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Michigan State (4-1, Big Ten 1-0) at Ohio State (5-0, Big Ten 2-0)
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



Ohio State versus Michigan State for another heavyweight bout between intra-conference rivals. This game has a lot on the line, beginning with the Big Ten Conference East crown. This game usually has a lot of twists and turns and the Buckeyes have fallen in losses to Michigan State more often at home than at East Lansing.


Jacolbe Cowan high school photo. Credit: 24/7 Sports Database.

This game looks to be the stiffest test to date and with their game at home and during a Blackout, this game has a lot on the line with it becoming another big recruiting weekend. Speaking of recruiting, the Buckeyes received good news last night and got another commitment from Jacolbe Cowan from North Carolina. He will play along the line and he is a stud that adds more depth and talent to the class. He will be attending the game to link up with the other recruits to try to close out the class and get future teammates.



Battle In The Trenches

The battle in the trenches will be my primary concern with this game because the Buckeyes can easily fall into the trap that saw Zeke barely touch the ball and a walk-off FG later, we end up losing the game at home and we were all devastated. This year’s Buckeye team with the steady string of performances that this line has had, I will look for them with a now healthy Brandon Bowen to assert their will on this stout Spartan D-Line and we will have to see when they begin. They could start out slow and they will eventually turn it on, but it is all up for interpretation until a rhythm is set and established.

Can the Offensive Line continue the effort against a bigger and more stingy Michigan State defense? Joe Bachi and his buddies will attempt to make it hard for this offense to do so, but it is within the realm of possibility to potentially. The Spartans and Coach Dantonio always seem to play the Buckeyes tightly and this could be another classic between the two teams.



Defensive Battle Looming

The Silver Bullets are back and I cannot understate the importance of defending against two mobile quarterbacks for this game. Discipline is a must and with Lewerke and Lombardi, they have options in the running game if the passing game is inept and shut down. With the way the defense has been playing, the improvement is obvious and Chase Young will look to continue his sack streak that has spanned seven games with at least one sack. He is on quite the streak and he could continue it with an atrocious line that lost against a true freshman quarterback from Arizona State.

The DB’s have been playing with the swagger that was missed a season ago, and this time they could lock down the Spartan receivers. The only problem is that the passing game has been off and the offense is having a down year. The Buckeyes can take advantage and they could force a ton of turnovers.



The Justin and J.K. Show On Turf

The greatest show on college turf includes a pair of stellar offensive players that both don the scarlet and gray. Justin Fields has been on a tear after enrolling and he has accounted for a ton of the Buckeye offense. The other half runs through J.K. Dobbins and he also has been on a similar atmosphere when using his legs. It is a pair made in heaven and with Dobbins running through people and tackles and with Fields doing damage with both his legs and his arm, defensive coordinator are searching for weaknesses.

The points come in bunches and a resounding blowout win against a familiar for and fellow conference eastern power can send shockwaves throughout the nation. Beating Michigan State is a major plus, but if they could run them out of Columbus after dark, the nation will be put on notice.

Match-Ups To Watch:

• Buckeye Offense vs Spartan Defense
• Fields/Dobbins vs The Front Seven
• Lewerke vs The Back Seven
• The Trenches
• Special Teams and Field Position

Prediction:

The Ohio State Buckeyes defeat The Michigan State Spartans 42-13.

I just have a feeling that Ohio State plus the adrenaline of a Black Out with recruiting implications will not leave them as vulnerable as people think. The O-Line has been fiery and with the return of Bowen, the extra juice will be there to help them suffocate Lewerke and shut down the noise. I could be wrong, but a let down this far into the season would be a tragedy, but they will start slow at first, but blow-by once the momentum gets in their favor. This feels like a turnover-prone contest and with Michigan States’ struggles, this could be a good display of power and poise for the Buckeyes. Go Bucks!




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Ohio State’s Friday night game officially moved to Big Ten Network
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Who could have predicted that moving a college football game to Friday night would be a bad idea?

It was touch-and-go there for a little while, but after being bumped from Fox Sports 1 because of a weather-delayed ALCS game between the New York Yankees and Houston Astros, this Friday night’s game between the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes and Northwestern Wildcats will now air on the Big Ten Network according to FOX Sports’ college football reporter Bruce Feldman.


The flagship FOX network was not an option for the move because of the recently launched Friday night edition of the WWE’s “Smackdown.”

The game’s move undermines the entire rationale for moving a select handful of Big Ten games to Friday nights in the first place. As part of FOX’s massive deal with the conference, the goal was to move a few games out of the crowded Saturday pack to Friday night in order to own the evening for college football fans.

However, FS1, which is considered a national network is available in many more homes nationwide than BTN, which is not as readily available in cable packages, especially outside of the traditional Big Ten footprint. According to 247Sports, BTN (75 million) can be seen an estimated nine million fewer households than FS1 (84 million).

Jim Delaney and the FOX Network’s experiment was already not a popular one in high school-football loving Ohio, and this certainly won’t help their cause.

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Podcast: Previewing Northwestern with Inside NU
Colton Denning via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Can the Wildcats’ strong defense keep it close with Ohio State?


Things change fast in college football.

At this time last season, Northwestern was 2-3 and looked like an also-ran in the Big Ten West. Then they ripped off seven wins in their last eight games and won the division, before losing to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship. It doesn’t look like there will be a repeat in 2019.

Despite having one of the best defenses in the nation (5th in SP+), the Wildcats are 1-4 thanks to an offense that’s scored over 15 points once this season. I’m far from a genius, but they’ll probably need more than that to beat Ohio State on Friday.

On this episode of the Hangout in the Holy Land, Inside NU’s Dan Olinger joins the show to talk about what’s gone wrong for Northwestern this season, what’s going on with their QBs, whether their defense can keep it close, and more! Listen below:

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Ohio State commit Julian Fleming earns top spot in ESPN 300
Jake Collar via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Julian Fleming | Twitter | @julian_040
The wide receiver is now the top player in the class, but will he stay there?

Ranking high school recruits is part science and part art with little separating the guys at the very the very top. Comparing an offensive lineman to a safety can be difficult to do, and becomes more than a little bit subjective, considering that you can’t really compare statistics in any meaningful manor.

That being said, being the No. 1 overall recruit in the country is not only an indicator of supreme talent, but it is also a point of pride for the recruit who rises to the top, and his future school.

On Tuesday, ESPN released their updated Top 300 and the player who holds the honor of being No. 1 is Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver commit — and all-around stud — Julian Fleming. The Pennsylvania WR has been floating around the top since the initial 300 rankings were released, but as he continues to impress during his junior season and on the camp circuit, he has moved up to the top of the list.

A wide receiver being ranked that highly is rare, and hasn’t happened since 2008 when the Alabama Crimson Tide brought in the No. 2 overall player Julio Jones (Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers was No. 1).

Percy Harvin also checked in at No. 2 in 2006 for Urban Meyer and his Florida Gators (Florida State Myron Rolle was No. 1 that year). Even given the recruiting powerhouse that is Ohio State, the Buckeyes only have three current players that finished in the top 10 of their respective classes.

Shaun Wade was No. 6 and Jeff Okudah was No. 7 in the 2017 rankings, and so far they are living up to the hype. Nick Bosa was No. 3 in 2016, but after being injured for most of last season is now cashing large checks from the San Francisco 49ers.

As a point of comparison, current Ohio State WR and true freshman standout Garrett Wilson finished 17th in ESPN’s 2019 top 300. The other player currently on the roster who was a top 10 overall recruit is a guy that didn’t commit to Ohio State, but rather stayed at home in Georgia, that guy is Justin Fields.

Fields finished as the No. 1 prospect in the 2018 class — yes even above Trevor Lawrence — and we all know by now how he came to be a Buckeye. If the rankings hold, in 2020, Fields and Fleming would become one of only two QB/WR combos that have both been ranked in top 10 overall since 2006; QB Matt Barkley was No. 1 in 2009 and his USC teammates Roberts Woods was No. 7 in 2010.

That of course means that no school has come close to having both a quarterback and wide receiver who have both finished No. 1 in their respective cycles. Just the thought of that should bring excitement to the hearts of the Buckeye faithful.

Now that I have got you all pumped up let me bring you back to earth a little. There are a number of reasons that no wide receiver has finished No. 1. Simple saturation at the position in high school gives the coaches the variety to play dynamic players like Fleming in different roles, limiting the numbers that the WR position can accumulate.

Also, lets not forget that in football the credit usually goes to the QBs and the accolades of the ranking sites tend to follow. While generally that can hurt a receiver recruit like, the opposite actually seems to be helping Fleming.

His team just simply is not the national powerhouse that we see so many of the top recruits come from. Flemings’ Southern Columbia Tigers do sport an 8-0 record, but are beating up on overmatched teams in a league that provides little to no real competition. This means that the opposing squads are doing everything possible to ensure that Fleming isn’t the guy who beats them. Some believe that the lack of elite competition could ultimately be the reason that Fleming may eventually be bumped from No. 1, but only time will tell.

Fleming is an exceptionally skilled athlete, but he brings more than just athleticism to the table. He is thought to be the best blocking WR in the country, which — as we know — is a must for any receiver who wants to see the field under Brian Hartline.

He is imposing on smaller corners standing 6-foot-2, and has the strength to fight through tackles at 200 pounds. Fleming is also highly praised for his maturity and leadership ability. and very well might eventually find himself as another in a long line of recent captains coming out of the receivers room at Ohio State.

Explosive, exciting, tough, and developed well beyond his years, Julian Fleming is shaping up to be the next great Ohio State receiver, but you don’t have to take my word on it see it for yourself:

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Ohio State players led the way with most mid-season All-American honors
Patrick Yen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Four publications put out mid-season all-americans today, and the Buckeyes had the most of any team in the country.

“No. 4 Ohio State placed a total of five players on the first and second teams, most of any school. Buckeyes defensive end Chase Young and cornerback Jeff Okudah were first-team selections.”

-Ralph D. Russo, Associated Press


The Ohio State Buckeyes are arguably the best team in the country, and the college football world has apparently taken note. Now, halfway into the NCAA season, media members have had plenty of time to see this year’s Buckeyes in action, and are recognizing that some of this current crop of SU stars are amongst the best of the best.

The Associated Press gave five spots to Buckeyes in their first and second All-American teams; the most in the country. Chase Young and Jeff Okudah made it on the first team, with J.K. Dobbins, Wyatt Davis and Jordan Fuller landing on the second.

The Athletic put four total Buckeyes on their list, with Davis, Young and Okudah making first team and Dobbins slotting in on the second team. The three first teamers was the most in the nation.

CBS was the least kind to the Buckeyes, with only two members making it, Chase Young and Jordan Fuller. But Young was one of only four unanimous selections by the CBS staff, a high honor it’s in own right.

Finally, Pro Football Focus is sipping the Buckeye juice the most, with four first team All-Americans, one second team, and one third team for six total. Thayer Munford was the new name on this list. That’s good for the most first-team players and most overall selections.

PFF’s Cam Mellor said about Davis, “The Buckeyes are certainly in the running for the best overall team this season and Davis is a key cog on their offensive line that allows their offense to fire on all cylinders... He’s blocking against stout competition and winning the vast majority of those reps.”

Young was one of just seven players to make all four lists as a first team choice, joining former OSU man Joe Burrow, Jonathan Taylor, Chuba Hubbard, Penei Sewell, Zack Baun and Max Duffy. Okudah made three of the four lists, with CBS being the only hold out, while Davis and Fuller made it on two of the four first-teams. Across all four lists, OSU the was the most consistently honored, which you can take to mean that the Buckeyes are the most talented team in the country. No arguments here.


Cardale Jones is going to Washington DC to join Dwayne Haskins in playing football... just not for the same team. The OSU national champion Jones will be the quarterback for the XFL’s DC Defenders. The XFL decided to pick eight QB’s they thought were the best and assign each one to the eight teams to have a more level playing field to start the season.

Here in Ohio we know what Jones can do, leading the Buckeyes to the first ever College Football Playoff National Championship. He was drafted in to the NFL by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. After that, he bounced around to the Chargers and the Seahawks for the next couple years, before finally being cut by the Seahawks last month. But Jones will get another chance to show what he can do as one of the new faces of the XFL starting in 2020.

The XFL Draft is taking place in phases. After each team got their assigned QB, they did 10 rounds of skill players, 10 rounds of offensive linemen, are currently doing 10 rounds of the defensive front-seven, will do 10 rounds of defensive backs, and end it with a 30-round open draft of any position tomorrow.

For the Defenders, they didn’t take another QB in the skill position draft until the ninth round, showing a measure of trust in Jones as their guy.

Jones isn’t the only former OSU player that is hoping to restart his career in the XFL. The DC Defenders also decided to reunite Jones with his 2015 right tackle in Chase Farris by drafting the former Buckeye tackle in the ninth round of the offensive line phase.

Defensive tackle Tracy Sprinkle — who last suited up for OSU in 2017 — was drafted in the fifth round of the front seven phase by, you guessed it, the DC Defenders. Looks like they are trying to recreate the OSU championship team out in the nation’s capital, and honestly who can blame them?

Seems to be working for the New Orleans Saints at least. Doran Grant, Christian Bryant and Damon Webb are also hoping to be drafted into the XFL later today or tomorrow as the draft continues.

“Everything we think about, we think about explosives, because our whole philosophy is, we want to make you drive the length of the field. If you can drive on us the length of the field and then put it in the end zone against us in the red zone, nice job. Then we’ve got to figure out why and we’ve got to adjust some things.”

- Jeff Hafley, via cleveland.com’s Nathan Baird


The Ohio State Buckeyes have almost always had a good offense. That was true last season, and it is definitely true this season. The biggest difference that has OSU looking like the best team in the country is the defensive turnaround from 2018. The Silver Bullets are finally back, flying to the ball and generally being one the stingiest defenses around.

Last year was quite different, as any OSU fan can tell you. The defense overall wasn’t bad, but any given play could — and unfortunately often would — go for 50+ yards and a touchdown.

By every factor of ten yards, OSU was one of the worst schools in the FBS in terms of chunk plays allowed. Per cfbstats.com, they gave up 213 plays of ten yards or more, good for 120th out of 130. They were 95th in 20+, 118th in 30+, 119th in 40+, and the list just goes on and on. They were tied dead last in plays allowed over 80+ yards, and not only were they tied for dead last in 90+ as well, they are one of only eleven schools that even gave up a 90+ yard play, and one of three to give up multiple. Let that sink in. One hundred and nineteen schools didn’t even give up a single 90+ yard play, OSU gave up two.

This year has been much better; I mean there wasn’t much room to go but up after all. But that doesn’t diminish OSU’s almost complete 180° turnaround in that regard. They are tied for 12th in 10+ yard plays, fifth in 20+, first in 30+, and the list goes on, but this time in a positive way. They have yet to give up any play over sixty yards, a far cry from the eight last year.

There have been a lot of factors that have contributed to this flip on defense. The most commonly cited one has been OSU’s “simplified” scheme that lets the defense’s superior athleticism make plays. Too often last year, we saw opposing players catching the ball and nearly the entire defense had their backs turned to the offense. Not anymore.

In addition, the simplified scheme allows the players to have a better grasp of where everyone is, and therefore has led to surer takedowns and more gang-tackling. Both Jordan Fuller and Ryan Day spoke to this concept on Monday.

Fuller said, “Our tackling’s gotten better — our pursuit to the ball. We don’t feel we’re making the one-on-one tackle so much. With other guys surrounding the ball you feel you can take your shot.”

Day agreed saying, “You can play with a little bit more confidence knowing maybe you’re not on an island, you have guys that are coming with you, swarming to the ball, and I think that’s helped.”

Whatever the reason, the results have been clear, and new defensive coordinators Jeff Hafley and Greg Mattison are certainly making their money’s worth so far. OSU hasn’t really gone up against explosive offenses yet (and still won’t versus a dismal unit in Northwestern), but at least they aren’t letting the little guys run free anymore, and that’s all that we can ask for right now.

We will see how it holds up against the best offenses in the nation, but at the midway point in the season there’s a lot to be confident in.

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Northwestern must rely on run game, Drake Anderson to put points on the board
Tia Williams via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
The Wildcats quarterback situation is a mess, so it’s up to running back Drake Anderson to keep up with Ohio State

Welcome back everyone! Hope you all enjoyed your bye week. Now it’s back to business as usual as Ohio State prepares to face Northwestern in Evanston on Friday night.

The last time the Buckeyes saw the Wildcats was during their 45-24 victory in the Big Ten championship game last year, and it seems Northwestern hasn’t been able to bounce back. Currently, they are 1-4 overall and ranked sixth in the Big Ten West.

That’s neither here nor there. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is adamant that his team prepares for each opponent like they’re the No. 1 program in the country.

“If we start to look ahead or start to let our egos get in the way, then we’re in trouble,” Day said in his press conference on Monday.

He said when he was under Chip Kelly at New Hampshire—both as a player and assistant — Kelly would turn on Northwestern football film to teach them about spread offense.


A nice story, however Northwestern is No. 125 in total offense this year, while Ohio State is ranked No. 2 in the country in total defense. Need I say more?

While their defense is definitely their strong suit, every team has their secret weapon on offense, and Northwestern’s offensive player to watch is redshirt freshman running back Drake Anderson.

Anderson is their secret weapon due to the fact that he wasn’t expected to see much playing time at all this season. After putting up decent numbers last year, sophomore running back Isaiah Bowser was expected to be their go-to guy. Instead, he injured his knee in Northwestern’s season opener against Stanford and sat out the following week against UNLV.

Bowser has since been cleared to play, however Anderson continues to receive the most touches. Through five games, the freshman has 366 rushing yards on 74 carries and three touchdowns.


Anderson broke out with 26 carries for 141 yards and a touchdown against UNLV in the Wildcats’ one and only win. Then, he ran for 91 yards and a touchdown against Michigan State.


He ran for 68 yards on 16 attempts and one touchdown against Wisconsin’s No. 1 ranked defense. Not to mention, Anderson’s potential is sky high. He is the son of Damien Anderson, Northwestern’s second-leading rusher in program history who came in fifth in the Heisman Trophy race in 2000.

Anderson is difficult to tackle, due to his shiftiness and speed. His receiving threat, however, like the rest of Northwestern’s offense, is minimal. The Wildcats have passed the ball 162 times for 702 yards and two passing touchdowns. Compare that to their 209 rushing attempts for 762 yards and 6 rushing touchdowns and you get a feel for what works and what doesn’t.

These numbers aren’t exactly surprising. Northwestern’s starting quarterback, senior TJ Green, was also injured in the season opener and, unlike Bowser, is out for the season. Their backup Hunter Johnson injured his knee against Wisconsin and sat out the following week against Nebraska. Next in line is junior QB Aidan Smith, who took every snap against the Huskers. He has completed 12 of 31 of his throws (38.7%), with one 15-yard touchdown pass, one rushing touchdown and three interceptions.

Johnson’s return for Friday night’s game is still up in the air, and while neither quarterback has turned any heads, if Johnson is cleared the Wildcats will definitely have a... better... chance of staying in the game against the Buckeyes. After all, the sophomore was rated as the No. 2 quarterback in the 2017 recruiting class by 247Sports and No. 1 by ESPN, ahead of Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm.

Alas, the past is the past, and two years later Johnson has simply not lived up to his rating. He has completed 48.3 percent of his passes for 367 yards, racking up one rushing touchdown, one 50-yard touchdown pass, and four interceptions.


Therefore, the Wildcats must rely on Anderson’s rushing talents to, quite literally, carry their offense, and, well, I don’t have to tell you what Ohio State can do to a one-trick pony.

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Big Ten Power Rankings: See Dave Wannstedt’s post-Week 7 list
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

We're halfway home, with every Big Ten team playing at least six games. Not much changes this week in Dave Wannstedt's latest Big Ten Power Rankings.

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Heading needs changed to (Duke Verbal)

Damn. RIP, Adam.

Undefeated Minnesota debuts in latest AP poll
BTN.com staff via Big Ten Network

Big Ten West co-leader Minnesota debuts in the latest AP poll, released Sunday afternoon. The undefeated Gophers come in at No. 20, following their convincing win vs. Nebraska.

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woofermazing said:

MSU used alot of RPO's that they hadn't showed on film. That's where the crossing routes were coming from.

We'll probably get lots of practice on them because every team will implement some form now.

Click to expand...

And unlike the past few years I expect us to eliminate that play by making adjustments.

Jaxbuck said:

Therapist


Send wife to make a sammich or fetch a beer?

Click to expand...

Beer. She cares too much about my health and would make me a shitty little sandwich without pork products.

Seven years later, I hope a few of you guys are still butt hurt over comments I made about Ohio State 15 years ago.

Heading to South Bend with Knute tomorrow. Enjoy the games, gentlemen.

Back to the barracks. Grumble, grumble, grumble.

MOTSAG Conference Rankings: Week Five
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



After five weeks of action, our Big Ten rankings have shifted slightly and the contests will be more competitive with the bulk of the conference schedule being the only thing left on the docket for each team. Week five answered a ton of questions for some and the rest, there are more questions left than answers. Let’s take a stab at how the conference represented itself.

1. Ohio State: The Buckeyes played on the road at Lincoln, which is usually a nightmare for opposing teams. The Buckeyes puffed out their chests and dominated the home team and did so by showing their prowess in every phase of the game. The offense dazzled and the defense shut down the offense and the performance broke the proverbial tie with Wisconsin to be the best team in the conference and possibly one of the best in the nation. [Next Game: Michigan State at home]
2. Wisconsin: Wisconsin’s defense scored twice against a scrappy Evanston crowd before pulling away. Northwestern is normally a great team at home, but the offense is virtually broken right now, but hats off to them for giving the Badgers a contest. Either way, the Badgers fall one spot, but they have a tune-up match with Kent State before traveling to the Shoe, so they can gain a head of steam for the eventual clash for conference supremacy [Next game: Kent State at home]
3. Penn State: Penn State looked dangerous once again after they traveled to Maryland to throttle them 59-0. Their quarterback nearly had 400 yards passing, but he was pulled to give the second unit some time. The defense looked fresh after the bye and the Terrapins stood no chance to compete in this game. [Next game: Purdue at home]
4. Iowa: Iowa was their normal self as they handled a mismatched Middle Tennessee State team 48-3 at home. A tune-up game that is used to work out the kinks before traveling to Ann Arbor where it pits two conference heavyweights against each other in a knock-out bout. Iowa has yet to be tested, but this could be it. [Next game: Michigan at Ann Arbor]
5. Michigan: Speaking of the Wolverines, they handed Rutgers a beatdown to get back on track with a 52-0 throttling against a struggling team. A tune-up before Iowa, the Wolverines looked bad before this display of what they can be. Was it another mirage? Either way, they have some momentum coming into the next game. Are they legit or pretenders? [Next game: Iowa at home]
6. Michigan State: The Spartans fought a tightly contested game against an upset-minded Indiana team at home. The final score showed that their offense is average, but it also proved their defense is legit. The 40-31 score does not change my mind, but if they want to be successful, their offense must be as consistent as their defense. [Next game: Ohio State at Columbus]
7. Minnesota: They look dangerous after they escaped West Lafayette with a single-digit win against Purdue. Their offense looks crazy good with two game-changing receivers that this young quarterback relies heavily on upon. Their defense played well and they need to keep the momentum in order to climb the charts. [Next game: Illinois at home]
8. Indiana: They took Michigan State to the limit and gave it all in the upset bid. This is what I was talking about because they are a 50/50 type of team. You never know what team will suit up and if they will punch you in the mouth with their offense. They showed fight up until the end and they can always surprise teams. [Next game: Bye week]
9. Northwestern: They also put up a fight at home against a good Wisconsin team that relied on its defense to put points on the board. The only issue is their offense needs to be better. Their defense is always disciplined and good, but consistency is what bites them. [Next game: Nebraska at Lincoln]
10. Nebraska: They were throttled at home against a great Ohio State team, but they showed enough fight to not plummet in the rankings. They negated the shutout with a great drive against the second-team defense, but they need to rebound at home against another team that suffered a loss in week five. Turnover have killed the momentum, but another home game in front of their home crowd will help in what could be another sloppy game. [Next game: Northwestern at home]
11. Illinois: They were on a bye week, but they needed it after collapsing at home against Nebraska. They had a double-digit lead that disappeared before the Cornhuskers stole the game from them. Their offense looked good early on, but they got too cute with the playcalling opting to pass more instead of running out the clock. They had two weeks to prepare for their next game, hope it works out. [Next game: Minnesota at Minneapolis]
12. Maryland: The hype train has been derailed five weeks into the season. They were demolished at home at the hands of Penn State and they need to search for their identity. 59-0 was another bad omen to humble the Terrapins that were in the top 2 in scoring in the nation after two weeks. This week they can regain their footing to right the ship. [Next game: Rutgers at Piscataway]
13. Purdue: Purdue fought, but in a close loss, they lost two of their best playmakers in Sindelar and Moore. Their best quarterback along with the best playmaker went down on a single play and it was a bad time to be a Boilermaker fan. It’ll get worse this week before it gets better because they will travel to Happy Valley to go against a peaking Penn State team. [Next game: Penn State at Happy Valley]
14. Rutgers: They lost big to a rejuvenated Michigan squad that found their offense again and they lost 52-0. Their head coach Chris Ash and their offensive coordinator got the pink slip and they have an interim head coach in place to pick up the pieces. Good thing they have a struggling Maryland team to play at home, but bad news, none of them scored points in week five. Who will be able to score enough and who will play inspired football? [Next game: Maryland at home]

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The Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0, Big Ten 2-0) defeated The Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-2, Big Ten 1-1)
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



Justin Fields takes his team away from the confines of Columbus and journeys to Lincoln, Nebraska for just their second road game of the season and on paper, the Cornhuskers looked to make it a contest, but it was not meant to be. The Buckeyes began with electing to receive the ball in the second half and during Nebraska’s first drive, Jeffrey Okudah set the tone by picking off Martinez during their first drive of the game. Wan’dale Robinson, the talent equivalent to Rondale Moore was the intended target but the ultra-athletic Okudah lunged in front of his blanketed assignment and made a momentum-swinging play.

Prior to last week, Okudah has not had an interception but last week against Miami (OH) he got the first of his career. Flash forward into week five, he added two more with the aforementioned pick on the first drive of the game and the last one on the third Nebraska possession of the game, where Robinson was targeted once again, but his outstretched hands tipped the pass to a lying Okudah, who was on his back waiting for another gift from Martinez. Okudah had two of the three picks of the game and the third pick came because of the pressure from Chase Young and Jonathan Cooper, who forced an errant pass that ended up in Jordan Fuller’s hands.

The Rushmen played well and generated a lot of pressure that forced Frost to travel back in time to use a few of his mid-90’s power running plays to mix it up. It was successful at first, but once the Buckeyes buckled down, there was no chance for them to get rid of the constant pressure. This was by far the worst O-Line that they’ve gone against and the Silver Bullets wreaked havoc all game long. Chase Young notched another sack to his season and it was another strip-sack that nearly resulted in another turnover, but the writing was on the wall from an opening couple of drives.

Justin Fields and his playmakers looked like a well-oiled machine and they accounted for six total touchdowns, three through the air and another three on the ground and it was another display of great preparation. Fields starting the onslaught with a 15-yard rushing touchdown he hit K.J. Hill for a short passing touchdown on two drives later after one of two Blake Haubiel field goals. Master Teague churned out some scores as he scored on the next two possessions. Fields ended his night when he engineered three scoring drives where he hit Mack in traffic, a second Haubiel field goal, and another corner catch from Garrett Wilson before his night ended.

Although Dobbins failed to score, he had another impactful game as he racked up 24 carries for 177 yards and a healthy 7.4 average and a long of 26. Teague spelled Dobbins and had 12 carries for 77 yards and a 6.4 average and a long of 26. Not to be outdone, Fields finished 15/21 for 212 yards and three scores and he had 12 rushes for 72 yards and another score with a long of 41 yards. This offense can put up video game numbers, but they have not been tested yet through five weeks, but that could change against a stout and stingy Spartan defense next week. Actually, the next four weeks have the Buckeyes at home against Sparty, a bye week before traveling to Evanston in a conference championship rematch with Northwestern, before clashing with a potent Wisconsin team in Columbus.

The road ahead will surely be prove-it games, but let’s take it a week at a time. So far the Buckeyes have exceeded expectations and so far they have been nearly unstoppable. The defense has been stellar as well, but Nebraska and Indiana are fringe offenses that are not as consistent. The same thing can be said for Michigan State, but their defense is legit and they could give the Slobs issues. They are physical and aggressive, but next week will be used to make another statement to the conference and the nation.




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The Ohio State Buckeyes (4-0, Big Ten 1-0) VS The Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-1, Big Ten 1-0)
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
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This Saturday, in prime time, the Buckeyes will travel to Lincoln to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in what could become a high scoring affair. Both teams are more than capable of lighting up the scoreboard and tomorrow night they will square off under the lights in a conference matchup. A dominant Ohio State team that has played at home in three out of the four past games and they are playing lights out with few, if any weaknesses. Nebraska has split home and away games, winning two of the three contests, with the lone loss coming at Colorado in an overtime heartbreaker.

Prime Time: Day vs Frost

Two up-and-comers in the coaching realm that plunged into a leadership role as their respective teams Head Coach. Scott Frost is in his second season in Lincoln after rebuilding UCF to a fringe competitor and potential Playoff Darkhorse. In two seasons he holds a 7-9 record. In 2018 he finished 4-8 and in 2019 he claims a 3-1 with the lone loss coming on the road against the Colorado Buffaloes in a hard-fought overtime thriller.

On the other side of the field, Ryan Day is the heir to the Ohio State throne and in his first four games, he has his team motivated and they look dangerous early on. He is 4-0 and he is looking to forward to a big-time night road game against Nebraska. Up to this point, he has his team looking unbeatable, but this feels like another statement-making type of game in primetime with the nation watching.

This is the first contest between these young coaches but Ohio State holds a 6-1 series lead and they have won four straight against Nebraska. The lone loss to Nebraska was in 2011 against Taylor Martinez in a 34-27 loss. This should be an easy game, but with a target on Ohio State’s and in a hostile environment, it might get interesting.

Kentucky Curse 2.0

For whoever follows recruiting closely, there are two types of players have always come back to hurt the Buckeyes in the past two. Ohio kids that could not get that coveted home team offer and the ones that could not fit into a crowded and talent-laden recruiting class. Two out of the three bad losses to Big Ten West teams have been painful and the only knock against the Buckeyes that have kept them out of the College Football Playoffs, at least for the last two years against less-than-stellar teams with one of these players.

Against Iowa, it was a night game at Iowa with emotion running high and they handled Ohio State in front of the whole crowd and the nation. At Purdue, a combination of an Ohio kid who never got that coveted offer and an electric playmaker from Kentucky in Rondale Moore that could not secure a spot in the 2018 class. Flash forward to the 2019 class, where another kid from Kentucky couldn’t get in the class either and goes to a Big Ten West school and gets to play against the Buckeyes at home.

In last weeks come from behind victory against Illinois, he racked up 186 all-purpose yards and scored three times. He looks electric and he showed that he can be that Rondale Moore type of gadget player that could explode at any moment to shift the momentum. The Buckeyes can put this curse to rest by bottling up Robinson and staying disciplined. They need to come out strong and if needed, weather the storm keep him in check.

Dual-Threat Quarterback With Weapons

Nothing scares Ohio State fans like a quarterback that can do it all. Whether it is with his arm or his leg, the dual-threat signal-callers have been able to squeak by the defense. Adrian Martinez was recruited by Day and the Buckeyes but was never offered. He joins Nebraska in his second year as the starter and he has the weapons to give the new-look defense fits while they are on the field.

Martinez is joined by JD Spielman and a dinged-up Maurice Washington and together they will look to test the improved Buckeye defense. Shifty playmakers and speedy quarterbacks have always been trouble, but in the game at Illinois, they have an obvious weakness that the Buckeyes defense could exploit, the trenches. The offense has been explosive, but they have to perfect against the Buckeyes to be competitive. Martinez never got that offer from the Buckeyes out of high school due to an injury, so could this slight be a chip on his shoulder to will his team into a victory or to be competitive in this contest?

Silver Bullet Trench Warfare

There is no doubt that the 2019 defense has vastly improved and they have been playing lights out. They are 4th in the nation in 3rd down defense with a stout front led by Chase Young. They are holding opponents to a measly .231% conversion rate on 3rd downs. They are 3rd in the nation in redzone defense allowing .545%. The overall defense has also improved where they are 7th in the nation in rushing defense and 18th in the nation in passing defense.

They have also racked up the sack count and they have 20 total through four games and they are averaging 5 per game. The younger Rushmen have also contributed and shined during mop-up duty showing their depth. This Cornhusker O-Line looked average against Illinois so they could expose them early and often. Ohio State ranks 2nd in the nation in total defense allowing 3.42 yards per play while giving up 222 yards per game. Special Teams have also been a factor for this team, they are 1st in the nation in blocked kicks and 2nd blocked punts. The game-changing plays have come from both the defense and the Special Teams units and they will continue to swing the momentum in their favor.

Fields’ Second Road Test

Balance has been at the forefront in this offensive attack and it seems to be working in their favor. Justin Fields has had one of the most meteoric rises as a starter and he has compiled one heck of a season so far, but he can still improve as the season ages. He has a combined 19 touchdowns with 13 through the air and 6 with his legs and he has looked good so far with a few things to fix.

He has leaned on his coaches and he has led his team with a killer instinct that could still be improved. He has a few things to clean up, one would be his ability to read defenses under duress or pressure. We saw against FAU and Indiana, when he was pressured, he overthrew his intended receivers. He certainly could have a day, but he cannot forget about his workhorse, JK Dobbins.

Dobbins has had a heck of a season with 68 carries and 477 yards and 5 scores. He has also chipped in for 5 receptions and 42 yards and another score. He cannot be underutilized and I think the combination of the two, along with the playmakers at receiver and tight end can give the once feared Blackshirt defense fits and grind them down or wear them out. The O-Line might get tested, but if they could hold up, the game may get out of hand fast.

PREDICTION

5 Match-Ups To Watch:

• Fields vs The Secondary
• Slobs vs The Blackshirts
• Rushmen vs The Cornhusker O-Line
• BIA/Linebackers vs Spielman/Robinson/TE’s In The Seams
• Dobbins/Teague vs Blackshirts

49-17 Ohio State defeats Nebraska.




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