Thank God week eight is finally over. In my life time I can't remember a worse slew of games to grace the entire landscape of college football let alone the Big Ten. The results from the weekend seemed to show that the players in these games echoed the same sentiment. How else do you explain a top 5 Oklahoma team not only losing to Kansas... KANSAS... at half time, but being shut out on top of it?! This is the same Kansas team that got paid (not actually but they should've) by Coastal Carolina to go to their place and get routed at the beginning of the season. Add in a game pitting a top 10 team who refused to win, and a horrendous team that doesn't know how to win, in the rain, in front of a crowd that didn't get to their seats until the 2nd quarter and you end up with one up with a 9 OT stinker. Truth be told, it was utterly hilarious to watch Penn. St poop themselves on national television against a team in Illinois who's first year coach during the week said nobody they have on the O-line is good enough to start on a division 1 roster. Insert 359 rushing yards and James Franklins humiliation was complete.
Outside the Big Ten, Notre Dame hosted a lost USC team and dispatched of them in a way that most saw coming. The Irish now find themselves staring at a potential 11-1 season with an outside shot at the playoff. Meanwhile in Ames, Iowa State dispatched of previously unbeaten Oklahoma State and One America News fanboy Mike Gundy despite the worst unsportsman like conduct in history. Along with the Irish, the Cyclones now look to be playing their best ball of the season and will play a major role in who is crowned Big Twelve Champion.
Possibly the worst call of the decade
As bad as last weeks slate was, this week has been circled now for quite sometime by fans of the Big Ten conference. This weekend will have the greatest impact on who will be representing both divisions in Indianapolis. Because of the the significance of these games, I have turned this weeks Article into a Preview of the most biggest games on the biggest weekend in the Big Ten. Take my words for what the are, I am just a simple blogger trying to cut out a notch for myself in this tumultuous college football world. Now lets do this.
1. #6 Michigan @ #8 Michigan. St Line: Michigan -3.5 Last Years Result: MSU Win (27-20)
There have been a lot of great battles in this heated instate rivalry over the years but this years version may have more at stake than any previous clash. Both teams come into the last weekend of October undefeated at 7-0 with a real shot at not only a Big Ten Championship, but a birth in the college football playoff. Also a little wooden statue of Paul Freaking Bunyan!
One of the better rivalry trophies in football "Paul Buyan"
Michigan:
On the Michigan side of things, Jim Harbaugh has attacked every game thus far with an extremely aggressive mindset as evidenced by his going for it on 4th down multiple times this year at Wisconsin and this has seemingly fired up his squad. This Wolverine bunch is just as talented as previous iterations who dawned the maize and blue but the swagger they boast is something the fanbase in Ann Arbor hasn't seen since maybe 2006. Harbaugh has preached this year on "stealing the energy" from opposing fan bases and the players have obliged.
Michigan players stealing the jump around at Wisconsin
From an X's and O's stand point, offensive coordinator Josh Gattis deserves credit for committing to what this team is good at and that is pounding the rock with a stout offensive line and the best 1-2 punch in the conference in Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins. The duo has combined for 1,331 yards on an average of 5.55 yards a pop and 20 touchdowns. With such efficient levels of production in the group game, quarterback Cade McNamara hasn't needed to do to much in the passing game. Thats not to say the Wolverines don't posses the weapons to be successful through the air however. WR's Cornelious Johnson and Daylen Baldwin both are averaging over 18 yards a catch as well as being big (both over 6'2) physical run blockers on the outside. TE Erick All is also starting to emerge as a playmaker on top of being the best blocking tight end in the conference. For those who think Michigan will wilt if a team takes away the run, thats easier said than done as even against the best run defense in the country (Wisconsin) the Wolverines still racked up over 100 on the ground.
On defense, Aiden Hutchinson and David Ojabo lead a ferocious front seven under new DC Mike Macdonald. These two have combined for 10 sacks and 3 forced fumbles on the year. Add in the steady presence of Junior Daxton Hill at safety and you get the nations 2nd leading points per game 14.3.
Michigan. St
Michigan. St is opposite of Michigan in its rise this year as their rise comes on the back of a secondd year coach who is trying to build his program rather than reestablish one. The Spartans can make the same claim to swagger this year as this pieced together roster of transfers and young blood have stepped up to every challenge thus far.
On offense, the Spartans live on being able to create big plays and do that both in the run and pass. Running back Kenneth Walker III is second in the country with 997 yards for a 6.4 yard average and 9 touchdowns. His presence in this line up after transferring from Wake Forrest is in my opinion the sole reason Michigan. St sits where they do. The stress Walker's ability places on a defense allows quarterback Peyton Thorne more opportunities down field to two of the better receivers in the conference in Jaydon reed and Jalen Nailor. Both wide outs have over 500 yards on the year and average 20 yards per reception. If MSU is able to get Walker going and allow the play action to open up... look out.
The Spartans are playing with swagger too
Defensively the Spartans are a solid unit that plays good team football but they lack a true game changer. What they are very good at doing is keeping teams out of the end zone when they get in the redzone but they have been susceptible this year in giving up yards especially through the air. The Spartans are ranked 126 out of 130 FBS teams in pass yards allowed per game at 310.8 and give up a 63.64 completion percentage to opponent quarterbacks. They are also ranked 100 in Interception percentage at 1.68%. The compounding problem with these statistics is that the best quarterback to play against this squad is probably Adrien Martinez of Nebraska.
Thoughts:
All the stats are laid out in the open now and honestly, with an even deeper dive, the only statical category that Sparty actually bests Michigan in is passing yards per game. That's it. And you know what you should do with all of this information? Burn it to oblivion. Statistics coming into this game have never mattered regardless of how far they may lean towards on team. My God if you think statistics had anything to do with this you're a lunatic.
As with all heated rivalries, this game will come down to whoever makes the least amount of mistakes. Some are saying that the Spartans should get the nod because the game is at Spartan stadium but Michigan has won in two tougher environments already this year (Wisconsin, Nebraska). One interesting stat that has to give however in this game is that Jim Harbaugh has never lost in Spartan stadium as a coach or player, but he is still yet to win a on the road against a top ten team. Is Michigan. St really a top 10 team? They have yet to beat a team with a winning record and against Nebraska at home, failed to record a single first down in the second half. They still won the game though so this may be one of those seasons where everything goes right for Sparty.
Prediction: Michigan (no I won't tell you by how much😉)
2. #5 Ohio. St vs #20 Penn. St
Line: Ohio. St -17.5
Last Years Result: Ohio. St Win (38-25)
This game in my opinion doesn't need to big of a break down. The skies are falling on Happy Valley at the moment and one has to wonder if Penn. St is completely focused on football at this point. At his press conference this week, James Franklin was asked about the rumors connecting him to USC and LSU and Franklin responded with. "We're focused on Illinois and heading to the Big House."... Yikes.
This sounds like a coach who has already packed his bags
Ohio. St
The Buckeyes are rolling again. Any doubt about this team two weeks into the season has since been quieted. Simply put, this offense can't be stopped. Whether it be running or passing, the Buckeyes are a machine and it doesn't matter if the defense were to give up 30 points a game because they're going to put up 40+.
Penn. St
This game for Penn. St will all come down to how healthy Sean Clifford actually is. In the 9 OT debacle against Illinois, Clifford was obviously still dealing with a shoulder injury suffered against Iowa 2 weeks prior. Penn St's defense will not win this game for them for Sean Clifford and receivers Jahan Dotson and Parker Washington will have to.
Thoughts:
This just doesn't look like anything other than a comfortable Buckeye win. Not saying they will cover the 17.5, but I don't think they will be in danger. The only prayer for Penn. St is that their passing game goes off and Ohio. St is loose with the football on offense. A possible matchup to watch will be Penn. St's tight ends Brendan Strange and Theo Johnson against Ohio. St linebackers. The Buckeyes are pretty stubborn about staying in a cover 1 defense and its hurt them in the past against athletic tight end duos. In the end, for the talk about this being a rivalry game, Ohio. St is 12-3 against the Nittany lions since 2005 and 8-2 in the last 10 years. Add to it Penn. St's struggles and this could get ugly.
Prediction: Ohio. St
3. #9 Iowa @ Wisconsin
Spread: Wisconsin -3
Last Years Result: Iowa Win (28-7)
This game always seems to be the decisive game in who goes to Indianapolis. When the Badgers win, usually they go to the championship. When the Hawkeyes win, either they or Northwestern move on. (That was so sad to type). This years game is no different as, much like the Buckeyes, the Badgers have seemingly righted the ship after a 1-3 start to the year while Iowa handed over their two game lead over the Wisconsin in a decorative fruit basket with a drilling against Purdue.
Iowa:
Simply put, if there wasn't any improvement along the offensive line over the bye week the Hawkeyes are not going to win this game. Freshmen tackles Mason Richman and Nick Dejong were worked by George Karlaftis and a Purdue defense that, while stout in their own right, are nowhere near the level of Wisconsin's 2nd ranked unit. Iowa will not be able to run the ball in this game. Nobody has against this Badger unit. The key for the Hawks is to somehow manage against this 3-4 front (that has given them fits) long enough for deeper routes to come open in the passing game. Teams who have held up in pass protection against Wisconsin have found success through the air. Iowa's defense will need to shut down an emerging Badger rushing attack and keep this score low.
Wisconsin:
The formula for a Badger victory is simple... don't turn the ball over! The Badgers during their three game winning streak have increasingly taken the ball out of Graham Mertz's hands and... SHOCKER... they are winning. The problem however continues to be holding onto the football. If you want the most definitive stat determining a winner this weekend for any game it's this, whoever wins the turnover battle in this game will win. Wisconsin, even with four turnovers forced against Purdue, the Badgers are #126 out of 130 teams in turnovers forced. The Hawkeyes on the other hand are ranked #1. This is the most glaring reason as to why the Badgers are 4-3 this year. As mentioned before, the turnovers are coming down a little bit now they are back to running the football more effectively. The matchup to watch in this one will be nose tackle Keanu Benton against center Tyler Linderbaum. If you like violence, just watch the middle of the line when Iowa has the ball. If Benton can hang with the future first rounder and not allow him to eat up multiple defenders, the rest of Iowa's line will struggle and the offense as a whole will collapse.
Braylon Allen is a big dude
Thoughts:
The rock fight that is about to take place in Maddison at noon on Saturday will not be for the faint of heart as both offenses will simply try and maneuver themselves around soley to get into better punting position. You want a prop bet for this game? Let's say O/U 2.5 punts combined inside the other teams 40 yard line. Yeah, it's going to be that bad. The only smidgen of anything resembling offense may come from 6'2 234 lb Wisconsin freshman running back Braylon Allen who, since coming into the rotation 3 games ago, has eclipsed 100 yards rushing in each game with a 7.4 yard average. Either way this going to be the rock fight of rock fights which begs the question on should the trophy for this game (currently a bull) be changed to something much more appropriate for the on field performance...
Starting the petition now for this rock to be given to the winner of the Iowa Wisconsin game from now on.
Prediction:
Pain. So much horrible pain. Wisconsin wins 5-3 in 10 overtimes.
Now that we've taken a dive at that group of important games. lets take a look at the all important standings heading into week 9.
How'd we do this week? Well... heres a view of Derek that sums up our performance...
Take that Vegas!
Let me simply say that the league absolutely crushed it this week with an overall record of 96-44! Six people went 6-4 this week and those were the "worst records" recorded. Those folks were Ethan, Buddy, Michael, Ben, Evan and previous king of the league Luke.
Let's talk about Luke for a brief moment. Luke continued this whacky trend of people grabbing first place and then immediately making the old pudding chocolate pudding smear in their panties. Even though Luke's failure was more of a shart instead of all out Del Taco aftermath, he still finished with the lowest points in the league this week with 32. This allowed Derek too recapture the top spot on the back of the greatest performance the league has ever seen. Before getting into that, here is Luke's dies caught on camera after stealing the crown fro Derek.
This league keeps on giving.
Let's go back to Derek for a moment. After a horrible week, he rebounded with the a 9-1 record that saw him pick up a league record 52 points! In a week where everybody did well, Derek still managed to gain 11.3 points on the league average which was an astonishing 40.7 this week. I'm super excited to see how Derek will decide to throw himself off the top this week as per league tradition, but if he ends up winning the league this year, Week 8 just may have been the reason why.
Before this week we had never had somebody eclipse 49 points. Blake joined our leader with an 8-2 record that was good for a whopping 50 points! Not only has Blake once again taken the lead in the battle of the Graber brothers with Tyler slipping to 8th place, but Blake has also seen his last 4 weeks success vault him back into the top 5. What will he do with it? Probably post another 18 point week, but until then, well done Blake.
Teddy also posted an 8-2 record for 44 points this week which may point to him finally waking up from his season long malaise. Joining him in the 40 point club this week are Tyler (40), Ian (40), Ben (41), Matt (42), Brent (43), and myself (44). Unfortunately for this group, with so much league wide success, all we ended up achieving was simply staying power in the hunt for the championship.
As we make the turn to the last half of the season, Ethan is rumored to have extended his lease for the basement of the league another 7 weeks while Buddy, Teddy and I are still to scared to really take chances in life and occupy the lower 800 sqft three bedroom one bath unit of stagnation. All four of us have tried to cover our struggles with recent successes but the top of the league knows that we're still the same inept bunch hiding under shitty costumes from Party City.
Derek, Luke, and Matt can see right through our costumes
Hang onto your seats folks, its going to be a thrilling Saturday and major shifts within the league standings are sure to come! Choose your picks wisely and as always, WRBL marches on.
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