Guest Panel-Week 14 Games and Standings

Here are the games for the Guest Panel to consider this week. Below are the standings as well. Philly Cheese moved into a tie with Funtik for first, due to a 5-1 record. Mel Kiper jumped Batman for third place. SPAM had the biggest move, going from 8th to 4th. Both Big Dog and Bowl Ban had 5-1 records. None of the panelists correctly picked Arizona State over Arizona.

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

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

Standings:

1. Funtik the Hog (53-25) (4-2 last week)

1. Philly Cheese (53-25) (5-1 last week)

3. Mel Kiper's Hair (50-28) (4-2 last week)
4. Batman (49-29) (3-3 last week)

4. SPAM (49-29) (4-2 last week)
6. Dr. Funkenstein (48-30) (3-3 last week)

6. Corso (48-30) (4-2 last week)

6. Black Widow (48-30) (4-2 last week)

9. Hudy the Dark Knight (47-31) (3-3 last week)

10. Old Bag of Man (46-32) (3-3 last week)

10. Big Dog (46-32) (5-1 last week)

12. Bowl Ban (45-33) (5-1 last week)

Games for this week:

1. Nebraska vs. Wisconsin
2. UCLA vs. Stanford (Friday)
3. Alabama vs. Georgia
4. Texas vs. Kansas St.
5. Northern Illinois vs. Kent St. (Friday)
And the oddball game this week is:

6. New Mexico St. vs. Texas St.

What to Expect

Brady Hoke may coach well at home, as he is undefeated at home in two seasons, but he only has two road victories this season and those were against Purdue and Minnesota. When facing strong competition on the road Michigan has lost at Alabama, Notre Dame, and Nebraska. The Michigan offense stalled in the Nebraska game when Robinson exited the game due to an injury. Behind Gardner the passing game has improved to average 278 passing yards/game, after failing to eclipse 200 passing yards in Robinson's previous four games when he was healthy. The Michigan passing game will have some success and might reach 225 passing yards. Due to the injury at running back Michigan will be limited in the running game and may get 150 rushing yards. Michigan appears prepared to stop the Ohio State passing game, but the Michigan defense does not appear ready for the Ohio State run. Look for Ohio State to have 300 rushing yards and 175 passing yards. Urban Meyer has fully prepared this team for its November "bowl game" and he appreciates the significance of the rivalry. Ohio State will win 38-20.

Big Ten Expansion

Maryland and Rutgers in the Big Ten
Twitter and the blogs were busy posting about possible Big Ten expansion during the OSU-Wisconsin game. The reports were confirmed when on Monday it was announced that Maryland will leave the ACC, where it was a founding member in 1953. Rutgers will leave the Big East, which it joined in 1993. The teams are expected to join the Big Ten in 2014 after paying exit fees to their respective conferences, and Maryland is on the hook for $50 million, but Under Armour (based out of Baltimore) is expected to pay a large portion. This expansion will not add a football powerhouse, like Nebraska, but it does add a rich basketball program with Maryland. Ultimately this expansion was driven by money and TV markets. If you live in a Big Ten TV market, the Big Ten Network is on your basic cable package. If you live outside a Big Ten TV market, the BTN is available on premium cable packages which pays considerably less per subscriber. The BTN will add the market of Baltimore, Washington D.C., and possibly New York City. Those cable subscribers pay a lower rate, but that would increase as the channel is added to basic cable. Additionally, the Big Ten will renegotiate ESPN TV rights in 2017 and the addition of two teams and the city TV markets will increase the value dramatically. Some analysts have stated that Rutgers will not deliver the New York TV market, but News Corp. (Fox) recently purchased 80% of the YES Network (Yankees) and plans to bundle BTN with YES and Fox News in the Yankees viewing area which should cover New York City and the surrounding area. As you may know Fox owns 51% of BTN and operates the channel with the conference.

Era of Superconferences
There has been some speculation that the Big Ten is not done with the expansion at 14 teams. The Big Ten may be looking to expand to 16 teams, possibly looking for more teams on the east coast. One columnist listed North Carolina as a target, another listed Georgia Tech, and one article discussed the possibility of Notre Dame. If the ACC loses more teams, it may crumble forcing Notre Dame to consider other options. If the era of super conferences with sixteen teams is coming, the Big Ten wants to be ahead of the curve. The SEC and Pac-12 are watching closely, as they could add teams in an effort to reach the magic number of 16. The ACC is reportedly looking at Big East members UConn, Louisville, and Cincinnati. The Big East appears to be dying a slow painful death.

How Does this Impact the OSU Schedule
One article lists Ohio State remaining in the Leaders division with Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana, Maryland, and Rutgers. Illinois would leave the Leaders division and join the Legends division. The Ohio State-Illinois series is second longest for Ohio State only to the series against Michigan, with this year being the 99th meeting between Ohio State and Illinois. With fourteen or sixteen teams, you can expect to see less football games between teams in opposite divisions. 

Things to Watch

Injury Update
Linebacker Storm Klein hurt his back prior to the Illinois game and he is still questionable for the Michigan game. Jordan Hall re-injured his knee and will take a medical redshirt, extending his time at OSU by one additional season. On special teams, DeVan Bogard and Najee Murray are out for the season with ACL injuries. Three players missed some playing time against Wisconsin but returned to play and are expected to play this week, Ryan Shazier, C.J. Barnett, and Travis Howard.

Can Ohio State finish #1?
As you know, this is the last game for Ohio State. With a victory over Michigan it would only be the sixth time in team history with an undefeated season, with the others being 1916, 1944, 1954, 1968, and of course 2002.

New Uniforms

Ohio State will wear new uniforms during the Michigan game. The uniforms inspiration dates back to the late 1960's and were worn by the 1968 undefeated National Championship team. The jerseys are scarlet and the pants are gray. The larger numbers are written in gray and the stripping is wider than the current uniforms. There are seven buckeye leaves on the back collar with a block O on the front. The helmet is a dull gray which is supposed to stand out in sunlight.

Scouting the Wolverines

This Season
Michigan is 8-3 and 6-1 in the Big Ten. The Wolverines have wins against Air Force (31-25), Massachusetts (63-13), Purdue (44-13), Illinois (45-0), Michigan State (12-10), Minnesota (35-13), Northwestern (38-13 OT), and Iowa (42-17). Michigan has losses to Alabama (14-41), Notre Dame (6-13), Nebraska (9-23). Michigan averages 194 rushing yards/game, 200 passing yards/game, and 30 points/game. The Wolverine defense allows 151 rushing yards/game, 152 passing yards, and 18 points/game. The passing defense is ranked number one in the country.

Offense
The offense is potentially missing two key components this week; Denard Robinson at quarterback and Fitzgerald Toussaint at running back. Robinson has missed three games due an elbow injury, but he was able to run the ball and make two catches last week. Toussaint had a season ending leg injury last week. Third string quarterback Devin Gardner has won the last two games. Gardner started the season at receiver and has the unique statistic of at least two touchdowns which he has thrown, run, and caught. Robinson is listed as the starter but it isn't clear if he will play as a quarterback or running back/receiver. Also available at running back is Thomas Rawls who has 243 yards in seven games this season. At receiver is veteran Roy Roundtree who leads the team with 2,185 career reception yards. Also at receiver is Jeremy Gallon with 617 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Devin Funchess leads the team with five touchdown receptions.

Defense
Linebacker Jake Ryan leads the team with 75 tackles. Senior safety Jordan Kovacs has 59 tackles this season and 325 career tackles. Both cornerback Raymon Taylor and safety Thomas Gordon have two interceptions this season.

OSU Last Week

Both teams were unable to move the ball effectively in the first quarter. Ohio State struck first with a 68-yard punt return up the middle by Corey Brown late in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter Ohio State drove the ball 69 yards with a critical pass reception by Devin Smith and a 15-yard touchdown run by Carlos Hyde. Ohio State had a 14-0 lead. In the next possession Wisconsin responded with an 82-yard drive in which Montee Ball racked up 40 rushing yards. Ball had 191 rushing yards by the end of the game. At halftime the score was 14-7 in favor of Ohio State. The third quarter involved both teams trading punts and not reaching the endzone. Ohio State was unable to expand the lead, and Wisconsin drove the ball 43 yards in the last few minutes of the fourth quarter. From Ohio State's three yard line, Ball rushed for one yard on third down and on 4th and 1 he jumped over the pile to meet OSU LB Ryan Shazier who forced the ball lose and into the hands of Christian Bryant who ran the ball three yards. Ohio State had the ball and the ability to run out the clock to seal a 14-7 victory, but the Buckeyes were unable to get a first down and Wisconsin preserved some minutes on the clock by using all its timeouts. After a punt, Wisconsin took over with favorable field position and after converting some first downs Wisconsin scored with a touchdown pass and eight seconds remaining on the clock. Ohio State did not score and it remained 14-14 at the end of regulation. In overtime Ohio State finally had success running the ball with two runs by Miller and two by Hyde, including the 2 yard run into the endzone. Ohio State led 21-14. Wisconsin was unable to convert a first down and on fourth down threw an incomplete pass which was broken up by Christian Bryant, who again was in the right place at the right time. With the 21-14 victory, Ohio State won the Leaders Division outright. Both first place Ohio State and second place Penn State are ineligible for the Big Ten Championship Game, so third place Wisconsin will represent the Leaders Division in the championship game. John Simon tied the OSU record with four sacks.

The Coaches

Urban Meyer
In the 11th season of his coaching career his record is 115-23. He is 11-0 at Ohio State in his first season. After being a two-sport star in high school, he briefly played baseball for the Atlanta Braves farm system before he attended the University of Cincinnati. He earned his graduate degree from Ohio State and worked with the team as a graduate assistant under Earle Bruce from 1986-1987. He was an assistant coach at Illinois State under former OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock. He later re-joined Earle Bruce at Colorado St. In 1996 he was hired as an assistant coach under Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, and he remained with Notre Dame through 2000. In 2001 he started his head coaching career at Bowling Green and in two years he had a record of 17-6. He was hired at Utah in 2003. In his first year Utah won its bowl game, and during the second year the team was undefeated and won the Fiesta Bowl. He was 22-2 in two years at Utah. In 2005 he took the helm at Florida and immediately guided them to a 9-3 record and an Outback Bowl victory. In his second year he had a 13-1 record and a BCS National Championship victory over Ohio State. In his remaining four years he lost one bowl game, and also added another BCS National Championship and victories in the Sugar and Outback Bowl. He had a record of 65-15 during his six years at Florida.

Brady Hoke
In his second year at Michigan he is 19-5 and has a career record of 66-55 in ten years as a head coach. Hoke grew up in Kettering, Ohio and played at Ball State. He was an assistant at Grand Valley State, Western Michigan, Toledo, Oregon St., and Michigan (1995-2002). He took his first head coaching position at his alma mater Ball State and was there from 2003 until 2008. He then coached at San Diego State for two seasons, leading the Aztecs to a bowl game in 2010.

The Series

This will be the 109th game in what is considered the greatest rivalry in college football. The two teams first met in 1897 and have played every year since 1918, a streak of 95 straight years. Since 1935 the game has been the last conference game of the season. Michigan leads the series 58-43-6. Ohio State had a streak broken last year of six straight wins (2010 vacated). Ohio State has won 8 of the last 10 games. OSU leads the series 31-27-2 since Woody Hayes first season at OSU in 1951. Before Woody Hayes, Ohio State was considered the "graveyard of coaches." Starting with Woody Hayes, Ohio State took its rightful place in college football and in the series with Michigan.

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

Undefeated Teams in the Game
Both teams have ruined undefeated seasons of the opposing team. Michigan has won five games against undefeated Ohio State teams in 1969, 1973, 1993, 1995, and 1996. Ohio State has won five games against undefeated Michigan teams in 1970, 1972, 1974, 1975, and 2006.

Last Time
The winning streak against Michigan came to an end, with a final score of 40-34. Ohio State scored first with a 54-yard touchdown pass to Philly Brown, and Michigan scored on the next drive with a 41-yard run by QB Denard Robinson. Ohio State was unable to get out of the endzone and a hold resulted in a safety giving Michigan a 9-7 lead and the football. Robinson answered by moving the ball, and he threw a 26-yard touchdown. Drew Basil made a 45-yard FG and the score was 16-10. Michigan fumbled the ball and Braxton Miller capped off the drive with a 19-yard touchdown run. Robinson yet again answered the OSU TD with long drive and a touchdown run. Ohio State took the lead once more in the first half, with a TD pass by Miller, and a score of 24-23. Early in the third quarter Robinson directed a touchdown drive, to give Michigan a 30-24 lead. Ohio State scored a FG after Michigan's punter botched the snap. Michigan responded by driving the ball 75 yards for another touchdown and a lead of 37-27. Miller and Ohio State moved down the field, and Boom Herron ran it in for a touchdown. In its next drive Robinson appeared to run it in for a touchdown, but it was called back on two penalties by Michigan. Michigan settled for a 43-yard FG to increase the lead. Miller moved the ball for Ohio State, and on fourth down he was intercepted on a pass intended for Devin Smith. Miller had an impressive day with 100 rushing yards and 235 passing yards, but he was overshadowed by Robinson who had 170 rushing yards and 167 passing yards (completed 14 of 17).

Guest Panel-Week 13 Games and Standings

Here are the games for the Guest Panel to consider this week. Below are the standings as well. There was not much movement this week. Mel Kiper joined Batman at third place. Black Widow moved up a spot to sixth. Next week will be the last week for the Guest Panel Regular Season. The Guest Panel will have a separate competition for the Bowl Games.

Standings:

1. Funtik the Hog (49-23) (3-3 last week)

2. Philly Cheese (48-24) (3-3 last week)

3. Batman (46-26) (2-4 last week)

3. Mel Kiper's Hair (46-26) (3-3 last week)

5. Dr. Funkenstein (45-27) (2-4 last week)

6. Corso (44-28) (2-4 last week)

6. Black Widow (44-28) (3-3 last week)

8. SPAM (45-27) (4-2 last week)

9. Hudy the Dark Knight (44-28) (3-3 last week)

10. Old Bag of Man (43-29) (3-3 last week)

11. Big Dog (41-21) (4-2 last week)

12. Bowl Ban (40-32) (4-2 last week)

Games for this week:

1. Michigan vs. Ohio St.
2. Arizona St. vs. Arizona (Friday)
3. Stanford vs. UCLA
4. Florida vs. Florida St.
5. Oklahoma St. vs. Oklahoma
And the oddball game this week is:

6. Rice vs. UTEP

What to Expect

Wisconsin has not lived up to expectations, as it has dealt with three starting quarterbacks, an inconsistent running game, and an under performing offensive line which resulted in the firing of a coordinator. Wisconsin averages 218 rushing yards/game, but that number is a bit deceiving when you consider that Wisconsin had 337 against Minnesota, 467 against Purdue, and 563 against Indiana. The same Wisconsin offense was unable to top 60 rushing yards against Oregon State (35), Nebraska (56 yards), and MSU (19 yards). Perhaps Wisconsin found their running game last week, but they did not find the passing game behind career backup quarterback Curt Phillips. Ohio State is prepared to stop this seemingly one dimensional offense. Even during his Heisman like season last year, Ohio State was able to prevent Montee Ball from topping 100 yards. Look for Wisconsin to get 125 rushing yards and 100 passing yards. Wisconsin does appear ready to slow down the OSU running game, but the secondary appears susceptible to passing, especially a spread passing game. Look for Ohio State to have at least 175 rushing yards and 200 passing yards. Ohio State will win the game 31-24.

Scouting the Badgers

This Season
Wisconsin is 7-3 and 4-2 in Big Ten games. The Badgers have wins over Northern Iowa (26-21), Utah State (16-14), UTEP (37-26), Illinois (31-14), Purdue (38-14), Minnesota (38-13), and Indiana (62-14). Wisconsin has losses to Oregon State (7-10), Nebraska (27-30), and Michigan State (13-16 OT). Wisconsin averages 218 rushing yards and 166 passing yards with 29 points/game. The Wisconsin defense limits teams to 103 rushing yards, 206 passing yards, and 17 points/game.

Offense
Wisconsin had hoped to have similar success with another mercenary quarterback this season, but Maryland transfer Danny O'Brien is no Russell Wilson. The second string quarterback Joel Stave broke his collarbone in the Michigan State loss and is out for the season. Third string quarterback Curt Phillips, a senior career backup made his starting debut last week against Indiana and he only had seven attempts, of which he had four completions for 41 yards. Phillips missed the previous two seasons due to multiple ACL surgeries. The Indiana game was his first complete game since 2007, his senior year in high school. Despite the knee problems, Phillips will run and he had a 52-yard run against Indiana last week. At running back is 2011 Heisman finalist Montee Ball, who has 4,536 career rushing yards, the most among active FBS players. He also leads the nation with 77 career touchdowns, which is one shy of the NCAA record. This season he has 1226 yards and 16 touchdowns. Also running the ball is James White who has 2412 career rushing yards including 647 rushing yards this season. There is a not a strong passing game, but the leading receiver is Jared Abbrederis, who ranks second in the conference with 76 yards/game. Also catching the ball is tightend Sam Arneson

Defense
Leading the team in tackles is linebacker Mike Taylor with 95. Also at linebacker is Chris Borland, who is a Lombardi Award quarterfinalist. At cornerback is Devin Smith with three of the teams four interceptions this season and he has six in his career.

Things to Watch

Injury Update
Linebacker Etienne Sabino returned to practice last week after recovering from leg surgery and missing a number of games. Sabino will join Zach Boren and Ryan Shazier at starting linebacker. Linebacker Storm Klein hurt his back prior to the Illinois game and he is still questionable for the Wisconsin game. Jordan Hall re-injured his knee and will take a medical redshirt, extending his time at OSU by one additional season. On special teams, DeVan Bogard and Najee Murray are out for the season with ACL injuries. Safety Orhian Johnson injuired his shoulder against Illinois, but he will play at Wisconsin. Running back Bri'onte Dunn hurt his knee in practice during the bye-week and will not travel to Wisconsin. Center Corey Linsley has missed practice due to a foot sprain, but is set to start on Saturday. Defensive lineman Michael Bennett is expected to play as he deals with a groin injury.

Camp Randall
The Camp Randall grounds were used as a Union Civil War training site, and it housed some confederate soldiers. The stadium opened in 1917 and is the fourth oldest FBS stadium, behind only Georgia Tech (1913), Mississippi State (1914), and Cincinnati (1916). The original seating capacity was 10,000 but the capacity now is over 80,000. Since Coach Bielema's first season in 2006 Wisconsin is 44-4 at home. In addition to a loud crowd during the game, the fans dance between the third and fourth quarter when the stadium speakers play "Jump Around" by House of Pain, a tradition that dates back to 1998.

OSU Last Game

Illinois struck first with a 43-yard field goal almost halfway through the first quarter. Later in the quarter Carlos Hyde ran for his first of three touchdowns. Illinois scored once more in the first quarter, a 28-yard field goal. Ohio State dominated the second quarter with one field goal and three touchdowns.  Hyde had a five yard run for a touchdown, Rod Smith caught a 51-yard touchdown pass, and Hyde ran it in from 3 yards out. Ohio State led 31-6 at halftime. Braxton Miller led another touchdown drive, finished off by Miller running two yards into the endzone. Towards the end of the quarter Rod Smith fumbled after catching a four yard pass, setting up Illinois with favorable field position. Illinois was finally able to move the ball and after converting a few first downs, they scored on a one yard touchdown with a successful two point conversion. Miller had one more touchdown drive at the beginning of the fourth quarter with 37-yard touchdown pass to Corey Brown. Kenny Guiton took over and helped Ohio State move the ball to the Illinois 23 where he fumbled the ball. The fumble was recovered by Illinois for a 77-yard touchdown. Illinois again successfully ran a two point conversion. Illinois was not as successful with its onside kick attempt. Ohio State took over at the Illinois 44. Bri'onte Dunn ran it seven straight times and the last one was a three yard touchdown run. Illinois was unable to score on its last possession. Ohio State limited Illinois to 19 of 34 on passes for 91 yards. Illinois only had 170 of total offense. Ohio State won 52-22.

The Series

OSU leads 54-17-5 in this series that dates back to 1913. In the last 14 games, OSU leads 9-5-1 games. In the last 11 games it is a bit closer with OSU leading 6-5.

Last Time
Ohio State won it's 2011 homecoming matchup against Wisconsin with a final score of 33-29. Braxton Miller had a clutch 40-yard touchdown pass to fellow true freshman Devin Smith with 20 second left in the game. The touchdown was confirmed  after the review of Miller's feet, which were near the line of scrimmage when it was thrown. The go-ahead touchdown erased the two quick touchdowns Wisconsin had in the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter had a total of 31 points between the two teams. Miller had 188 yards, with 89 in the air and 99 running the ball.

First Half
Wisconsin had the first touchdown, a 22 yard touchdown pass, when Christian Bryant missed an interception. Ohio State moved the ball, but was only able to score off three points in the first half, a 39 yard FG.

Third Quarter
Ohio State owned the third quarter, starting with a 57-yard run by Boom Herron on the first play of the second half. Miller ran in a 1-yard keeper for a touchdown. Freshman linebacker Ryan Frazier blocked Wisconsin's punt, in a similar way as Michigan State did the week before, setting up Ohio State at the one yard line. Jordan Hall ran in for the second Ohio State touchdown. Jordan Hall unfortunately did not recover the ball on Wisconsin's next punt, and Wisconsin scored a touchdown with its best field position of the day. 

Fourth Quarter
Drew Basil made his second FG, this one was 22 yards, a few minutes into the fourth quarter. Both teams exchanged the ball and with less than five minutes remaining Miller ran the ball in for a TD from 44 yards out, and Ohio State missed the two point conversion, leaving the score at 26-14. Russel Wilson and Jared Abbrederis connected for two touchdowns, including one two point conversion, to take the three point lead. After Braxton Miller's winning touchdown pass, Wisconsin received the ball and despite a good kick return and two untimely Ohio State penalties, Wisconsin was unable to score. Andrew Sweat hit Wilson as he was throwing the ball on the last play of the game. It was a relatively clean game with only 7 penalties among the teams (two by Ohio State in the last drive), no interceptions, and only one lost fumble (OSU). The Ohio State defense limited the potent Wisconsin offense to 89 rushing yards, well below the average of 252 rushing yards.

The Coaches

Urban Meyer
In the 11th season of his coaching career his record is 114-23. He is 10-0 at Ohio State in his first season. After being a two-sport star in high school, he briefly played baseball for the Atlanta Braves farm system before he attended the University of Cincinnati. He earned his graduate degree from Ohio State and worked with the team as a graduate assistant under Earle Bruce from 1986-1987. He was an assistant coach at Illinois State under former OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock. He later re-joined Earle Bruce at Colorado St. In 1996 he was hired as an assistant coach under Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, and he remained with Notre Dame through 2000. In 2001 he started his head coaching career at Bowling Green and in two years he had a record of 17-6. He was hired at Utah in 2003. In his first year Utah won its bowl game, and during the second year the team was undefeated and won the Fiesta Bowl. He was 22-2 in two years at Utah. In 2005 he took the helm at Florida and immediately guided them to a 9-3 record and an Outback Bowl victory. In his second year he had a 13-1 record and a BCS National Championship victory over Ohio State. In his remaining four years he lost one bowl game, and also added another BCS National Championship and victories in the Sugar and Outback Bowl. He had a record of 65-15 during his six years at Florida.

Bret Bielema
In his seventh season as a head coach, all at Wisconsin, he is 67-22. After his second season he was 21-5, and was only the third coach in Big Ten history with that many victories in two seasons. The other two coaches being Michigan's Fielding Yost with 22 and Jim Tressel with 21. After playing defensive line at Iowa and briefly in Arena Football he worked as a graduate assistant and then a Linebackers assistant coach at his alma mater. For two years he was an assistant defensive coordinator at Kansas State. Bielema joined Wisconsin as a defensive coordinator for two years prior to being named head coach. He is 1-4 against Ohio State (win not vacated in 2010).

Guest Panel-Week 12 Games and Standings

Here are the games for the Guest Panel to consider this week. Below are the standings as well. Funtik the Hog moved up a spot to first with a 3-3 record. The oddball week was rough for the panel, with all but one panelist going 3-3 or worse. Hudy had the best record of 4-2 and as a result he jumped from 10th to 7th.

Standings:

1. Funtik the Hog (46-20) (3-3 last week)

2. Philly Cheese (45-21) (1-5 last week)

3. Batman (44-22) (2-4 last week)

4. Mel Kiper's Hair (43-23) (3-3 last week)

4. Dr. Funkenstein (43-23) (3-3 last week)

6. Corso (42-24) (3-3 last week)

7. Black Widow (41-25) (1-5 last week)

7. SPAM (41-25) (3-3 last week)

7. Hudy the Dark Knight (41-25) (4-2 last week)

10. Old Bag of Man (40-26) (2-4 last week)

11. Big Dog (37-29) (2-4 last week)

12. Bowl Ban (36-30) (2-4 last week)

 

Games for this week:

1. Ohio State vs. Wisconsin
2. USC vs. UCLA
3. Oklahoma vs. West Virginia
4. Stanford vs. Oregon
5. UCF vs. Tulsa
And the oddball game this week is:

6. Florida International vs. Florida Atlantic (Friday)

Guest Panel-Week 11 Games and Standings

Here are the games for the Guest Panel to consider this week. Below are the standings as well. There were no changes in the top-three as all three panelists went 5-1 last week. Dr. Funkenstein and Black Widow moved up to fourth with 5-1 records. Big Dog was the only panelists to go 6-0 and as a result he moved up a spot. OSU may have a bye-week, but the guest panel is still providing you with picks and commentary. This week the panel is picking all oddball games.

Standings:

1. Philly Cheese (44-16) (5-1 last week)

2. Funtik the Hog (43-17) (5-1 last week)

3. Batman (42-18) (5-1 last week)

4. Mel Kiper's Hair (40-20) (4-2 last week)

4. Dr. Funkenstein (40-20) (5-1 last week)

4. Black Widow (40-20) (5-1 last week)

7. Corso (39-21) (4-2 last week)

8. SPAM (38-22) (3-3 last week)

8. Old Bag of Man (38-22) (4-2 last week)

10. Hudy the Dark Knight (37-13) (4-2 last week)
11. Big Dog (35-25) (6-0 last week)

12. Bowl Ban (34-26) (4-2 last week)

 

And the oddball games this week are:

1. Central Michigan vs. Eastern Michigan
2. Tulane vs. Memphis
3. UNLV vs. Colorado St.
4. Massachusetts vs. Akron
5. Wyoming vs. New Mexico
6. Western Michigan vs. Buffalo

What to Expect

Illinois has a decent punter, but the placekicker is not strong. Nick Immekus was the starting placekicker at the beginning of the season, but was replaced by Taylor Zalewski due to injury. Zalewski hit his first career field goal attempt, a 47-yard field goal, but overall he is 3 of 6. Through multiple coaching changes, Illinois has won 7 of the last 11 games in Ohio Stadium, but the last victory was in 2007 and it was the first win in Columbus since 2001. Illinois has not had a strong running game, however last week against Indiana Donovonn Young had 124 yards and Scheelhaase had 85 rushing yards. OSU will put pressure on Illinois and prevent the running game from getting started. Look for Illinois to get 75 rushing yards and 175 passing yards. Ohio State will run the ball with ease getting at least 250 rushing yards. Braxton Miller and Kenny Guiton will pass for 225 yards. Ohio State will win 45-17 and finally have a comfortable lead in the second half giving Guiton plenty of minutes.

Things to Watch

Injury Update
Linebacker Etienne Sabino is expected to be out at least 2 more weeks due to his leg surgery. In practice, running back Jordan Hall re-injured his knee and will likely miss the rest of the season, with a medical redshirt now a possibility. On special teams, DeVan Bogard and Najee Murray are out for the season with ACL injuries. Devin Smith appeared hurt after he made a tackle on punt coverage, but he returned to the game and is expected to be fine. Defensive lineman John Simon missed some time in the Penn State game due to a leg injury, but he appears to be fine. Safety Zach Domincone missed the trip to Penn State with a leg injury, his status is unclear for this week.

What is at Stake?
Ohio State remains undefeated, one of only six unbeaten teams, a list that includes: Alabama, Oregon, Kansas St, Notre Dame, and Louisville. As those teams likely compete in a BCS bowl game (maybe not Louisville), Ohio State will remain at home for the holidays. Ohio State has the opportunity to win the Leaders division in the Big Ten, and now has a 1.5 game lead over Penn State with the tiebreaker. With a late season bye next week, the other Big Ten teams will catch up in conference games played. Ohio State would win a trophy if it wins the Leaders division, but it would be excluded from competing in the Big Ten Championship Game. Ohio State is not eligible to be ranked in the BCS poll, or any of its components including the USA Today-Coaches Poll. The Buckeyes are ranked #6 in the AP Poll, and the AP can name its own champion without the restrictions of the BCS. If Ohio State is #1 in the AP Poll after the bowl games, it will be named National Champions by the AP.

Scouting the Fighting Ilini

This Season
It has been a difficult transition for the new coaching staff with a 2-6 record and 0-4 record in the Big Ten. Illinois has victories over Western Michigan (24-7) and Charleston Southern (44-0). The Fighting Illini have losses to Arizona State (14-45), Louisiana Tech (24-52), Penn State (7-35), Wisconsin (14-31), Michigan (0-45), and Indiana (17-31). Illinois averages 132 rushing yards, 184 passing yards, and 18 points. The defense allows 152 rushing yards, 213 passing yards, and 30 points. The Illinois defense limits teams to a 30% third-down conversion rate, which is the best percentage in the Big Ten. The Illinois defense also leads the Big Ten with a 20% fourth-down conversion rate.

Offense
Junior Nathan Scheelhaase has 1,653 career rushing yards. Scheelhaase has missed time in four games due to injuries. This season he has thrown four touchdowns and five interceptions. Also playing at quarterback is Reilly O'Toole, who completed 83% of his passes against Charleston Southern. Running back Donovonn Young had 124 rushing yards against Indiana last week. This season he has 400 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, 131 passing yards, and one touchdown reception. At wide receiver are Darius Millines and Ryan Lankford. Millines has dealt with injuries this season, but he had 80 yards in the Indiana game. Lankford is the main receiver for Illinois, and he had 100-yards against Penn State, with a total of 413 yards and five touchdowns this season.

Defense
The experienced players on the defensive line are defensive end Michael Buchanan and defensive tackle Akeem Spence. Jonathan Brown at linebacker leads the team with 55 tackles. At second on the team with tackles is Ashante Williams with 52 tackles. At safety both Earnest Thomas and Steve Hull dealt with injuries early this season, but both will start against Ohio State.

OSU Last Week

First Half
Both teams traded punts during the first quarter. In the second quarter Penn State scored the first touchdown off a blocked a punt, which was recovered in the endzone. It was the third OSU blocked punt this season. In its last possession of the half, Ohio State was forced to punt the ball, but a holding penalty on Penn State gave the Buckeyes another opportunity to score. OSU moved down the field, including a run by Braxton Miller for 33 yards. Carlos Hyde ran in the touchdown, to finish the drive and tie the score 7-7.

Second Half
Early in the third quarter Ohio State took the lead with a interception and 17-yard touchdown by linebacker Ryan Shazier, his first touchdown at Ohio State. Penn State hit a field goal to make the score 14-10. Miller threw an interception, but Penn State was unable to convert for a first down. On fourth down Penn State attempted a fake punt and Ohio State defensive back Adam Griffin broke up the pass. Adam is the son of Archie Griffin. Ohio State appeared to take control of the game after the failed punt by Penn State. Miller directed a drive of 57 yards, including a pass to Devin Smith and a touchdown run by Miller, which gave Ohio State the lead 21-10. The touchdown was scored on one of the most impressive one-yard touchdown runs by Miller. Miller faked a hand-off to Carlos Hyde, and Hyde was then smothered by a defensive end. Miller ran forward, stopped, and stepped back to avoid a linebacker. Miller then ran forward and jumped over a diving safety, and landed in the endzone after scoring the touchdown. Penn State punted again, and OSU moved down the field with runs and passes by Braxton Miller, finished with Miller running in his second touchdown. Ohio State increased its lead to 28-10. Penn State finally had some success in the fourth quarter, with McGloin connecting with his receivers, but the drive took valuable minutes off the clock, and Penn State was still down by 12 points after a missed two point conversion. On third and four, Miller found Jake Stonburner for a 72-yard touchdown, putting the game out of reach for Penn State. The Nittany Lions had one more drive and scored on another passing touchdown. Ohio State won 35-23. Penn State had some success in the passing game with 327 yards, but the running game was limited to 32 rushing yards. Braxton Miller struggled at the beginning of the game, but eventually had 143 passing yards and 134 individual rushing yards. Ohio State had 234 rushing yards as a team.