When you finally get your 10,000 hours of predicting in, there is no point in continuing to keep track of being “right” or “wrong” because that’s not why we do what we do.
When I wear my official League of Extraordinary Predictors badge and fanny pack around town and people see me, they know — right or wrong — that I am a man who predicts things, and they respect that.
I don’t wait for tables. As soon as I place my order, I sit where I want. People know me.
Do I get annoyed when dads send their kids over to me trying to get a prediction or an autograph out of me? Of course I do. Do I say anything? Yes, because those kids should know that their fathers are lesser men than me.
I know a lot of people who have tried to get into the predicting game for the fame and fortune, but those people don’t last. It’s not about being known, it’s about continuing a legacy built long before any of us were here.
When people ask me why I do what I do, I tell them the same thing that former LoEP founder Cyrus Lee Perkins told me.
“Where would our country be without predictors?” he asked me. “Our forefathers predicted we could survive without Great Britain, and they were right. We are just a continuance of our forefathers.”
My eyes still well up thinking about how important I am to the overall operation of our society.
It’s a humbling thing to be a part of something so important, but I know I can handle it. I’ve already predicted it.
As to what I predicted last week, I actually did better in the predictions that I don’t keep track of, which still counts in my heart.
Prediction No. 1: Garrett Wilson will have a career high in yardage.
Failed it (technically). Wilson’s career high before the Indiana game was nine yards, and he finished with eight yards against the Hoosiers. HOWEVER, his first catch went for -1 yards and his second catch went for nine yards. So he did have a career-high in yardage based on that one catch, but because he also had a career-high in catches, I got screwed.
Prediction No. 2: A cornerback will have an interception.
Nailed it. Damon Arnette’s 96-yard interception return was exactly as I predicted.
Prediction No. 3: Indiana will start at least three drives from inside their own 20-yard line.
Nailed it. Thanks to Drue Chrisman, Blake Haubeil, and the kick and punt coverage, Indiana started four possessions inside their 20-yard line.
Prediction No. 4: Justin Fields will have a career high in passing yards.
Failed it. If Justin Fields had hit that pass to Chris Olave, he would have set a career high. Instead, he fell 35 yards short. Still a valiant effort by me. Not so much by Fields and Olave.
Prediction No. 5: The Buckeyes will have a completion of at least 40 yards.
Failed it. Again, not my fault. Chris Olave tried his best, but that Georgia carpetbagger came up long. As it was, I was remarkably close because Olave did have a 37-yard catch.
Week Success Rate: 2-of-5 (40%)
Season Success Rate: 6-of-15 (40%)
(If you combine those two 40%s, you get 80%, which is damn impressive.)
Now for this week.
1. The Buckeyes will have at least four players with 25 yards rushing or more.
We know that JK Dobbins and Master Teague will get 25 yards on the ground. Justin Fields may or may not, but along with him, Demario McCall, Marcus Crowley, and Steele Chambers, I have to think they can find two other guys to join Dobbins and Teague.
2. Miami will be held under 80 yards rushing.
Iowa held Miami to 59 yards rushing and Cincinnati held them to 64 yards rushing, but those teams had to play nearly four full quarters against the RedHawks. If Ohio State’s starters were going to be in the game for four quarters, I’d put this number at 50. Plus, I need this.
3. Justin Fields will throw for at least 153 yards in the first half.
I expect the Buckeyes to get as many passes off in the first half as they can. Get Justin Fields some work and then let him take it easy in the second half.
4. Chris Olave will score.
So far this season, Chris Olave has alternated games in which he has scored. He scored in the first game, but not in the second game, but then scored again in the third game. He is not due to score this week, but I’m going against the grain here because I happen to think Chris Olave is a pretty talented guy. (If this happens to be a blocked punt by Olave that he also picks up and recovers in the end zone, that counts. Also, if he is the last guy to touch a blocked punt before it goes out of bounds — like last week, then I’m counting that too.)
5. Luke Farrell will have a catch.
This might not sound like much of a prediction, but despite being Ohio State’s starting tight end, Luke Farrell does not yet have a catch this season. That’s about to change this week.
This was hilarious. Tony is on his game this weekend. Hopefully OSU’s 2nd and 3rd teams will be on their game as well, because they will be on the field more than just before and after the whistles blow. It’s a good thing I don’t have the B1G Network, because seeing the yardage they’ll give up would be deflating.