ohio State was limited to two field goals in the first quarter, while Alabama scored two touchdowns. In the second quarter Alabama increased its lead to 21-6, but Ohio State responded with two touchdowns in the final three minutes of the half. Michael Thomas had an amazing touchdown reception thrown by receiver Evan Spencer. It was the first of at least three exciting plays by Evan Spencer. Alabama led 21-20 at halftime. Devin Smith hauled in a 47-yard touchdown pass early in the second half. The teams traded punts but Ohio State scored off an interception by defensive lineman Steve Miller, who ran back the ball 41 yards for the touchdown. In its next possession Alabama scored to get within six points, with a score of 34-28. Ohio State's offense struggled to move the ball consistently, but with less than four minutes remaining Ezekiel Elliott broke through the line for a 85-yard touchdown run, with assistance from the offensive line and an incredible block by Evan Spencer. Alabama responded by driving the ball down the field and Amari Cooper pulled in his second touchdown reception. With less than two minutes remaining Alabama attempted an onside kick and Evan Spencer showed great discipline and skills when he pulled down the ball. Ohio State was unable to run out the clock and Alabama took possession with less than two minutes remaining. Alabama moved the ball, but Sims threw his third interception and Tyvis Powell returned the ball and ran out the clock. Ohio State won with a final score of 42-35. Cardale Jones passed for 243 yards and one touchdown. Ezekiel Elliott scorched Alabama for 230 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

The Coaches

Urban Meyer
In the 12th season of his coaching career Urban Meyer's record is 141-26. Meyer is 37-3 at Ohio State, after going 12-0 in his first season. He earned his graduate degree from Ohio State and worked with the team as a graduate assistant under Earle Bruce from 1986-1987. He was an assistant coach at Illinois State under former OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock. He later re-joined Earle Bruce at Colorado St. In 1996 he was hired as an assistant coach under Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, and he remained with Notre Dame through 2000. In 2001 he started his head coaching career at Bowling Green and in two years he had a record of 17-6. He was hired at Utah in 2003. In his first year Utah won its bowl game, and during the second year the team was undefeated and won the Fiesta Bowl. He was 22-2 in two years at Utah. He had a record of 65-15 during his six years at Florida, including two BCS National Championships.

Mark Helfrich

In his second year as a head coach, all at Oregon, he has a record of 24-3. He is a graduate of Southern Oregon where he played quarterback. He played professionally in Europe. He started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Oregon in 1997. He also was a coordinator at Boise State, Arizona State, and Colorado. Prior to his promotion to head coach in 2013 Helfrich served as the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at Oregon.

The Series

OSU is a perfect 8-0 against Oregon with series dating back to 1957. The last meeting was in 2010. Below are the scores from the eight games.

1957 Ohio State 10, Oregon 7 (Rose Bowl)
1961 Ohio State 22, Oregon 12
1962 Ohio State 26, Oregon 7
1967 Ohio State 30, at Oregon 0
1968 Ohio State 21, Oregon 6
1983 Ohio State 31, Oregon 6
1987 Ohio State 24, Oregon 14

2010 Ohio State 26, Oregon 17 (Rose Bowl)

What to Expect

Alabama relies on its passing game, and in all but two games this season it has had more receiving yards than rushing yards. It had a high of 288 rushing yards against West Virginia and a low of 66 against Arkansas. T.J. Yeldon has been dealing with ankle and hamstring injuries, so he may be limited in this game. In the passing game Alabama had a high of 430 against Florida Atlantic and a low of 161 against Arkansas. Cooper can be defended and in the Arkansas game he only had two receptions for 22 yards, and Alabama was fortunate to win the game. In the loss to Ole Miss he had 91 yards, but none of the receptions resulted in a touchdown. Ohio State can allow Cooper to catch the ball, but he can't reach the endzone. Look for Alabama to have 150 rushing yards and 200 passing yards.

Alabama has a strong rushing defense, but the passing defense has struggled at times. The rushing defense limited Texas A&M to 31 rushing yards, although A&M is not known for its rushing offense. Alabama never allowed a team to run for over 183 yards, and it only allowed over 150 yards in three games. This season it has only allowed three rushing touchdowns. The pass defense is a different story, with nine teams passing for over 200 yards, including 365 yards by West Virginia and 456 yards by Auburn. Look for Ohio State to have 200 rushing yards and 250 passing yards. Ohio State will win with a final score of 31-24.

Things to Watch

College Football Playoff

Oregon and Florida State will play on January 1 at 4:30 PM in the Rose Bowl, which is the first semifinal in the playoff. Ohio State and Alabama will play at 8:30 PM in the Sugar Bowl. The Championship game will occur on January 12 at Reliant Stadium (Jerry World) in Arlington, Texas.

Sugar Bowl

This is the 81st Sugar Bowl Classic, with Alabama making its 15th appearance, most recently the 2014 game against Oklahoma. This will be Ohio State's fifth appearance and the official record is 1-2 with the 2010 victory over Arkansas vacated. Ohio State lost to LSU in the BCS national championship which also occurred in the Superdome in 2007.

Scouting the Crimson Tide

Alabama finished the season with a record of 12-1 (7-1 SEC) with victories over West Virginia, Florida Atlantic, Southern Miss, Florida, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Tennessee, LSU, Mississippi St., Western Carolina, Auburn, and Missouri. The lone loss was on the road at Ole Miss. The Crimson Tide averages 209 rushing yards/game, 281 passing yards, and 37 points. Alabama has limited teams to 88 rushing yards/game, 223 passing yards, and 16 points.

Offense

Blake Sims has completed 64% of his passes for 3250 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. He has also rushed for 321 yards and six touchdowns. At running back is T.J. Yeldon who has 932 yards and ten touchdowns. Yeldon has been limited this season with hamstring and ankle injuries. Also splitting time at running back is Derick Henry with 895 yards and ten touchdowns. Both running backs have a limited role in the passing game. At receiver is Amari Cooper, winner of the Biletnikoff award as the nation's outstanding receiver. Cooper has carried the load for the team with 1656 reception yards and 14 touchdowns, which is almost half the yards and touchdowns the team has in receptions. Behind Cooper are DeAndrew White, Christion Jones, and O.J. Howard. Jones also returns kicks. White is the senior leader in the receiving team, but he was limited this season with a shoulder injury and a tight hamstring.

Defense

Landon Collins leads the team with three interceptions and 91 tackles. Xzavier Dickson has eight sacks for 37 yards. Geno Smith starts at free safety but his playing time may be limited to obvious passing situations. Also at safety is Nick Perry who had twelve tackles against Mississippi St. Jarran Reed is a junior college transfer and he has made an immediate impact on the defensive live. Reggie Ragland is a first year starter at linebacker and he was a semifinalist for the Butkus Award and was first team All-SEC.

OSU Last Game

Cardale Jones had a career day in his first start as quarterback at Ohio State. He was 12 of 17 for 257 yards and three touchdowns. Ohio State stunned Wisconsin with a shutout score of 59-0.Ezekiel Elliott contributed a carer high 220 rushing yards. Devin Smith also had a big day with four receptions for 137 yards and three touchdowns. The defense was stout against Heisman candidate and the nation's leading rusher Melvin Gordon, limiting him to 26 rushes for 76 yards. The victory propelled Ohio State into the College Football Playoff.

The Coaches

Urban Meyer
In the 12th season of his coaching career Urban Meyer's record is 140-26. Meyer is 36-3 at Ohio State, after going 12-0 in his first season. He earned his graduate degree from Ohio State and worked with the team as a graduate assistant under Earle Bruce from 1986-1987. He was an assistant coach at Illinois State under former OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock. He later re-joined Earle Bruce at Colorado St. In 1996 he was hired as an assistant coach under Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, and he remained with Notre Dame through 2000. In 2001 he started his head coaching career at Bowling Green and in two years he had a record of 17-6. He was hired at Utah in 2003. In his first year Utah won its bowl game, and during the second year the team was undefeated and won the Fiesta Bowl. He was 22-2 in two years at Utah. He had a record of 65-15 during his six years at Florida, including two BCS National Championships.

Nick Saban

In his 8th season at Alabama Nick Saban has a record of 86-16 and his career record is 177-58 in 19 seasons. He graduated from Kent State where he played defensive back. He started his coaching career in 1972 as a graduate assistance at Kent State. He was an assistant coach on defense at Kent State, Syracuse, West Virginia, Ohio State, Navy, Michigan State, Houston Oilers (NFL), Toledo, and the Cleveland Browns (NFL). Saban started his head coaching career at Michigan State in 1995, then he he coached at LSU from 2000-2004 which includes the 2003 national championship. He briefly coached in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins and he returned to the college level at Alabama in 2006, where he has three national championships.

The Series

Alabama leads this series 3-0 with victories in the 1978 Sugar Bowl, 1986 Kickoff Classic, and the 1995 Citrus Bowl.

Guest Panel-Regular Season Final Standings

Congrats to W.T. for his victory in the Buckeye Pregame Guest Panel Regular Season Competition! He will receive an OSU shirt and a certificate. There wasn't much movement in the final standings. W.T. has held first place since week 13. Funtik moved into to a tie with Philly Cheese at second place.

Thanks to the entire guest panel for another great season of picks and funny and insightful commentary.

The bowl games are around the corner, and the games will soon be posted. Everyone will have a clean slate for the bowl game competition, which will have its own champion.

Final Standings:

1. W.T. (60-30) (4-2 last week)
2. Philly Cheese (59-31) (4-2 last week)
2. Funtik the Hog (59-31) (5-1 last week)
4. Corso (58-32) (4-2 last week)
5. SPAM (57-33) (5-1 last week)

6. Old Bag of Man (56-34) (5-1 last week)
7. Hudy (54-36) (3-3 last week)

7. Big Dog (54-36) (4-2 last week)
9. Cliff Diving Raoul (52-38) (2-4 last week)
9. Mel Kiper's Hair (52-38) (4-2 last week)

11. Academic Fraud (51-39) (4-2 last week)
12. Ice Bucket (48-42) (2-4 last week)

What to Expect

Wisconsin is close to be undefeated, as it lead 24-7 against LSU early in the third quarter but it lost by four points, and Melvin Gordon ran for 259 rushing yards in the six point loss to Northwestern. Wisconsin will run the ball and Melvin Gordon has dominated virtually every defense. He had a season low of 38 yards against Western Illinois but otherwise he has exceeded 122 yards in every game with a high of 408 against Nebraska. Wisconsin will not rely on the passing game as it has only had over 200 passing yards in three games and the team only has 13 touchdown receptions. Look for Wisconsin to have 275 rushing yards and 130 passing yards.

Wisconsin has defended well against the run and pass. The Badgers kept six teams under 100 rushing yards and only one exceeded 200 yards. Wisconsin only allowed over 200 yards three times, but that does include 311 passing yards by Iowa. Look for Ohio State to have 250 rushing yards and 120 passing yards. This will be a close game, but Ohio State will come out victorious 31-28.

Scouting the Badgers

Wisconsin's record is 10-2 (7-1 B1G) with victories over Western Illinois, Bowling Green, South Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Rutgers, Purdue, Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota. The Badgers lost at LSU and at Northwestern. Wisconsin averages 334 rushing yards/game, 147 passing yards, and 37 points. The defense limits teams to 103 rushing yards/game, 156 passing yards, and 16 points.

Offense

Quarterback Joel Stave has started seven straight games and has won all seven. Stave has completed 58% of his passes for 1042 yards, 8 touchdowns, and four interceptions. Wisconsin uses two quarterbacks and Tanner McEvoy has run for 288 yards with four touchdowns. McEvoy started the first five games, which included two losses. Running back Melvin Gordon leads the nation with an average of 188 yards/game and he has a B1G single season record 2,260 yards, which is fourth-most in NCAA history. He has 29 touchdowns, second-most in B1G history. At receiver are Alex Erickson, Kenzel Doe, Reggie Love, and tight ends Same Arneson and Austin Traylor.

Defense

Michael Caputo leads the team with 93 tackles and four fumble recoveries. Derick Ladisch leads the team with 8 sacks. Peniel Jean leads the team with two interceptions.

Things to Watch

College Football Playoffs

With the injury to Barrett it is possible Ohio State may miss the playoffs, even with a victory on Saturday but I still think it could jump a Big 12 team. If Ohio State wins, I predict Florida St., Oregon, Alabama, and Ohio State. If Ohio State loses, look for the Big 12 to take one spot and Baylor could jump TCU. If Florida State stumbles then the Big 12 will take a second spot. Ohio State could use the assistance of a loss by Florida State or Oregon, and both look vulnerable this weekend. If Alabama loses, the SEC will be shutout of the first edition of the playoffs.

Attendance

Ohio State ended the season as the highest home attendance with an average of 106,296, which includes a stadium record of 108,610 last week against Michigan. The second highest school was Texas A&M with an average of 105,123 and Michigan was at third with an average of 104,909.

The Coaches

Urban Meyer
In the 12th season of his coaching career Urban Meyer's record is 139-26. Meyer is 35-3 at Ohio State, after going 12-0 in his first season. He earned his graduate degree from Ohio State and worked with the team as a graduate assistant under Earle Bruce from 1986-1987. He was an assistant coach at Illinois State under former OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock. He later re-joined Earle Bruce at Colorado St. In 1996 he was hired as an assistant coach under Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, and he remained with Notre Dame through 2000. In 2001 he started his head coaching career at Bowling Green and in two years he had a record of 17-6. He was hired at Utah in 2003. In his first year Utah won its bowl game, and during the second year the team was undefeated and won the Fiesta Bowl. He was 22-2 in two years at Utah. He had a record of 65-15 during his six years at Florida, including two BCS National Championships.

Gary Andersen
In his second year at Wisconsin Gary Andersen has a record of 19-6 and in his seventh year as a head coach his record is 49-37. Prior to his time at Wisconsin, Andersen was the head coach at Utah State and Southern Utah. He was an assistant coach under Urban Meyer at Utah in 2004. He also held assistant coaching positions at Southern Utah, Northern Arizona, Idaho State, and Ricks College. He was an offensive lineman at Ricks College and Utah.

The Series

OSU leads 56-18-5 in this series that dates back to 1913. Ohio State has won the last three meetings.

Last Time
Ohio State won the game last year with a final score of 31-24. In a much anticipated night game in Columbus Braxton Miller threw for four touchdowns in the first half of the game. Wisconsin strayed away from its running game and Joel Stave threw for 295 yards. Receiver Jared Abbrederis made Bradley Roby work hard as he racked up 207 receiving yards and one touchdown pass. In the Buckeyes first series, Miller connected with Evan Spencer for a 25-yard touchdown. Wisconsin responded with a 36-yard touchdown pass. Ohio State scored again with Miller throwing a 26-yard pass to Devin Smith. Drew Basil kicked a 45-yard field goal in the second quarter, and Wisconsin scored on the next drive but it left enough time on the clock for Ohio State to take possession. Braxton Miller was almost intercepted but the in the next play he found Philly Brown for a 40-yard touchdown with one second left in the half. Ohio State led 24-14 at halftime. Ohio State only scored once more a short pass to Philly Brown late in the third quarter. Wisconsin scored an additional ten points to get within one touchdown but there were not enough minutes left in the game.

OSU Last Week

Ohio State beat its rival Michigan with a final score of 42-28, but it lost its starting quarterback and Heisman candidate J.T. Barrett to a season ending injury. Early in the fourth quarter Barrett broke his ankle and he will miss the rest of the season. Before his injury he led four touchdown drives which included a touchdown pass to Nick Vannett, two touchdown runs by Barrett, and a touchdown run by Ezekiel Elliott. Cardale Jones took over early in the fourth quarter and Elliott scored with a 44-yard touchdown run. Michigan had four touchdowns, with one in each quarter. The Buckeye defense limited Michigan to 121 rushing yards and 251 passing yards and Ohio State forced two turnovers.

Guest Panel-Week 15 Games and Standings

Here are the games for the Guest Panel to consider this week. Below are the standings as well. There were no changes in the top three spots as the four panelists all had 5-1 records. Only W.T. and Ice Bucket correctly predicted the Ole Miss victory and Ice Bucket was the only panelist with a 6-0 record. The competition is close in the final week, who will separate themselves from the pack?

TIEBREAKER-Please list the total number of points scored for the Big Ten Championship Game. In the event of a tie for first place, I will look to the tiebreaker and the panelist closest to the total number of points, above or below, will break the tie and win. I will only use the tiebreaker for first place.

This is the last week for the regular season competition. The Guest Panel will return with a clean slate for the bowl games.

Standings:

1. W.T. (56-28) (5-1 last week)
2. Philly Cheese (55-29) (5-1 last week)
3. Funtik the Hog (54-30) (5-1 last week)
3. Corso (54-30) (5-1 last week)
5. SPAM (52-32) (5-1 last week)

6. Hudy (51-33) (3-3 last week)
6. Old Bag of Man (51-33) (4-2 last week)

8. Big Dog (50-34) (3-3 last week)
8. Cliff Diving Raoul (50-34) (5-1 last week)
10. Mel Kiper's Hair (48-36) (5-1 last week)

10. Academic Fraud (47-37) (4-2 last week)
12. Ice Bucket (46-38) (6-0 last week)


Games for this week:

1. Wisconsin vs. Ohio State

2. Arizona vs. Oregon (Friday)

3. Alabama vs. Missouri

4. Florida St. vs. Georgia Tech

5. Kansas St. vs. Baylor
And the oddball game this week is:

6. SMU vs. Connecticut

What to Expect

The Michigan offense never quite developed as originally hoped under new offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier who was hired away from Alabama. The team had its most productive offense in the first week against Appalachian State with 560 yards, including 350 rushing yards and 210 passing yards. Since that date the team has not eclipsed 500 yards and it only has topped 400 yards twice. The Wolverine offense really struggled against Minnesota with only 83 rushing yards and 88 passing yards. Look for Michigan to have 130 rushing yards and 175 passing yards.

The Michigan defense has defended the run well this season, but it has allowed over 140 yards five times. Minnesota had 206 rushing yards, while Northwestern had -9 rushing yards. The Wolverine's pass defense has been effective with a couple exceptions including the 402 yards allowed in the Rutgers game and the 273 yards allowed against Northwestern. Look for Ohio State to have 200 rushing yards and 300 passing yards. Ohio State will win with a final score of 40-17.

Things to Watch

Troy Smith #10

At halftime Buckeye great quarterback Troy Smith will be honored by having #10 placed permanently along the stadium along with other legends Les Horvath, Vic Janowicz, Hopalong Cassady, Archie Griffin, Eddie George, Chic Harley, and Bill Willis. In his career Smith completed 62% of his passes for 5720 yards, 54 touchdowns, and a passing efficiency of 157. Smith was the overwhelming selection for the Heisman Trophy in 2006 and he led the Buckeyes to an undefeated season and to the National Championship game, which it lost to Florida. Ohio State no longer retires numbers, but it will have a display with his name and uniform number inside the stadium.

College Football Playoffs

My predictions is the same for the third week in a row, I predict one team from the ACC (Florida St.), Pac-12, SEC, and B1G being selected for the playoffs. If Ohio State loses a game, look for the Big 12 to take one spot. If Florida State stumbles then the SEC or Pac-12 will take a second spot.

B1G Conference Standings

Ohio State has secured the B1G East and the B1G West will be decided this weekend with the match-up of Minnesota at Wisconsin. The winner of that game will play Ohio State on December 6.

Scouting the Wolverines

Michigan has a record of 5-6 with victories over Appalachian St., Miami (OH), Penn St., Indiana, and Northwestern. Michigan has losses to Notre Dame, Utah, Minnesota, Rutgers, Michigan St., and Maryland. Michigan averages 166 rushing yards/game, 162 passing yards, and 20 points. The Wolverine defense allows 107 rushing yards/game, 194 passing yards, and 20 points.

Offense

Senior quarterback Gardner has completed 60% of his passes this season for 1663 yards, eight touchdowns, and thirteen interceptions. He still runs the ball, but his numbers are down from last year. So far this season he has 237 running yards. At receiver are Devin Funchess, Jehu Chesson, Deniss Norfleet, and tight end Jake Butt. Funchess has 625 yards and four touchdowns, and he has at least one reception in 24 straight games. Norfleet also returns kicks and averages 23 yards/return. Running back Derrick Green was injured in the sixth game and he will miss the rest of the season. The running back position is now shared by De'Veon Smith, Justice Hayes, and Drake Johnson. Smith has rushed for 515 yards and six touchdowns this season.

Defense

The leading tackler for Michigan is linebacker Jake Ryan with 104 tackles. Ryan is a Butkus finalist and he attended St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland. Brennen Beyer has 5.5 sacks. Jourdan Lewis has two interceptions.

OSU Last Week

Ohio State scored first with a 65-yard run by Ezekiel Elliott on its first possession. Indiana was forced to punt on its next possession and Ohio State followed with a  touchdown drive capped off with a touchdown pass to Jeff Heuerman. Indiana finally scored with a drive that had four runs including a 53-yard run by the quarterback. In the next drive Ohio State committed its first turnover with a fumble by receiver Michael Thomas. Indiana moved the ball 18 yards, but it was forced to kick a field goal, which was good for 30-yards. Ohio State turned it over once more with a interception by J.T. Barrett. Indiana was unable to score, but on the next possession Barrett threw his second  interception of the game which led to another Indiana fieldgoal. The two teams traded punts to close out the half. Ohio State led 14-13 at halftime. The teams both punted early in the second half, but Indiana broke through with a 90-yard touchdown run by Tevin Coleman to take the lead.  Late in the third quarter Jalin Marshall returned a punt 54 yards for a touchdown. Jalin Marshall had all three of Ohio State's touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including a 6 yard touchdown catch, 15-yard catch, and a 54-yard catch. Indiana only scored one additional time off a 52-yard touchdown run by Coleman. Ohio State won with a score of 42-24 and Barret threw for over 300 yards, while Elliott had over 100 yards rushing.

The Series

This will be the 111th game in what is considered the greatest rivalry in all of sports. The two teams first met in 1897 and have played every year since 1918, a streak of 97 straight years. Since 1935 the game has been the last conference game of the season. Michigan leads the series 58-45-6. Ohio State had a streak broken in 2011 of six straight wins (2010 vacated). Ohio State has won 10 of the last 12 games. OSU leads the series 33-27-2 since Woody Hayes' first season at OSU in 1951. Before Woody Hayes, Ohio State was considered the "graveyard of coaches." Starting with Woody Hayes, Ohio State took its rightful place in college football and in the series with Michigan.

The Coaches
The recent Ohio State coaches have the following records against Michigan: Woody Hayes was 16-11-1; Earle Bruce was 5-4; John Cooper was 2-10-1; Jim Tressel was 8-1 (2010 vacated); Luke Fickell was 0-1; and Urban Meyer is 2-0. The recent Michigan coaches have the following records against Ohio State: Bo Schembechler was 11-9-1; Gary Moeller was 3-1-1; Lloyd Carr was 6-7; Rich Rodriguez was 0-3; and Brady Hoke is 1-2.

Last Year
Ohio State won an exciting game with a final score of 42-41. The game was closer than expected as Michigan was able to move the ball with ease and had 603 yards of offense, which includes 451 yards passing. Michigan struck first with a drive capped off by a running touchdown by QB Devin Gardner. The two teams continued to trade touchdowns in the first quarter with a 53-yard touchdown pass between Braxton Miller and Devin Smith, a four yard touchdown run by Michigan, and a 53-yard touchdown run by Braxton Miller. Michigan scored early in the second quarter with a touchdown pass between Gardner and Jeremy Gallon. Ohio State scored in the closing minutes of the first half. The score was tied 21-21 at halftime. The Buckeye defense kept Michigan out of the endzone and scored two additional touchdowns with a run by Miller and a touchdown catch by Jeff Heuerman. Going into the fourth quarter Ohio State led 35-21. That lead was erased halfway through the fourth quarter after two touchdown passes by Michigan. Ohio State scored with two minutes remaining in the game, but Michigan had sufficient time to score a touchdown, with a score of 42-41. Michigan made the decision to attempt a two-point conversion, which failed when Tyvis Powell intercepted the pass. Ohio State secured the win with the recovery of the onside kick. Carlos Hyde had 226 rushing yards and Miller had 153 rushing yards. It was the first time both teams scored at least 41 points in the history of the rivalry.

The Coaches

Urban Meyer
In the 12th season of his coaching career Urban Meyer's record is 138-26. Meyer is 34-3 at Ohio State, after going 12-0 in his first season. He earned his graduate degree from Ohio State and worked with the team as a graduate assistant under Earle Bruce from 1986-1987. He was an assistant coach at Illinois State under former OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock. He later re-joined Earle Bruce at Colorado St. In 1996 he was hired as an assistant coach under Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, and he remained with Notre Dame through 2000. In 2001 he started his head coaching career at Bowling Green and in two years he had a record of 17-6. He was hired at Utah in 2003. In his first year Utah won its bowl game, and during the second year the team was undefeated and won the Fiesta Bowl. He was 22-2 in two years at Utah. He had a record of 65-15 during his six years at Florida, including two BCS National Championships.

Brady Hoke
In his fourth year at Michigan he is 31-19 and has a career record of 78-69 in twelve years as a head coach. Hoke grew up in Kettering, Ohio and played at Ball State. He was an assistant at Grand Valley State, Western Michigan, Toledo, Oregon St., and Michigan (1995-2002). He took his first head coaching position at his alma mater Ball State and was there from 2003 until 2008. He then coached at San Diego State for two seasons, leading the Aztecs to a bowl game in 2010.