BSD Prediction Roundtable: Ohio State

I'm the lone hold out(kind of) this week, but I just have an odd feeling Penn State will eke out a victory this week, despite a complete lack of any logical reason to believe this team can pull off this upset at the 'Shoe in primetime. Following the last bye week against Indiana was the worst coaching performance, a failure in all three phases, I've ever seen from a Penn State team, precisely because of all the extra time the staff had to game plan, so we'll see if the staff learned from their mistakes. Michigan returned the favor, refusing to win the game in Happy Valley with repeated, terrible coaching decisions, but I don't expect the same charity from the Buckeyes. The Nittany Lions should be able to move the ball and score on offense, however I don't have high expectations for the defense against Miller and Hyde and yet for reasons I cannot fully understand the sliver of hope exists, even with an obligatory Hack pick-6 thrown into the mix.

Penn State: 49 - 45

Jersey Nick: I am slightly more optimistic about this game after seeing what Iowa's tight ends did to the Buckeye defense, but not optimistic enough to think we'll win. Braxton Miller will certainly be a lot for our defense to handle, but ultimately what I think will do us in will be Carlos Hyde. Hyde is playing the best football of his career right now, and simply looks unstoppable. I don't know what kind of numbers he'll end up with, but I can see him picking up some huge first downs when the defense needs a stop. Hack is probably due for a little bit of a rough outing as well, as the Horseshoe for an 8:00 game is far from a friendly environment. I think this one will be close until the end, but OSU will pull away in the 4th quarter with our defense gassed. I also think OSU scored a defensive touchdown in this one. HOWEVER, DaQuan Jones will tackle Hyde for a loss in this one, and when he does, it will be the first time that has happened to Hyde this season.

Ohio State 31 - 20

*My favorite moment when a commenter got angry with Dan was every moment when a commenter got angry with Dan.

bscaff: I don't think even Ken Barna sees a way we win this one.

It's a night game at the 'Shoe, and we have a true freshman QB. OSU has the best DT we'll see this season, in Michael Bennett - plus pass rushing horses on the outside. Their LB's might not be the best at covering TEs - but Iowa just gave them an extra week of practice at that, with a chance to correct mistakes. Each of their special teams units is better than our counterpart. Oh, yeah - the Buckeyes are running the ball on EVERYONE, and they do it via the spread with an impossible to catch QB - exactly what we struggle to stop. The Bucks have hung the following rush numbers in their last three games: 192 vs Wisconsin (4.47 ypc); 248 at jNW (5.17 ypc); and the 273 vs. Iowa (5.35 ypc). They're getting better as Braxton Miller rounds into shape, leaning on the best O-line they've had in a decade. Last, since we haven't won the turnover battle once this year, I'm not holding out hope for that, either. So as much as it pains me, I suggest preparing for a long night.

Ohio State 41 - 27

*Favorite Dan Memory: people (read: 2) upset that he didn't include the Fencing coach as a voting option for "best coach on campus". Turns out Dan was just 4 months early.

BOB: "Sons of Penn State. I am BOB."

717 kid: "BOB is 8 feet tall."

BOB: "Yes, I've heard. He kills defenses by the hundreds. And if he were here, he'd consume the Buckeyes with fireballs from his eyes, and bolts of lightning from his arse."

PSUers: (laughter)

BOB: "I AM BOB. And I see before me an entire nutjob fanbase in defiance of Ohio State assholerie. You have come to cheer and fart as free men, and free men you are. What would you do without Saturdays in the fall? Will you fight?"

412 dude: "Fight? Against that? With 61 scholarships? No, we will run, and we will live."

BOB: "Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you'll live. At least a while. And dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance - just one chance - to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our urine balloons, but they'll never take our freedom!"

PSUers: (cheering, one or two urine balloons hurled)

Glenn Carson: "Well, we didn't get dressed up for nothing."

(BOB walks to midfield to meet Luke Fickell)

Luke Fickell: "Here are king Urban's terms. Lead this 'football team' off the field, and he will give you estates in Cleveland, including hereditary title, from which you will pay-"

BOB: "I have an offer for you."

Fickell: "From which you will pay king Urban an annual duty-"

BOB: "I said I have an offer for you."

Fickell: "You disrespect a banner of truce?"

BOB: "From your king? Absolutely. Here are Penn State's terms. Lower your O-H-I-O flags, and march straight into Lake Erie, stopping at every home along the way to beg forgiveness for 100 years of Buckeye football. Do that and your men shall live. Do it not, and every one of you will die today."

Fickell: (grinning) "You are outmatched. You have no scholarships. In two centuries no team has won without--"

BOB: "I'M NOT FINISHED. Before we let you leave the Horseshoe, Urban must cross this field, present himself before our team, put his head between his legs, and kiss his own arse."

(Fickell stomps back to the OSU sideline. BOB returns to the PSU sideline.)

Jesse James: "I'd say that's a bit less cordial than he's used to."

BOB: "Listen. On my signal, down block first, then leak out the backside into a corner route, and take their defense by surprise."

James: "They'll think it's an outside zone run?"

BOB: "Aye, and let them see you down block."

Penn State 38 - 37

Devon: Unlike Michigan, Ohio State understands how to beat Penn State--quick passes to the outside--and doesn't let up. Trevor Williams misses a half dozen tackles in space, and Carlos Hyde powers through the front seven just to rub it in. And once we start cheating against the short passes, by rushing 3 and doubling on the outside, Braxton Miller will start taking off and guys like Ryan Keiser, Nyeem Wartman, and Malcolm Willis are no match for him in space. Offensively, Hackenberg is going to struggle early in his first big road game, and once the Buckeyes get up big, and we have to become one-dimensional, it gets ugly fast. It'll be a multiple interception game for Hack, maybe another pick-six, and after a short period in the third quarter when we pick up some momentum and cut the lead down to something manageable, Urban will sweep the leg, go for the jugular, and curbstomp us back down into oblivion.

Ohio State 44 - 20

Bill: I hate everything about this game so much. Like I said, there are two games where I think there's no chance Penn State wins, and this is one of those. Ohio State is just a better team than Penn State, and while I want to be optimistic, I just can't. I think Braxton Miller shreds Penn State on the ground -- as we've seen, Penn State struggles against mobile quarterbacks, and there aren't many quarterbacks more mobile than Miller -- and Hack regresses a bit. Like Nick said, there aren't many places more menacing than Ohio Stadium at night. No matter how composed he is, he's a freshman and this is his first real road test. I hate this game. I hate it.

In happier news, I think SOA spies Miller the whole game and leads Penn State in tackles, and since I love SOA more than anyone else on this team, that makes me happy.

Ohio State 38 - 21

*My favorite Dan memory is the one night I asked him a question at like 11 p.m. and he and I discussed pro wrasslin' until 4:30 a.m. There have been plenty of times where I've felt like a loser, never more so than that night.

From the Podcast:

Dan: Ohio State 41-24 *That was the greatest night ever, Bill. I watched Punk-Cena at MITB twice that night and their SummerSlam match once plus a multitude of other matches. I feel like that was the start of something special and our numerous hugs two Saturdays ago just cemented the bond we formed that night.

Adam: Ohio State 38 - 27

Cari: Ohio State 42 - 27

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