Wednesday, September 26, 2012

B1G predictions: Week 5

Iowa 21, Minnesota 13: Max Shortell will struggle in his first game on the road in place of the injured MarQueis Gray, throwing 2 interceptions and the Gopher offense will stall twice inside the Iowa 10 yard line settling for Jordan Wettstein field goals.  Mark Weisman will rush for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns and Iowa will play their best game of the year.

Nebraska 28, Wisconsin 27: The Badgers will give the Huskers everything they can handle.   Melvin Gordon will continue his emergence for Wisconsin exposing a mediocre Nebraska defense by rushing for 200 yards and a pair of scores.  However Rex Burkhead, Taylor Martinez and the rest of the Cornhuskers offense will be a little too much for the Badger defense too handle.  The crowd at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln will be the difference as they will force Joel Stave and the Badger offense into two false start penalties on the final drive and the Badger offense will stall.

Northwestern 38, Indiana 27: The Wildcats will be able to score whenever they want in this one. The Hoosiers will do a little scoring of their own, but it won't be nearly enough.

Ohio State 21, Michigan State 17: I don't trust Andrew Maxwell to win a big game yet.  The Spartans can't continue to rely on Le'Veon Bell for all of their offense. Urban Meyer can coach and he will come up with a game plan that forces Maxwell to throw. 

Penn State 35, Illinois 17: Bill O'Brien will call for a touchdown pass from the Illinois 5 yard line with 22 seconds to play putting an exclamation point on how he feels about that d-bag Tim Beckman.

Purdue 24, Marshall 21: This game doesn't do much for me you guys.  Purdue as a team just bores the hell out of me.  Hopefully Marshall will make this interesting at least.

Last Week: 7-3 Overall: 35-11 (.760)

Monday, September 24, 2012

B1G Power Rankings: Week 5

1. Ohio State: Have you ever gone to a bar with a group of your buddies in some small town hunting for chicks and the best looking one is like a 6?  You know she has crooked teeth and a funny accent but a great body?  A little bit of a butterface, yet everyone is hitting on her because that’s the only thing available?  That’s kind of Ohio State, they’re not the most talented or sexy team, but in a dog ugly B1G that’s all your left with.

2. Nebraska: The Huskers offense is going to pose matchup problems for a lot of B1G defenses with their ability to throw and run the ball.  This is easily Bo Pelini’s best offense.  If they can fix their defense the Huskers could become a heavy favorite to win the B1G.

3. Michigan: Let’s be honest would any other B1G team have beaten Alabama or Notre Dame?  I didn’t think so.  The Wolverines are far from perfect, but they are still one of the B1G’s best.  The Wolverines need another playmaker to emerge to take some pressure off of Denard Robinson, who is trying to do everything on his own right now.

4. Michigan State: If nothing else the Legends Division race should be very exciting this year with Michigan, MSU, Nebraska, and maybe even Northwestern all with a legitimate shot of winning an all-expenses paid trip to Indianapolis the first weekend of December.  Speaking of Sparty they have major offensive issues, which I saw coming.  They lost way too much last year and they can’t continue to depend on Le’Veon Bell to bail them out week after week.  Bell is also going to lose considerable tread off his tires if he continues to tote the rock 35-40 times a game.  Eventually Andrew Maxwell is going to need to make plays down the field if the Spartans want to play in a BCS bowl this year.

5. Northwestern: The Cats deserve credit for scheduling 3 games against teams from BCS conferences.  They also deserve credit for winning all of them.  Everyone should schedule like Northwestern, that is schedule winnable BCS non-conference games.  Syracuse, Vanderbilt, and Boston College aren’t world beaters, but winning those games and putting 3 non-conference BCS wins on your resume isn’t a bad thing.

6. Wisconsin: Joel Stave hit most of his throws on play action.  The running game got back on track, which was long overdue.  Even if Montee Ball misses an extended amount of time with a concussion the Badgers may have found their next great back in Melvin Gordon who looks like an absolute creature.   The Badgers will continue to get better as the season progresses and I still think they are a lock for the Leaders Division despite their early season issues.

7. Minnesota: The Gophers defense is legit!  At the beginning of the season the Gophers defensive line was considered the worst unit in the conference by most pundits.   Now it’s among the top 2-3 in the league along with Michigan State and Purdue.  Now, they have some offensive consistency and special teams issues to sort out before we can consider the Gophers a complete team.

8. Purdue: The Boilermakers played Notre Dame really tough and beat a couple directional schools before their bye week and now they play Marshall so we really aren’t going to know anything about Purdue until they play Michigan in their B1G opener.  I still think they have some major offensive issues to sort out before we can consider them a complete team.  They are similar to Minnesota, but Minnesota has a better idea of what they are doing offensively.

9. Penn State: The Nittany Lions are fighting and making their fans proud.  They aren’t deep, they aren’t talented, but they fight and scrap and don’t feel sorry for themselves after all the offseason stuff and two tough losses to begin the season.  They are starting to take after their coach and forge an identity.  Matt McGloin looks like a real quarterback after looking like a stiff his first two years in NOT so Happy Valley.

10. Iowa: The Hawkeyes have been a huge disappointment, and most notably quarterback James Vandenberg.  The defense is okay although they looked horrible in an upset loss the Central Michigan.  Mark Weisman looks like a poor man’s Mike Alstott.  The Hawkeyes will be fired up to open B1G play against a Minnesota team that has beaten them two years in a row.  Expect a great battle next weekend in Iowa City.

11. Indiana: The Hoosiers can’t stop anyone, but unlike the rest of the teams in the conference at least they can generate a little offense.

12. Illinois: Anyone that thought the Illini had one of the best defenses in the B1G should be outlawed from ever having an opinion on college football ever again. 

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

B1G predictions: Week 4

Minnesota 34, Syracuse 21: The Gophers will play their best game of the year under the lights in front of an energized crowd at TCF Bank Stadium.  Donnell Kirkwood rushes for 150 yards and Max Shortell throws 3 touchdown passes to 3 different receivers for the offense.  The Minnesota defense sacks Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib 5 times as Minnesota starts the season 4-0 for the first time since 2008.

Wisconsin 41, UTEP 17: The Wisconsin offense is eventually going to retrieve its head from its ass.  I think this is the weekend for that.  Joel Stave just tries to not trip the running backs as he hands off to Montee Ball, James White, and Melvin Gordon in a route.

Iowa 38, Central Michigan 17: Boy the days of Brian Kelly and Butch Jones coaching the Chippewas seem like a long time ago don't they?  This is a really bad Central Michigan team, I mean really bad.  Vandenberg and his receivers get on the same page in a warm up for rival Minnesota next week at Kinnick.

Ohio State 41, UAB 13: I think Urbn Meyer enjoys beating the snot out of teams from the South.   You know the Pontiff is chomping at the bit to get a crack at Saban in the BCS next year.

Northwestern 38, South Dakota 13: Pat Fitzgerald will empty his bench in this glorified scrimmage.

Penn State 21, Temple 17: The Nittany Lions won't need a late FG to win this one.  So they have that going for them, which is nice....

Nebraska 48, Idaho State 7: I have no idea what Idaho State's nickname is nor do I care.  Dear lord the games this week are dog shit.

Michigan State 52, Eastern Michigan 3: Sparty plays Eastern Michigan in the 4th week of preseason action in the NFL.

Michigan 24, Notre Dame 21:  Finally!  A living breathing game.  You know the games are garbage when Minnesota vs. Syracuse, the battle of the 1960's powers, is the second best game this week.  You know I don't think Notre Dame is that good and I don't think Michigan is as limited as others think.  The bottom line is I don't trust Notre Dame's offense late in a close game against a good team.   I welcome Notre Dame to prove me wrong.  It just smells like a Notre Dame loss this week.  Denard Robinson leads a late 4th quarter drive and Notre Dame does absolutely nothing in it's last possession.

Illinois 27, Louisiana Tech 13: I think Louisiana Tech is the Bulldogs, but I'm not real sure.  At any rate I think I would rather watch my neighbor paint his garage than this game.

Overall record: 28-8 (.778)

Monday, September 17, 2012

B1G Power Rankings: Week 4

1. Ohio State: The Buckeyes struggled with Cal, but still found a way to win.  Braxton Miller is capable of making a big play with his arm or legs at all times and their defense can make big plays as well.

2. Michigan: Denard Robinson will single handedly win this team 9-10 games.  I am concerned with the lack of a running game outside of DRob, however.

3. Michigan State: I thought MSU was a little overrated to start the season and I think I have been vindicated to an extent.  They still lack playmakers at receiver and Andrew Maxwell is a smart polished young quarterback, but he still needs time to develop and is not going to be even ½ as productive as Kirk Cousins.  They also can’t continue to rely on LeVeon Bell to run the ball 30-40 times per game, eventually they are going to need someone else to step up and make plays.   Outside of Notre Dame they really haven’t played anyone either because Boise State is a shadow of what they were the last 4-5 years.

4. Nebraska: I am putting the Huskers here because UCLA is for real.  Their only loss was to maybe the most improved team in the country in UCLA on the road, without their starting running back Rex Burkhead.  Taylor Martinez has improved his passing accuracy dramatically.   My only concern thus far with Nebraska is their defense.

5. Northwestern: If there is a better young coach in the country than Pat Fitzgerald I sure would like to meet him.  I love their quarterbacks and their offense in general, although the defense gives me pause.  I think the Wildcats could be a darkhorse in the Legends.

6. Wisconsin: I know they lucked out!  I know Bret Bielema is about as likeable as used car salesman, but I predicate my rankings on how I think the B1G standings will look at the end of the year.  We know they don’t have Russell Wilson anymore, so their quarterback play fell off a bridge, and they only have one reliable receiver in Jared Abbrederis, but they still have one of the better offensive lines in the conference along with Montee Ball and James White.  Eventually their running game will get going and their defense has played pretty well.  I’m sorry, but I still think they are the favorites to win the Leaders division.

7. Purdue: The Boilermakers feel like Illinois last year.  Good but not great defense, inconsistent at quarterback, questionable coaching, and below average skill people.  I think like Illinois last year the Boilermakers will get off to a hot start and fade down the stretch as their schedule becomes increasingly difficult.   The Boilermakers just feel too trendy right now and I hate that. 

8. Minnesota: I still don’t have a great feel for the Gophers.  I know they are better than last year but that’s not saying much coming off back to back 3-9 seasons.  The defense is better although I still think you can run on the Gophers, which isn’t good with teams like Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Michigan  on their schedule.   The offense has been balanced so far, but the injury to MarQueis Gray is cause for concern because the offense under Max Shortell will be significantly different, going to a more aerial attack.

9. Iowa: The Hawkeyes have started their season like they usually do, losing to Iowa State and struggling with directional schools.  Haven’t we seen this before?  I think the Hawkeyes will improve as the season progresses like they usually do under Kirk Ferentz.  The only problem is they look really bad right now, so does that mean they will just be mediocre at the end of the year?

10. Illinois: I have no clue on Illinois.  Honestly I don’t.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see them go 9-3 and challenge for the Leaders crown or go 3-9 and look completely overmatched in the B1G.

11. Penn State: The Nittany Lions put together a clean, well-played football game.  It was refreshing and had to leave you feeling good for Bill O’Brien and his players after all they have been through.

12. Indiana: I’ll tell you what the Hoosiers defense is awful, but they are going to score points on people this year and in a mediocre Leaders division they are going to win a couple B1G games this year.  I could see the winner of the Leaders division finishing 5-3 and the last place team finishing 3-5 with everyone else at 4-4.   That of course is after Ohio State, which isn’t eligible this year. 

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

B1G Predictions: Week 3

Minnesota 27, Western Michigan 17: This game isn’t going to be as high scoring as many think.  Minnesota’s pass rush is legitimate and should be able to continue to get into the backfield against a MAC offensive line.  Jerry Kill knows how to beat MAC teams and Saturday in Minneapolis will be no different.  Minnesota quarterback MarQueis Gray will have the best passing day of his career as the Broncos will crowd the line of scrimmage and force Gray to throw.   

Nebraska 38, Arkansas State 23: Former Auburn Offensive Coordinator Gus Mulzahn will bring his high flying brand of football to Lincoln and should continue the trend of teams that are able to move the ball against the Nebraska defense.   Taylor Martinez will continue to throw the ball more than a typical Nebraska quarterback does as Rex Burkhead tries to get healthy for the B1G season.

Illinois 34, Charleston Southern 7: I have no idea what a Charleston Southern is, but it sounds good.  Does it taste like a Charleston Chew?

Purdue 31, Eastern Michigan 9: This is soooo Purdue, squeeze Notre Dame in between a bunch of cupcakes.  Should we call it a Purdue dog?

Ohio State 33, Cal 17: The Buckeyes get a visit from one of the worst teams in the PAC12.  You’ve got to think that Jeff Tedford has overstayed his welcome in Berkley.

Northwestern 24, Boston College 20: The Cardiac Cats squeak out another one as Trevor Siemian hits Demetrius Fields in the corner of the end zone with :46 left.  The Cats tack on the extra point for a 4 point lead and hang on after batting down a Boston College Hail Mary pass in the end zone as time expires.

Penn State 21, Navy 16: The Nittany Lions won’t need to worry about a missed field goal this week.  They turn all 3 red zone trips into touchdowns and Bill O’Brien notches his first victory at Penn State. 

Iowa 23, Northern Iowa 21: The Hawkeyes continue their struggles against in-state rival UNI.  The running game can’t get going forcing James Vandenberg to throw 40 passes.

Michigan 48, UMass 17: Denard Robinson’s day will be over after the first half as they rest him for the Notre Dame game. 

Indiana 28, Ball State 24: The Hoosiers are 3-0!!!

Wisconsin 34, Utah State 21: Utah State isn’t bad and they will throw a scare into the Badgers.  The Wisconsin offensive line and running game will wear down Utah State late (finally!) and the Badgers will win by a somewhat comfortable margin. 

Michigan State 17, Notre Dame 13: The Spartans will give up their first offensive touchdown of the year, but will still give up less than 300 yards of offense and will get revenge on the Irish after being humiliated by them last year in South Bend.  

Last Week: 9-3, Overall 18-6 (.750)

Monday, September 10, 2012

B1G Power Rankings: Week 3

I don’t knee jerk react to one weekend of games as much as some, so I apologize ahead of time if you don’t agree with my rankings.  I still believe Wisconsin is a shoe-in for the Leaders title with Ohio State ineligible.  So without further ado…

1. Ohio State: Urban Meyer has got to be making hotel reservations for Indianapolis the first weekend of December 2013.  He has to be.

2. Michigan State: The Spartans defense ain’t no joke.  It’s even better than I thought.  They have kept the opposing offense from scoring a touchdown two weeks in a row, including recent offensive juggernaut Boise State.  Well done Sparty.  Andrew Maxwell will improve as the season progresses.  This team is better than I thought.

3. Michigan: How mediocre would the Wolverines be without Denard Robinson?

4. Wisconsin: I expected a close game in Corvallis and I didn’t think the Badgers would be as good this year but holy cripes…  I wonder if Montee Ball is still having concussion like symptoms after being attacked by those thugs in Madison.  He just doesn’t look right.  Danny O’Brien on the other hand looks like I thought he would – mediocre.  If the Badgers depend on O’Brien to make plays they are screwed.   Wisconsin needs to solve their offensive line issues in a hurry and it looks like they are trying to do that immediately after firing their offensive line coach this morning

5. Nebraska: Taylor Martinez went back to playing like Taylor Martinez in the second half Saturday night in the Rose Bowl.   It should be noted that UCLA is for real, however.  Jim Mora Jr. is going to be the next Pete Carroll in LA, taking an eroding program in Los Angeles to new heights.  Back to the Huskers though.  They need to solve their defensive issues in a hurry!

6. Northwestern: The Vanderbilt game went exactly like I thought it would.  It wasn’t a good weekend for the Rodgers brothers, by the way.  Vandy’s offense is awful.  The Cats defense will face much more difficult tests in the B1G conference season.  Don’t read anything into the defensive performance from Northwestern Saturday night however, Vanderbilt’s offense IS that bad.

7. Iowa: Why does Iowa always play like hot garbage against Iowa State?  I wouldn’t panic Hawkeye fans, you will still win 7-9 games this year.  How many times has Iowa lost to ISU only to win the B1G?  I’m not saying that will happen this year, but I wouldn’t panic if I were an Iowa fan because the Hawkeyes have been there done that (losing to the Cyclones).

8. Minnesota: MarQueis Gray hit his open receivers, the Gophers cut back on penalties and they did exactly what they were supposed to do against an FCS opponent at home – beat their brains in.  Nice tests on the horizon for an improved Gopher defense with Alex Carder and Western Michigan and Ryan Nassib and Syracuse heading to Minnepolis the next two weeks.

9. Indiana: I feel horrible for Indiana losing Tre Roberson.  The Hoosiers had a real shot of making a bowl game this year and that injury really hurts their chances.  When you are a program like Indiana trying to build depth, you just can’t afford injuries to your star players.  Period.

10. Purdue: Ladies and Gentleman your Buffalo Bills of College Football!!!!!  Featuring an elite defensive line (nobody cares), poor quarterback play, below average skill people,  an atrocious secondary, and a mediocre but likeable head coach.  Yyyyyoooooooure Purdue Boilermakers!!!!!!!!

11. Illinois: My stomach is killing me!  No I didn’t do 750 crunches this morning.  I was laughing from reading Rittenberg and Bennett’s post on the WWL, where they wrote about how the performance of the Illinois defense was unacceptable given the fact they like to consider themselves among the nation’s elite.   Oh man I hope no one else makes me laugh today because my stomach is so sore!

12. Penn State: Poor Bill O’Brien.  His team played their asses off and would have won if not for the kicker missing four field goals.  Okay Penn State fans admit it, those transfers stung, most notably your starting kicker Anthony Fera who transferred to Texas.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

B1G Predictions: Week 2

Minnesota 35, New Hampshire 23: The Gophers look much more efficient offensively and cash in their scoring opportunities with touchdowns.  MarQueis Gray hits open targets and Donnell Kirkwood rushes for over 100 yards.  However, the Gopher defense, which looked good last week takes a step back and gives up 400+ yards to the UNH spread attack to keep things too close for comfort.

Ohio State 38, Central Florida 14: Urban Meyer does what he does and that’s dominate the state of Florida.   Whether that’s in recruiting or beating the likes of FSU or UCF the Pontiff gets er’ done once again.

Virginia 17, Penn State 10: The Nitts will make this one interesting in Charlottesville, but their offense will stall in the red zone late in the 4th quarter preventing them from forcing the game into an overtime.

Notre Dame 31, Purdue 14: This one won’t be as close as many think and I know one thing for sure: Purdue isn’t winning this game, no shot!  The Irish are in a foul mood over the lack of love they have been getting from the national media and they aim to take it out on the overrated Boilermakers in their home opener.  You can have Danny Hope and Caleb Turbush, I’ll take Brian Kelly and Everett Golson.

Indiana 27, UMass 21: The Hoosiers will get into a see-saw battle with the Minutemen.  Kofi Hughes catches a touchdown from Tre Roberson in the final minute as the Hoosiers escape with a victory.

Michigan 24, Air Force 21: The Falcons take the lead at halftime as the Wolverines try to get over their hangover from the Alabama game.  The triple option offense doesn’t help their hangovers – in fact it just gives them an even bigger headache.  At halftime Brady Hoke forces his team to take ibuprofen and slam a bottle of water before taking the field.  It works as Denard Robinson runs wild in the second half and the defense shuts down the AFA triple option attack.

Michigan State 38, Central Michigan 10: Andrew Maxwell looks like a real B1G quarterback throwing for 350 yards and 4 touchdowns in a route.  Mark Dantonio rests LeVeon Bell for the final three quarters in preparation for the Notre Dame game.

Iowa 24, Iowa State 21: The Hawkeyes march 80 yards in 10 plays capped by a James Vendenberg to C.J. Fiedorowicz touchdown pass with 1:42 to play in the 4th quarter.  James Morris picks off an Iowa State 4th down pass in Iowa territory with :20 to play to preserve the victory.

Wisconsin 38, Oregon State 34: The Badgers defense once again looks putrid and almost costs them a victory.  Oregon State has a real chance to win this game folks.  Reeser Stadium in Corvallis is a tough place to play and the Badgers will definitely be on upset alert.

Nebraska 28, UCLA 24:  This is another game that will go down to the bitter end.  Jim Mora Jr’s team will have plenty of scrap to it and the Huskers will need to make a late stop to preserve the victory.

Northwestern 24, Vanderbilt 20: The Commodores offense is dog vomit.  I can’t believe that Jordan Rodgers is Aaron’s little bro.   He is awful.  Anyway, the Cats defense doesn’t need to be spectacular this week.

Arizona State 27, Illinois 17: If Nathan Scheelhaase plays the Illini have a real shot to win this game.  If Reilly O’Toole is the quarterback they may as well not even bother taking the field.

Season Record: 9-3 (.750)

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

B1G Power Rankings: Week 2

1.      Ohio State: The Buckeyes absolutely thrashed Miami (OH) and looked poised for a B1G and maybe even a national title run in 2013.

2.      Wisconsin: Danny O’Brien looked better than I anticipated he would in the opener completing 82% of his passes, although the Badger defense left a lot to be desired.

3.      Nebraska: I just about crapped my pants when I saw Taylor Martinez’s passing stat line.  Did someone give him a bionic arm or is Southern Mississippi’s pass defense that atrocious?

4.      Michigan State: The Spartans game with Boise State was every bit as ugly as the Gophers game with UNLV.  The only difference is Boise and MSU are better teams, which made their play even more inexcusable.

5.      Michigan: I had a hunch Michigan had zero chance against Alabama and it was true.  The Wolverines will be in the B1G title mix however.

6.      Iowa: The Hawkeyes narrow win over Northern Illinois may not have looked good on paper, but trust me the Huskies are better than people think and that was a solid win for Iowa.

7.      Northwestern: Typical Northwestern game.  Give up a bunch of points and score a bunch of points in an entertaining football game.

8.      Illinois: The Illini looked….um dare I say disciplined?!  Weird huh?  And well coached!  Huh.  This could be interesting?  Or just a false alarm like last year.  It will be interesting to follow Tim Beckman’s squad however.

9.      Purdue: The Boilermakers weren’t tested at all by the FCS Eastern Kentucky Colonels.  I will be very interested to see how QB Caleb Terbush, fresh off a 1 game suspension and the rest of the Boilermakers fare against Notre Dame this weekend in South Bend.  My gut feeling is they get crushed, but I welcome Purdue to prove me wrong.

10.  Minnesota: The Gophers looked great physically against UNLV, however mentally they were a mess.   If you are looking for a silver lining from the UNLV game if you’re a Gopher fan look no further than the play of the safeties, wide receivers, and defensive line.  All three positions were a huge concern before the season started and all played exceptionally.  That was the most pressure I have seen from a Minnesota defensive front in years, and I mean years…

11.  Penn State: To be honest I was somewhat surprised by the outcome of the Penn State/Ohio game.  I expected the Nittany Lions to play much more inspired football.  It’s going to be a long decade in Happy Valley.   So much for those even divisions…

12.  Indiana: The Hoosiers played about how I expected.  We won’t know much about the progress of Kevin Wilson’s program until the first or second week of October.