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LGHL Grumpy Old Buckeye: Scrutinizing Ohio State’s 32-31 road loss at Oregon
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Grumpy Old Buckeye: Scrutinizing Ohio State’s 32-31 road loss at Oregon
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
It was a night filled with stepping on rakes by the Buckeyes, and yet they still almost figured out a way to beat the Ducks in Eugene.
OK, so it isn’t going to be a perfect season for the 2024 Ohio State Buckeyes. The matchup with Oregon lived up to its billing and despite a ton of adversity, the Buckeyes lost by a single point against a great team in a true road contest.
Had Ohio State not stepped on quite so many rakes (a la Sideshow Bob from The Simpsons) over the course of the evening, the game was there for the taking — not only for the Buckeyes to win, but to win convincingly. However, mistakes happen and, as usual, the team that made the most came out on the short end.
Here are the things that had me quackin’ mad when the Buckeyes visited the Ducks.
Will Howard delivered a good pass to his tight end, and while it wasn’t the easiest catch, Will Kacmarek made a complete mess of it. I’m not sure anyone actually “caught” it, but the ball was taken away after he and the defender were on the ground. It appeared the officials ruled simultaneous control on the ground, which goes to the offensive player.
I’m not sure I saw a replay angle that would have overturned it, but it wasn’t reviewed anyway. Kudos to Ohio State for lining up quickly and running a play, but as I said, I didn’t see a definitive replay that indicated either player having complete control while in contact on the ground, so to me, it was likely going to stand as called.
Ohio State’s second series did end in a turnover that may have kept things from snowballing early on the Ducks. On a simple run up the middle, the OSU offensive line got blown up and Quinshon Judkins was hit in the backfield. To make matters worse, he had the ball ripped out of his hands before he could get to the ground.
The play set the Ducks up in scoring position. Oregon scored two plays later, due in large part by a bad missed tackle by Cody Simon on the first snap of the ensuing drive.
After Oregon scored its first touchdown, Ohio State missed a golden opportunity to add two free points that would have mattered a great deal later in the game. The Ducks muffed the snap on the try for the point after, and Lathan Ransom intercepted a blind, desperate heave into the end zone.
Ransom took off down the left sideline and appeared in great shape to make it 9-6 Buckeyes. Most teams don’t have much speed on the placekicking team. However, the Ducks were able to get the angle on him, forcing him to slow down and eventually tackled him, preventing an Ohio State defensive conversion.
The play nearly handed Ohio State a gift two points, and perhaps changed the end of the game.
Among the many gunshots the Buckeyes fired into their own feet on Saturday night were the mistakes that drew flags. There were false starts that killed a first-half drive, more false starts in the second half, failing to execute a basic punt before the play clock ran out, and a facemask on a touchdown that ultimately set Oregon up with back-to-back possessions.
I’m not going to get on Jeremiah Smith for the late pass interference, because with the stuff the officials were allowing to go on all night long from both teams — “letting them play” in fanspeak — it shouldn’t have been called. In fact, there was a more egregious defensive foul on the play prior that wasn’t called.
However, that one hurt, because it pushed the Buckeyes out of field goal range and changed the complexion of the endgame.
It is inexplicable to see the performance Denzel Burke turned in on Saturday. We haven’t seen performances that poor from him since his sophomore season, and even then I’m not sure there were any that bad. Burke simply couldn’t stay with receivers all night long, and that was exacerbated by horrendous tackling.
Every player has rough games, but this one came out of nowhere. He gave up a 48-yard touchdown just before halftime and got beat on Oregon’s longest play from scrimmage all season, getting dragged down the field for the final 15 yards of that play. When Jayden Fielding couldn’t keep three straight kickoffs from going out of bounds, he was replaced.
Burke made a lot more mistakes and yet he stayed out there to make more. That’s on the coaching staff.
It’s aggravating to know that Oregon receiver Traeshon Holden got to celebrate a win after spitting on Davison Igbinosun during Saturday’s game. That got him ejected, and rightfully so, but there’s simply no place for that. It didn’t ultimately cost his team, and he was let off the hook for something classless and stupid.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25675858/usa_today_24480324.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Ohio State left tackle Josh Simmons has been a rock on the left side of the Buckeye offensive line, but it appears his season may have ended on the artificial turf at Autzen Stadium. His knee appeared to lock up as he was back pedaling in pass protection and the big man had to be carted off. That’s the kind of injury that can derail a season.
Ohio State has a next-man-up mentality, which all good teams do, but some men are hard to replace.
Facing a third-and-1 situation in the second half, TreVeyon Henderson broke through the defensive penetration and got back to the line of scrimmage. Needing just one yard, Henderson tried to make an extra jump cut to bounce outside of a defender. Had he pulled off the fake, he might have made a big play.
However, he didn’t beat the defender and was dropped for no gain. Had he just powered forward rather than making the extra juke, the Buckeyes would have sustained a drive in a tight game. Instead, Ohio State punted. Sometimes it’s better to make a safe, smart play than trying to make a big one.
I want to preface this section by saying I thought Will Howard played magnificently on Saturday night. He made a ton of plays that I don’t think Kyle McCord would have made, and in general, he’s been a fantastic transfer portal acquisition.
However, there were a couple of key mistakes in the second half that were costly. On a third-and-3, he took his eyes off the snap trying to read the coverage and dropped the ball. Although he dove on it to prevent a turnover, Ohio State had to punt the ball away.
The second was one that you already knew I’d bring up — the slide. Howard tried to put his team in the best position for a game-winning kick on the final play, but in doing so, he took one yard too many. I will cop to not knowing if Howard could see the play clock during the play, but he broke into space, slid, and tried to call timeout.
I will forever believe that the Buckeyes should have had one second and one final play to try a long field goal. I don’t know if Fielding would have made the kick, and that’s the frustrating part. We’ll never know. It looked from all the freeze frames that there was a second left, and it was reviewable, but there didn’t seem to be a review. However, pulling up one single yard earlier would have made an attempt possible.
Of course, Howard shouldn’t have been in that position, because A) offensive pass interference shouldn’t have been called on Smith based on how the game had been called all night, and B) once the ball was ready for play, Day should have saved the time and called timeout.
Sure, that would have changed the play-calling for the final couple of snaps, but you work with the situation you have, and those seven wasted seconds were ultimately critical. There are ways to stop a clock on offense, and you bake that into what you do, but wasting those seconds was fatal.
Calling the timeout doesn’t guarantee a win, obviously, but it may have improved Ohio State’s odds and given the team a chance to regroup in a pressure situation.
Well, this is a long column (my apologies), but close losses in games full of “what-ifs” are the most aggravating games of all. Considering I didn’t think Ohio State was capable of that much self-harm, a one-point loss in a true road game against an opponent of that caliber is encouraging, in a way.
The Buckeyes have to clean things up, but it’s a 12-team playoff and Ohio State is still in good position. The margin of error is simply smaller now.
Next up for the Buckeyes is a week off before the Nebraska Cornhuskers visit Ohio Stadium on Oct. 26.
Continue reading...
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
It was a night filled with stepping on rakes by the Buckeyes, and yet they still almost figured out a way to beat the Ducks in Eugene.
OK, so it isn’t going to be a perfect season for the 2024 Ohio State Buckeyes. The matchup with Oregon lived up to its billing and despite a ton of adversity, the Buckeyes lost by a single point against a great team in a true road contest.
Had Ohio State not stepped on quite so many rakes (a la Sideshow Bob from The Simpsons) over the course of the evening, the game was there for the taking — not only for the Buckeyes to win, but to win convincingly. However, mistakes happen and, as usual, the team that made the most came out on the short end.
Here are the things that had me quackin’ mad when the Buckeyes visited the Ducks.
Kacmarek’s Katch
Will Howard delivered a good pass to his tight end, and while it wasn’t the easiest catch, Will Kacmarek made a complete mess of it. I’m not sure anyone actually “caught” it, but the ball was taken away after he and the defender were on the ground. It appeared the officials ruled simultaneous control on the ground, which goes to the offensive player.
I’m not sure I saw a replay angle that would have overturned it, but it wasn’t reviewed anyway. Kudos to Ohio State for lining up quickly and running a play, but as I said, I didn’t see a definitive replay that indicated either player having complete control while in contact on the ground, so to me, it was likely going to stand as called.
Judkins Gives It Away
Ohio State’s second series did end in a turnover that may have kept things from snowballing early on the Ducks. On a simple run up the middle, the OSU offensive line got blown up and Quinshon Judkins was hit in the backfield. To make matters worse, he had the ball ripped out of his hands before he could get to the ground.
The play set the Ducks up in scoring position. Oregon scored two plays later, due in large part by a bad missed tackle by Cody Simon on the first snap of the ensuing drive.
Ransom Can’t Outrun ‘Em
After Oregon scored its first touchdown, Ohio State missed a golden opportunity to add two free points that would have mattered a great deal later in the game. The Ducks muffed the snap on the try for the point after, and Lathan Ransom intercepted a blind, desperate heave into the end zone.
Ransom took off down the left sideline and appeared in great shape to make it 9-6 Buckeyes. Most teams don’t have much speed on the placekicking team. However, the Ducks were able to get the angle on him, forcing him to slow down and eventually tackled him, preventing an Ohio State defensive conversion.
The play nearly handed Ohio State a gift two points, and perhaps changed the end of the game.
Penalties, Penalties, Penalties!
Among the many gunshots the Buckeyes fired into their own feet on Saturday night were the mistakes that drew flags. There were false starts that killed a first-half drive, more false starts in the second half, failing to execute a basic punt before the play clock ran out, and a facemask on a touchdown that ultimately set Oregon up with back-to-back possessions.
I’m not going to get on Jeremiah Smith for the late pass interference, because with the stuff the officials were allowing to go on all night long from both teams — “letting them play” in fanspeak — it shouldn’t have been called. In fact, there was a more egregious defensive foul on the play prior that wasn’t called.
However, that one hurt, because it pushed the Buckeyes out of field goal range and changed the complexion of the endgame.
Burke Burnt Repeatedly
It is inexplicable to see the performance Denzel Burke turned in on Saturday. We haven’t seen performances that poor from him since his sophomore season, and even then I’m not sure there were any that bad. Burke simply couldn’t stay with receivers all night long, and that was exacerbated by horrendous tackling.
Every player has rough games, but this one came out of nowhere. He gave up a 48-yard touchdown just before halftime and got beat on Oregon’s longest play from scrimmage all season, getting dragged down the field for the final 15 yards of that play. When Jayden Fielding couldn’t keep three straight kickoffs from going out of bounds, he was replaced.
Burke made a lot more mistakes and yet he stayed out there to make more. That’s on the coaching staff.
Spitting? Really?
It’s aggravating to know that Oregon receiver Traeshon Holden got to celebrate a win after spitting on Davison Igbinosun during Saturday’s game. That got him ejected, and rightfully so, but there’s simply no place for that. It didn’t ultimately cost his team, and he was let off the hook for something classless and stupid.
No, Not Josh!
Ohio State left tackle Josh Simmons has been a rock on the left side of the Buckeye offensive line, but it appears his season may have ended on the artificial turf at Autzen Stadium. His knee appeared to lock up as he was back pedaling in pass protection and the big man had to be carted off. That’s the kind of injury that can derail a season.
Ohio State has a next-man-up mentality, which all good teams do, but some men are hard to replace.
Henderson’s Extra Juke
Facing a third-and-1 situation in the second half, TreVeyon Henderson broke through the defensive penetration and got back to the line of scrimmage. Needing just one yard, Henderson tried to make an extra jump cut to bounce outside of a defender. Had he pulled off the fake, he might have made a big play.
However, he didn’t beat the defender and was dropped for no gain. Had he just powered forward rather than making the extra juke, the Buckeyes would have sustained a drive in a tight game. Instead, Ohio State punted. Sometimes it’s better to make a safe, smart play than trying to make a big one.
Howard’s Howlers
I want to preface this section by saying I thought Will Howard played magnificently on Saturday night. He made a ton of plays that I don’t think Kyle McCord would have made, and in general, he’s been a fantastic transfer portal acquisition.
However, there were a couple of key mistakes in the second half that were costly. On a third-and-3, he took his eyes off the snap trying to read the coverage and dropped the ball. Although he dove on it to prevent a turnover, Ohio State had to punt the ball away.
The second was one that you already knew I’d bring up — the slide. Howard tried to put his team in the best position for a game-winning kick on the final play, but in doing so, he took one yard too many. I will cop to not knowing if Howard could see the play clock during the play, but he broke into space, slid, and tried to call timeout.
I will forever believe that the Buckeyes should have had one second and one final play to try a long field goal. I don’t know if Fielding would have made the kick, and that’s the frustrating part. We’ll never know. It looked from all the freeze frames that there was a second left, and it was reviewable, but there didn’t seem to be a review. However, pulling up one single yard earlier would have made an attempt possible.
Of course, Howard shouldn’t have been in that position, because A) offensive pass interference shouldn’t have been called on Smith based on how the game had been called all night, and B) once the ball was ready for play, Day should have saved the time and called timeout.
Sure, that would have changed the play-calling for the final couple of snaps, but you work with the situation you have, and those seven wasted seconds were ultimately critical. There are ways to stop a clock on offense, and you bake that into what you do, but wasting those seconds was fatal.
Calling the timeout doesn’t guarantee a win, obviously, but it may have improved Ohio State’s odds and given the team a chance to regroup in a pressure situation.
Well, this is a long column (my apologies), but close losses in games full of “what-ifs” are the most aggravating games of all. Considering I didn’t think Ohio State was capable of that much self-harm, a one-point loss in a true road game against an opponent of that caliber is encouraging, in a way.
The Buckeyes have to clean things up, but it’s a 12-team playoff and Ohio State is still in good position. The margin of error is simply smaller now.
Next up for the Buckeyes is a week off before the Nebraska Cornhuskers visit Ohio Stadium on Oct. 26.
Continue reading...
LGHL A look at Big Ten betting lines in Week 8
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A look at Big Ten betting lines in Week 8
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
With the Buckeyes on bye, we take a look at the rest of the Big Ten slate this upcoming weekend.
Ohio State has an extra week off to reflect on its 32-31 loss to Oregon and attempt to make corrections moving forward at the halfway point of the regular season. With the Buckeyes not in action this week, our focus turns to the rest of the Big Ten slate for this week’s opening odds.
All lines are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. All games on Saturday unless otherwise noted.
No. 2 Oregon (-28.5) vs. Purdue - (8:00 p.m. ET Friday)
Oregon has a quick turnaround after defeating Ohio State on Saturday, traveling to West Lafayette on Friday night to take on Purdue. Luckily for the Ducks, the Boilermakers are one of the worst teams in the Big Ten, sitting at 0-3 in conference play and 1-5 overall.
Purdue was without starting quarterback Hudson Card in its 50-49 overtime loss to Illinois this past weekend, but Ryan Browne performed exceptionally in his place with 297 yards passing and three touchdowns and another 118 yards rushing. On the other side, Dillon Gabriel is coming off a masterful performance against the Buckeyes, throwing for 342 yards and two scores while rushing for another.
The only way Oregon comes away from this matchup with anything other than a blowout win is if that Spoilermaker devil magic comes into play.
Nebraska vs. No. 16 Indiana (-5.5) - (12:00 p.m. ET)
Indiana is one of the best stories of the 2024 college football season thus far. Curt Cignetti has taken over a Hoosiers team that finished 3-9 a year ago and gotten them off to a 6-0 start and up to No. 16 in the AP Poll. That being said, Nebraska will be Indiana’s toughest test yet, with Matt Rhule’s group entering this game at 5-1.
Ohio transfer Kurtis Rourke has been a revelation for the Hoosiers at quarterback, throwing for over 1,750 yards with 14 touchdowns and just two picks on the year. The Indiana defense has been just as impressive as its offense, with the units ranking 11th and 2nd nationally, respectively. Nebraska will hope to get a bounce back performance from freshman QB Dylan Raiola, who threw for just 134 yards with no touchdowns and an INT against Rutgers last time out.
Especially with this game being at home, I’m surprised the line isn’t a tad bigger in favor of Indiana.
Wisconsin (-6.5) vs. Northwestern - (12:00 p.m. ET)
Neither of these two teams are having much fun this season. Wisconsin started the year 2-0 before suffering back-to-back losses to Alabama and USC in addition to losing starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke for the year with a torn ACL. Northwestern, who finished 8-5 last year under David Braun in a season some expected them to finish winless, has started just 3-3 this year with losses in two of their last three games.
There likely won’t be a ton of offense in this one. The Wildcats rank 109th nationally with 21.7 points per game, and Wisconsin ranks 61st nationally with 30 points per game — a number that is slightly inflated after a 52-point performance against the lowly Boilermakers. In the 11 other contests these teams have played, only once has one of them managed to reach the 40-point mark, that being the Badgers in a 42-7 over Rutgers this past weekend.
Luke Fickell’s group likely gets it done on the road, but I have little interest in this one.
UCLA vs. Rutgers (-6.5) - (12:00 p.m. ET)
Speaking of teams having a bad time, UCLA is currently dead last in the Big Ten at 0-4 in conference and 1-5 overall. The Bruins have scored only 87 total points across their six games, good for dead last in the B1G and 32 points below the next-worst team (Michigan State). Rutgers, meanwhile, was riding high after a 4-0 start, but has dropped each of its last two games to Nebraska and Wisconsin.
In a battle between the two furthest teams in the Big Ten geographically, the Scarlet Knights should relatively easily handle business here.
No. 24 Michigan (-1.5) vs. No. 22 Illinois - (3:30 p.m. ET)
A sneaky fun game in this weekend’s slate, No. 24 Michigan has to travel to No. 22 Illinois with the smallest spread the Big Ten has to offer in Week 8. Despite some less-than-stellar quarterback play to put it mildly, the Wolverines are still 4-2, with one of the losses to now-No. 1 Texas. On the flip side, Illinois sits at 5-1 on the year, with the Illini’s lone stumble a 21-7 defeat at the hands of Penn State.
Can Illinois pull off the “upset” here as the betting underdog despite being the higher-ranked team? At his best, Luke Altmeyer is able to put up points for the Illini, coming off a 379-yard passing performance against Purdue with four total touchdowns. Their defense has also been rather solid, ranking 32nd nationally allowing 20 points per game. For Michigan, they are still looking to find any sort of consistency at QB, having thrown for less than 140 yards as team in five of six games this season.
The Wolverines’ defense has been good enough to keep them afloat this season, and there is a good chance they can do that again this week, but watch out for those Fighting Illini!
USC (-7.5) vs. Maryland - (4:00 p.m. ET)
In a battle of two teams trending in the wrong direction, USC has to travel cross-country to take on Maryland. The Trojans began the year with a big win over then-No. 13 LSU, but have lost three of their last four contests, including blowing a 14-point lead over Penn State last time out. The Terrapins also got off to a solid start at 3-1, but have lost their last two games to Indiana and Northwestern.
Lincoln Riley’s offense hasn’t looked the same without a Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback, ranking 54th nationally with 30.7 points per game. They have been much better defensively in the post-Alex Grinch era, but that group is still a work in progress. Maryland has gotten great quarterback play from Billy Edwards Jr., who has thrown for over 250 yards in every game so far this season, but has not been able to translate that into points, ranking 62nd in the country with 29.5 points per game.
Riley’s Mickey Mouse offense usually only comes up to bite him against ranked opponents, so USC should handle business in College Park on Saturday.
Iowa (-6.5) vs. Michigan State - (7:30 p.m. ET)
One of the sport’s worst offenses faces off against one of the sport’s best defenses in East Lansing this weekend. Michigan State is lucky to be 3-3 to this point, having scored just 19.8 points per game to rank 118th in FBS. On the other side, the Iowa defense has been the typical Iowa defense, allowing more than 21 points in a game only once this season — a 35-7 loss to Ohio State.
Unfortunately for the Hawkeyes, the offense has also been more of the same even without Brian Ferentz. Cade McNamara has not been good at quarterback, completing less than 64% of his passes with only five touchdown passes and three interceptions on the year. For the Spartans, Aidan Chiles has somehow been even worse, completing less than 57% of his passes with five TDs and eight picks.
This game could legitimately end 3-0 and it would surprise nobody.
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
With the Buckeyes on bye, we take a look at the rest of the Big Ten slate this upcoming weekend.
Ohio State has an extra week off to reflect on its 32-31 loss to Oregon and attempt to make corrections moving forward at the halfway point of the regular season. With the Buckeyes not in action this week, our focus turns to the rest of the Big Ten slate for this week’s opening odds.
All lines are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. All games on Saturday unless otherwise noted.
No. 2 Oregon (-28.5) vs. Purdue - (8:00 p.m. ET Friday)
Oregon has a quick turnaround after defeating Ohio State on Saturday, traveling to West Lafayette on Friday night to take on Purdue. Luckily for the Ducks, the Boilermakers are one of the worst teams in the Big Ten, sitting at 0-3 in conference play and 1-5 overall.
Purdue was without starting quarterback Hudson Card in its 50-49 overtime loss to Illinois this past weekend, but Ryan Browne performed exceptionally in his place with 297 yards passing and three touchdowns and another 118 yards rushing. On the other side, Dillon Gabriel is coming off a masterful performance against the Buckeyes, throwing for 342 yards and two scores while rushing for another.
The only way Oregon comes away from this matchup with anything other than a blowout win is if that Spoilermaker devil magic comes into play.
Nebraska vs. No. 16 Indiana (-5.5) - (12:00 p.m. ET)
Indiana is one of the best stories of the 2024 college football season thus far. Curt Cignetti has taken over a Hoosiers team that finished 3-9 a year ago and gotten them off to a 6-0 start and up to No. 16 in the AP Poll. That being said, Nebraska will be Indiana’s toughest test yet, with Matt Rhule’s group entering this game at 5-1.
Ohio transfer Kurtis Rourke has been a revelation for the Hoosiers at quarterback, throwing for over 1,750 yards with 14 touchdowns and just two picks on the year. The Indiana defense has been just as impressive as its offense, with the units ranking 11th and 2nd nationally, respectively. Nebraska will hope to get a bounce back performance from freshman QB Dylan Raiola, who threw for just 134 yards with no touchdowns and an INT against Rutgers last time out.
Especially with this game being at home, I’m surprised the line isn’t a tad bigger in favor of Indiana.
Wisconsin (-6.5) vs. Northwestern - (12:00 p.m. ET)
Neither of these two teams are having much fun this season. Wisconsin started the year 2-0 before suffering back-to-back losses to Alabama and USC in addition to losing starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke for the year with a torn ACL. Northwestern, who finished 8-5 last year under David Braun in a season some expected them to finish winless, has started just 3-3 this year with losses in two of their last three games.
There likely won’t be a ton of offense in this one. The Wildcats rank 109th nationally with 21.7 points per game, and Wisconsin ranks 61st nationally with 30 points per game — a number that is slightly inflated after a 52-point performance against the lowly Boilermakers. In the 11 other contests these teams have played, only once has one of them managed to reach the 40-point mark, that being the Badgers in a 42-7 over Rutgers this past weekend.
Luke Fickell’s group likely gets it done on the road, but I have little interest in this one.
UCLA vs. Rutgers (-6.5) - (12:00 p.m. ET)
Speaking of teams having a bad time, UCLA is currently dead last in the Big Ten at 0-4 in conference and 1-5 overall. The Bruins have scored only 87 total points across their six games, good for dead last in the B1G and 32 points below the next-worst team (Michigan State). Rutgers, meanwhile, was riding high after a 4-0 start, but has dropped each of its last two games to Nebraska and Wisconsin.
In a battle between the two furthest teams in the Big Ten geographically, the Scarlet Knights should relatively easily handle business here.
No. 24 Michigan (-1.5) vs. No. 22 Illinois - (3:30 p.m. ET)
A sneaky fun game in this weekend’s slate, No. 24 Michigan has to travel to No. 22 Illinois with the smallest spread the Big Ten has to offer in Week 8. Despite some less-than-stellar quarterback play to put it mildly, the Wolverines are still 4-2, with one of the losses to now-No. 1 Texas. On the flip side, Illinois sits at 5-1 on the year, with the Illini’s lone stumble a 21-7 defeat at the hands of Penn State.
Can Illinois pull off the “upset” here as the betting underdog despite being the higher-ranked team? At his best, Luke Altmeyer is able to put up points for the Illini, coming off a 379-yard passing performance against Purdue with four total touchdowns. Their defense has also been rather solid, ranking 32nd nationally allowing 20 points per game. For Michigan, they are still looking to find any sort of consistency at QB, having thrown for less than 140 yards as team in five of six games this season.
The Wolverines’ defense has been good enough to keep them afloat this season, and there is a good chance they can do that again this week, but watch out for those Fighting Illini!
USC (-7.5) vs. Maryland - (4:00 p.m. ET)
In a battle of two teams trending in the wrong direction, USC has to travel cross-country to take on Maryland. The Trojans began the year with a big win over then-No. 13 LSU, but have lost three of their last four contests, including blowing a 14-point lead over Penn State last time out. The Terrapins also got off to a solid start at 3-1, but have lost their last two games to Indiana and Northwestern.
Lincoln Riley’s offense hasn’t looked the same without a Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback, ranking 54th nationally with 30.7 points per game. They have been much better defensively in the post-Alex Grinch era, but that group is still a work in progress. Maryland has gotten great quarterback play from Billy Edwards Jr., who has thrown for over 250 yards in every game so far this season, but has not been able to translate that into points, ranking 62nd in the country with 29.5 points per game.
Riley’s Mickey Mouse offense usually only comes up to bite him against ranked opponents, so USC should handle business in College Park on Saturday.
Iowa (-6.5) vs. Michigan State - (7:30 p.m. ET)
One of the sport’s worst offenses faces off against one of the sport’s best defenses in East Lansing this weekend. Michigan State is lucky to be 3-3 to this point, having scored just 19.8 points per game to rank 118th in FBS. On the other side, the Iowa defense has been the typical Iowa defense, allowing more than 21 points in a game only once this season — a 35-7 loss to Ohio State.
Unfortunately for the Hawkeyes, the offense has also been more of the same even without Brian Ferentz. Cade McNamara has not been good at quarterback, completing less than 64% of his passes with only five touchdown passes and three interceptions on the year. For the Spartans, Aidan Chiles has somehow been even worse, completing less than 57% of his passes with five TDs and eight picks.
This game could legitimately end 3-0 and it would surprise nobody.
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LGHL Power Two Podcast: The Big Ten delivers an instant classic!
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Power Two Podcast: The Big Ten delivers an instant classic!
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images
Ohio State lost to Oregon in the second instant classic of the 2024 season, plus Penn State and LSU survive in overtime!
Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Podcast Network’s Power Two Podcast. On this show, we talk about Big Ten and SEC football…and everyone else. This show is for the die-hard fans and the casual college football fans.
After every week of action, we will catch you up on all the major matchups of the previous weekend and look ahead at the games, storylines, and players you should be paying attention to for the next week.
My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host DaNaysia Jones. Lock in as we run a power sweep through the college football landscape.
This week, DJ and Jordan discuss some interesting news about commissioners and the Big Ten-SEC leaders meeting this past week. They also discuss game-watching habits and why Jordan doesn’t usually go to bars to watch games. There was a lengthy discussion about beverage and food choices when enjoying the games.
In the two-minute drill, Oregon and Ohio State were heavily discussed. Jordan gave us his viewing experience as both an OSU fan and a football fan. DJ shared some fun factoids about the matchup, and speculated about who would be the one to hand Oregon its first loss. There was also a discussion of time zones and their effects on players.
Texas and Oklahoma did not have surprising results. DJ shares her experience as a game attendee and some history about the matchup.
DJ and Jordan were pleased with the power rankings this week. Texas is still holding firm to their top spot, and we are one good week away from Michigan finally dropping out. Jordan is noticing that the power rankings are becoming slightly less biased. Could we be turning a corner?
There are going to be some great matchups this week, especially since this will be the fourth time that we see a top-five matchup this season. This week we suggested:
In the two-minute warning, Jordan discusses the exciting partnership of Yahoo! Sports and The Athletic to create a women’s sports hub. DJ gives a round-up of the first two games of the WNBA Finals between the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty.
If you like the show, please share it with friends and family and leave a five-star review. If you want to keep up with the show, subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network Feed where new episodes drop every Monday.
You can also find Jordan’s article ‘B1G Thoughts’ on Land-Grant Holy Land.
Follow the show on YouTube: @JordanW330
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @PowerTwoPodcast
Connect with us on Twitter: Jordan: @JordanW330 and DJ:@dj_danaysia
Continue reading...
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images
Ohio State lost to Oregon in the second instant classic of the 2024 season, plus Penn State and LSU survive in overtime!
Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Podcast Network’s Power Two Podcast. On this show, we talk about Big Ten and SEC football…and everyone else. This show is for the die-hard fans and the casual college football fans.
After every week of action, we will catch you up on all the major matchups of the previous weekend and look ahead at the games, storylines, and players you should be paying attention to for the next week.
My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host DaNaysia Jones. Lock in as we run a power sweep through the college football landscape.
This week, DJ and Jordan discuss some interesting news about commissioners and the Big Ten-SEC leaders meeting this past week. They also discuss game-watching habits and why Jordan doesn’t usually go to bars to watch games. There was a lengthy discussion about beverage and food choices when enjoying the games.
In the two-minute drill, Oregon and Ohio State were heavily discussed. Jordan gave us his viewing experience as both an OSU fan and a football fan. DJ shared some fun factoids about the matchup, and speculated about who would be the one to hand Oregon its first loss. There was also a discussion of time zones and their effects on players.
Texas and Oklahoma did not have surprising results. DJ shares her experience as a game attendee and some history about the matchup.
DJ and Jordan were pleased with the power rankings this week. Texas is still holding firm to their top spot, and we are one good week away from Michigan finally dropping out. Jordan is noticing that the power rankings are becoming slightly less biased. Could we be turning a corner?
There are going to be some great matchups this week, especially since this will be the fourth time that we see a top-five matchup this season. This week we suggested:
- Friday: Oklahoma State - BYU,
- Saturday, Noon: Nebraska - Indiana, Miami - Louisville,
- Saturday, Mid-Day: Alabama - Tennessee, Michigan - Illinois
- Primetime: Georgia - Texas, Kansas State - WVU
- After Dark: UNLV - Oregon State
- Honorable Mentions: Kentucky - Florida, SMU - Stanford.
In the two-minute warning, Jordan discusses the exciting partnership of Yahoo! Sports and The Athletic to create a women’s sports hub. DJ gives a round-up of the first two games of the WNBA Finals between the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty.
If you like the show, please share it with friends and family and leave a five-star review. If you want to keep up with the show, subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network Feed where new episodes drop every Monday.
You can also find Jordan’s article ‘B1G Thoughts’ on Land-Grant Holy Land.
Follow the show on YouTube: @JordanW330
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @PowerTwoPodcast
Connect with us on Twitter: Jordan: @JordanW330 and DJ:@dj_danaysia
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State has a Ryan Day problem, and Ryan Day has a Larry Johnson problem
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Ohio State has a Ryan Day problem, and Ryan Day has a Larry Johnson problem
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images
Poor staff decisions and even worse clock management have led to yet another Ohio State loss.
It was another big game for Ohio State under Ryan Day, and so naturally the outcome was another crushing loss. The Buckeyes fell in Eugene, 32-31, despite holding a 31-29 lead with four minutes remaining and then having a first-and-10 at the Oregon 28-yard line with 28 seconds left needing only a field goal to win the game.
We have come to expect these types of performances under Day, who is now 1-7 against AP Top 5 opponents. Ohio State hasn’t won anything of significance with the current head coach at the helm since the 49-28 victory over Clemson in the Sugar Bowl during the 2020 season, and even that immediately led to being boat-raced by Alabama in the national title game.
Since then, the Buckeyes have lost three-straight games to rival Michigan, lost to Oregon at home in 2021, choked away the Peach Bowl against Georgia in 2022 and failed to show up against Missouri in 2023. Winning games at the highest level is a clear challenge, but when you recruit as well as Ohio State does, even shooting less than 50% in these contests is simply not cutting it.
There were a plethora of reasons that Ohio State lost to Oregon on Saturday night, but chief among them is Ryan Day’s baffling defensive staff alignment. Jim Knowles is going to get a ton of flack for his performances in these big games, and some of that is warranted, but the overarching reason for the Buckeyes’ defensive shortcomings in these moments is a stubborn, ineffective defensive line coach.
Knowles came to Ohio State known for his defensive scheme that runs a base 4-2-5 structure with a few twists. One of those twists was the JACK position, a stand-up edge rusher that plays as a linebacker/defensive end hybrid capable of rushing the passer or dropping back into coverage to confuse opposing offenses. The Buckeyes have a ton of players on their roster that would be perfect for this position, including guys like Arvell Reese and CJ Hicks, who were basically recruited for that exact spot.
So, why does a position that is so important to Knowles’ scheme not exist at Ohio State? The answer is Larry Johnson.
Johnson has earned a reputation as one of the nation’s best defensive line coaches over his 26 years in the business. During the course of his career, he has produced nine first round NFL Draft picks. Eight different Buckeye defensive lineman have been named First Team All-American’s under Johnson’s tutelage. He is nothing short of a legend in the profession, but unfortunately for the Buckeyes, all of that is way in the past.
Ohio State has not fielded anything close to a good defensive line since the 2019 season, when Chase Young was basically wrecking opposing offenses by himself. Despite having five-star prospect after five-star prospect at his disposal year after year, Johnson has done nothing with it. In the two losses to Oregon and the three losses to Michigan, the Buckeyes have managed two sacks TOTAL. One of those was by Cody Simon, which means the defensive line has tallied ONE sack over those five losses.
A lack of pressure from the defensive line has been the one constant across all of these big game failures, and Johnson is to blame. Stuck in his ways, Johnson trots out his four-down front with zero creativity whatsoever, relying on each player to simply win his one-on-one matchups. That is all well and good... until you get into a talent equated game. There is hardly so much as a simple stunt from Ohio State’s defensive linemen, with four guys running straight into their blockers and remaining there until the play is over more often than not.
But what about that JACK position from Knowles’ scheme? Shouldn’t that mix things up for the pass rush? Sure, it would if Knowles was allowed to use the position.
Larry Johnson and Jim Knowles have feuded over the JACK position since the defensive coordinator arrived on campus. Rather than solving the dispute and telling the rest of his coordinators they must adapt to the man who is supposed to be the head coach of the defense in Knowles, Ryan Day has allowed LJ to play the seniority card and win the battle up front. Knowles, in effect, has control over only two-thirds of the defense, and the piece he is missing is both the most important one and the one that has been the least effective.
It is purely insane to allow this to continue. Early on, maybe you let Johnson continue to run his unit the way he wants because he had a proven track record, but those days are over. The defensive line has been a complete non-factor is all of these big game losses, letting the back end of the defense to get torched while the opposing quarterback can file his taxes in the backfield before making a throw.
The only thing Johnson has done effectively at Ohio State over the past five years is cost the team football games. Even his recruiting has taken a significant hit, with the Buckeyes missing out on several five-star prospects over the last few seasons as rumors of the 72-year-old’s retirement swirl. The few five-stars he does land he does nothing with, while the five-stars he misses, like Oregon’s Matayo Uiagalelei, go on to have a sack and two tackles for loss on Saturday night against the Buckeyes — more than Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau did combined.
There are many other reasons Ohio State lost to Oregon on Saturday night. Ryan Day managed the clock horribly at the end of the game, not knowing the rules of the clock on the pass interference call despite being paid $10 million to coach football. Ohio State turned the ball over and allowed an onside kick. Denzel Burke looked like Tuf Borland trying to chase down Devonta Smith on every defensive snap. ALL of these things played a role in the loss.
However, the constant in these big game losses has been a bad defensive line, led by an assistant coach far past his prime while actively hamstringing the defensive coordinator. Knowles has not been great by any means, but he is forced to try and overcome the shortcomings of the front, which is nearly impossible to do if the quarterback has all day to throw. He is effectively scheming both against opposing offenses and his own defensive line, which is an insane thing to do at ANY program, let alone a place like Ohio State.
At the end of the day, this is Ryan Day’s fault as the CEO of the program. He could snap his fingers tomorrow and end this dispute for good, but he is too scared to hurt feelings. As the head coach at a program of this magnitude, that is completely unacceptable. It is time to be the big man in the room and move on from a system that clearly isn’t working.
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images
Poor staff decisions and even worse clock management have led to yet another Ohio State loss.
It was another big game for Ohio State under Ryan Day, and so naturally the outcome was another crushing loss. The Buckeyes fell in Eugene, 32-31, despite holding a 31-29 lead with four minutes remaining and then having a first-and-10 at the Oregon 28-yard line with 28 seconds left needing only a field goal to win the game.
We have come to expect these types of performances under Day, who is now 1-7 against AP Top 5 opponents. Ohio State hasn’t won anything of significance with the current head coach at the helm since the 49-28 victory over Clemson in the Sugar Bowl during the 2020 season, and even that immediately led to being boat-raced by Alabama in the national title game.
Since then, the Buckeyes have lost three-straight games to rival Michigan, lost to Oregon at home in 2021, choked away the Peach Bowl against Georgia in 2022 and failed to show up against Missouri in 2023. Winning games at the highest level is a clear challenge, but when you recruit as well as Ohio State does, even shooting less than 50% in these contests is simply not cutting it.
There were a plethora of reasons that Ohio State lost to Oregon on Saturday night, but chief among them is Ryan Day’s baffling defensive staff alignment. Jim Knowles is going to get a ton of flack for his performances in these big games, and some of that is warranted, but the overarching reason for the Buckeyes’ defensive shortcomings in these moments is a stubborn, ineffective defensive line coach.
Knowles came to Ohio State known for his defensive scheme that runs a base 4-2-5 structure with a few twists. One of those twists was the JACK position, a stand-up edge rusher that plays as a linebacker/defensive end hybrid capable of rushing the passer or dropping back into coverage to confuse opposing offenses. The Buckeyes have a ton of players on their roster that would be perfect for this position, including guys like Arvell Reese and CJ Hicks, who were basically recruited for that exact spot.
So, why does a position that is so important to Knowles’ scheme not exist at Ohio State? The answer is Larry Johnson.
Johnson has earned a reputation as one of the nation’s best defensive line coaches over his 26 years in the business. During the course of his career, he has produced nine first round NFL Draft picks. Eight different Buckeye defensive lineman have been named First Team All-American’s under Johnson’s tutelage. He is nothing short of a legend in the profession, but unfortunately for the Buckeyes, all of that is way in the past.
Ohio State has not fielded anything close to a good defensive line since the 2019 season, when Chase Young was basically wrecking opposing offenses by himself. Despite having five-star prospect after five-star prospect at his disposal year after year, Johnson has done nothing with it. In the two losses to Oregon and the three losses to Michigan, the Buckeyes have managed two sacks TOTAL. One of those was by Cody Simon, which means the defensive line has tallied ONE sack over those five losses.
A lack of pressure from the defensive line has been the one constant across all of these big game failures, and Johnson is to blame. Stuck in his ways, Johnson trots out his four-down front with zero creativity whatsoever, relying on each player to simply win his one-on-one matchups. That is all well and good... until you get into a talent equated game. There is hardly so much as a simple stunt from Ohio State’s defensive linemen, with four guys running straight into their blockers and remaining there until the play is over more often than not.
But what about that JACK position from Knowles’ scheme? Shouldn’t that mix things up for the pass rush? Sure, it would if Knowles was allowed to use the position.
Larry Johnson and Jim Knowles have feuded over the JACK position since the defensive coordinator arrived on campus. Rather than solving the dispute and telling the rest of his coordinators they must adapt to the man who is supposed to be the head coach of the defense in Knowles, Ryan Day has allowed LJ to play the seniority card and win the battle up front. Knowles, in effect, has control over only two-thirds of the defense, and the piece he is missing is both the most important one and the one that has been the least effective.
It is purely insane to allow this to continue. Early on, maybe you let Johnson continue to run his unit the way he wants because he had a proven track record, but those days are over. The defensive line has been a complete non-factor is all of these big game losses, letting the back end of the defense to get torched while the opposing quarterback can file his taxes in the backfield before making a throw.
The only thing Johnson has done effectively at Ohio State over the past five years is cost the team football games. Even his recruiting has taken a significant hit, with the Buckeyes missing out on several five-star prospects over the last few seasons as rumors of the 72-year-old’s retirement swirl. The few five-stars he does land he does nothing with, while the five-stars he misses, like Oregon’s Matayo Uiagalelei, go on to have a sack and two tackles for loss on Saturday night against the Buckeyes — more than Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau did combined.
There are many other reasons Ohio State lost to Oregon on Saturday night. Ryan Day managed the clock horribly at the end of the game, not knowing the rules of the clock on the pass interference call despite being paid $10 million to coach football. Ohio State turned the ball over and allowed an onside kick. Denzel Burke looked like Tuf Borland trying to chase down Devonta Smith on every defensive snap. ALL of these things played a role in the loss.
However, the constant in these big game losses has been a bad defensive line, led by an assistant coach far past his prime while actively hamstringing the defensive coordinator. Knowles has not been great by any means, but he is forced to try and overcome the shortcomings of the front, which is nearly impossible to do if the quarterback has all day to throw. He is effectively scheming both against opposing offenses and his own defensive line, which is an insane thing to do at ANY program, let alone a place like Ohio State.
At the end of the day, this is Ryan Day’s fault as the CEO of the program. He could snap his fingers tomorrow and end this dispute for good, but he is too scared to hurt feelings. As the head coach at a program of this magnitude, that is completely unacceptable. It is time to be the big man in the room and move on from a system that clearly isn’t working.
Continue reading...
