Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Big week in the Big 10
The biggest game of the week, if measured by hype and relative ranking, is the matchup between #2 Texas and #4 Ohio State in Columbus. Both cruised to relatively easy wins last week. College Football News has a nice little preview of the game.
It's Texas and Ohio State in a matchup good enough to be the Rose Bowl. It's Ted Ginn Jr. and Vince Young in a primetime Heisman showcase. Finally, after all of the hype and all of the anticipation, one of the biggest non-conference regular season games of all time is here as Texas and Ohio State square off for the first time in the history of the two storied programs. It's only week two, but the superpower that loses this game is likely out of the national title hunt, while the winner will likely be cemented in the No. 2 spot in all the polls. Ohio State did its part by thumping a good Miami University team last week while Texas destroyed UL Lafayette. The two teams can finally concentrate on what they've been wanting for focus on for the last nine months. Hopefully, the game is half as good as the buildup.
CFN goes with the home team and predicts a 19-17 Ohio State victory. My view is that Ohio State is over ranked based on a lobsided bowl win over Oklahoma State and its defeat of Michigan last year. I predict that Buckeyes will fall, and by at least ten points.
The second big match-up is the annual Michigan-Notre Dame game. This is always a big game, and very often you can throw out the rankings. Notre Dame has been pretty weak in recent years, yet found a way to hand Michigan one of only two regular season losses last year. This year Michigan goes into the game ranked third. Notre Dame, unranked to start the year, leapt to #20 in the AP poll following their thrashing of Pittsburgh last Saturday. A Notre Dame victory would be seized by the media as evidence of its return to greatness (something I think we can all live without), and CFN is calling for the upset:
It might be too soon to put Notre Dame in the Rose Bowl, but team appears to be too well coached and too good to beat if the offense isn't thrown off its rhythm. Michigan has to consistently get to Brady Quinn and not allow him time to look at his second, third and fourth receivers. This will be a make-or-break game for the defense in the eyes of many Michigan fans, and it won't come through.
My view: While ranked, Pitt is weak and badly coached and far too much credit is being given to the Irish for last week's win. Notre Dame may be better then last year, but they have a long way to go to be Top Ten caliber. For some reason the media continues to have a romantic vision of Notre Dame football and predicts its return to dominance on an annual basis, but they play 'em for a reason. Michigan may not be as strong defensively as in some years, but should be able to outscore the Irish.
The third game is of less national significance, but means everything in the state of Iowa, where the #8 Iowa Hawkeyes face intra-state rival Iowa State. Iowa rolled last week in its opener so convincingly that at least one analyst has completely discounted the game, saying Iowa "played against air" or something to that effect. Iowa State won less convincingly, and so perversely is being given credit for emerging victorious. It is a big rivalry, and is being treated with optimistic caution by Hawkeye fans. Hawk Central examines whether or not the Cyclone blitzes will be effective against the Hawkeyes and quarterback Drew Tate, without really going out on a limb on the result.
Blitzes presented problems for the Hawkeyes early in the season last year when Iowa featured eight new starters on offense, including Tate and three offensive linemen. Iowa State's pressure produced four sacks and an interception in a 17-10 Iowa victory at Kinnick Stadium. Tate said the Hawkeyes are much more prepared to handle pressure now than they were last September.
"We've played Michigan, Ohio State, LSU, Wisconsin, Purdue, so I'm pretty used to that stuff right now," he said. "The continuity helps," Kirk Ferentz said. "The biggest thing is your quarterback. Having a quarterback who's experienced helps a great deal. One of the keys in the (Capital One) Bowl game for us ... if LSU didn't blitz us, we probably lose that game by a couple touchdowns. But we've got a guy who reacts pretty well to it (at quarterback) and that helps, it's comforting."
Intrastate rivalries are dangerous, but I'll go out on a limb and pick the Hawkeyes in a laugher. They are just bringing too much to this matchup.
2 Comments:
By 
, at
Thu Sep 08, 12:38:00 AM:
Good stuff 'villain. I'm heavily favoring Texas for reasons unexplainable. Agree on the Hawkeyes. However, I have to disagree on Michigan; they've become heavily overbacked, as evidenced by their last two games.
Either way, insightful commentary. Keep it coming.
By 
Charlottesvillain, at
Thu Sep 08, 09:50:00 AM:
Could be right about Michgan, although I have to think that Henne and Hart will be more productive as sophs than they were as freshman. He loss of Braylon Edwards could be tough to overcome, although everyone seems high on Avant.
They are not too happy about this over on the Buckeye board. I should have noted that I am a Big 10 fan and nothing would make me happier than seeing Texas perish in the shoe. I detest the Longhorns and root for them only when they play Nebraska.
