This week, I took the Panthers, Buckeyes, Hurricanes, and Wolverines — all to cover. Only the Panthers and Wolverines did, moving my season long record against the spread to 17-20. But more importantly, how great were these four games? …ok, given that probably none of us was actually able to see the Pitt game, how great were the other three? Let’s review…
PITTSBURGH 24, BOSTON COLLEGE 13: While I was writing my thoughts on the other three games below (I tend to write backwards), Chas posted an excellent summary and analysis of the Pitt-BC game. So I’m just going to be lazy, save everybody a little reading time, and wave anyone who is looking for a good summary here (If I knew how to post out of chronological order, I would have placed this post below Chas’s).
That being said, I picked Pitt to cover a one-point spread here because I thought that Pitt’s receiving corps, offensive line, and defense (pass and run) would step up and overcome Boston College. They all did. Unfortunately, these three groups will have to be even better next week against Virginia Tech.
OHIO STATE 21, PENN STATE 20: Of course, my phone was ringing off the hook yesterday afternoon when my other alma mater was down 17-7 at halftime just up the road in Beaver Stadium. Many of my Nittany Lion friends, relatives, and neighbors had to get a few jabs in. Few were concerned with just letting me watch the game in peace. Apparently, none were concerned with a last minute Ohio State comeback. However, the phone stopped ringing during backup quarterback Scott McMullen’s last, masterful drive. It is now Sunday morning. My phone hasn’t rung once since.
Hopefully, my wife now understands why I hate Penn State so much.
I picked Ohio State to cover a seven point spread here because I thought that (1) the Buckeyes would be able to run against Penn State (we did, for 153 yards), (2) the Buckeyes would be able to pass against Penn State (we did, for 148 yards), (3) Penn State wouldn’t be able to run against us (they couldn’t… only 33 yards on the ground), (4) Penn State wouldn’t be able to pass against us (D’OH! PSU quarterback Zack Mills lit us up for 253 yards in the performance of his career), and (5) Penn State’s not covering a spread since the Nebraska game was a sustainable pattern (D’OH!). However, in the same post, I noted that “A good, nasty archrival could help motivate Penn State past its current cloud of underachievement.” In the end, I underestimated how much Ohio State’s being Penn State’s archrival (even if not the other way around) would motivate the Nittany Lions.
Penn State Head Coach Joe Paterno, Offensive Coordinator Fran Ganter, and (especially) Defensive Coordinator Tom Bradley did a masterful job of game preparation and playcalling. Zack Mills and Penn State’s receiving corps played their best game in years. All of this leads to one obvious question: why didn’t both PSU’s coaches and players try to win this hard earlier this season? If nothing else, this near-win against the defending national champion clarifies how much underachievement has been going on up there lately.
Meanwhile, I could find fault with Ohio State’s playcalling in that we didn’t try to run the ball (especially with our power trap) more often (they couldn’t stop it). But I am more concerned with our poor pass protection (Krenzel got hurt for a reason) and our even worse pass defense. We had better shore these items up before Jeff Smoker and the Michigan State Spartans roll into Columbus next Saturday.
On a side note, guess who was the guest of honor last night at Joe and Sue Paterno’s post-game party in their State College home? According to today’s Altoona Mirror, it was former Pitt Head Coach (and current Athletic Department goodwill ambassador) Johnny Majors. I wonder why Johnny was there? Hopefully, he was lobbying for help in getting us into the Big Ten Conference.
VIRGINIA TECH 31, MIAMI 7: Last night, Virginia Tech’s defense and ground attack were as dominant as I thought they would be when I was listing them as the second best team in the country. But then the Hokies got their asses completely kicked in Morgantown, and I — like most of the rest of the country — gave up on them. I picked Miami to cover a 3.5 point spread here because I thought that the Hurricanes’s speed receivers and tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. would be able to get behind Virginia Tech’s defense on a semi-frequent basis.
Frank Beamer’s defense played a masterful game, though — scoring two TDs on their own. They pressured Miami Quarterback Brock Berlin into looking like the flop he really was at the University of Florida. Those two “scoop and score” interceptions were about the prettiest I’ve seen all year. In general, the Hokies fooled Miami and its coaching staff into thinking that they couldn’t pass or pass protect anymore, and that their only alternative was to futilely run the ball over and over again (I say “futile” because Tech only wound up letting the ‘Canes get 69 yards on the ground). How Larry Coker let Frank Beamer get inside of his head like that is beyond me. The Hurricanes can pass, and furthermore, should have tried to do so far more often when they fell behind. But instead, Coker just resigned himself to his apparent fate before the howling Hokie faithful.
On the other side of the ball, Virginia Tech and tailback Kevin Jones showcased a classic ball-control offense — regardless of whether Randall or Vick was at quarterback. They racked up 175 yards on the ground (versus only 44 through the air).
Like I said last week, I was rooting hard for the Hokies to upset the Hurricanes here — just as I was rooting hard for the Mountaineers to upset the Hokies two weeks back. But now I’m scared. Pitt’s defense against the run and pass protection had better be ready for next Saturday, or it’s gonna get real ugly. Even more frightening, we still have to play the Mountaineer team that dominated these Hokies from the beginning of their game to the end. I’m not sure that both Virginia Tech and West Virginia aren’t for real now.
MICHIGAN 27, MICHIGAN STATE 20: I correctly picked Michigan to cover a four point spread here because of “Chris freakin’ Perry,” John Navarre, and the Wolverines’s defense. Perry and the offensive line that blocks for him are scary good. Why Michigan didn’t stay on the ground more against Oregon is beyond me. And the Wolverines defense was as good as you can be against such a quality quarterback as Jeff Smoker. As much as it may break my Buckeye heart, I think that the Wolverines are going to the Rose Bowl this year.
Allright, I gotta go rake some @#%*@#! leaves.
As much as I used to hate this cheer, hail to “PENN STATE SUCKS! PENN STATE SUCKS! P-E-N-N-S-T SUCKS!”
