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

[THE_WIZARD_]

sandbaggery bullshittery

[Hannibal]

Some dumbass playcalling by Wisky on third down really hurt them, I thought. Namely, a couple of drop back passes on 3rd and 3 where they gave up a sack. In a game where your pass protection is a sieve and you average 6.5 ypc why would you not keep it on the ground and treat it like four down territory? Didn't make much sense to me. The TD called back because of a penalty hurt them badly too. As did the one right before the end of regulation.

[Jeff Buchanan]

..........And UNL will be tough, but it's in Columbus. I think OSU can go at least 2-1 in those games to set up a showdown against Harbaugh Death Star. I don't see OSU being within a TD in that game, but hopefully some turnovers will help them pull the upset.

As far as the Wisky/osu game, haven't watched it but I've got it cued up. Can't really comment on specifics but, the outcome shows how dangerous jtb can be. He just makes plays.

Not sure I can agree with Neb will be tough. There are hard places for slightly above average teams to play and one of them is c-bus. My view is that the home field advantage plays for a home team that may not be quiet as strong as the away team. Home field is a mitigator for a less talented team playing there.

It's just the opposite for osu. They'll win and I don't think it will be that close.

As for M v osu, I've said all along that jtb is the difference. The game is quite likely to be a close one; if that circumstance carries itself into the late 4th, M's D has to make it hard on jtb to close it out and give M a chance to either preserve a lead or maintain it. That's going to be difficult given how freaking slippery the dude can be.

Too early to call this one. Who knows what happens over the next several weeks before The Game.

[iam416]

Correct. Long way to go before OSU and M play. My comments are a snapshot of my feelings if the game were played tomorrow.

[Jeff Buchanan]

After reading about today .......

The way to slowdown the osu scoring machine is to force the passing game. ufm likes to pound his way down field with a few, gottcha/RPS plays for big yards. That was his MO with Elliot as his go to back. Samuels, as talent has pointed out, just isn't that kind of back - yet.

Two things from my Blue Colored Glasses POV:

(1) M's secondary is way better than Wisconsin's and they got a pick off jtb throwing into the EZ.

(2) I can't say that M's front 7 on D is better than Wisky's. Close but I think Wisky's LBs are better; M's DL is better.

(3) All things considered, M's D is probably a shade better in it's match-up with osu's O than Wisky was and, so far, at least, I think Don Brown is a better DC than Wisky's Justin Wilcox on a number of levels - experience being the most obvious. On Wilcox's side, he did inherit Aranda's D almost in tact and hasn't changed much. I love Paul Chryst as HC and on the offensive side of the ball but not as much as JH when it comes to developing play calls and game strategy.

(4) Right now - snap shot - if M can stop ufm's weird shit with the combination veer and option football, the run stuff he always does, is famous for and was, fundamentally, why M got ass-railed in AA in 2015 M has a chance. Got to force jtb to put it up. I'd give M a good shot at the upset in c-bus if they can do that.

It worked for Wisky ..... well sort of until jtb just started making plays like he do ...... it may work out a shade better for M. Maybe keep that final 6 points with the EP to tie it at 23 in Madison from happening.

Gonna be a great game!

[iam416]

I thought Chryst ate UFM's lunch in the first half. He did a great job with his bye week. He played a ton of zone. OSU was prepared for man because, well, that's what they do. On offense they could have run the jet sweep every single play. OSU was absolutely and inexplicably unprepared for that.

In the 2nd half, OSU did a much better job of attacking the zone. Even the interception in the end zone was the right call. WR sat down and would have had first and goal at the 2 if JTB didn't air mail it. They also fixed the jet sweep disaster, but it exposed them, a bit, to inside zone. But in the 2nd half, OSU scored on every possession but for the interception in the end zone, and Wisky only had 1 drive of consequence -- sparked by a fantastic throw and catch on 3rd and 9 from Hollinbrook to Peavy.

The overall take away is still -- WRs not good enough; DTs not good enough. That said, it's also be a remarkably encouraging year. It seems like UFM has crested the mountain top with the program -- they can expect to be very good every year. That's a place I haven't really been before. So, the comparisons aren't really to the B10, but to the elite teams. The WRs and DTs are a problem in tough games -- at Madison at night; vs Michigan; in the CFP if they upset M. Those position groups are still way better than 8-9 of the like groups on their schedule.

So, to be clear -- lest someone confuse me with AA's doltish sandbaggery -- I'm not down on OSU, but my earnest take is that they aren't quite good enough to beat elite teams -- or rather -- be favored to beat elite teams. They could easily beat M or Alabama or Clemson....but they wouldn't be favored against any of those teams, IMO.

[Hannibal]

I'm pretty sure that they are already favored against Michigan.

[iam416]

Recruiting Update:

OSU is, in part, waiting to see what happens in January with the exodus. I think they are at least 3 players that will leave that you would have never guessed would leave in August. So, with that said:

Okudah: Still IN. Automatic take. They'd cut someone to fit him in.

Jaylen Harris: They could definitely use one more really good WR. But, he'll have to wait until January. However, I don't think he's in a rush to commit, so that's fine.

Bubba Bolden: He's IN if they can confirm space. I think they will. He's pretty damn good and the secondary is where they might incur surprise departures.

Shaun Wade: ? -- I still think Alabama, but it's still not clear.

Baron Browning: If Strong is fired, then I think OSU gets him. If Strong stays, then I think he's Texas.

Tufele: Bill Greene says (a) he's really hard to read; and (b) the only guy he trusts on this recruitment says he wants to stay closer to home.

Cam Akers: SEC. That means they keep JK Dobbins.

Marvin Wilson: LOL. However, if Strong is fired then it could, in theory, get interesting.

[iam416]

I'm pretty sure that they are already favored against Michigan.

Correct, but I disagree with the line.

[Jeff Buchanan]

I'm pretty sure that they are already favored against Michigan.

There might be some early lines out there but those tend to be trash so, I'd ignore those.

OTH, most of the models that objectively predict such things and have something to do with the Vegas odds when they do hit the street have moved in M's favor. Granted, that has a lot to do with just the sheer magnitude of the boost M got in offensive measures by curb stomping Rutgers and to a lesser degree from keeping their completely inept offense off the board. Also, while osu was struggling with a really good Wisconsin team, M was idle.

Of course, I feel good about this. Does it mean anything at all? Probably not.

[Hannibal]

Correct, but I disagree with the line.

I disagree with it too. What I have seen is way too low.

[Pasadena Blue]

Correct, but I disagree with the line.

Talent or Vegas odds makers ... who is less likely to sandbag, I wonder?

[AlabamAlum]

Talent or Vegas odds makers ... who is less likely to sandbag, I wonder?

"Talent" is a sandbagging dolt.

[iam416]

PB:

My mind may change on OSU-M. But picking M to get the win is consistent with nearly every metrics-based analysis out there. M is better than OSU. I don't think they're clearly better, so homefield could neutralize M's advantage and being minus in the TO battle could sink them.

By the week of the game, I think the line is about OSU -2ish.

[THE_WIZARD_]

"Talent" is a sandbagging dolt.

Whilst I agree with your cogent assessment of the Ohio moron...that being said...

...pot...kettle...