I'm not even going to pretend to know what the deal is with Wisconsin. For some reason, in recent history, they have dominated Ohio State winning four of the last six including two straight in Ohio Stadium. On top of that, two other Badger wins came after the Buckeyes jumped out to 17-0 leads. To get all Superman on you, the Badgers are Kryptonite for Ohio State. Being off the schedule the last few years suited me just fine.

The series picks up again this Saturday and Wisconsin would like nothing more than continue their assault. Ohio State needs to be emotionally charged for the game even though natural reaction dictates a letdown coming off a big win. This is easier said than done, especially for Jim Tressel as the cheeseheads are the only team who can say they sport a winning record against the Vest. But, there's hope. Not only is Ohio State the better team this year, Kirk Ferentz and Iowa have apparently drafted the blueprint on beating the Badgers.

Iowa's Success

• 2002 - Iowa 20 Wisc 3
• 2003 - Iowa 27 Wisc 21
• 2004 - Iowa 30 Wisc 7
• 2005 - Iowa 20 Wisc 10

Iowa beat Wisconsin four years in a row from 2002-2005 (a quick look didn't yield another team that matched this). In 2006, they lost a close one and this year a vastly inferior Iowa team took the Badgers deep into the 4th quarter before losing 17-13 in Camp Randall. That should have never happened. I mean, this Hawkeye team completed all of 4 passes in regulation against Michigan State.

Ferentz, however, knows the secret potion to get the Wisconsin out of sync. Even in the loss last year, Iowa averaged 7.1/carry against a pretty decent Wisconsin defense. Albert Young is good but he's no Darren McFadden or Chris Wells for that matter. So, it may be beneath us but someone better take a look at the Iowa tapes; take a cue from our fellow four letter state brethren. Look at the offense and defense, pick up some nuance that we might be able to employ because if Wisconsin is our Kryptonite, Iowa is for the Badgers. Maybe it was only an Alvarez thing but but it can't hurt, even if PJ Hill's availability is in question.

Rank	Team	Delta	Comments
1	Ohio State	--	Say whatever you want about the Big Ten but this team consistently performs well and has yet to be challenged in the fourth quarter (Michigan State included).
2	Oregon	--	They played well on a huge stage.  Next up, the 4th ranked Sun Devils.   If you made them #1, I would understand.
3	Arizona State	3	They came from behind with their best player out and their QB dinged up.  If Carpenter is not totally healthy this weekend, they could be in trouble.  They have to win in a shootout.
4	LSU	1	They are not unbeaten and they are not the best one-loss team.  This is their last tough opponent. Will Les Miler outsmart Saban ... or himself?
5	Boston College	--	Winning at Lane Stadium on Thursday night should garner more respect.   So, why do I feel like the Eagles are about to fall apart?
6	Oklahoma	2	Hey Sooners, look better than Kansas did last weekend or prepare to switch with the Jayhawks.
7	Kansas	1	When was the last time Kansas was favored against Nebraksa?  Seriously, when was it?  I have no idea.
8	Missouri	1	Depending on your view of Oklahoma, Missouri could be the best one-loss team in the country.   They finish with 3 of 4 on the road, so that status may not remain for long.
9	West Virginia	3	When no one is watching the Mountaineers are as good as they want to be.   Turn on the bright lights and they cannot get out of their own way.   Fortunately for West Virginia, no one will be watching the rest of the way.
10	Georgia	8	The celebration annoyed me, but the offensive balance was impressive.  The big pass plays and Moreno allowed the Bulldogs to convert 10-13 third downs.
11	Michigan	5	It is a little uncomfortable placing the Wolverines here, but the win against Minnesota is better than you think.  Michigan had trouble converting yards into points, but they were basically starting their B-Team.
12	Alabama	14	Which Alabama team will we get?   The "lights-out" squad that played Tennessee?  Or, the one that got pushed around by Florida State?
13	Auburn	4	Same story as Michigan except they had their starters.  I am trying not to read too much into that game.
14	Texas	7	To make it any higher than this season the Longhorns need to blow out their last three opponents.
15	Southern Cal	5	If you think Oregon is #2, then show some respect to a Trojan team who hung tough on the road with the backup QB.
16	Florida	9	t is strange to rank a three loss team this highly, but I believe they would beat everyone below them (see Tennessee).
17	Tennessee	7	They were reeling at home and found a way to win in overtime.  When it is all said and done, you cannot spell Citrus without UT.
18	Wisconsin	8	The Badgers have won three straight at Ohio Stadium.  Can they make it four?  I doubt it, but they will not go down without a fight.
19	Virginia Tech	6	The defense looked great for 55 minutes, then they went to the prevent defense.  When will coaches learn that is a lead reducing defense?
20	California	6	They have lost three in a row?  How are they ranked you ask?  I am not sure, but I think they would beat the last five teams.
21	Clemson	5	Their two losses are forgivable but they have Wake Forest, BC, and South Carolina coming to town after a tune up against Duke.  They have a chance to climb up this ladder in a hurry.
22	Connecticut	4	I do not believe in the Huskies.  I will not be surprised if they lose their last four games.
23	South Florida	12	While I am at it, I do not believe in South Florida either.  I bet they lose at least one more.
24	Wake Forest	2	Don't look now, but Wake is on its way to another 10 wins if they can beat Clemson in two weeks.
25	Purdue	1	They have zero quality wins, but their losses are against the conference heavyweights, which is more than many two-loss teams can say.

Preface: We at the Review would like to congratulate Anthony Morelli. With Jenkins’ pick six last night; Morelli officially became the poor man's Zach Mills.

Indiana (5-4) at Wisconsin (7-2)
Score: 33-3 Wisconsin

A few stats: Tyler Donovan (Wisc.): 12-21, 144 yards, 1 int, Kyle Jefferson (Wisc.): 3 catches, 50 yards; Kellen Lewis (Indiana): 17-33, 113 yards, 2 int’s; Marcus Thigpen (Indiana): 11 catches, 70 yards.
A couple words: P.J. Hill left the game with a “lower leg injury” according to ESPN…Indiana’s offense was non-existent…Travis Beckum (#9) is a weapon for the Badgers and the Bucks need to have an eye on him next week; he will line up at tight end and wide out…Even without Hill in for the whole game Wisconsin ran for 279 yards.
Game Changer: Lance Smith-Williams(Wisc.): 2 TD’s and 79 yards filling in for Hill.

Ball State (5-4) at Illinois (6-3)
Score: 28-17 Illinois

A few stats: Rashard Mendenhall (Ill.): 28 carries, 189 yards, 2 TD’s, Juice Williams (Ill.): 7-15, 145 yards, 2 int’s, Arrelious Benn (Ill.): 4 catches, 97 yards.
A couple words: Illinois gets a legitimate win over an up and coming MAC school who gave Nebraska a run for their money earlier this year...Rashard Mendenhall continues to put up big numbers…Juice Williams continues to struggle passing, but now that Illinois is bowl eligible for the first time since 2001, many will forgive him…Not to beat a dead horse but we need to be ready for this Illinois squad in two weeks. They have too many athletes.
Game Changer: Rashard Mendenhall (Ill.): If Mike Hart is going to stand on the sidelines all season this guy should be first team all Big Ten. Think I am crazy? Check out Mendenhall’s statistics here. Check out Hart’s here. I don’t know about you but I like the running back with more yards rushing, more yards per carry, and more receptions.

Minnesota (1-8) at Michigan (7-2)
Score: 34-10 Michigan

A few stats: Mario Manningham (Michigan): 5 catches, 162 yards, 1 TD, Ryan Mallet (Michigan): 11-20, 233 yards, 1 TD, Brandon Minor (Michigan): 21 carries, 157 yards, 1 TD. Adam Weber (Minnesota): 14-30, 99 yards.
A couple words: I think the last time I saw the whole Michigan team on the field it was here. Check that, it might have been here....MZone takes the time to put Ryan Mallet in his place while the comments left on mgoblog are anything but flattering…The bottom line is that Michigan keeps on winning, but spare me the All-American/Heisman hype for Mr. Hart if he continues to sit on the sidelines…Jim Tressel sent a message to Chris Wells a few weeks ago by starting him against Kent State when he was dinged up, L-L-L-L-Loyd must not feel it is necessary to promote toughness like that.
Game Changer: Mario Manningham: 5 catches for 162 yards leaves him with a nice average.

According to the national media, Penn State represented the biggest challenge for Ohio State. JoePa's team came in with an excellent defense and an offense ironically sparked by the unfortunate suspension of running back Austin Scott. The stage was set with a night game in front of a national audience and the second largest crowd in Beaver Stadium - an environment ripe to explode with an upset. After all, the Lions were somebody, a team dramatically different than what the Buckeyes have seen in previous weeks based on a schedule chock full of weakness. So, it was with great pleasure that I watched Ohio State prove critics wrong again in their thorough 37-17 beating of Penn State.

The genesis of the pleasure was more than just exalting in victory. One has to remember what occurred the last time we played in Happy Valley, when Troy Smith was blind-sided on what could have been a game tying drive. The fumble recovery closed out the loss and punctuated a miserable trip where the band was treated in despicable fashion. Seeing as how the offensive line performed, it's appropriate to let Kirk Barton explain, as only he can, that the victory was for the team and others:

"Real quick before I go on, I just want to say we dedicated this to our band, well, that's something I came up with because they couldn't come back after they had like piss bombs and blood balls thrown at them last year, so this is for our band. It's not all Penn State fans, it only takes a couple, but it spoils the whole experience of college football for our band. Just let them know we're thinking about them (the band)."

Of course, they were playing for themselves more than anything. The offensive line in particular felt the desire to amend some breakdowns that occurred against Michigan State. From Barton to Boone and everyone in between, Todd Boeckman barely had a hand on him through much of the game. This protection provided the time for Todd to surgically shred the Nittany Lion defense with passes of all types: dump offs, intermediate routes and the deep ball. Third down conversions were staggeringly successful mainly because of the efficiency of Boeckman and the playcalls from Jim Tressel.

The arial attack was balanced with a healthy dose of Beanie Wells. Though he never had a run more than 17 yards, Beanie churned well over 100 yards on very consistent running. Even Mo Wells looked sharp providing the type of substitute this team needs when Beanie needs a break. Put it all together and the attack left Penn State defenders questioning their play and solemn in defeat. Or as one PSU fan described the loss:

Empty 55 gallon drum of WHOOP A$$ on the visitors sideline.

You'll find no disagreement here. Kudos, too, for descriptive writing example.

This all brings me back to the national media The convincing win has activated a subtle movement from uncertainty to mild praise. Various media outlets actually believe in this team which is notable considering the bevy of naysayers from coast to coast just a few days ago. With each week, we keep taking care of our business and moving on. And, no matter what cockamainy spin someone tries to put on it, winning is always better than a loss - no matter how pretty the loss was our who it came against. Some just take longer to understand this lesson.

My game analysis is up with the caveat it was written without a game review. I do, however, have some thoughts on the play of Marcus Freeman as it relates to James Laurinaitis. I have some game video from ESPN in the sidebar. No play of the week as I don't have video which is fine. BCS Standings have changed little and game time and channel for Wisconsin has been announced: Noon on the Big Ten Network.

A lot of talk this week as centered around the perceived gaps in the offensive line based on Michigan State's two minutes of fun. The Buckeye staff and players have apparently worked on shoring up any deficiencies this week because expectations are Penn State will unleash every blitz package they have, plus a few new ones. For me, I think the game hinges on three areas: ball security, touchdowns not field goals and adjusting to Penn State's offensive attack. On the latter, I expect a plethora of rolling pockets and boots from the Lions.

Unfortunately, I will see very little of the game. I am part of the homecoming ceremonies at my alma mater which will tie me up until the third quarter or so. Game thread below. Send all your positive vibes to our team in Happy Valley.

Tidbits:  In case you missed it, the Buckeyes have won 26 consecutive regular season games.  That is a school-record.  Overall, the Buckeyes have won 27 of their last 28 games.   The previous record for consecutive regular-season wins was 21, set from 1967-69.  The Scarlet and Gray have also won 17  straight home games  and 21 of the last 22 games played in the Horseshoe.  Ohio State has won a school-record 18 consecutive Big Ten Conference games, dating to the 17-10 loss at Penn State Oct. 8, 2005.   Ohio State is now 65-9-1 when ranked No. 1 in the country.  

Here We Go Again: If nothing else, SEC fans are immodest and shameless self-promoters. Now that Ohio State and LSU are precariously close in the BCS standings the talk has already begun about what the Tigers would do to poor little Ohio State if they met in New Orleans (that is assuming Ohio State even bothers to show up).  I hear this stuff all the time, but I wondered but the historical data would show.  

A little research tells us that Ohio State is 1-9-1 against SEC teams since 1950.  That is not a misprint. So, you are probably asking yourself, "Why is an ardent Ohio State writing such blasphemy on the best Ohio State blog?!"  Mostly, because I was curious what the record is and because you are bound to hear it over and over again if Ohio State is fortunate enough to play in the National Title game against LSU.  But there is another reason; I wanted to analyze the record.  

So, what is causing this horrible record?  One common theory is that the SEC teams are playing virtual home games in the south.  The mileage says otherwise.  On average, Ohio State has traveled 930 miles, while the SEC team has traveled 765 miles to play each other.  In the days of chartered flights and 4-star hotels, I hardly think the extra 170 miles makes much difference.  Strangely lending some credence to this theory, Ohio State's lone win against the SEC is a home win versus LSU.  Moreover, a bad Ohio State team (4-6-1) beat LSU (8-4) 36-33 with  furious comeback in the fourth quarter. 

The other comment I often hear is that Ohio State (and, Big Ten teams in general) always get bad bowl match-ups.  Because the Big Ten teams draw so many fans, bowls are willing to take lower ranked, high-profile teams to fill seats.  Thus, a mismatch is born.  I have no hard data on this hypothesis beyond the teams' records in the individual year they played.  But, as SEC fans are so apt to say, records can be deceiving.  Ohio State was a cumulative 91-39-3 (.684) in the years it played an SEC team.  The SEC teams were a cumulative 112-23-1 (.829) when playing Ohio State.  That is a big spread, folks.  What makes Ohio State's winning percentage in those seasons even more surprising is that since 1950 the Buckeyes' winning percentage is the best in college football: .754 (465-147-15).  

Finally, I thought I would check to see how other Big Ten teams have fared against the SEC.  Surely, if the mightiest of them all struggles there is no hope for the rest of the league.  Yet, that is not the case.   Michigan is 10-4 against the Southeastern Conference;  Penn State is 15-16; including winning 6 of the last 8, and Iowa is 3-3.  Even the Golden Gophers are 3-1. 

So, is it bad travel schedules, bad match ups, bad teams, or bad luck that has caused OSU's skid?  Most likely a combination of each.  If Ohio State makes it to New Orleans at the end of this season and has to play an SEC team, remember one thing fellow Buckeyes fans:  if Minny can beat them, anyone can.  

Picture Pages:  A new site has been launched called PoorSportz.  It is founded by a local and is poised to become the finest sports trash-talking site on the Web.  It is billed as a site dedicated to the best (worst) fans around.  It is easy to use and will provide you with hours of enjoy (and inactivity at work).  You can browse photos uploaded by fellow fans and arch rivals. Or, you can create your own images and email them around the globe to opposing fans.  Show us what you've got Buckeyes' fans!  

To Penn State's credit, their white out idea has been habitually repeated the last two ears by various teams. The central idea is the same, only the color changes. We even tried it once in Ohio Stadium with moderate success. Yes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery as they say but the Nittany Lions may be trying to one up themselves. There is at least one Facebook group dedicated to enhancing this year's white out with...glow sticks. The Daily Collegian even gives a mention. I guess it will be interesting to see if this actually pulled off, or if it's just a small faction of people who follow through.

It doesn't stop there. Coach Joe Paterno will be lathering up a pep rally crowd on Friday night - much like he did in 2005. In some ways, the Ohio State game represents salvation for many Nittany Lion fans because a win over the top ranked team gets their team back into the thick of things and maybe even the top 15. And should Ohio State lose, prepare yourself for a unprecedented free fall drop in the polls.

Beanie's bone chip turns out not to be one. That's the story from Ohio State anyway as posted by Dispatch writer Ken Gordon. It was Gordon who first broke the news of the bone chip injury (which is different than bone spur, I don't know why Ken is using both terms interchangeably) told to him by an anonymous source. Now Coach Tressel and Beanie himself are playing coy forcing Gordon to issue his mea culpa. Which brings me to my point: he really may have a bone chip in his ankle. The only difference now is some interference has been run casting uncertainty.

Sunday Morning QB has issued some thoughts on Ohio State and their legitimacy as a true #1. HIs blogpoll ballot actually clues us in on what side he's one - he OSU staggeringly low. Anyway, this new article is based entirely on statistics because, as he admits, he's barely seen 'one snap' of Ohio State. That doesn't mean there isn't some good data to chew on - there is and a lot of it - and it should confirm the Buckeyes will only convince some if they win it all.

Rank	Team	Delta	Comments
1	Ohio State	--	Welcome back Chris Wells.   Now, stay healthy and the Ohio State ground game is in good hands.  Lost in the close win was the suffocating defense.
2	Oregon	5	This is the best offense in the country.   24 fourth quarter points?   661 yards?   Yikes.  USC may have a nice defense but they may only hold the Ducks to 35 points.
3	LSU	2	The offense looked better with Doucet back, but this team is only a few plays away from having a 3-game losing streak.   How long can they live on the edge?
4	Oklahoma	2	National Champion caliber teams do not struggle with the Cyclones.
5	Boston College	1	Hopefully, the Eagles got all their penalties out of the way against ND.   Otherwise, it will be a long trip home from Blacksburg.
6	Arizona State	3	This is what the world has been waiting for.   ASU v. a real opponent.  The injury to Torain is upsetting, but Keegan Herring has two weeks to get integrated into the offense.
7	Florida	4	The Gators finally finished well.   Now, they have to finish the nasty 4-game stretch this weekend with a 2-2 record.
8	Kansas	4	Teams are gunning for them now and they did win at Colorado – something the Sooners could not do.
9	Missouri	4	hat was an impressive win against Texas Tech the week after the tough loss to OU.   The schedule lets up until the road finale at Kansas.
10	Southern Cal	4	I did not watch one play of the Notre Dame and it would not have proved anything if I had.   If they can get healthy and win this weekend, there is a jump in their future.
11	South Florida	2	This is where they were last week and this is where they stay.   They were not a top-5 team last week, but they do not deserve to be any farther down than this.
12	West Virginia	2	I seriously doubt the Mountaineers will lose again.   That schedule is garbage.   Unless USF loses, I will not rank them ahead of the Bulls.
13	Virginia Tech	2	They have everything going in their favor to get back into the National Title picture. Last time they had this chance, they were destroyed by LSU.
14	California	8	What happened?   Losing to Oregon State with a backup QB is acceptable in this crazy season.   Losing to UCLA is not.   If they can pull it together, they can knock off ASU and USC in the next few weeks.
15	South Carolina	7	They got behind by 17 and were hopelessly lost.   The defense might be very good, but the offense just does not inspire confidence.
16	Michigan	7	The win against Illinois was nice but the injuries are disconcerting.   This week is a bye against Minnesota and then the big finish.
17	Auburn	--	They almost pulled off the unthinkable – winning at LSU, at night.   The same team that lost to Mississippi State at home should have pulled it out. Non matter how you shake it, however, they have lost three games.
18	Georgia	4	They never beat Florida.   In this upside down season, take the Bulldogs.   The defense is playing well on the radar.
19	Kentucky	3	Lost in all the excitement around the Wildcats is their terrible defense.   They gave up 34 to Lousiville, 23 to South Carolina, 29 to Arkansas, 37 to LSU, and 45 to Florida.   What is the over/under on Mississippi State this weekend?
20	Penn State	5	As usual, 20-25 are interchangeable and disposable.   The Lions two losses on the road do not appear to be that bad, but this team has no identity.   The defense shows up against Wisconsin and then takes a vacation against Indiana. What do we get this weekend?
21	Texas	3	Their best win is against TCU.   Ugh. And, they do not play anyone the rest of the way. They need to destroy some folks to get noticed.Their best win is against TCU.   Ugh. And, they do not play anyone the rest of the way. They need to destroy some folks to get noticed.
22	Rutgers	4	Nice win on Thursday.   Now, back it up this Saturday.
23	Virginia	3	They barely win each week, but at least they win. That has to count for something.
24	Tennessee	6	Three road games.   Three huge losses.  Luckily, they only have one road game remaining.   Unfortunately, that is at Kentucky.
25	Hawaii	1	I should probably have ranked a BCS conference team here.   But, these spots don't count this late in the season, so what the hell?

With the home stretch approaching in the regular season of college football many teams have put themselves in a position to make a run, others have thrown in the towel, while still others are “laying in the weeds” and with a big run to finish out the season, could find themselves positioned nicely in the Big Ten standings come bowl season.

Ohio State has done what many expected them to do, going 8-0 headed into Happy Valley. Penn State forced Indiana into 4 turnovers last weekend and Anthony Morelli had a solid game statistically going 22-32 for 195 yards and two touchdowns. If nothing else he is going to have confidence going into this weekend.

Without the key to their offense playing, Michigan went to Champagne and put Illinois in their place. Michigan has now positioned themselves to make a run at two of the three goals they talked about during the off-season. The Big Ten title is still very much in reach and beating Ohio State may even mean more than that. No reason to speculate what Michigan is thinking about doing with Lloyd Carr; whether Les Miles is interested in Michigan; whether Michigan is interested in Les Miles, blah blah blah. Michigan is positioned to do some big things after a tough start.

Wisconsin, Illinois, and Penn State have all become “middle of the pack” teams in the Big Ten, statistically. Talent wise many would assume this is a step up for Illinois while Penn State and Wisconsin have to be a little disappointed. Wisconsin’s loss to Illinois, Illinois’ loss to Iowa, and Penn State’s loss to Michigan set the tone for the first half of their respective seasons. However, if any of these teams win out, they will have themselves in position for two weeks in a warm climate and a very respectable bowl game come December or January. Without sounding too negative, my belief is that if any of these teams were in the SEC they would be ranked highly in the top 25.

Purdue, Northwestern, and Indiana have all fielded competitive football teams but for different reasons have failed to establish themselves as a title contender. Each was given a chance. Indiana had a chance to beat Penn State on Saturday. Purdue was beaten badly in consecutive weeks by Ohio State and Michigan. Northwestern also played Michigan competitively.

Michigan State, Iowa, and Minnesota have all struggled. Michigan State and Minnesota are struggling through coaching changes while Iowa lost a big senior class last year. Michigan State has a nice talent pool and it will certainly grow with Dantonio in charge; Minnesota may have the best freshman quarterback in the conference in Adam Weber, and Iowa’s Christenson is only a sophomore. Look for them to make runs in the near future.

The Bucks have performed the best so far and deserve to be atop of the standings. However, with Michigan starting to roll, and Illinois, Penn State, and Wisconsin just a few wild weekends away from finding themselves on top, don’t blink. We could find ourselves on the outside looking in faster than Malcolm Jenkins disrupting a slant route.

Upset Watch:
Michigan @ Michigan State, November 3rd
Indiana @ Wisconsin, October 27
Illinois @ Ohio State, November 10th

If there was ever a time to use the internet acronym OMG, it occurred late in the third quarter during Ohio State's 24-17 victory over the Spartans. Three minutes of pure craziness turned a 24-0 beating into several tense moments which, depending on your personality, was punctuated by either the most vile cursing you could muster or just general mouth agape speechlessness. I know which side I was on.

What happened cannot be explained other than to say the Ghosts of '98 swept into a perfectly tranquil Ohio Stadium and disrupted things for short period of time when five snaps from center resulted in an interception and two fumbles. Two of the three plays wound up as turnovers and 14 points for Michigan State. We were apparently and unfortunately in the gift giving mood so it should be noted our offense really scored 38 points. It was so extraordinary it's worth showing how the play-by-play boxscore read because if there's ever a sequence of events to learn from it's this:

My initial reaction was to cast all blame to the offensive line. Initial reactions can be wrong though and after further processing, Todd Boeckman really shoulders the interception almost completely. Michigan State sent a blitzing linebacker who wasn't picked up, Todd made the correct hot read but the throw was painfully behind Brian Hartline which made easy work for Otis Wiley. However, I think the offensive line is to blame for the sack and forced fumble and, apparently, Kirk Barton agrees:

It's hard to go out there with your family after a game like this, when you're outclassing a team, and all of a sudden they come back because you give them a couple easy bunnies. Our defense has been lights out, as they have been in every game, and our offense was doing a couple stupid things. It's hard to be calm and not throw a hissy fit right now, but I'm not happy."

And this:

“When your foot is on that jugular, you have to kill that fool. You don't just back off, let him stand up and punch you a couple of times and then knock him back down."

More than anything, I think the offensive line was confused on what would have been a screen to the left side of the field. The entire right side of the line mismanaged their blocks leading to the sack and Boeckman fumble. Sure, Todd could have seen it coming but then again, he barely finished his drop before being blindsided and that has to be on the guys up front. Oh and "kill that fool" (metaphorically speaking) should become the team motto from this point forward or, if not the team, the offensive line at the very least.

The good thing is these three plays, for the most part, were pretty much all that was wrong with the day. I thought the offensive line played very well, especially the first half. It helped that we boot-legged Todd quite a bit and the misdirection confused the Spartans. He started out hitting his first 10 passes including a sterling strike from his own endzone to Brian Robiskie on third and long. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the reemergence of the toss sweep, which helped jumpstart Wells' day early. Overall, It was about as effortless of a 24 point lead as one team could build - and it likely should have been more. I still cannot get over the blatant incorrect ruling in regards to Javon Ringer's fumble. Ruled correctly and Ohio State has the ball again inside MSU's 30 and up 17-0.

And That Defense: Say want you want about who've played, but Michigan State, from all accounts, possesses a fine offense - one that is balanced and has rolled up almost 600 yards on three occasions. Against Ohio State, they scored 3 points and ran only 7 plays on our side of the 50. They also were held to less than 80 yards in the first half and 185 overall. We do this with two starters out for the year - Lawrence Wilson and Curtis Terry.

Trapasso's Value: Special teams players get precious little pub and when they do, it's usually for something bad like a missed FG or blocked punt so I think it's worthwhile to point out the double duty AJ Trapasso's been putting in the last few weeks. We know he's been doing a great job punting the ball but he has now taken over full time kickoff duties as well and to our surprise, he has a cannon attached to his hip. While most teams struggle with the new kickoff rules, AJ can bomb it into the endzone pretty much when he wants. About the only thing that can stop it is a 30 mph north-south wind like the kind we had Saturday.

31/221: The 221 rushing yards by Beanie is good for ninth best all-time at Ohio State. It's even more impressive considering he was docked 13 yards for the fumble, forced by Hilliard graduate Antonio Jeremiah, and subsequent backwards travel until Beanie recovered his own mistake in one of the more fortuitous breaks of the year. All this production from a player with an injury officially diagnosed as a bone chip in his ankle.

Still working on game analysis and accompanying video.

If anyone thought the success of Ohio State basketball was a fleeting, blimp on the radar - think again. Trae Golden, one of the top point guards in the 2010 class, has committed to Ohio State and Thad Matta. The 6'1" four-star product from Atlanta is Scouts.com's 9th rated prospect and joins two five-star commits in the same class: Jared Sullinger and DeShaun Thomas. And Yes, Thomas is still committed.

Golden received overtures from many of the top programs including Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Kentucky. He officially visited over the weekend and committed upon returning home.

The Spartans come into Ohio Stadium today trying to rekindle the magic of a year that will remain unmentioned. It's the calling card for all Spartan fans despite a near 10 year gap and a different head coach on our sidelines (and a different one for MSU - better than Saban?). They'll be a Tressel on the other sidelines too and a plethora of other tie-ins that makes this game slightly different than others.

For last minute game previews, 11W and BuckeyePlanet have you covered. The Dispach has a different type of breakdown. For me, basic fundamentals will be important: stop the run, get pressure (MSU is second to last in sacks allowed), and offensively keep doing what we've been doing and hold onto the ball while doing it.

Edit (7:56pm) In beating the Spartans 24-17, do not be fooled by a two play, one minute sequence that totally skews the score of the game. The 14 defensive points Michigan State scored late in the contest came as a result of two of the freakish turnovers and subsequent runbacks one will see. More accurately, Michigan State scored 3 offensive points on OSU's defense and the Spartans were fortunate a Ringer fumble wasn't ruled correctly. Replay failed to work - didn't even get a review (and no, I didn't hear any whistle before the ball was recovered).

The Buckeyes totally dominated the game in just about every phase. Total yardage favored the good guys to the tune of 422-185. Beanie Wells outgained MSU on his own by rolling up 221 yards on 31 carries (7.1 avg). He may get chatter in some Heisman circles. More tomorrow.

Four-star WR/RB Lamaar Thomas verbally committed to Ohio State tonight on ESPNU. During his interview he said he'll most likely play a role similar to Ted Ginn, which is to say wide receiver with a few designed carries for spice. So, pay no attention to the ESPN talking heads calling Thomas a 'running back'. His offer list was impressive with the likes of Florida, Tennessee, Boston College and others but in the end he picked the Buckeyes over Illinois and Maryland. I've uploaded the segment in its entirety:

Upon Thomas' arrival next year, Brandon Saine will immediately become the second fastest person on the team. Thomas has run a 10.3 / 100 and Rivals.com has ranked him as the fastest player in the class. Lamaar's high school coach speaks glowingly of him and also sees him as a wide receiver. The '08 recruiting class continues to morph into perhaps the best of Tressel's career. Only issue we have is correcting Lamaar's usage of "the University of Ohio State."

Misc: May have some MSU stuff late Friday, early Saturday. Until then, head over to SpartanTailgate to get the MSU perspective. By the way, the Ohio State - Michigan is back where it belongs - noon start.

Troy Smith championed an OSU era of nearly unparalleled success at the quarterback position. The once dodgy and erratic passer blossomed into a complete player, one who would win the Heisman and ride off with the all-time highest passing efficiency rating in Big Ten history. To say his departure left an unsettling void would be an understatement, and certainly the replacement couldn't begin to approach the numbers and level of play Smith displayed.

Or so most thought.

Todd Boeckman has taken over the reigns and offers a style of play that's almost completely different than Smith. He's bigger, much taller and a classic pocket passer who patiently waited through greyshirt and redshirt years. He was a player who'd attempted only a handful of passes and was more known for his age than his ability. But, that has quickly changed through the first seven games of the year. He's suddenly become a player who is so vital to our success, I quiver with the thought of having to win games with one of the backups.

To be perfectly clear, Boeckman really hasn't played at the level of Smith and that surprises no one. However, he has surpassed the expectations of most and the numbers so far, as shown in the graphic, are quite impressive. I went back and compiled Smith's data through the first seven games last year to get a comparison of the job Todd's doing. Sure, the level of competition should be rightfully noted (Smith had played 3 ranked teams, two on the road) but for a quarterback with precious little opportunity before being thrust into the spotlight, Boeckman has played outstandingly well.

Clearly the biggest difference between Smith and Boeckman isn't reflected in the graphic. Troy's running ability was the wildcard that froze defenses and occupied the mind of opposing coordinators. But, Todd's passing numbers are worthy of highlight, starting with his pass efficiency stat which leads the Big Ten by nearly 20 points and isn't too dissimilar to Smith. Boeckman also sports a nifty 16-6 TD/INT ratio and when you remove the 3 virtual punts at Purdue, it's even better. But, without question the best number of the group has to be his completion percentage. Todd doesn't have Troy's luxury of throwing to a mature receiving group that included two first rounders and a fifth round selection. So, with basically all new receivers, Boeckman has still put up numbers which are near the top of the league.

None of this is to say, Todd doesn't have improvement to make. We've seen his propensity to under throw the deep ball and it bothers us despite Tressel ordering the tactic. We also have yet to see him 'win' a game for us when it's on the line, but I can do without this scenario as long as we're winning big. Beyond that, we should be thrilled with the quietly successful season we're getting and the numbers bear it out. There will be a natural dip as the competition ratchets upward but sustaining some semblance of this start will be crucial to our end of year success.

Note: If you find this topic outdated, be sure to realize that the Big Ten Network (BTN) is going to be carrying close to 50% of Buckeye basketball games this year too. If football didn’t make you switch, will basketball?

While much of the dust has settled from the initial wave of disgust, I thought it might be good to evaluate the channel now that it has been airing for almost two months. WOW has closed a deal with the BTN but obviously many fans who are subscribers to the three largest cable providers (which includes Time Warner) are still in the dark. I am a subscriber to the Buckeye Cable System and have received the network from day one. I will outline a few major items of the BTN and encourage any kind of feedback.

Throughout the first two months, the content certainly doesn’t warrant paying an extra dollar a month. The BTN happened to get lucky and carry the Michigan vs. Appalachian State fiasco but truthfully, on a day to day basis, the network is entirely unexciting. There is a reason why only 200 people show for the Northwestern vs. Penn State woman’s soccer game. While it is great to broadcast it, does it warrant an extra charge? I think not.

Content certainly relates to price as Time Warner’s (and Comcast's) biggest gripe is that while it may be a good idea for a few football Saturday’s in the fall, what about the rest of the year? All Big Ten sports are great, but is it reasonable to charge everyone extra to be able to view Wisconsin take on Iowa in Track and Field? Football games do not take place every weekend throughout the entire year.

The BTN will continue to frustrate fans who are not subscribers come basketball season as the BTN already has 7 Buckeye games scheduled to air exclusively on the network. In fact, that number is likely to grow as times and slots are finalized. Games to be aired on BTN include the Illinois game in Columbus as well as the Purdue game in West Lafayette.

Perhaps what bothers me the most is the fashion in which the BTN/Fox is conducting business. At its most basic level, the Big Ten and Fox decided to create a network to make a profit without considering the fans that lose out in the situation. Games are being aired that fans are unable to watch in the confines of their homes because of a deal that can’t be reached with the three main providers. And this alone falls at the feet of the BTN for their inability to sell their own station and offer a agreeable terms. For these negotiations to be going on during a season in which everyone is held captive is nothing short of pathetic regardless of which party is holding out. Clearly the focus is not on the fans.

The Plain Dealer's Doug Lesmerises reported late today that Anderson Russell will be ready to play against Michigan State. Color me surprised since Russell didn't put any weight on his leg as he was being helped off the field. The source is unnamed but quoted:

"The doctor said he's lucky he didn't break his leg, but that's the kind of stuff he's made of."

Anderson is lucky but so too is the Kent player who torpedoed his knees. For those who haven't seen the video, YouTube comes to the rescue with the footage. It may not really be a dirty play but it was something more than just illegal (no flag, by the way naturally). And no, I'm not going to debate intent or malice. The video and Russell's forward fall speaks for itself.

Elsewhere, James Laurinaitis' injury is officially a hip pointer. He has already declared he'll be fine for practice on Tuesday which assumes he'll be ready for Michigan State as well. Also, Brandon Saine says he feels no pain and his injury is behind him.

Rank	Team	Delta	Comments
1	Ohio State	2	Has Ohio State beaten anyone?   Their most impressive opponent so far? Try Northwestern.   Purdue and Minnesota are 1-6 in the Big Ten.  These next five weeks will tell the nation a lot about the Buckeyes.
2	Oklahoma	5	Yeah, they lost to Colorado, but unlike other high profile teams, they have bounced back against good competition.   Their schedule is really soft for the rest of the season so we might not learn much more than we know now.
3	Arizona State	2	The schedule has been soft but they are blowing teams out by an average of 23 points per game.   The next four games are v. Cal, @ Oregon, @ UCLA, v. USC.   Hello reality.
4	Boston College	--	I know the score was deceiving and that ND only scored one offensive touchdown, but a top 5 team does not struggle that badly this Irish team.   BC's 15 penalties for 131 yards are unacceptable.   They would have lost to anyone in the Top 10 yesterday.
5	LSU	3	I told you last week that the Tigers had an average offense.   It finally cost them last weekend. I am not confident it will not again.   So, why are they ranked #5 still?   Because all of the teams around them continue struggle as well.
6	California	5	Wow, I did not see that coming.   I have them ahead of Oregon because they won at Autzen.   That cannot be forgotten.
7	Oregon	1	You could rank the Ducks in the Top 3 and I would not argue.   They will certainly have a chance to prove themselves in the coming weeks.
8	South Carolina	2	They did not look great against UNC, but they won which is everything this season.   That Kentucky win looks really nice now.
9	South Florida	3	In the spirit of full disclosure, I thought there was a real chance of an upset last weekend against Central Florida.   I was wrong … really wrong.   I am still having a hard time with this team but they keep winning.
10	West Virginia	5	They have played one decent opponent and lost.   I am not sure they play another one all year.   If they lose again, they should be ashamed.
11	Florida	2	This ranking seems simultaneous low and high considering the two game losing streak.   They have Kentucky next and that will tell me something.
12	Kansas	1	Their schedule is atrocious, but they have beaten everyone.   And, the schedule does not get much more difficult.  They may be undefeated when they play Missouri.
13	Missouri	5	Speaking of, they played a strong game in Norman but the turnovers were too much to overcome late.   They need to bounce back against the Red Raiders or they may be 1-2 in the Big 12.
14	Southern Cal	1	They are trading on their name at this point.   The offense is middle of the pack.   I know they have many injuries, but those are part of the game and really affecting the Trojans rhythm.
15	Virginia Tech	3	I do not believe in this team.   And, now they have a quarterback controversy on their hands.   They need to beat BC to make me a believer.
16	Kentucky	9	They played LSU evenly and did so without their best RB.   They get Florida next week and a win may help set up a rematch against LSU in the SEC Championship game.
17	Auburn	3	I am still having a hard time with the Mississippi State loss, but they have won four straight.   They play at ultra-motivated LSU this weekend at 9:00 p.m.   Uh oh.   At this point in the rankings, all the teams blur together.
18	Tennessee	5	Their only losses are on the road against two pretty good teams. This week the Vols travel to Alabama.   Fulmer was 1-2 against Saban while he was at LSU.
19	Texas Tech	7	They are averaging 500 ypg passing and 50 ppg.   Can Missouri do anything about that?
20	Kansas State	6	The Wildcats are averaging 37 ppg in Big 12 play.   I am sure they will keep that up against a horrible Oklahoma State defense.
21	Illinois	7	Losing to Iowa is bad.   Scoring 6 points against Iowa is even worse.   This is a young team and they need to get over the loss before the Wolverines come to town.
22	Georgia	4	I cannot figure this team out. They may go 1-4 down the stretch if they do not find any consistency.
23	Michigan	3	Is Michigan ready to participate this season?   The passing game looked potent but if Hart is injured they will struggle.
24	Texas	3	I did not even pay attention to the win over Iowa State.   They have weeks to get better before they play Texas Tech.
25	Penn State	1	[Insert 5-2 team here]

This season is nuts.  Do you have faith in any one team against all others?   Do you really see a team out there that is demonstratively better than the rest?   I don't. 

I should mention at this point I am no longer taking the mythical "Conference Power Rankings" into consideration.   Is the SEC better than the Pac 10?   I have no idea and neither do you.   So, let's stop basing individual team rankings on something so vague.   I do not want to hear, "How can Oklahoma be No. 2?   The Big 12 sucks!"   Remember, three weeks ago everyone thought the Big East was great.  Whoops.   

Purdue (5-2) at Michigan (5-2)
Score: 48-21 Michigan

A few stats: Chad Henne:21-28, 264 yards, 2 TD’s, Mike Hart 21 carries, 102 yards, 2 TD’s; Mario Manningham: 8 catches, 147 yards, 2 TD’s. Curtis Painter: 17-28, 113 yards, Kory Sheets: 4 carries, 19 yards.
A couple words: Purdue proves to have been a beneficiary of poor opponents throughout their first five games…Chad Henne looked sharp for the first time this season and Mario Manningham returned from “suspension” to have a big day…Mgoblog and MZone are both late posting but should have interesting things to say this week as Michigan seems to have resurfaced from early season disaster, check that: DISASTER.…No doubt that the Wolverines have goals like the Big Ten Title, a BCS game, and beating the Bucks on their mind, as well they should…Mike Hart hobbled off during the game for the 500th time in his career…He will come back next week and be viewed as a warrior by Wolverines all over the world.
Game Changer: Mario Manningham. 147 yards receiving is a good way to get back in the groove.

Wisconsin (5-2) at Penn State (5-2)
Score: 38-7 Penn State

A few stats: Rodney Kinlaw: 23 carries, 115 yards, 1 TD, Anthony Morelli: 16-28, 216 yards, 1 TD, P.J. Hill: 19 carries, 75 yards, 1 TD. Kyle Jefferson: 7 catches, 124 yards.
A couple words: Understand that Luke Swan is hurt, but he doesn’t play on the Wisconsin defense that allowed 437 yards of total offense by Penn State…To beat Penn State you need to stop the run, force Morelli to be a playmaker, and score 17 points. Wisconsin didn’t do any of the above…I’m torn between giving Penn State credit or chastising Wisconsin for giving Buckeye Fans hope of having a big time opponent welcomed into The Horseshoe this year…One thing is for sure, with this Penn State victory, Kernkraft 400 is going to echo through the hills of Happy Valley in a few weeks.
Game Changer: Rodney Kinlaw: If he can run for 115 yards a game Anthony Morelli won’t have to make a play the entire year.

Illinois (5-2) at Iowa (3-4)
Score: 10-6 Iowa

A few stats: Jake Christensen: 17-25, 182 yards, 1 TD, Juice Williams: 9-15, 98 yards, Rashard Mendenhall: 15 carries, 67 yards.
A couple words: This game is a perfect example of why many fans and critics alike think that the Big Ten is weak…See that angle, but think this had a lot more to do with the fact that Ron Zook has a young group who was looking ahead to Michigan…Illinitalk discusses special teams concerns, killer instinct, and why this year is better than last for Illinois…I’m going to gamble and say the glass is half full, as I believe that Illinois is a team that lost to #17 Missouri in overtime, not a team that lost to an unranked Iowa team.
Game Changer: Brett Greenwood for game ending interception.

Indiana (5-2) at Michigan State (5-2)
Score: 52-27 MSU

A Few Stats: Brian Hoyer: 20-23, 190 yards, 1 TD, Javon Ringer: 29 carries, 203 yards, 1 TD, Devin Thomas: 13 catches, 148 yards, 1 TD, Kellen Lewis(Ind.): 13-19, 171 yards, 1 TD. Michigan State (Time of Possession): 41:05 minutes. Indiana (Time of Possession): 18:55 minutes.
A couple words: As ESPN points out, if Kellen Lewis isn't on the filed, he can't beat you as the Spartans dominated the clock by running the ball on Indiana for 368 yards and dominated TOP as noted earlier…Javon Ringer is having an All Big 10 year and Mark Dantonio gets an A in football strategy…The Enlightened Spartan provides some numbers and seems satisfied…If Javon Ringer can run the ball, Saturday is going to be a battle in Columbus.
Game Changer: Javon Ringer. Between him and Devin Thomas, MSU has two big time weapons. We will have to see what Malcolm thinks about that on Saturday.

Kent State represented the final game in a trilogy of awful in state opponents and the 48-3 victory was methodical and rather uneventful. But there were a few noteworthy performances. Todd Boeckman helped guide the Buckeyes to a 35-0 halftime lead on the strength of 13-16 passing. His two touchdowns and 184 yards will fortify his hold on the passing efficiency lead. Brian Hartline got things started with a touchdown reception to open the scoring and then followed up with a 90 yard punt return, the longest in Ohio Stadium. Elsewhere, the defense caught an interception and actually ran it back for a score. This is progress!

In an obvious planned move, the running game was virtually non-existent with Beanie Wells getting only four carries and Brandon Saine with nine – half of which came late in the 4th quarter. Saine, in fact, lead the team in rushing and receiving - something that hasn't been done in six years. Wells, for his part, did score on a 7 yard run where he ran over not only Kent defenders but also his left guard, Steve Rehring. Whatever it takes big fella!

The lack of carries may have been a tactic to prevent further injury, but we were still bitten by the bug. Anderson Russell went out of the game in the second quarter with an ankle problem. It was an aggravation of the injury he sustained at Minnesota which I highlighted a few weeks ago. Russell wasn't the only one as linebacker James Laurinaitis left the game near the end of the first half with either a hip problem or lower abdomen issue There are two stories floating around. Neither player returned.

The loss of Russell and Laurinaitis had little impact on Jim Heacock's defense. While they allowed for some movement between the 20s, Kent never threatened to score except their late FG as time was running out. One could have asked for a little crisper tackling and better breakdown fundamentals in the open field because Golden Flash running back Eugene Jarvis bounced off a horde of would-be tacklers. The diminutive runner - who is 5'5" in cleats on concrete - compares favorably to former Northern Illinois back Garrett Wolfe. His first half success wasn't all that unexpected as he helped Kent put up 453 yards of total offense on Kentucky. Kent can move the ball and showed for a period of time today.

Other Stuff

• I must have the damnedest luck because, for all those touting the reliability of DirecTV, we had no feed for the first 10 minutes of the game. Hartline scored his first TD and the only thing we saw was a message from DirecTV that basically said: "We know there's a problem. Don't call us." Nice.
  
• Despite walking out of the locker room with crutches, Anderson Russell's injury is apparently not a worry according to his parents, if you believe this post. This is what makes the internet great; a Buckeye fan happens to be watching the game in Atlanta, next to his table is Russell's parents who seemingly received updates on their son via cellphone. Those updates were relayed to nearby tables. That information was uploaded to the internets. Again, if you believe the post.
  
• More on Russell's injury: Do you think he got an apology from Kent's Derek McByrd? That was one of the dirtiest blocks I've seen this year.
  
• And a final thought: on AR: Who replaced him could be an important factor for Michigan State (if Anderson can't go). It seems like when we're in base, the player in the game is Jamario O'Neal. However, when we're in nickel, Shaun Lane appears to get the nod with Chimdi Chekwa also coming onto the field.
  
• Ryan Pretorius has quietly put together a very good season to date. 12-14 FGs including a 49 yarder today; plus he was doing an admirable job on kickoffs before we made the switch to Andrew Good and AJ Trapasso (both of whom handled the duties again today).
  
• Maybe we now understand why Rob Schoenhoft completed passes at a 45% clip in high school. With Antonio Henton still suspended, Schoenhoft played the entire second half. Currently, he's good for a minimum of two throws 5 yards short of his intended receiver...and for no reason at all. I mean, do we have mechanical problems, release problems, mental problems or what?

Other instant analysis can be found at 11W. I will probably post a condensed game analysis tomorrow because video is lacking and it's not really worth tracking down.

On the heels of LSU's loss and Cal's defeat, Ohio State will be the new #1 in just about any poll with sanity. This setups up a rematch of sorts with Michigan State who, in 1998, beat the #1 ranked Buckeyes in Ohio Stadium 28-24. Oh yeah, we remember. It was the first thing that crossed my mind when time expired on the Cal Bears. The architect of that Spartan defense? Mark Dantonio.

Nevertheless, we control our own destiny which is about all you can ask at this point in the season. Most of the media hates it and I love that.

Edit (10/14): Ohio State is atop all the major polls, including the BCS, after a topsy turvy weekend of college football. The polls offered little surprise outside one writer still voting LSU in the top spot, despite losing yesterday to a team who had already lost once themselves. Makes perfect sense. Your top 10:

So, it's good to be in the top 2 but the poll means little if we don't win out. In fact, there is so much OSU angst among national pundits, a loss will send us plummeting. If you missed the BCS Show, video here.

The Dispatch has you covered for just about any detail of this game. The Big Ten Network interrupts routines again. Sports bars flourish.

Kent State head coach Doug Martin apparently likes to go against the grain. While Ohio State is the team suffering through numerous injuries and would benefit holding some players out, it's actually Kent State who will be trying to preserve health. Martin has vowed to play anyone with a pulse against the Buckeyes regardless of the score. Read through the fluff and he's essentially conceding defeat, collecting the university's paycheck and readying for their own conference slate. Right?

I'm not so sure I believe what this old ball coach is trying to sell. I've never seen a coach say something like this heading into a game his players have probably pointed to all summer. It reminds me of the Lou Holtz 'tout-your-opponent-into-oblivion' method of gamesmanship. This is a Kent team, while not ranked, that has played some decent football this year. They went into Iowa State and won and they were tied with 17th ranked Kentucky in the third quarter. Hey, they're better than Appalachian State.

For his part, Tressel hasn't bought into any of it either. Beanie Wells is going to play (until we have a comfortable lead) and the team appears to be saying all the right things. And this is a good thing because Martin's snake-in-the-grass tactics shouldn't work even with effective runners like Eugene Jarvis and QB Julian Edelman.

More relevant news and notes...
Site Updates: The Purdue game analysis is finally done and has been uploaded. In a nutshell, the defense and special teams were flawless. Offense needs to find some consistency but that will probably only come with some health. Also, you can listen to me again at CFB Weekly. It's a little dated but you can pick up my portion of the interview at the 32 minute mark. Twang. Twang. Twang.

Big Ten Network Free Preview: The title says it all. The free preview will be delivered tonight via live streaming from the official BTN site and it will feature the show "Big Ten Tonight: Basketball Tip Off Edition". Ought to be interesting seeing if this actually works without a stuttering feed.

Worthy Cause: We Suck at Sports has a humorous and hopefully effective petition going to keep Michigan coach Lloyd Carr (and others). Many feel this is Lloyd's last season at UM based on his lack of success against Jim Tressel and being part of perhaps the biggest upset in college football. You can read the petition and add your name and get a chuckle out of some of those who have signed before you.

The IAA Rule is True: Most know I'm not a fan our our schedule with the three in state opponents in the same season. Now it's been brought to light the scheduling of Youngstown State, because they are a IAA team (FCS to use the new terminology), can come back to bite us in the ass. First mentioned by Jim Carty of the Ann Arbor News and subsequently verified by MVictors, the new tiebreaker rule could affect the conference's automatic BCS selections. It applies only to the Rose Bowl but still it raises the damn good question why we (or any B10 team) would schedule Appalachian State or YSU? The reward is positively dwarfed by the risk.

What are the odds Gene Smith knows about this? Even Tressel for that matter? The rule in all its glory is here (Item B, Section 3):

If there is still a tie for the championship, or if the tied teams did not play each other, the team that played more games against Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) teams shall be eliminated.

Just say No to IAA. Look for this rule change to gain some traction in the media as the season goes on and then look for it to be removed completely in 2008.

I read this on a number of sites today so attribution is difficult and, beyond that, this needs no ramp up anyway. Let's get right to it:

Ohio State opponents have more punts (57) than points (45)!

This ri-damn-diculous stat is made even more impressive when you subtract the amusingly late garbage touchdowns (2 - Washington & Purdue) and the safety the offense allowed against Akron (Edit: plus NW kickoff return. Thanks, zb). It would be a notable statistic only one game into the season, let alone six. And, there's a good possibility it will still hold true after this weekend.

We salute the Silver Bullets...at least two of them anyway:

Edit: The blogpoll ballot below has been updated with comments.

Eastern Michigan (2-4) at Michigan (4-2)
Score: 33-22 Michigan

A few stats: Chad Henne:17-26, 195 yards, 1 TD, 2 int’s, Mike Hart 22 carries, 215 yards, 3 TD’s; Adrian Arrington: 6 catches, 102 yards, 1 TD.
A couple words: A close game that in which ESPN called Mike Harts performance “a career day.” The funny thing is that Mike Hart’s career will be remembered by his mouth and his numbers vs. Eastern Michigan…Hart insisted, “I honestly wasn’t worried”, about Eastern Michigan that is…MGoblog is beginning to talk about everything except this year, while MZONE writes thank you letters to USC.
Game Changer: Mike Hart for his career day.

Wisconsin (5-1) at Illinois (5-1)
Score: 31-26 Illinois

A few stats: Rashard Mendenhall: 19 carries, 160 yards, 2 TD’s, Juice Williams: 12-19, 121 yards, 1 TD. P.J. Hill: 21 carries, 83 yards, 0 TD’s. Travis Beckum: 11 catches, 160 yards.
A couple words: Illinois stopped P.J. Hill and therefore stopped Wisconsin…Travis Beckum had a big day while Luke Swan is out for the year with a torn hamstring....Hill’s ineffectiveness led to Tyler Donovan and Wisconsin to pass more than often in the second half as Donovan ended with 392 yards passing...Illinitalk makes reference to some outrageous accusations by a certain Badger and seems to be happy with the outcome…Illinois is currently using two quarterbacks with great efficiency as Eddie McGee has been getting a decent amount of time.
Game Changer: Illinois Defense for taking Hill out of the game.

Northwestern (3-3) at Michigan State (4-2)
Score: 48-41 Northwestern

A few stats: C.J. Bacher: 38-48, 520 yards, 5 TD’s, Brian Hoyer: 17-31, 194 yards, 1 TD.
A couple words: A very disappointing performance by Michigan State’s defense in East Lansing…Javon Ringer had another big day…Allowing 520 yards of passing is a bad sign for MSU who plays Indiana next week…The Enlightened Spartan rips on Brent Musberger, talks of their chances against Indiana, and is bitter about the defense. How could they not be?
Game Changer: C.J. Bacher: 520 yards passing and 5 TD’s.

Seemingly the entire country - at least the college football experts - had Ohio State undefeated through the first eight games. Though I did not disagree, I thought it was a little premature to so egregiously look past the Boilermakers considering our recent history. I even wrote as much earlier in the week but it only took about ten minutes beyond kickoff to ease my trepidation. In the end, the gimmicky "Blackout" was avoided with an elementary 23-7 victory.

The storyline begins and ends with the defensive effort. Purdue's high powered offense came into the game averaging 45 points and bazillion yards. They were roundly throttled to the tune of 90 total yards in the first half and several instances of outright displays of frustration by various Boilermakers. And, who can blame them when you put up zero points until a meaningless 88 yard drive at the end of the game. That drive was capped by a touchdown with 10 seconds to play and it propelled them over the 200 total yard mark. They also didn't cross our 40 yard line until 1:14 remained in the game. Dorien Bryant, so fearsome, was held to two catches for minus 4 yards. I could go on but I'll stop there.

Pinpointing what specifically troubled Purdue can be hard for us layman. We mostly see a defense that is in position, making plays and rarely missing tackles. But Purdue head man, Joe Tiller, goes a bit further and singles out the speed and skill of our linebackers:

"Unless you were watching a different game than I was, it was apparent how fast their linebackers are. They were able to get underneath our routes, and we haven't played an opponent yet that's been able to do that. Their linebackers took away our underneath stuff, and we thought that would be there. (That defense) overpowered us at times."

That they did and, in fact, while I thought the linebackers were exceptionally good, the secondary was maybe even better. My Play of the Week video salutes the defense with special emphasis on the secondary. Donald Washington may be our most underrated player on defense and Chimdi Chekwa, a player most in the Big Ten haven't heard of, was simply the conference player of the week. Now we know why JT recruits so many DBs.

If Only the Score Told the Whole Story: Nary a word has been written about the offense but they were on the field. It's just that we were largely inconsistent which left most longing more points. The first half was perfectly acceptable with well over 200 yards and 14 points in a little over 10 game minutes. In and of itself, these quick scores were crucial because it sobered up the raucous crowd at Ross-Ade Stadium. However, the later 23-0 margin simply didn't define the how significantly we were battering Purdue. Beanie's tender ankle and Todd Boeckman's punts er - interceptions - stymied likely scoring drives.

"And Almost Intercepted": This phrase would be the oft repeated one as delivered by Brent Musberger during the telecast. Ohio State, led by Anderson Russell, dropped SIX interceptions which leads me to ask: Can we get some pass-catching practice time up in here? Along with Russell's two drops, four other players had one drop each: James Laurinaitis, Marcus Freeman, Larry Grant and Dexter Larimore. Larimore's pained me the most as it would offered a last second prevention of Purdue's garbage touchdown.

Squashing Distractions: First off, the Buckeyes were battling bulletin board material provided by Kirk Herbstreit. On last week's GameDay when talking about Purdue, he said "they suck" when expectations are high. That probably made it back to Purdue coaches, I'm not sure. On top of that, those who read the site just before kick off heard about two rumors, both of which started to circulate on Friday night.

Both turned out to be true for the most part.

The first was the team having to check out of their rooms by noon...for an 8pm game. Tress handled it with class but talk about adjusting schedules. Also, super-star-to-be linebacker Thaddeus Gibson got into a huff and left the team during practice last week. He thought better of it, returned and was welcomed back but was not allowed to trip to West Lafayette. With Ross Homan out and Curtis Terry redshirting, losing Gibson would have been the epitome of horrible timing.

Master of his Domain: Jim Tressel's domain would be special teams and he made an effective strategy change Saturday night. The Boilermakers came into the game with one of the top kick return units in the country. With the new rule of all kickoffs starting at the 30, JT switched up things and had Andrew Good and punter AJ Trapasso handle the kick off duties. Unbeknownst to most fans, both players have cannon's attached to their hips, each easily getting kickoffs deep into the endzone. They weren't all beauties but Good had one touchback and Trapasso had two, which handcuffed Purdue and gave Ohio State the upper hand in field position. Coaching. It's worth millions.

Lastly, via FanBlogs, for those that want get way ahead of themselves, current BCS projections have Ohio State at #2. Game Analysis is still being worked on.

Analysis added. As always, final BlogPoll is posted at MGoBlog weekly and all individual ballots are available for viewing.
 

Rank	Team	Delta	Comments
1	California	--	I honestly think they would beat LSU on a neutral field.  At this moment, their skilled players are the best in the country.
2	LSU	--	Wake up folks, that offense is average.  The defense is spectacular, but Matt Flynn and Jacob Hester are exciting me
3	Ohio State	1	Has Ohio State played anyone?  We may not know until January.  But they certainly look the part at the moment.
4	Boston College	2	They keep winning ... easily.  They need to blow out a "resurgent" ND team this weekend.
5	Arizona State	2	I cannot wait for 10/27 v. California.
6	Oregon	3	Same weekend v. USC.
7	Oklahoma	1	I really thought they would beat Texas by a larger margin.  Here comes a confident Mizzou
8	Missouri	5	That Illinois win looks a lot better now and they have  a chance to make a statement this weekend.
9	Florida	1	There is little shame in losing to LSU and this ranking reflects that.  But they are having a hard time finishing games defensively.
10	South Carolina	5	The defense is fine but the offense needs to get a lot better to move any higher.
11	Kansas	7	Everything was pointing to a big Jayhawks loss in Manhattan.  Yet, KUpassed that test with flying colors.
12	South Florida	1	If you play a close game against Florida Atlantic you do not deserve to be in the Top 10.
13	Southern Cal	10	They were bound to lose this season, but to Stanford?!  Would you bet on USC against Oregon, ASU, or Cal?
14	Illinois	12	They have played well in each game including that loss to Missouri.  Now, will they pull a Michigan State and collapse after experiencing some success?
15	West Virginia	1	Pat White is dinged up and they still play sloppily in their biggest games.  I do not trust this program.
16	Wisconsin	11	The Badgers are upside down.  Passing well, running poorly.  I do not see this season ending well.
17	Cincinnati	3	This is high enough.
18	Virginia Tech	3	This offense is miserable.  How many special teams touchdowns can you count on each game?  Not enough.
19	Florida State	6	I cannot figure out if FSU is about to explode or implode.  We have seen this before.  A couple of well played games and then ... splat.
20	Auburn	6	The loss to Mississippi State bothers me ... a lot.  But they have been impressive these last two weeks.
21	Texas	4	I was tempted to drop them from the rankings but they hung with Oklahoma and that has to count for something.  Injuries are killing them.
22	Colorado	4	I know, I know.  They lost to Florida State.  Did you watch it?  They played well and killed themselves with turnovers and untimely penalties.  Plus, Hugh Charles did not play.
23	Tennessee	3	They deserve this ranking on the Georgia win alone.  Believe it or not, this team may finish 9-3.
24	Purdue	5	What happen to the offense?  Ohio State may have the nation's best defense so we will give them a pass if they turn it back on this weekend.
25	Kentucky	13	They have not really beaten anyone.  A nice performance this weekend would move them up.  A blow out loss precludes them from reentering the poll again.

While I work on the Purdue post game write up and video, I can't help but mention this analysis by Spencer Tillman. I have no problem with someone picking the opposing team provided they come with some sort of, I don't know, facts. Tillman seems like a nice guy and fairly well spoken but this is an abomination. It's so bad I went back and counted the factual errors and highly suspect reasoning, see how many you can find:

• Ohio State is flying under the radar because we haven't entered conference play. Get this man a schedule.
• Wisconsin asserting themselves? Mmm, okay.
• We can't run as fast as Purdue. Just ridiculous.
• Our weakness is at corner. Actually, one of our strengths is cover corner.
• Chris Wells has three straight 100 yard games. No, he had 4 straight.

So, yeah, CBS actually posted that apparently because they thought it was good. Tillman is a former Oklahoma running back, NFL player, current member of Barry Switzer's talent agency and, worst of all, voter in the AP Poll.

Speaking of polls, they are out and the Bucks are up to #3 in each.

All kinds of wacky rumors flying around pre-game ranging from the team having to check out of their hotel rooms at noon today to Thad Gibson leaving the team. I have no clue if any are true - we'll find out about Thad in about 30 minutes - but the early vibe isn't the greatest so far.

I have added scheduling info in the right sidebar, just below Buckeye Vision (thanks for the suggestion, Marv). I also changed a few things with the site, saved those changes and then realized I made some grave mistakes. I'm working on a backup copy of the site design so if you notice any wonkyness, that'd be because of me. Game thread below. Let's get this W.

The title may confuse some but assure you no rosetta stone needed. King Right 64 Y Shallow Swap is perhaps the most recognizable single play in Ohio State history. It resulted in Holy Buckeye which was so important that, without it, the college football gods would've aborted our magical season on the spot. Many still don't know the deep ball was basically the last option. It was really designed to go to tight end Ben Hartsock (the "Y") to simply pick up the first down. Instead, the clutch and magnificently perfect throw by Craig Krenzel obliterated the hearts of Boilermaker's worldwide.

That play (and the game) really encapsulates the series since 2002. It seemingly plays out this way despite the large gaps in talent and tangible year-end hardware. For instance in the 2002 game, while Ohio State was undefeated, Purdue was struggling to stay above .500. The next year ended less dramatically but in overtime nonetheless. And the last time the two teams met (2004), Ohio State lost by a touchdown to a Boilermaker team coming off four straight losses. The point here is Purdue, for reasons unknown to me, is a nasty thorn in Ohio State's side when they shouldn't be. So, as great as Holy Buckeye was, it's exactly the scenario we hope to avoid this weekend.

There are factors that suggest the game shouldn't be all that close - the spread not among them. Sunday Morning QB does a nice job highlighting Purdue's propensity to jump out of the starting gate only to wilt with an infusion of real competition (and we would qualify as real competition.) The numbers are quite ugly actually. Ugly like 3-21 against ranked teams since 2001. Then there's the defensive issues against a slate of opponents that can only be described as weak. Notre Dame outgained them, rolling up 426 yards of offense.

Having said all that, I return to my main point. Destroy most of the stats and disregard any talent gap. Purdue with their planned Blackout will probably play at peak levels. We'll face adversity. We'll have some issues with Dorien Bryant, especially when he's in the slot - which is a lot. Joe Tiller will go through six bags of sunflower seeds and we'll hear the incessant BoilerUp chant until about the 3rd quarter when we methodically take control. Tiller will then leave about as happy as he looks in the picture above. At least I hope.

Game Previews are all over the internets from the OZone to BuckeyePlanet and 11W to MotSaG and even some Q&A between BBC and Boiled Sports. Check 'em out.

Having a real job totally interferes sometimes on my blogging schedule. Such is the case this week when, at this minute, I'm behind on several parts of the site. I'm getting caught up slowly though and have a few interesting items pass along.

Better Late Than...: Because of time constraints, it's not my best stuff but I have the Minnesota Game Analysis up and ready for your feedback. It's a little watered down, admittingly, since I posted a fairly lengthy Minny recap earlier in the week.

Recruitnik Stuff: Lamaar Thomas, a RB/WR from Maryland, has narrowed his list to three schools: Maryland, Illinois and and Ohio State. From at least one account, Ohio State leads but it could be a situation of who's in his home last that wins. Thomas is blessed with incredible speed with times of 10.3/100 and 21.4/200. The one question remaining is what position does Thomas play in college? He may be set on running back but there are several schools that think wide receiver will be the best spot for him.

On the Mend: While we are dealing with various nicks, bruises and sprains, the Buckeyes look to get two players back this week or next. Andre Amos has been cleared to play for the first time all year after sustaining a knee injury. Amos, pre-injury, likely would have challenged for a starting job as notes ATO and 11W. Also, speedster Brandon Saine is nearing return, possibly even seeing time this weekend.

Purdue's Ohio Connections: There will be a least two Ohio connections this weekend when Ohio State travels to West Lafayette. Coach Joe Tiller is a Toledo native and one of their top wide receivers, Greg Orton, was a high school teammate of Marcus Freeman at Huber Heights Wayne HS. Purdue recently lost two other Ohio players in Ray Edwards and Andre Chattams - brother of former Buckeye WR Angelo Chattams.

Where's the Rush? BoilerStation.com has an article about the lack of sacks and pass rush from the Purdue front four this year. It's an area of focus for the staff and they hope things begin to change Saturday. To date, they've registered only nine sacks compared to Ohio State's 13 and league leader Indiana's 27. Naturally, how they plan to create more sacks isn't known but if I had to guess, get ready for new blitz packages to try to throw off Todd Boeckman.

Coverage Map: Most know by now the Ohio State - Purdue game is scheduled for 8pm (EDT) on ABC. However, the coverage map for this contest pretty much includes the entire country. The only area not covered is the west coast and a tiny dot of northern Indiana. Ouch Notre Dame fans. To make sure you will have the Buckeye's game this weekend, be sure to check your local listings.

(Note: Sorry about the formatting. I didn't have enough time to work out the html table issues. Click on Read More to get Massey's ranking comments. - Keith)

First, someone has to be ranked in each spot.  There are no ties.  I know there are vagaries that make it difficult to determine who is truly better than whom but remember, these rankings are subjective.  
 
Second, the teams are ranked based on how good I believe them to be at this moment, not two weeks ago and not how I think they will finish.  The test is whether I believe a team would defeat the team immediately ahead of them on a neutral field this weekend.   

Finally, this is a fluid situation.  Teams may jump five or ten spots in one week, or may drop even when they win.  Likewise, teams may rise when they lose.  This poll will not reward teams simply for winning. Remember, these rankings are subjective.

Rank	Team	Delta
1	California	5
2	LSU	1
3	Southern Cal	1
4	Ohio State	3
5	Wisconsin	7
6	Boston College	2
7	Arizona State	7
8	Oklahoma	5
9	Oregon	--
10	Florida	6
11	South Florida	2
12	Kentucky	3
13	Missouri	7
14	Georgia	3
15	South Carolina	1
16	West Virginia	11
17	Texas	7
18	Kansas	8
19	Purdue	3
20	Cincinnati	4
21	Virginia Tech	2
22	Kansas State	4
23	Nebraska	2
24	Michigan	2
25	Florida State	1

Read More...

Ohio State's match-up with Minnesota started to make me nervous as the afternoon went on and why wouldn't it? I watched upset after upset waiting for our ridiculous 8pm start time. Minnesota is one of those teams we've had some unsavory history with, too, having witnessed the unmitigated first half disaster in 1989 (Defense missed the flight; gift cards to Greg Frey) and being upset in 2000 while ranked sixth (Nate Clements meet Ron Johnson). It didn't matter that we're more talented and better coached this week, it was apparent the football deities decided Saturday was the day ranked teams lost. Or so it seemed.

To that end, in an effort to summon karma of long ago, Minnesota did something they should have never done. They broke out the all gold look which was basically the most hideous thing ever seen on a college football field, if you don't count Oregon. I suppose the thought was noble but it didn't work and all they got out of it were a bunch of giggles and finger-pointing and a slot on Mr. Blackwell's worst dressed list. The weirdest thing of all is they warmed up in their normal unis during pregame only to switch to the mustard bottle look just before kickoff. Was that an intimidation thing?

Once the game started, the upset thoughts were chipped away to final piece of granite that simply formed a "W". The 30-7 victory was wasn't a work of art mind you but, in the end, the win was convincing and as expected. No one player had performances worthy of effusive praise which is somewhat disappointing bearing in mind the ineptitude of Minnesota's defense. Why? I'm not sure. Because of time constraints, I have only managed to review the first half but that alone has provided enough potpourri to pass along until I can write up the full game analysis.

The Ray Small Effect: I was tempted to say something like "The Large Small Effect" but The Dispatch already used all those puns. The fact of the matter is the Glenville WR is starting to make a name for himself based off his prodigious athletic skills. We here at BC have been on Ray's bandwagon even before he saw the field so his production really comes as no surprise to us. But, what about that Ginn-like running style? Case in point was the moment Small burst up field for a 37 yard gain off an end around. As soon as he turned the corner, the first thing Small does is tuck his chin, a technique so reminiscent of Ginn. The speed produced was reminiscent of Ginn as well.

Double Tight, Double Fullback: I love my formations and we saw a relatively new one against Minnesota that epitomized "Power". It occurred on Beanie Well's second touchdown run near the end of the first quarter. Ohio State lined up in I-Formation with double tight ends. We also used an extra fullback in motion (Tyler Whaley). At the snap, the play ends up being a counter with the most obnoxious lead blocking. We first lead with Ben Person who pulls from his right guard spot. Behind him is battering ram Dionte Johnson who kicks out a defender, behind Johnson is Whaley who, oh by the way, used to be our second team center last year. Then, not to be out done, the ball carrier is 240 lb Chris Wells. Naturally, the play worked as Wells worked over the remaining defender to find paydirt. Screenshot here of play as it begins:

The beautiful thing in this play design is the defense cannot sell out to stop the run. You can bet the pension there's an additional branch to this call by leaking out one of the tight ends and/or booting the QB from play action. Good luck to our opponents in trying to defend this shortage formation.

PotW: Another weird week where the real Play of the Week is bypassed for something sexier. Brian Robiskie's circus catch gets the nod but Malcolm Jenkins shouldn't feel slighted. MJ's interception was the moment momentum was regained after the defense mentally checked out for two consecutive series. Some will say Beanie's third and 6 carry (which lead to Robo's catch) deserves merit but that third down play doesn't happen with the interception. Lastly, BuckeyeVision has some relevant video material based on this week's opponent.

Case of the Ankles: Injures continue to cause frustration with the staff and the Minnesota game was no different. Beanie had his left ankle sprain retaped mid game. Brian Hartline tweaked his ankle in the first half. Anderson Russell went out of the game with an ankle issue on Minnesota's only scoring drive. Not an ankle but Steve Rehring went out for a series or two with a shin issue. To be completely clear, each player returned but more than likely all will get some form of treatment this week.

Other Stuff: Various small items...

• Defensively one could have wished for a little tighter execution on the first half. It was clear Minnesota was trying to hit us with a dose of running back screens, a little option and the no huddle. We handled it much better in the second half allowing only 78 total yards.
• Punter AJ Trapasso got to use his robust running skills on an early punt fake. Trapasso starred at Pickerington as a running back and it showed as he displayed decent speed in picking up the first down. One can ask two questions here: a) why did it take so long to try and b) why try it against Minnesota?
• There is a drastic drop-off of talent from one Wells to the other. But, I think Mo Wells may be catching some unfair criticism. If you go back and chart his running plays, his per carry average is obliterated by late game totes into the teeth of a stacked line. We do this because we're simply running out the clock and preventing further injury to Beanie. I charted his Minnesota performance and removed the last two possessions. With those caveats, he rushed 11 times for 50 yards (4.5 avg.). Not fantastic but acceptable.

Bucks Get a Vote: The newest polls have been out for a day or so and as expected, Ohio State moved up to #4 in both polls. We are behind USC, LSU and Cal. Cal and USC play each other later in the year so draw your own conclusions. But, perhaps the most interesting item is the first place vote the Buckeyes received in the Coaches poll. Do we have Tyrone Willingham to thank for that seeing as he can compare USC and OSU?