Immediate KneeJerk Reaction - The Bowl Pairings
by Bama Hawkeye on Dec 5, 2011 10:13 AM CST
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As I kept drafting bowl pairings each week, someone would comment that the slate looked great for the Big Ten, and that this would be the year that we could see a a dominant conference performance. As the pairings were leaking out Saturday afternoon, I kept getting a more and more pessimistic feeling about the likely outcome. Then as I looked at each matchup again last night, I set my expectations at 1 definite loss, 2 likely losses, 4 tossups, 2 likely wins, and 1 definite win. If every thing breaks evenly, it's a .500 slate. If there's a wave one way or another we could see a 3-7 or 7-3 result. And yes, this is sounding more and more like we're awaiting election returns. On to the quick reactions:
12/27 3:30 CST - Pizza Bowl - Purdue vs. Western Michigan - ESPN
This is our definite win. That's right, .500 Purdue is my lock. I realize that there is no excitement in a trip to Detroit, but this is a good matchup for the Boilers. They're playing a MAC team that isn't even a top-tier MAC team. Should be an easy win by two scores as Danny Hope builds toward the 2012 season.
Quick note: Purdue is 2-0 versus the Broncos, last beating them in 2002.
12/30 9:00 CST - Insight Bowl - Iowa vs. #14 Oklahoma - ESPN
Let's be clear. Iowa has no business being on the same field as Oklahoma in bowl. The talent level is so wide that Rece Davis had to make special note of it as ESPN was announcing the bowl matchups last night. This is our definite loss. That said, since 2003, Iowa has played very well in its bowl games, including in a similar mismatch after the 2006 season, when the 6-6 Hawks were an illegal formation call away from beating 10-2 Texas. Maybe Iowa can keep it close, but to expect anything more would be unrealistic.
Quick note: If you don't know the story of Bob Stoops, expect to hear these tidbits during the broadcast: 1) He played safety for Iowa in 1979, when Oklahoma won the only prior meeting of these schools. 2) His father was buried in a Hawkeye jersey. 3) He interviewed for the Iowa job in December 1998, but was offered Oklahoma's position before the Iowa committee reached its conclusion. Iowa would end up hiring Kirk Ferentz.
12/31 11:00 CST - Car Care Bowl - Northwestern v. Texas A&M - ESPN
I have this as a likely loss, although it will depend upon the fourth quarter. If football was a 45 minute sport, Texas A&M would have been a 10 win team. Unfortunately for the Aggies, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma State, et al, continued to play for the full duration of the game. I don't like this matchup for Northwestern's defense, and it will come down to whether the 'Cats can score enough to stay close. In the end, it's Northwestern in a bowl game. Don't count on a win.
Quick note: These teams have never met, but are two of the six BCS conference teams that have not won a bowl game in the last nine seasons. The last win was the 1948 Rose Bowl for Northwestern and the 2001 Galleryfurniture.com Bowl (that's an old name for this same bowl game) for Texas A&M.
12/31 2:30 CST - Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl - Illinois v. UCLA - ESPN
Illinois is really lucky. Look at the things that have gone right for them in this past week: 1) They fired Ron Zook. 2) They were bypassed by the Pizza Bowl in Detroit. 3) They talked their way into a bowl game in San Francisco. 4) They drew an opponent who also fired a coach, is no more talented, and is equally as dysfunctional. I have this as a toss up, because - well, count on Illinois at your own peril.
Quick note: We mentioned the Rose Bowl whooping that UCLA put on 1983 Illinois before the season, but the teams have played three times since then. Illinois lost all three - the first two by identical 6-3 scores.
That QB won't be there to coach is alma mater against that same opponent.
1/2 11:00 CST - TicketCity Bowl - #22 Penn State v. #19 Houston - ESPNU
Who are bowls really for? If they're for the administration, Penn State may have well deserved a game played in Hell. If they're for the players, Penn State got screwed. I'm in the latter camp, and I think it's absolutely horrible that the Lions players who committed to Penn State a decade after Jerry Sandusky stopped coaching at the school are being punished for his (and his superiors') sins. All of that said, Penn State will have the first hour of Day After New Year's Day all to the themselves to face a team that was a bed-wetting away from the Sugar Bowl. They should have been facing Oklahoma, but it could have been a much worse draw. I have this as a likely win.
Quick note: The last bowl game Penn State played before Joe Paterno was a loss to Florida in the Gator Bowl. The last bowl game that Joe Paterno coached was a loss to Florida in the Outback Bowl.
1/2 12:00 CST - Outback Bowl - #17 Michigan State v. #16 Georgia - ABC
What a great matchup. Unlike when these teams met three years ago, this feels very even. Two very good, but flawed, teams that should have a close bowl. I'm very excited for this one, and have it rated as a toss up. The big question will be whether both squads will show up after their Championship Game losses. If it's harder to get over a heartbreaker than a blowout, that may not bode well for Michigan State. As it is, I've got this as a toss up.
Quick note: These teams will be meeting for the third time, all in bowls, all in Florida, and all in different cities (Jacksonville, Orlando, and now Tampa).
1/2 12:00 CST - Gator Bowl - Ohio State v. Florida - ESPN2
Are all 6-6 seasons the same? For some reason, I feel like Florida is really a 6-6 team, while Ohio State is an 8 or 9 win team. Yes, I know that you are what your record says you are, but I think that these teams are not as even as their records indicate. When Ohio State played good teams, they won one and kept others close. When Florida played good teams, it got ugly. I have this as a likely win. I also think that this is the last time that you'll see Ohio State picked sixth in the B1G selection order for a long time.
Quick note: This is the only Gator Bowl preview that you'll read that did not mention his name.
1/2 12:00 CST - Capital One Bowl - #20 Nebraska v. #9 South Carolina - ESPN
Why is it that I don't believe in South Carolina? They beat ACC Champion Clemson. They beat SEC East Champion Georgia. But that's it. They got rolled by Arkansas. They lost to a very average Auburn team. I get that the SEC has the two best teams in the country, but the Gamecocks didn't play either of them. I have this as a tossup, but if I had to pick right now, I'd be leaning toward the Huskers.
Quick note: Ohio State is the only Big Ten team that South Carolina has ever beaten in a bowl game. They did that in back-to-back years in 2000 and 2001.
When Wisconsin played Oregon in 2001, the Ducks looked like this.
1/2 4:00 CST - Rose Bowl - #10 Wisconsin v. #5 Oregon - ESPN
I don't like this matchup at all. If the Badgers were playing Stanford, I think that they could dominate them. But against Oregon? I just think it's not a good matchup. Watching green jerseys loose in the Badger secondary during the B1G Championship game may have been foreshadowing for the Rose Bowl (presuming that Oregon isn't wearing new Nike jerseys in Silver, Fuchsia, and Orange). I have this as a likely loss with a retro-80's Rose Bowl feel.
Quick note: Wisconsin was thought to be too big and slow to stay with the Pac-10 champions after the 1993 and 1998 seasons, too. They won both of those games.
1/3 7:30 CST - Sugar Bowl - #13 Michigan v. #11 Virginia Tech - ESPN
I still don't understand why Virginia Tech was chosen over Kansas State. In the end, it's a good matchup for the Wolverines. This is not a vintage Hokies defense, and when they have been confronted by playmakers with speed and athleticism (see: Clemson), they have crumbled. On the flip side, I do worry about Michigan's defense against Logan Thomas. It's enough of a concern for me to think of this as a tossup.
Quick note: These schools have never played. Both have been to the Sugar Bowl before, though. Most recently, 2004 Virginia Tech lost to Auburn and 1983 Michigan lost to Auburn.
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It's a really tough draw for Northwestern.
A&M has way better talent and (at least according to the computers) has performed against much tougher competition. It’s also a de facto home game for the Aggies.
The only positives for Northwestern are intangibles: no fired coach/turmoil, no conference move discussion, and much more desire to be there and win. Also, I think we can all agree that Northwestern has the more attractive cheerleaders.
Before the 1999 Rose Bowl, Craig James said that Wisconsin was the worst team to ever play there. After Wisconsin won, Barry Alvarez said “We’re at least the second worst”.
by nuftw on Dec 5, 2011 10:27 AM CST reply actions 3 recs
And don't forget A&M is incompetent when it comes to finishing games.
I've got this terrible pain in all the diodes down my left-hand side.
Bradley-Terry rankings for college football and basketball: because there aren't enough computer rankings already.
Wisconsin vs. Oregon
I honestly think this will be a game of which defense can stop the offense. Wisconsin’s bruising O-line and stable of RB will just plow through Oregon’s small defense. However, Oregon is shifty and fast, and if the B1GCC game is any indicator with Keshawn Martin, they’ll be in trouble.
I’ll be rooting for Wisconsin like hell (but not Bielema…I think he’s a jerk), but this could get out of hand by either team very quickly
I hope Wisconsin wins, but should they lose, I hope they lose by 40.
I don’t know why, and it probably doesn’t make any sense, but that’s just how I feel about it.
Also, yeah – Bielema is a fat little toad.
"Everyone who drinks is not a poet. Maybe some of us drink because we're not poets." - Arthur Bach
by Spartan D on Dec 5, 2011 11:17 AM CST up reply actions 2 recs
Actually, Wisconsin beat Oregon in 2000
and lost in 2001 after the NCAA decided to do no actual investigation and labeled Black Earth a major violation (bullshit).
Author at Acme Packing Company, a Green Bay Packers blog, and Editor at BT Powerhouse, a Big Ten Basketball blog
#FireCraigJames
Follow @GSchofield50
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Dec 5, 2011 10:31 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
Ah, 2000. Michael Bennett running for almost a half mile against Oregon.
It was like, “Oh, so we no longer have Ron Dayne to run through defenses? Let’s see how running around them will work.” And that day, it worked just fine.
"Lying is like 95% of what I do."
-Sterling Archer, Codename: Duchess
by Bob Genghiskhan on Dec 6, 2011 10:34 AM CST up reply actions
I really don't care about the rest of the bowls
I want 3-0 against the SEC. I want to crush the rebel scum.
by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 5, 2011 10:32 AM CST reply actions
4-0, actually
Remember: Texas A&M joins the SEC next season. Here’s hoping Northwestern can send them into that conference with a loss…..
Florida's Helmets when they played Penn State in the Gator Bowl
by Jonathan Loesche on Dec 5, 2011 10:32 AM CST reply actions
One word:
EXTERMINATE!
Author at Acme Packing Company, a Green Bay Packers blog, and Editor at BT Powerhouse, a Big Ten Basketball blog
#FireCraigJames
Follow @GSchofield50
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Dec 5, 2011 10:39 AM CST up reply actions 2 recs
Remember kids,
the Stars and Bars is about heritage!
I ate the blue ones ... they taste like burning.
A heritage of hate . . .
"The limits of my language mean the limits of my world" -- Ludwig Wittgenstein
Nice Avatar. Reminds me of home.
"You might as well appeal against the thunderstorm."
-William T. Sherman, the Battle of Atlanta
Upside....
A chance to beat four Top 15 teams in bowl games again. We’re the only conference to do that. We’ve done it twice.
by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 5, 2011 10:39 AM CST reply actions
We have 6 games against Top 20 teams
The SEC has four, the Pac-12 has three, the Big 12 has two, the ACC and Big East have one.
Thanks Jim Delaney!
It’s put-up or shut-up time for the conference. 7-3 with a 4-2 record against the Top 20 teams and a 2-1 record against the SEC would go a LONG way in helping the conference’s image.
by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 5, 2011 10:44 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
Careful with this meme
The SEC and Big 12 may well retort that they’d have more games against ranked opponents if more teams in the B1G were good enough to be ranked.
"Bama Hawkeye, you know, the Iowa blogger who actually uses reason and analysis." - Patrick Vint
"I thought it was laughable when you first put it up, but you were obviously smarter than me." - PurdueMatt
http://www.offtackleempire.com
by Bama Hawkeye on Dec 5, 2011 11:01 AM CST up reply actions
Not disagreeing with you there.
That’s why it’s time to put-up or shut-up for the B1G.
by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 5, 2011 11:06 AM CST up reply actions
It's not like its a big discrepancy
Between how many teams each conference has in the Top 20. By my count just now, SEC has 5, Big 12 has 4, and B1G has 4 teams in the top 20. They could argue Top 10 as all Top 20 B1G teams except Wisconsin are in the back-half (and Wisconsin is right at 10)
by Captain n Diet Coker on Dec 5, 2011 4:41 PM CST up reply actions
I'm going with 5-5
Wins: Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, Illinois
Losses: Wisconsin, Nebraska, Northwestern, Iowa, Penn State
South Carolina still has an elite defense
I didn’t know it was possible to be underrated in the SEC, but somehow their season has gone almost entirely unnoticed. They clobbered Clemson. Nebraska has the talent to beat South Carolina, but they’re too hot/cold for me to put my money on.
Penn State has a MUCH worse offense
If, however, Nebraska plays South Carolina like they played Michigan State, they will win. My concern is that they bring their Wisconsin/Northwestern/Michigan game instead.
I won't argue against your premise that Iowa gets beat handily by Oklahoma
just, to me, it could have been worse. I didn’t want to see Iowa chasing Robert Griffin all night, Landry Jones shouldn’t give me nightmares, and I can’t imagine Oklahoma being motivated, at all, for this game. Iowa football, 2011 – will Iowa or the opponent care less?
I wouldn't be surprised to see Iowa win.
Oklahoma is perennially overrated, has been badly depleted by injuries, quit in their last game, and I also question how motivated they’ll be.
"Everyone who drinks is not a poet. Maybe some of us drink because we're not poets." - Arthur Bach
I'm not sure why everyone is so down on Bucky
History has shown that defenses that have time to prepare for Oregon do well. Wisky can also sustain drives on the ground and keep their defense fresh. Oregon will get points, but I’ll take Bucky and their balance on offense and brute strength up front.
Wisconsin 41
Oregon 34
Bring home the roses home to the B1G.
by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 5, 2011 11:34 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
Bielema needs to lock Chyrst in a closet, and not let him out until his gameplan calls for Ball to run 30 times, and Wilson 15.
by txhawkeye on Dec 5, 2011 11:39 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
So you want him to use the James method?
In the name of the Woody, the Bo, and the Mustache Ride. Amen.
by Pariahwulfen on Dec 5, 2011 11:43 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Did you see the Badger defense the other night?
"Everyone who drinks is not a poet. Maybe some of us drink because we're not poets." - Arthur Bach
I don't think anyone did
"Go hard. I mean, like relentless. I want a bunch of coaches that coach like their hair’s on fire, and I want a football team that goes for four to six seconds (per play) with relentless effort." OSU Coach Urban Meyer.
by Ted Glover on Dec 5, 2011 11:48 AM CST up reply actions 16 recs
perfect matchup for Wisconsin.
Final score 68-66. toss up who wins.
Wisconsin 760 yards of offense.
Oregon 800 yards of offense.
by spartynation on Dec 5, 2011 11:49 AM CST up reply actions
Except their OC has shown he will go away from what works
His only possible excuse is he’s letting Ball rest for the 4th quarter, and that’s a problem in itself.
Schadenfreude ist die schoenste Freude
Not a lock at all
Danny hope is 2-2 against the MAC, so it would be more of a lock if he were playing Ohip State (2-1 against the Buckeyes). Jordan White is another excellent receiver we will flat out refuse to cover too, much like Marvin McNutt and Micheal Floyd
A futile crusade to prevent mass ignorance
HammerAndRails, SBNation's Boilermaker Blog
Ouch, says the Buckeye fan
And I have no retort.
/shakes fists at sky yells…KHHHAAAAAANNNNN
"Go hard. I mean, like relentless. I want a bunch of coaches that coach like their hair’s on fire, and I want a football team that goes for four to six seconds (per play) with relentless effort." OSU Coach Urban Meyer.
I do believe you mean
STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACHE!
In the name of the Woody, the Bo, and the Mustache Ride. Amen.
by Pariahwulfen on Dec 5, 2011 11:50 AM CST up reply actions
I can't believe it either
It is one of the most inexplicable things out there.
A futile crusade to prevent mass ignorance
HammerAndRails, SBNation's Boilermaker Blog
I feel like I have Stockholm Syndrome.
It’s really a little disconcerting.
I know we have a good team. I am certain of this fact.
Yet it seems that I have to root for UM and UW to win their games to somehow “prove” this to the rest of the country.
Screw that
If MSU wins, no Spartan should care whether either of these teams win.
I’m not into the conference solidarity thing. I come here to see what other Big Ten fans are thinking, not to cheer on the conference. I’ll be rooting against UM, UW and OSU for sure.
Schadenfreude ist die schoenste Freude
by Seer on Dec 5, 2011 11:55 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Yes, fuck you all.
We’re not the SEC. Let them overcompensate for the Civil War by cheering on rivals they should wish nothing but the worst for.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Dec 5, 2011 11:56 AM CST up reply actions 11 recs
Over/under on number of minutes after kickoff before
we hear fans at the NC Game chanting “SEC! SEC! SEC!”
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Dec 5, 2011 12:02 PM CST up reply actions
Texa$?
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Dec 5, 2011 12:03 PM CST up reply actions
That is supposed to be a negative sign before threeve
by MountainTiger on Dec 5, 2011 12:03 PM CST up reply actions
uh, there is.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Dec 5, 2011 12:03 PM CST up reply actions
Less than one
It will be a continuation of their pre-game chant
by MSUDersh on Dec 5, 2011 12:03 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I'm actually thinking this is just how folks in the South communicate.
Think the terrorists in “Team America” but replace “durka” with “SEC”.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Dec 5, 2011 12:05 PM CST up reply actions 6 recs
There's a regional dialect known as Baman
where they communicate with NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
In the name of the Woody, the Bo, and the Mustache Ride. Amen.
by Pariahwulfen on Dec 5, 2011 12:14 PM CST up reply actions
I originally read that as "Batman"
which would be fantastic in pretty much every way.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Dec 5, 2011 12:16 PM CST up reply actions
MOWED THE LAWN YESTERDAY, PAWWWWL!
YARDWORK NATIONAL CHAMPUNSHIP!
by MountainTiger on Dec 5, 2011 12:19 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
/hangupanlissen
In the name of the Woody, the Bo, and the Mustache Ride. Amen.
by Pariahwulfen on Dec 5, 2011 12:27 PM CST up reply actions
I don't think there will be a lot of that. LSU/Bama fans will be too busy hating each other to come together on an SEC chant.
But, doesn’t matter, cuz I won’t be watching anyways.
"Everyone who drinks is not a poet. Maybe some of us drink because we're not poets." - Arthur Bach
by Spartan D on Dec 5, 2011 12:05 PM CST up reply actions 6 recs
threeve/Purdue
In the name of the Woody, the Bo, and the Mustache Ride. Amen.
by Pariahwulfen on Dec 5, 2011 12:11 PM CST up reply actions
Dividing by 0...I see what you did there...
"Hey Jay, what time is it?"
"9:30"
"AND IU STILL SUCKS!"
by Boiler Bandsman on Dec 5, 2011 10:56 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I guarantee it is before kickoff
"He lowballed us and said: 'Take it or leave it. If you don't take our offer, you are rolling the dice.' I said: 'Consider them rolled.' " - Jim "Huge Brass Balls" Delaney
by ClaybornSmash on Dec 5, 2011 3:48 PM CST up reply actions
If you don't root against the SEC
Then you are my enemy.
by Gophermike on Dec 5, 2011 1:14 PM CST up reply actions 3 recs
Still got your blood up after all those Music City Bowls?
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Dec 5, 2011 1:17 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
No, you don't.
I certainly won’t be pulling for Iowa.
"Lying is like 95% of what I do."
-Sterling Archer, Codename: Duchess
by Bob Genghiskhan on Dec 6, 2011 10:37 AM CST up reply actions
If BCS were a person it would be....
Jack Abramoff. Corrupt to the core would be the new logo.
Catch Line " We dont make a small amount of money, we make tons of $$$"
Richard Nixon laughs at you
and then calls the POlumbers to fuck up your life something fierce.
And Tricky Dick had a slush fund, too.
"Go hard. I mean, like relentless. I want a bunch of coaches that coach like their hair’s on fire, and I want a football team that goes for four to six seconds (per play) with relentless effort." OSU Coach Urban Meyer.
by Ted Glover on Dec 5, 2011 11:49 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
*Plumbers
"Go hard. I mean, like relentless. I want a bunch of coaches that coach like their hair’s on fire, and I want a football team that goes for four to six seconds (per play) with relentless effort." OSU Coach Urban Meyer.
RE: Gator Bowl preview omission
You’re talking about Voldemort, right?
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Dec 5, 2011 11:55 AM CST reply actions 7 recs
I thought it was Lebron James.
Only Ohio/Florida connection I could think of.
Cheering for inconsistent, undisciplined teams [Twins, Wild, Packers, Hawkeyes] since 1989. "False Hope is better than No Hope"
Should be an easy win by two scores as Danny Hope builds toward the 2012 season.
If he makes it to next season.
Ever Grateful. Ever True.
You beat tOSU and are bowl bound
of course you’re stuck with Hopestache for another season. Win and it might be a few more seasons.
In the name of the Woody, the Bo, and the Mustache Ride. Amen.
I'd hold the phone on writing Wisky's epitaph for now
One, anybody who saw the USC-Oregon game has to feel good about Wisconsin’s chances to run at will on the Ducks. USC is a very good team with a good running attack, but I can’t think of another team in the country that’s better at power running than Wisky, especially when combined with their play action game.
Two, strong evidence exists that Oregon’s offense can be successfully game planned for, given enough time. The past two years, despite leaving the Pac 10/12 in flames, Oregon managed 17 and 19 points in their bowl games. Last year’s 19 point effort in the title game was disappointing because while Auburn had some great individual players on their defense, as a unit, it wasn’t all that good and got absolutely shelled multiple times last year. This suggests to me that Oregon’s offense can be successfully schemed against given a month’s prep time.
On the other hand, there’s not much you can do against an offensive scheme like Wisconsin’s. If you don’t have the tools to stop the run in the front 7 (which I don’t think Oregon does) your only real option is to move a safety or two up into the box, which opens up scary vulnerabilities against the play action passing game.
All that said, Wisconsin has to bring their Madison-form to Pasadena, not whatever that crap was we saw pretty much everywhere else.
"My hardest job is to convince the people of Nebraska that 10-1 is not a losing season." - Tom Osborne
by jdhusker on Dec 5, 2011 2:27 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
The Badger Defense
made Sparty look ridiculously fast. What are they going to make Oregon look like? I keep envisioning James/Thomas turning the corner and getting deep into the Wisconsin secondary.
"Bama Hawkeye, you know, the Iowa blogger who actually uses reason and analysis." - Patrick Vint
"I thought it was laughable when you first put it up, but you were obviously smarter than me." - PurdueMatt
http://www.offtackleempire.com
re: 17 and 19 points in Oregon's last two bowl games
This is a valid point. Oregon managed only 19 points against Auburn, who wasn’t exactly a defensive juggernaut last year (they finished 60th in the country in total defense). Auburn had to win a few shootouts to make it to the title game (Georgia, Ole Miss, Arkansas and a furious comeback against Alabama). Wisconsin is 8th in the country in total defense. I know Michigan State was able to put up points on them, but people aren’t giving Sparty enough credit. Michigan State started the season slow on offense, but averaged over 33 points per game in the final seven games. If you subtract the Nebraska debacle, they were averaging over 38 points. Sparty has some bona fide athletes in Martin and Cunningham, a top-notch QB, and a physical and fast running back in Bell who really came into his own down the stretch (focus on yards per carry, not just yards per game). They had a well balanced and well executed offensive plan utilizing their four main guys (Cunningham, Martin, Bell, and Cousins) who may all very well be playing on Sundays.
I think Wisconsin is going to do just fine.
by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 5, 2011 2:58 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
That's like putting hydrogen peroxide on a wound
It stings a lot rigth now, but I know you’re trying to be nice, and I hope you’re right about the outcome. (the sunday line)
Per NFL Draft Scout....
Cunningham – 14th ranked WR… projected as 3rd or 4th round pick
Martin – 17th ranked WR… projected as 3rd or 4th round pick
Cousins – 4th ranked QB… projected as 3rd round pick.
Bell’s only a sophomore, so we’ll see. But he averaged 5.8 yards per carry in his last seven games and 5.5 for the season, so he actually got better as the competition got tougher. That’s impressive.
by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 5, 2011 3:25 PM CST up reply actions
I'm going to go ahead and write that sucker.
Teams that beat Oregon have DLs that can dominate, beginning with OSU in the Rose Bowl, Auburn (and Fairley) last year, and LSU and USC this year.
Wisconsin doesn’t have a dominate DL.
UNLV ran up and down the field against Wisconsin. U-N-L-V.
Plus, Bielema’s a douche canoe.
by rogerja on Dec 5, 2011 4:12 PM CST up reply actions 4 recs
Just on pure numbers....
This will be far and away the highest ranked defense Oregon has seen since LSU. They’ve seen one Top 25 defense since (Stanford, which ranks 25th) and lost to USC’s 54th ranked defense.
by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 5, 2011 4:19 PM CST up reply actions
Rec'd
Only because this made me laugh
Plus, Bielema’s a douche canoe.
Stanford
The counter is Stanford. They are a pretty good power running attack, with a pro-level QB who uses a ton of play action. In fact, if I had to pick the most comparable team to Wisconsin in all of college football, I’d probably pick Stanford. Oregon made them look absolutely silly.
Stanford is still QB first run second
Wisconsin is very much run first QB second. That’s a crucial difference.
Off Tackle Empire - Ruling over the Big Ten since 2008.
You clearly have not watched any Stanford football this season.
by jfwells on Dec 6, 2011 2:15 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Who will ref this game?
And what is there definition of “holding”? I’m only partially being snarky here. If they’re throwing flags on Wisconsin’s borderline run blocking technique, they will have a very tough road to hoe.
"We gon' get down. We gon' do the do. I'm going to hit these mother****ers" - Dock Ellis, May 1, 1974.
*THEIR
DAMN IT TO MICHIGAN
"We gon' get down. We gon' do the do. I'm going to hit these mother****ers" - Dock Ellis, May 1, 1974.
Uhhhh....you were right the first time. LOL
"Hey Jay, what time is it?"
"9:30"
"AND IU STILL SUCKS!"
by Boiler Bandsman on Dec 5, 2011 11:08 PM CST up reply actions
It's that PSU education...
WE OUR…. PENN STATE!
by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 5, 2011 11:18 PM CST up reply actions 6 recs
Yeah
I’ll credit this. But I WAS correcting the “there” in the first sentence, for the record.
"We gon' get down. We gon' do the do. I'm going to hit these mother****ers" - Dock Ellis, May 1, 1974.
I know, I know.
Nothing against PSU. In fact, academically it’s top notch. I’m looking at getting my MBA there.
by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 6, 2011 3:31 PM CST up reply actions
OIC...grammar fails all around!
"Hey Jay, what time is it?"
"9:30"
"AND IU STILL SUCKS!"
by Boiler Bandsman on Dec 7, 2011 12:27 AM CST up reply actions
Yeah...
no. That’s embarrassing for you, too, I guess.
"We gon' get down. We gon' do the do. I'm going to hit these mother****ers" - Dock Ellis, May 1, 1974.
Oregon's spread offense is run-based through and through.
LSU took away the effectiveness of their running game and forced the Ducks to pass. It didn’t end well for the Ducks, but they did put up 27 points. It was horrific special teams play that did them in on that day, along with the officials deciding to award LSU a touchdown for advancing a fumbled punt return (which I’m pretty sure you can’t do).
Author at Acme Packing Company, a Green Bay Packers blog, and Editor at BT Powerhouse, a Big Ten Basketball blog
Whatever holds the image of an angel IS an angel. The eyes are not the windows of the soul, they are the doors.
Yes, I am on twitter.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Dec 5, 2011 11:23 PM CST up reply actions
I say we go 6-4.
Iowa over Oklahoma is a game I think no one is giving the Hawkeyes a chance, but I definitely am.
- Purdue over Western Michigan
- Iowa over Oklahoma
- Texas A&M over Northwestern (Texas A&M’s offense is legit)
- Illinois over UCLA (might be a surprise with the coaching situation, but UCLA is feeling the same pains and they blow in general)
- Penn State over Houston (That’s right, I disrespect Conference USA)
- Georgia SQUEAKS by Mich State (I like Sparty and that D, but Georgia has a pretty good one themselves, and I’ll take Aaron murray over Kirk Cousins)
- Ohio State over Florida (normal, arrogant, homer Buckeye fan picking a game)
- South Carolina over Nebraska (ehhhhhhhh Nebraska’s not that great)
- Wisconsin over Oregon (not the popular pick, but if anyone is to hang with that offense, I’d take Wisconsin’s. I think they’re good enough to slow them down too, has Oregon seen size like this outside of LSU this season? Stanford maybe?)
- Michigan over Va Tech (it pains me to give it to the Wolverine’s, but Virginia Tech shouldn’t be in this game to begin with. Hell, I think Mich State should be in this game before Michigan)
So that’s 7-3, but I know that’s prolly wishful thinking
After Miller got hurt
kind of easy to come back when the backup is EPIC FAIL
In the name of the Woody, the Bo, and the Mustache Ride. Amen.
Still torched OSUs defense
And considering that it was Miller’s fumble that started the comeback anyway, it wasn’t all on Bauserman.
Google's homepage celebrates too much shit.
It wasn't on either QB
That was the worst defensive collapse I think I’ve ever seen from Ohio State.
We sucked?
"You might as well appeal against the thunderstorm."
-William T. Sherman, the Battle of Atlanta
and I think of this picture
In the name of the Woody, the Bo, and the Mustache Ride. Amen.
by Pariahwulfen on Dec 5, 2011 3:29 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I hate that Disney owns Marvel now
but I love the budget Marvel movies have at their disposal all of a sudden.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Dec 6, 2011 1:13 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Picks
Purdue-Don’t screw this up, Purdue. Please. Losing to the MAC is the last thing the B1G needs right now.
Oklahoma-Based on talent, I’m reasonably confident in this pick. However, Iowa is a pretty reliable bowl team, and Oklahoma has really underachieved this year, and will have little motivation. I think Iowa keeps this within 10.
TA&M-I’m not confident in this pick at all, but I think A&M will make a couple more stops defensively. Then again, if the Northwestern that beat Nebraska shows up…
Illinois- I am not confident in this pick, either. However, I think UCLA is a much bigger mess than Illinois, and we know Illinois has talent…they just need to play somewhat like they did at the start of the season.
PSU-Both teams are not where they want to be, and both got blown out in their last game. I think Penn State will be more motivated than Houston, and has a good enough defense to manage Keenum. Despite the B1G’s struggles this year, PSU has also simply played stronger teams. PSU wins by 10.
MSU-If you had told me about this game a month ago, I would have picked Sparty to win by at least 14, as I had little respect for Georgia in a weak SEC East. However, Georgia’s win over GT and solid 1st half against LSU (before they actually showed up) causes me to be less confident. But Sparty is a VERY good team that deserves a lot more respect nationally. If they play like they did against Wisconsin (both games), I think they are capable of winning without too much trouble. My one fear is a repeat of last year’s fiasco against Bama, and i can’t help but think of their performance against Nebraska this year. I think they will play somewhere in between those performances, and win by 3.
OSU-Obviously I’m biased, but I think OSU wins by a touchdown due to Florida’s absolute ineptitude on offense. OSU will probably have issues with Florida’s defense, but at least the Buckeyes have shown a few flashes of brilliance offensively. Plus, even with upcoming sanctions, it feels like the mood around the Buckeye program is a lot more positive than in Gainesville.
Nebraska-South Carolina’s defense is very good, but the team’s mediocre performances against some rather bad teams make it hard not to favor Nebraska. It’ll be close (SC did dominate a good Clemson team), but I think Nebraska is better overall. Plus, Nebraska is probably a bit more excited to be in Orlando than Carolina is.
Wisconsin-Yes, I have concerns about Wisconsin’s D (ESPECIALLY the secondary), but I find it hard to believe Oregon will be able to stop Wisconsin’s running game. If you can Oregon’s offense off the field, you can win. Of course, that is assuming Wisky actually, you know, runs the ball.
Michigan-I don’t have much to say here. How VT got into this bowl game is just bizarre. Oh, and MICHIGAN SUCKS! But they’ll win.
I like your optimism...
…but I am more fearful the historic stereotypes are proven again…
Iowa ends a disappointing season on a high note raising expectations again for 2012… only to have another disappointing outing nest year (OK, not all stereotypes are bad)
Northwestern plays much better than expected in their bowl game… only to lose by a FG.
The Illini go to the West Coast against a weak opponent and gets hammered.
1 last piece of evidence JoPa really was active as PSU’s D gets hammered by a patient Houston squad living off the short pass.
Sparty, no.
tOSU still can’t beat the SEC.
Nebraska… what is their stereotype in the bowls as of late?
Wisconsin ends another season with a strong showing in the bowls leading everyone to wonder why they didn’t win out (see, not all stereotypes are bad)… or the Big Ten faces yet another Rose Bowl loss.
New coach, same results – tSUN still struggles in the bowls.
…not predicting these results, but also not finding it hard to believe they could come to fruition…
re: Nebraska stereotype in bowls
We’ve been to 3 under Pelini. The first two we were pretty enthused about and played very well. We were underdogs in both.
In 2008 against Clemson, we dominated, but 2 turnovers led directly to 14 Clemson points (one scoop and score) and we were forced to kick 4 short field goals, giving us a 26-21 win in a game we probably should’ve won by 3 scores.
2009 in the Holiday Bowl was just a butt kicking. Arizona had like 27 yards of offense through the first 56 minutes of play. Final score was 33-0.
2010 was a trainwreck. We got ripped off in our bowl bid, went back to the Holiday Bowl as a 10 win team to play a 6-6 Washington team that we’d already beaten in Seattle by 35. “Flat” doesn’t quite cover it. We lost 19-7 in a game that wasn’t that close.
To summarize, Nebraska in bowl games is very much like Nebraska in the regular season. If the players are motivated and have their heads screwed on straight, we can play well beyond expectations. If we’re unmotivated or distracted, it can be almost unimaginably bad.
Grain of salt, pretty much everyone is excited with our bowl bid this year.
"My hardest job is to convince the people of Nebraska that 10-1 is not a losing season." - Tom Osborne
by jdhusker on Dec 5, 2011 7:08 PM CST up reply actions 3 recs
Don't Forget
2003 Alamo against the Spartans which was a 17 – 3 solid win with Bo as the interim head coach
So 3 – 1 overall
You can't keep Oregon's offense ON the field.
They will take themselves off of the field inside 3 minutes either by going three and out, turning it over on downs, or scoring in that time. Oregon almost never wins time of possession and usually gets killed in that stat. It doesn’t matter. Getting a big push on the Ducks O line, and having the speed to recover from misdirection is the only way to slow down the Ducks attack. That’s how Auburn did it, that’s how LSU did it, that is how SC did it (Oregon still put points on LSU and USC). Ohio State had the unfair advantage of playing against a running back at the quarterback position. Thomas isn’t dead accurate all the time, but he’s much more consistent than Masoli ever was.
As a Duck fan, I’ve confidently strutted my stuff the last two years about the bowl games. I’m done with that (since it worked so well for me). I did want to point out this small inacurracy.
Taxes don't kill jobs.
I wouldn't be so hard on your team.
1 of those losses came against a team whose D matched up well with the Oregon O.
The other loss was a fluke “He’s down… no, wait… he’s not down!” tackle.
Ducks are in great shape,
I just plan on shutting my trap until game time.
Superstition FTW.
Taxes don't kill jobs.
by shenanigans on Dec 10, 2011 10:24 PM CST up reply actions
One thing that should benefit the B1G...
is the diversity of offenses that each team has seen.
Michigan State – pro-style, balanced.
Wisconsin – run-heavy, pass-effiecient with a dangerous QB outside the pocket.
Northwestern – spread.
Nebraska – option attack.
Michigan – mixed… pro with spread looks and a dangerously fast QB.
Ohio State – Walrus-ball… run left. run right. draw play. punt.
by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 5, 2011 3:33 PM CST reply actions
OSU's offense is about as diverse as
a scoop of coffee grounds.
"Go hard. I mean, like relentless. I want a bunch of coaches that coach like their hair’s on fire, and I want a football team that goes for four to six seconds (per play) with relentless effort." OSU Coach Urban Meyer.
Credit: Flipbuckeye over at 11w
(for those curious, “Dave” was the name of Jim Tressel’s base off-tackle running play, the force behind “Tressel Ball”)
by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 5, 2011 3:49 PM CST up reply actions 5 recs
It's not the Off Tackle DAMN IT
It was the Power O
In the name of the Woody, the Bo, and the Mustache Ride. Amen.
My bad!
The blog is off-tackle… Dave is power O…. Freudian slip.
by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 5, 2011 3:58 PM CST up reply actions
Fair enough
and I did kind of overreact, but it’s kind of annoying having had this discussion too much in RL. Since a LOT of people tend to interpret the RB bouncing outside when the D over pursues the inside as an Off Tackle.
In the name of the Woody, the Bo, and the Mustache Ride. Amen.
Jim Bollman: I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't let you do that.
/draws up pass play with designed fumble to be returned for touchdown
Author at Acme Packing Company, a Green Bay Packers blog, and Editor at BT Powerhouse, a Big Ten Basketball blog
Whatever holds the image of an angel IS an angel. The eyes are not the windows of the soul, they are the doors.
Yes, I am on twitter.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Dec 5, 2011 11:21 PM CST up reply actions
You forgot Iowa.
They have vanilla and French vanilla…kidding, nobody on this team even knows where France is.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Dec 6, 2011 1:14 AM CST up reply actions
As a former Big 12/Big 8 member
it wasn’t without a little schadenfreude that I would watch the Big10 flounder once bowl season rolled around. Now, of course, that feeling has been replaced by concern. I may not be as confident in the list of games as some others on here.
For the team I know the most about, Nebraska’s D-line has been a bit of a disaster zone this season, particularly late in the schedule. If the LBs are too preoccupied with spying a mobile QB, the DTs get torn to shreds. If the safeties have to worry about playaction, everything deep is a possible scoring opportunity. Also, our D-coordinator is leaving. So… there’s that.
Dennard will be all over Alshon Jeffrey's ass, shutting him down like he did
MSU’s Cunningham (3 or 4 receptions for 20+ yards). The D will be there – just because Carl is leaving doesn’t mean the D is leaving.
After what happened against Washington last year
I have no doubt that Nebraska will be at their best for this game. This is really a season-defining game for the Huskers. If they win, they’ll be a 10-win team ranked in the Top 15. If they lose, they’ll have four losses and barely be ranked (they most assuredly will not be ranked if they lose by two scores).
You know whats effed up? I could make the argument that Arm-punt Martinez is the third-best QB South Carolina has played/will play this year behind Aaron Murray and Tajh Boyd (and even at that, Boyd has fallen off down the stretch. Seven picks in his last five games, 3 in the previous seven). Brantley has a better QB rating (barely) but a worse TD-INT ratio and FEWER passing yards than Martinez. Yes, Taylor Martinez has more passing yards than John Brantley. And a shit ton more rushing yards.
by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 5, 2011 5:28 PM CST up reply actions
should read "and Martinez has a shit ton more rushing yards"
one things for certain: Martinez is the fastest QB South Carolina has seen/will see all year.
by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 5, 2011 5:30 PM CST up reply actions
Speaking of Knee Jerk
Purdue starting RB Ralph Bolden tore his ACL against IU
/is the 3rd time
//sobs uncontrollably
Ok pick time
Pizza Bowl: Purdue. Guys, if you lose to a MACrifice….idk just don’t.
Insight: Oklahoma. Iowa should have the enthusiasm edge here, and they’ve done well in their bowls for most of the decade. That said, I can’t pick the Hawkeyes. The talent gap between Nebraska and Iowa was pretty evident on Thanksgiving weekend, and Oklahoma is significantly more talented than Nebraska. Overall, just a really tough matchup. That said, I’ve seen some pretty epic eggs laid by teams that underachieved on the year and in their bowl. OU did both, so we’ll see.
Meineke: Northwestern. Yes, I’m picking the Wildcats. They didn’t just fire their coach, they didn’t underachieve by 4-5 wins this year, and they don’t have a mental bugaboo about holding halftime leads. This is one of those games where I think around 85% of the country is going to be wrong in ESPN’s bowl prediction thing.
Kraft Fight Hunger: Illinois..ish. Idk, unless there’s a blizzard outside and I can’t leave the house and there’s no other bowl games on, I’m probably not watching this. I pick Illinois because both programs are massive tire fires but UCLA already had their dead cat bounce by keeping it closeish on an Oregon team that clearly didn’t take them seriously. I think maybe getting out of Champaign-Urbana for a week will have a positive impact on a team that wasn’t half bad before….whatever that was happened.
TicketCity: Penn State. I could be reading this all wrong, but I think Houston is going to be a whole lot more sour about being here than PSU. I also think that Houston’s D is bad enough that PSU will be able to actually move the ball and score with some consistency while Houston hasn’t seen a defense yet in the same galaxy as PSU’s.
Outback: Georgia. I think these two teams are pretty evenly matched, but Georgia kind of expected to be here and I think was mentally prepared for it. Sparty got dealt a massive body blow in the B1G title game, likely losing a trip to Pasadena on a penalty flag with under 2 minutes to go. Adding to the grief, Georgia’s actually pretty darn good.
Gator: Ohio State. Neither team deserves to be in this bowl, but this is what happens when you’re named Florida and Ohio State. Both defenses are pretty good. Both offenses generally aren’t. Florida’s offense could not be mistaken for anything but a trainwreck right now. Ohio State’s offense has flashes (and even entire games) of being pretty darn good under Braxton Miller. This is actually the easiest pick of the lot for me.
Citrus (CapOne but who cares): South Carolina. When I first saw the matchup, I liked it….until I saw that South Carolina had one of those savvy dual threat type quarterbacks. Well crap. It may not seem like much to swing the prediction of a game on….unless you’d seen the Blackshirts against mobile qb’s all year. Whether it was 3-9 Fresno State, 7-5 Washington, or 10-2 Wisconsin/Michigan, mobile quarterbacks made our defense look silly all year long. Hopefully our coaches use the month to figure it out, but count me among the skeptics until I see progress.
Rose Bowl: Wisconsin. I think both defenses are terrible matchups for the opposing offenses. I like Wisconsin’s odds because their style of play seems more steady and consistent than Oregon’s frenetic offense. It also seems that a month of preparation helped Ohio State and Auburn shut down the Ducks (36 combined points in those two bowl games). I also think Wisconsin will come in a bit hungry after faceplanting against TCU last year in the same bowl.
Sugar: Michigan. Up until the announcements, I was gearing up to predict a Michigan loss in this game…until word broke that it was VT. I have no idea why these guys are in the Sugar Bowl. The only ranked team they played all year was Clemson and they got rocked by them twice! I think the game will actually be halfway competitive because VT usually fields a decent defense and good special teams and I view Michigan as very much a work in progress. That said, I think Michigan has already beaten 2-3 teams this year who are better than Tech, while Tech got smacked the only times they played someone comparable to Michigan.
"My hardest job is to convince the people of Nebraska that 10-1 is not a losing season." - Tom Osborne
I believe that's a total of 7-3 for the conference
And 2-2 against SEC/Future SEC teams
"My hardest job is to convince the people of Nebraska that 10-1 is not a losing season." - Tom Osborne
......Fuck Clemson
Mikael Granlund: The Great Hope
by NorthernStar on Dec 5, 2011 8:17 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
About Northwestern
Northwestern did underachieve, arguably by 4-5 games and they did have a mental bugaboo about holding halftime leads for a good part of the season. If anything, A&M is Northwestern South we higher national expectations to start the season. Should be a good game and I love that you have confidence in NU, I hope you’re right.
From a post elsewhere I was working on...
. Northwestern’s well-balanced offense will help them put up points. The Wildcats average 256 through the air and 176 on the ground each game. A&M has seen four AQ teams that average over 220 ypg passing and 150 ypg rushing. The lost to three of them (the loan win was Baylor, which has the nation’s 114th ranked defense). Of course, there’s the defensive issue for Northwestern’s 80th ranked defense, but then again A&M hasn’t beaten a team with a defense that ranks in the Top 98 (Iowa State, whose defense ranks 99th, is their lone win against a Top 100 defense). A&M also hasn’t beaten an AQ team that gives up less than 190 yards on the ground. I’ll take the Wildcats’ offensive balance and (gulp!) defense.
by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 5, 2011 9:43 PM CST up reply actions
Purdue's never been a "lock" all season...
…not even against Middle Tennessee State.
Nobody cares about your fantasy baseball team
Who just lost 59-7 to North Texas
:(
Also Purdue has opened as a 1-point UNDERDOG to WMU according to Vegas
We didn't win two games in a row all season
Manager at BT Powerhouse a Big Ten basketball blog
@babaoreally
Guys....Hope's not so good at the whole MAC-rifice thing.
/NIU’d
//Toledo’d
///Rice’d (Close enough to MAC)
Hope’s lost to a MAC team every year so far….we’re due.
"Hey Jay, what time is it?"
"9:30"
"AND IU STILL SUCKS!"
by Boiler Bandsman on Dec 5, 2011 11:19 PM CST up reply actions
Objectively speaking..
And I do mean objectively, because I said this before my team got served by the Hope-stache…
Purdue has gotten better as the year has gone on. The offense has meshed more, and the defense has gotten better and better. You can’t just look at the stat line. I’ve watched at least nine of Purdue’s games, and it’s obvious to me they are a MUCH better team now than when they started the season. They will win their bowl game by three scores.
by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 5, 2011 11:27 PM CST up reply actions
We have no consistency at all.
Never have under Hope. We can’t hold momentum for a whole freaking drive, much less a game or a season. Point is, we are inconsistent/poorly coached/error prone enough to lose to a MAC team, as we’ve illustrated 4 (NIU, Toledo, Rice, IU) times in the last 3 years.
"Hey Jay, what time is it?"
"9:30"
"AND IU STILL SUCKS!"
by Boiler Bandsman on Dec 6, 2011 8:44 AM CST up reply actions
I've watched them every game...
….and, no, we haven’t improved. Wildly inconsistent. Poor coaching.
One look at the Iowa game and how we let a totally beatable team manhandle us at home, with a chance to clinch a bowl birth, on senior day, well, I’d say you’re wrong on your assessment.
Then we let IU, the worst team in the league, hang with us for most of the Bucket game? No, we’ll be lucky to beat WMU
Nobody cares about your fantasy baseball team
by carmen_fanzone on Dec 6, 2011 10:22 AM CST up reply actions
Nope.
IU was relegated to the MAC in the latest realignments, didn’t you hear?
"Hey Jay, what time is it?"
"9:30"
"AND IU STILL SUCKS!"
by Boiler Bandsman on Dec 6, 2011 8:45 AM CST up reply actions
Nebraska doesn't match up well against South Carolina.
It’s amazing how night and day they are when the opposing quarterback is a threat to run. South Carolina’s quarterback should give us problems. I don’t think they’ll hang 45 on us, but they should be able to get enough to beat us.
In the deed, the glory.
Corn Nation!
Follow @cornnation
I strongly disagree. Nebraska matches up fantastically with South Carolina.
Teams that can run the ball have had the most success against South Carolina. Navy played them to the wire and lost by three, and Auburn beat them with 246 yards on the ground. They’re susceptible to the run. Here’s the top three rushing teams they played all year.
Navy – 3 point victory
Auburn – 3 point loss
Georgia – 3 point victory
Mississippi State – 2 point victory
Nebraska is 13th in the country in rushing offense at almost 224 yards per game, higher than any of those teams except Navy, and 50 yards more per game than Auburn averages.
by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 5, 2011 9:56 PM CST up reply actions
Digging a little further...
I’m looking at Nebraska’s depth chart, and they have a significant size advantage over the teams that dominated South Carolina’s offense, and I would venture to say they’re just as fast.
After really digging into the numbers, I’m convinced that the SEC East is a joke. Nebraska will dominate South Carolina, who lost to FSU last year despite Ponder not playing. Michigan State will dominate Georgia, who lost to UCF last year (managing only 6 points despite having AJ Green) and whose defense looks great unless they play an offense with a pulse like Boise. And Ohio State will dominate Florida, who hasn’t beaten a team with a winning record all year besides 6-5 Furman, and who has lost four games by two scores or more (Ohio State has only lost one game by two scores).
I may be drunk, but I’ve been looking at these numbers all day, and there’s no way Michigan State, Ohio State, or Nebraska lose. They’re all vastly superior to anything the SEC East has to offer.
by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 5, 2011 10:58 PM CST up reply actions
I hope you're right
My counter would be our game with now 3-9 Fresno State. They had a mobile quarterback who got out of the pocket time and again and our defense was clueless how to stop him. A 3-9 TEAM! They led most of the way and took us into the 4th quarter in our own house! I really hope our defensive coaching staff uses the month to figure this one single issue out. Fix that, and I think we win, because we’ve been stellar against statue qb’s this year (Sparty, PSU, Iowa) but ugh, those dual threats have been a nightmare.
"My hardest job is to convince the people of Nebraska that 10-1 is not a losing season." - Tom Osborne
They'll be prepared.
This guy for Carolina isn’t some sort of bona fide athlete. He has decent speed for a QB. He’s not Robinson fast or Martinez fast. Hell, he’s not even Persa fast (and he won’t lower a shoulder like Persa… he slides every time).
I really think South Carolina is going to have trouble stopping Nebraska’s rushing attack. Nebraska might have the best offensive line they’ve seen all year, and I think Burkhead is far and away the best (and most powerful) back they’ll have had to deal with all season. Dyer from Auburn is good, but does not run as powerfully as Burkhead. Oh, and Dyer and Auburn won that game, in large part due to the 276 rushing yards Auburn had. In their last four SEC games (after new guy took over full time), South Carolina only averaged 278 yards of offense, and Mississippi State, Arkansas, and Tennessee weren’t exactly world-beaters on defense this year, although Florida has a decent defense, but they only managed 299 yards against them.
by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 6, 2011 11:41 AM CST up reply actions
All I know is
I’m just glad no B1G team has to face whatever juggernaut the big east put into a bowl this year.
I seriously think most of you are underrating the Big Ten.
I see a conference that is better than it was the last few years and more balanced. I see a conference that’s beating the hell out of each other! Do you really think Wisconsin 2010 is better than Wisconsin 2011 with Russell Wilson? Hell no! 2011 Wisconsin is definitely better than 2010 Wisconsin! And yet 2011 Wisconsin took two losses in the conference whereas 2010 Wisconsin took one! Nebraska went and destroyed Michigan State, yet Michigan State beat Wisconsin, who destroyed Nebraska! And Michigan State killed Michigan, who pummeled Nebraska! Ladies and Gents, I think this year marks the turning of the tide for the B1G. All this parity, all this madness, it’s a sign that the conference is finally competitive beyond two or three teams. And that’s great! Because we know our top teams can compete (second most BCS wins of any conference), but it’s been our bottom teams that have been lacking. But I think we’re there! I think we’ve finally got depth! Let’s go out and kick some ass this bowl season!!!!!
by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 5, 2011 11:44 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
LET'S DO IT!!!!!
"Hey Jay, what time is it?"
"9:30"
"AND IU STILL SUCKS!"
by Boiler Bandsman on Dec 6, 2011 8:52 AM CST up reply actions
Important safety tip.
I've got this terrible pain in all the diodes down my left-hand side.
Bradley-Terry rankings for college football and basketball: because there aren't enough computer rankings already.
I see your Russell Wilson, and raise you Gabe Carimi, J.J. Watt, and John Moffett.
Last year’s Badger O-Line was the best collegiate O-Line I’ve seen since the mid 90’s Husker juggernauts. Also, UW had an actual pass rush last year. This year, UW’s worse on defense, and less consistent on offense. Oh, and the coverage units suck marginally more this time around, although the return units are actually no longer inept.
"Lying is like 95% of what I do."
-Sterling Archer, Codename: Duchess
by Bob Genghiskhan on Dec 6, 2011 10:48 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Based on numbers alone, the defense is actually slightly better this year.
2010 Wisconsin D – 321.77 yards per game, 20.54 points per game
2011 Wisconsin D – 293 yards per game, 17.00 points per game
Offensive ranks of opponents in 2010: 118, 101, 29, 102, 53, 77, 20, 57, 104, 54, 8, 48, 12…. Average: 60.23… approx 380 yards per game.
Offensive ranks of opponents in 2011: 117, 77, 10, 59, 85, 60, 107, 79, 109, 86, 94, 60 … 78.58… approx 372 yards per game.
So their 2010 opponents were slightly better on offense (by an average of 8 yards per game), but the defense has improved by 28 yards per game.
I’d call it a wash. if anything, the 2011 defense is about the same as the 2010 defense. I’ll give you the o-line from 2010 was better though.
by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 6, 2011 11:17 AM CST up reply actions
JJ Watt?!? He was a game changer. Maybe the rest of UW’s DL was average last year, but he was a stud. No studs this year.
LBs are marginally better this year, probably due to Borlan’s return to form (would have been better last year with him healthy).
Jay Valai would kill a man over the middle, but UW’s secondary is suspect this year.
Like I said, I was just going on pure numbers alone.
Watt was spectacular, good enough to be that guy to completely throw off Oregon’s offense.
If you’ve watched Oregon, one good defensive lineman can tear apart their offense. Nick Fairley did it last year. He disrupted so many plays and blew up the read on the option by taking out both the RB and QB. He didn’t have to make the tackle, but he did enough to disrupt the plays. He should have been the MVP of the BCS Title Game last year.
by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 6, 2011 12:47 PM CST up reply actions
David Gilbert was looking like a stud, until a foot stress fracture led to him getting a medical redshirt.
Author at Acme Packing Company, a Green Bay Packers blog, and Editor at BT Powerhouse, a Big Ten Basketball blog
Whatever holds the image of an angel IS an angel. The eyes are not the windows of the soul, they are the doors.
Yes, I am on twitter.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Dec 7, 2011 2:34 PM CST up reply actions
While I do think 2011 Wisconsin is better than 2010 Wisconsin...
2010 Wisconsin had a better defense (I don’t care what the numbers say). We have not shown a good ability to get to the quarterback and our rush defense is lacking. We make some big plays, tackles for a loss, but it seems like we’re susceptible to big plays the other way too (JJ Watt is sorely missed). Watching the Big Ten Championship was incredibly frustrating (until the end, because WOOOOOO.)
And while I do love Russell Wilson, Scott Tolzein was pretty darn good too (I WON’T FORGET YOU SCOTTY). Just something to keep in mind.
And the O-line was better.
They made John Clay – JOHN CLAY – into a 1000 yard rusher. John Clay was fat and slow and went down as soon as anybody touched him. He was only good at falling forward for 3-5 yards (which, you know, may have been nice for a certain 2-pt conversion).
???
Clay’s play over 2009 and the first part of 2010 made me angry that Bielema stuck with Mr. Inefficient P.J. Hill for so long.
Author at Acme Packing Company, a Green Bay Packers blog, and Editor at BT Powerhouse, a Big Ten Basketball blog
Whatever holds the image of an angel IS an angel. The eyes are not the windows of the soul, they are the doors.
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by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Dec 7, 2011 2:35 PM CST up reply actions
I’m really interested to see the Rose Bowl, and I really don’t see Oregon having much of a chance. Will Oregon be able to stop them even once? I think Wisky can stop the Ducks at least a couple of times. Their defense really sucks balls when compared to the top of the Big 10. Wisky will run for over 300 yards, and Wilson will be able to just pick them apart. The fact that the Badgers are able to have long sustained drives will give the defense a chance to rest, whereas if the Ducks are able to score, they’ll do it in under two minutes and the defense will be gassed by halftime. Hopefully the Buckeyes come to play in Jacksonville. GO BUCKS!
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