Brandon Zimmerman
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What Would Woody Watch: Week One
Brandon Zimmerman via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Week one of the college football season is finally upon us! The Ohio State Buckeyes take on the pesky Falcons of Bowling Green on Saturday at noon. Be sure to check out my preview for that game. Outside of our Buckeyes, there are a ton of great games going on around the nation…but let’s be real it could be California vs Hawaii in Australia and we’d be stoked to watch it!
Come…sit down…and let’s take a look at what the great Coach Woody Hayes would be watching this weekend!
(3) Oklahoma at (15) Houston, Saturday, Noon
This one is tough because it has to be playing at the same time as our beloved Buckeyes. If you aren’t at your nearest Buckeye Watch location, make sure you DVR this game and go back and watch it. If you don’t, no worries as I will watch it for you and give you a complete breakdown prior to Ohio State traveling to Norman.
The Sooners are led offensively by juniors Baker Mayfield (QB) and Samaje Perine (RB). In 2016, Mayfield threw for 3,700 yards with 36 touchdowns. Additionally, he added another 405 yards with seven touchdowns on the ground
. Perine ran for 1,349 yards and 16 touchdowns during his sophomore campaign. In his two years as starter, Perine has accumulated 3,277 yards from scrimmage and 38 touchdowns.
The Cougars come into this game riding high from their 2015 campaign when they finished the year 13-1 with a bowl victory over Florida State. Led by some guy named Tom Herman, the Cougars look to continue their upward trend where they have national attention and expectations…which that hasn’t been said since David Klingler was slinging the ball around and completely oblivious to the fact the Bengals would soon ruin him. The biggest key to Houston’s success continuing this year is senior Greg Ward Jr. who is perfect for the Herman/Meyer style of offense. Last year, Ward had 3,941 total yards (2,827 pass/1,114 rush) and 38 touchdowns.
This one should really peak your interest, it is a Meyer protégé who runs the Buckeyes offense facing off against the Buckeyes big opponent in two weeks. I enjoyed the Houston success last year and I think Herman is an awesome coach…but I really think this will end bad for Houston. On offense they are replacing their top wide receiver, top running back, and multiple offensive linemen. On defense they are replacing three defensive backs including Bengals first rounder William Jackson III. Let’s not pretend like Herman has been there recruiting four and five stars for years just to provide a narrative heading into week one. The Sooners have holes on defense which Ward will exploit but I think Mayfield and Perine will have no problem moving the ball on Houston. The Sooner hype train will be in full-force in two weeks ladies and gentlemen.
Prediction: 49-17, Oklahoma
(20) Southern California vs (1) Alabama, Saturday, 8 pm (in Dallas, Texas)
USC will be turning to junior Max Browne to take over as the big-man on campus at USC after Cody Kessler was drafted by the Brownines (ahead of Cardale). His reward for this prestigious honor is to have his first start be against Alabama. Lucky for Browne, he has a very talented bunch surrounding him on offense. The most talented of the bunch is junior wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster who has racked up 143 catches, 2,178 yards, and 15 touchdowns in his first two years on campus. Like the Buckeyes, Bama has a very young and inexperienced defense…week one is the time to hurt them and the Trojans have the firepower to do it.
Just like USC, Bama will be breaking in a new quarterback…we just don’t know who it will be yet. The depth chart lists junior Cooper Bateman at the top but he is followed by two
that dreadful “Or”. At running back, the Tide will be turning to sophomore Bo Scarbrough who was able to hold off heralded former top recruit Damien Harris for the job. Scarbrough rushed for 108 yards in 2016 as the third string tailback. On defense the Tide must replace seven players, including three linebackers.
I’m sure 99% of America looks at this game and thinks it is going to be a walk in the park for the Tide but I just have too much faith in the Trojan offense to think this will be a blowout. If this game was a few weeks down the road, I would trust the Bama defense a lot more but with it being week one and so many new starters I just think they will struggle. I know I shouldn’t but I have a feeling in my gut that the first major upset happens here.
Prediction: 31-24, USC
(10) Notre Dame at Texas, Sunday, 7:30 pm
The awesome thing about opening week in college football is there is no NFL to compete with. Due to this we get to sit back on a Sunday night and watch some enjoyable football! Notre Dame comes to Austin with a lot of uncertainty after the arrest of five players. Of those five, it appears only one will not be playing as starting safety Max Redfield was kicked off the team. Notre Dame has decided to go with the two-quarterback look, learning nothing from the 2015 Buckeyes. They will split duties with DeShone Kizer and Malik Zaire. Kizer played in 13 games last season, combining for 3,305 total yards and 31 touchdowns. Zaire was the starter heading into the 2015 campaign but was injured in week two. In his first two games, he had accumulated 531 yards of offense and four touchdowns.
On the Texas sideline, this is a big season for coach Charlie
Strong as his job may be in the balance. He is entering his third year as head coach and riding high off of a convincing victory against Baylor at the end of last season. The Longhorns appear poised to move on from senior quarterback Tyrone Swoopes and turn the reigns over to Shane Buechele who looked great all spring and fall. Much like Meyer did early, Strong has spent a lot of time recruiting DL depth in an effort to turn this program around in his first two years on campus. They have an abundant amount of talent and depth but it is very young. The strength of the Longhorns defense lies in their defensive backfield and at linebacker with star Malik Jefferson.
This is going to be a tough game for both teams. While Notre Dame comes in with a number ten next to their name, I just don’t see them as one of the top ten teams in the nation. Texas has a chip on their shoulder coming into the season and looks to return to the Texas we all are used to seeing. In the end, it won’t be as bad as last year but I think Notre Dame pulls it out.
Prediction: 20-17, Notre Dame
(11) Mississippi at (4) Florida State, Monday, 8 pm
Ole Miss will start their life without two of the best offensive players in college football after Laquon Treadwell and Laremy Tunsil left for the NFL. The Ole Miss offense will need to rely on starting senior running back Akeem Judd who rushed for 425 yards last season. If he is able to move the chains, it will keep pressure off of senior quarterback Chad Kelly who threw for 4,042 yards last season and 31 touchdowns.
Florida State comes into the 2016 season as my preseason pick to be champion IF they can get some decent quarterback play. On offense they return their entire two-deep on the offensive line which will be blocking for probably the second best running back in the nation, Dalvin Cook. As a sophomore behind this same line, Cook ran for 1,691 yards (7.4 avg) and 19 touchdowns. All they will need is for redshirt freshman
quarterback Deondre Francois is to put on his best Craig Krenzel impersonation to lead this offense to huge numbers. Oh did I mention they return their ENTIRE receiving corps too? On defense, the Seminoles will be led by senior defensive end DeMarcus Walker who registered 15.5 tackles-for-loss and 10.5 sack last season and sophomore strong safety Derwin James who had 71.5 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Their weakness on defense will be at linebacker where they lack any major experience.
As for the game and hype, I’m honestly tired of hearing about Ole Miss and them being ranked so high. Let me give you a list of their out of conference wins since 2010:
Tennessee-Martin
Louisiana-Lafayette x2
Texas
Fresno State x3
Memphis
Idaho
New Mexico State
Presbyterian
Troy
Oklahoma State
SE Missouri State
Georgia Tech
Boise State
Central Arkansas
UTEP
Tulane x2
Southern Illinois
How about their losses:
TCU
Texas
BYU
Louisiana Tech
Jacksonville State
Last year was the first year they have won 10 games since 2003. They’ve gone 40-36 since 2010…they are barely a .500 team over the past six years. Let’s stop making them a top-15 program every year because of their conference. Ole Miss gets it handed to them and probably moves up in the rankings….
Prediction: 42-20, FSU
The post What Would Woody Watch: Week One appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
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Brandon Zimmerman via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Week one of the college football season is finally upon us! The Ohio State Buckeyes take on the pesky Falcons of Bowling Green on Saturday at noon. Be sure to check out my preview for that game. Outside of our Buckeyes, there are a ton of great games going on around the nation…but let’s be real it could be California vs Hawaii in Australia and we’d be stoked to watch it!
Come…sit down…and let’s take a look at what the great Coach Woody Hayes would be watching this weekend!
(3) Oklahoma at (15) Houston, Saturday, Noon
This one is tough because it has to be playing at the same time as our beloved Buckeyes. If you aren’t at your nearest Buckeye Watch location, make sure you DVR this game and go back and watch it. If you don’t, no worries as I will watch it for you and give you a complete breakdown prior to Ohio State traveling to Norman.
The Sooners are led offensively by juniors Baker Mayfield (QB) and Samaje Perine (RB). In 2016, Mayfield threw for 3,700 yards with 36 touchdowns. Additionally, he added another 405 yards with seven touchdowns on the ground
. Perine ran for 1,349 yards and 16 touchdowns during his sophomore campaign. In his two years as starter, Perine has accumulated 3,277 yards from scrimmage and 38 touchdowns.The Cougars come into this game riding high from their 2015 campaign when they finished the year 13-1 with a bowl victory over Florida State. Led by some guy named Tom Herman, the Cougars look to continue their upward trend where they have national attention and expectations…which that hasn’t been said since David Klingler was slinging the ball around and completely oblivious to the fact the Bengals would soon ruin him. The biggest key to Houston’s success continuing this year is senior Greg Ward Jr. who is perfect for the Herman/Meyer style of offense. Last year, Ward had 3,941 total yards (2,827 pass/1,114 rush) and 38 touchdowns.
This one should really peak your interest, it is a Meyer protégé who runs the Buckeyes offense facing off against the Buckeyes big opponent in two weeks. I enjoyed the Houston success last year and I think Herman is an awesome coach…but I really think this will end bad for Houston. On offense they are replacing their top wide receiver, top running back, and multiple offensive linemen. On defense they are replacing three defensive backs including Bengals first rounder William Jackson III. Let’s not pretend like Herman has been there recruiting four and five stars for years just to provide a narrative heading into week one. The Sooners have holes on defense which Ward will exploit but I think Mayfield and Perine will have no problem moving the ball on Houston. The Sooner hype train will be in full-force in two weeks ladies and gentlemen.
Prediction: 49-17, Oklahoma
(20) Southern California vs (1) Alabama, Saturday, 8 pm (in Dallas, Texas)
USC will be turning to junior Max Browne to take over as the big-man on campus at USC after Cody Kessler was drafted by the Brownines (ahead of Cardale). His reward for this prestigious honor is to have his first start be against Alabama. Lucky for Browne, he has a very talented bunch surrounding him on offense. The most talented of the bunch is junior wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster who has racked up 143 catches, 2,178 yards, and 15 touchdowns in his first two years on campus. Like the Buckeyes, Bama has a very young and inexperienced defense…week one is the time to hurt them and the Trojans have the firepower to do it.
Just like USC, Bama will be breaking in a new quarterback…we just don’t know who it will be yet. The depth chart lists junior Cooper Bateman at the top but he is followed by two
that dreadful “Or”. At running back, the Tide will be turning to sophomore Bo Scarbrough who was able to hold off heralded former top recruit Damien Harris for the job. Scarbrough rushed for 108 yards in 2016 as the third string tailback. On defense the Tide must replace seven players, including three linebackers.I’m sure 99% of America looks at this game and thinks it is going to be a walk in the park for the Tide but I just have too much faith in the Trojan offense to think this will be a blowout. If this game was a few weeks down the road, I would trust the Bama defense a lot more but with it being week one and so many new starters I just think they will struggle. I know I shouldn’t but I have a feeling in my gut that the first major upset happens here.
Prediction: 31-24, USC
(10) Notre Dame at Texas, Sunday, 7:30 pm
The awesome thing about opening week in college football is there is no NFL to compete with. Due to this we get to sit back on a Sunday night and watch some enjoyable football! Notre Dame comes to Austin with a lot of uncertainty after the arrest of five players. Of those five, it appears only one will not be playing as starting safety Max Redfield was kicked off the team. Notre Dame has decided to go with the two-quarterback look, learning nothing from the 2015 Buckeyes. They will split duties with DeShone Kizer and Malik Zaire. Kizer played in 13 games last season, combining for 3,305 total yards and 31 touchdowns. Zaire was the starter heading into the 2015 campaign but was injured in week two. In his first two games, he had accumulated 531 yards of offense and four touchdowns.
On the Texas sideline, this is a big season for coach Charlie
Strong as his job may be in the balance. He is entering his third year as head coach and riding high off of a convincing victory against Baylor at the end of last season. The Longhorns appear poised to move on from senior quarterback Tyrone Swoopes and turn the reigns over to Shane Buechele who looked great all spring and fall. Much like Meyer did early, Strong has spent a lot of time recruiting DL depth in an effort to turn this program around in his first two years on campus. They have an abundant amount of talent and depth but it is very young. The strength of the Longhorns defense lies in their defensive backfield and at linebacker with star Malik Jefferson.This is going to be a tough game for both teams. While Notre Dame comes in with a number ten next to their name, I just don’t see them as one of the top ten teams in the nation. Texas has a chip on their shoulder coming into the season and looks to return to the Texas we all are used to seeing. In the end, it won’t be as bad as last year but I think Notre Dame pulls it out.
Prediction: 20-17, Notre Dame
(11) Mississippi at (4) Florida State, Monday, 8 pm
Ole Miss will start their life without two of the best offensive players in college football after Laquon Treadwell and Laremy Tunsil left for the NFL. The Ole Miss offense will need to rely on starting senior running back Akeem Judd who rushed for 425 yards last season. If he is able to move the chains, it will keep pressure off of senior quarterback Chad Kelly who threw for 4,042 yards last season and 31 touchdowns.
Florida State comes into the 2016 season as my preseason pick to be champion IF they can get some decent quarterback play. On offense they return their entire two-deep on the offensive line which will be blocking for probably the second best running back in the nation, Dalvin Cook. As a sophomore behind this same line, Cook ran for 1,691 yards (7.4 avg) and 19 touchdowns. All they will need is for redshirt freshman
quarterback Deondre Francois is to put on his best Craig Krenzel impersonation to lead this offense to huge numbers. Oh did I mention they return their ENTIRE receiving corps too? On defense, the Seminoles will be led by senior defensive end DeMarcus Walker who registered 15.5 tackles-for-loss and 10.5 sack last season and sophomore strong safety Derwin James who had 71.5 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Their weakness on defense will be at linebacker where they lack any major experience.As for the game and hype, I’m honestly tired of hearing about Ole Miss and them being ranked so high. Let me give you a list of their out of conference wins since 2010:
Tennessee-Martin
Louisiana-Lafayette x2
Texas
Fresno State x3
Memphis
Idaho
New Mexico State
Presbyterian
Troy
Oklahoma State
SE Missouri State
Georgia Tech
Boise State
Central Arkansas
UTEP
Tulane x2
Southern Illinois
How about their losses:
TCU
Texas
BYU
Louisiana Tech
Jacksonville State
Last year was the first year they have won 10 games since 2003. They’ve gone 40-36 since 2010…they are barely a .500 team over the past six years. Let’s stop making them a top-15 program every year because of their conference. Ole Miss gets it handed to them and probably moves up in the rankings….
Prediction: 42-20, FSU
The post What Would Woody Watch: Week One appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
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