Purdue has struggled under the new head coach. A number of true freshman have been placed in starting roles, which has created some growing pains but it could pay off in the future to have experienced players. As has been the case since the days of Coach Joe Tiller, Purdue depends on the passing game. Purdue will be limited to 75 rushing yards and 175 passing yards. Ohio State will continue to dominate in the running game and have at least 300 rushing yards and 250 passing yards. Ohio State will win 52-10.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Things to Watch
Hyde Dominates
Carlos Hyde is second in the Big Ten rushing for 590 yards and he is tied for first in the conference with seven touchdowns. Keep in mind that he has achieved those numbers despite missing the first three games of the season for disciplinary reasons. Hyde is one of only three players nationally who has not lost a yard rushing.
Scouting the Boilermakers
Purdue is 1-6 (0-3 Big Ten) with a victory over Indiana State and losses to Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, Nebraska, and Michigan State. The Boilermakers average 76 rushing yards, 202 passing yards, and 13 points/game. The Purdue defense allows 192 rushing yards, 206 passing yards, and 34 points/game.
OffenseDefense
Cornerback Ricardo Allen has two interceptions this season for 27 yards. Allen also has 4 tackles for loss. Safety Taylor Richards leads the team with 38 tackles.
OSU Last Game
Ohio State dominated Penn State last week with a final score of 63-14. Ohio State scored 42 points in the first half while Penn State scored seven. Braxton Miller was 18 of 24 for 252 passing yards with three touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns. Carlos Hyde ran for 147 yards and two touchdowns. Kenny Guiton had two rushing touchdowns. The defense intercepted two passes from freshman quarterback Christian Hackenberg.
The Series
OSU leads the series 38-14-2 (2010 victory vacated). Ohio State has lost in the last two visits to Purdue in 2009 and 2011. Ohio State won last year 29-22. The last two games in this series have been decided in overtime.
Last Year
Ohio State struggled in a game that included a Purdue touchdown on the first possession. Later in the game there was a Purdue kick-off return for a touchdown for 100-yards, a Purdue successful fake punt on the Purdue side of the field, four Ohio State turnovers, key injuries to Ohio State including Braxton Miller, a missed 50-yard field goal by Ohio State, a safety by Ohio State, and Ohio State not having any timeouts on its last possession.
First Half
On Purdue's first offensive play of the day, Caleb TerBush threw a pass to running back Akeem Shavers, who eluded linebacker Storm Klein and ran for an 83-yard touchdown. Both teams traded possessions, and later in the first quarter Braxton Miller led a 67-yard drive, completed with a 8 yard run by Miller for a touchdown. After the touchdown Ohio State kicked the ball, and Purdue returned it 100 yards for a touchdown. It appeared that no Ohio State defender touched Purdue on both the first Purdue touchdown and the 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Neither team scored in the second quarter, so the score at halftime was 13-7 in favor of Purdue.
Second Half
Halfway through the third quarter Carlos Hyde capped off a drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. Ohio State briefly took a 20-13 lead, but Purdue responded with a 31-yard touchdown pass. Like the two earlier Purdue touchdowns, the player reached the endzone untouched by an OSU defender. Bradley Roby blocked a field goal attempt by Purdue. Ohio State took over at the 24-yard line, and on the first play Miller ran 37-yards, but his body came down hard on the turf and he needed help off the field. Miller was later transported to the hospital for an apparent head injury. Kenny Guiton took over, but Ohio State could not get a first down and missed a 50-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter Ohio State took over at the one-yard line. Carlos Hyde ran for five yards, but on the next possession Ohio State was called for a illegal block in the endzone, resulting in a safety. Purdue increased its lead to eight points, the score was 22-14. Kenny Guiton had another shot at Purdue, but Ohio State only moved the ball 14-yards and Guiton threw an interception with just over three minutes remaining. Purdue was unable to run out the clock and a was forced to punt the ball.
Late Fourth Quarter
Chris Fields returned the punt to the 39-yard line, setting up a short field for the Buckeyes. Ohio State was down eight points and Kenny Guiton took over with 47 seconds left and no timeouts. Guiton completed the first pass of the drive to Devin Smith for 39 yards, placing the ball at the Purdue 22-yard line. Guiton completed the next pass to Evan Spencer for eight yards. On second down Guiton was unable to connect with a receiver. On third down, Hyde rushed for first down, placing the ball at the 11-yard line. Guiton's next two passes were incomplete. On third and ten, Guiton did not connect with his receiver but Purdue was called for pass interference. On first and goal from the two-yard line Guiton threw to Chris fields for a short touchdown. Fields had his hands under the ball as he went to the ground, and the video review confirmed the touchdown. It was Fields first touchdown reception. Ohio State went for two points, and opted to pass instead of run. Guiton rolled to the right and tight end Jeff Heuerman broke free to the left side of the endzone and caught the pass, to tie the score 22-22. Purdue was not able to run a play after the kickoff, prior to the end of regulation.
Overtime
Ohio State had the ball first in overtime, and Guiton was unable to run or pass on first down. Jake Stoneburner caught a critical first down, moving the ball 17 yards. Carlos Hyde rushed for five yards on first down. On second down Kenny Guiton ran for two yards. Carlos Hyde scored on the next play with a one yard run into the endzone. The defense stepped up and forced two incomplete passes on Purdue's first two downs. On first down, safety C.J. Barnett broke up the pass with a big hit. Linebacker Ryan Shazier put pressure on Caleb TerBush to force the incomplete pass on second down. On third down TerBush found Gabe Holmes for a five yard reception. Purdue called timeout and on fourth and five, TerBush threw another incomplete pressure while facing pressure from the Ohio State defensive line. Ohio State won in overtime 29-22.
Last Year
Ohio State struggled in a game that included a Purdue touchdown on the first possession. Later in the game there was a Purdue kick-off return for a touchdown for 100-yards, a Purdue successful fake punt on the Purdue side of the field, four Ohio State turnovers, key injuries to Ohio State including Braxton Miller, a missed 50-yard field goal by Ohio State, a safety by Ohio State, and Ohio State not having any timeouts on its last possession.
First Half
On Purdue's first offensive play of the day, Caleb TerBush threw a pass to running back Akeem Shavers, who eluded linebacker Storm Klein and ran for an 83-yard touchdown. Both teams traded possessions, and later in the first quarter Braxton Miller led a 67-yard drive, completed with a 8 yard run by Miller for a touchdown. After the touchdown Ohio State kicked the ball, and Purdue returned it 100 yards for a touchdown. It appeared that no Ohio State defender touched Purdue on both the first Purdue touchdown and the 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Neither team scored in the second quarter, so the score at halftime was 13-7 in favor of Purdue.
Second Half
Halfway through the third quarter Carlos Hyde capped off a drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. Ohio State briefly took a 20-13 lead, but Purdue responded with a 31-yard touchdown pass. Like the two earlier Purdue touchdowns, the player reached the endzone untouched by an OSU defender. Bradley Roby blocked a field goal attempt by Purdue. Ohio State took over at the 24-yard line, and on the first play Miller ran 37-yards, but his body came down hard on the turf and he needed help off the field. Miller was later transported to the hospital for an apparent head injury. Kenny Guiton took over, but Ohio State could not get a first down and missed a 50-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter Ohio State took over at the one-yard line. Carlos Hyde ran for five yards, but on the next possession Ohio State was called for a illegal block in the endzone, resulting in a safety. Purdue increased its lead to eight points, the score was 22-14. Kenny Guiton had another shot at Purdue, but Ohio State only moved the ball 14-yards and Guiton threw an interception with just over three minutes remaining. Purdue was unable to run out the clock and a was forced to punt the ball.
Late Fourth Quarter
Chris Fields returned the punt to the 39-yard line, setting up a short field for the Buckeyes. Ohio State was down eight points and Kenny Guiton took over with 47 seconds left and no timeouts. Guiton completed the first pass of the drive to Devin Smith for 39 yards, placing the ball at the Purdue 22-yard line. Guiton completed the next pass to Evan Spencer for eight yards. On second down Guiton was unable to connect with a receiver. On third down, Hyde rushed for first down, placing the ball at the 11-yard line. Guiton's next two passes were incomplete. On third and ten, Guiton did not connect with his receiver but Purdue was called for pass interference. On first and goal from the two-yard line Guiton threw to Chris fields for a short touchdown. Fields had his hands under the ball as he went to the ground, and the video review confirmed the touchdown. It was Fields first touchdown reception. Ohio State went for two points, and opted to pass instead of run. Guiton rolled to the right and tight end Jeff Heuerman broke free to the left side of the endzone and caught the pass, to tie the score 22-22. Purdue was not able to run a play after the kickoff, prior to the end of regulation.
Overtime
Ohio State had the ball first in overtime, and Guiton was unable to run or pass on first down. Jake Stoneburner caught a critical first down, moving the ball 17 yards. Carlos Hyde rushed for five yards on first down. On second down Kenny Guiton ran for two yards. Carlos Hyde scored on the next play with a one yard run into the endzone. The defense stepped up and forced two incomplete passes on Purdue's first two downs. On first down, safety C.J. Barnett broke up the pass with a big hit. Linebacker Ryan Shazier put pressure on Caleb TerBush to force the incomplete pass on second down. On third down TerBush found Gabe Holmes for a five yard reception. Purdue called timeout and on fourth and five, TerBush threw another incomplete pressure while facing pressure from the Ohio State defensive line. Ohio State won in overtime 29-22.
The Coaches
Urban Meyer
In the 12th season of his coaching career Urban Meyer's record is 124-23. Meyer is 20-0 at Ohio State, after going 12-0 in his first season. He earned his graduate degree from Ohio State and worked with the team as a graduate assistant under Earle Bruce from 1986-1987. He was an assistant coach at Illinois State under former OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock. He later re-joined Earle Bruce at Colorado St. In 1996 he was hired as an assistant coach under Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, and he remained with Notre Dame through 2000. In 2001 he started his head coaching career at Bowling Green and in two years he had a record of 17-6. He was hired at Utah in 2003. In his first year Utah won its bowl game, and during the second year the team was undefeated and won the Fiesta Bowl. He was 22-2 in two years at Utah. He had a record of 65-15 during his six years at Florida, including two BCS National Championships.
Darrell HazellIn the 12th season of his coaching career Urban Meyer's record is 124-23. Meyer is 20-0 at Ohio State, after going 12-0 in his first season. He earned his graduate degree from Ohio State and worked with the team as a graduate assistant under Earle Bruce from 1986-1987. He was an assistant coach at Illinois State under former OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock. He later re-joined Earle Bruce at Colorado St. In 1996 he was hired as an assistant coach under Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, and he remained with Notre Dame through 2000. In 2001 he started his head coaching career at Bowling Green and in two years he had a record of 17-6. He was hired at Utah in 2003. In his first year Utah won its bowl game, and during the second year the team was undefeated and won the Fiesta Bowl. He was 22-2 in two years at Utah. He had a record of 65-15 during his six years at Florida, including two BCS National Championships.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Guest Panel-Week 10 Games and Standings
Here are the games for the Guest Panel to consider this week. Below are the standings as well. Corso extended his lead by one game. Mel Kiper's Hair and Old Bag of Man moved up to second place with 6-1 records. Philly Cheese also moved up with a 6-1 record. Hudy was the only panelist with a 7-0 record and he moved to 9th place. The Toledo victory was not predicted by most of the Guest Panel.
Standings:
1. Corso (40-15) (5-2 last week)
2. Funtik the Hog (38-17) (4-3 last week)
2. Mel Kiper's Hair (38-17) (6-1 last week)2. Funtik the Hog (38-17) (4-3 last week)
2. Old Bag of Man (38-17) (6-1 last week)
5. Cliff Diving Raoul (37-18) (3-4 last week)
5. SPAM (37-18) (4-3 last week)
8. Ballz to the Wallz-Big Dog (34-21) (4-3 last week)
9. Batman (33-22) (6-1 last week)
9. Batman (33-22) (6-1 last week)
9. Hudy (33-22) (7-0 last week)
11. ChadsOSU (30-25) (4-3 last week)
11. W.T. (30-25) (5-2 last week)
11. ChadsOSU (30-25) (4-3 last week)
11. W.T. (30-25) (5-2 last week)
Games for this week:
1. Ohio State vs. Purdue
2. Michigan vs. Michigan State
3. Georgia vs. Florida
4. Miami (FL) vs. Florida St.
5. Army vs. Air Force
And the oddball game this week is:
6. UTSA vs. TulsaAnd the oddball game this week is:
Thursday, October 24, 2013
What to Expect
Will Penn State be rested after the bye-week? Two weeks ago PSU won in four overtimes against Michigan, in the longest FBS game this season and the longest game in Big Ten history. Penn State is efficient in the redzone converting 22 of 23 this season with 16 touchdowns. Penn State will have to win through the air, as the rushing game has struggled in Big Ten action with only 70 rushing yards against Indiana and 85 yards against Michigan. However the passing game has done well in conference, averaging over 300 yards. Penn State will have 100 rushing yards and 300 passing yards against Ohio State. Ohio State will have 275 rushing yards and 300 passing yards. Ohio State will win 42-28.
Things to Watch
Another Bye-Week?
There has been quite a bit of discussion in the media over the fact that this is the third consecutive rested opponent, coming into the Ohio State game after a bye-week. The first rested opponent was Northwestern, then Iowa, and now Penn State. This streak will continue as Ohio State's next opponent Purdue is off this week.Scouting the Nittany Lions
Penn State enters this game 4-2 (1-1 Big Ten) with victories against Syracuse, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, and Michigan. The Nittany Lions have losses against UCF and Indiana. PSU averages 157 rushing yards/game, 283 passing yards/game, and 33 points/game. The defense allows 23 points/game, 117 rushing yards/game, and 218 passing yards/game.
OffenseDefense
Leading the team in tackles is Glenn Carson with 49. The defensive line is anchored by defensive tackle DeQuan Jones. The other defensive end, C.J. Olaniyan was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for his eight tackles and 2.5 sacks against Michigan.
OSU Last Game
It was a tale of two halves on Saturday, with Iowa dominating in the first half with a lead of 21-14. In the second half Ohio State had a 306-153 offensive yard advantage and a 23:05-6:55 possession clock advantage. Braxton Miller was 22 of 27 for 222 yards and two touchdowns. Miller also ran for 102 rushing yards. Carlos Hyde had 149 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Iowa had previously not allowed an opponent to score a rushing touchdown. Bradley Roby was ejected early in the game for targeting. Ohio State won 34-24.
The Coaches
Urban Meyer
In the 12th season of his coaching career Urban Meyer's record is 123-23. Meyer is 19-0 at Ohio State, after going 12-0 in his first season. He earned his graduate degree from Ohio State and worked with the team as a graduate assistant under Earle Bruce from 1986-1987. He was an assistant coach at Illinois State under former OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock. He later re-joined Earle Bruce at Colorado St. In 1996 he was hired as an assistant coach under Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, and he remained with Notre Dame through 2000. In 2001 he started his head coaching career at Bowling Green and in two years he had a record of 17-6. He was hired at Utah in 2003. In his first year Utah won its bowl game, and during the second year the team was undefeated and won the Fiesta Bowl. He was 22-2 in two years at Utah. He had a record of 65-15 during his six years at Florida, including two BCS National Championships.
Bill O'Brien
In his second season as a head coach he is 12-6. Prior to Penn State, O'Brien was the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots. Before New England he was an assistant coach at Brown University, Georgia Tech, Maryland, and Duke. O'Brien was a linebacker and defensive end at Brown University.
In the 12th season of his coaching career Urban Meyer's record is 123-23. Meyer is 19-0 at Ohio State, after going 12-0 in his first season. He earned his graduate degree from Ohio State and worked with the team as a graduate assistant under Earle Bruce from 1986-1987. He was an assistant coach at Illinois State under former OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock. He later re-joined Earle Bruce at Colorado St. In 1996 he was hired as an assistant coach under Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, and he remained with Notre Dame through 2000. In 2001 he started his head coaching career at Bowling Green and in two years he had a record of 17-6. He was hired at Utah in 2003. In his first year Utah won its bowl game, and during the second year the team was undefeated and won the Fiesta Bowl. He was 22-2 in two years at Utah. He had a record of 65-15 during his six years at Florida, including two BCS National Championships.
Bill O'Brien
In his second season as a head coach he is 12-6. Prior to Penn State, O'Brien was the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots. Before New England he was an assistant coach at Brown University, Georgia Tech, Maryland, and Duke. O'Brien was a linebacker and defensive end at Brown University.
The Series
OSU leads 14-13 in a series that dates to 1912. OSU is12-7 since Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1993. Penn State defeated OSU during the last visit to Columbus in 2011. Ohio State defeated Penn State last season 35-23.
Last Season
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 of the 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 made 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 Stoneburner 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.
Last Season
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 of the 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 made 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 Stoneburner 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.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Guest Panel-Week 9 Games and Standings
Here are the games for the Guest Panel to consider this week. Below are the standings as well. Cliff Diving Raoul came back strong and with a 6-0 record he jumped to a tie for second place. Ballz to the Wallz also had a perfect 6-0 record last week. The Missouri victory proved difficult to predict for most of the panel.
Standings:
1. Corso (35-13) (4-2 last week)
2. Funtik the Hog (34-14) (4-2 last week)
2. Cliff Diving Raoul (34-14) (6-0 last week)2. Funtik the Hog (34-14) (4-2 last week)
4. SPAM (33-15) (4-2 last week)
5. Old Bag of Man (32-16) (5-1 last week)
7. Philly Cheese (31-17) (4-2 last week)
8. Ballz to the Wallz-Big Dog (30-18) (6-0 last week)
9. Batman (27-21) (3-3 last week)
9. Batman (27-21) (3-3 last week)
10. ChadsOSU (26-22) (4-2 last week)
10. Hudy the Dark Knight (26-22) (5-1 last week)
12. W.T. (25-23) (4-2 last week)
10. Hudy the Dark Knight (26-22) (5-1 last week)
12. W.T. (25-23) (4-2 last week)
Games for this week:
1. Penn St. vs. Ohio State
2. Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma
3. UCLA vs. Oregon
4. Toledo vs. BGSU
5. Northwestern vs. Iowa
And the oddball game this week is:
6. Western Michigan vs. MassachusettsAnd the oddball game this week is:
Thursday, October 17, 2013
What to Expect
Both teams come in off a bye-week and there may be some initial rust on defense. Iowa has some question marks on offense as both the top running back and receiver attempt to come back from injuries. Iowa has used many receivers but receiver Martin-Manley is the go-to receiver and he needs to be healthy. Iowa will have 150 rushing yards and 180 passing yards. Despite Iowa's success defending the redzone, Ohio State will score multiple rushing touchdowns. The Buckeyes will have 275 rushing yards and 300 passing yards. Ohio State will win 42-21.
Things to Watch
Control the Clock
Iowa will attempt to play keep away from Ohio State with long possessions, in an effort to keep the score low and take advantage of mistakes of Ohio State. Iowa is second in the Big Ten and eighth nationally averaging 33:40 possession minutes/game. That statistic is mainly due to non-conference play, but it did carry over to conference play against Minnesota (36:01).
Defense Stats That Will Be Broken
Iowa's defense ranks ninth nationally and third in the Big Ten. Iowa is the only school in the nation to not allow a rushing touchdown this season. Iowa ranks number one in the nation in red zone defense, allowing only one touchdown in nine trips to the red zone.
Roster Update
Running back Jordan Hall will be available this week. His role will be limited to special teams and certain running plays. Defensive lineman Tommy Schutt returns from a foot injury. Defensive tackle Adolphus Washington should be available as he recovers from an ankle injury.
Iowa will attempt to play keep away from Ohio State with long possessions, in an effort to keep the score low and take advantage of mistakes of Ohio State. Iowa is second in the Big Ten and eighth nationally averaging 33:40 possession minutes/game. That statistic is mainly due to non-conference play, but it did carry over to conference play against Minnesota (36:01).
Defense Stats That Will Be Broken
Iowa's defense ranks ninth nationally and third in the Big Ten. Iowa is the only school in the nation to not allow a rushing touchdown this season. Iowa ranks number one in the nation in red zone defense, allowing only one touchdown in nine trips to the red zone.
Roster Update
Running back Jordan Hall will be available this week. His role will be limited to special teams and certain running plays. Defensive lineman Tommy Schutt returns from a foot injury. Defensive tackle Adolphus Washington should be available as he recovers from an ankle injury.
Scouting the Hawkeyes
Iowa enters this week with a record of 4-2 (1-1 Big Ten) with victories over Missouri State, Iowa State, Western Michigan, and Minnesota. Iowa has losses to Northern Illinois and Michigan State. Iowa averages 207 rushing yards and 209 passing yards. The Hawkeye defense allows 88 rushing yards and 201 passing yards.
Offense
Offense
Sophomore Jake Rudock won the quarterback position in spring and made his debut in the season opener. He has completed 60% for 1,202 yards and eight touchdowns. Rudock has rushed 31 times for 139 yards and five touchdowns. At running back Mark Weisman leads the team with 624 yards. Weisman has been dealing with an ankle injury but he is expected to play in Columbus. At receiver Kevonte Martin-Manley has 108 career receptions for 1119 yards and had receptions in 23 straight games before leaving the Michigan State game with a leg injury. He is expected to play this week. Martin-Mantley leads the nation with 25.8 yards/punt return and has two punt returns for touchdown this season.
OSU Last Game
Ohio State visited Ryan Field to play a top-20 Wildcat team and came away with a 40-30 victory. Ohio State scored first with a 27-yard field goal, but Northwestern took the lead after a touchdown pass between the two quarterbacks halfway through the quarter. The OSU defense shut down Northwestern who was forced to punt out of the endzone. Bradley Roby was one of multiple defenders who reached the punter and he recovered the blocked punt for a touchdown. Both Northwestern quarterbacks were extremely efficient with Kain Colter completing 12 of 12 for 98 yards and Trevor Siemian completing 13 of 18 for 245 yards and two touchdowns. Iowa took the lead in the second quarter and held the lead until early in the fourth quarter when Carlos Hyde had a two yard rushing touchdown. Doran Grant intercepted the ball at the 23 yard line prior to Hyde's touchdown. Carlos Hyde had a career game with 168 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Northwestern scored on the next possession to once again take the lead 30-27. Carlos Hyde continued to rack up the yards and Ohio State once again led 34-30. Northwestern fumbled the ball on its last possession and freshman lineman Joey Bosa recovered the fumble for a touchdown in the last seconds of the game.
The Series
This is the 64th game between the two schools, in a series that began in 1922. The 2010 Ohio State victory was vacated. OSU leads the series 45-14-3 and the Buckeyes have won 11 of the last 12 games dating back to 1992. Ohio State leads 28-8-1 in games played in Columbus. Iowa last beat OSU 33-7 in 2004 to snap an eight game winning streak by OSU.
Last Time
In the 2010 Ohio State scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, including a touchdown in the last two minutes, resulting in a 20-17 victory over Iowa. OSU had 135 of its 353 yards in the fourth quarter. Iowa scored the first touchdown with a 19-yard pass in the first quarter. OSU scored its first points with a 18 yard field goal in the second quarter. Ohio State took the lead 10-7 with a 77-yard drive finished off with a 5-yard pass to TE Reid Fragel. Iowa tied it with a 31-yard FG late in the third quarter. Terrelle Pryor threw his second interception and Iowa scored two plays later to take the lead. OSU drove the ball down and settled for a FG to inch closer with a score of 17-13. The defense stepped up when John Simon sacked Ricky Stanzi on first down and knocked down a pass on third down. With six minutes left OSU drove the ball 76 yards, and despite a missed catch by Devier Posey in the endzone, OSU was able to score off a 1-yard run by Boom Herron. Pryor converted a big 4th down with a 14 yard run, and Dane Sanzenbacher had a 24-yard pass at the sideline to get OSU in the redzone. Iowa got the ball back but the OSU defense shut down the drive, which included a sack by Cameron Heyward.
The Coaches
Urban Meyer
In the 12th season of his coaching career Urban Meyer's record is 122-23. Meyer is 18-0 at Ohio State, after going 12-0 in his first season. He earned his graduate degree from Ohio State and worked with the team as a graduate assistant under Earle Bruce from 1986-1987. He was an assistant coach at Illinois State under former OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock. He later re-joined Earle Bruce at Colorado St. In 1996 he was hired as an assistant coach under Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, and he remained with Notre Dame through 2000. In 2001 he started his head coaching career at Bowling Green and in two years he had a record of 17-6. He was hired at Utah in 2003. In his first year Utah won its bowl game, and during the second year the team was undefeated and won the Fiesta Bowl. He was 22-2 in two years at Utah. He had a record of 65-15 during his six years at Florida, including two BCS National Championships.
Kirk Ferentz
In his 15th season at Iowa he is 104-76, with a career record of 116-97 in 18 seasons. Under Ferentz, Iowa has two conference titles and ten bowl games. He is 1-6 against Ohio State (2010 OSU win vacated). Prior to taking the head coaching position at Iowa, he worked as assistant head coach and offensive line coach for the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns before they moved to Baltimore. Ferentz was head coach at Maine for three years in the early 90's. Ferentz was an assistant under Hayden Fry at Iowa for nine years. Ferentz attended Connecticut, where he was a captain on the football team.
In the 12th season of his coaching career Urban Meyer's record is 122-23. Meyer is 18-0 at Ohio State, after going 12-0 in his first season. He earned his graduate degree from Ohio State and worked with the team as a graduate assistant under Earle Bruce from 1986-1987. He was an assistant coach at Illinois State under former OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock. He later re-joined Earle Bruce at Colorado St. In 1996 he was hired as an assistant coach under Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, and he remained with Notre Dame through 2000. In 2001 he started his head coaching career at Bowling Green and in two years he had a record of 17-6. He was hired at Utah in 2003. In his first year Utah won its bowl game, and during the second year the team was undefeated and won the Fiesta Bowl. He was 22-2 in two years at Utah. He had a record of 65-15 during his six years at Florida, including two BCS National Championships.
Kirk Ferentz
In his 15th season at Iowa he is 104-76, with a career record of 116-97 in 18 seasons. Under Ferentz, Iowa has two conference titles and ten bowl games. He is 1-6 against Ohio State (2010 OSU win vacated). Prior to taking the head coaching position at Iowa, he worked as assistant head coach and offensive line coach for the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns before they moved to Baltimore. Ferentz was head coach at Maine for three years in the early 90's. Ferentz was an assistant under Hayden Fry at Iowa for nine years. Ferentz attended Connecticut, where he was a captain on the football team.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Guest Panel-Week 8 Games and Standings
Here are the games for the Guest Panel to consider this week. Below are the standings as well. In what was dubbed "Upset Saturday" by ESPN there were a number of favorites who lost, and that carried over to our Guest Panel. Corso holds first by himself, while Funtik moves up to second. Mel Kiper benefited off a 5-1 record to move from 6th to 4th. The Missouri and Texas victories proved to be difficult to predict by the guest panel.
Standings:
1. Corso (31-11) (4-2 last week)
2. Funtik the Hog (30-12) (4-2 last week)
3. SPAM (29-13) (3-3 last week)2. Funtik the Hog (30-12) (4-2 last week)
4. Cliff Diving Raoul (28-14) (1-5 last week)
6. Philly Cheese (27-15) (2-4 last week)
6. Old Bag of Man (27-15) (4-2 last week)
8. Batman (24-18) (2-4 last week)
8. Batman (24-18) (2-4 last week)
8. Ballz to the Wallz-Big Dog (24-18) (2-4 last week)
10. ChadsOSU (22-20) (2-4 last week)
11. W.T. (21-21) (2-4 last week)
11. W.T. (21-21) (2-4 last week)
11. Hudy the Dark Knight (21-21) (2-4 last week)
Games for this week:
1. Iowa vs Ohio State
2. Florida vs. Missouri
3. Florida State vs. Clemson
4. USC vs. Notre Dame
5. UCLA vs. Stanford
And the oddball game this week is:
6. SMU vs. MemphisAnd the oddball game this week is:
Tuesday, October 08, 2013
Guest Panel-Week 7 Games and Standings
Here are the games for the Guest Panel to consider this week. Below are the standings as well. Cliff Diving Raoul has been joined at first place by Corso who was the only panelist to have a 6-0 record. The Big Ten games proved to be difficult for the panel as many did not predict the Michigan State and Indiana victories. Although this is a bye-week for Ohio State, the Guest Panel will still predict winners. Check back on Friday for the picks and commentary.
Standings:
1. Cliff Diving Raoul (27-9) (4-2 last week)
1. Corso (27-9) (6-0 last week)
3. Funtik the Hog (26-10) (4-2 last week)
3. Funtik the Hog (26-10) (4-2 last week)
3. SPAM (26-10) (5-1 last week)
5. Philly Cheese (25-11) (4-2 last week)
6. Mel Kiper's Hair (23-13) (3-3 last week)
6. Old Bag of Man (23-13) (3-3 last week)
8. Batman (22-14) (3-3 last week)
5. Philly Cheese (25-11) (4-2 last week)
6. Mel Kiper's Hair (23-13) (3-3 last week)
6. Old Bag of Man (23-13) (3-3 last week)
8. Batman (22-14) (3-3 last week)
8. Ballz to the Wallz-Big Dog (22-14) (4-2 last week)
10. ChadsOSU (20-16) (5-1 last week)
11. W.T. (19-17) (2-4 last week)
11. W.T. (19-17) (2-4 last week)
11. Hudy the Dark Knight (19-17) (4-2 last week)
Games for this week:
1. Missouri vs. Georgia
2. Florida vs. LSU
3. Oregon vs. Washington
4. Oklahoma vs. Texas
5. Oregon St. vs. Washington St.
And the oddball game this week is:
6. South Florida vs. ConnecticutAnd the oddball game this week is:
Thursday, October 03, 2013
What to Expect
Northwestern attempts to run a balanced offense with at least three players running the ball including the quarterback. The offensive line has three new starters, but the speed of the plays has allowed Northwestern to avoid sacks and pressure on the quarterback. Northwestern will struggle to run the ball and will only have 150 rushing yards, and the passing game will have some success with 250 yards against Ohio State. The Buckeyes will look to pass first as Northwestern has struggled against the pass, so Braxton should have a big day as Ohio State racks up 375 passing yards. The running game will open up with the passing and should be close to 225 yards. Ohio State will win 42-28.
Scouting the Wildcats
Northwestern is 4-0 with victories over California, Syracuse, Western Michigan, and Maine. Northwestern had a bye last week. The Wildcats average 41 points/game, allow 23 points/game, 249 rushing yards, and 233 passing yards.
OffenseQuarterback Trevor Siemian started the season at quarterback and has completed 67% for 671 yards and four touchdowns. Quarterback Kain Colter is currently the starter, but he missed the first game. Colter passes and runs and has averaged 77 yards rushing/game. Treyvon Green averages 100 rushing yards/game with 404 total yards this season. Joining Green this week at running back is Venric Mark, who had injured his leg in the opener against California and missed the next three games. Last season he had 1,366 yards and 12 touchdowns. Mark also returns punts and last year averaged 16.3 yards/return. Tony Jones averages 90 receiving yards/game with 362 total yards. Also at receiver is Christian Jones with 223 receiving yards.
The defense is 11th nationally with 12 takeaways including 11 interceptions. Four of those interceptions have been returned for touchdowns. Linebacker Chi Chi Ariguzo leads the team with 35 tackles.
Things to Watch
Rankings
Ohio State remains #4 in the AP Poll and #3 in the USA-Coaches Poll.
Roster Update
The big roster news out of last week's game was the season ending ankle injury to safety Christian Bryant. At his post game conference Urban Meyer expressed his concern over losing such an important player on the defense and a team captain. Corey Pittsburgh Brown is most likely his replacement, but we may finally see freshman Vonn Bell if he burns his redshirt. Bryant's recover could take three months.
The big roster news out of last week's game was the season ending ankle injury to safety Christian Bryant. At his post game conference Urban Meyer expressed his concern over losing such an important player on the defense and a team captain. Corey Pittsburgh Brown is most likely his replacement, but we may finally see freshman Vonn Bell if he burns his redshirt. Bryant's recover could take three months.
OSU Last Week
In a much anticipated night game in Columbus Braxton Miller appeared to shake off any skepticism over his health as he threw for four touchdowns in the first half of the game. Wisconsin strayed away from its running game and Joel Stave threw for 295 yards. Receiver Jared Abbrederis made Bradley Roby work hard as he racked up 207 receiving yards and one touchdown pass. In the Buckeyes first series, Miller connected with Evan Spencer for a 25-yard touchdown. Wisconsin responded with a 36-yard touchdown pass. Ohio State scored again with Miller throwing a 26-yard pass to Devin Smith. Drew Basil kicked a 45-yard field goal in the second quarter, and Wisconsin scored on the next drive but it left enough time on the clock for Ohio State to take possession. Braxton Miller was almost intercepted but the in the next play he found Philly Brown for a 40-yard touchdown with one second left in the half. Ohio State led 24-14 at halftime. Ohio State only scored once more a short pass to Philly Brown late in the third quarter. Wisconsin scored an additional ten points to get within one touchdown but there were not enough minutes left in the game.
The Coaches
Urban Meyer
In the 12th season of his coaching career Urban Meyer's record is 121-23. Meyer 17-0 at Ohio State, after going 12-0 in his first season. He earned his graduate degree from Ohio State and worked with the team as a graduate assistant under Earle Bruce from 1986-1987. He was an assistant coach at Illinois State under former OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock. He later re-joined Earle Bruce at Colorado St. In 1996 he was hired as an assistant coach under Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, and he remained with Notre Dame through 2000. In 2001 he started his head coaching career at Bowling Green and in two years he had a record of 17-6. He was hired at Utah in 2003. In his first year Utah won its bowl game, and during the second year the team was undefeated and won the Fiesta Bowl. He was 22-2 in two years at Utah. He had a record of 65-15 during his six years at Florida, including two BCS National Championships.
Pat FitzgeraldIn the 12th season of his coaching career Urban Meyer's record is 121-23. Meyer 17-0 at Ohio State, after going 12-0 in his first season. He earned his graduate degree from Ohio State and worked with the team as a graduate assistant under Earle Bruce from 1986-1987. He was an assistant coach at Illinois State under former OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock. He later re-joined Earle Bruce at Colorado St. In 1996 he was hired as an assistant coach under Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, and he remained with Notre Dame through 2000. In 2001 he started his head coaching career at Bowling Green and in two years he had a record of 17-6. He was hired at Utah in 2003. In his first year Utah won its bowl game, and during the second year the team was undefeated and won the Fiesta Bowl. He was 22-2 in two years at Utah. He had a record of 65-15 during his six years at Florida, including two BCS National Championships.
In his 8th season as a head coach, all at Northwestern, Pat Fitzgerald's record is 54-39. He is 0-3 against Ohio State. Fitzgerald is a graduate of Northwestern where he played linebacker. Fitzgerald became head coach in 2006 after the passing of Randy Walker.
The Series
Ohio State leads this series 59-14-1 and has a record of 26-6-1 in Evanston. Ohio State has a four game winning streak and Northwestern's last victory was in 2004 which broke a 24 game winning streak by Ohio State. These two teams have not met since OSU's last victory in 2008.
Last Time
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