Happy Halloween!

Don't eat too much candy corn, Snickers bars, or M&M's, and be sure to save some room in your stomach for candy Buckeyes! Have a good Halloween!

Pics of New Turf

Here are some pictures, provided by the Columbus Dispatch, of the new turf as it was harvested from the Eastside Nursery near Groveport. Check this blog entry for details regarding the replacement.

OSU Bball Update

The Ohio State Basketball team comes into this season with high expectations, despite only returning one starter, Jamar Butler, they have been voted as the preseason favorite to win the Big Ten. Freshman Greg Oden has been voted preseason All Big Ten, even though he isn't expected to start until January due to wrist surgery. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo called Oden a "freak" and compared him to Magic Johnson when he played at Michigan State. "I’m not even sure Michael (Jordan) was in that (realm coming out of high school)," Izzo said. "Magic was. LeBron (James) would have been."
OSU is ranked #4 in the preseason USA Today Poll, with defending champ Florida ranked #1, North Carolina #2, Wisconsin #9 and Tennessee #24. OSU plays all of those teams this season.

Week 10 Guest Panel Games to Consider

The Guest Panel is currently considering the games listed below.

1. OSU vs. Illinois
2. West Virginia vs. Louisville
3. LSU vs. Tennessee
4. Boston College vs. Wake Forest
5. Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M
and the oddball game this week...
6. Rice vs. UTEP

Check back later this week for their picks and unique commentary!

Guest Panel Standings-Week 9

Guest Panel

There was some movement in the stadings. Dr. Funkenstein, with the only 6-0 record this week, took back first place.  SPAM Sandwichsan continues to improve his record, but he is still bringing up the rear. Old Bag of Man had a bad week, going 2-4. 

 

Current Standings after Week 9

1. FUNK (42-11), Last week (6-0 )

2. GREEK (41-12), Last week (4-2 )  
3. PHILLY (40-13), Last week (5-1 )
3. BATMAN (40-13), Last week (5-1 )

5. DEERE (39-14), Last week (4-2 ) 

6. CLEATUS (36-17), Last week (4-2 ) 
7. SHADY (35-18), Last week (4-2 )

8. OLD BAG (33-20), Last week (2-4 )
9. XBOX (32-20), Last week (3-3 )
9. GUAPO (32-20), Last week (4-2 )
11. SPAM (31-21), Last week (5-1 ) 

 

1. Minnesota vs. OSU

Minnesota ( ) OSU (CLEATUS, BATMAN, GUAPO, SHADY, GREEK, FUNK, DEERE, OLD BAG, XBOX, SPAM, PHILLY)

 

2. Kentucky vs. Mississippi State

Kentucky (CLEATUS, BATMAN, SHADY, GREEK, FUNK, SPAM, PHILLY) Mississippi State (GUAPO, DEERE, OLD BAG, XBOX )

 

3. North Texas vs. Troy

North Texas (CLEATUS)  Troy (BATMAN, GUAPO, SHADY, GREEK, FUNK, DEERE, OLD BAG, XBOX, SPAM, PHILLY )

 

4. Memphis vs. Marshall

Memphis (SHADY, OLD BAG, XBOX ) Marshall (CLEATUS, BATMAN, GUAPO, GREEK, FUNK, DEERE, SPAM, PHILLY ) 

 

5. East Carolina vs. Southern Miss

East Carolina (GUAPO, FUNK ) Southern Miss (CLEATUS, BATMAN, SHADY, GREEK, DEERE, OLD BAG, XBOX, SPAM, PHILLY )

 

6. Army vs. vs. Tulane

Army (GUAPO, GREEK, OLD BAG)  Tulane (CLEATUS, BATMAN, SHADY, FUNK, DEERE, XBOX, SPAM, PHILLY )

 

Injuries

OSU had some injuries pop-up in the Minnesota game. The scariest injury was when receiver Ray Small was hit hard before halftime. He was temporarily knocked out and his playing status is unknown at this point. Although receiver Anthony Gonzalez only suffered a mild concussion, there could be concern since he has had one before, but he is expected to play this weekend. Backup running back Maurice Wells, suffered a shoulder stinger, but should play against Illinois. Defensive lineman Quinn Pitcock missed the game due to a concusion, but he is expected to return this week.

Turf to Be Replaced...Again

I have put up a few posts regarding the grass inside Ohio Stadium. The Athletic department has determined that they will re-sod the field yet again this season, so that it is ready in time for "The Game." For those keeping track at home, this will be the third turf this season. Unlike the last batch from Bowling Green, this one is from closer to Columbus, East Side Nursery near Groveport. The cost is estimated to be $75,000-$100,000, similar to last time. The crew believes the last batch had trouble because it only had 1.5 weeks along with some frost and rain, which prevented it from being a successful replacement. This turf will have almost three weeks to be prepared for "The Game."

Dotting the I

I read over a month ago that golf legend, OSU alumnus, Jack Nicklaus, will be Dotting the "I" during Script Ohio at the game this weekend, but i just realized today that I had not put it up on a post. If you don't know who Jack Nicklaus is, well first remove yourself from under the rock that you call home and then look at this wiki entry. It is a rare honor to Dot the I, in fact he is only the fifth non-band member to do so. The others have been legendary coach Woody Hayes, comedian/actor Bob Hope, OSU President Novice Fawcett and OSU ticket director Bob Ries. Before you head to the restroom or concession stand at halftime, watch Script Ohio and applaud Jack, even if you don't watch golf. Obviously people talk about Tiger Woods these days, but "The Golden Bear" did more for the sport than Woods will ever do.

Stadium Turf Not Working

Anyone that watched the Indiana game last week, assuming you could get ESPNU (another topic for another day), noticed that the field looked horrible. There were pieces missing, players slipping, etc. It is hard to believe that this turf was installed this season. Check this earlier blog post regarding that installation. Clearly it is not working, but it is doubtful that anything can be done for the remaining home games. All signs point to artificial turf for next season. Oh and don't say Woody Hayes will be rolling in his grave, because he himself had artificial turf installed in the early 1970's. Luckily the artificial materials today are much better than then artificial turf-like carpet you saw in your neighbor's basement in the 1980's.

Minnesota vs. OSU Preview Part 3

Minnesota vs. OSU, October 28, 3:36 PM
ABC Regional with Mark Jones (play-by-play), David Norrie (analyst), Stacey Dales (sideline)

How OSU Did Last Week
OSU added another victory for the season, putting them at 8-0 and #1 in all the major polls, including the BCS. Ohio State has the nation's current longest winning streak, 15 in a row. OSU came away with an easy win at home 44-3 over Indiana. The Hoosiers scored first, with a field goal, but could not manage any more points against the OSU defense, which currently ranks 1st, tied with LSU, only allowing teams to score 8.25 points/game. Troy Smith started cold, missing four passes, but finished 15 of 23 for 220 yards and four touchdowns to four different receivers. OSU had a season high 540 yards of offense, split even at 270 yards in the air and on the ground. Pittman added another 100 yard game, with 105 yards on 16 carries. Both Wells' ran for 62 yards, with Beanie scoring on a 21-yard run. Ginn lead the receivers with 72 yards. Ginn also threw a 38-yard pass for a touchdown to tight end Rory Nicol, who had two touchdowns for the day.

What to Expect
Minnesota has a decent quarterback in Kupito, and the running game is good as is the case with most Glen Mason teams. The Gopher's should be concerned with the fact that they have had some big losses and they have not done well against ranked teams. They kept things close with Penn State, but could not hit the extra point in the overtime. You can't lose like that at home. Coach Glen Mason is feeling the heat, and this team needs three more wins to be eligible for a bowl game and with games against OSU, Indiana, Michigan State and Iowa remaining on the schedule, that may prove difficult. Mason is not in danger of getting fired this season, but a win like this could really turn things around for him and the Gophers, so expect them to come out with all their guns in the beginning, but they will run out of bullets before halftime. OSU needs to consistently run the ball. The Minnesota defense allows teams to run the ball well, California, Michigan and Wisconsin had over 200 yards, and I look for us to get at least 225 yards on the ground. As the old saying goes, an effective running game opens up the passing game, so we should easily see at least 200 yards in the air. Glen Mason will lose on Saturday to Jim Tressel and the Buckeyes, and as the team leaves Ohio Stadium, he will wish yet again that he had been chosen to coach at his alma mater.

Troy Smith in The Other Paper

Here is a good article from The Other Paper, here in Columbus, talking about Troy Smith's career at Ohio State. If anyone is looking for a last minute Halloween costume, grab the paper off the news stand, it has a Troy Smith cutout face on the front.

Guest Panel Week 9 Predictions

Week 9

Outside of the OSU game, the selection of games this week may seem strange. In honor of Halloween, which most people are celebrating this weekend, I have picked an odd assortment of games. Picking the winners of these games may be difficult for the Guest Panel and some might fear that their records are in danger. Beware!

1. Minnesota vs. OSU

Minnesota ( ) OSU (CLEATUS, BATMAN, GUAPO, SHADY, GREEK, FUNK, DEERE, OLD BAG, XBOX, SPAM, PHILLY)

CLEATUS- Minnesota Gopher another loss.
BATMAN- the only amusing part of picking ohio state games is deciding whether they will cover the spread, last week I was dead wrong. I think this week they cover the spread.

GUAPO- We need to use this opportunity to shore up the defense before the apocalypse

SHADY- I'm selling my Michigan ticket for $2500 and if any of you think that some rich alum won't pay that price, seriously, this is Ohio State-Michigan.

GREEK- just another speed bump on the road to the #1 vs. #2 showdown on November 18th. What is OSU favored by in this game, 500 points?!

FUNK- You can only wonder what the Buckeyes might look like nowadays if we had selected Mason instead of Tressel. My guess is more rushing yards, less hardware. Well, at least ol' Glenn has lovely Minneapolis in November to cheer him up after this beating.

OLD BAG- Minnesota, stick with your pseudo Canadian accents and leave the football to the Buckeyes.

SPAM- Takeru Kobayashi is in the house again this week! Since I still own SPAM Sandwichsan's soul, due to our little food eating contest, I will do another week of picks. Don't worry, I will eventually let that "pork product not even fit for a hotdog" do his own picks eventually....

2. Kentucky vs. Mississippi State

Kentucky (CLEATUS, BATMAN, SHADY, GREEK, FUNK, SPAM, PHILLY) Mississippi State (GUAPO, DEERE, OLD BAG, XBOX )

CLEATUS- Does anyone remember 4th grade when there was always that one kid who would showoff by spelling Mississippi? M-I-SS-I-SS-I-PP-I. Well, Kentucky is like the 4 th grade bully who kicked the "Mississippi kid" in the shins.

BATMAN- Mississippi State made a huge mistake hiring Sylvester Croom.

GUAPO- Eenie Meenie Minie Mo...

SHADY- Mississippi State sucks

GREEK- who knew that either of these schools still had football teams?! When analysts speak of the SEC being the toughest football conference in America, I don't think that they're referring to these two teams.

FUNK- Woof! Classic SEC doormat vs. new-fangled SEC doormat.

OLD BAG- Kentucky has a football team? Mississippi St will win this bottom SEC dweller game.

3. North Texas vs. Troy

North Texas (CLEATUS) Troy (BATMAN, GUAPO, SHADY, GREEK, FUNK, DEERE, OLD BAG, XBOX, SPAM, PHILLY )

CLEATUS- "Troy" with Brad Pitt….What a completely HORRIBLE movie. Don't ever see it. More people may be watching this game than the number of people who actually went to the theater to watch the movie, and that's only 37 people.

BATMAN- Nearly beat FSU earlier this year, should handle N. Texas

GUAPO- North Texas is a pretty good high school team.

SHADY- Didn't they win a couple of close games this year

GREEK- the sole reason I pick Troy is because they have a massive home field advantage at Movie Galley Veterans Stadium, along
the lines of Happy Valley, Death Valley, and many other college football valleys. Wait, wait, redact that entire previous statement. And on a side note, I'm all for corporate sponsorship of stadium names (as long as it means that ticket prices are lower), but, this is a bit ridiculous.

FUNK- North Texas really needs a noun in their team nickname. Two adjectives don't make a win.

OLD BAG- I saw North Texas roll over and die against Texas. I saw Troy almost beat Florida St. (for what thats worth). So I'm going with Troy.

4. Memphis vs. Marshall

Memphis (SHADY, OLD BAG, XBOX ) Marshall (CLEATUS, BATMAN, GUAPO, GREEK, FUNK, DEERE, SPAM, PHILLY )

CLEATUS- Hey Memphis, stick to blues and country music. Football ain't yo' thang.

BATMAN- A Zen Parable for enlightenment :A man traveling across a field encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself down over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling, the man looked down to where, far below, another tiger was waiting to eat him. Only the vine sustained him. Two mice, one white and one black, little by little started to gnaw away the vine. The man saw a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other. How sweet it tasted.
GUAPO- Marshall manhandles Memphis making many...marshmellows? Mmm, marshmellows.
SHADY- I'm just guessing now

GREEK- the days of Chad Pennington, Randy Moss, and Byron Leftwich are LONG gone (not unlike the days of Ben Roethlisberger at
Miami). They still do have the "Thundering Herd" nickname though, which is pretty damn cool.
FUNK- The Herd lost at Tennessee 33-7. The Tigers lost at home to Tennessee 41-7. Neither team has any players I know anymore, so I don't know any other way to compare them.

OLD BAG- Both of these teams were better last year, which makes this difficult to pick. I'll go with Memphis.

5. East Carolina vs. Southern Miss

East Carolina (GUAPO, FUNK ) Southern Miss (CLEATUS, BATMAN, SHADY, GREEK, DEERE, OLD BAG, XBOX, SPAM, PHILLY )

CLEATUS- The educational system in the Carolina's is pretty poor. Most of the players probably can't even read the play book. This will give Southern Miss a small advantage.

BATMAN- Classic memory: when I first moved to Ontario in one of my first days at OMS I remember talking to Joe. We were walking from band thru the gym and he was telling me about every radio station from the beginning of the dial on up. After he was done, I knew I was never going to remember any of that, but I remembered it was nice of him share that info with me because I was new to town.

GUAPO- That makes teams with North, South, and East names, but where is one with West? Joe is clearly biased against West teams.

GREEK- not exactly on par with the Notre Dame vs. Michigan State "Game of the Century" in 1966, but, pretty darn close.

FUNK- The Pirates tame the Golden Eagles and make them perch on their shoulders.

OLD BAG- Where is East Carolina? Whatever, Southern Mississippi will win.

6. Army vs. vs. Tulane

Army (GUAPO, GREEK, OLD BAG) Tulane (CLEATUS, BATMAN, SHADY, FUNK, DEERE, XBOX, SPAM, PHILLY )

CLEATUS- Tulane will win because Bush has deployed the Army football players to Iraq. He thinks we not only need to set up a democratic government in the middle east, but also need to teach them how to play football. Bush was quoted as saying, "Them Iraqi-ites would love football. We'll teach them that trick Statue of Library play! Huh, huh, It'll be neat."

BATMAN- I predict St. Loius will with this year's world series.
GUAPO- Since when is Navy spelled T-U-L-A-N-E?

GREEK- the game should be renamed "The game where the Greek loses his vice-like grip on first place," because that's likely what
will happen. Hopefully next week we'll be picking some games where the attendance in the stadium is higher than that of my high school football team.

FUNK- Both teams are coming off consecutive losses but have beaten one opponent from a BCS conference. Too close to call: I'll take the Green Wave at home in a snoozer.

OLD BAG- I support the troops over seas and on the field. Army.

Minnesota vs. OSU Preview Part 2

Minnesota vs. OSU, October 28, 3:36 PM

ABC Regional with Mark Jones (play-by-play), David Norrie (analyst), Stacey Dales (sideline)

Scouting the Golden Gophers
Minnesota is 3-5 this season, 0-4 in the Big Ten. They have victories at Kent State, versus Temple and North Dakota State. They have losses at California, at Purdue, against Michigan, against Penn State and at Wisconsin. Minnesota has shut out two opponents, but their other victory, 10-9 over Division I-AA North Dakota State looked ugly. The Golden Gophers had to block a field goal in the last seconds to escape with the victory over NDSU. They have not fared well against ranked teams, 42-17 against No. 22 California, 28-14 against No. 6 Michigan and 48-12 against No. 25 Wisconsin. They average 25.9 points/game while limiting teams to 22.75 points. They average 359.5 yards/game, 161 rushing and 198.5/passing.

Quarterback
The Golden Gophers are lead by fifth year senior Bryan Cupito. He has started 31 of the last 32 games, ranks second in school history with 44 touchdown passes and in the top five for passing yards, attempts and completions. So far this season he is 59% for 1,548 yards, eleven touchdowns and four interceptions. He is ranked fourth in the nation, second in the Big Ten behind Troy Smith, with 7.33 yards/play.

Running Backs
The Golden Gophers have started three different players at running back. Junior Amir Pinnix has started the last five games and will get the nod on Saturday. He has 747 yards and six touchdowns in the eight games this season. He has appeared in a total of 30 games, rushing for 1,351 yards and nine career touchdowns. Pinnix will also catch the ball, with 79 yards so far this season. Also running for the Gophers are freshman running back EJ Jones, sophomore running back Alex Daniels, junior full back Justin Valentine and senior receiver Logan Payne.

Receivers
Lining up at receiver are senior Logan Payne and junior Ernie Wheelwright. Payne leads the team with 468 yards and six touchdowns. Wheelwright has 175 yards. Coming in as third receiver is red-shirt freshman Eric Decker with 205 yards and two touchdowns. Minnesota will sorely miss their second leading receiver, 6-7, fifth-year senior Matt Spaeth at tight end. He is out with a shoulder injury. He will be replaced by sophomore Jack Simmons.

O-Line
At center is junior Tony Brinkhaus, guards are red-shirt freshman Nedward Tavale and senior Tyson Swaggert and at tackles are junior Steve Shidell and senior Joe Ainsilie. This unit does a decent job, only allowing 1.63 sacks/game.

Kickers
Sophomore Joel Monroe handles the kickoffs, averaging 62.3 yards with 15 touchbacks. Sophomore Jason Giannini handles the place kicking and field goals, he is 6 of 9 on field goals with a long of 49 yards. Punting for the Gophers is sophomore Justin Kucek, who averages 38.9 yards with 13 inside the 20 yard line.

Linebackers
At LB are Junior Mike Sherels, senior Mario Reese and sophomore Deon Hightower. Sherels and Reese had starting experience last year. Sherels leads the team with a total of 64 total tackles, including 40 solo.

Defensive Backs
At the corners are sophomore Dominic Jones and junior Jamal Harris. At strong safety is Duran Cooley and free safety is junior Dominique Barber. Harris has three interceptions this season, two were in one game. Fifth year senior Trumain Banks, who has started all 41 games that he has played, had a season ending injury in the Wisconsin game.

D-Line
At the ends are sophomores Willie VanDeSteeg and Steve Davis. At tackles are juniors Todd Meisel and Neel Allen. Davis leads in this unit with 9.5 career sacks. VanDeSteeg leads this season with 4 sacks.

Minnesota vs. OSU Preview Part 1

Minnesota vs. OSU, October 28, 3:36 PM

ABC Regional with Mark Jones (play-by-play), David Norrie (analyst), Stacey Dales (sideline)

 

Series

This will be the 46th game between these two schools, with OSU leading the series 38-7. Ohio State has won 19 of the 22 games in Columbus. Minnesota last beat Ohio State in 2000, in Columbus, 29-17. The two teams did not meet in 2003 or 2004, due to the Big Ten rotation schedule. Last year Ohio State won 45-31 in Minneapolis. Antonio Pittman lead the Buckeyes with 186 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Troy Smith threw three touchdowns. Ted Ginn Jr. had an incredible 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Minnesota was able to keep it tied at half-time, but OSU pulled away, scoring 28 points in the second half, while Minnesota only added 14.

 

Coaches

Jim Tressel 58-13 (81.6%) in his sixth year at Ohio State, 193-70-2 (73.2%) in his 21 years of coaching. He is 3-0 versus Glen Mason and the Gophers.

 

Coach Glen Mason is 61-55 (52.5%) in his tenth year at Minnesota, 120-119-1 (50.2%) in his 21 years of coaching at Minnesota, Kansas and Kent State. He is 1-6 against Ohio State, 0-3 against Tressel. Mason played under Woody Hayes at Ohio State and was an assistant coach to Hayes and Earl Bruce for eight years ('78-'85.) Many Minnesota fans are calling for him to be fired. He has been very defensive stating that Minnesota did very poorly before him and that he is still building the team. He hopes that putting a stadium on campus will help, ground for the stadium was broken this past September. Fans are concerned, because he signed a five-year contract last year. In his defense, his 32 wins in the last four seasons ('02-'05) are the best four year win total since 1902-1905. He has led teams to six bowl games in the past seven years, winning three of them over BCS teams. His win over OSU in 2000, was the first win for Minnesota over OSU since 1981 and the first win in Columbus since 1949. With his history with OSU and the big win in 2000, it appeared he would be John Cooper's replacement, but in 2001 OSU hired a lesser known candidate from a Division I-AA school in Northeast Ohio that has a Penguin as a mascot. It us unlikely that OSU regrets that decision.

Injury Updates

Defensive tackle David Patterson, who had missed the last two games due to knee surgery, is expected to play in the Minnesota game.

 

Receiver Ted Ginn has been wearing a boot off the field, due to a cracked bone in a toe in the right foot, but he was able to play against Indiana without problems and he should be fine for Minnesota.

 

Minnesota will not likely have their top tight end, Matt Spaeth, who actually ranks 9th all-time in career receptions overall (not just as a tight-end.) He will be out due to a shoulder injury. It is a big loss considering this fifth year senior has 439 yards so far this season.

Pittman to Return

Junior running back Antonio Pittman has stated he wants to return for his senior year and attempt to win the Heisman. The Dispatch had an article up today. If he leaves for the draft this spring he could be up against Irons-Auburn, Bush-Louisville, Wolfe-Northern Illinois, Darby-Alabama, Hart-Michigan, Lynch-California and Peterson-Oklahoma.

Week 9 Guest Panel Games to Consider

The Guest Panel is currently considering the games listed below.

Outside of the OSU game, the selection of games may seem strange. In honor of Halloween, which most people are celebrating this weekend, I have picked an odd assortment of games. Picking the winners of these games may be difficult for the Guest Panel and some might fear that their records are in danger.

1. Minnesota vs. OSU
2. Kentucky vs. Mississippi State
3. North Texas vs. Troy
4. Memphis vs. Marshall
5. East Carolina vs. Southern Miss
6. Army vs. Tulane

Check back later this week for their spooky picks and unique commentary!

Guest Panel Standings-Week 8

Guest Panel
Due to telepathy or a boring lineup of games, the guest panel practically all picked the same winners, with many going 5-0 this week. The only movement was Old Bag of Man jumping into a 7th place tie with Shady. XBOX had the worst record, 3-2.

Current Standings after Week 7

1. GREEK (37-10), Last week (5-0 )
2. FUNK (36-11), Last week (5-0 )
3. DEERE (35-12), Last week (5-0 )

3. PHILLY (35-12), Last week (5-0 )
3. BATMAN (35-12), Last week (5-0 )

6. CLEATUS (32-15), Last week (4-1 )
7. SHADY (31-16), Last week (4-1 )

7. OLD BAG (31-16), Last week (5-0 )
9. XBOX (29-17), Last week (3-2 )
10. GUAPO (28-18), Last week (4-1 )
11. SPAM (26-20), Last week (4-1 )

1. Indiana ( ) OSU (GUAPO, CLEATUS, GREEK, OLD BAG, SHADY, FUNK, BATMAN, DEERE, PHILLY, SPAM, XBOX )


2. Texas (GUAPO, CLEATUS, GREEK, OLD BAG, FUNK, BATMAN, DEERE, PHILLY, SPAM, XBOX ) Nebraska (SHADY )

3. Georgia Tech (GUAPO, SPAM ) Clemson (CLEATUS, GREEK, OLD BAG, SHADY, FUNK, BATMAN, DEERE, PHILLY, XBOX )

4. Wisconsin (GUAPO, GREEK, OLD BAG, SHADY, FUNK, BATMAN, DEERE, PHILLY, SPAM ) Purdue (CLEATUS, XBOX )

and the oddball game this week...
5. Miami (OH) (XBOX ) Akron (GUAPO, CLEATUS, GREEK, OLD BAG, SHADY, FUNK, BATMAN, DEERE, PHILLY, SPAM )

IU vs. OSU Preview Part 3

IU vs. OSU, October 21, 12:00 PM
ESPNU with Clay Matvick (play-by-play) and Brian Kinchen (expert analysis)

 

How OSU Did Last Week

One more road test, a possible pitfall, and OSU comes away with yet another convincing win, 38-7 over Michigan State. OSU has extended the nation's current longest winning streak to 14 games. OSU averages 33.6 points/game (15th nationally) and limits other teams to 9 points/game (3rd nationally.) Here is another stat for you, OSU has outscored Texas, Iowa and Michigan State 100 to 31 and have not trailed in any of those games. Last week OSU fumbled the ball on the first possession, but after they forced a punt, they scored on a 80 yard drive, with Pittman running in for the score. OSU had 17 points in the second quarter, a field goal by Pettrey, a 60-yard punt return by Ginn, and a touchdown by Gonzo. It was Ginn's sixth career touchdown on a punt return, which is now the Big Ten record. OSU had 421 yards and held MSU to 198 yards. Pitcock had two of the team's eight sacks.

 

What to Expect

Indiana has looked good in their last two games. Lewis passing to Hardy has proved to be a winning combination. However, the largest away crowd the Hoosiers have face was 43,006 at Illinois. I think the red-shirt freshman quarterback will have a hard time dealing with the 100,000+ at Ohio Stadium. He may also be concerned by the fact that his line only has one returning starter. Indiana does not run the ball much, so I don't anticipate that being a problem for OSU. The Buckeyes just need to watch for the short passes. I think fans at home will be disappointed that they had to go to great lengths to watch this game on the premium channel, ESPNU, because after the first half it may not be very exciting. Look for OSU to add another win to their streak.

Guest Panel Week 8 Predictions

Week 8

 

1. Indiana at OSU

Indiana ( ) OSU (GUAPO, CLEATUS, GREEK, OLD BAG, SHADY, FUNK, BATMAN, DEERE, PHILLY, SPAM, XBOX )

GUAPO- Is Indiana that good, or is Iowa just that bad...?

CLEATUS- IU will need an IV after this beating.

GREEK- as amazing as it is to say, Indiana has made the Buckeyes' win at Iowa a few weeks ago look pretty meaningless.

OLD BAG- Despite Indiana's victory over Iowa and Ilinois in the past 2 weeks, this is still the Hoosiers football team and this is the OSU Buckeyes. Not even a Bob Knight chair throwing tantrum can help IU this time.
SHADY- They might have upset Iowa last week but don't plan on anything like that happening this week.

FUNK- Hoosier daddy?  Jim Tressel.

BATMAN- congratulations to Indiana for beating Iowa, no one saw that coming.  I think Indiana is rising so I predict an OSU victory by less than the 31 point spread.

SPAM- I am currently in a dark period in my life. I recently challenged the great Takeru Kobayashi  in a ham sandwich eating contest. Unfortunately I had not developed the water dunking skill and my stomach was used to the superior quality pork contained in SPAM. So, because I lost, Takeru will be doing my picks. Never fear, SPAM Sandwichsan will return!

 

2. Texas at Nebraska

Texas (GUAPO, CLEATUS, GREEK, OLD BAG, FUNK, BATMAN, DEERE, PHILLY, SPAM, XBOX ) Nebraska (SHADY )

GUAPO- Apparently Nebraska still has a football team.

CLEATUS- Colt McCoy is one of the coolest names in college football history.

GREEK- 'Huskers, 'Horns, whatever. It's all Big 12 craziness to me. On a side note, did anyone notice Colt McCoy, with the best
QB name ever, tossing 6 TDs last week?! I knew his name would lead him to great things, eventually. 

OLD BAG- In order to help the Buckeyes in the BCS standings, we need Texas to win.
SHADY- Texas still isn't good . . . seriously

FUNK- The Longhorns are settling in with Colt McCoy.  They will be tough to beat for the rest of the season.

BATMAN- I am not going to pick against texas again - Ohio State is just really that good.

 

3. Georgia Tech at Clemson

Georgia Tech (GUAPO, SPAM ) Clemson (CLEATUS, GREEK, OLD BAG, SHADY, FUNK, BATMAN, DEERE, PHILLY, XBOX )

GUAPO- Nerd power!
CLEATUS- Didn't research this one at all…just randomly picked the winner. 

GREEK- game of the week right here folks. Who ever thought we'd be saying that about an ACC game in the 2006 college football season,  what with FSU, VTech, AND Miami (the three supposed ACC powerhouses) not even ranked in the top 25?! Well, maybe Miami is ranked among the top 25 in the heavyweight boxing ranks, as of last Saturday night.

OLD BAG- This is a tough one but I have to go with the home team on this one, Clemson in a close one.

SHADY- I picked the Tigers as the most underrated team in the country at the beginning of the season and nothing has changed.  They'll handle this game easily.

FUNK- I really like what I've seen from Georgia Tech this year, but they won't make it out of Death Valley alive.

 

4. Wisconsin at Purdue

Wisconsin (GUAPO, GREEK, OLD BAG, SHADY, FUNK, BATMAN, DEERE, PHILLY, SPAM ) Purdue (CLEATUS, XBOX )

GUAPO- Behold the power of cheese.

CLEATUS- This battle of 2nd tier teams in the Big Ten will be won by the home team.

GREEK- I don't get it, but somehow the Badgers always manage to have a super stud at RB. They could put me back there and I'd gain 100 yards every game. Well, maybe not, but at least they'd be able to open a few holes for me. The question is, would I be able to find them. Most likely, no.

OLD BAG-  I really hate Wisconsin and that damn Jump Around thing they do but I also really hate Purdues big drum. Wisconsin is going to beat that stupid drum while they beat the boilermakers.

SHADY- I would have like to see OSU/Wisconsin this year.

FUNK- The Badgers will run all over Purdue.

BATMAN- Purdue won't get it done against a big-time team

 

and the oddball game this week...

5. Miami (OH) at Akron

Miami (OH) (XBOX ) Akron (GUAPO, CLEATUS, GREEK, OLD BAG, SHADY, FUNK, BATMAN, DEERE, PHILLY, SPAM )

GUAPO- Whose football team is worse: Miami (OH) or Miami, FL?  Discuss...

CLEATUS- Akron needs to win at least one MAC conference game this year and this is their chance.     

GREEK- Akron won at NC State earlier in the season, let's not forget. And NC State has beaten BC and FSU when both teams were
ranked. Sorry for the RedHawks fans, but the days of Ben Roethlisberger are long gone. Welcome to the days of Mike Kokal.

OLD BAG-  Crackron. enough said.

SHADY-  I'm from Crackron so I have to cheer for the home team.

FUNK- Whatever happened to Miami?  The schneid continues.

BATMAN- beats my alma mater

IU vs. OSU Preview Part 2

IU vs. OSU, October 21, 12:00 PM
ESPNU with Clay Matvick (play-by-play) and Brian Kinchen (expert analysis)

Scouting the Hoosiers
Indiana is 4-3 this season, 2-1 in the conference. They have wins against Western Michigan, at Ball State, at Illinois and at home against Iowa. IU has lost to Southern Illinois, Connecticut and Wisconsin. In the surprising win last week against #15/13 Iowa, Indian took the lead in the third quarter with a 23-yard pass from Kellen Lewis to James Hardy. Early in the third quarter, Iowa scored taking back the lead 28-24. Indiana was able to score on another Lewis-Hardy connection, taking back the lead for good. Safety Will Meyers stopped Iowa's last attempt, by intercepting the ball at the 15-yard line with less than three minutes to go. Indiana ran out the scoreboard and won 31-28. The Hoosiers average 109.7 yards on the ground and 216.6 yards in the air.

Quarterback
Red-shirt freshman Kellen Lewis has been the starter since the Wisconsin game. Junior Blake Powers was expected to take the helm again this year, but he only started two games. So far Lewis is 53% for 1138 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. He is coming off a great game, having completed 76% for 255 yards and three touchdowns against Iowa.

Running backs
Sophomore Marcus Thigpen is the starter with 202 yards and two touchdowns, but he is second to junior Josiah Sears, who has 225 yards and four touchdowns.

Receivers
Coach Hoeppner uses the spread offense, so the receivers see a lot of action. Leading this group is sophomore James Hardy with 291 yards and four touchdowns, three of those were against Iowa. Hardy had tried to play basketball and football, but he is now focusing on football. Backing him up is sophomore James Bailey and senior Jahkeem Gilmore at wide receiver. Indiana doesn't pass to the tight end much, but senior Matt O'Neal is available.

O-Line
At tackle are freshman Rodger Saffold and junior Charlie Emerson. At guard are sophomore Kyle Thomas and junior John Sandberg. At center is fifth year senior Justin Frye. Frye is the only returning starter.

Kickers
Sophomore Austin Starr handled kickoffs last year, and this year he will add field goals to his list of duties. So far he is 7 for 9 with a long of 46. Senior Tyson Beattie returns as the punter, and he is averaging 39.5 yards.

Linebackers
There is experience at this position, but only one started in a game last year. Indiana will occasionally put in two linebackers with five defensive backs, but when the OSU offense lines up with two backs, Indiana will be forced to make some changes. At middle is junior Adam McClurg, strong is sophomore Geno Johnson and at buck is red-shirt freshman Josh Bailey.

Defensive Backs
This unit has three returning starters. Junior corner Tracy Porter lead last year's team in interceptions, and this year he leads again, with three. At the other corner is junior Leslie Majors. Senior free safety Will Meyers leads the team with 46 tackles. At strong safety is red-shirt freshman Austin Thomas.

D-Line
There is only one returning starter in this unit, sophomore tackle Greg Brown. At the other spots is junior tackle Joe Kremer, red-shirt freshman end Jammie Kirlew and senior end Kenny Kendal. Kendal leads the team with 2.5 sacks.

IU vs. OSU Preview Part 1

IU vs. OSU, October 21, 12:00 PM
ESPNU with Clay Matvick (play-by-play) and Brian Kinchen (expert analysis)

Series
This will be the 82nd game between Ohio State and Indiana, with OSU leading the series 64-12-5. OSU has won the last 13 games against Indiana. The Hoosiers are 0-13 all-time against #1 teams, 0-4 when OSU was ranked #1. The last time Indiana faced a #1 OSU team was in 1998, they lost 38-7. Last year, in Bloomington, OSU won 41-10. Troy Smith threw for one touchdown and ran for another two. Santonio Holmes caught five for 104 yards and a touchdown. Ginn, had his only punt return for 2005 in this game. OSU had 478 yards, while they held IU to 137.

Coaches
Jim Tressel is 57-13 in his sixth year at OSU. He is 35-4 at home and 5-0 against Indiana.

Coach Terry Hoeppner is 8-10 at Indiana in his second year, 56-35 in his eight seasons at Indiana and Miami (OH.) He is 0-1 against Ohio State, while at Indiana. Pittsburgh Steelers fans can thank Hoeppner, since he was the college coach of Ben Roethlisberger. It has a been a tough year for the Big Ten, in regards to coaches, with the passing of Northwestern Coach Randy Walker. Hoeppner has had his share of difficulties, having had a second surgery for a brain tumor in less than nine months. Fortunately it turned out to only be scar tissue.

IU vs. OSU TV Coverage

As you may remember, I posted last week that ESPNU is broadcasting the game this Saturday. There is a good chance that most people don't get that channel. Ohio News Network (ONN) which is available to people in Columbus, and some other parts of Ohio (check your listings) will re-broadcast the game at 11:00 PM Saturday and 8:00 PM Sunday. If you live in the dorms at OSU, it will be on channel 37 live at noon. You can stop waiting for your local station to pick up the game, it won't happen. So, either get tickets, go to a sports bar, or get to know your friends or neighbors that have satellite tv or select cable packages.

Update: Time Warner Mid-Ohio, will replay the game on non-digital channel 24. This is being done in conjunction with ONN, since not everyone gets that channel. I have not seen replay times, but I assume it will follow the times announced by ONN (listed above.) I'll update this as more details are released.

Guest Panel Standings-Week 7

Guest Panel
There was not much movement in the panel, as most of the group had a bad week. Ari the Greek moved up to first, while El Guapo, with the best record for the week, 4-1, jumped ahead of Spam Sandwichsan. After two 5-0 weeks, John Deere Man went 1-4.




Current Standings after Week 7
1. GREEK (32-10), Last week (3-2 )
2. FUNK (31-11), Last week (2-3 )
3. DEERE (30-12), Last week (1-4 )
3. PHILLY (30-12), Last week (2-3 )
3. BATMAN (30-12), Last week (3-2 )
6. CLEATUS (28-14), Last week (3-2 )
7. SHADY (27-15), Last week (3-2 )
8. XBOX (26-15), Last week (2-3 )
9. OLD BAG (26-16), Last week (3-2 )
10. GUAPO (24-17), Last week (4-1 )
11. SPAM (22-19), Last week (2-3 )

1. OSU (CLEATUS, GUAPO, OLD BAG, PHILLY, BATMAN, FUNK, GREEK, SHADY, SPAM, XBOX, DEERE ) Michigan State ( )

2. Virginia Tech (OLD BAG, PHILLY, BATMAN, SPAM, XBOX, DEERE ) Boston College (CLEATUS, GUAPO, FUNK, GREEK, SHADY )

3. Florida (FUNK, GREEK, SHADY, XBOX, DEERE ) Auburn (CLEATUS, GUAPO, OLD BAG, PHILLY, BATMAN, SPAM )
4. Missouri (CLEATUS, OLD BAG, PHILLY, BATMAN, FUNK, GREEK, SHADY, SPAM, XBOX, DEERE ) Texas A&M (GUAPO )

and the oddball game this week...
5. New Mexico (OLD BAG, BATMAN, GREEK, SHADY, XBOX ) UNLV (CLEATUS, GUAPO, PHILLY, FUNK, SPAM, DEERE )

OSU vs. MSU Preview Part 3

OSU vs. MSU, October 14, 3:36 PM
ABC Regional with Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Bob Griese, Paul Maguire and Bonnie Bernstein

How OSU Did Last Week
OSU defeated Bowling Green, 35-7, last weekend in Columbus. OSU continues to be ranked #1 in all major polls, with a 6-0 record. In the game, Troy Smith was very accurate, hitting 17 of 20 for 191 yards and 3 touchdowns. In fact his 85% completion percentage for the game ranks third all-time in OSU history. He leads the Big-Ten and is 7th nationally with a passing efficiency of 170.6. Catching touchdown passes were Ginn, Small and Nicol. Antonio Pittman rushed for two touchdowns and 61 yards. Troy Smith had 54 yards on the ground, with his most exciting run occurring on a broken play on third and 25. It was a bad snap, and Smith ran towards the right sideline, then the left and back to the right. He was finally tackled by a cornerback at the 8-yard line. Ginn had a career high 10 catches for 122 yards, with one of those catches being a 57-yarder. OSU now leads the nation, limiting opponents to 9.8 points/game. The Buckeyes, knock on wood, have been fairly injury-free, with the exception of losing Free Safety Anderson Russell in the Iowa game. Two players left the BGSU game, but Tressel seemed confident they would return. Offensive tackle Kirk Barton and defensive tackle David Patterson both suffered injuries. Tressel says Patterson will miss a game or two after knee surgery, while Barton will be in the game Saturday.

What to Expect
Michigan State is down and hurt. At this point in the season, they are playing for a bowl game, which would require three more wins in the six remaining games. Ohio State has a lot more to lose this Saturday, so they can't give Michigan State a chance. As I mentioned earlier, Michigan State has twice beaten a #1 OSU team. I was at the game in 1998 and let me tell you, it still is painful to think about. I am a bit concerned about playing a team that is in a losing streak, because eventually that streak will end. However, Michigan State is not running on all cylinders. As you probably noticed in the scouting report, there are many injuries. The Spartans have a decent running game, but they are without their best running back. Stanton is the second leading rusher, but his bruised ribs will probably keep him from wanting to take too many hits past the line of scrimmage. Stanton will be challenged by the pressure of the OSU defenders. Here is his quote in reaction to the 12 times (yes 12 times) he was sacked in the game last season, "I felt like I got hit by a truck and I've never had that experience before. Those guys were constantly coming at you, and it wasn't necessarily their athleticism, it was their desire. That's one thing about Ohio State football -- they understand what it takes to be successful. They get it." I think Michigan State will add one to the loss column after this game. A point of concern for MSU is that they average 31.6 points/game while allowing 25.6 points/game. Look for a balanced running and passing game from OSU. I think Ginn will continue to improve his statistics as the season progresses. OSU has too many options at receiver for teams to continue to focus on Teddy.

Guest Panel Week 7 Predictions

Week 7

 

1. OSU at Michigan State

OSU (CLEATUS, GUAPO, OLD BAG, PHILLY, BATMAN, FUNK, GREEK, SHADY, SPAM, XBOX, DEERE ) Michigan State ( )

CLEATUS- Troy Smith – 400 yards total offense.

GUAPO- Beware the uneven Spartans.  They might actually show up to play.

OLD BAG- I know this may look like a repeat of 1998 but something tells me Tressel won't let that happen to his squad. Buckeyes continue their winning streak and the Spartan losing streak.

BATMAN-  L is for loss this weekend
GREEK- call me Miss Cleo, because I can see a pink slip in John L. Smith's future.

SHADY- Hopefully it doesn't rain so OSU can win by 37 instead of 7.

 

2. Virginia Tech at Boston College

Virginia Tech (OLD BAG, PHILLY, BATMAN, SPAM, XBOX, DEERE ) Boston College (CLEATUS, GUAPO, FUNK, GREEK, SHADY )

CLEATUS-  BC will rise back up into the top 25 with this home victory.

GUAPO- El Guapo has no idea, and rather than research any match ups, he will simply guess.

OLD BAG- What the deuce is a Hokie? If you said a team who beats Boston Colllege than you are correct.

BATMAN- tradition on the road gets it done

GREEK- Joe is making these games tougher and tougher each week. I'm starting to think he's somehow affliated with the NCAA in some manner. Even though I'm a big VTech fan, their biggest win this season thus far is versus Cincinnati. I rest my case (sorry Hokies, you know I'll still do the Hokie Poke if asked).

SHADY- When did Virginia Tech ever become good?

SPAM-  bc no more!

 

3. Florida at Auburn

Florida (FUNK, GREEK, SHADY, XBOX, DEERE ) Auburn (CLEATUS, GUAPO, OLD BAG, PHILLY, BATMAN, SPAM )

CLEATUS- After a stunning loss to Arkansas, look for Auburn to redeem themselves with a win over the newly #2 ranked Gators.    

GUAPO- Florida looks scary, but the Tigers will be hungry after looking ahead last week.
OLD BAG- Florida just got the props (new slang I just learned) they think they've deserved. However Auburn is going to show us that they are still the team to beat in the SEC. Auburn wins a close one.

BATMAN- proves last week was just a fluke, but Arkansas got good somewhere along the way

GREEK- the little Leak/Tebow combo pack is working well for Coach Urban. I've had success thus far with Florida this season, so, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Plus, for the second straight week, they're playing a team with the nickname of Tigers, and, through the use of Billy Beane statistical analysis, my calculations produced the result that the Gators will win again.

SHADY- I really want Auburn to win but they aren't really that good so I'll go with the Gators

SPAM- auburn will be very pissed off and play like it 

 

4. Missouri at Texas A&M

Missouri (CLEATUS, OLD BAG, PHILLY, BATMAN, FUNK, GREEK, SHADY, SPAM, XBOX, DEERE ) Texas A&M (GUAPO )

GUAPO- Poor Aggies.  So many fans with so little to cheer about.

OLD BAG- Missouri will "show-me" what they are all about. Missouri wins.

BATMAN- for Quin Snyder

GREEK-  what the h*ll is an Aggie anyways? I'm going with Missouri, because whatever an Aggie allegedly is, a tiger (especially a tiger from Missouri) can probably eat it.

SHADY- Dark horse of the Big 12 right here

SPAM- is a&m some form of s&m?

 

and the oddball game this week...

5. New Mexico at UNLV

New Mexico (OLD BAG, BATMAN, GREEK, SHADY, XBOX ) UNLV (CLEATUS, GUAPO, PHILLY, FUNK, SPAM, DEERE )

CLEATUS- UNLV will be wearing US Border Patrol uniforms as a scare tactic to beat New Mexico.  Shouldn't "New Mexicans" be playing futbol instead of football anyway?  

GUAPO- Vegas baby, Vegas.
OLD BAG- Is the Tark still chewing towels at UNLV? Is Larry Johnson still there (and grandma-ma)? Cause they might need them all to beat New Mexico.

BATMAN-  credit to Joe for picking some challenging contests so far this season.

GREEK-  if a college football game is played and no one watches it, it is really played?

SHADY- It seems as if New Mexico has offense where as UNLV really doesn't

SPAM- they know how to beat the line... they made the line! 

OSU vs. MSU Preview Part 2

OSU vs. MSU, October 14, 3:36 PM
ABC Regional with Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Bob Griese, Paul Maguire and Bonnie Bernstein

Scouting the Spartans
Michigan State is 3-3 (0-2 Big Ten) having wins against Idaho, Eastern Michigan and at Pitt. They are currently in a three-game losing streak, with a losses to Notre Dame, Illinois and at Michigan. In all possible ways, the Spartans had the Fighting Irish beat in the first three quarters. In the first quarter, MSU scored 17 points, while Notre Dame looked flat. At halftime the score was 31-14, it appeared the Spartans were going to give Notre Dame their second loss of the season. In the third quarter they traded touchdowns. However in the third quarter Notre Dame, with the help of a few four-leaf clovers, mistakes by MSU and poor MSU coaching, was able to score three touchdowns, pulling off an incredible come-from-behind victory. In the following week Michigan State hosted Illinois, the floormat of the conference. I mean honestly, MSU was the first Big Ten team to lose to Illinois since 2004, that is pathetic. The Spartans only led for the first quarter. Illinois took the lead in the second quarter, and MSU tied it up twice. It appeared to heading into overtime, but Illinois broke the tie on a field goal in the last seconds of the game. This brings us to last week, a loss at Michigan, a game in which Michigan State didn't even have a chance. Michigan completely dominated, leading the entire game, only giving up points in the third quarter. One high note for MSU, despite the Wolverines defending the run well, Michigan finally gave its first rushing touchdown.

Quarterback
The Spartans have an experienced quarterback lining up under center with senior Drew Stanton. Last season he was 67% for 3,077 yards, 22 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. So far this year he is 62% for 1187 yards, 8 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Stanton runs a spread offense and he is willing to go out the pocket, having rushed for over 100 yards against Pitt. He claims to be fine after injuring his ribs in the game against Illinois.

Running backs
Leading rusher sophomore Javon Ringer, who tore a ligament in the Illinois game, is likely out for the season. In the Michigan game junior Jehuu Caulcrick took his place, but he was only able to get 29 yards with one touchdown and his long run for the day was 7 yards. Caulcrick is expected to start in this game.

Receivers
Two-way star, Matt Trannon, who also plays forward for Coach Tom Izzo, will not be playing in the OSU game, due to an ankle injury. In place of Trannon will be freshman TJ Williams at the X. Lining up Z is senior Kerry Reed, slot senior Jerramy Scott ant tight end sophomore Dwayne Holmes. Reed leads the team with 334 yards and 4 touchdowns. Four MSU receivers have been suspended until further notice, tight ends Kellen Davis and Eric Andino along walk-on receivers Barre Mackie and Jeremy McGinnis, for failure to meet team expectations.

O-Line
At center is senior Kyle Cook, at tackles is junior Mike Gyetvai and sophomore Jesse Miller and at guards is junior Pete Clifford and sophomore Roland Martin. Only Gyetvai is a returning starter from last season. This unit has not done a great job of protecting Stanton, allowing 12 sacks, with five of those belonging to Illinois.

Kickers
The Spartans will have sophomore Todd Boleski or senior punter Brandon Fields handle kickoffs, while freshman Brett Swenson will handle place kicking. Swenson is 7 for 9 on field goals with a long of 43. Boleskis averages 61.6 yards on his kickoffs with 10 of 34 being touchbacks. Fields has an average punt of 46.1 yards with 7 of 21 inside the 20 yard line.

Linebackers
Junior David Herron suffered a concussion in the Michigan game, but he is expected to play at Whip. At Mike is junior Kaleb Thornhill. Herron was the number two tackler last year and this year he is sitting at second. So far this season Herron has 36 tackles, 2.5 for loss, 1 interception and 1 forced fumble.

Defensive Backs
Sophomore free safety Otis Wiley will play with a cast after suffering a sprained thumb in the game last week. Wiley is the leading tackler with a total of 46, with five tackles for loss. At strong safety is junior Nehemiah Warrick. At Bandit, a mix between linebacker and safety, is junior Sirdarean Adams. At the corners are seniors Demond Williams and Greg Cooper. Williams is a returning starter, while Cooper is a converted safety.

D-Line
Senior defensive tackle Clifton Ryan suffered a bruised calf in the Michigan game, but he will play Saturday. At the other spots are junior tackle Ogemdi Nwagbuo, junior end Ervin Baldwin and sophomore end Justin Kershaw. Baldwin had an interception against Notre Dame and blocked a field goal in the Idaho game.

Television Coverage Next Week

Yes the game is next week, and it is against Indiana, but unless you have satellite, you better take note that the Indiana vs. OSU game will be on ESPNU. Even if you are in Columbus, it will not be on a local channel. ESPNU does not come with most cable packages, so you might want to start investigating now, so you don't have to scramble that morning.

OSU vs. MSU Preview Part 1

OSU vs. MSU, October 14, 3:36 PM
ABC Regional with Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Bob Griese, Paul Maguire and Bonnie Bernstein

Series
This will be the 37th time these two teams meet, with OSU leading the series 24-12. OSU has a four game winning streak over the Spartans stretching back to 2000 (with the teams not meeting in 2001 or 2002.) Michigan State has twice beaten OSU when they were ranked #1, more recently in Columbus in 1998 and also in East Lansing back in 1974. Last year OSU won, 35-24 in Columbus. In that game, OSU trailed 17-7 late in the second quarter. Ashton Youboty ran a blocked field goal 72 yards for a touchdown, as the half ended. Before the block, there was obvious confusion on the MSU sidelines as the kicking team came out with ten players on third down. The missing person, was just enough to allow for a block. QB Drew Stanton was supposed to spike the ball on third, giving the kicking team plenty of time to line-up on fourth. MSU coach John L. Smith had one of his emotional outbursts when interviewed at halftime. In the third quarter OSU took the lead with a 57-yard pass from Smith to Ginn. The Spartans responded, taking back the lead, 24-21. In the fourth quarter, OSU scored twice, a pass to Holmes and a run by Smith. This win proved critical, as it was the first win in OSU's current nation's leading 13-game winning streak. In the week previous, OSU had lost at Penn State.

Coaches
Jim Tressel is 56-13 (81.1%) in his sixth season at OSU. In his 21 years of coaching he is 72.6%. Tressel is 3-0 against Michigan State.

Coach John L. Smith is 21-21 (50%) in his fourth season at Michigan State. He is 61.5% in his 18 years of coaching at Michigan State, Louisville, Utah State and Idaho. He is 0-3 against Ohio State. Oh, and after some brief research I still do not know what the middle initial L stands for. In a 2005 interview his wife said it was a family joke and stated, "It's really not a strange or weird name. But there is no way I would tell you."

OSU Basketball Update

Ok, take a quick break from football. OSU has finally talked about Greg Oden returning to action. You may recall that he had hand surgery, which has prevented this highly touted recruit from practicing or shooting the ball with his right hand. Coach Thad Matta is hoping for him to return by January 1. Greg Oden is a member of what is being described as the "Thad Five." (a comparison to the Fab Five at Michigan in the early 90's.) Many early publications have OSU ranked in the top ten nationally. I have added a link on the right side for the OSU basketball schedule. With games against North Carolina, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Florida (defending champs), Tennessee and the regular Big Ten schedule, this should be an exciting season. The first game is scheduled for November 1st.

Week 7 Guest Panel Games to Consider

The Guest Panel is currently considering the games listed below.

 

1. OSU at Michigan State

2. Virginia Tech at Boston College

3. Florida at Auburn

4. Missouri at Texas A&M

and the oddball game this week...

5. New Mexico at UNLV

 

Check back later this week for their picks and unique commentary!

Guest Panel Standings-Week 6

Guest Panel
It was a rough week for the panel. John Deere Man continued his dominance going 5-0 for a second straight week. He has jumped into a three-way tie with Dr. Funkenstein and Ari the Greek. Philly Cheese was the only other panelist to go 5-0 and has jumped behind the leaders at 4th. Spam Sandwichsan fell down into a tie for last with El Guapo. XBOX did not pick a winner for the OSU game, so he now only has a record for 36 games.

Current Standings after Week 6
1. FUNK (29-8), Last week (3-2 )
1. GREEK (29-8), Last week (4-1 )

1. DEERE (29-8), Last week (5-0 )

4. PHILLY (28-9), Last week (5-0 )
5. BATMAN (27-10), Last week (3-2 )

6. CLEATUS (25-12), Last week (2-3 )
7. SHADY (24-13), Last week (2-3 )
8. XBOX (24-12), Last week (2-2 )
9. OLD BAG (23-14), Last week (3-2 )
10. SPAM (20-16), Last week (1-4 )
10. GUAPO (20-16), Last week (2-3 )

1. BGSU ( ) OSU (CLEATUS, SPAM, FUNK, OLD BAG, BATMAN, PHILLY, GREEK. GUAPO, DEERE, SHADY )

2. LSU (CLEATUS, SPAM, FUNK, BATMAN. GUAPO, SHADY ) Florida (OLD BAG, PHILLY, GREEK, DEERE, XBOX )

3. Tennessee (CLEATUS, FUNK, BATMAN, PHILLY, GREEK, GUAPO, DEERE, SHADY ) Georgia (SPAM, OLD BAG, XBOX )

4. Texas (OLD BAG, PHILLY, DEERE, XBOX ) Oklahoma (CLEATUS, SPAM, FUNK, BATMAN, GREEK, GUAPO, SHADY )

and the oddball game this week
5. Ball State (FUNK, BATMAN, PHILLY, GREEK, DEERE ) Buffalo (CLEATUS, SPAM, OLD BAG, GUAPO, XBOX, SHADY )

Saturday Morning/Afternoon

If you will be on campus before the game, drop me a line. I won't have a tailgate this week, but I will be meeting some friends before the game.

Guest Panel Week 6 Predictions

Week 6 

 

1. BGSU at OSU

BGSU ( ) OSU (CLEATUS, SPAM, FUNK, OLD BAG, BATMAN, PHILLY, GREEK. GUAPO, DEERE, SHADY )

CLEATUS- This game will be men against boys.  Smith, Gonzo, Ginn, and Pittman should finish 1, 2, 3, and 4 in the Heisman votes. 

FUNK- This year's Buckeye squad takes care of business like none I've ever seen.  They'll probably even cover again, and I don't even know what the spread is.

OLD BAG- Not even the STD capital of the world can stop us. Buckeyes continue the streak

BATMAN- predicted score 87-3
GREEK- I went to Bowling Green for a weekend visit one time. Needless to say, I have yet to pay a return visit. (although the Fricker's wings were quite excellent)

GUAPO-  It's good to be the king

XBOX- I will abstain from picking this game.

SHADY- The road to the national championship is officially underway.  The Buckeye defense is just as good as the offense.

 

2. LSU at Florida

LSU (CLEATUS, SPAM, FUNK, BATMAN. GUAPO, SHADY ) Florida (OLD BAG, PHILLY, GREEK, DEERE, XBOX )

CLEATUS- I hate Florida schools, and this one will no longer be undefeated after LSU comes to town. 

FUNK- Florida is jut not an undefeated-caliber team this year.

OLD BAG- Which team has the worst colors: LSU with yellow and purple or Florida with orange and blue. I'm going with Florida with the win and to keep Michigan at #6.

BATMAN- should beat Florida.
GREEK- this is yet another game (similar to California vs. Arizona State) that can make or break an entire season for a Buckeye Pregame Guest Panelist. This pick is based solely on the fact that the game is in "The Swamp," and, let's face it, tigers can't swim in swamps.

GUAPO- Geaux Tigers

SHADY- The Gator offense isn't really that good and Chris Leak will yet again be booed at home.  

 

3. Tennessee at Georgia

Tennessee (CLEATUS, FUNK, BATMAN, PHILLY, GREEK, GUAPO, DEERE, SHADY ) Georgia (SPAM, OLD BAG, XBOX )

CLEATUS- 10SE wil beet jorja.

SPAM- georgia will pull the home crowd to victory
FUNK- Georgia has been going through the motions the last couple weeks against sub-par opponents.  Now that they are playing a good team, they are going to be exposed.

OLD BAG- Volunteers never win, especially in the paycheck world. Georgia will handle this one.

BATMAN- BCS statement game
GREEK- going with the Volunteers, because, for the first time in his head coaching career at Georgia, Mark Richt is in a bit of a troubling situation, and his team is in state of flux. Does he go with wonder boy (Stafford) or the unproven, although more experienced, veteran (Tereshinski). If you're only beating Colorado by 1 point at home (and Ole Miss by 5 the week after), there's trouble 'a brewin' between the hedges. Nevertheless, either way, neither of them can compare to Erik Ainge.

GUAPO- Any team that plays Colorado close doesn't deserve a top ten slot.

SHADY-   Did anyone notice that Georgia almost lost at home to Colorado?  Seriously.  The lack of offense will really start to hurt them now.

 

4. Texas vs. Oklahoma

Texas (OLD BAG, PHILLY, DEERE, XBOX ) Oklahoma (CLEATUS, SPAM, FUNK, BATMAN, GREEK, GUAPO, SHADY )

CLEATUS- In the words of one of the greatest American script writers and producers, Sylvester Stallone, "ADRIAN!!!"  

SPAM- i hope oklahoma puts a hurtin on home-town-hero-espn-special colt mccoy...  i hope he calls his mother at halftime only to find her at dustin's apartment!

FUNK- No more Vince Young means the Red River goes back to Oklahoma after belonging to Texas for one year.

OLD BAG- 4 years ago this would have been a good game, now its starting to get a little lopsided....in Texas's favor. Texas will win the Red (soon to be changed to Scarlet since we owned them this year) River Challenge.

BATMAN- Mack Brown loses to OU again, the blip last year was due to Vince Young.
GREEK- yowza, yet another very difficult pick. Good work this week Joe, I'm impressed. Neither of these teams have been overly impressive thus far this season; beating North Texas 56-7 at home is not something to brag about, sorry to say. However, Oklahoma would be undefeated but for a few referees and replay officials going temporarily blind. However, the biggest difference maker on either team sports the Oklahoma uniform, so, that's my determining factor.

GUAPO- Mack Brown returns to form.

SHADY-  Wins against Sam Houston State make it very difficult to show the world that Texas actually sucks.

 

and the oddball game this week

5. Ball State at Buffalo

Ball State (FUNK, BATMAN, PHILLY, GREEK, DEERE ) Buffalo (CLEATUS, SPAM, OLD BAG, GUAPO, XBOX, SHADY )

CLEATUS- Without doing any research, I know that there are no states in the US called "Ball".  For that reason, Buffalo will win against this imaginary state school. 

SPAM- a close call with bg and a stomping last week will breed success!
FUNK- with a little help from David Letterman

OLD BAG- Are talking about the Buffalo Bills? With or without Scott Norwood? I'll go with Buffalo and once again Dave Letterman can show the best (worst) plays of his alma maters football game...Ball State.

GREEK- despite giving up 353 yards to Garrett Wolfe last week, the mighty Cardinals of Ball State did only lose 40-28; and they lost by only 10 at Purdue, and by 1 vs. Indiana. Let be it known from the mouth of Ari the Greek, the Cardinals are due for a big win. And can someone recognize these mad research skillz?!?!

GUAPO-  Pillow fight of the week.

SHADY-  Is it possible for both teams to lose, because they should.

BGSU vs. OSU Preview Part 3

BGSU vs. OSU, October 7, 3:40 PM, ESPN Plus

How OSU Did Last Week
OSU won in a convincing manner, 38-17 at Iowa. It was a long five weekend September, filled with multiple tests for this #1 team. OSU passed all tests, in fact OSU beat three ranked teams by at least 17 points each. OSU won two high profile games on the road, starting with the game in Austin. OSU currently has the nations longest winning streak, 12 games.
In the Iowa game Troy Smith threw a career high four touchdowns, while the defense had three interceptions. OSU took the lead for good with a 12-yard pass to Gonzo with 11:34 to go in the first quarter. Roy Hall, who had missed games due to injury, caught a touchdown in the second quarter. Gonzo caught and scored on a 30 yarder in the third and dodged some tackles with assistance of a great block by Hartline, look for the clip if you missed this one. Robiskie scored on a 12-yard toss in the fourth quarter. Smith finished 16 of 25 for 186 yards and he rushed for 20 yards. Ted Ginn did not score, but he led receivers with 69 yards. OSU had a dominating running game, Pittman with 117 yards and Beanie had 78 yards.

What to Expect
You may have noticed when reviewing the Falcon starters, that they are young. In fact they are the fifth youngest team in the NCAA I-A, having played 13 true freshman this season. That can prove problematic, especially when lining up against a team like OSU. As with an Ohio team, I will remind you again that these Ohio kids want to put on a show for Tressel and his recruiting staff, since they were not recruited by OSU. However, it won't be enough to pull the Falcons to a victory. I see BGSU as being inexperienced and weak in the secondary, especially both freshmen at safety. The Falcons have held teams to under 150 passing yards, but Buffalo, Florida International, Kent State and Ohio aren't top offensive threats. Bowling Green only had 20 yards less than Wisconsin, but the Badgers were able to pull out the 21-point victory. That brings up another point of concern for the Falcons, opposing teams are scoring on average 30 points. Compare that to the fact that OSU limits opponents to 9.8 points/game. Freddie Barnes is quite an athlete, as he is able to throw, catch or run the ball. If BGSU substitutes him at QB he could pose some problems, but again I do not think it is enough to give BGSU the win. Bowling Green will have a difficult time defending all of OSU's receivers, lets count them together 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... Look for Ohio State to add another win over a MAC team.

BGSU vs. OSU Preview Part 2

BGSU vs. OSU, October 7, 3:40 PM, ESPN Plus

Scouting BGSU
Bowling Green is 3-2 this season. They lost 14-35 to Wisconsin at Cleveland Browns Stadium, won 48-40 in a triple OT game against Buffalo, won on the road at Florida International 33-28, lost at home to Kent State 3-38 and won at Ohio 21-9.

Quarterbacks
Gone is Omar Jacobs, who was drafted by the Steelers in the fifth round. The Falcons have used two starters at QB this season. Sophomore Anthony Turner is expected to start. So far he is 2-0 as a starter this season, having missed the first game due to suspension and Kent State due to an injury. Turner is 37 of 64 for 466 yards, with 4 touchdowns and three interceptions. In 2005 Turner was 61% with two touchdowns and 4 interceptions in 6 games behind Jacobs. Redshirt freshman Freddie Barnes started the two loses against Buffalo and Kent State. He is 54% for 210 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. Both quarterbacks run the ball, Turner has 169 yards and Barnes leads the team with 392 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

Running backs
As mentioned earlier, QB Barnes leads the team in rushing yards, and he will sometimes lineup at running back. Redshirt freshman Chris Bullock is next with 235 yards. The starter for most of the year has been junior Dan Macon, but Bullock will get the nod this week.

Receivers
Sophomore Corey Partridge leads the Falcons with 124 yards. Filling the other spots are senior Ruben Ruiz and freshman Zach Charles. At tight end is Sean O'Drobinak. One interesting note, Partridge completed a 31 yard pass in the Ohio game last week. Another interesting note, QB Freddie Barnes has caught passes in two games this season.

O-Line
Lining up for Bowling Green is junior Kory Lichtensteiger at center, senior John Lanning at guard, Derrick Markray at guard, junior Drew Nystrom at tackle and junior Kevin Huelsman at tackle.

Kickers
Freshman Sean Ellis, a towering kicker at 6'6", is 3 of 4 with a long of 38. Freshman Alonso Rojas can line up for place kicking or punting, but his primary duty this season has been punting, with an average of 33 yards.

Linebackers
The only returning starter is senior Terrel White at middle. At the other spots are sophomore Enrique Dozer at strongside and sophomore John Haneline at weakside. Dozier leads the team with 49 tackles.

Defensive Backs
At the corners are sophomores Antonio Smith and Kenny Lewis. Smith had an incredible season last year as a freshman, recording 57 tackles in 11 games and returning two interceptions for a touchdown. At safety are freshmen Jerett Sanderson and Jahmal Brown.

D-Line
At the ends are senior Devon Parks and redshirt freshman Jacob Hardwick. At tackle is experienced senior Brad Wiliams. Freshman DJ Young is at noseguard.