We have now passed through the first threshold of understanding what kind of team the Buckeyes have and it seems like a fairly decent group of guys.
Offensively, the run game could be more dominant, and that may come as defenses began to concern themselves a bit more with the OSU passing game. As far as the passing game goes, good luck to the secondaries in the Big Ten.
Defensively, the Buckeyes have had some issues, but the coaches and players are confident in the fixes they have in place. (Others are somewhat less confident.)
They’ll have one more tuneup before their Big Ten schedule really kicks off.
The rest of the nation, however, is beginning to get into conference play, which means games are getting bigger and the stakes are getting higher.
I mean, how can you not be super-stoked for Maryland at Minnesota?
Friday September 21
Teams: #10 Penn State (3-0) at Illinois (2-1)
Time (TV): 9:00 pm (FS1)
Interest: 2.5
Cheer For: Penn State
I know you are a believer in Illinois and you believe Lovie Smith is the best coach in the country, but I just don’t see it. And yes, I still have your PowerPoint presentation with all of your bullet points explaining why you think the way you do. I respectfully disagree with most of your reasoning, including your 12 slides on how Lovie is the reincarnation of a Sumerian sun god who will either bring harmony or death to our time depending on how the 2018 season goes. But if you are right, and Lovie does “possess the judgeful heart of a thousand flames,” at this point I’d go ahead and live these next two months as if they were our last.
Penn State 38 – Illinois 13
Teams: Washington State (3-0) at USC (1-2)
Time (TV): 10:30 pm (ESPN)
Interest: 3
Cheer For: USC
The Tip Sheet is pretty late right now. I just got done watching the Browns game. I expected to be able to get work done during the game, but tweeting during Browns games is very time intensive. You’re rooting for USC here because you want Washington State to get a loss and you want USC to keep winning so they stay away from Ryan Day. The Trojans are favored by 4.5 points and I’m hoping for a shootout because I’m starting Washington State’s quarterback this week. Wazzu hasn’t played anybody yet, and USC is certainly somebody, and they may be anybody. USC needs to stop their current two-game losing streak, and they’ll also be seeking revenge for last year’s 30-27 loss at Washington State.
USC 31 – Washington State 28
Saturday September 22
Teams: #8 Notre Dame (3-0) at Wake Forest (2-1)
Time (TV): 12:00 pm (ABC)
Interest: 2.5
Cheer For: Wake Forest
Ideally, you should root for Wake Forest in order to take Notre Dame from the ranks of the unbeatens, but a win for the Irish isn’t all that bad. For one, it will continue to make Michigan’s loss look better. For two, Notre Dame comes to Northwestern later in the season. If the Wildcats fire Pat Fitzgerald between now and then and find a coach who can win a tough game, then I really like Northwestern’s chances in that one. Wake Forest’s offense is going to give Notre Dame their first loss of the season. In a slightly alternate universe, the Irish could be 0-4 with a loss in this one.
Wake Forest 27 – Notre Dame 23
Teams: #2 Georgia (3-0, 1-0) at Missouri (3-0)
Time (TV): 12:00 pm (ESPN)
Interest: 5
Cheer For: Missouri
Missouri quarterback Drew Lock has been talked about as the top quarterback in the 2019 NFL Draft. If he is that good, then he should have plenty of time to throw the ball against a Georgia defense that is last in the nation in sacks — they have just one in three games. The Bulldogs haven’t faced a decent offense yet, having dispatched with Austin Peay, South Carolina, and Middle Tennessee so far. Lock is throwing for 354 yards per game and has 11 touchdown passes to just one interception. The Tigers are also rushing for an even 200 yards per game. This will be Georgia’s stiffest test this season, but that’s a very relative statement. (Ironically, “very relative” is what most of this crowd will be.) Expect the Bulldogs to run the ball well and for quarterback Jake Fromm to throw for 200 yards while completing 75% of his passes. Georgia is favored by two touchdowns, but if Drew Lock is for real, it should be closer than that.
Georgia 38 – Missouri 24
Teams: #23 Boston College (3-0) at Purdue (0-3)
Time (TV): 12:00 pm (ESPN2)
Interest: 3.5
Cheer For: Purdue
The Boilers shouldn’t be 0-3, but here we are. Boston College has been one of the real pleasant surprises of the season. Running back A.J. Dillon is fifth in the nation in rushing, averaging 144 yards on the ground per game. Sophomore quarterback Anthony Brown leads the nation in passing efficiency (240.18) and has thrown nine touchdowns and zero interceptions. Defenses have set out to stop Dillon, which has led to devastating play-action gains down the field. This could be a shootout if Purdue’s offense cooperates.
Boston College 38 – Purdue 34
Teams: Nebraska (0-2) at #19 Michigan (2-1)
Time (TV): 12:00 pm (FS1)
Interest: 4.5
Cheer For: Michigan
Nebraska freshman quarterback Adrian Martinez has been upgraded to probable, which may be bad news for Martinez. Michigan’s defense is susceptible to mobile quarterbacks and some plays can be made down the field. I’m just not sure if his knee is ready for what he is going to face in the Wolverines. If he does get the start, I would be surprised if he finishes the game. He does give Nebraska a chance to win, but it may be at a great cost.
Michigan 27 – Nebraska 17
Teams: Minnesota (3-0) at Maryland (2-1)
Time (TV): 12:00 pm (BTN)
Interest: 2.5
Cheer For: Minnesota
At this point we’re all just staring at Minnesota to see how much longer they can stay undefeated with a true freshman walk-on starting quarterback. Two dollars will get you into this game, which is a pretty great deal because there are no bad seats in Maryland’s stadium. The Terps are only favored by 2.5 points because they are coming in off of a 35-14 thrashing by Temple last week. Everything around Maryland right now may have finally caught up with them. The Gophers, meanwhile, are finding a way to win each week, even without their No. 1 running back. The Terps need to get more out of quarterback Kasim Hill. This week they’ll ride the running game to a win.
Maryland 20 – Minnesota 17
Teams: Buffalo (3-0) at Rutgers (1-2)
Time (TV): 12:00 pm (BTN)
Interest: 1
Cheer For: Rutgers
You can get into this game for just six bucks, which seems like an incredible waste of at least five dollars and 85 cents. Rutgers has implemented a new program for students where they can pay 10 dollars per game to not have to go to the games. It’s like Netflix, but at least with the Rutgers plan, the students are actually perfectly happy to have nothing to watch.
Rutgers 27 – Buffalo 20
Teams: #3 Clemson (3-0) at Georgia Tech (1-2, 0-1)
Time (TV): 3:30 pm (ABC)
Interest: 3
Cheer For: Georgia Tech
It’s perpetually interesting when a top-flight team has to take on Georgia Tech. There is always the chance for an upset due to the Yellow Jackets’ triple-option offense. Georgia Tech already has losses at USF and Pitt, but now they will head home for the first time since the season opener against Alcorn State. The Jackets lead the nation in rushing (392.7 ypg), so it will be fun to see them match up against a Clemson defensive line that is allowing just 2.1 yards per carry. While Georgia Tech might put up some points, they’ll need to be spot-on in the red zone to pull off the upset. I don’t see it happening, but the Tigers are about due for their annual loss.
Clemson 34 – Georgia Tech 20
Teams: #22 Texas A&M (2-1) at #1 Alabama (3-0, 1-0)
Time (TV): 3:30 pm (CBS)
Interest: 4
Cheer For: Texas A&M
Yeah, you might want to get your hopes up for this one, but you’d be wasting your time. Texas A&M should have beaten Clemson, but that game was in College Station. This game is in Tuscaloosa, which makes things a bit different. Aggies quarterback Kellen Mond will pose a problem for the Tide, but Alabama’s offense will pose more problems than A&M can handle. The Tide are favored by 26 points, which seems like a lot if A&M was actually the No. 22 team in the nation.
Alabama 42 – Texas A&M 24
Teams: Kansas State (2-1) at #12 West Virginia (2-0)
Time (TV): 3:30 pm (ESPN)
Interest: 3
Cheer For: Kansas State
Eventually, West Virginia is gonna blow it, but so far they look pretty good. Last week’s game against North Carolina State was canceled, so while they’ve had a week off, they didn’t have an extra week of preparation. Kansas State, meanwhile, has looked positively mediocre, which makes me think an upset is afoot this week. The Mountaineers should have enough offense to keep this from being a shootout, but this is the kind of game they tend to lose under Dana Holgorsen. They are 9-9 in their last 18 games as a ranked team.
West Virginia 34 – Kansas State 27
Teams: Tulane (1-2) at #4 Ohio State (3-0)
Time (TV): 3:30 pm (BTN)
Interest: 5
Cheer For: Ohio State
I do wonder if there will be such a concerted effort to get a bunch of scoring for the Buckeyes’ first-team offense and then get out of the game, that maybe we’ll see a bit of a slow start because of the pressure they will put on themselves. But then I remember that Dwayne Haskins plays for Ohio State and concerns are things that stupid people have. This game will be close at kickoff, but after that it will get out of hand. Don’t be surprised to see another defensive touchdown this week.
Ohio State 63 – Tulane 14
Teams: #17 TCU (2-1) at Texas (2-1)
Time (TV): 4:30 pm (FOX)
Interest: 4
Cheer For: TCU
You are TCU fans from now on and what that means is in the future when you are playing 20 miles from campus against a team from Ohio, you will just stay home and watch on television because you don’t understand big-time college football. The Horned Frogs are favored by three points, which the Longhorns should take personally. Can TCU withstand the tough loss from last week and buck up? Texas is coming off of a big win over USC and might be feeling pretty good about themselves. This is the conference opener for both teams.
Texas 27 – TCU 24
Teams: #14 Mississippi State (3-0) at Kentucky (3-0, 1-0)
Time (TV): 7:00 pm (ESPN2)
Interest: 3
Cheer For: Kentucky
Kentucky is looking to go 4-0 for the first time in probably forever. I’d do the research, but this is actually the last game preview I have to do, so don’t expect much. I jump around from game to game because if I just go chronologically, you’d notice how I start out with a ton of energy for the noon games, then by the time we get to the night games, I’m barely giving you any insight. So in order to keep that from happening, I jump around from game to game so that my energy and insights are spread throughout the entire Tip Sheet and you can’t necessarily tell when I’ve stopped caring. Kentucky has already defeated Dan Mullen’s current school this season, so now they’ll try to do the same thing to his old school. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, Mississippi State has an offense. That being said, my brain is saying Kentucky, which concerns me.
Kentucky 31 – Mississippi State 30
Teams: Texas Tech (2-1) at #15 Oklahoma State (3-0)
Time (TV): 7:00 pm (FS1)
Interest: 2.5
Cheer For: Texas Tech
You were born a Red Raider and you will die a Red Raider. All your life, people have tried to tell you that you weren’t a Red Raider, but you were right there confronting their lies every step of the way. At your grandfather’s funeral, you were 16 years old and you stood up in front of everyone and declared, “I am a Red Raider and the cookies in the back are store bought!” Your family didn’t speak to you for three years, especially your Aunt Cathy who swore you to secrecy about the cookies. When you were 22 and interviewing for your first job post-college, the interviewer asked you to tell them a bit about yourself, and you answered with, “I am a Red Raider and human resources cannot control me.” When you were 27 and officiating an underground knife-fighting match between domesticated orangutans in Singapore, before declaring a winner, you grabbed the microphone and yelled, “I’m a Red Raider and these monkeys are frickin’ tough!” Afterward, one of the orangutan’s trainers came over and said, “I’m a Red Raider too. Did you go to Texas Tech?” To which you answered, “What’s ‘Texas Tech?'”
Oklahoma State 42 – Texas Tech 28
Teams: #24 Michigan State (1-1) at Indiana (3-0)
Time (TV): 7:30 pm (BTN)
Interest: 3
Cheer For: Michigan State
Even though Indiana is undefeated, you’re still rooting for Michigan State because they are ranked and will be more likely to climb the polls. The Spartans are favored by five points, but the Hoosier defense may be able to stifle an MSU offense that hasn’t done much yet. They have had a week off to prepare for this game, which should help matters. If Michigan State loses this one, they could be headed for a collapse. Not a 2016 collapse, but more like a 6-6 collapse. Given that this is a night game in Bloomington, we should probably expect something crazy. Although when I think of Bloomington and crazy, I go back to a story I was told by an Indiana historian while researching this game. It’s normal for me to make five or six phone calls in preparation for every game, but for this game I only needed to make one call — to Rogers Dellahunt, the foremost historian on both the bizarre and Indiana. Anyway, I don’t have time to relay the story he told me, rest assured it was amazing and would have been a great addition to the Tip Sheet.
Michigan State 24 – Indiana 20
Teams: #7 Stanford (3-0, 1-0) at #20 Oregon (3-0)
Time (TV): 8:00 pm (ABC)
Interest: 4
Cheer For: Stanford
You are cheering for Stanford because they have a more difficult schedule down the road and should be able to find a loss or two later in the season. Oregon’s schedule, meanwhile, isn’t too bad, so a loss here would be good for the Buckeyes. This is a huge division matchup in the Pac 12 North. If the Ducks want to prove they are for real, this game would be a good start. If they can’t prove it, then at least they still have recruits who are swayed by clothes. Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert is loaded with potential, but he can be sloppy. If he cleans up his act and stays efficient, then I like Oregon. If he doesn’t, then Stanford will take advantage of his mistakes like the nerds they are.
Oregon 34 – Stanford 28
Teams: #18 Wisconsin (2-1) at Iowa (3-0)
Time (TV): 8:30 pm (FOX)
Interest: 4.5
Cheer For: Iowa
You are cheering for Iowa because they are undefeated and you want a shot at them in Indianapolis in order to avenge 55-24. Wisconsin completely choked last week at home to a BYU team that may be good, but shouldn’t have been good enough to upset the Badgers. The Cougars did an excellent job against the run, holding Jonathan Taylor to 117 yards rushing on 26 carries and zero touchdowns. If Iowa can do similar, they should be able to scare up enough offense to get the win. The Hawkeyes are allowing just 42 yards rushing through three games this season. This is the Big Ten opener for both teams and arguably the biggest game in the division all year. Having the tiebreaker here is huge. Wisconsin is favored by three points.
Iowa 24 – Wisconsin 20
Teams: Arizona State (2-1) at #10 Washington (2-1, 1-0)
Time (TV): 10:30 pm (ESPN)
Interest: 3.5
Cheer For: Arizona State
Arizona State lost a heart breaker last week at San Diego State, which means they will need to bounce back quickly this week for their conference opener. The Sun Devils have a real opportunity to contend for the Pac 12 South, but Washington is the class of the conference. While the win over Michigan State two weeks ago made people stand up and take notice of ASU, a win here will shake up the entire Pac 12. Of course, since it would happen at two in the morning, people would first have to wake up and then take notice.
Washington 28 – Arizona State 14