Guest Panel-Week 5 Games and Standings

Here are the games for the Guest Panel to consider this week. Below are the standings as well.

Standings:
1. Buckeye Cock (20-4) (5-1 last week)
2. Batman (18-6) (3-3 last week)
3. Philly Cheese (17-7) (3-3 last week)
3. Pat Head (17-7) (5-1 last week)
5. Mel Kiper's Hair (16-8) (4-2 last week)
5. Spam Sandwichsan (16-8) (4-2 last week)
5. Old Bag of Man (16-8) (5-1 last week)
8. Big Dog (15-9) (3-3 last week)
8. Andy Katzenmoyer's Professor (15-9) (4-2 last week)
10. Hudy Delights (14-10) (3-3 last week)
10. Dr. Funkenstein (14-10) (4-2 last week)
12. Yellow #5 (13-11) (2-4 last week)

Games for this week:
1. Ohio State vs. Indiana
2. LSU vs. Georgia
3. USC vs. California
4. Oklahoma vs. Miami (Fl.)
5. Michigan vs. Michigan State
And the oddball game this week is:
6. Temple vs. E. Michigan

What to Expect

Illinois scores 27 points/game and the defense gives up 27 points/game. The offense averages 247 rushing yards/game and 189 passing yards/game. The defense gives up 80 rushing yards/game and 339.5 passing yards/game. These stats are only through two games, but it provides some data to analyze. Illinois will not likely score a high number of points and will depend on the running game for the most part. The Illinois defense has had success stopping the run, but teams have had great success at passing the ball. Look for OSU to have some success on the ground, but Pryor should have a big game throwing the ball (unless the rain is bad, read below.) Ray Small is expected to be the number three receiver and he has had some great practices according to the coaches. His success at receiver will make a big difference, giving Pryor a great target. The O-Line is providing good protection for the pass, the young receivers are really developing, and the increased minutes for a playmaker like Small will only help. Hopefully offensive tackle J.B. Shugarts will cut down the false starts, as he had three last week. At running back, true freshman Jordan Hall should continue to be the third option as it is looking more and more like true freshman Jaamal Berry's injury will cause him to redshirt. The defense should continue to look solid, although Illinois may test the run defense. Look for OSU to win this by 14 and score in the 30's or 40's. If the rain is a major factor, look for it to be a heavy running game on both sides and a lower scoring game, with OSU winning by 10 and scoring in the 20's or 30's.

Scouting the Fighting Illini

Offense
QB Juice Williams is expected to come back after missing the second game and resting during the bye week. He only needs 171 total offense yards to get the Illinois career total offense record. He would also get into the top-ten for the Big Ten's career total offensive yards. Receiver Arrelious Benn is expected to return after being injured in the first game and missing the second game. Last season Benn had 67 receptions for 1055 yards and three touchdowns. Benn will also occasionally run the ball, with 23 attempts last season for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jason Ford leads the team in rushing with 137 yards and one touchdown. Although almost half of that yardage is from one run of 68 yards in the Illinois State game.

Defense
Leading the team in tackles per game is linebacker Ian Thomas with 8.5/game. Thomas is in his first year as a starter and had 13 tackles in the Missouri game. Defensive tackle Josh Brent has 3 tackles for loss already this season. Brent is in his second year as a starter, and he played as a true freshman. Doug Pilcher at defensive end is a fourth-year starter with 21.5 tackles for loss in his career.

Illinois So Far This Season

Illinois started out the season with a disappointing loss to Missouri, 37-9. In that game Missouri had its way with the Illinois defense, scoring in every quarter, with 442 total yards, 325 in the air, and 117 on the ground. Blaine Gabbert looked very comfortable in his first start as QB for Missouri with 319 yards in the air and three touchdowns. Illinois only managed a field goal in the second quarter and a touchdown fourth quarter. In the second game of the season, Illinois dominated Illinois State, 45-17. QB Eddie McGee replaced the injured Juice Williams, who was pulled in the fourth quarter of the Missouri game. McGee threw for 164 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Illinois relied on the ground game, racking up 384 yards, led by RB Jason Ford with 137 of those yards. Illinois had a bye last week. The team ranks second in the Big Ten and 13th nationally with 247 rushing yards/game.

The Illibuck Trophy

The game against Illinois is the only trophy game for the Buckeyes. It is the second oldest trophy exchanged in the Big Ten, behind the Little Brown Jug (Minnesota and Michigan.) The original Illibuck was a live turtle representing the long life expectancy of the rivalry between the two teams. However, when the turtle died just two short years later, a wooden replica was created. At halftime of the game, members of two junior honorary societies, Bucket and Dipper of Ohio State and Atius-Sachem of Illinois meet to pass the the trophy to the winner of the game from the previous year.

The Series

This is the 96th game between OSU and Illinois with OSU leading the series 61-30-4. Between 1914 and 2002 the two teams met every year. Last year OSU won 30-20. Two years ago in Columbus Illinois got the best of Ohio State beating them 28-21 in Columbus temporarily delaying the Buckeyes’ championship game hopes. OSU has won four of the last five games, but Illinois has won three of the last four in Ohio Stadium. OSU leads overall in Columbus 26-18-4.

The Coaches

Jim Tressel
In his 10th season at OSU he is 85-20, with a career record of 220-77-2 in 23 years of coaching.












Ron Zook
In his 5th season at Illinois he is 19-31. In his 8th season as a head coach at Illinois and Florida, he is 42-45. Zook was a defensive back assistant coach under Cooper from 1988-1990 at Ohio State. He is from Loudonville, Ohio. Zook was a defensive back at Miami (OH) and the team went 32-1-1 while he was there.

Guest Panel-Week 4 Games and Standings

Here are the games for the Guest Panel to consider this week. Below are the standings as well.

Standings:
1. Buckeye Cock (15-3) (6-0 last week)
1. Batman (15-3) (6-0 last week)
3. Philly Cheese (14-4) (4-2 last week)
4. Big Dog (12-6) (4-2 last week)
4. Pat Head (12-6) (4-2 last week)
4. Mel Kiper's Hair (12-6) (4-2 last week)
4. Spam Sandwichsan (12-6) (5-1 last week)
8. Yellow #5 (11-7) (2-4 last week)
8. Hudy Delights (11-7) (4-2 last week)
8. Old Bag of Man (11-7) (4-2 last week)
8. Andy Katzenmoyer's Professor (11-7) (4-2 last week)
12. Dr. Funkenstein (10-8) (4-2 last week)

Games for this week:
1. Illinois vs. Ohio State
2. Michigan State vs. Wisconsin
3. Minnesota vs. Northwestern
4. North Carolina vs. Georgia Tech
5. Mississippi vs. South Carolina (Thursday)
And the oddball game this week is:
6. Bethune-Cook. vs. Norfolk St.

What to Expect

Toledo has a very experienced QB in Opelt, who is not afraid to throw. He has some big numbers, but those numbers also include a high number of interceptions. The Rocket offense has averaged 558 yards/game with 187 rushing yards/game and 371 passing yards/game. However, the defense has not been of much help, by allowing teams to move the ball and score often. In the first two games, opponents have averaged 45 points/game, 205 rushing yards/game, and 288 passing yards/game. Look for Pryor to have success passing the ball against this weak defense. Perhaps he will finally let loose and have a breakout game. It is early in the season, but he has not met the high expectations set for him over the summer. Perhaps people are expecting too much from him at this point in the season. I still think he needs to use his legs more and create some plays. Posey, Herron, and Saine should have big games.

O-Line Injury Update

O-Line
The O-line took a big hit, with senior right tackle Jim Cordle being diagnosed with an ankle injury that will keep him out for 3-4 weeks. Cordle is a very experienced lineman, who can play tackle or center, so the loss is huge. Taking his place will be sophomore J.B. Shugarts. Mike Adams is done with his two game suspension and is listed as a backup at left tackle. Marcus Hall and the other two freshman will likely be redshirted this season.

Scouting the Rockets

Offense
The team is led by QB Aaron Opelt, who is in his fourth year as a starter. He ranks in the top five in UT history for completions, attempts, passing yards, and completion percentage. So far this season he has completed 54% for 875 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions. In his career he is 58% with 37 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. At RB is DaJuane Collins, who had 20 carries for 160 yards and one touchdown against Colorado. The leader on the O-line is Jared DeWalt. The O-Line leads an offense that is ranked 7th in the nation in total offense, 7th in passing offense, 12th in scoring offense, and has only allowed one sack this season.

Defense
One of the premier players on defense is Barry Church at safety. He has been all conference for three years straight. In the first two games he had six tackles against Purdue and eight tackles, one interception, and one pass breakup against Colorado. Also at safety is Lester Richmond, who has seven tackles so far this season.

Toledo So Far This Season

Toledo is 1-1 with a win over Colorado last week and loss at Purdue in the first game. Toledo fell behind Purdue early in the game, but came within 7 points in the second quarter, however at halftime it was 31-14. Opelt's 41 of 67 for 423 yards and three touchdowns was not enough and Toledo lost 52-31. In the Colorado game, which took place at Toledo, the Rockets won 54-38 with QB Opelt throwing for 319 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for two scores.

Game in Cleveland

This will be the 16th game in Cleveland for the Buckeyes, with the most recent in 1991, a 34-3 win over Northwestern in Municipal Stadium. OSU is 8-6-1 in games played in Cleveland. This will be the first game for Ohio State in Cleveland Browns Stadium. This will be a home game for Toledo and there are still some tickets available. Below are the games played in Cleveland over the years:

1892- Western Reserve 40, Ohio State 18
1894- Case 38, Ohio State 0
1898- Western Reserve 49, Ohio State 0
1899- Ohio State 5, Case 5
1903- Case 12, Ohio State 0
1906- Ohio State 9, Case 0
1908- Case 18, Ohio State 8
1910- Case 14, Ohio State 10
1912- Ohio State 31, Case 6
1914- Ohio State 7, Case 6
1916- Ohio State 28, Case 0
1934- Ohio State 76, Western Reserve 0
1942- Ohio State 44, Illinois 20
1944 Ohio State 26, Illinois 12
1991- Ohio State 34, Northwestern 3

The Series

The two teams have met only once, with OSU winning 49-0 in 1998. The Buckeye are 176-48-15 in games against opponents from Ohio, which includes teams in the MAC, going 25-1 with teams from the MAC. OSU has played at least one team from Ohio every season since 1997. The Buckeyes have not lost a game to an Ohio team since the 1921 loss to Oberlin.

The Coaches

Jim Tressel
In his 9th season at OSU he is 84-20, with a career record of 219-77-2 in 23 years of coaching.












Tim Beckman
In his first season as a head coach and at Toledo he is 1-1. He graduated from Findlay, where he played football. His coaching career started at Auburn as a graduate assistant and he later was an assistant under Urban Meyer at Bowling Green. He was the cornerbacks coach at Ohio State in 2005 and 2006. For the last two seasons he was the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State. Beckman's father Dave played for Jim Tressel's late father Lee at Baldwin Wallace. His father passed at the start of his college career, and he credits Tressel with helping him get his career started as a coach.

Good Article-Columbus Dispatch

Here is a good article by Rob Oller in Columbus. He looks at the struggles of previous head coaches losing the big games, including the legend Woody Hayes.

Guest Panel-Week 3 Games and Standings

Here are the games for the Guest Panel to consider this week. Below are the standings as well.

Standings: (CORRECTED)
1. Philly Cheese (10-2) (5-1 last week)
2. Yellow #5 (9-3) (3-3 last week)
2. Batman (9-3) (4-2 last week)
2. Buckeye Cock (9-3) (4-2 last week)
5. Big Dog (8-4) (3-3 last week)
5. Pat Head (8-4) (3-3 last week)
5. Mel Kiper's Hair (8-4) (4-2 last week)
8. Spam Sandwichsan (7-5) (2-4 last week)
8. Hudy Delights (7-5) (3-3 last week)
8. Old Bag of Man (7-5) (3-3 last week)
8. Andy Katzenmoyer's Professor (7-5) (4-2 last week)
12. Dr. Funkenstein (6-6) (3-3 last week)

Games for this week:
1. Ohio State vs. Toledo
2. Georgia Tech vs. Miami (FL) (Thursday)
3. Nebraska vs. Virginia Tech
4. Arizona vs. Iowa
5. Louisville vs. Kentucky
And the oddball game this week is:
6. San Diego State vs. Idaho

What to Expect

I think the weak spots (relatively) for USC are QB, LB's, and D-Line. OSU needs to attack those spots. The Buckeyes need to be ready for a heavy running game, with very capable running backs. Pardon the cliche, but OSU can bend but not break when it comes to defending the run. Realize you won't stop the run, but don't let it score. The very experienced O-Line for USC is capable of opening up holes, but the experienced OSU D-Line needs to apply enough pressure to stop some of the run and to pressure the young QB of Troy. Barkley has great experience from high school, and he claims he won't be intimidated. Barkley had over 200 yards in his debut, but he did not throw a touchdown until the third quarter, and he only had one touchdown pass. He may be talented, but he still has not proven himself as a dependable QB. The Buckeyes need to be in the backfield as much as possible, applying pressure and getting sacks. A young QB can be rattled with a few hits and pressure. OSU needs to be successful on the ground. I think the SJSU rushing stats are deceiving, I think the D-Line and LB's are vulnerable. Look for OSU to play more of the spread, assuming the O-line holds up. On paper, USC has the advantage, but I feel that some intangibles could make the difference for OSU. The intangibles I see are: (1) Home-field and crowd; (2) payback for last year; and (3) Pryor. Just being a home game is not enough, the crowd must be loud all the time, causing USC to call time outs, intimidating QB Barkley, and disrupting play calls. Even though many of the starters are gone, I have to think that the big loss last year is motivation for this year's team. Last, but most important is the play of Pryor. He gave USC trouble in his limited minutes last season, and he must have a good and clean game. He needs to use the option and the bootleg to perfection. He must continue to be effective outside of the pocket. Pryor needs to use his legs when plays break down. This is a game that will define Pryor's career. Again, on paper USC will win, but I feel the intangibles may put OSU into the game. A win could help exercise some demons for OSU. I definitely don't think it will be a blow-out by either team.

USC So Far this Season

In the game against San Jose State the Trojans started slow, with the first five possessions as two fumbles and three punts. USC scored on the next six possessions, with 28 of the 56 points in the second quarter. The running backs had four of the touchdowns in the game. In fact the first touchdown pass did not come until the third play of the third quarter. This was the first and only touchdown pass for true freshman QB Barkley. The backup players scored in the fourth quarter. Ten players caught passes. The offense had a total of 620 yards, 342 on the ground, and 278 in the air. The defense limited SJSU to 121 yards and only 9 yards on the ground. The USC defense had five sacks.

Scouting the Trojans

First year freshman Matt Barkley completed 76% of his passes for 233 yards in his first collegiate game last week. He was the first USC true freshman to start an opener as QB. In high school Barkley was a prep All-American and in 2007, as a junior, he was national prep player of the year. The main tailbacks are Joe McKnight who had 145 yards and two touchdowns last week and Staton Johnson, who had two touchdowns last week. McKnight is the main go-to running back with Staton as the red-zone running back. There are three additional capable running backs available to play. Also on offense are wide receiver Damian Williams, fullback Stanley Havili, and tight end Anthony McCoy. Williams transferred from Arkansas, along with QB Mitch Mustain who is available to backup Barkley. The O-line returns all the starters, along with a couple reserves. The main offensive linemen are guard Jeff Byers and center Kristofer O'Dowd. Byers is a two year starter, who is in his sixth year with NCAA approval due to injuries. O'Dowd made an impact immediately as a freshman, selected Pac-10 first team in 2007. He missed spring practice this year after having shoulder surgery.

The defense lost eight starters, all to the NFL. The leader on defense is Taylor Mays at safety. The other returning starters are safety-cornerback Josh Pinkard and tackle Christian Tupou. Leading the linebackers is Chris Galippo. Also at linebacker is Shane Horton, a transfer from UNLV. The D-line has completely been made-over. The linebackers are all new starters. The secondary is missing two starters, but safety Taylor Mays is a two time All-American.

The Series

USC leads the series 12-9-1, with the teams first meeting in 1937. The teams played last year, and USC won 35-3. We all know what happened in that game. The teams last played in Columbus in 1990. In that game USC won in Columbus, 35-26. OSU last won in 1974 in the Rose Bowl 42-21. Six of the games have been decided by a touchdown or less. OSU is 50-23-2 against the teams in the PAC-10, having faced all of the teams in the conference at least twice.

As of today the forecast is good weather, but earlier this week rain was predicted, which brings up discussion of the 1990 game. That game was cut short with 2:36 left on the clock due to lightning and thunder. OSU was down 21-10 at halftime but came back and scored with 2:38 remaining in the game to put it at 35-26. The coaches had discussed the weather and Coach Cooper agreed with the head ref that if OSU didn't recover the on-side kick, the game would be over. USC recovered the kickoff and the game ended with USC winning.

The Coaches

Jim Tressel
In his 9th season at OSU he is 84-19, with a career record of 219-76-2 in 23 years of coaching. He is 0-1 against USC and Pete Carroll.













Pete Carroll
In his 9th season of coaching and at USC he is 89-15. He is 1-0 against OSU and Jim Tressel. He played safety at Pacific University. He has been an assistant at Pacific, Arkansas (under Lou Holtz), Iowa State, Ohio State, and North Carolina State. Earl Bruce brought Carroll with him to OSU when he took over for the fired Woody Hayes. Carroll was the secondary coach at OSU in 1979, and that team lost to USC in the 1980 Rose Bowl. Carroll spent fifteen years in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, and the Seattle Seahawks.

Guest Panel-Week 2 Games and Standings

Here are the games for the Guest Panel to consider this week. Below are the standings as well.

Standings:
1. Yellow #5 (6-0)
2. Pat Head (5-1)
2. Batman (5-1)
2. Big Dog (5-1)
2. Buckeye Cock (5-1)
2. Spam Sandwichsan (5-1)
2. Philly Cheese (5-1)
8. Hudy Delights (4-2)
8. Old Bag of Man (4-2)
8. Mel Kiper's Hair (4-2)
11. Andy Katzenmoyer's Professor (3-3)
12. Dr. Funkenstein (3-3)

Games for this week:
1. USC vs. Ohio State
2. Notre Dame vs. Michigan
3. South Carolina vs. Georgia
4. Purdue vs. Oregon
5. UCLA vs. Tennessee
And the oddball game this week is:
6. Florida A&M vs. Winston-Salem

What to Expect

The Navy triple option will be a bit distracting for OSU, but the defense should be able to contain the run. The Navy team will still get 150-200 yards on the ground. Don't look for Navy to attack the potentially vulnerable OSU secondary with long passes. Navy players are a bit undersized, and this could present problems in particular on the O-line and D-line. Also, the Navy offense is very inexperienced. Last season Navy allowed teams to score points, and this year's crew is younger, so OSU could top 40 points. Look for OSU to come away with the relatively easy win, and hopefully no major injuries. Navy will make it interesting, but they don't have the size or experience to pull it off. Unfortunately this game will be a bit of a teaser, as we will not really get a good idea of the potential of this team until the USC game.

OSU this Season

There are high expectations for Terrelle Pryor, as he was selected as preseason player of the year in the Big Ten. That is a high honor for a sophomore, especially considering some of the other more more experienced players up for the award like PSU QB Daryll Clark and Illinois QB Juice Williams. Pryor will have to improve as a passer, which may be tough considering the losses at receiver. Boom Herron will carry the ball for the bulk of the running backs, but he will split time with Brandon Saine. Herron showed during the season and in the Fiesta Bowl that he can produce yards and touchdowns, but he is not a bruiser like Beanie. Saine provides speed and a nice change of pace running attack. Expect at least a couple true freshman to have an impact on offense, Zach Boren at fullback and Duron Carter at wide receiver. Duron Carter is the son of former OSU and NFL great Chris Carter. Boren committed to Ohio State after his older brother Justin transferred from Michigan. Justin Boren had some knee troubles in August, but he is set to start at left guard. The O-line needed a facelift and Boren is seen as the new face of this O-line. Mike Brewster continues to impress, as he holds his spot at center for a second year as a true sophomore. Senior Jim Cordle did not get his old position at center, which he also did not get back last year when he returned from an injury. Cordle will be at left tackle. DeVier Posey will up his game this season, and Dane Sanzenbacher will need to adjust to defenses now focusing on him.

On defense, OSU should be solid at D-line with all eyes on Thaddeus Gibson. Cameron Heyward should also have a dominating season on the other end. Lawrence Wilson hopes to avoid injuries, having missed most of the past two years. Attempting to fill the holes at LB are Austin Spiller and Ross Homan. Kurt Coleman is the leader in the secondary at safety. Andre Amos attempts to fill the void of Malcom Jenkins, and Chimdi Chekwa will be a great corner although not yet to the level of Jenkins.

Aaron Pettrey returns to fulltime duty as the place kicker, after Pretorius did most of the place kicks over the last two seasons. Pettrey has shown leg strength with long FGs, but he has missed some short ones. Senior Jon Thoma, a former walk-on, will fill the punting spot left by A.J. Trapasso.

Triple Option

Navy lines up in an unusual formation called the triple option. The formation utilizes three players who can run with the ball, instead of the traditional two found in most option formations. The defense has to watch for a different runner each play, as the QB can make his decision to handoff or keep the ball at the start of the play. The QB will watch his defensive end when making that decision. Paul Johnson, the previous coach at Navy, implemented a triple option, which is still utilized by Navy. His version has a QB, two slotbacks, a fullback, and two wide receivers in addition to the five lineman. The slotbacks play a hybrid running back/receiver role. These players line up a few yards behind the line of scrimmage, and are able to take handoffs, catch short passes, or block defenders.

Scouting the Midshipmen

Navy returns after a bowl season, with a 8-5 overall record. This year's team has 25 letterwinners and 13 starters returning. Navy has led the NCAA in a record four-consecutive seasons, last year getting 292.4 rushing yards/game.

Offense
Junior QB Ricky Dobbs returns to the team as the leading rusher with 495 yards and eight touchdowns last season. He played in 7 of 13 games, only starting once. Dobbs completed 9 of 16 for 212 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He was the third leading rusher last season. He did not see any action as QB in 2007. Expected to lineup at slotback are Sophomore Marcus Curry and Senior Bobby Doyle. Curry played in seven games last year, but did not start or have any carries. Curry will also return kicks, and is one of the fastest players on the team. Doyle lines up at the other SB spot. Doyle was originally recruited as a QB, but he played as SB in all 13 games last year with one start, getting 16 carries for 169 yards. The Chardon, OH native played in all 13 games in 2007, but had limited touches. At fullback is sophomore Alexander Teich. Teich played in 12 games last season, no starts, with seven carries for 24 yards. He also has returned kicks, averaging 15.3 yards/return. At wide receiver are junior Greg Jones and Mike Schupp. The wide receivers won't have that many passes in this offense

Defense
Junior LB Ross Pospisil returns after racking up 106 tackles last year. Posposil is the defensive team captain. He returns after starting in all 13 games at inside linebacker last season. Last year's unit gave up 35 points to Ball State and both Duke and Pittsburgh had over 40 points. Seven players are expected to return as starters, including most of the lineman and linebackers. The secondary could be a major weakness, due to inexperience.

Why Bill the Goat?

The first time a live goat was used as a mascot for Navy was back in 1893 when a goat named "El Cid" was turned over to the Brigade by officers on the USS New York. El Cid is credited for the 6-4 win over Army that season. After El Cid various animals such as cats, a dog, and a carrier pigeon have been used, but since 1904 a goat has been the official mascot. The school continues to use a live goat and currently has three goats being used, named Bill XXXII, Bill XXXIII, and Bill XXXIV. The official handlers are Midshipmen from the first, second, and third class who receive extensive training prior to handling Bill on gameday.

The Series

This will be the fourth meeting between OSU and Navy, with OSU leading the series 3-0. In the three games Ohio State won with a score of 27-0 at Navy, 20-0 at Columbus in 1931, and 31-28 in the Liberty Bowl in 1981.The teams have not met in the regular season since the 1931 Homecoming game in Columbus. That game was played with in a steady rain and sleet. Sid Gilman tipped a pass and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown. Gilman would later coach at college level and eventually professional football, where he is credited as making football what it is today, with innovations such as the study of game film and deep downfield passes. Also in that 1931 game OSU scored on a blocked return and an interception return. The defense stopped the last two Navy drives with two interceptions.

The teams will complete the two game series in 2014 in Maryland.

The Coaches

Jim Tressel
In his 9th season at OSU he is 83-19, with a career record of 218-76-2 in 23 years of coaching. He is 8-0 in season openers at OSU and 17-5-1 in his career. His teams have not played a service academy team.















Ken Niumatalolo
Last season, in his first year as a head coach, he led the team to an 8-6 record and a bowl game. He is the first coach in the history of the Academy to reach a bowl game in his first season. He is the second coach in the history of the Academy to win the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy in the first year as a coach, with wins over Air Force and Army. The team had its first victory over an AP top 25 team since 1985 with a win over #16 Wake Forest. Niumatalolo is the first Samoan college coach at any level of college football. He was promoted from assistant head coach, after ten seasons in various positions on the Navy coaching staff. He has been a part of the coaching staff, which has been in six-consecutive bowl games and won six consecutive Commander-In-Chief's Trophies. He has also been on the coaching staffs at Hawaii and UNLV. He is a native of Hawaii and graduated from Hawaii after earning three letters as quarterback.