Ohio State-Michigan thread

I covered a 4-3 game this year. Winner got two safeties -- on an intentional grounding, and on punter stepping on the end line.

 

Agree with the earlier comment about Tressell being a good big-game coach. You've almost got to wonder if he is already in Carr's head, at least to some degree.

Though his history suggests he will play it conservative, I think Tressell realizes the way to beat the Michigan defense is by being aggressive. I think he opens it up. Smith and the stable of Ohio State receivers will be too much for the Michigan secondary.

 

I actually played in one, season opener my senior season. We won 3-2. The soccer team razzed us about that the next day ... because they won their opener that same day 4-3.

 

And then both teams ganged up on the boys field hockey team.

Edit: Here's what I don't understand about 3-2 HS FB games. If both teams are incapable of doing anything offensively, how do you have a kicker who can kick the ball 20 yards for the winning field goal? May sound silly, and maybe it's just that the awful teams I covered didn't have anybody who could do anything, never mind a guy that could kick the ball in the air. But if two teams are so deficient on offense that they can't get in the end zone, how'd they end up with a decent kicker?

 

BYH, I played for a powerhouse, we moved the ball just fine. Too many turnovers. That and our kicker -- on loan from the soccer team and who barely practiced with is -- kept kicking from only 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage compared to the usual 7. Go figure, he had two blocked in each of the first two games before the coaches (finally) noticed it on tape.

And what's this field hockey of which you speak? That's definitely not a Midwest sport.

 

This just in: Ohio State won the coin toss against Michigan. Troy Smith took a knee for minus-2 on first-and-10. Wait, now Smith took another knee on second-and-12. It's a fantastic, chess-match type of game. Clock is tick, tick, ticking toward the rematch we all want.

 

Interesting. I probably should have added I covered nothing but awful teams (the "good" teams played in horrible leagues that make today's NFL look like the NFL of yore) so even the concept of a kicker who can kick the ball beyond the line of scrimmage is foreign to me.

Oh and field hockey shouldn't be a sport ANYWHERE (hi Farmer J!).

 

I just wanted to chime in here as an OSU fan. I can't speak for Carr, but I don't think Tressel will play it close to his sweater vest. He's let Smith go against Michigan the past two years, and I don't see why he wouldn't do the same this year. And Tressel always seems to have something special prepared for Michigan that he hasn't shown the entire season. It might just be one play, but I think it shows the way he approaches the Michigan game -- he has to do something different, because he knows plain old vanilla football won't cut it, the way it can against the Purdues and Indianas of the world.

With all that said, this Michigan defense scares me. I have visions of the Wolverine front pressuring Smith unmercifully and stuffing Pittman. And I'm a bit concerned about the OSU defense, which is more opportunistic than stout. If Michigan doesn't turn it over, I like its chances. That puts a lot of pressure on Henne, obviously. For some reason I see the receiver Arrington causing all sort of problems for the Buckeyes.

 

Anyone think both Ohio State and Michigan -- playing in a weak conference -- are overrated? Any early money on Florida to win it all??

 

I don't think either one is a dominant, overwhelming team. Whichever team wins the national title this year is not going down in the annals of college football as one of the all-time greats. I do think, however, that Ohio State and Michigan are clearly the two best teams in the country. It's true the Big Ten isn't great, but I haven't been all that impressed by any conference this year. Ohio State handled the best team in the Big XII convincingly, and Michigan destroyed Notre Dame. Those are two of the more impressive inter-conference wins this year. (And both came on the road.) As for Florida, I wouldn't feel comfortable betting on them to even get out of the SEC.

 

Big Ten isn't weak, but Wisconsin's a fraud.

 

Just sticking with the bowl eligible teams ...

Wisconsin lost to the only ranked opponent it has played.
Penn State lost to the four ranked opponents it has played.
Purdue lost to the three ranked opponents it has played.
Iowa lost to the three ranked opponents it has played, and is the only one to lose to either Illinois and Northwestern in conference play.

... In others words, only Ohio State (Texas) and Michigan (Notre Dame, Wisconsin) have combined for three victories against top 25 opponents right now. Somehow, I don't think that number represents the norm for most conferences.