The Obligatory Predictions Competition - Week 5
by Jonathan Franz on Sep 29, 2011 11:22 PM CDT
in All
Email
Print
1. NORTHWESTERN @ No. 24 ILLINOIS, 12:00 p.m. EST (10/1)
GRAHAM predicts ILLINOIS
Illinois is better than NW, but take this game off the betting table because of #PersaQuestionMark. Illinois wins
JON predicts ILLINOIS
If I actually believed Dan Persa was going to play like Dan Persa, I might be tempted to take the Wildcats. But this is not your typical Illinois team. A balanced offense and aggressive defense are hallmarks of the most promising team Ron Zook has fielded since 2007. Leaders 1, Legends 0.
GRAHAM predicts MICHIGAN
Too much terrible Gopher football to pick the upset. Michigan wins.
JON predicts MICHIGAN
Normally, the Wolverines are the team I can't figure out. But Al Borges' shifty shotgun attack, and Greg Mattison's zombie (as in, back from the dead) defense, have elevated my confidence in the maize and blue. Not that they'll actually get tested against a moribund Minnesota squad. The Gophers have played exactly two quarters of decent football all season. The rest has been largely forgettable. The same will be true for this game after the second quarter.
I picked MSU to win this game preseason. But the ND performance changes everything. OSU wins.
JON predicts OHIO STATE
This game comes down to one key matchup. How will the struggling Spartan offensive line fare against a talented, but shorthanded Buckeye front seven? I give an edge to the home team. Notre Dame's defense eviscerated Michigan State's ground game and the Spartans don't have near enough speed to go all Lamar Miller on Storm Kline and Co. To be sure, I think it's going to be close, very close. But ultimately, the Bucks take advantage of several short field situations and will their way to a win. Leaders 2, Legends 0.
4. No. 13 CLEMSON @ No. 11 VIRGINIA TECH, 6:00 p.m. EST (10/1)
GRAHAM predicts VIRGINIA TECH
VT to the National Title Game - says OTE's resident bowl expert. Nahhh, but I'll bet they're better than Clemson at home as we all wait for the Tigers to fall apart. VT wins.
JON predicts VIRGINIA TECH
So far, Clemson has a much better resume with wins over defending-national champion Auburn and Florida State. So why do I like the talented, but untested Hokies? Two words: Lane Stadium. It's the Autzen of the East.
5. No. 8 NEBRASKA @ No. 7 WISCONSIN, 8:00 p.m. EST (10/1)
GRAHAM predicts WISCONSIN
Wisconsin at home is money in the bank, especially because they're proven...Unlike Nebraska. The Badgers will put so much pressure on the struggling Nebraska defense. Wisky wins.
JON predicts WISCONSIN
It's the biggest B1G matchup since 2006, when No. 2 Michigan saundered into Ohio Stadium to take on the No. 1 Buckeyes. It was tough sledding for the visiting team that day, and Saturday night will be no different. Nevermind the fact that Camp Randall will be the toughest away environment the Cornhuskers have experienced in decades. Nebraska's defense is incomplete without Jared Crick, and they're going to need all the help they can get to slow down a triple-headed Badger attack. To borrow a phrase from Alabama assistant coach Scott Cochran, "They're wearing black because they're going to a motherfu*king funeral." Leaders 3, Legends 0.
26 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Im tired of people saying Nebby vs Wisky is the biggest big ten match since 2006
its wayyyyyy to early to say that. both of these teams could go on to lose 4 games and make it completely irrelevant. especially an unconvincing Nebraska.
anyway, since its the only game that really matters in the big ten this week. I say it ends up in a semi shootout with Wisconsin winning due to a more complete defense. Im more confident in Wisky’s D than Nebby’s D, and if Wisky finds a way to stop Nebraska’s offense (makes them throw), its over.
"Your spelling and grammar errors belie a seriously skilled thought process"- therealCatnuts
by justsomehawkeyefan on Sep 29, 2011 11:33 PM CDT reply actions
Middle ground (I'm likewise sick of it)
Let’s just call it “the most hyped game since 2006.”
Author at Off Tackle Empire
and Errant Pass Downfield
Follow @RicardoEfendi
by Ricardo Efendi on Sep 29, 2011 11:43 PM CDT up reply actions
Umm...
Perhaps the most hyped non-event since the technogeeks led us to believe that all hell was going to break loose during Y2K?
To be fair, it is historic.
I don’t think it’s fair to call this the best matchup since anytime because who knows how good either of these teams is. With that said, it’s still pretty historic. It’s Nebraska’s first game in the conference and it’s a Top 10 matchup. I’m just happy that its one week of the media hyping anyone other than the SEC.
Always check the words with the red squiggly line. They mean you probably screwed up.
Author @ www.offtackleempire.com
by KennardHusker on Sep 30, 2011 8:51 AM CDT up reply actions
As a technogeek
The only reason that all hell didn’t break loose for Y2k was because governments and corporations spent a ton of money fixing the problem just in time. The media over-hyped some things and came up with crazy and unlikely scenarios (TV movies with airplanes falling out of the sky? Not the technogeeks’ fault), but it was a serious problem, and for once the world realized it in time to prevent major economic consequences.
So, uh, yeah.
Crick is practicing and the coaches have confirmed that he is playing Saturday.
Beep beep, out of my way! I'm a motorist!
Which UM?
In the deed, the glory.
Corn Nation!
Follow @Aaron_Musfeldt
by Aaron Musfeldt on Sep 30, 2011 7:11 AM CDT up reply actions
Northwestern
Michigan
Michigan State
Virginia Tech
Nebraska
Yes I’m being a homer. WEHAVEFIVENATIONALTITLESSODEALWITHIT
:)
In the deed, the glory.
Corn Nation!
Follow @Aaron_Musfeldt
-
Illini
scUM
THEE Ohio State
VaTech
Bucky
With the #1 overall pick in the Rapture Draft, God chooses the Macho King Randy Savage
Illinois – Illinois should win by double digits. I don’t count out the possibility of a Zookerloss here, but Illinois is clearly better than Northwestern.
Michigan – Minnesota is bad. Michigan is not.
Michigan State – could honestly see either team winning by 20, but nobody who got as dominated as OSU did against Miami and played an incredibly even game with Toledo should be able to drop Michigan State to 3-2. Picking Sparty against OSU on the road feels dumb anyway, but I’m doing it.
Va Tech – another game where I can see either team dominating, mostly because I don’t think either team is anywhere close to as good as their ranking. Going with the home team and Clemson’s inevitable annual failure.
Wisconsin – If Wisconsin puts 8 men in the box and makes Nebraska throw, this could be over early. I still remember the Rose Bowl and know the Wisconsin coaching staff can screw up really simple stuff, and I don’t think Wisconsin is that much better overall, but the matchups definitely favor the Badgers, especially at home.
"I play for Penn State, we don't celebrate after TDs." - Penn State's Derek Moye, on being asked to act like he's celebrating a TD during a BTN shoot.
Wisky is proven?
Not sure they’ve proven anything this year. As usual, they’re OOC schedule is soft, to say the least. Saturday will be the first real challenge for them. Not that they won’t win (at night in Madison gives them a distinct advantage), but they have not been tested yet this year.
Why so much Bucky love?
I’m going to eat my words here, but I really don’t see Bucky crushing the Huskers like everyone is saying. Wisconsin isn’t quite as good as people think (again, UNLV and Oregon State have lost to FCS teams… UNLV got destroyed by their FCS team… moving on) and Nebraska probably isn’t quite as terrible as people have been saying. Vegas moved the line up because they had a ridiculous amount of action on 7.5. This will be the first time this year that Nebraska has all three All-American defenders playing at the same time, and I still believe we have been playing B1G defense against spread teams and it’s resulted in some ugly results so far.
With that said… here are the predictions:
Northwestern – Zook will screw this up. He tried to last weekend, and he’ll finish it this week. Illinois is the more talented team at this point, but Zook is an X factor that is difficult to overcome.
Michigan – Um, it’s going to be mighty hard to pick the Gophers the rest of the season, right? Maybe take the points… Maybe.
Ohio State – I don’t like this pick at all. MSU couldn’t keep Cousins from getting chased and hit against the Domers. I think OSU does the same.
Va. Tech – Clemson is a bettors hell. Still, is there a team with an easier schedule from here on out than Va. Tech? (Note, the only ranked team left on Wisconsin’s schedule at this point is Illinois… just throwing it out there. This might be a down year right now)
Wisconsin – Even with my rant, I think Bucky pulls it off because they play up to the home crowd. They look balanced offensively right now, and just in case we haven’t heard enough about their offensive line, they are really big. You know, because the B1G is BIG. Still, this could come down to special teams, and the Huskers have Bucky beat in that department. I cannot wait for this game.
Always check the words with the red squiggly line. They mean you probably screwed up.
Author @ www.offtackleempire.com
Three defenders playing together for the first time...
Can someone please put a little substance into this? I’ve seen some talking heads and read comments by a whole bunch of Nebraska partisans hanging their hopes on this point with the expectation it will lead them to victory. But isn’t there going to be some rust? Doesn’t this increase the likelihood of breakdowns in communication? I get it: they’re talented, they’re proven. But do you really want Dennard getting his feet wet against a guy who will likely be first team all-conference (so far McNutt and Toon are the top wideouts)? Also, while I’m high on Lavonte David, I think Crick is going to learn the hard way this isn’t the Big XII…
Author at Off Tackle Empire
and Errant Pass Downfield
Follow @RicardoEfendi
by Ricardo Efendi on Sep 30, 2011 4:57 PM CDT up reply actions
I get where you're coming from
Well, don’t worry too much about communication between those three. They have logged a lot of games together. They’ll be okay. I am worried about Toon and Dennard, but this is the same dude who asked to take on Blackmon after he had burned Prince last year and shut him down in the second half… Blackmon > Toon.
As for Crick, he gets a bad wrap. People want him to be Suh 2.0, but he’s just Crick. His job is to disrupt the hell out of the O-line, which if you watch tape, that’s what he does. He hasn’t gotten the stats yet, but they’ll come. Crick is sneaky fast and he has extremely good hands. He usually takes two offensive linemen on at a time and he rarely allows linemen to get up field. The way a defense attacks a big strong offense like Wisconsin is with speed (ugh… that word again), and Crick is that type of guy.
Lastly, I will say this… Nebraska has shut down offenses before. Pelini isn’t stupid. He led a National Championship defense at LSU that shut down a Big Ten offense. I don’t doubt that Wisconsin isn’t good, but I think that Wisconsin fans getting cocky over beating down subpar opponents isn’t wise. You’re right in saying Nebraska hasn’t seen a team like Wisconsin yet. Let’s be honest, Wisconsin hasn’t seen a team anywhere close to Nebraska either. Visions of UNLV getting thrashed by an FCS team dances in my head, and while I think Wisconsin wins, don’t be surprised to see a slugfest.
Always check the words with the red squiggly line. They mean you probably screwed up.
Author @ www.offtackleempire.com
by KennardHusker on Sep 30, 2011 6:56 PM CDT up reply actions
I don’t/didn’t have the expectation Crick would be Suh 2.0. Nobody will be Suh 2.0. Ever. The problem with Crick is he plays way too high and is just begging to be pancaked against a quality guard or center. And who plays opposite Dennard?
Author at Off Tackle Empire
and Errant Pass Downfield
Follow @RicardoEfendi
by Ricardo Efendi on Sep 30, 2011 8:26 PM CDT up reply actions
I also don’t know that it’s fair to compare Nick Toon and Justin Blackmon. Toon has five inches and almost 20 pounds on a guy just now getting back from injury. The comparison (or the harking back to the Oklahoma State game) doesn’t shed as much light as some would hope. I’m not saying Toon is going to light Dennard up; but let’s not make a projection based on something a healthy Dennard did a year ago against a much different receiver playing in a much different scheme with different personnel.
Author at Off Tackle Empire
and Errant Pass Downfield
Follow @RicardoEfendi
by Ricardo Efendi on Sep 30, 2011 8:30 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah, it’s probably not fair to compare Dennard now and then… However, he didn’t look too bad last week speed wise. The Personal Foul call was junk, and he still is one of the smartest DBs out there. As for Toon and Blackmon, I was more thinking of it from that strategy standpoint. I’m more worried about the opposite side of the field. I haven’t heard for sure who is starting. It’s most likely Ciante Evans. He is fast, but plays scared. He can usually catch up with his mistakes, but he makes a lot of mistakes.
As for Crick, he plays high, but his center of balance is remarkable. A lot of people think he’s just going to get rolled, but he is ridiculously quick and a lot of linemen trying to get under him and pancake him get spun out of and miss their blocks or get clogged up in technical situations they didn’t expect. It’s hard to explain, but it’s what makes him so crafty. I think Bucky will still get theirs on offense, and honestly, my gut tells me they win by a TD, but it won’t be any of this 25+ point nonsense I’ve started hearing. Of course, I could be delusional… In Pelini we trust.
Always check the words with the red squiggly line. They mean you probably screwed up.
Author @ www.offtackleempire.com
by KennardHusker on Sep 30, 2011 11:13 PM CDT up reply actions
Who’s said 25+? I hear lots of 7-14 point spreads, coming out of both Vegas and media people I trust. And it doesn’t really matter if he has a good center of gravity or not (beyond making it more difficult to score the actual pancake): he provides an easy target and will allow himself to get sealed. Bear in mind, too, Crick has probably never played against guys the caliber of Wisconsin’s interior line. Last year Kevin Zeitler beat out Bill Nagy, who’s now starting for the Cowboys. In other words, one could make the argument a guy lining up against Crick is better than an NFL starter. So I don’t think the quickness will be as big an issue as some of Crick’s proponents would like to think.
I honestly haven’t seen the film from last year’s Okie State/Nebraska game, so I won’t dwell on it. I will say, however, that from what I know about the Cowboys’ offense they spread it out and force a defense to put defensive backs on the field. Thus (I imagine) a couple of safeties are sitting back in support of the corners. This gives the corner more freedom with technique. Against Wisconsin’s running game and Wilson’s ability to roll out, the linebackers and safeties need to lean downhill. This forces the corners to play an outside leverage, allowing Badgers WRs a quicker release to the inside. For a player of Toon’s size (and hands), this gives him a distinct advantage. Anyways, this is what I’m getting at. Combine those conceptual and schematic issues with the fact that Dennard is coming off injury, and I think you see why I can’t help but roll my eyes when people just assume Dennard’s presence means Toon will be a non-factor.
Author at Off Tackle Empire
and Errant Pass Downfield
Follow @RicardoEfendi
by Ricardo Efendi on Oct 1, 2011 12:37 AM CDT up reply actions
Toon's not just going to get shut down...
I’ve heard some crazy spreads. People saying Wisconsin will walk over Nebraska. That’s all I’ve been defending. I think that Wisconsin’s offense has looked outright dominant at times, but this year is this year, and who knows what to expect. I don’t predict a win, but I still think it will be a good game. A really good game, in fact. Nebraska isn’t half as bad as people (not prognosticators as much as fans who just talk big… (parentheses within a parentheses, I had a guy bet me lunch on this game by giving me 28 pts… so yeah, I took that bet)). I just don’t understand how Wisconsin fans think that they will walk over Nebraska when they haven’t played a defense worth anything yet. You know, because UNI as the flagship win doesn’t instil fear.
Always check the words with the red squiggly line. They mean you probably screwed up.
Author @ www.offtackleempire.com
by KennardHusker on Oct 1, 2011 10:05 AM CDT up reply actions
Not one non-nebraskan is giving the Huskers a shot in hell?
Really? Not even one? Well, that’s just the setup for the perfect surprise now isn’t?
by Fake Pelini on Sep 30, 2011 8:39 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
Dan Persa saves the day
And single-handedly wins every football game this weekend. Nebraska 23, Wisconsin 27 with less than a minute left, and then… DAN PERSA SWOOPS IN and wins the game, Nebraska 23, Wisconsin 27, Persa 30. Or something like that.
So I’m going 100% homer on this, since “Belief Without Evidence” will always remain the unofficial motto of Northwestern football.
Northwestern – See above. Also, I think Colter gets some serious playing time at QB and redeems himself after Army.
Michigan – Because… well, Minnesota. But how hilariously painful would it be if Minnesota won?
Michigan State – I’m very uncomfortable with this… but I’m going to say OSU still has unresolved QB issues, and Cousins is up for a good game following his Notre Dame issues.
Clemson – Because why not? I don’t really think they’re significantly better than Virginia Tech, or that they’ll have a better season, but it feels like one of those games they’ll win. Also, I really don’t want Virginia Tech (or any ACC team) in the national title game.
Dan Per… uh, Wisconsin – I’m not 100% sold on Wisconsin, but they’ve looked better than everyone else thus far. Still, it’ll be a close game, and they win by a touchdown or less. And if they blow out Nebraska, then the national championship hype gets bigger and bigger until their highly improbably loss to Minnesota in November makes it an 11-1 season and takes them out of contention… making it possible for a 9-0 Dan Persa to get into the championship game by himself, and win.
Illinois: NW is not good
Michigan: Gophers are not good
Michigan State: Don’t know why, I just see this happening.
Clemson: Both are overrated, but VT is more overrated. They are going to miss having Tyrod Taylor after this game. And their defense is a step behind the Bud Foster standard.
Wisconsin: Welcome to the B1G, Nebraska. We play defense here (well, usually).
Luring recruits with my new "Posting HD" scheme since '08.
Illinois – Just because unless the ‘Cats have learned how to tackle in the last two weeks, stopping that rushing attack will make for a long day. No worry, I turn 21 on Monday and will be drinking away the "Winnetka’s Big Ten Team" jokes that persist through the season.
Michigan – I just plan on drinking every time Denard runs. Or throws… Maybe both.
OSU – I still won’t pick against the Buckeyes at home. And I’m disgusted with myself.
VT – But really only because 8-Ball creeps me the fuck out.
Wisconsin – And I don’t know if it’ll be as close as some people think it’ll be. But I’m always prepared to eat my words!
This picks have fully disgusted me.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Off Tackle Empire
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
