BuckeyePlanet

RECAP: Big Ten Championship Game 2020 (Ohio State vs Northwestern)

1. First of all, props to Northwestern, as they played one Hell of a game today. There is - literally - not one player on Northwestern's entire team who had an Ohio State offer, yet the Wildcats went toe-to-toe with the Buckeyes all game long and had the 20-point favorites on upset alert for about three quarters. Pat Fitzgerald is a great coach and motivator and he got every ounce of talent and effort out of his squad. Unfortunately for Northwestern, that still wasn't enough to beat Ohio State, because the Buckeyes are just that much more talented than the Wildcats.

2. Major props to running back Trey Sermon, who broke the Ohio State single-game rushing record with 331 yards on 29 carries (11.4 average) and a pair of touchdowns. Sermon broke the record set by Eddie George against Illinois all the way back in 1995 (314 yards on 36 carries)...

1. Well, that's what Buckeye football was supposed to be in 2020 - complete domination from start to finish, as Ohio State rolled Michigan State, 52 to 12. The only break in the complete domination was a brief span of 86 seconds in the third quarter (from 6:14 to 4:48) when Sparty went on an improbable 2-play, 75-yard TD drive to cut the Buckeye lead to 35-7, then forced a Buckeye fumble two plays later. At that point, I wasn't exactly having flashbacks to the nightmare 1998 game, but it was beginning to look a lot like another Buckeye second half meltdown (a la Penn State, Rutgers, Indiana) was in progress. Fortunately, Shaun Wade made a spectacular interception on the very next play to kill any chance of Sparty respectability, and the Buckeyes closed out the scoring on a 17-5 run.

2. His numbers were okay (17/24, 70.8%, 199 yards, 2 TDs, 3 sacks), but we didn't really get Heisman Justin Fields yesterday. There were plenty of contributing...

1. Michigan State was the last of the "original" members of the Big Ten to join the conference. The Spartans joined the Big Ten in 1949 but did not play a full conference football schedule until 1953.

2. Now for a brief aside on the history of the Big Ten. The conference was formed in 1896 with seven members: Chicago, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, and Wisconsin. Indiana and Iowa joined in 1899. Michigan withdrew from the conference in 1908, only to return in 1917. In the meantime, Ohio State joined in 1912. When Chicago permanently withdrew in 1946, Michigan...

Post-Game Notes

1. I'm fairly confident in saying that Indiana is not as good as they played yesterday. Hoosier quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. will probably never throw for 491 yards and 5 TDs in a single game (he came in averaging 267.5 yards and 2.25 TDs per game); wide receiver Ty Fryfogle is unlikely to make 7 receptions for 218 yards and 3 touchdowns; and the Hoosier defense won't force another Heisman candidate quarterback into three interception and five sacks. Except for the final eleven minutes of the second quarter, when Ohio State scored three straight touchdowns and held Indiana scoreless, the Hoosiers played over their heads. Not much over their heads, perhaps - after all, they were 4-0 and ranked #9 in the country entering the contest with Ohio State - but enough over their heads that what should have been a fairly comfortable Buckeye victory was not finally decided until literally the last play of the game (a desperate Lateral Mary that the Buckeye...

1. Indiana University is located in Bloomington, about an hour southwest of Indianapolis. IU is the state's flagship public university. The school's motto is Lux et Veritas, which translates to: "Light and Truth".

2. Indiana's colors are crimson and cream and the mascot is the Hoosier. No one knows exactly what a Hoosier is, other than a term for a resident of Indiana. Some say that Hoosier comes from an old Indian word, hoosa, which apparently meant "maize". Whatever the origin of the obscure word, Hoosier now apparently means: "friendliness, neighborliness, an idyllic contentment with Indiana landscape and life." At least that's according to the Indiana Historical Society, which is probably not the most objective source for such information...

After last night's utterly embarrassing loss to Wisconsin, a 49 to 11 blowout at home that was even worse than that lopsided score would indicate, it looks like the Michigan Football 2020 Preseason Hype Train has finally ground to a halt. The Hype Train is an annual event up in Ann Arbor, a premature ejaculation over the Heisman Trophy and National Championship and victory in The Game that will certainly come this year, because this is their year once again. We're used to the Hype Train down here in Ohio, it's old news and played out and barely warrants a snicker these days, it's all so outrageous and overblown. But this year's loads of loving hype were extra sticky and gooey, and Michigan Man lapped it all up and kept coming back for more. Here are some of the best money shots:

Q: Can a 49-27 win be unimpressive?

A: Yes. See Rutgers @ Ohio State, 11/07/2020.

Part of the reason the score was unimpressive is that Rutgers left eleven easy points on the field. Rutgers attempted 2-point conversions after each of their four touchdowns, and they failed each time. And in the final minute of the game, Rutgers had the ball first-and-goal from the 2-yard line against the Buckeyes' reserve defenders, and their third-string QB fumbled the ball away without even getting hit. Give Rutgers those eleven easy points and it becomes a 49-38 game. It looked like a 49-38 game. It felt like a 49-38 game.

Another reason the win was unimpressive was the effort level by Ohio State. The Buckeyes lost the battle of the trenches all night long, and quite frankly they seemed bored and even entitled for much of the game. I get it - the Mighty Mighty Buckeyes don't want to play Lowly Rutgers in an empty Horseshoe on a Saturday night. They didn't want to be there. They'd rather be...

Penn State Post-Game Thoughts

1. With the 38-25 win, Ohio State now leads the series versus Penn State, 22-14 (.611 winning percentage), including 20-8 (.714 winning percentage) in Big Ten play. Ohio State has outscored Penn State 834 to 678 (23.2 to 18.8 on a per game basis). In Big Ten games, Ohio State has outscored Penn State 773 to 531 (27.6 to 19.0 on a per game basis).

2. A 13-point win against a pre-season top-10 team seems pretty impressive, but the game wasn't really that close. Ohio State settled for three FG attempts inside the 5-yard line, and missed two of them (one with an injured Blake Haubeil; one with his backup, walk-on Dominic DiMaccio). Penn State was clearly gifted a FG of their own when the clock malfunctioned (or something) at the end of the first half, and a second FG after a phantom roughing the passer call allowed them to convert a 3rd-and-12. If Ohio...

Some Post-Game Thoughts

1. After being tied 14-14 with 8:24 left in the 2nd quarter, Ohio State outscored Nebraska 38-3 over the rest of the game. Ohio State started slow and sloppy, Nebraska started hot and played hard. The talent gap between the two programs is literally amazing. There are plenty of third-stringers on Ohio State who would start (or see significant playing time) for Nebraska.

2. Justin Fields was 20/21 for 276 yards and 2 TDs. His only incompletion was a "drop" by Chris Olave on a 43-yard pass into the end zone. It was definitely a tough catch, but an All American caliber receiver should have come down with the ball. If Olave does so, then Fields is a perfect 21/21 for 319 yards, 3 TDs, and an off-the-charts QB rating.

3. Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave were the primary beneficiaries of Fields' outstanding performance, as Wilson had 7 receptions for 129 yards...

June 2019 will be the most important month for football recruiting in Ohio State's long and storied history. Yes, that sounds like a lot of hyperbole, but some month has to be the most important, so why not June of 2019?

Recruiting in general has become more important in recent years, and much more difficult for football programs to navigate, with early signing, early enrollment, early departures for the NFL, grad transfers, the transfer portal, camps, combines, all-star games, and social media all complicating a process that was none too simple to begin with. However, the the biggest impact on teams - by far - has been the shift from local recruiting to national recruiting. It is no longer good enough for a college staff, in its never-ending quest for talent, to build relationships with players and coaches in its home state alone. Nowadays, the recruiting trail extends across the entire country, and the successful staffs have to build those relationships every step of the way...

1. Ohio State beat Southern Cal 24 to 7, the Buckeyes first win over the Trojans since the 1974 Rose Bowl. Southern Cal had won seven straight games in the series, including three straight in bowl games (1975, 1980, 1985 Rose Bowls).

2. After the first 27 minutes, Ohio State had a 24-0 lead and it seemed like Buckeyes were on their way to a "name your score" blow out. Then K.J. Hill muffed a punt deep in Buckeye territory. The Trojans recovered and quickly scored on a 3-play, 15-yard drive to cut the lead to 24-7. From that point on, the game seemed like something from the 2002 season, with the defense playing lights out and the offense trying to whittle away the clock while not turning the ball over. Neither team scored in the second half, a half that must have been one of the most boring of the entire 2017 college football season.

3. Between the muffed punt and the final kneel down, Ohio State had six drives, five of which ended in punts and one where the Buckeyes were stuffed...

1. J.T. Barrett might not have a rocket arm; he might be a bit slow in his decision making; he might not be a legitimate NFL prospect; and yes, in the end he might not be good enough to lead this Buckeye team to a national championship. But Joe Thomas Barrett IV is definitely the best quarterback in the 127-year history of Ohio State football. Barrett already holds all of the important career QB records at Ohio State including passing yards (8,547); passing touchdowns (94); completion percentage (.645); and total yards (11,466). Barrett has 2,919 career rushing yards, and he will soon surpass Braxton Miller (3,054 yards) to become the Buckeyes career leader in rushing yards for a quarterback. With 33 wins as a starting quarterback, Barrett still has a very good chance to tie or exceed Art Schilchter's career record of 36 wins.

2. Barrett played the best game of his career - and arguably the greatest game by any Buckeye QB ever - in the biggest...

This is the BPRT's recap of the recruiting class of 2017. RB07OSU's comments are in in BROWN; wadc45's in RED; LordJeffBuck's in PURPLE; and MD Buckeye's in GRAY:
Another year, another phenomenal class. We lost a little momentum at the end and failed to get that "elite DT" down the stretch again, but it is easy to forget the amazing haul we brought in throughout the last 1-2 years to form this class. What stands out to me generally is the high end talent that we brought from all over the country. Locking down a multitude of 5 stars from Florida, California, Nevada, Texas...it was really unprecedented. While stars don't mean everything, the amount of top-shelf talent is as good as I have seen.

We always knew this class...

1. First things first: You don't lose Joey Bosa, Zeke Elliott, Taylor Decker, Darron Lee, Michael Thomas, etc. etc. and get better as a team. That narrative, which was prevalent early in the season, was soundly disproven last night. While certain positions were upgraded in 2016 (Malik Hooker over Tyvis Powell, for example), the team as a whole suffered a tremendous depletion of talent, a depletion that could not be overcome in just one season.

2. Next, let's get past the "youngest team in CFB" bullshit already. That excuse might have been valid at the beginning of the season, but by last night everyone on the team was a full year older, in football terms, than they were on September 3rd. And a lot of those "young pups" are good enough to head to the NFL early. Youth and inexperience are often used as an excuse for lack of talent. I think that we need to question the level of talent on this team, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

3. Penn State fans like to blame every...

Well, I certainly hope that all of you Buckeye fans who want Michigan to be good again "for the sake of the rivalry" are happy with yesterday's game. Personally, I'd like to see the last Saturday in November be a guaranteed win, just like it was during the RichRod Era. But if suffering through four hours of gut-wrenching emotions is worth extra-salty Wolverine tears, then bon appetit!

1. Michigan still leads the overall series, 58-49-6, but that is largely due to their dominance during the leather helmet days. In the first sixteen games of the series (1897 to 1919), Michigan compiled a record of 13-1-2, for an .875 winning percentage. In the last sixteen games (2001 to 2016), Ohio State has compiled a record of 14-2, for an .875 winning percentage. I'll take current success over ancient history any day.

2. Curtis Samuel continued his outstanding season yesterday, with 7 rushes for 54 yards (7.7 average) and a touchdown; and 4 receptions...

For the second week in a row, Ohio State beat an opponent by the score of 62-3. While last week's blow-out victory over Nebraska might have been somewhat of a surprise, most Ohio State fans expected the Buckeyes to shellack the lowly Terrapins.

1. For the season, Ohio State now has four wins of 50+ points: Bowling Green (77-10); Nebraska (62-3); Maryland (62-3); and Rutgers (58-0).

2. Yesterday was the fifth time on the season that the Buckeye defense held an opponent out of the end zone. In addition to the four games listed above, Ohio State also beat Tulsa 48-3. Note: Bowling Green scored 10 points against Ohio State, but their lone touchdown came by way of a pick six.

3. When Curtis Samuel gets the football, good things happen. Yesterday, Samuel had 4 rushes for 38 yards and a pair of touchdowns, 5 receptions for 74 yards and a 36-yard touchdown, and one punt return for 11 yards.

4. On the season, Samuel leads Ohio State in receptions (57)...

Well, that was certainly fun to watch. Ohio State played a nearly perfect game and beat a top-10 opponent by 59 points, a near-record margin. The only worse beat down of a top-10 team came way back in 1945 when Army defeated Penn by 61 points.

The 59-point shellacking was the second worst ever suffered by Nebraska, the worst coming against Texas Tech in 2004 when the Huskers were on the wrong end of a 70-10 blowout.

1. Quarterback J.T. Barrett was the focal point of the offense this week, which is not unusual. However, instead of running the zone read 25 times, Barrett was asked to throw the ball with more frequency and against tendencies. Barrett responded with his best performance of the season, completing 26 of 38 passes (68.4%) for 290 yards, 4 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and 0 sacks. Despite staying in the pocket most of the night Barrett also added 39 yards rushing on 8 carries, including a 20-yard run on a quarterback draw to convert a...

There's no such thing as a bad win .... there's no such thing as a bad win .... there's no such thing as a bad win....

1. With the 24-20 win today, Ohio State improves to 61-14-1 (.809 winning percentage) all-time against Northwestern. The Buckeyes have won six in a row and 30 of the last 31 in the series, with the only loss during that span coming in 2004 (a 33-27 loss in overtime).

2. With 223 yards passing today, J.T. Barrett now has 1,675 yards on the season and 5,501 yards for his career. He surpassed Braxton Miller (5,292 yards) for 8th place on Ohio State's list of career passing leaders. Barrett needs 69 yards to surpass Mike Tomczak (5,569 yards) for 7th place and 220 yards to surpass Troy Smith (5,720 yards) for 6th place.

3. Barrett had no touchdowns passing or rushing today, the first time in 25 career starts that he did not have a touchdown.

4. Curtis Samuel had 7 rushes for 31 yards and a...

1. Last night's game can be summarized in one word: Awful. The offense, the defense, the special teams, the play-calling, the execution, the intensity, the composure, the officiating, the scheduling, the weather, Kirk Herbstreit. All simply awful.

2. Conventional wisdom (or irrational hope) states that the Buckeyes needed a "learning experience" or a "wake-up call" or some sort of "teachable moment", and now that they've got one they'll be able to right the ship and cruise into the play-offs. Certainly something similar happened after bad losses in 2014 (Virginia Tech) and 2015 (Michigan State). Sometimes a loss is a good thing long term. Usually it's a warning sign.

3. Ohio State led the time of possession battle, 37:19 to 22:41. That's mainly because Penn State's three touchdown drives didn't consume very much time. Their first was 7 plays for 74 yards in 1:00; their second was 5 plays for 90 yards in 1:20; and their third was 0 plays for 60 yards in 0:00 (blocked FG).

4. Ohio...

1. Pennsylvania State University is a football factory located in State College, Pennsylvania.

2. The Penn State mascot is the Nittany Lion. According to Penn State's official website:


The Nittany Lion refers to the mountain lions that used to live on Mount Nittany, which is located near the Penn State campus. Nittany is allegedly an Indian word (or phrase) that means...