I wasn’t at all confident going into the 2005 Ohio State game. I wasn’t even that confident going into this year’s Wisconsin game. But I’m pretty damn confident right now. Even if the defense sucks, I still think we’re going to win. This just feels like our year.

Brian @ MGoBlog has posted his “Upon Further Review” for the Michigan offense, so if you’re interested in his analysis of the PSU defense:

http://mgoblog.com/content/upon-further-review-offense-vs-penn-state-1

i’m down. will bring the bottle of rumplemintz to pass around. keeps the blood strong and angry.

let’s do this.

osu has scarlett fever? looks more like diaper rash.

“periodic but consistent vomiting” as an choice for “What’s your mood…”

I really wanted an “all of the above” choice for the poll question. One minute I’m confident, then I think about it a little more and get apprehensive. Then I think about the 2005 loss that wasn’t, and I FREAK OUT and piss a little. Then I think about how Pryor was 7-11 passing last week and how OSU fans consider it a major breakthrough and I laugh a little and feel better. It’s a never-ending cycle and does it make me crazy if I really don’t want it to end right away? But then again I want it to end right away…I want the game to be played right now. I don’t like heart attacks. I haven’t gotten one damn thing accomplished this week at work. I really don’t care.
OHHHH OHHHHH OHHHHHHHH LET’S GO STATE!!!

then I’d be confident.

Big time away game…that makes me apprehensive.

Same way I was about the Michigan game last week. Same way I’ve been all season (yes, even about Oregon State and Temple!). I know we’ve got an extremely talented team and all the tools necessary to beat Ohio State, but I still have that nagging voice in my head that keeps saying “they’re kids in their late teens and early twenties…who knows how they’ll react to the pressure.”

I think I’ve been living in Philly for too long. The fear of letdown is taking away from the enjoyment of the games!

That said, if we win on Saturday I’m reserving my tickets for January 8th.

I voted “confident”, and I have good reason to think that we’ll win this game by two touchdowns.

My real concern is TP v. our linebackers. Yeah, Pryor’s a bitch, yada, yada, but he looks like an offensive lavar arrington out there—a man among boys. If our linebackers can stop him from making big plays with his feet—and if we manage not to turn the ball over—all will be well.

I am confident, though. This team hasn’t given me a reason to be anything but.

as well. I bought a little (a wee little) of what Kevin was selling about the fickle concept of being ‘outcoached’ and how it’s the players—The Players! that make or break a win. And our players are leader heavy and confident. I’m actually even leaning toward describing them as ‘composed.’ Which might not have been used to describe recent past visits to the shoe.

And as for the remaining emphasis I maintain coaching plays in this game, I’ve written before how much I believe that spank Tressel gave JoePa last year edified some principles I think he had theretofore been on the fence about: disguising playbooks from extant film and aggressive playcalling in each quarter. And the portion of coaching that gets called up in references to ‘past team performances’ (which have been shot down here in BSD as irrelevant in a sport which turns over its players every 4-5 years): emotional preparation? I think our coaches’ traditional performance in this area has been consistent: you rely on the composure of your player leaders and go from there. In past performance, where the team hasn’t been as good as the opposing team, our team’s leaders haven’t been as composed and the coaches didn’t try anything much to try to get more out of them than they had previously. This coaching deficiency (emotional preparation) won’t matter as much this year, as our player leaders will rise up.

Does anyone know a website where i can watch this game for free online? Unfortunately the pub i am able to watch the game at closes at 3:00 am so i wouldn’t be able to watch the game there. (the game doesn’t start til 1:00am London Time) Thanks for any help for us fans stuck in London

Blockquoted paragraph My favorite passage from this week, “Michigan State @ Michigan. They shouldn’t actually play this game. The teams should just gather in a circle at midfield and form a support group.”

Very funny! That would have been even funnier if it could have been a Mich vs. Wiscy game this week as those are the two teams in a total tailspin. (Indiana, for all intensive purposes, should be donated to a FBS conference this year)