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

[froot loops]

The main thing about pumping the brakes on OSU is the feeling that the dominant teams in September don't seem like that at the end of the year. But that is just a feeling, nothing more.

[iam416]

Well, whatever the reason it's the smart thing to do.

Speaking of pumping the brakes, there's significant thought that OSU is in good shape with Browning and may actually be a threat for Marvin Wilson (thank you, Longhorns). Pump the brakes, boys. Okudah is a lock. Browning is a possibility and Wilson a pipe dream.

[WM Wolverine]

Browning would look much better in maize & blue.

[The Oracle]

The more I watch Browning, the more I think he'll eventually be a WDE. If he's a legit 6-3(even seen 6-4), I can easily see him getting to 260-270 and just being a monster.

[WM Wolverine]

He'd still be athletic enough at ~260 to stay at linebacker or he could dominate at defensive end to.

[iam416]

Yes, Browning is good and all that. I think OSU definitely wants him as a MLB.

In any event, I thought the chances of him leaving Texas were very slim. With the developments in Austin, I think there's a very credible chance he leaves the state (aTm isn't a factor).

[WingsFan]

Maybe precipitating before the Wisky game (and Sparty), but the Harbaugh effect is in full force for Big 2 little (12) 8.

[Pasadena Blue]

don't know how one can say M has a talent advantage over O-state ... pretty sure if one adds 247 ratings of all players on both rosters, Urbz has done laps around JH.

I guess you are saying is M is more experienced that O-state ... but does that matter for the last game of the season? Everyone is experienced by then. Hard to see M beating O-state.

[iam416]

You're insane.

[WM Wolverine]

Need more data sample to say which one is better; for better or worse they play each other in The Game.

Ohio State has more talent (especially skill players; QB/RB/WR) that'll play at the next level but M's defense is special and filled with 4th/5th year players while Urban has 2nd/3rd year players.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Right now, Barrett >>>> Speight..... .and not by a little.

osu's OL is >> than M's and by extension osu's run game is >> than M's and I've seen two average teams employing a spread to run offense hurt M's D with chunk plays.

Those two things will be the difference if all things remain the same between now and 11/26.

You want a true marker of what kind of chance M has of pulling the upset in c-bus? Pay attention to the IU game on 11/19.

[iam416]

What about Wisky this Saturday? Badgers strike me as poor man's M. They're nor as good on either side of ball, but they have a lot of same attributes. If Wisky makes it a 17-13 kind of game that would indicate M is in good shape.

[WM Wolverine]

Badgers offense is really limited. They don't create big plays or have the horses (as they typically do) to sustain long drives against a very good defense like the Buckeyes have. Buckeyes defense shouldn't allow more than 10 points...

Badgers defense held M to 2 TD's & 3 FG attempts (all missed) though M's defense & special teams gave M's offense a ton of short fields. Wisconsin is a good test to see where the Buckeye's offense is but aren't elite enough to keep you out of the end zone.

OSU 27-10.

[iam416]

Aside: I miss Elliot. He was good. Foot in ground and zero to you're in real fucking trouble in a heartbeat.

Anyway, I agree that Wisky is offensively limited. That will be problematic for them.

[Jeff Buchanan]

What about Wisky this Saturday? Badgers strike me as poor man's M. They're nor as good on either side of ball, but they have a lot of same attributes. If Wisky makes it a 17-13 kind of game that would indicate M is in good shape.

Definitely, I thought about adding that game as a test for osu after I re-read my post. Then went, one thing at a time.

The thing with Wisconsin is they have a DL = to M's and way better LBs. I think their cover guys on the back end are good but WTF, I can't tell how good they really are because Speight is not good and that's the only game I've paid any attention to.... and it's on TV.

So, yeah, its a good test of how well Wisconsin can fuck with jtb's head..... I think.

A week ago or so I said osu's O has too many weapons. Hard to defend all of them and how ufm deploys them. But there are chinks emerging as one might expect as the season progresses. Based on what I have read from talent:

(1) jtb wasn't good v. IU - a defense with a heart beat. He held the ball too long, had deep balls to wide open guys that he missed badly, missed some RPO reads (did you say that or am I reading too much into what you did say ?). Is this a one game thing or a trend. e.g., Speight has identifiable trends (he guides the ball when he thinks too much in his check downs and then throws it; he can be wildly off probably because of this but I'm not a QB coach).

(2) weber is going to be good but he's not as explosive as the kind of back that makes ufm's life easy and osu's offense very, very good. e.g., 2015 good.

(3) These two things are kinda interrelated in that they can limit scoring efficiency and third down efficiency (both similar and reasonable ways to subjectively look at an offense).

When I talked about IU as a good measuring stick for M, I was referring to how well M is going to be able to contain that style of offense. It's a lot, I mean a lot different without Sudefeld back there at QB. Lagow is ok. He's got a different skill set than jtb who's probably more like Nate Sudefeld was last season. M gave up over 500 yards to IU, 300+ on the ground to that dude. Ugly.

So, in 2016, I see M having a somewhat tense match-up with IU but, like the Wisky game, it will never be in doubt who is going to win and that game had a weird feel to it. Suspect you had the same kind of feeling during the IU game ..... the outcome was never in doubt but sitting there, oh yes it was.

IU is somewhat de-tuned from 2015 but they are still a decent spread to run test. Overall, they are way better on D in 2016 so Kevin Wilson can play a slightly different game, i.e., defense is an important part of it! I just want M's D to look like they are ready to shut IU's shit down and look better than they did against IU in 2015, CU and UCF in 2016 for that matter...... like they learned something or, the corollary, Brown is a way better DC than Durkin.

As far as looking at Wisky in terms of judging osu and maybe making some comparisons with M, I think I'd actually rather run a pro-style offense like Harbaugffense v. Wisky's D than anything spready at all and settle for one of those 24-17 type of games. I think Wisky can take away jtb's/ufm's hold card (those slants, bubble screens and quick outs (or ins) from the H-back guy) with their LBs who are really good at pursuit. jtb is going to have to make longer throws accurately to keep the chains moving something M DID, in fact, do fairly well.

If what you are saying about jtb that I listed above is true and it's a trend not a hick-up, and Wisky can keep it close in the 4th by actually SCORING fer God's sake, it WILL be interesting, indeed.

Side line ...... somebody did one of those stat analysis things that looks at win percentages at mgoblog and concluded even if osu loses one game, if they beat M in c-bus on 11/26, they still win the tie breaker and go to the BTCG representing the East ...... IOW, it makes no difference statistically (osu's probability of winning the East Crown does not change) if Wisky beat your guys if that's any relief to you.