Game Thread Ohio State 6, Penn State 13 (Oct. 25)

[Fungo Squiggly]

the best team weve beat this year is a sunbelt team. that was a 4 point game deep into the 4th quarter...

True, but nobody is blowing smoke up our asses right now and most fans seem to recognize that OSU isn't where they should be right now.

My point is that it is damn near impossible to know how good a team is when they play a slate like that. They beat up on their cupcakes last year, but only went 4-4 in conference.

Naturally, they can't control that fact that Oregon St (lost to Stanford!) and Syracuse (lost by 20 to Northwestern!) suck, just that, it's hard to take any real meaning from games against teams that bad.

OOC Results:

2008:
66-10 vs. Central Carolina
45-14 vs. Oregon State
55-13 vs. Syracuse
45-3 vs. Temple

2007:
59-0 vs. FIU
31-10 vs. ND
45-24 vs. Buffalo
31-0 vs. Temple

Final Record: 9-4 (4-4)

2006:
34-16 vs. Akron
17-41 vs. ND
37-3 vs. YSU
47-0 vs. Temple

Final Record: 9-4 (5-3)

2005:
23-13 vs. USF
42-24 vs. Cincinnati
40-3 vs. CMU

Final Record: 11-1 (7-1)

2004:
48-10 vs. Akron
7-21 vs. BC
37-13 vs. UCF

Final Record: 4-7 (2-6)

As far as I'm concerned, the verdict is still out on PSU. I've seen this routine before, and I'll buy into it when/if they continue to play this well against better opponents.

 

[powerlifter]

True, but nobody is blowing smoke up our asses right now and most fans seem to recognize that OSU isn't where they should be right now.

My point is that it is damn near impossible to know how good a team is when they play a slate like that. They beat up on their cupcakes last year, but only went 4-4 in conference.

Naturally, they can't control that fact that Oregon St (lost to Stanford!) and Syracuse (lost by 20 to Northwestern!) suck, just that, it's hard to take any real meaning from games against teams that bad.

OOC Results:

2008:
66-10 vs. Central Carolina
45-14 vs. Oregon State
55-13 vs. Syracuse
45-3 vs. Temple

2007:
59-0 vs. FIU
31-10 vs. ND
45-24 vs. Buffalo
31-0 vs. Temple

Final Record: 9-4 (4-4)

2006:
34-16 vs. Akron
17-41 vs. ND
37-3 vs. YSU
47-0 vs. Temple

Final Record: 9-4 (5-3)

2005:
23-13 vs. USF
42-24 vs. Cincinnati
40-3 vs. CMU

Final Record: 11-1 (7-1)

2004:
48-10 vs. Akron
7-21 vs. BC
37-13 vs. UCF

Final Record: 4-7 (2-6)

As far as I'm concerned, the verdict is still out on PSU. I've seen this routine before, and I'll buy into it when/if they continue to play this well against better opponents.

The verdict on PSU is definitely out,but it's definitely still out on every team imo. There is no way to definitely say anytime is the second coming based on a few games (including USC)..What happens if USC drops a game against a nobody this year? Does that dramtically change anything really? To say it won't happen is just opinion.

PSU is beating teams as they should. You can't ask for much more then that imo,but as proved by all that literally means very little. OSU is not and there's a reason to speculate how they will stack up against PSU. For people to question who they have played is fine,but you can't hide behind the fact that OSU isn't demoralizing teams by any means either. To say look at who PSU has beat and laugh...Look at who OSU has defeated in the same light,and the scoreboard. That's why I have in bold print what you stated. I see a lot of smoke blowing,and people laughing at PSU opponents in this thread. However,responses like "troy is very underrated"..Who did Troy beat that would make people believe this? How about OU?

 

[Fungo Squiggly]

PSU is beating teams as they should. You can't ask for much more then that imo,but as proved by all that literally means very little. OSU is not and there's a reason to speculate how they will stack up against PSU. For people to question who they have played is fine,but you can't hide behind the fact that OSU isn't demoralizing teams by any means either. To say look at who PSU has beat and laugh...Look at who OSU has defeated in the same light,and the scoreboard. That's why I have in bold print what you stated. I see a lot of smoke blowing,and people laughing at PSU opponents in this thread. However,responses like "troy is very underrated"..Who did Troy beat that would make people believe this? How about OU?

Oh, I certainly didn't intend to give any indication as to if I thought OSU would beat PSU. I was just trying to illustrate that even in their 4 loss seasons, they were still kicking the living shit out of their cupcakes, so judging how good they are at this point is still just guesswork.

This could just like last year's team, or it could be the '05 team. It's still too early to say either way, and a series of routs against terrible teams is not indicative either way, because they do that every season.

 

[buckeyes_rock]

historically penn state has always played us tough. i wouldn't expect this year to be any different. do i think they are legit? as brody mentioned, they really haven't beat anyone yet. but they have looked very impressive thus far. we'll learn more about "how good" they are as the big 10 season begins.

And without the sure one or two pick-sixes courtesy of Morelli, we'll have to score more on offense to beat them this year. Oh how I'll miss Morelli.

But seriously, they do appear to be humming right along. I know they haven't played anyone, but they really look in sync on offense. I must say, they've already exceeded my expectations for them. Ha.

 

[buckeyesin07]

the best team weve beat this year is a sunbelt team. that was a 4 point game deep into the 4th quarter...

...without Beanie. PSU is simply doing what they do every year--blowing out the likes of Akron and Syracuse in September. No big deal. If we have Beanie against PSU, the game won't even be close. Even without him, I see us winning by 7-10 points.

 

[powerlifter]

...without Beanie. PSU is simply doing what they do every year--blowing out the likes of Akron and Syracuse in September. No big deal. If we have Beanie against PSU, the game won't even be close. Even without him, I see us winning by 7-10 points.

So your basis is blowing out shitty teams doesn't mean anything. I can agree with that.How does unconvincingly beating shitty teams equate to a game "not even being close" with a team that is "blowing out" shitty teams? Not to mention getting blown out to a team that is a legit team. I have a hard time rationalizing your thoughts here.

That is a mighty bold IF as well. Who's to say beanie returns at all? Who's to say that if he does return that he will be at full speed or see full speed? Where are the facts here? OSU beat OU by 12. So are you saying that Penn state is that bad or are you saying that you feel the team has improved enough to beat penn state by 10 even without beanie?

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

So your basis is blowing out shitty teams doesn't mean anything. I can agree with that.How does unconvincingly beating shitty teams equate to a game "not even being close" with a team that is "blowing out" shitty teams? Not to mention getting blown out to a team that is a legit team. I have a hard time rationalizing your thoughts here.

I'd put Troy State above Oregon State and Syracuse right now, Sun Belt team or not. We were a foot or so on two plays from winning 42-10 instead of 28-10, without our Heisman-caliber RB and with a true freshman QB playing in only his fourth college game ever (and first start). I'm thinking that by the time that Grandpa Depends and his Shittany Lions roll into town, we're going to be a much different team than we are right now...

 

[JXC]

We were a foot or so on two plays from winning 42-10 instead of 28-10

We were also a foot or so on two plays from winning 14-10 instead of 28-10. I don't like the "ifs" way of thinking on the outcome of a score of a game. You can play that game all day long, and it is pointless. The score was what it was, and that's 28-10. We beat Troy...Troy IS better than anbody Penn State has played. Would Penn State beat Troy, I think so. Would they score more than 28 points? Who cares. Penn State has some young players and holes that they have overcome as well, so they likely will also be a better team than they are now when they roll into Columbus. Still...I don't think it matters. I think we will beat a very good Penn State team come October 25th.

 

[JXC]

So your basis is blowing out shitty teams doesn't mean anything. I can agree with that.How does unconvincingly beating shitty teams equate to a game "not even being close" with a team that is "blowing out" shitty teams? Not to mention getting blown out to a team that is a legit team. I have a hard time rationalizing your thoughts here.

That is a mighty bold IF as well. Who's to say beanie returns at all? Who's to say that if he does return that he will be at full speed or see full speed? Where are the facts here? OSU beat OU by 12. So are you saying that Penn state is that bad or are you saying that you feel the team has improved enough to beat penn state by 10 even without beanie?

You are putting way to much emphasses in scores. Look at the match-ups. We match-up well against Penn State.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

We were also a foot or so on two plays from winning 14-10 instead of 28-10. I don't like the "ifs" way of thinking on the outcome of a score of a game. You can play that game all day long, and it is pointless.

Uh, not it's not. Those two plays are things that should, and will, be corrected. I'll bet that Robo doesn't aligator-arm anymore open passes and that Pryor will hit the next wide-open guy on a deep post.

 

[powerlifter]

I'd put Troy State above Oregon State and Syracuse right now, Sun Belt team or not. We were a foot or so on two plays from winning 42-10 instead of 28-10, without our Heisman-caliber RB and with a true freshman QB playing in only his fourth college game ever (and first start). I'm thinking that by the time that Grandpa Depends and his Shittany Lions roll into town, we're going to be a much different team than we are right now...

I personally believe with TP in tact that experience will only make the team better as a whole by then. There's no way to say that PSU isn't a legit team just as much as trying to prove the latter. They might lose this weekend,but they might not.It will definitely be a "must see" to gauge the quality of both teams on a better level.

Who's to say if a few plays didn't go differently that OU wouldn't have won though? I've read a lot of those "if's" here lately. "If robo made that catch" There was a whole thread questioning if the usc game was really as bad as it seemed with a novel of "if's",but they are always "ifs" going for OSU....If's have about the same amount of merit as the transitive property of beating teams...Actually less..If's are only failing to capitilize on a situation in reality.

 

[powerlifter]

You are putting way to much emphasses in scores. Look at the match-ups. We match-up well against Penn State.

How well did we match up with USC? Was it a 35-3 matchup in your eyes? It sure as hell wasn't mine. How well did we match up with OU? Was it a 12 point win before the game started?

 

[JXC]

Uh, not it's not. Those two plays are things that should, and will, be corrected. I'll bet that Robo doesn't aligator-arm anymore open passes and that Pryor will hit the next wide-open guy on a deep post.

Yeah we will get better. Mistakes will be corrected, and hopefully we are playing mistake free by the end. But those mistakes, especially the Robo thing, shouldn't have happened in the first place. So we won 28-10. That's that. Take it, and move on.

 

[powerlifter]

Uh, not it's not. Those two plays are things that should, and will, be corrected. I'll bet that Robo doesn't aligator-arm anymore open passes and that Pryor will hit the next wide-open guy on a deep post.

I bet he won't alligator arm another one. I'm sure he's heard about that more then he ever will want to,but there is no guarantee that he won't drop it with two hands though.

 

[JXC]

How well did we match up with USC? Was it a 35-3 matchup in your eyes? It sure as hell wasn't mine. How well did we match up with OU? Was it a 12 point win before the game started?

Okay...so are you saying we should have scored more and given up less in those games? If we don't execute well against Penn State, we won't win. But if we do, then the match-ups will take care of themselves, and we'll win. We did not execute well against Ohio, and we didn't even execute at all in the 2nd half against USC.