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

[iam416]

Northern Illinois and Western would do very well against the bottom half of the B1G.

Yeah, that's where I am. I think BG, Toledo, NIU and WMU could finish 9th or so. They're on par with or better than Maryland, Rutgers, Purdue, Illinois and Indiana. And maybe Minnesota.

[iam416]

In the most depressing news since, well, Joe Bausermann was announced as starting QB, Ohio State will wear black uniforms against Penn State. For fuck's sake.

[Ghengis Jon]

The new Oregon? Or does osu aspire to be Nebraska?

[iam416]

Sartorially speaking, this is Brandon-esque. Program wise, meh...they'll prison-rape Penn State at night in the Horseshoe. And I'll complain about the uniforms. And complain. Total horseshit.

[Hannibal]

Penn State looks like they won't be so easy. Their running game has been good if not outright dominant. Their defense is very good. It's basically Hackenberg holding them back.

[iam416]

You may be right. I shouldn't take any game for granted at this stage. However, I have a had time seeing OSU giving up too many points to an one-dimensional running team with a OL that is a sieve and a QB that is mediocre at best. It's a question of how long PSU's defense/OSU offensive asshattery keeps the game close. If OSU gets up by a couple scores in the first half...things could get bad. Unlike last year.

[Pasadena Blue]

not that I care at all, but it will be a shock if O-state doesn't destroy Penn State. The last game, O-state finally started showing signs of getting it together as most expected. I think that trajectory continues.

[THE_WIZARD_]

The Urban is playing possum right now. He's crafty like that. Like when he retired from football due to health then suddenly felt better.

[Rocky Bleier]

He spent time with his family while he wasn't doing college football analysis for ABC. One year of home cooking did wonders for him.

[Mike]

OSU will win big and look stupid doing it. So the usual.

[iam416]

I'm comfortable with the usual.

[WingsFan]

Good, while I really want to see MSU win at the shoe - What I really want - is an unbeaten nut team playing the last game of the year vs Harbaugh.

[Ghengis Jon]

1969 all over again. Undefeated, returning national champ osu, coming to the big house to play a UM team, not undefeated, with a first year coach. osu team with the talent to be declared the best CFB team ever and has a dominant coach with tremendous record.

Storm clouds are brewing and the omens are beginning.

What was the Lions score ? 24-12.... hmmm....the stars are aligning. To quote the great Mark Twain "History doesn't repeat itself, but it certainly rhymes."

[iam416]

Well, Bo lost to Michigan State in 1969, so I'd brace yourselves for the dark before the dawn. And, of course, Bo never won a national title...or even played a game where a win would have won the national title.

[Jeff Buchanan]

1969 all over again. Undefeated, returning national champ osu, coming to the big house to play a UM team, not undefeated, with a first year coach. osu team with the talent to be declared the best CFB team ever and has a dominant coach with tremendous record.

So far, to me, the lead up to The Game under new coach Jim Harbaugh working to turn a beleaguered M football program around has a different feel to it than Bo Schembechler's first year with M under similar circumstances.

Elliot's and Hoke's records prior to JH and Bo taking the helm were remarkably similar and Bo's first year in 69 featured some dominating defenses but osu in 68 turned out to be a much more dominant team on both the national and regional scene than the osu team we are seeing in 2015.

I think there are cracks in the osu armor right now and questions about the mess meyer seems to have on his offense. There was NEVER any question about Woody and the 69 buckeyes. Solid and the type of football Woody was running was stereotypical, with most CFB teams trying to emulate it and firmly established as the way to go.

There wasn't ANY spread v. power discussions. Variants of the power game were the emerging Wing-T, option offenses but generally it was brutal, pounding, physical 4 yards in a cloud of dust football.

In 2015 there is a definite divergence in offensive styles and to a lesser extent defensive styles in the game. As opposed to two heavy weights battling it out toe to toe in '69, we're going to have two teams with diametrically opposite offensive styles and coaches with very different philosophies lining up to see which style and philosophy will prevail.

Sure, whoever wins is going to be more physical, is going to run the ball better and is not going to commit stupid mistakes - fundamental characteristics of winning teams that have been present since the first CFB game was played - but I see this as a test case, proof if you will, of what kind of style and what type of football philosophy produces the best possible outcome at the college level.