M-Borg vs. THE Flavortown U Thread, Orig. by Buckeye Paul, absconded w/by talent.

[iam416]

Lots of smoke around Mike Stoops as DC. I hope that's the case. I've really come around to that hire.

[lineygoblue]

Well, he can take the job right now. He isn't doing anything else.

[SeattleLionsFan]

I thought it was gonna be Fickell because he was such a good soldier?

[Optimus Prime]

Fickell got sodomized by OSU ass clowns, if he goes " Postal" , justice served.

[UMStan White]

Fickell deserves to take it up the ass. Hanging on after his bosses have told him he ain't worth shit. Sorta like being named a "senior associate" in an oversized law firm, right Talent? You know what I mean.

[Optimus Prime]

Gee and Smith turned Fickell into one of "Jerry's Kids".

[Hannibal]

So, Talent and DSL, what are your way-to-early predictions for The Game next year?

[WM Wolverine]

OSU will be much, much improved. I've got them as favorites in the 'east' without peeking at the schedule; while both PSU & Wisky lose a ton of senior talent...

Ohio is very talented, just very young; much like M was a couple years ago when they were starting so many freshman and sophomores who weren't ready to play at the B10 level.

[WM Wolverine]

M should be very good next season too; top 12 team imo in talent but they have a pretty rough schedule; ND, Neb, Alabama & OSU; plus a potential (maybe likely) CCG...

I see Sparty losing quite a bit of talent on defense and to their passing game (Cousins, Cunningham & Martin); they won't be a cupcake but they should be a likely (75%) win for M in '12...

[iam416]

Hanni:

I think OSU wins the next two against M, then it's game on. As for next season, I think Braxton has significantly more room to improve as a QB than Denard. True Frosh to Sophomore should see a huge leap. In fact, that was the case for Denard.

OSU will have an uber thin OL (6 quality OL total). And they're thin at LB (we'll see if UFM can get Sabino rolling). Those are my two biggest concerns. I think the extra year will really help the WRs. Oh, forgot -- my biggest concern is the team adjusting to new coaching staff. That doesn't typically going swimmingly.

As for OSU, in general, next season. The schedule (much like M's this year) is god's gift to OSU. OSU's 3 "tough" road games are against MSU, PSU and Wisky -- all teams that will lose a ton (and which OSU was fairly close to in *this* wretched season).

Their "big" non-confernece game is at home against Cal. I really think that OSU has a chance to have a huge start to the season. November will be very tricky. But September and October could be very good -- and, tbh, not really tell us much about OSU (unless they're wailing teams).

If I were to analogize to a season, I think Earle Bruce's first year might be it. A "phenom" sophomore QB. A really easy schedule. A ton of starters back. The 1979 Buckeyes weren't particularly great, but they had a very good season. I could see something along those lines. But I'm probably overly optimistic and more than likely short-selling the impact of a new staff and, IMO, the lack of OL depth.

In any event, 2012 will feature Ohio State's offense running exactly ZERO snaps with Bauserman under center. I can't wait!

[Jeff Buchanan]

If you're talking Jimmy's and Joe's osu has the talent to dominate its division and the league.

The osu schedule is awesomely easy with 6 straight home games, the last of which is Neb in the shoe. All their tough games are at home. turbin, at osu in 2012, is going to have the same kind of easy street as Brady had at M in 2011. talent cannot make any claims that he is a savant by predicting a 10 win season or better for the bucks. Casual observers will be able to do that and cash in on any bets.

X's and O's ........? A much more difficult question. No one really knows what furbin is going to put out there on offense. He's really not a zone blocking, read option spread kind of guy. He runs a spread but he runs power out of it. Miller is not your ideal read option QB either. He's got superb speed and agility but I don't think the read option is his strong suit like it is Denard's. My bet is that oscar will try to develop Miller into an excellent passer and run power out of the Ace formation or spread (4 wides) quite a lot. meyer always has good defenses and he's got a shit load of talent on that side of the ball. But there's going to be transition issues with coaching, schemes and language.

Borges approach in 2012 remains a mystery all things considered. His offense was a pile of shit out of the I-Form power but that's what he wants to run. He's moving toward gap blocking at the point of attack with big bodies and away from zone blocking. It would seem his power game would improve given the OL players coming down the pike (Kalis in particular but there are others). Borges will still zone block and MUST run the read option to optimize a terrific Senior QB because that's the approach that ultimately got Toussaint and Denard playing at the level they played at the end of the season. The numbers provide incontrovertible proof of that.

By next seasons end, I'm hoping for a osu-M CCG. That would be way cool given the anger that's brewing between these two teams.

[iam416]

I'm not sure who would win a CCG. So, I guess I should say -- I think OSU wins the next two "scheduled" games.

I largely agree with that take.

talent cannot make any claims that he is a savant by predicting a 10 win season or better for the bucks. Casual observers will be able to do that and cash in on any bets.

Incidentally, there's a prop bet on my website that has the Over/Under for OSU wins at 8.5 (regular season only). The over has a lot of juice (you have to beat 180 to win 100), but I'm almost tempted to do it because I think it's a lock. But I'm not patient enough to wait a year for it to cash.

[lineygoblue]

By next seasons end, I'm hoping for a osu-M CCG.

I am too, and that would be a lot of fun, because whoever loses in Columbus is going to be red-hot mad, and looking for revenge. But, I think the biggest obstacle to that happening, is going to be that final regular season game. Especially in the case of Michigan. We would have to go into that game undefeated in the conference, to set up a rematch a week later. That's going to be a tough chore, because I think Nebraska will be much improved next year, and looking for a little revenge for this year's showing. Plus that game is in Lincoln, which will be a huge edge for them. I'm not sure next years Michigan Road Warriors are going to be able to pull that off.

An early prediction for me would be OlieO v Nebraska in the CCG.

[iam416]

That would be a rematch, too.

[lineygoblue]

Yeah, I know, but I think you guys have a better shot at the CCG in your division than we do in ours. Your biggest competition is going to be Wisconsin, and they're going to be absolutely hammered by graduation. You might be able to absorb one conference loss, and still get into the CCG by way of a better record.

I don't think Michigan will be able to get into the CCG with 2 conference losses, and I see that as probably the minimum that we will lose.