The Buckeyes Win Again!!!

The dominance that Ohio St. has had over Michigan continued on Saturday afternoon. They started slow as it seems they usually do. Then the Silver Bullets started to put the hurt on Denard Robinson, the starting QB of UM, and the Buckeyes grabbed hold of the momentum and never let go.

If the Buckeyes had played the way they played their final three games, against Wisconsin in mid-October, this team would be playing for the National Championship. They played with heart and effort, something that really seemed to be missing in their one loss.

I think Michigan might be better, come next year's match up but they could just as well be the same team. Rich Rod's system seems to be one that would not fit with a new coach, if a new one is brought in. On the other hand, do they really want to endure another mediocre season, which ends with a loss to Ohio St. and at best a second-rate bowl or none at all. Rumors have appeared that point to Jim Harbaugh being offered the job but if I was him that would make me laugh. He's turned Stanford, basically an Ivy League school on the west coast, into a Pac 10 powerhouse. If he's going to stay a college football coach, I would think he would stay there, where his system is in place and he's probably taking them to a BCS Bowl. If he's moving on, it would probably be to the big leagues, the NFL. When he does decide to coach in the NFL, he'll be able to choose his team and it'll be a good one. Like his brother who was able to take over the Ravens and all they needed fixed was the offense. The defense was stacked and ready. So, Michigan fans, I hope you enjoy your basketball team because the football team is going to be a mess for at least another season.

The end of the game was pure Tressel-ball. We ran it all three downs and then punted. The defense would stop them and this would repeat. Tressel brings in our backup QB, we run some more, burning the clock and the game ends. I'm surprised that I don't sleep through the second half of more OSU games. Tressel's end game strategy is almost as scripted as his post game interview. Those interviews always make me laugh.

And now we wait until next Sunday to see which bowl game invites us to play in their game.....

1st Annual Turkey Awards for Thursday's Football Games

I love awards given out for great players and great plays. I also appreciate when awards are given out for horrible gaffs (C'mon Man) and terrible players. So, today marks the first annual Turkey Awards, after watching yesterday's Thanksgiving Day games, I realized that three players stood out and deserved an award for their horrible play. Hence, the Turkey Awards.

New England Patriots at Detroit Lions

CB Alphonso Smith -Detroit Lions

Smith had a very forgettable game. Either his mind was on some Turducken or he wanted to stand out on National TV. He was torched on two TD catches, he whiffed on a tackle that led to a third TD and then was run over by BenJarvus Green-Ellis on a TD run. Giving up one TD is normal and happens to even the best defensive players at times, giving up two is a bad day, giving up three and you're probably looking for a place to hide. But having a part in surrendering four TD's and most of the time you're looking for a new team. Smith was grilled by coaches and teammates on the sideline, which just added to his embarrassment on this national broadcast. Alphonso you definitely earned this Turkey Award.

New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys

WR Roy Williams -Dallas Cowboys

Williams was having a decent game and would not have received this award, especially if the Cowboys had ended up winning the game. That didn't happen but what did happen was a microcosm of the Cowboys season. With Dallas leading 27-23 late in the 4th quarter, Jon Kitna hit Williams on a slant and it seemed as though he was going to take it in to seal the win. Instead, as he was being tackled at the 11, Williams was stripped of the ball by the Saints Malcolm Jenkins and New Orleans recovered the ball. The Cowboys defense could have saved the day and stopped the Saints from scoring. That's easier said than done, as New Orleans was led down the field by Drew Brees and scored a game winning TD. Roy maybe it would have been for the best to stay in Detroit. You didn't and so here is your Turkey Award.

Cincinnati Bengals at New York Jets

QB Carson Palmer -Cincinnati Bengals

Palmer really needed to distinguish himself to walk away with the Turkey Award in this one. Multiple Bengals were fighting for the fictional final Turkey Award of the day. Do you remember when Carson Palmer was a very good, almost great quarterback, for Cincinnati? I do but it seems like decades ago. Palmer finished with a quarterback rating of 41.0, which is a really nice bookend to Tom Brady's perfect QB rating in the first game of the day. Palmer threw 2 INT and was sacked for a safety. It seems like he really knows how to share, giving to the Jets like that and so I'm sure he'll share his Turkey Award with many of his Bengal teammates after this Thanksgiving Day disaster.

Congratulations to all the winners, here's hoping you don't win this again next year!!!

The Game

So, this Saturday is The Game. Ohio St. has been my favorite college football team since I was born. The last regular season game for the Buckeyes is always the matchup with our hated rival- the Michigan Wolverines. I wanted my first post to be about something that means alot to me and this certainly qualifies. It doesn't matter what the records are of either team, although I certainly prefer Ohio St. to come in undefeated (or as close as possible). It doesn't matter who the coach is, who the players are and which stadium is being played in, this is The Game.

This year, the Buckeyes come in once again as the favorites but "that school from up north" has been playing much better this season. They have a gamebreaker at quarterback and a very talented offense. Now their defense is a whole different story, which has led to some Madden-esque scores. Listening to sports-radio over the last few days has told me that some UM fans are actually hoping that the Buckeyes paste the Wolverines and send their coach Rich Rodriguez packing. Rich-Rod has lost his first two against OSU and he will be hard pressed to pull this one out of his hat.

On the other sideline, Jim Tressel has routinely beaten UM over his ten seasons as head coach. He goes into this 10th game against the Wolverines with a record of 8-1. He made this the key game of his tenure as coach and it has shown. Purdue has won more games against Tressel than "that school from up north".

I'm thinking this one should be close, with perhaps some back and forth lead changes. Rich-Rod will be pulling out all the stops, as I'm sure he's worried about his job security. The Silver Bullets will come up with some key stops as the game winds down and the Buckeyes will win their 7th straight in this storied rivalry.

My prediction is a 30-28 victory for The Ohio State University.