Cleveland Browns Week 7 Winners and Losers
October 24, 2016How much is Terrelle Pryor worth?
October 24, 2016For the first time this season, the Ohio State Buckeyes have fallen in both the Associated Press and Coaches Polls, where they are ranked No. 6 and No. 8 respectively following their stunning loss in Happy Valley Saturday night to ruin their undefeated season.
In the Coaches poll, Ohio State dropping six spots was expected; what wasn’t expected (and is somewhat surprising) is the fact that they only fell four spots in the AP poll. They are the second-best one-loss team, behind only the Louisville Cardinals (No. 5 in both polls), who lost at Clemson on the first day of October.
Following the upset victory over the Bucks, Penn State climbed into the Top 25 for the first time in four full seasons, the longest they have gone unranked since making their first appearance in 1940. Also, this is the first time a non-Joe Paterno coached Penn State team has been ranked since 1954.
Heading into Week 9, there are three Big Ten teams – including Ohio State – in the Top 11: (AP poll, Coaches poll)
- Michigan: No. 2, No. 2
- Nebraska: No. 7, No. 6
- Wisconsin: No. 11, No. 11
- Penn State: No. 24, unranked
Many of you are probably wondering if the Buckeyes still have a shot to make the College Football Playoff. The answer? Absolutely. Obviously, they must win out, but in doing so, there would be two teams ranked above them (Nebraska and Michigan) along with whoever they would play in the Big Ten Championship game. If they do win every game the rest of the season, I expect them to make the Final Four. Don’t ever count out head coach Urban Meyer. Las Vegas agrees:
Even after their loss, Buckeyes still have second-best odds to win national title, per @Westgate_LV:
Bama – 8/5
OSU – 3/1
Michigan – 5/1— Josh Poloha (@JorshP) October 23, 2016
Surprisingly, the Buckeyes have better odds with one loss than they did opening the season when they had just 10-to-1 odds to win the national championship in January.
While it’s not an excuse, whoever makes the Big Ten schedule needs to re-evaluate things going forward. It’s unfair to give Ohio State’s two biggest conference opponents on the road two weeks to prepare for their games against the Buckeyes. Both Wisconsin and Penn State had bye weeks prior to facing the Buckeyes. This doesn’t mean the Buckeyes shouldn’t have won in Penn State, but it is a little bit curious.
45 Comments
No worries, we’ll be back in the playoffs shortly after Thanksgiving. And this victory will be the sweetest win over Michigan since that epic 2006 game.
This is why football is so much better when Michigan is good.
Please, nobody under the age of 10 cries “unfair”.
The schedule is what it is, and had nothing to do with why they lost to a 20-point dog.
The B1G doesn’t have some secret agenda, and doesn’t do itself any favors by giving their best team a purposely “unfair” schedule.
I’ve heard a lot of people use the word “stunning” to describe the loss. Purely on paper, a #2 losing could be that…but anyone who’s watched this team over the last few weeks (particularly on Sat) wouldn’t be stunned in the least bit by a loss. As painful as it is to say, deserving of the loss would be more apt.
Taking nothing away from Wisco who played hard and prepared well–but man, the Bucks have been out of sync in almost all facets of the game for a long while. JT has been a shell of himself, the play calling is horrible, the O Line is getting consistently beat, and there have been major special teams breakdowns. The puzzling thing is that this is all a stark contrast to the inspired and hard ball they played the first few games of the season.
I wouldn’t count out an Urban Meyer though. They can rally, but it’ll take a major shakeup. Hopefully this loss will do it.
As to the first part, hope you’re right dude.
As to the latter, I suppose that’s the case–although the downside is that I have to see the mouthbreathers strutting around in public in full blue & corn yellow gear (and I’m on the west coast).
The scenario hasn’t changed. Win out and get in.
Did you see Harbaugh’s new Woody glasses?
In a weird, unexplainable way, I thought it was kind of cool.
I see plenty of Woody-hat wearing, red and silver zubaz pants wearing rubes around here.
Stop judging me! As I’ve told my wife, zubaz are making a comeback!
I wore some parachute pants waaaaaay back in the day (I want the 80’s back…), but I never rocked a pair of zubaz.
Ha. Saw that. I’m thinking more…Michael Douglas in Falling Down. Dude’s one step away from being triggered…on any given moment.
The biggest concern for OSU has to be the o-line. With apologies to Nebraska (whom I’ve not actually seen a whole game of yet), Michigan’s d-line as currently constructed (barring injury again this year) is on a complete other level to anything they’ve seen, including Wisconsin.
With that in mind, seeing the pressure Penn State was getting has to be discouraging.
JT has regressed this year with new coaches. Doesn’t seem like the same football player.
Back off, Jack. Those are issued with the diploma.
Agree, but can’t help thinking he’s trying to do too much with such a young team all around him.
Yeah, if I had to single out one area of concern–the O line is it. I know we lost a lot of experience and all, but they are just not cutting it. And our WR corps are a close second in terms of problems. So, you have no passing game, good D lines are playing the run, and we have a lot more 3rd and longs than I’ve seen in recent years. 3rd and 8 with JT running the predictable option obviously isn’t cutting it.
Most discouraging thing continues to be the offensive coordinators who have a penchant for puckering their bungholes under any kind of pressure. Curtis Samuel is consistently the best athlete on the field in every game, and yet there is absolutely no concrete plan to put the ball in his hands. Instead, there appears to be a gameplan to both “outfancy” the defense while trying to prove something with Weber (who’s fine; but he’s not the workhorse that OSU is used to having, and they’re not going to make him into something he’s not overnight – and should not be trying to do so when big games are on the line).
I had some awesome moments–like 3rd grade when I wore leather pants and skinny ties (Catholic grade school) in a Kevin Bacon Footloose phase apparently.
Even though I brought it up in passing last week, I completely agree about complaining over scheduling. It is what it is; but it is also certainly unlucky. Having to go to Wisconsin and State College in back-to-back weeks to face good teams coming off of bye weeks in night games is an unfortunate challenge that no team in America would want to do. I was hoping that it was going to turn into one of those “crucible” moments for OSU; survive that, and no stage will be too big. Turns out that the team was not equal to the challenge. In hindsight, I’m not surprised. It’s mostly Freshmen and Sophomores carrying a big boy load, and they looked tired and overwhelmed all game.
In 2014, the Penn State game was the game (and JT’s injury against UM) that mentally turned OSU into the juggernaut post-season team that they were. Even though the results were different in that game than they were on Saturday, I hold out hope that the same storyline will be true this year (minus the QB injury thing). UM gets to say whether that’s true (but I’m not overlooking any team left on this schedule – the Big Ten is legit).
Brooklyn in the house. I agree on Samuel – he is a surefire first-rounder when eligible. I am alsways amazed that they can’t find him more often. And Weber has been quite impressive, too. He’s got a ton of heart, which makes you one of my guys immediately.
As I kept saying (yelling) Saturday night (sorry, Mrs. Owen), the best way to find him is to HAND HIM THE FREAKING BALL.
I have been echoing this sentiment for the last 2 days. Really, really tough back-to-back. Probably unlike anything anyone else has played in years.
Two top-25 teams coming off of bye weeks, owning 2 of the 5 or 10 best home-field advantages in NCAA Football against a young Buckeyes team. I want to see the response against Nebraska in 2 weeks.
Actually, it would be to let him take the snap! I see Robert Smith at Euclid vs. St. Ignatius in my head.
UM still has to go to Iowa. I HATE going to Iowa.
And, I’m still nervous about going to Sparty next week. The team is really focused on inflicting some devastating revenge, but funny things happen in that game.
I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for Iowa, but I think they’re a shell (athletically). Granted, a tough shell, but once it’s cracked, I don’t think you’ll find much underneath. UM will be fine. I never discount Sparty, even though there, too, I think is more form than substance. All of that said, the shells and forms of Big Ten football this year could generally challenge any team from anywhere.
On OSU’s end, the big question is Nebraska. I have no idea whatsoever to make of that team. I ain’t skeered, but I am cinching up my Zubaz a little tighter.
I hate trips to Iowa worse than Columbus. Trips to Columbus you know what you’re getting into.
When you go to Iowa, it’s like they summon the children of the corn for power, and teams that aren’t that good are suddenly possessed by Malachi chasing you around with sickles.
https://media.giphy.com/media/xT0wlOHCMtx0DNxCjC/giphy.gif
Reminds me of a time in High School when my team played a conference rival from Ashtabula County (the rural part) for their Homecoming game. Our team mascot was the Beavers (I’ve heard and told all of the jokes, so don’t waste any time), and when we walked onto the field, those people had their pick-up trucks literally parked on the cinder track around the field, with many of them holding real dead beavers in their hands, taunting us.
We won the game 56-0, but ran to our buses afterward to the sound of banjo music (I may or may not have made up the banjo part – it was real in my mind at the time).
Aren’t there some chemical plants in Ashtabula County?
Couldn’t say. I avoid Ashtabula like it’s Cincinnati.
And by O-Line you mean the passing game.
The O-line collapse was a quarter… the passing game hasn’t been right for two full games.
Completely disagree.
JT’s had one game with a sub 120 passer rating this year (Indiana).
Overall he’s a 150.8 for the year which is second to his freshman year where he was an insane 169.8.
My fellow dudes…of the 12 starters and 12 backups on offense there are a total of 3 seniors. Youth makes mistakes and to this point Urban has done an unreal job of getting that youth to grow up as fast as possible.
This is the team’s first road loss in 4 years (regular season)…let that sink in and i think it helps in understanding the insane high bar he/we have.
The Buckeyes offensive issues all season finally mattered. Hats off to Penn State for taking advantage.
Pretend they are Cal fans
If the Buckeyes played UM this week, I’d be terrified. Good thing we have another month to get the head straight on these kids (might not matter).
Reminds me of the time we played Kirk Middle School (Shaw High) in wrestling. In order to intimidate visiting teams, all of the kids line the halls of the school in silence as you walk through them to the wrestling room. And then they shot at our bus on the way out.
Agree that it might not matter. This also just further proves in my mind the fallacy of “rankings” at any point before Conference Championships. Turns out, the Buckeyes were over-ranked. Huh. Probably still are.
We do have an insanely high bar, but I put no stock in the “road win” record. We have lost games outside of Columbus, they just weren’t arbitrarily considered to be “regular season” losses. A loss on the road in another stadium is a loss on the road in another stadium.
Also, JT has made plenty of mistakes of his own. I’m not saying that I’d trade him for any other QB, but I do think he’s individually regressed a little bit (or at least peaked/plateaued).
maybe Ohio State should trade for Joe Thomas.
Yep, if the CFP selection committee were doing these rankings based on what teams have already done (as they do), then I don’t think teh Buckeyes sniff #7, yet.
Good thing is that there are still pelts to put on the wall with the remaining schedule. Bad thing is that those teams are better than Penn State and we just lost to them. We’ll see.
Are they better than Penn State? How do we know? Michigan almost certainly is, but Nebraska? Maryland? Sparty?
Who isn’t better than Sparty this year? (and how did they fall that far that fast?)
Maryland is clearly better than Sparty.
/snickers
I honestly think Harbaugh has had this coming weekend circled since the schedule hit his icy hands. I mean, you saw the message he sent to Chris Ash for some weird recruiting slight. The MSU players were actively *taunting* the UM student section after last year’s game. That’s a whole other level of don’t-poke-the-bear.
There are seniors on this UM team that haven’t beaten Sparty. They won’t care that Sparty is trash this year.
In short, Sparty gon’ die.
I mean, in a non-rival week last week, Harbaugh faked a punt up 38 points. I have no idea what he has in store for Sparty.
He also challenged a spot in the 4th quarter of the same game, and in the post-game was clearly cheesed off about not winning the challenge.
I mean, I’m a pretty competitive guy. But THAT… that’s a whole other level.
“A loss on the road in another stadium is a loss on the road in another stadium”
Yes but no, the losses you speak of were neutral site venues which is much different than a regular season away game.
I can agree to a degree about the regression in JT due to his insane high bar he set in his freshman year.
The vast majority of those regular season road games were against opponents that aren’t nearly of the same caliber as their opponents in the neutral site games. My point is just that for the handful in which the stadium and fans have an actual impact (I think it’s far more minimal than most people assume – Wisconsin and Penn State being significant outliers, and sometimes Sparty), there’s a larger number where the only thing that matters is the extra stress of having to stay in a hotel, adjust practice schedule and diet, etc., which happens at neutral sites – and against better opponents, which more than cancels out the few regular season games in hostile stadiums.