Matt Tamanini
Guest
Confidence rising amongst Buckeye fans as postseason approaches
Matt Tamanini 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
You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.
Throughout the Ohio State football season, we will be asking and answering questions about the team, college football, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.
It was just two weeks ago — right before Ohio State played Purdue — when a majority of Buckeye fans were not expecting their team to make it to the College Football Playoff semifinals, and while this week’s LGHL Fan Survey didn’t ask the same question, it sure seems like there has been a bit of a sea change in the optimism across Buckeye Nation.
In this week’s survey, fans were asked where they expected the Buckeyes to be seeded heading into the playoff, and the results show far more confidence in the team than there had been just 14 days, despite the news that Seth McLaughlin had been lost for the season. This survey went into the field on Wednesday morning, after the initial reports of the center’s injury had been made public, so the Buckeyes’ circumstances were known while fans were responding.
Of course, since it is a game week, we also wanted to see what OSU fans are thinking about Saturday’s margin of victory. So, check out the results below and if you have anything that you want to add to the discussion, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of the page.
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I’m not going to lie. based on the survey results from a few weeks back that I referenced above, I’m a bit surprised that half of all respondents are picking Ohio State to beat Indiana and Michigan to cap off the regular season and then to avenge their lone loss of the season in the Big Ten Championship Game by beating Oregon.
Thirty percent of respondents picked Ohio State to be the top team in the CFP field while another 20% put them at No. 2. Since the only way for a team to make the top four is to win their conference championship, that would mean that 50% are predicting that Ohio State wins out. Don’t get me wrong, I too am picking that to happen (although I can’t imagine a world in which Ohio State is 12-1 with three top-five wins and not No. 1), I’m just surprised that the percentage of Buckeye fans on board with such a storybook outcome was that high.
Give that Ohio State’s remaining schedule goes: a top-five matchup against an undefeated squad, then the rivalry game against the defending national champion whom you haven’t beaten in five years, then the conference title game against the unbeaten No. 1 team in the country, it would be understandable to expect any team to not emerge unscathed. But, it seems like the fandom pendulum is currently swinging toward optimism, and I am 100% here for that.
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When the FanDuel Sportsbook opened up this game for betting, it installed the Buckeyes as a 10.5-point favorite and that is where it remains; although it has moved up to 11 at otherbooks. Additionally, the gold-standard college football analytics model SP+ projects Ohio State to win by a score of 31-19.
In the Land-Grant experts' predictions article published this morning, I went on record calling for OSU to win 34-13, so that would put me with the 14% that called for the home team to win by 21 to 30 points.
It is interesting that even in a survey on an Ohio State fan blog — even though we don’t require certified fan credentials to vote — at least 23% of respondents picked the Hoosiers to pull off the major road upset. I certainly would not put money on that, but feel free to do so if the spirit of George Taliaferro moves you to do so.
Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini 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
You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.
Throughout the Ohio State football season, we will be asking and answering questions about the team, college football, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.
It was just two weeks ago — right before Ohio State played Purdue — when a majority of Buckeye fans were not expecting their team to make it to the College Football Playoff semifinals, and while this week’s LGHL Fan Survey didn’t ask the same question, it sure seems like there has been a bit of a sea change in the optimism across Buckeye Nation.
In this week’s survey, fans were asked where they expected the Buckeyes to be seeded heading into the playoff, and the results show far more confidence in the team than there had been just 14 days, despite the news that Seth McLaughlin had been lost for the season. This survey went into the field on Wednesday morning, after the initial reports of the center’s injury had been made public, so the Buckeyes’ circumstances were known while fans were responding.
Of course, since it is a game week, we also wanted to see what OSU fans are thinking about Saturday’s margin of victory. So, check out the results below and if you have anything that you want to add to the discussion, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of the page.
Question 1: With two or three big games left, where do you think Ohio State will be seeded in the College Football Playoff?
I’m not going to lie. based on the survey results from a few weeks back that I referenced above, I’m a bit surprised that half of all respondents are picking Ohio State to beat Indiana and Michigan to cap off the regular season and then to avenge their lone loss of the season in the Big Ten Championship Game by beating Oregon.
Thirty percent of respondents picked Ohio State to be the top team in the CFP field while another 20% put them at No. 2. Since the only way for a team to make the top four is to win their conference championship, that would mean that 50% are predicting that Ohio State wins out. Don’t get me wrong, I too am picking that to happen (although I can’t imagine a world in which Ohio State is 12-1 with three top-five wins and not No. 1), I’m just surprised that the percentage of Buckeye fans on board with such a storybook outcome was that high.
Give that Ohio State’s remaining schedule goes: a top-five matchup against an undefeated squad, then the rivalry game against the defending national champion whom you haven’t beaten in five years, then the conference title game against the unbeaten No. 1 team in the country, it would be understandable to expect any team to not emerge unscathed. But, it seems like the fandom pendulum is currently swinging toward optimism, and I am 100% here for that.
Question 2: What will the margin of victory be in Saturday’s game against Indiana?
When the FanDuel Sportsbook opened up this game for betting, it installed the Buckeyes as a 10.5-point favorite and that is where it remains; although it has moved up to 11 at otherbooks. Additionally, the gold-standard college football analytics model SP+ projects Ohio State to win by a score of 31-19.
In the Land-Grant experts' predictions article published this morning, I went on record calling for OSU to win 34-13, so that would put me with the 14% that called for the home team to win by 21 to 30 points.
It is interesting that even in a survey on an Ohio State fan blog — even though we don’t require certified fan credentials to vote — at least 23% of respondents picked the Hoosiers to pull off the major road upset. I certainly would not put money on that, but feel free to do so if the spirit of George Taliaferro moves you to do so.
Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Continue reading...