Heisman 2008

I have followed the Heisman Trophy presentation since I was old enough to hold a football and have always felt that it was one of the greatest awards ever presented to an athlete other than a Gold Medal in the Olympics.  I like the fact that it is only voted on by past winners and certain media (not so sure about this one since Lee Corso gets a vote) and these are the people that really follow college football and look for more than just stats.  The award has always stood for what is generally considered the best College player and usually ends up being a pretty good person in the process ( minus a couple including OJ).  There have been a few missteps where I thought there was clearly a better choice (ala Keith Byers over Flutie) but you can’t argue too hard against the choice.

 

This year must have been a considerable challenge because I think that there were some very worthy candidates.  Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, Tim Tebow, Chase Daniel, Graham Harrell, Michael Crabtree and the rest.  It’s getting harder and harder to not choose a QB because they do so much more than they used to.  They run the ball, call plays in the no huddle, throw the ball very efficiently, reduce turnovers and lead their teams to wins.  Running backs and receivers almost have to have a phenomenal season and do more then just run and catch.  Defenders are pretty much out of it just because they can only get so much attention on the national stage and can be eliminated when teams play away from them.

 

I obviously don’t have a vote, but I was pretty high on Colt McCoy.  I felt that he did so much for his team in so many ways that he seemed to be the most valuable to his team that was ranked in the top five all year.  Throwing for over 77% is incredible for as many passes as he threw and limiting his turnovers to fewer than 10 is almost mind boggling.  Then you throw in that he ran for 550+ yards especially in key third down situations, he generated 75%+ of his teams offense.  Tebow was much the same but he also had a serious RB in Percy Harven who took some of the production off his shoulders.  Harrell and Daniel were also deserving and at least should have been invited to the presentation but I guess plane tickets are just too expensive these days.

 

Sam Bradford was a very good choice.  His numbers were staggering even with a solid Oklahoma running game (2 x 1000 yard rushers).  He seems to be well liked by his teammates and even as a sophomore he is consider the leader of the No. 1 team in the country.  Throwing for 48 TDs, rushing for 5, 4464 yards and a 68% completion percentage is a phenomenal year in any ones book.  He is a solid student and seems to be a well rounded young man.  He will be a great addition to the Heisman Club. 

 

So with pretty much all of these guys coming back and probably a few more thrown into the mix, next year’s Heisman Watch will probably start at the Bowl Games and will be just as intense and pressurized as this year’s.

 

Congratulations to Sam Bradford!

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Five Inconveniences in College Football (Not Called the BCS)

These are a few things one must realize when covering, analyzing, and just plain being a fan of college football in today’s world. These are grossly opinionated, and I may be wrong, and it would be a terrible tragedy…but if you agree, show me some love.

 

5. It takes three years to build a program

That’s incorrect, and the first year does not count. I do not care if you are Michigan or New Mexico State. You cannot be given three years and expect to turn around a program.

In the first year, whatever you do as far as wins go is great. That’s where Notre Dame screwed up in re-signing Weis after just one season, and that’s where Michigan fans are being wrong in judging Rich Rodriguez.

How many years? Five. You give the coach a chance to get his own freshmen in and graduate them. If he can’t win with his program in five years, can him. If he is winning, re-sign him. Simple as that.

Four years is just one short. This is not the NFL where you can buy and sell players up the river whenever you please. You have to recruit them, train them, groom them, and help them mature.

 

4. Oklahoma is always best of the best

I am going to catch a lot of flak here, but there is no secret the BCS loves OU. They are the WORST of the best and, with stats, it is easy to say.

It is evident again this year. It is yet to be seen what happens in the Big 12 championship and probably inevitable national championship appearance. Since Bob Stoops arrived, the Sooners they have dominated the Big 12 and the BCS charts. But there results stop looking impressive there.

In the nine years Stoops has been there, he has taken them to nine bowls, 4-5 overall. Six were BCS bowls, 2-4 overall. Three were national championships, 1-2 overall.

The record shows that maybe Stoops cant handle the pressure on top of the hill, since the last four BCS games (in five years) were all losses. (College football’s Marty Schottenheimer, anyone?)

So the argument doesn’t begin and end there; let’s compare them to a primary rival and similarly successful opponent in Big 12 play, Texas, the last nine years. Texas vs. OU head to head in the last 10 is 6-4, OU with the advantage. Texas has also been to a bowl every year and amassed a 6-3 record.

It took Texas two tries to equal Oklahoma’s BCS wins, going 2-0. It took Texas one trip to the national championship to take the trophy home, 1-0.

This rivalry will be argued to the depths of eternity, but the last nine years, Stoops has the edge on Brown, but Brown beats everybody else on the main stage. The BCS loves OU, plain and simple. But maybe the BCS and the media need to re-work that.

 

3. USC plays an inferior schedule

OK, the Trojans are in the Pac-10 AND when you see my No. 2 misconception, it will add to the fact they blow it away. Their current streaks? Six 11-plus-win seasons in a row, six BCS bowl appearances in a row, six (going on seven, some albeit shared) Pac-10 titles in a row.

But that only adds fuel to the fire that they play a cupcake conference, right? Nope. They are 5-1 in those BCS games the last six years, 1-1 for the national title. They beat Big 10 and Big 12 opponents in those five games.

Sure, they have gone 51-7 since 2002 in the Pac-10, but what have they done, really? Including bowl games, since 2002, the Trojans have handled the other major conferences, 15-2. They are 2-0 vs. the ACC (two teams), 5-0 vs. the Big 10 (four teams), 4-0 vs. the SEC (two teams), and 4-2 vs. the Big 12 (five teams). They haven’t played a Big East team, and if you want stats on the mid majors: 3-0 vs. MWC (two teams), and 4-0 (three teams) vs. WAC.

They haven’t played anyone else except Notre Dame, whom they have beaten seven years in a row. Um, that doesn’t seem too inferior. Pete Carroll got there in 2000, by the way.

 

2. Big East Football doesn’t belong in the BCS

I am not going to argue for or against the BCS; I am currently evaluating the way the system is at current. Um, earth to college football fans, Big East Football has won a BCS game three years in a row (versus the Big 12, ACC and SEC). It hasn’t sent a team to the national championship since Miami left the conference, but was close two of the last three years, when it produced one-loss teams in Louisville and West Virginia.

As far as the six major conferences go the last five years in the BCS, No. 1 is the SEC, which is 6-1 overall in the BCS games and 3-0 in the national championship, with four teams (LSU, Georgia, Florida, and Auburn) accounting for that record.

No. 2, statistically, is the Pac-10, which is 4-1, 1-1 in the title game. One problem, USC is the only representative for the five years. For that reason, the Pac-10 drops to third.

So, technically, No. 2 should be the Big East, which is 4-1 as well, but no title game appearances, though it has done it with four different teams, as well (WV, Louisville, Pitt, and Miami).

No. 4 would be the Big 12, which has the second most teams placed yearly but is 3-5, 1-2 in the title game and has sent four teams (Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, and Kansas State).

No. 5 is the Big 10. Regarded for a long time as the best conference in football until recent times and the proof, the Big 10 has been involved in nine BCS games in five years (out of 22), but is a measly 3-6, 0-2 in the title game. It has also sent four teams to the BCS (Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, and Illinois).

Last is the ACC. Although it has been competitive this year, recent history shows it should be fighting for its spot. It is 0-5 in the last five years with no title appearances, this is among three teams sent (VT, Wake Forest, and Florida State).

 

1. Lee Corso picks

So what is his record, anyway? On the GameDay site games, Corso went 6-8 for the regular season. I had to watch ton of YouTube footage for this one. I was also investigating 2007 picks, and, man, he had a great year last year. He at very least won 10 games from what I saw. I couldn’t get all of them.

So even though he had a good year last year, he showed signs of slowing down this year. But I would sell on Corso picks from now on. He’ only getting older…

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College Football’s Top Twenty Biggest Disappointments

This year has seen some real surprises. But these twenty (in no particular order) are college football’s biggest disappointments. This is all about not meeting expectations- if a team had low expectations, then they didn’t make the list.

Clemson

We expected them to win the ACC, and instead, they just couldn’t win. It’s a sad state of affairs in South Carolina.

Arizona State

What happened? Sure Rudy Carpenter was dinged up, but the Sun Devils were expected to contend for the Pac-10, and instead, are now contending for a bowl-less season at a dismal 4-6, with a loss to UNLV starting the six-game free fall.

Auburn

The D is overrated, and Tuberville throwing his OC under the bus before one complete season was the low point for the Tiggers. You just knew it was going to be a bad season when TT said the 3-2 game against Mississippi State was a great defensive battle. Heads up Tommy, Ole Miss beat them 45-0.

Florida State

As usual, the Noles failed to live up to Garnet and Gold expectations. And as usual, Bowden will probably not retire because of Joe Pa’s solid season pushing him ahead in the race to the greatest number of wins by a college coach. Dadgummit, Bobby, you ain’t gonna catch him now.

Iowa

Sure they upset the Nits, but that’s it. The rest of the season, the Hawkeyes spent more time with legal counsel than in the training room. 8-4 is nothing to sneeze at, but losses to Northwestern and Illinois are. And before you start jumping on Northwestern’s bandwagon, remind yourself that FIVE of the Wildcats’ nine wins were over Syracuse, Southern Illinois, Duke, Ohio (Bobcats) and Michigan.

Wisconsin

Well, the perennial Capitol One Bowl delegate finally missed the boat after a truly dismal season. Anytime you have to stage a rally in the 4th quarter to beat Cal Poly in OT, your season stinks. Sure 7-5 isn’t bad, but the Badgers’ wins are over Akron, Marshall, Fresno State, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Cal-Poly. ‘Nuff said.

Georgia

They’ve had a good season but….getting blown out twice is not impressive. Great, or even very good teams, don’t get blown out (Texas Tech being the exception to the rule). They may lose every now and then, but get blown out? NO. Barely beating Kentucky and Auburn means Georgia Tech will probably upset the Dawgs. 

Notre Dame

They’ve improved this year? When you go from No. 115 in rushing offense to No. 92, and the coach says he’s going to “pound it” this year, that’s not real improvement. Then again, pretty much everything about Notre Dame hasn’t improved – except for the schedule’s “softness”  – and next year’s is as soft and cushy as the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.

Tennessee

Ok, we knew there was going to be a bit of a fall off, but this bad? The good news is that the Vols are getting a bright, offensive genius as their next coach. Kiff will bring back FUN to Vols football- he’s a younger version of Norm Chow.

ESPN

Dr. Lou has made serious gaffes and Herbstreit “scooped’ everyone by saying Les Miles was going to Michigan.  Then there’s this dilly  (courtesy of the Chicago Tribune) of Lee Corso on the radio talking about Charlie Weis:

“The entire Catholic Church doesn’t have enough money to pay him off at .5 million for another seven years or whatever it is. So forget about it. The guy is going to be the football coach and they’re just going to have to live with what they’ve got.”   Umm Lee, did you temporarily lose your mind? The Catholic Church is so big they even have their own country (sort of) called Vatican City. If I’m not mistaken, ND prints their own money. Good grief.

The NCAA

Three years and counting, still no word on Bush-gate. By the time they get around to charging USC with something, California will have dropped off into the ocean after the Big One.

Fresno State

Wow, from a pre-season BCS-buster favorite to a team that that lost to Hawai’i (in OT), Louisiana Tech and Nevada, the Bulldogs went from snarling to gumming in three months.

LSU

It’s not the vaunted D we are disappointed in, it’s the fundamentals. Like tackling. And discipline. They show sparks of greatness, but that usually is followed up with long bouts of mediocrity. The bright spot? Frosh QB Jordan Jefferson, a rangy, athletic Randall Cunningham-like clone who has fast wheels and great moves. If he just could lose the whining face antics…

USC

Sure their loss to the Beavs was a loss to a ranked team, but for the first time in a long time, the Trojans can’t control their own destiny. Losing the “Little Games” has been a curse for the last two years, and next up for the Trojans? The Fighting Irish. Lose that one, and the Stanford upset will be forever forgotten.

Kansas

They lost a few good players (two good OT’s and CB Talib) from last year’s Cinderella team, but the schedule got a whole lot harder this year and the Jayhawks were exposed, big time.

South Florida

What happened to the Bulls? Beating Florida International 17-9 early in the season was a huge red flag.  Tanking three in a row to Louisville, Cincy and Rutgers, was the final nail in their 2-4 conference-record coffin. Except for West Virginia next week, of course.

Missouri

Were you like I, ready to pencil in Mizzou as the team to beat in the Big 12? Sure Oklahoma and Texas always are the cream of the crop, but  honestly, didn’t you expect a little more from Mizzou? They have no prayer of beating the Big 12 South champ, and lots of fans will be rooting for them for selfish reasons, but they will be disappointed. Again. And out of a BCS Bowl. Again.

Michigan

It’s the manner in which they lost all of those games that is so disturbing. Michigan never tanks games. Their new nickname should be the Shermans, no offense to Unioto High in Chillicothe, Ohio, who are called the Shermans.

The Pac-10

It was an ugly year, and even though there are three teams ranked, one of them will drop this weekend. Losing to the Mountain West Conference over one weekend was bad enough, but having really only one team represent the conference the last seven years is pretty sad. Oregon State can break that streak, but the Pac needs to step it up.

The ACC

The ACC has permeated college football with a noxious odor that won’t go away. Honestly, does their champ really deserve a BCS Bowl bid over a team like Texas Tech? If we had a playoff system, we’re pretty sure none of these teams would make it past the first round.

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College Football’s Biggest Surprises of 2008 (So Far)

This year has been typical in that there have been many surprises for fans to talk about.  Let’s recap a few of the biggest be they good or bad.

 

1. Alabama

Everyone said not if, but when Nick Saban would return the Crimson Tide to national prominence and BCS bowls.  Most thought he was at least a year or two away from making that happen.   Alabama’s ascent to number one this year has to be at least one of the biggest surprises.

 

1. Michigan

Help me understand how hiring Rich Rodriguez is a good thing.  They fired Lloyd Carr why?  I don’t believe anybody saw this train wreck coming, especially the people that hired Coach Rod.

 

1. The sudden and complete downfall of Tommy Bowden

Clemson was supposed to be a contender this year.  Instead, their miserable start cost Bowden his job and Clemson their hope for reaching the next level.

 

1. Tennessee

Picked to finish in the top 20, but instead struggling not to finish at the bottom of the SEC with their worst record in decades.  Like Bowden, Fulmer joins the unemployment line with this plummet.

 

1. The Big 12

Yes, many expected Oklahoma to be good, but nobody expected so many teams to have such great seasons.  The SEC is good, but the Big 12 is GREAT.  Never before have so many teams been so close to making it to the top from this conference.

 

1. Oregon State

By beating USC, the mighty Beavers are going to the Rose Bowl ahead of USC with a win over cross-state rival Oregon.  Anybody who said they saw Oregon State beating out USC for the Rose Bowl, raise your hand.  Yeah, that’s what I thought.

 

1. Auburn

Picked by some to win the SEC West, picked by all as a top 20 team, Auburn will be sitting at home this bowl season and perhaps looking for a new coach.  Tuberville’s experiment with the spread proved to be a disaster.  Now he’s trying to simply spread the blame.

 

1. Ole Miss

There’s not a man on the Ole Miss roster that’s ever been to a bowl game.  At the beginning of the season there was reason to expect this year would be different.  Houston Nutt proved one school’s problem could be another school’s solution.  The defeat of Florida cost the Gators a number one ranking and may qualify as the year’s big upset.

 

1. Tim Tebow

How can a former Heisman winner be snubbed the following year by the Unitas Award by not even being nominated?  John Parker Wilson over Tebow?  And we expect them to be rational?

 

1. Vanderbilt

The little team that could.  Vandy hasn’t been to a bowl game since 1982 but will be there this year.  Coach Bobby Johnson proved that the school’s confidence in giving him the time he needed to restore the program was not in vain.

 

Honorable Mention: Notre Dame

Most figured Notre Dame would continue to be an underperforming team, but few figured they would suck THIS bad.  Charlie Weis deserves the Golden Foot to the Lead Butt for this season and should be shown the door.  Many doubt it will happen, however.

 

I number these top 10 all number one because it’s up to you to decide the order. Depending on the area of the country you live in and the team you pull for, I’m sure the order will change.

But as Lee Corso says so often, “Not so fast my friend.”  The season is far from over, and more surprises await.  The biggest story may still be unwritten.

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Happy Thanksgiving to Bleacher Creatures

This is not exactly my favorite time of year. Why you ask?

It’s almost the end of college football. I am officially in mourning next week. Sure we’ll get all the bowls, but honestly, this is it. Three months and bam! Done.

Did your team fulfill all your dreams? Probably not. Maybe? Too early to tell? Yes?

Not sure where my team is going to end up, but hopefully, it will have a fruit, party, sweetener or flower in front of the bowl name. Thanks to the BCS, those are really the only bowls that really have relevance in college football any more. I’m hoping for the party name, but will probably have to settle for a flower. Life’s tough sometimes.

In honor of Thanksgiving, and my foul mood, it’s time to hand out the annual Turkey Awards. Those persons who have messed up a good thing, made a bad thing worse, or just plain don’t have a clue.

The Turkey Award List:

Lou Holtz. I actually think Lou is a pretty funny guy, but dang, using naughty words and then the dreaded “Hitler” word on two separate broadcasts gets him a drumstick.

Michael Vick. Now he pleads guilty after lying to the Feds? He’s still a low-life. But there are some teams who could use him. Whoever selects him gets a Turducken.

Lee Corso. Have you seen the ESPN commercial where “Tommy Trojan” is doing push-ups in front of the Coliseum? Afterwards, Lee turns to “Tommy Trojan” and calls him by the name, “Tommy Trojan.” Here’s the problem, the Trojan warrior who rides Traveler is an unnamed Trojan Warrior. Same for the marching band leader. Why is it, the World Wide Leader in Sports doesn’t know that? Tommy Trojans is a statue on the campus, not the dude riding Traveler. Nice job, guys.

Manny Ramirez. Sure you’re funny Manny. Except when you can’t catch a ball, then flop to the ground, fall on top of it, and you can’t tell where the ball is. Amusing, but not very professional.

Cam Newton. Well, Cam, there goes your shot and playing QB at Florida, because you are going to the pokie. Just how smart are you when you steal a laptop, then sign in on the stolen laptop using your real school screen name? Duh.

NASCAR. The sexual discrimination suit was bad enough, but not lowering the ticket prices in this tough economy to compensate for the huge petrol expenses all those RV’ers have when traveling to races was just ludicrous. And now, you have massive lay-offs. How fitting.

The Detroit Lions. Do I really need to justify this?

Al Davis. Al should get a turkey thrown at him for firing Kiffin, and then throwing him under the bus by threatening to not honor his contract. He is the most nauseating owner in the NFL. Let Amy Trask run the Raiders.

Roger Goodell. For giving Adam Jones another chance. Again.

Jerry Jones. For taking Pac Man Jones.

Charlie Weis. D’oh.

Rich Rodriguez. We knew the team wouldn’t have a great season, but we did actually imagine the Wolverines would show up for games. Seriously. Worst season ever? Congrats.

Bobbie Bowden. For agreeing to schedule two FCS schools because of all the suspended players from the academic scandal fall-out. That’s a great way to teach other players not to cheat- if you cheat and get suspended, we’ll make the schedule easier so you won’t incur a loss as a result from the suspensions. Brilliant!

John Daly. The PGA’s most powerful swinger has made a buffoon out of himself. What a waste of talent.

The LPGA. First they demand that everyone speak English when the best players are Korean. Then they lose money, lose sponsors and cut the purses 5 mil. OMG. Annika, you are retiring at the right time.

Ryan Periilloux. Despite the fact that he has now laid in his proverbial bed, look at the effect he had on his former-team (LSU) this year. He messed up what could have been another run at the championship. Seriously.

The NCAA. Three years and counting on the Bush-gate scandal. At this point, any sanctions handed down are going to punish players who never even played with Bush. Why should they get punished? Or is that the M.O.? Punish the team, have USC file an appeal based on players getting punished years after the fact, and grant the appeal? It worked for the Sooners.

The BCS computers. They still don’t have it right. Bring back the AP.

Finally, to all the Bleacher Creatures, Happy Thanksgiving. I am honored to be part of your community, and honored to be part of the family here. Y’all are wonderful, and I hope each and every one of you gets a contract with a major website. Dreams do happen.

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Ohio State-Michigan: Boom & Buckeyes Break Away from Wolverines

Drew Thurman (9:19 pm)

Going into halftime the Buckeyes had a slim 14-7 lead, but the second half brought a much different outcome. After a huge defensive stop and two big runs by Beanie and Boom, the Buckeyes took at 21-7 lead and never looked back. The victory was the fifth straight for the Buckeyes against the Wolverines, something they had never before.

There are a lot of things I noticed in the game, but here are a few.

Wolverine Killer

Playing great against Michigan ensures that you will go down in Buckeye history forever, and Beanie played great against “the school up north” for a third straight season. His 59-yard touchdown run not only got the Buckeyes going, but also showed yet again that Beanie is a “Wolverine killer.” He seems to have a big run against them every year, and that has to put a smile on your face.

Pryor’s Performance

Pryor came out and threw one of the worst interceptions you will ever see. I give him credit though because he never gave up on the play, and without his tackle this game could have had a much different feel.

Outside of that play Pryor’s game was very hit or miss. He had some ugly throws and took some bad sacks, but overall made some crucial plays. For his game to go to the next level he needs to develop an intermediate passing game, and not just throwing it long. With that said, Pryor came away with his first win against Michigan.

Coaches vs. Players

What in the world was going on between the Michigan players and coaches on the sideline? In the first quarter during a Wolverine timeout, ABC caught the players screaming and getting in their coaches’ faces.

This to me showed a real issue with Rich Rodriguez’s leadership and why they went 3-8. I know there was a new system in Ann Arbor, but the Wolverines didn’t look like they respected the leadership!

Here comes “The Boom”

After a big touchdown run last week against the Illini, Boom Herron came up huge again this week. He had eight carries for 80 yards with two touchdowns and had his coming-out party in the biggest game of his young career. Everyone is talking about Jamaal Berry and Carlos Hyde coming in next year, but as Lee Corso would say, “not so fast my friend!”

Herron is a serious talent who hits the hole as fast as anyone I have seen. The one criticism of him is that he could not break the long run, but that does not seem to be an issue any longer!

Hartline and Small

I along with many Buckeye fans have been very hard on these two young men this season. Hartline had been rumored to be a cancer in the locker room, and of course we all know the many troubles surrounding Ray Small. Both had great games on Saturday, and I was glad to see both guys were a big part of the team again, especially for Ray Small, who I still feel can get his act together.

It was great to see Cris Carter coaching and encouraging Small on the sideline, and I think that had a big part to play in Small’s 110 punt return yards!

Boeckman and the seniors

Tressel and the coaches could not have scripted this game any better for the seniors. A ton of them got game action, but the story of the day had to be Todd Boeckman. He had 64 yards on three throws, the best being his pass to Brian Hartline for a touchdown.

Boeckman has been a class act all the way this season, and I was glad to see he got his moment on senior day. He embodies what you want from a Buckeye player, and we all know he bleeds scarlet and gray!

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Ten Things That Will Happen This Weekend: Week Nine

Another Friday, another fresh slate of predictions for the upcoming slate of College Football games. Before I get to this week, however, let’s take a look at how I did last week (while Tim Tebow was taking another Bye Week):

• Texas won. (+1)
• Jeremy Maclin did not score once. That means he did not score twice. (-1)
• I’m giving myself the point here. Ohio State jumped out to a 21-0 lead with a balanced attack of luck, rushing, and – as I predicted – Terrelle Pryor’s arm. If you want to attack me here, go ahead, but a) I think it’s rather pointless, since I’m the one awarding points and b) I’ll defend myself in the comments as necessary. (+1)
• Graham Harrell threw for 450 yards. I’m not a math scholar, but 450 > 350. *Point* (+1)
• Penn State forced five good possessions of anxiety out of their faithful. Unfortunately for me, anxiety-producing possessions are not the same thing as turnovers. (-1)
• Boise State and their blue field stayed in the BCS game. (+1)
• LSU won. (-1)
• So did Pitt. (-1)
• Harvard beat Lehigh, thanks to a last-minute red-zone interception. I actually watched the fourth quarter of this one on TV, it was a pretty good game. (+1)
• Corso picked Texas, but did not successfully pick up any cheerleaders (what, did you think he was in Ann Arbor?). (+1)

Not my worst week yet, but still not great. I needed to pounce on Tebow while he wasn’t playing, but…not so much. 6/10 equals +2 points, which means the updated scoreboard reads:

• Tim Tebow: 10
• Ned Dutton: 2

Eh. Slowly but surely, I’m coming back. Kind of like Ohio State. But that’s too scary an image for most people, so let’s change that to Seabiscuit. “Here comes Seabiscuit!” – I like the ring of that.

Anyway, on to this week. Here are Ten Things That Will Happen This Weekend:

 

1. Ohio State will win the turnover margin.

I’m not going to tell you what you already know – that turnovers are crucial in big games (wait…maybe I just did). What I am going to tell you instead is that Saturday night’s big game features two of the nation’s best in forcing turnovers.

Ohio State is +12 on the season, coughing it up 9 nines compared to forcing (or being given *cough*Michigan State*cough) 21 turnovers. Penn State, on the other hand, is only +3, with 11 takeaways and 8 giveaways.

The Silver Bullets have been clicking for the past couple of weeks, and while Penn State will find ways to earn yards and points against the Buckeye D, they will also cough it up a couple of times.

2. LeBron James will be shown on the sidelines.

I made a similar prediction about the USC game, about how many celebrities ABC would show during the game, but ABC completely failed me and didn’t show any.

Most people would abandon ship and say, ‘Hey, maybe ABC has this new policy where they actually try to focus on the game.’ Not me. This is LeBron James we’re talking about, people – not Will Ferrell.

3. Malcolm Jenkins will be the most valuable player on the field wearing the number 2.

Okay, this is my third Ohio State-Penn State prediction. I know that, but hopefully you can give me a break. I bleed scarlet and gray, and I can’t write these predictions without focusing primarily on this game.

Anyway, you may know that Terrelle Pryor wears the number 2. So does Malcolm Jenkins. So does Derrick Williams. All three will get their chances to shine Saturday night, but at the end of the game Jenkins will have made the most positive impact for his team.

Jenkins is quietly having a stellar season, especially the past couple of weeks. On the year, he is Ohio State’s fourth leading tackler (behind the Linebackers, but who can blame him there), he leads the team in INTS (3), Pass Breakups (5), and fumbles forced (2), he has blocked a punt, and he has 1 sack and 3.5 TFL.

Jenkins was a first-round draft pick last year, but stayed in school and has really improved all aspects of his game. He is a star, and he will show it tomorrow night.

4. Oklahoma State will be humbled.

I’m going to get right to the point. Texas is going to beat Oklahoma State, and it will not be pretty.

Texas is good, yes, but more importantly I’m not sold on Oklahoma State. What’s their only impressive win? That’s right, they beat Missouri by five.

Texas beat Missouri by 25, but that’s only because Texas threw on the Cruise Control after leading 35-3 at halftime.

Oklahoma State may be a good football team, but they will be humbled this week when they face a vastly superior opponent.

5. Georgia will play like the preseason number one we thought they were.

Georgia has been a better (read: more aesthetically pleasing) version of Ohio State this year: both were ranked high to start the season, slipped after unimpressive performances, lost a big game, and have been flying under the radar ever since.

Ohio State has looked mostly mediocre since their big loss, whereas Georgia has only looked pretty good. Now comes the meat of Georgia’s schedule, and it’s about time they showed us why we all thought before the season that they were going to be unstoppable.

6. Washington will beat Notre Dame.

I was on the Washington band wagon ever since the excessive celebration debacle, but after they lost to Stanford I said I was done with them.

Never underestimate the power of Notre Dame. If there’s one team/one coach/one player, in the entire country who could restore my faith in Washington, it would be Notre Dame/ Charlie Weis/Jimmy Clausen.

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again-traveling to Washington is not easy. They have an impressive home field advantage, and this one’s at night. Watch out, domers.

7. Kansas will beat Texas Tech.

Even SEC fans have to be impressed with how talented the Big 12 is this year. This prediction is not a condemnation of Texas Tech, but rather a testament to how strong the Big 12 is this year.

The Big 12, for better or worse, will take turns knocking each other out of the national title game over the next month and a half. It’s already started, and it will continue tomorrow afternoon. Sorry, Graham-put up all the numbers you want.

8. Tulsa will score 50+ points.

They scored 70 last week against UTEP. They meet 2-4 UCF this week, and it’s gonna get u-g-l-y.

9. Northwestern and Minnesota will both win, and will rise in the polls.

Lisa Horne wrote a good article this week pointing out some of the problems in the current polling system-if you haven’t read it, you should.

In her article, Lisa raises many good points, but I’ll just focus on one–that coaches (like, in the Big Ten), will blindly vote the teams in their conferences with good records over those with worse records, to boost their quality wins and help the conference at the same time.

That is ridiculous, and it is why Northwestern and Minnesota are ranked. Hey, pollsters, do you not remember when Northwestern got thrashed (pun, because they’re Wildcats) by Michigan State? I do, yet because Michigan State got killed (pun – Spartans) by Ohio State last week, you put Northwestern above Michigan State.

Is it possible neither team was as good as you thought, and you’re overlooking teams such as Virginia Tech, Ball State, or Boston College?

It doesn’t matter, they won’t listen to me. Northwestern and Minnesota play two more terrible teams this week (Indiana and Purdue, respectively), and they will win. And they will rise in the polls.

10. Lee Corso will pick Penn State.

Corso lives for moments when he can feel younger than he actually is (like last week, before he got universally turned down by the cheerleaders), so he’ll pick the old guy (JoePa). If we’re lucky, he’ll put on one of those cute masks, even though Halloween isn’t until next week.

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Buckeyes get another shot in big game

Will the Buckeyes shake off their big-game woes against Penn State or is JoePa’s squad just too good?

COLUMBUS (AP) — What’s brewing today with the 2008 Ohio State Buckeyes …

BUCKEYES BUZZ: This is another chance for the Buckeyes to redeem themselves on a big stage.

No. 10 Ohio State has crawled back into the top 10 in the polls and the Bowl Championship Series rankings after those painful, lopsided losses in the last two national championship games, along with the 35-3 beating at USC. Now the Buckeyes need to take advantage of an opportunity to show that they can win a big game when No. 3 Penn State comes to town.

“On the team there really hasn’t been too much talk about what happened at SC and playing in the big games,” CB Malcolm Jenkins said Monday. “For us, we’re motivated enough just off of the fact that it’s a game that has Big Ten championship implications (and) it’s a night game at Ohio Stadium.”

Adding to the aura is how rare such games (8 p.m.) are at the Ohio Stadium.

“We haven’t had that since 2005, against Texas,” Jenkins said. “Penn State and Ohio State go back a while having great games. That’s going to be hyped up there. They’re a top-3 team in the nation and we’re trying to find our way back in the rankings. So for us there’s plenty of motivation.”

SORE BEANIE: TB Chris “Beanie” Wells said he’s still sore after carrying a season-high 31 times for 140 yards and two touchdowns in the 45-7 rout of Michigan State on Saturday.

Asked on Monday how his foot felt, he said, “It’s pretty sore.”

He said he had hoped that the foot injury that kept him out of three games might have healed faster, but he’s now come around to thinking that he may have to play with it all year.

“I hoped to be healthier. But it’s something I have to deal with,” he said.

CONFERENCE CHOICES: The Big Ten’s players of the week: Iowa RB Shonn Greene (career-high 217 yards on 25 carries and ties a school record with four TDs in win over Wisconsin; Iowa LB Pat Angerer (career-high 16 tackles with two interceptions); and Penn State K Kevin Kelly (kicked 3 FGs and 5 PATs to become the conference’s career leader in kicking points with 376.

BEST BUCKEYES: Ohio State’s staff selected its weekly award winners from the 45-7 blowout at Michigan State.

The defensive player of the game was LB James Laurinaitis, TB Chris “Beanie” Wells took the offensive honors and LB Austin Spitler captured the award for the special units.

Honored from the scout team were: WR Ricky Crawford on offense; DL Solomon Thomas on defense; and RB Joe Gantz on special teams.

The top player on the front seven was LB Ross Homan. OT Alex Boone was the top offensive lineman and the Jack Tatum big hit was not awarded.

GAMEDAY COMING: ESPN’s College GameDay will be televised live outside St. John Arena on Saturday morning for the game against the Nittany Lions. The show is hosted by Chris Fowler with analysts Lee Corso, Desmond Howard and former Ohio State QB Kirk Herbstreit.

COOOOOP! College Football Hall of Famer John Cooper, coach of the Buckeyes from 1988-2000, will be honored at both Ohio State and Tulsa this weekend in honor of his induction this year. Cooper, second on the coaching wins list at Ohio State to Woody Hayes, will be honored during the game against Penn State.

Cooper also was a head coach at Arizona State and Tulsa. He’ll be honored at Tulsa on Sunday during the Golden Hurricane’s game against Central Florida.

BCS NOTE: There are nine remaining undefeated teams among the Football Bowl Subdivision squads, the highest number ever in the initial week of the BCS standings. Texas is No. 1 in the standings for the second time in school history, and Ball State has become the 78th school to make the BCS standings at No. 20 this week. Previous numbers of undefeated teams in the first week of rankings include: Five in 2000 (Nebraska No. 1); seven in 2001 (Oklahoma No. 1); eight in 2002 (Oklahoma No. 1); five in 2003 (Oklahoma No. 1); seven in 2004 (Southern California No. 1); seven in 2005 (Southern California No. 1); seven in 2006 (Ohio State No. 1); and six in 2007 (Ohio State No. 1).

RED-LETTER NIGHT: All Buckeyes fans attending Saturday night’s game are encouraged to wear scarlet for the prime-time national television broadcast on ABC.

Scarlet rally towels, courtesy of Nationwide Insurance, will be distributed to the first 80,000 fans.

A lot of other things are also going on:

— Former Buckeyes QBs Bob Hoying and Craig Krenzel will be signing autographs starting at 2:30 p.m. at the FanFest location outside the south side of St. John Arena. Krenzel will be available from 2:30 to 4 p.m. and Hoying from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

— Following the game, 40,000 copies of an Ohio State football commemorative issue of Sports Illustrated “Game Breakers” will be handed out at Ohio Stadium exits.

— The Ohio State men’s basketball team will scrimmage from 4 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Value City Arena. The event is free and open to the public. Fans will be able sit anywhere in the lower bowl. The seating area will open at 3:30 p.m.

— The marching band will hold its skull session at 6 p.m. in St. John Arena.

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Terrell Pryor…Running Back

(Who said he was a quarterback?)

During ESPN Game Day this morning, Lee Corso said something that rang like a bell. Get the ball to Pryor no matter how you do it. Pass it, hand it off, but let him run the ball. And while we all know of the threat …
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