An early glance at the wide receiver class in the 2018 NFL Draft
November 14, 2017Sub-Cultures, Social Media, and Coverage in today’s NBA: While We’re Waiting
November 15, 2017Last week, it seemed as though the Ohio State Buckeyes had not shot to make their third College Football Playoff in four years. After their embarrassing loss at Iowa, all hope seemed lost. Just one week later, after dominating Michigan State, the scarlet and gray still (somehow) have a shot at making the Final Four. In the committee’s third rankings of the season, Ohio State moved up from No. 13 to No. 9 Tuesday night.
https://twitter.com/CFBPlayoff/status/930626199176478721
Passing Penn State was expected given that Ohio State beat the Nittany Lions, but passing teams like USC and TCU already could be very important later down the road, especially if all three teams win out.
After the newest rankings were revealed, College Football Playoff committee chairman Kirby Hocutt explained why the Buckeyes are where they are. The committee was quite impressed with the dominate win over the Spartans but those two blowout losses to Oklahoma and Iowa are still hanging over their heads and may eventually cost Ohio State in the end.
“(The) selection committee was extremely impressed with the win and the manner of which the win came about against Michigan State last week,” he said. “The win over Michigan State, the win over Penn State are two victories that the Selection Committee continues to be impressed with, but there again, the two losses to Oklahoma and Iowa also weakened the resumé at this particular time.”
In order to be the first two-loss team to make the Playoff in its four-year history, the Buckeyes will not only have to win their final two regular season games against Indiana and at Michigan, but they will also have to beat Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship game and (most likely) hope that Alabama, Miami, and Oklahoma win out as well. Obviously, a big upset would help to one of the top teams would help, but having those three teams win out is the most likely scenario. Given the remaining matchups this season, no matter what, three teams ahead of Ohio State will lose, and that doesn’t count the Badgers, who will likely go against the Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship.
At this point, all Ohio State can do is dominate their opponents and hope that other games work out in their favor. With two losses, it could be tough to make the Final Four, but this is the first year that a two-loss team has a legitimate shot of making the Playoff. If things (somehow) work out, the Buckeyes could see themselves with the No. 4-seed and headed to the Sugar Bowl, the exact same scenario they had when they won the national championship in 2014 with third-string quarterback Cardale Jones.
31 Comments
UM has no passing game. ZERO. Freshman WRs, red-shirt freshman QB, and an OL that is allergic to pass blocking. So, SUoO won’t be getting any help this weekend.
UGA has two fantastic RBs, but that’s all. Auburn all but ignored the passing game and focused completely on stopping the run. UGA better learn how to pass or they’re going to get stomped in the $EC Championship Game. Auburn’s QB came from Baylor. He knows how to pass. Alabama is going to have their hands full at Jordan-Hare next week.
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hi RGB … i read an article the other day that had the Browns taking UGA QB Fromm with the 1st pick in the 2020 draft … i haven’t seen him play , but he must be pretty good.
He’s solid. But last year, Darnold looked great, so you never know how things will pan out.
Regardless, if the Browns are still looking QB in 2020, I think they will have completely lost the fan base.
He’s kept the previous starter, #1 QB recruit Eason on the bench, so there is that.
UGA’s passing game is not good. So, there is also that.
Way too early to make an assessment of Fromm…and I see him play every weekend.
hi BEN … i agree about 2020. they are set-up real nice this year to address QB in FA , the draft or both. They’ve got to get this next one right … whether it’s Cousins , Darnold , Rosen , L.Jackson , Mayfield , or whoever , they gotta nail it.
good enough for me … thanks.
I think we would want the Badgers to win out anyway, setting up a match up in the B1G championship (assuming that we get past Illinois and lil blue).
All I care about with UGa is that if they and Miami do not wind up in the CFP, then they need to get matched up somewhere in the Richt Bowl.
Stuff like that is fun. Stanford should get a shot at Harbaugh, etc…
Darnold has been coming on in recent weeks. I still do not like his throwing motion (and some behind the scenes reports on how hard he prepares), but give credit to him for making his late season push.
(drafting him in the Top 10 would be a mistake- he might go back to USC anyway)
I’ve already predicted another 59-0 B1G title game beating.
Regardless of what Bucky does to UM this weekend, I just don’t think they’re that good.
Badgers heading into B1G championship game undefeated and as the No. 4 or so team in the CFP could help the Buckeyes the most. tOSU has a better SoS and a big win (14+ points and control) could be enough to jump them.
Of course, that would likely setup a game against a then rested and healthy Bama team. I don’t think it would end well.
I’m cooling on a QB pick this year. I want Ridley, and Minka.
Based on records and remaining schedules, it looks like a Harbaugh Bowl is possible.
But, I’m not going to research Conference-Bowl ties to verify that.
Yeah – I mean, I’ll worry more about it when we know who has declared and where the Browns are drafting. But it seems the shine comes off everyone during their final season, and then it miraculously returns the week of the draft.
Regardless, the Browns need to get the QB situation right this off season, not two from now, whether that’s Kizer, a rookie, or Kurt Cousins, etc.
Goff/Wentz show just how important that QB can be though. Watson in Houston before-and-after too. I don’t know, I think we need to get a QB unless we think that Kizer+maybe Tyrod is the answer.
Aha!
So, let’s get on these happening.
Do you think Lamar will last until the second-round?
Unlike most UM fans I have a soft spot for RichRod.
I think he got a raw deal.
Maybe so, but with the Buckeyes, nothing is for sure. What a talented but bipolar team.
As for UM, serious question: If they do end up with 4 losses (and bowl loss, say), is Harbaugh on the hot seat or is that not even in consideration?
I have a soft spot for him too, because he ruined the program. 🙂
He’s not on the hot seat.
His offense is super young, but it’ll need to progress next year, or the loonies may start grumbling. He’ll never say it, but he’s still feeling the effects of Hoke’s complete inability to develop the OL talent.
His teams were getting better. Hoke’s best team was RichRod’s upperclassmen, I contend that Hoke did more damage than RichRod.
I won’t complain, but just thought he’d be farther along this year…seems a bit of a regression. He’s had a few years of his recruits so there should be fruits of said labor by now…or maybe it’s still unripe fruit like you’re saying on the offensive side. I guess we shall see.
The defense is definitely showing the fruits of his labor.
And the running game is, also.
Problem is, he was left with nothing at QB, or OL, and all his experienced WRs graduated at the same time.
He inherited Wilton and that’s it. And he was never really expected to start. Rudock was a grad transfer who totally surprised and saved that offense.
His QBs are Brandon Peters, a redshirt freshman, who is a fine QB…when he’s not running for his life, and Dylan McCaffrey (Christian’s brother) who is redshirting this year.
Look at his skill positions…redshirt freshman QB, 2 true sophomore RBs, and all true freshman WRs.
Next year will be better.
No.
I mean, he could. NFL teams are going to be split on him. But, Watson doing what Watson did is going to help Lamar- alot.
No doubt he did.
If he could just last until the second round, we could score everybody I want! Mwahahahaha!
We could always trade back up in to the 1st round. I hear whoever has Pick No. 22 is willing to trade it to us.
I remembered seeing McCaffrey last year, and if he’s got the good family genes, he’s in good shape. Crazy Jimmy has had a few top 10 classes thus far. I’m sure if they don’t take a leap next year, there will be some hand wringing at least. Also not counting out beating the Buckeyes this year. No matter the record, it’s always a good one.
This is a funny article about Harbaugh when he left SF.
http://www.sacbee.com/sports/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/article5187357.html
This quote seems fairly applicable…
“▪ Your Harbaugh has been designed for offense and will require many high-end parts to run said offense. Yet his defense will be better than his offense. This paradox has not been explained.”