Wisconsin vs. Ohio State
Hmm, let’s jump into this with two questions: who will win, and why is Wisconsin, with a perfect record, not ranked?
Let’s start there first.
The Badgers were 7-6 last year, in a most disappointing season which had a 4 game losing streak in the middle of that year. Much was expected of this team, and little returned. But why no love for the Badgers?
Ok, they beat Northern Illinois 28-20, ok I get it, a little too close but a win is a win, right?
They beat Fresno State in overtime 34-31 at home… not bad, I mean, Fresno is a quality team, but still, an overtime win is kinda close.
Beating Wofford 44-14? Now that’s just wrong!
But beating Michigan State at home 38-30 is better…still close for comfort.
And beating Minnesota on the road 31-28 is still close, but again, a win is a win.
These are some wins that many would wonder about, and considering that Minnesota is their best win so far, I can see why the jury is still out on the Badgers. But five wins is still a heck of a lot, I think they deserved to get on the top 25 because those are decent wins…except that Wofford one.
(oh, and just to throw this in, Wisconsin lost 4 games on the road…)
So now we have Ohio State, ranked in the top 10, with that embarrassing loss to USC, one I really thought they could win. They were scared at the beginning of the season to Navy, but since those first two games, have taken charge. Shutting out Toledo and Illinois, the defense of the Buckeyes are proving that they are taking no prisoners. And a 33-14 win over Indiana on the road helps their conference record…
(on a side note, why don’t the Big 10 add one more team and create a conference championship…)
Do I think Ohio State can lose… sure. This Wisconsin team is clearly better than last year, but I don’t see them going undefeated…that mantle rested with Penn State and they dropped it. Ohio State has far more to gain with a win, even though a possible 6-0 Wisconsin team will vault them in the standings. And remember, Ohio State beat them last year only by 3 points…but it was a road game for the Buckeyes. OSU by 8.
Showing posts with label Ohio State. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ohio State. Show all posts
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
USC vs Ohio State
USC vs. Ohio State
Speedblog
Sounds like a Rose Bowl to me.
In about half an hour, college football starts on the second week, and I wanted to blog this out as fast as I can, or as fast as I can type. I heard and read all the hype about this major game, and the implications it has on the BCS. And I grant you, many teams in the top 10 and top 15 are eyeballing this game, because the loser of this game will slip down, and possibly out the BCS Championship picture.
Ohio State has a huge burden to bear, not just for the coach or the team, but the conference as well. Many people have criticized the Big 10 as not being as tough as the SEC or Big 12, and how many times these schools fold up like a lawn chair in the post season…Ohio State being case number one.
Losing at USC 35-3 was embarrassing as the Buckeyes hauled their behinds back home, licking their wounds, and would lose to conference foe Penn State and to Texas at the end of the year. Losing Chris Wells hurts them too, meaning that Terrelle Pryor (not to be confused with Richard) will be bearing a lot of the weight.
We saw how Ohio State survived Navy…this leaves MUCH to be desired. But to play at home, with a more experience quarterback could be what the doctor ordered. There is no question to Pryor’s talents, but he does not throw the ball very much. It reminds me a lot of Georgia Tech’s game with Clemson…but we saw how disastrous that could be.
This is a MAJOR game for Ohio State on every level. The conference needs to have something to brag about, the team needs to have this win and the players need some “get back” against the Trojans who spanked them like they stole something.
For USC, this is not so easy a task, regardless of how they did last year. Some question the strength of the Pac-10, especially after Oregon lost to Boise State recently. We know the Trojans lost only one game last year, that being to Oregon State in an away game, which is one of the weaknesses of USC…playing away against good teams. Not counting Stanford and UCLA since they are in the same state, USC went to Virginia, Washington State and Arizona last year. Washington State was 2-11, Virginia finished 5-7 and Arizona was the only team with a winning record…but USC escaped that one 17-10.
There could be a problem here with USC playing away against strong foes, and add to that a brand new quarterback, and this could really get interesting. Sure USC mopped up San Jose State, but they were SUPPOSED to. Now we’ll get to see how a top ranked team plays on the road where they have had problems, against a real quality team in Ohio State, in that HUGE stadium that holds more people than the city I live in TIMES three, with a freshman quarterback at the helm…
Good luck USC, you’re gonna need it.
But how much luck will they need against a Buckeye team that had trouble with Navy? I admit that the style Navy showed is not what USC will bring, so I think Ohio State can adjust easily, but the question will be whether Pryor can get the job done without “Beanie’ Wells being there. I am not confident that Pryor can lead his team if it comes to passing, and I think USC has a strong enough defense to force him to have to throw more than they need him to.
This might be closer than some think, but you have to decide which is greater, a team with a freshman quarterback playing away against a top 10 foe, or a team that was blasted last year by this same opponent, and struggled against Navy in a conference some are starting to question. I think I will take experience in QB, but I am not confident in his passing.
IF USC can’t force Pryor to throw more, I can see Ohio State winning by less than 7 points. IF he is forced to throw a lot, I can see turnovers galore…but the same could be said for USC. I think if both teams play at even par…USC still wins.
But not by much.
Speedblog
Sounds like a Rose Bowl to me.
In about half an hour, college football starts on the second week, and I wanted to blog this out as fast as I can, or as fast as I can type. I heard and read all the hype about this major game, and the implications it has on the BCS. And I grant you, many teams in the top 10 and top 15 are eyeballing this game, because the loser of this game will slip down, and possibly out the BCS Championship picture.
Ohio State has a huge burden to bear, not just for the coach or the team, but the conference as well. Many people have criticized the Big 10 as not being as tough as the SEC or Big 12, and how many times these schools fold up like a lawn chair in the post season…Ohio State being case number one.
Losing at USC 35-3 was embarrassing as the Buckeyes hauled their behinds back home, licking their wounds, and would lose to conference foe Penn State and to Texas at the end of the year. Losing Chris Wells hurts them too, meaning that Terrelle Pryor (not to be confused with Richard) will be bearing a lot of the weight.
We saw how Ohio State survived Navy…this leaves MUCH to be desired. But to play at home, with a more experience quarterback could be what the doctor ordered. There is no question to Pryor’s talents, but he does not throw the ball very much. It reminds me a lot of Georgia Tech’s game with Clemson…but we saw how disastrous that could be.
This is a MAJOR game for Ohio State on every level. The conference needs to have something to brag about, the team needs to have this win and the players need some “get back” against the Trojans who spanked them like they stole something.
For USC, this is not so easy a task, regardless of how they did last year. Some question the strength of the Pac-10, especially after Oregon lost to Boise State recently. We know the Trojans lost only one game last year, that being to Oregon State in an away game, which is one of the weaknesses of USC…playing away against good teams. Not counting Stanford and UCLA since they are in the same state, USC went to Virginia, Washington State and Arizona last year. Washington State was 2-11, Virginia finished 5-7 and Arizona was the only team with a winning record…but USC escaped that one 17-10.
There could be a problem here with USC playing away against strong foes, and add to that a brand new quarterback, and this could really get interesting. Sure USC mopped up San Jose State, but they were SUPPOSED to. Now we’ll get to see how a top ranked team plays on the road where they have had problems, against a real quality team in Ohio State, in that HUGE stadium that holds more people than the city I live in TIMES three, with a freshman quarterback at the helm…
Good luck USC, you’re gonna need it.
But how much luck will they need against a Buckeye team that had trouble with Navy? I admit that the style Navy showed is not what USC will bring, so I think Ohio State can adjust easily, but the question will be whether Pryor can get the job done without “Beanie’ Wells being there. I am not confident that Pryor can lead his team if it comes to passing, and I think USC has a strong enough defense to force him to have to throw more than they need him to.
This might be closer than some think, but you have to decide which is greater, a team with a freshman quarterback playing away against a top 10 foe, or a team that was blasted last year by this same opponent, and struggled against Navy in a conference some are starting to question. I think I will take experience in QB, but I am not confident in his passing.
IF USC can’t force Pryor to throw more, I can see Ohio State winning by less than 7 points. IF he is forced to throw a lot, I can see turnovers galore…but the same could be said for USC. I think if both teams play at even par…USC still wins.
But not by much.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
How the mighty have fallen
How the mighty have fallen…
Did I tell you guys how much I LOVE football??
Today after watching all those great college football games, I had to take some time to talk about it. I hope some of you read some my blogs on the “greatest running backs ever”, I will update that as the days go on.
And I say this to many readers, I love sports but I try to be kind in what I say sometimes. If I get out of line, I apologize because sometimes sports can bring out great emotions. There are lots of things I can get ticked off about, but in general I love sports enough to talk about it. I mean, just like you, I have my favorite teams and players, and then there are those I don’t care for. I hope you understand.
Anyway, we were talking about the college football upsets.
It makes sense to share a biblical quote since today is Sunday (as I write this) and the title is “how the mighty have fallen”. This is actually a scripture quote from David when King Saul was seeking to kill him. But King Saul’s son, Jonathan, did not want to kill David, but at the same time did not want to disobey his father.
As the scriptures go, the Philistines fought against Saul and his army and eventually killed them all. This once mighty army had fallen in complete defeat to an enemy that should have NEVER beaten them, but because there was unrighteousness and disagreement, the army of Saul was divided on the king’s commandment to kill David. It was one of the elements to their down fall.
Fast forward to the upsets of 2008 (as of Sept 27th).
It appeared the sign was on the wall when Southern Cal lost to Oregon State. The signs were there even then. USC had lost there 2 of the last 3 times, and USC had lost to Stanford in a game they should not have lost. Whereas a lot of folks might have thought the Trojans “untouchable”, they indeed were…especially away from home.
And then on Saturday, many armies fell….
Florida losing to Ole Miss…who saw THAT happening. I sure didn’t. Everybody was talking about how Florida might be in the top 2 or three, but they also said that every SEC game was going to be a war. I see the SEC as a candy shop…every game looks soooo good to watch. But nevertheless, the Gators fall flat on their face…
Better than on the sword, as King Saul voluntarily did….
And let’s not forget Georgia, who had aspirations of being the number one team in the nation, with a HOME game against Alabama. We knew that would be a big fight, but Georgia never seemed to get it out of gear until it was too late to catch up. Could it be that they were more impressed by the fans and the “blackout” than the job they needed to do on the field? Sometimes the mark of a true champion is those that can stay the course when things go off to the left OR the right. Some teams can’t handle success too well, and get caught up in the moment. It cost Georgia that number one spot.
How the Wisconsin Badgers have fallen…what happened there?
I watched this game and noticed how long that 6-0 score sat there, thinking that if Wisconsin does not play more aggressively, they will give Michigan hope. When you play an away game vs. a big opponent, you MUST control them or they will get hope. When the score was 19-0, I remember saying that if Wisconsin scores one more touchdown, they would win the game because Michigan would have their hearts broken and could not possibly amount an attack.
But Wisconsin failed to do that. In fact, it almost seemed like they were playing not to lose. They gave Michigan hope, and once the “on” button was flipped, they kept moving forward. Apparently Wisconsin turned the switch off, and could not get it started again. It turned out to be a most embarrassing loss for this team, and they will pay for it when they see the next number beside their name.
Oh Wake Forest, what happened to you?
The best team in the ACC may fall out of the top 25 entirely, reducing the entire conference to a much lesser power than already believed. I watched this game thinking that if Wake could just get ahead by a touchdown or two, then they could almost mail it in because the option is a failure when a team is behind by more than two scores. But it also works this way: if the option works, then the team controls the clock much more than the opponents (in this case, Wake Forest) would like.
Beaten at home, in celebration of this new BB&T structure (of which I am NOT a fan of…I have personal and moral issues against BB&T), but I was a fan of Wake Forest and their style of play. But offense has been a major issue with this team the last few weeks. We even saw this when they beat Florida State. When I saw that their QB had 5 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, that kinda was problematic…it surfaced when the interception party started. So Wake Forest, the best team of the ACC, has fallen.
And so has Clemson.
It is quite possible that there may be no ACC team on the top 25 poll, a most embarrassing situation for the conference (although I think Virginia Tech or Maryland might get up there). Wasn’t Clemson supposed to be the best team in the ACC? Weren’t they as high as #8 in the nation? What a tumble! Even if Maryland turns out to be better than we thought, Clemson still has to take this one on the chin because this is a very crippling loss to the program.
But who has fallen harder than ECU?
This team started out knocking out Virginia Tech, and making all kinds of noise. Remember they beat Boise State in a bowl last year, so they are on big roll. Then the next week they knock off West Virginia, and now the entire nation is singing praises of the Pirates possibly in the BCS.
Then they barely win in Tulane, and the signs were there…ECU could not handle fame.
Their loss to NC State proved this, and then a loss at home to Houston sealed the deal. In two weeks, they have gone from possible BCS busters to hopefuls to the Liberty Bowl.
How indeed has the mighty fallen.
And somewhere in the midst of the fallen warriors, the Badgers, the Gators, the Trojans, the Pirates, the Tigers, the Bulldogs and the Demon Deacons, there is a previously fallen warrior who seems to have a grin on their lips….
A Buckeye……
Did I tell you guys how much I LOVE football??
Today after watching all those great college football games, I had to take some time to talk about it. I hope some of you read some my blogs on the “greatest running backs ever”, I will update that as the days go on.
And I say this to many readers, I love sports but I try to be kind in what I say sometimes. If I get out of line, I apologize because sometimes sports can bring out great emotions. There are lots of things I can get ticked off about, but in general I love sports enough to talk about it. I mean, just like you, I have my favorite teams and players, and then there are those I don’t care for. I hope you understand.
Anyway, we were talking about the college football upsets.
It makes sense to share a biblical quote since today is Sunday (as I write this) and the title is “how the mighty have fallen”. This is actually a scripture quote from David when King Saul was seeking to kill him. But King Saul’s son, Jonathan, did not want to kill David, but at the same time did not want to disobey his father.
As the scriptures go, the Philistines fought against Saul and his army and eventually killed them all. This once mighty army had fallen in complete defeat to an enemy that should have NEVER beaten them, but because there was unrighteousness and disagreement, the army of Saul was divided on the king’s commandment to kill David. It was one of the elements to their down fall.
Fast forward to the upsets of 2008 (as of Sept 27th).
It appeared the sign was on the wall when Southern Cal lost to Oregon State. The signs were there even then. USC had lost there 2 of the last 3 times, and USC had lost to Stanford in a game they should not have lost. Whereas a lot of folks might have thought the Trojans “untouchable”, they indeed were…especially away from home.
And then on Saturday, many armies fell….
Florida losing to Ole Miss…who saw THAT happening. I sure didn’t. Everybody was talking about how Florida might be in the top 2 or three, but they also said that every SEC game was going to be a war. I see the SEC as a candy shop…every game looks soooo good to watch. But nevertheless, the Gators fall flat on their face…
Better than on the sword, as King Saul voluntarily did….
And let’s not forget Georgia, who had aspirations of being the number one team in the nation, with a HOME game against Alabama. We knew that would be a big fight, but Georgia never seemed to get it out of gear until it was too late to catch up. Could it be that they were more impressed by the fans and the “blackout” than the job they needed to do on the field? Sometimes the mark of a true champion is those that can stay the course when things go off to the left OR the right. Some teams can’t handle success too well, and get caught up in the moment. It cost Georgia that number one spot.
How the Wisconsin Badgers have fallen…what happened there?
I watched this game and noticed how long that 6-0 score sat there, thinking that if Wisconsin does not play more aggressively, they will give Michigan hope. When you play an away game vs. a big opponent, you MUST control them or they will get hope. When the score was 19-0, I remember saying that if Wisconsin scores one more touchdown, they would win the game because Michigan would have their hearts broken and could not possibly amount an attack.
But Wisconsin failed to do that. In fact, it almost seemed like they were playing not to lose. They gave Michigan hope, and once the “on” button was flipped, they kept moving forward. Apparently Wisconsin turned the switch off, and could not get it started again. It turned out to be a most embarrassing loss for this team, and they will pay for it when they see the next number beside their name.
Oh Wake Forest, what happened to you?
The best team in the ACC may fall out of the top 25 entirely, reducing the entire conference to a much lesser power than already believed. I watched this game thinking that if Wake could just get ahead by a touchdown or two, then they could almost mail it in because the option is a failure when a team is behind by more than two scores. But it also works this way: if the option works, then the team controls the clock much more than the opponents (in this case, Wake Forest) would like.
Beaten at home, in celebration of this new BB&T structure (of which I am NOT a fan of…I have personal and moral issues against BB&T), but I was a fan of Wake Forest and their style of play. But offense has been a major issue with this team the last few weeks. We even saw this when they beat Florida State. When I saw that their QB had 5 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, that kinda was problematic…it surfaced when the interception party started. So Wake Forest, the best team of the ACC, has fallen.
And so has Clemson.
It is quite possible that there may be no ACC team on the top 25 poll, a most embarrassing situation for the conference (although I think Virginia Tech or Maryland might get up there). Wasn’t Clemson supposed to be the best team in the ACC? Weren’t they as high as #8 in the nation? What a tumble! Even if Maryland turns out to be better than we thought, Clemson still has to take this one on the chin because this is a very crippling loss to the program.
But who has fallen harder than ECU?
This team started out knocking out Virginia Tech, and making all kinds of noise. Remember they beat Boise State in a bowl last year, so they are on big roll. Then the next week they knock off West Virginia, and now the entire nation is singing praises of the Pirates possibly in the BCS.
Then they barely win in Tulane, and the signs were there…ECU could not handle fame.
Their loss to NC State proved this, and then a loss at home to Houston sealed the deal. In two weeks, they have gone from possible BCS busters to hopefuls to the Liberty Bowl.
How indeed has the mighty fallen.
And somewhere in the midst of the fallen warriors, the Badgers, the Gators, the Trojans, the Pirates, the Tigers, the Bulldogs and the Demon Deacons, there is a previously fallen warrior who seems to have a grin on their lips….
A Buckeye……
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