Guest Panel-Week 6 Games and Standings

Here are the games for the Guest Panel to consider this week. Below are the standings as well. Funtik increased his lead to two games, while Corso jumped W.T. It is more crowded at third place with Hudy and Philly Cheese joining W.T. Old Bag of Man and Academic Fraud both moved up two spots. Only one panelist predicted the Missouri victory over South Carolina.

 

Standings:

1. Funtik the Hog (22-8) (5-1 last week)
2. Corso (20-10) (5-1 last week)
3. W.T. (19-11) (3-3 last week)
3. Hudy (19-11) (5-1 last week)
3. Philly Cheese (19-11) (5-1 last week)
6. Big Dog (18-12) (4-2 last week)
6. SPAM (18-12) (4-2 last week)
6. Old Bag of Man (18-12) (5-1 last week)
9. Academic Fraud (17-13) (5-1 last week)
10. Cliff Diving Raoul (16-14) (3-3 last week)
11. Mel Kiper's Hair (15-15) (2-4 last week)
11. Ice Bucket (15-15) (4-2 last week)


Games for this week:

1. Ohio State vs. Maryland

2. Texas A&M vs. Miss. St.

3. Oklahoma vs. TCU

4. Alabama vs. Ole Miss

5. Florida vs. Tennessee

And the oddball game this week is:

6. UNLV vs. San Jose St.

What to Expect

UC has struggled to stop teams on third down, allowing teams to convert 50%, which is one of the worst percentages in the nation. The biggest weakness on the UC defense is the passing defense, which allows over 292 yards/game. Cincinnati has not faced a defense like Ohio State and Ohio State has not faced a passing offense like Cincinnati. If those cancel out (although they are not equal) UC is left with a running game which has not had the same success as the passing game. That being said, UC may have some easy rushing yards if OSU sits back and waits for the passing game. I anticipate this will be a high scoring game with both teams moving the ball. Ohio State needs to avoid turnovers and empty possessions on offense. The newly revamped OSU passing defense will finally have its first real test and should limit Cincinnati to 200 passing yards while the UC running game will be limited to 125 yards. Ohio State will have 275 passing yards and 200 rushing yards. Ohio State will win 38-21.

Scouting the Bearcats

So far this season UC averages 123 rushing yards/game, 353 passing yards/game, and 44 points/game. The defense allows 171 rushing yards/game, 292 passing yards/game, and 29 points/game. Keep in mind that UC has only played two games this season.

Offense

At quarterback is Gunner Kiel, who is a transfer from Notre Dame. He was a highly recruited high school player from Indiana who initially committed to Indiana and LSU but shortly before national signing day he signed with Notre Dame. He sat out his first year and was a behind Everett Golson as a redshirt freshman. So far this season, in two games, Kiel has completed 65% for 689 yards and ten touchdowns. The top receivers are Mekale McKay who has 215 yards and three touchdowns and Shaq Washington with 125 yards and one touchdown. Running the ball is Hosey Williams with 114 yards and Tion Green with 88 yards and one touchdown.

Defense

In only two games senior linebacker Jeff Luc has 30 tackles including 2.5 tackles for loss. Safety Zach Edwards is second on the team with 23 tackles and he is the only Bearcat with an interception.

Things to Watch

Ohio State Hall of Fame

Thirteen individuals will be inducted into the Ohio State Hall of Fame this weekend. Included in that group are two familiar former football players, Troy Smith and Antoine Winfield. Troy Smith won the Heisman Trophy in 2006 after leading the Buckeyes to a 12-0 record during his senior year. He finished his career with a 62.7 completion percentage for 5,720 passing yards and 54 touchdowns. Smith was 3-0 against Michigan. As a cornerback, Antoine Winfield won the Thorpe Award in 1998 and was also a two-time All-American.

Mark Your Calendar

Once you buy your 2019 calendar be sure to add the September 7 matchup between Ohio State and Cincinnati, which will take place in Columbus. As you can imagine, none of the current players on either team will be around for this game.

OSU Last Game

Ohio State shut out Kent State with a final score of 66-0. Ohio State scored 45 points in the first half, which included five touchdown passes, one touchdown run, and one field goal. In the second half J.T. Barrett was limited in his possessions, but he did have one additional touchdown drive. Ohio State scored 21 additional points in the second half. The reserve players played most of the second half. Leading Ohio State in rushes was Curtis Samuel with 15 rushes for 100 yards. It was a record day in the short career of Barrett as he threw for six touchdown passes while completing 23 of 30 passes for 312 yards and one interception. It was the first time since 2006 that an OSU quarterback threw for over 300 yards. The defense limited Kent State to 126 passing yards and 47 rushing yards.

The Coaches

Urban Meyer
In the 12th season of his coaching career Urban Meyer's record is 130-26. Meyer is 26-3 at Ohio State, after going 12-0 in his first season. He earned his graduate degree from Ohio State and worked with the team as a graduate assistant under Earle Bruce from 1986-1987. He was an assistant coach at Illinois State under former OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock. He later re-joined Earle Bruce at Colorado St. In 1996 he was hired as an assistant coach under Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, and he remained with Notre Dame through 2000. In 2001 he started his head coaching career at Bowling Green and in two years he had a record of 17-6. He was hired at Utah in 2003. In his first year Utah won its bowl game, and during the second year the team was undefeated and won the Fiesta Bowl. He was 22-2 in two years at Utah. He had a record of 65-15 during his six years at Florida, including two BCS National Championships.

Tommy Tuberville

In his 19 years of coaching he has a record of 141-81 and in his second year at UC his record is 11-4. He previously was head coach at Texas Tech, Auburn, and Ole Miss. He also worked on the staffs of Miami (FL), Texas A&M, and Arkansas State. He graduated from Southern Arkansas where he played free safety on the football team and was also a member of the golf team.

The Series

This will be the 16th game between these two Ohio schools which are separated by just over 100 miles. Ohio State leads the series 13-2. The series between these schools dates back to 1893. In the years 1893 through 1931 the schools played 11 times, but the series was not renewed until 68 years later in 1999. The only two wins by the Bearcats were in 1896 and 1897.

Last Time
In 2006 Ohio State beat Cincinnati with a final score of 37-7. OSU was down 7-3 to the Bearcats at the end of the first quarter. OSU went on to score 34 unanswered points. Troy Smith was 21 of 30 for 203 yards and two touchdowns. OSU had 444 yards of offense. Ted Ginn had two touchdown receptions in the second half. Antonio Pittman had a stellar day, racking up 155 yards on 16 carries, 9.7 yards/attempt. The kicking team had a great day, with Pettrey hitting 47 and 43 yarders and Pretorious hitting a 52 yard field goal. The defense stepped up limiting Cincinnati to 212 yards and only 56 rushing yards on 22 attempts. OSU racked up 8 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and three interceptions.

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. The bye-week caused a shake-up in the standings, Funtik has sole possession of first place after a 5-1 record this week. W.T. and Corso fall in at 2nd and 3rd place. Also moving this week were Hudy and Philly Cheese who had 5-1 records and moved from a tie at 8th to a tie at 4th. Academic Fraud and Ice Bucket swapped places at 11th and 12nd due to Academic Fraud's 5-1 record. Most of the panel did not pick Utah to beat Michigan.

 

Standings:

1. Funtik the Hog (17-7) (5-1 last week)
2. W.T. (16-8) (4-2 last week)
3. Corso (15-9) (3-3 last week)
4. Big Dog (14-10) (4-2 last week)
4. SPAM (14-10) (4-2 last week)
4. Hudy (14-10) (5-1 last week)
4. Philly Cheese (14-10) (5-1 last week)
8. Cliff Diving Raoul (13-11) (3-3 last week)
8. Old Bag of Man (13-11) (3-3 last week)
8. Mel Kiper's Hair (13-11) (4-2 last week)
11. Academic Fraud (12-12) (5-1 last week)
12. Ice Bucket (11-13) (3-3 last week)


Games for this week:

1. Cincinnati vs. Ohio State

2. Maryland vs. Indiana

3. Missouri vs. South Carolina

4. Vanderbilt vs. Kentucky

5. Stanford vs. Washington

And the oddball game this week is:

6. Miami (OH) vs. Buffalo

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. Moving into a tie with W.T. at first are Funtik and Corso, who both were the only panelists to have a 4-2 record last week. Most of the panel was unable to predict the victories by South Carolina, Iowa St. and Arkansas. Check back on Friday for the picks/comments during this bye-week.

 

Standings:

1. W.T. (12-6) (2-4 last week)
1. Funtik the Hog (12-6) (4-2 last week)
1. Corso (12-6) (4-2 last week)
4. Big Dog (10-8) (2-4 last week)
4. Cliff Diving Raoul (10-8) (2-4 last week)
4. SPAM (10-8) (2-4 last week)
4. Old Bag of Man (10-8) (3-3 last week)
8. Hudy (9-9) (2-4 last week)
8. Philly Cheese (9-9) (3-3 last week)
8. Mel Kiper's Hair (9-9) (3-3 last week)
11. Ice Bucket (8-10) (3-3 last week)
12. Academic Fraud (7-11) (1-5 last week)


Games for this week:

1. Clemson vs. Florida St.

2. Miami (FL) vs. Nebraska

3. Utah vs. Michigan

4. Maryland vs. Syracuse

5. North Carolina vs. East Carolina

And the oddball game this week is:

6. Appalachian St. vs. Southern Miss.

What to Expect

Last season Kent State's offensive line limited pressure on the quarterback, but the running game struggled at times. This season it appears the O-Line is still having trouble opening holes for the backs, and the struggle will continue against the experienced OSU D-line which benefits by the return of Noah Spence after a three game suspension. Look for Kent State to have 50 rushing yards and 150 passing yards. Ohio State should be able to run its offense like a well-oiled machine, showing off all its capabilities. The KSU defensive line allowed over 200 rushing yards/game last season and it is still weak against the run this season. Ohio State will have 250 rushing yards and 225 passing yards. It should be a high scoring affair, and the starters may get pulled halfway through the third quarter. Ohio State will win 45-10.

Things to Watch

Record Attendance
As expected, the attendance at the Ohio State game against Virginia Tech was a school record with 107,517 fans. Ohio State has the highest attendance so far this season in the nation.

Assistance Coach-Now Head Coach

Ohio State will face another head coach who previously was an assistant coach at Ohio State. KSU coach Paul Haynes is one of seven current head coaches with previous experience at Ohio State. The list also includes Tim Beckman-Illinois (OSU 2005-2006), Bill Conley-Ohio Dominican (OSU 1984-1987, 1992-2003), Mark Dantonio-Michigan State (OSU 2001-2003), Darrell Hazell-Purdue (OSU 2004-2010), Nick Saban-Alabama (OSU 1980-1981), and Everett Withers-James Madison (2012-2013). This season Ohio State will play against at least four of those head coaches.

Scouting the Golden Flashes

Kent State is 0-2 with losses to Ohio University (17-14) and South Alabama (23-13). Last season Kent State had a record of 4-8. This season Kent State is averaging 238 passing yards/game, 47 rushing yards, and 13 points. The Golden Flashes defense has allowed 180 rushing yards/game, 211 passing yards, and 20 points.

Offense

At quarterback is Colin Reardon who has completed 58% of his passes for 477 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. In his career Reardon has 2,434 passing yards. Sophomore Nick Holley leads the team in the rushing yards with 37 yards in his first year as a starter. At receiver is Ernest Calhoun with 4 catches for 119 yards. Senior receiver Chris Humphrey and senior tight end Casey Pierce combined for 1,075 yards and ten touchdowns last season.

Defense

RB Nick Holley's twin brother Nate Holley leads the defense and the MAC with 27 tackles. Junior Nate Terhune anchors the defensive line.

OSU Last Week

Under the newly installed lights, in front of a record crowd, OSU ended many winning streaks including 25 regular season games, 35 straight home opener wins, 35 straight non-conference home wins, and 33 years of victories over unranked non-conference opponents. Virginia Tech scored first with a touchdown run and Ohio State responded with a touchdown run by J.T. Barrett. Late in the first quarter Virginia Tech scored with another touchdown run. The teams traded punts in the second quarter, but right before halftime Virginia Tech scored with a touchdown pass. Virginia Tech led 21-7 at halftime. In the third quarter Ohio State scored on a 53-touchdown pass to Michael Thomas. Early in the fourth quarter Ohio State tied the game with a 15-yard touchdown run by Ezekiel Elliott. Unfortunately Virginia Tech responded with a long drive capped off by a touchdown pass. Ohio State lost yards on its next possession and punted the ball. The Buckeye defense forced another VT punt, but Barrett threw his second interception of the day. Virginia Tech had favorable field position and on fourth down it missed a field goal. Ohio State had one last opportunity to tie the game, but Barrett threw his third interception of the day which was returned 63 yards for a VT touchdown. Down 14 points, Ohio State moved the ball 13 yards but was unable to score in the final minute of the game. Virginia Tech won 35-21. The Buckeye defense limited VT to 121 rushing yards and 199 passing yards, forced three turnovers, but it allowed VT to convert 9/17 third downs which helped the Hokies move the ball at critical times. The Buckeye offensive line struggled to stop the Hokie defense which sacked Barrett seven times for a loss of 54 yards.

The Coaches

Urban Meyer
In the 12th season of his coaching career Urban Meyer's record is 129-26. Meyer is 25-3 at Ohio State, after going 12-0 in his first season. He earned his graduate degree from Ohio State and worked with the team as a graduate assistant under Earle Bruce from 1986-1987. He was an assistant coach at Illinois State under former OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock. He later re-joined Earle Bruce at Colorado St. In 1996 he was hired as an assistant coach under Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, and he remained with Notre Dame through 2000. In 2001 he started his head coaching career at Bowling Green and in two years he had a record of 17-6. He was hired at Utah in 2003. In his first year Utah won its bowl game, and during the second year the team was undefeated and won the Fiesta Bowl. He was 22-2 in two years at Utah. He had a record of 65-15 during his six years at Florida, including two BCS National Championships.

Paul Haynes

In his second season as a head coach, all at Kent State, he has a record of 4-10. His name should be familiar to Buckeye fans because he was a member of the coaching staff at Ohio State in the years 2005-2011. In the 2012 he was the defensive coordinator at Arkansas. Haynes was a defensive back at Kent State in 1987-1991. Prior to his time at Ohio State Haynes was on the staffs at Bowling Green, Ferris State, Northern Iowa, Kent State, Louisville, and Michigan State. He was on the staff of the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2001 season.

The Series

This will be the third game in this series, with Ohio State winning the first two games in 2002 (51-17) and 2007 (48-3).

In 2007 Ohio State scored once in the first quarter, and then four times in the second half. One of those touchdowns was a record setting 90 yard punt return by Brian Hartline. Another one of the touchdowns was a 70 yard returned interception by Donald Washington. Most of the starters were pulled in the second half, but under the direction of Rob Schoenhoft OSU had one more touchdown and two field goals, including a 49-yard kick by Ryan Pretorius. Unfortunately OSU missed another chance at a shutout, when Kent State scored in the last three minutes. Both quarterbacks had great numbers, with Todd Boeckman going 13 of 16 and Schoenhoft going 7 of 9. Beanie Wells only had four carries for 17 yards and one touchdown. Leading in rushing for OSU was true freshman Brandon Saine with 69 yards.

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. W.T. has built a two game lead at first place. Most of the panel went 5-1. The biggest jump of the week was Corso who moved from a tie at ninth place up to a tie for second place. The panel struggled with the OSU-VT and BYU-Texas games.

 

Standings:

1. W.T. (10-2) (4-2 last week)
2. Funtik the Hog (8-4) (3-3 last week)
2. Big Dog (8-4) (3-3 last week)
2. Cliff Diving Raoul (8-4) (3-3 last week)
2. SPAM (8-4) (3-3 last week)
2. Corso (8-4) (4-2 last week)
7. Hudy (7-5) (2-4 last week)
7. Old Bag of Man (7-5) (3-3 last week)
9. Philly Cheese (6-6) (1-5 last week)
9. Academic Fraud (6-6) (1-5 last week)
9. Mel Kiper's Hair (6-6) (2-4 last week)
12. Ice Bucket (5-7) (1-5 last week)

Games for this week:

1. Kent State vs. Ohio State

2. Georgia vs. South Carolina

3. Penn State vs. Rutgers

4. Iowa St. vs Iowa

5. Arkansas vs. Texas Tech

And the oddball game this week is:

6. Western Michigan vs. Idaho

Guest Panel Introduction- Academic Fraud

Academic Fraud went to a private college that prides itself on its high standards. They do not take too kindly when their football players get caught cheating because the dirty little secret about the program is now out in the public and must be dealt with. Academic Fraud is dedicated to stopping Academic Fraud on campuses across the country and can be seen dressed in a cap and gown protesting such injustices at schools across the Midwest.

What to Expect

Virginia Tech is running a fast offense, with a fairly balanced approach in the running and passing game. Last week the team ran 73 plays with 222 rushing yards and 266 passing yards. Ohio State will finally have a test for its revamped pass defense, which didn't have a chance to shine against Navy's running game. The Buckeyes will do a better job against the run this week, because it won't be facing a triple option offense. Look for Virginia Tech to have 150 rushing yards and 200 passing yards. The Virginia Tech defense appears ready to slow down the Ohio State running game, so the Buckeyes may only get 175 rushing yards. Ohio State should have some success in the passing game with 225 passing yards. Ohio State will win the game with a score of 27-13.

Things to Watch

Stadium Renovations

Since it is the home opener, this will be the first time Ohio State fans can see the recent renovations, which include an additional 2,615 seats in the south stands and permanent lights above the stadium. The capacity of the stadium increased from 102,329 to 103,944. The previous stadium attendance record was 106,200 in 2012 against Nebraska. With the increased capacity, it is likely the OSU attendance record will be broken this year, possibly this weekend. Gone are the days when Ohio State rents lights and cranes for night games.

Students Buying Tickets

OSU student ticket sales continue to increase each year, which is contrary to the trend at other Big Ten and SEC schools. Michigan has made numerous attempts to encourage student attendance at games, but those efforts have failed. Ohio State sold 29,614 student ticket packages, which include either the entire season or just the Big Ten games. With the change to semesters, students are on campus for the entire season, and that was not the case under the quarter system.

Flashback to 1974

The 1974 team will be honored on Saturday for the 40th Anniversary of that season. Between the first and second quarter Archie Griffin will be honored as this is also the 40th Anniversary of his first Heisman Trophy and he was selected recently as the Rose Bowl's 100th Anniversary All-Time Player.

Scouting the Hokies

Offense

Quarterback Michael Brewer graduated from Texas Tech and is playing for the Hokies as a graduate student. He was a backup quarterback at Texas Tech in his senior season after recovering from an injury. Last week he passed 23 of 30 for 266 yards. Freshman running back Shai McKenzie had 106 yards last week and he is backed up by freshman Marshawn Williams and Sophomore Trey Edmunds who had 675 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. Ten different receivers caught passes last week, and freshman tight end Bucky Hodges had six catches for 38 yards and one touchdown. Also at receiver are freshman Isaiah Ford, junior Ryan Malleck, and sophomore Joshua Stanford.

Defense

Virginia Tech is known for its aggressive defense under coordinator Bud Foster. Defensive tackles Corey Marshall and Luther Maddy are expected to put pressure on the young Ohio State O-Line. Leading the team in tackles last week was Marcus Harvey and Luke Rhodes with 11 tackles.

OSU Last Week

Ohio State won its opener on the road with a victory over Navy, 34-17. It was a quiet first half, with Ohio State connecting on two field goals of 46 and 28 yards. Navy scored a rushing touchdown early in the second quarter and led at halftime 7-6. The Ohio State defense stepped up early in the third quarter and linebacker Darron Lee returned a fumble 61 yards for a touchdown. Navy responded with a touchdown drive, which put the score at 14-13 in favor of Navy. Late in the third quarter Devin Smith caught an 80-yard touchdown pass. The Ohio State defense finally closed the door in the fourth quarter and only allowed a Navy field goal. Ohio State scored two more touchdowns, a rushing touchdown by Ezekiel Elliott and a touchdown reception by Mike Thomas. Redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett had a decent debut completing 12 of 15 passes for 226 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. The Ohio State defense allowed 370 rushing yards.

The Coaches

Urban Meyer
In the 12th season of his coaching career Urban Meyer's record is 129-25. Meyer is 25-2 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.

Frank Beamer

In his 34th season he has a record of 267-132-4 and he has a record of 225-109-2 in his 28th season at Virginia Tech. He has guided his team to a bowl game for 21-straight years. He is the 6th winningest NCAA FBS Football Coaches, and he is the only person in the top-ten who is still an active coach. Beamer was a starting cornerback at Virginia Tech for three years. He started coaching as an assistant at a Virginia high school. He was a graduate assistant at the University of Maryland for one year and he was an assistant at the Citadel for six seasons. He was a defensive coordinator at Murray State for five years and he took over as head coach in 1981. He coached for five years at Murray State prior to becoming head coach at Virginia Tech in 1987.

The Series

This is the first game between these two programs, and also the first time Urban Meyer has coached against Virginia Tech.

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. W.T. holds the lead with his perfect record. Most of the panel went 5-1.

 

Standings:

1. W.T. (6-0)
2. Funtik the Hog (5-1)
2. Big Dog (5-1)
2. Cliff Diving Raoul (5-1)
2. SPAM (5-1)
2. Hudy (5-1)
2. Philly Cheese (5-1)
2. Academic Fraud (5-1)
9. Corso (4-2)
9. Old Bag of Man (4-2)
9. Ice Bucket (4-2)
9. Mel Kiper's Hair (4-2)

Games for this week:

1. Virginia Tech vs. OSU

2. USC vs. Stanford

3. Michigan State vs. Oregon

4. Michigan vs. Notre Dame

5. BYU vs. Texas

And the oddball game this week is:

6. SMU vs. North Texas