Down The Stretch - What to Expect?
For Ohio State --
Remaining Games --
Indiana (AWAY) -- The Buckeyes break that road game curse against a team with a surprisingly good record this year. For Indiana though a surprisingly good record is one with more than zero wins in Big 10 play. They already have that, and should not get another. After the Buckeyes, Indiana faces a murderer's row of @ Michigan State, Minnesota, @ Michigan and Purdue - none of whom should drop serve against the Hoosiers.
One thing this game should also do is provide an opportunity for the Buckeyes to bolster their offensive stats and improve their Total Offensive ranking in conference and throughout the nation.
Minnesota (AWAY) -- A tougher test, no doubt about it. But, Minny remains a one-dimensional team, any time the Buckeye defense faces a one-trick pony they seem to be able to play excellently. Add in that the one trick the Minny pony knows is rushing the ball then this match-up favors the stalwart Buckeye Linebackers. AJ may not play with my little ponies, but he's going to be in Minny's backfield a lot in this game, making their ponies a good deal smaller. On the Buckeye offensive side of the ball, this is also a good opportunity to pad the rushing stats. It is ironic, but true, that Minny has one of the nation's strongest rushing attacks yet one of the nation's weaker rushing defenses. Buckeyes reduce the value of Minny's rushing game by playing keep-away. Using an efficient passing game to add to good rushing from Pittman and Smith we should see a Buckeye victory. Buckeyes should again break the away trend.
Illinois (HOME) - Stat Padding to the max in front of 105,000 Buckeye faithful in the Shoe. Illinois is 109th in the nation in Total defense. The Buckeyes may not put up 460 yds of total offense, but I would not be surprised if this is exactly what happens.
Northwestern (HOME) By the time Northwestern faces the Buckeyes they will have gone through 3/4 of the toughest stretch in their schedule. They come to the Shoe after visiting the Spartans and then in consecutive weeks hosting sCUM and Iowa. How much wear and tear Northwestern suffers will dictate the margin of victory. A victory that will have revenge plastered all over it. Bringing to the Shoe one of the most porous defenses in the nation (116th overall!!) is an invitation to disaster. Northwestern grads are smart enough to do the math. Their only chance will be to simply out-score the Buckeyes. I think there is little chance of this happening because last years streak ending loss at night likely remains uppermost in the Buckeyes' mind. Pad those offensive stats once more Buckeyes and get a huge win going away.
Michigan (AWAY) -- Things going in our favor. JT has Llloyd's number 3-1. Things going against our favor. Away game.
As always the biggest game of the year with bowl game and Big 10 honors on the line, and that is the way it should be. The question for Ohio State is which sCUM team shows up in AA? The disastrously inept team that gave up the ghost to Minny last week, and capitulated to a smarter Fat Man's squad early in the season. Or, does the gutty play that brought Penn State down to earth this week show the real character of our perennial rival? One hidden factor - could this be a year when MUCH that sCUm has to play for is pride (think Buckeyes 2001, mirror image). If sCUM loses to Iowa, or to Northwestern at night away from home then this could be very down squad. It may conversely be the one chance (perhaps the one last chance) that Llloyd has to show how he can rally the troops. A cornered rodent pest with nothing left to lose is dangerous. Personally, I question Carr's ability to get his squad up for this game. It boils down to good, solid defensive play by the Buckeyes limiting Hart on the ground and once again forcing Henne to be one-dimensional. If the Buckeyes can do their part on the ground and play good keep-away, with an efficient passing game, then this one belongs to the Buckeyes.
OK -now that's the Buckeyes, what about the other title contenders?
Wisconsin --
Wisconsin vs Penn State takes care of one or other of these two contenders.
As the Badgers are playing in Happy Valley I think that match-up belongs to the Nittany Lions. Nomination for "Surprise Losses" - Iowa, who when visiting Camp Randall may have little to play for but pride. They will face a pass happy Warrior team when they visit Hawaii -- Plus, its around Turkey day, when the kids want to go home. Instead its the long trip to the islands for Barry and his boys. Bad scheduling, the time change and Pele could be the undoing of this Wisconsin squad.
Penn State -- Agreed with the JaxBuck scenario on this one...
They get by the Badgers on their home turf but drop the ball in what will be a must-win game for the young Nittany Lion offensive squad in East Lansing. Nomination for "Surprise Loss" -- They may also face a Purdue squad, in State College with damn little but pride to play for. Does Tiller's squad finally get in gear and pull it out against a very good Defense - thus preserving the coaches chances of NOT getting lynched?
Northwestern --
a - we will beat the Wildcats head-to-head at home, and
B -- That isn't going to be Northwestern's only loss. That 4 game stretch will be a killer for them.
Way I see it we can hold our serve, but the other contenders can easily end up as pretenders - either through attrition or because we beat 'em.
