#12 Ohio State @ #20 Michigan State Saturday, October 18, 2008 East Lansing, Michigan - 3:30 (EST) Ohio State -3.5
Summary This is a battle of big brother vs. little brother...Jim Tressel vs. Mark Dantonio...it is a battle of "Family"...
Ohio State has been winning since getting thumped 35-3 by Southern Cal...the offense has been sluggish of late as they did not score an offensive touchdown last week against a weak Purdue team...there has been some mumbling that senior quarterback Todd Boeckman deserves to see action again, but that will not happen...Tressel has the man that he wants under center - Terrelle Pryor...by bringing Boeckman back into the picture, Tressel could start another quarterback controversy, something he wants to avoid at all costs...
When reading the newspapers, there is a clear divide on this team...the seniors want Boeckman to see more playing time...interestingly, Tressel always stresses senior leadership, but he is refusing to put in Boeckman even though he is one of the team captains...
Things have changed up north - and we aren't talking about the Wolverines...this year, baby brother has a team that just may win the Big Ten and play in the Rose Bowl...Michigan State is the team to beat in the State of Michigan...
The Spartans are led by senior running back Javon Ringer who is moving his name up the Heisman list...Ringer already as 1,112 yards rushing and 14 TDs...the Spartans rely heavily on the running game to score points...QB Brian Hoyer has thrown only 6 TDs this year...overall, the Spartans average 176 yards/game on the ground and 192 through the air...
The Spartans have committed only 6 turnovers all year while forcing their opponents to 16 turnovers...
What the experts say... The Gold Sheet - Michigan State 21-20 Point Wise - Ohio State 22-21 Power Sweet - Ohio State 24-14
Ohio State Buckeyes (6-1) - Head Coach Jim Tressel Here are the Ohio State game notes for the Michigan State game...
Bob Baptist of the Columbus Dispatch writes how Michigan State has become a mentally tougher team under Dantonio... "But those moments are becoming fewer and fewer as the Michigan State program more and more embodies the tough, no-nonsense ethic of Dantonio, who was hired two years ago to rescue it from the mood swings that marked his predecessor." ...
Ken Gordon of the Columbus Dispatch writes how Tressel has found his man in Terrelle Pryor even though the numbers keep dropping... "Pryor has accounted for progressively fewer total yards in each of his starts: 205 against Troy, 167 against Minnesota, 164 at Wisconsin and 124 last week." ...
Doug Lesmerises of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes how Ohio State is trying to get the offense rolling again... "Three days after failing to score an offensive touchdown in a 16-3 win over Purdue on Saturday, the Buckeyes hit the practice field Tuesday in a continued search for answers." ...
Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch writes how offensive coordinator Jim Bollman is dealing with the lack of offense... "Bollman was asked yesterday what he would tell fans who are fretting the malaise will continue. They think it could deep-six what is still a promising season, perhaps even Saturday when the Buckeyes (6-1, 3-0) play at Michigan State (6-1, 3-0)." ...
Joe Rexrode of the Lansing State Journal writes how there are 24 players from the state of Ohio on the Michigan State team... "For a team with just as many starters from Ohio as from Michigan, it's fair to wonder which of the next two Saturdays will see the bigger "rivalry game." Obviously, Michigan State's No. 1 nemesis is Michigan, which will host the Spartans on Oct. 25. But Saturday's home game against Ohio State will have an awfully intense feel to it for many Spartans." ...
Marlen Garcia of USA Today writes how MSU running back Javon Ringer is piling up the yards and Ws... "In part, Ringer said shaky academics kept him from getting to OSU. But he didn’t beat himself up over it." ...
Shannon Shelton of the Detroit Free Press writes that this year's game is more than Tressel vs. Dantonio... "Last season, the biggest story line entering Michigan State's game against Ohio State was the teacher vs. student battle between Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel and protégé Mark Dantonio, the first-year coach at MSU." ...
In honor of the 10-year anniversary of when Michigan State went into Columbus as 28-point underdogs and upset the #1 ranked Buckeyes, here is a 3:32 clip of that game...
#12 Missouri vs. #1 Texas Saturday, October 18, 2008 - 8:00 EST Darrel K. Royal - Texas Memorial Stadium Austin, Texas Texas -7.5
Summary After Texas' big win over Oklahoma, QB Colt McCoy was asked about the Longhorns next game with Missouri...McCoy responded that it would probably be the second week Texas would have to play the #1 team in the nation...that all changed 6 hours later when Okie State went to Columbia and stumped the highly favored Tigers...
The Tigers now head into Austin and wonder what could have been...sophomore Jeremy Maclin (photo below) leads the Big XII conference with 1,157 all-purpose yards...
McCoy is now the clear front runner for the Heisman Trophy after last week's performance...McCoy won the Big XII Conference Offensive Player of the Week - the second time this year...Jordan Shipley took home the conference Special Teams Player of the Week too...on defense, the player who showed he is a force at defensive end is Brian Orakpo (photo below)...Orakpo "blew up" numerous plays and caused havoc on the Sooners last week...
Also, ESPN's College Gameday will be live from Austin...Texas leads the all-series 15-5 including winning the last four meetings...over the last eight years, Texas has the winningest football program with a mark of 82-14...
What the experets say... The Gold Sheet - Texas 30-27 Point Wise - Texas 44-31 Power Sweep - Missouri 38-37
Missouri Tigers (6-1) - Head Coach Gary Pinkel Here are the Missouri game notes for the Texas game...
Bernie Miklasz of the the St, Louis Post-Dispatch writes how last week's lost to Okie State has put the pressure back on Mizzou head coach Gary Pinkel... "Much of the flak had vanished. Winning does that. But when the frazzled Tigers skidded to an unexpected 28-23 loss at home to Oklahoma State, the upset reheated some of those negative Pinkel sentiments." ...
Mike DeArmond of the Kansas City Star writes how the Tigers have a lot of players from the State of Texas... "Then there are wide receivers Danario Alexander and Earl Goldsmith and defensive secondary backups Del Howard and Kevin Rutland. Each has a story about how Texas let ’em get away — or even how the Longhorns may not have ever known they played Texas high school football." ...
Dan Angell of the Columbia Missourian writes how Chase Daniel and other native Texans do not have a connection to the state... "He's heard all about the connections between himself and Colt McCoy, a good friend who ended up as the Texas quarterback. But the Texas connection is not a big deal to Daniel anymore." ...
Alan Trubow of the Austin American-Statesman writes about Longhorn safety Blake Gideon and his impressive play despite having back problems... "There were a few big hits during a non-district football game his sophomore season at Leander. There was a crack. Lots of pain. Blake knew his back was bad, and getting worse, but he sucked it up and kept to himself." ...
Tim Griffin of the ESPN Blog Network writes about the impact of Brian Orakpo..."Orakpo has been one of the major reasons why the Texas defense has far surpassed expectations after the first half of the season." ...
Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman writes that Missouri may have lost last week, but they are still a force... "Fresh off a Big 12 title game appearance, they're showing up with a solid coach, a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback, athletic talent all over the field and a legacy of losing they're trying hard to shed." ...
The Dallas Morning News has an article about how Colt McCoy and Chase Daniel have known each other since their days at high school football camps... "They remain linked by circumstance and friendship after first meeting at high school football camps. McCoy signed with Texas. Daniel, who once imagined playing for the Longhorns, went to Missouri." ...
ESPN's Chris Fowler warns Texas and Alabama of possible upsets... "In the eight-decade history of the AP poll, three of the top four teams lost during the same weekend only three times. Until this season. Suddenly, it has happened twice in three weeks! Let that sink in for a second. It is astounding. Only two of the top four teams face really tricky games on Saturday: No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Alabama." ...
#15 Kansas @ #6 Oklahoma Saturday, October 18, 2008 - 3:30 EST Oklahoma Memorial Stadium - Owen Field Norman, Oklahoma Oklahoma -15.5
Summary This is a match-up of Youngstown, Ohio natives...Bear Mangino is a graduate of Youngstown State University while Bob Stoops was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio...Mangino was a former assistant under Stoops at OU from 1999-01...as offensive coordinator, Mangino helped the Sooners win a BCS title as they had a 24-2 mark while he was running the offense...
This will mark the 100th meeting between the two schools...Oklahoma currently has the longest home winning streak in the nation at 20 straight games...the Sooners lead the all-time series 66-27-6...these teams last met in 2005 when Oklahoma won 19-3 with the game played at Kansas City...
With that said, it comes down to what the players do on the field...the Fighting Manginos of Kansas have only 1 loss, a last second field goal by South Florida...leading the team again is fiesty QB Todd Reesing who has thrown 15 TDs to 3 INTS...his favorite target is Kerry Meier who has 53 receptions and three TDs...
Kansas averages 124 yards/game on the ground...the rushing attack is split between Jake Sharp (283 yards) and Angus Quigley (227 yards)...
OU's defense took a shot last week after losing LB Ryan Reynolds...the Sooners also failed to establish a running game as DeMarco Murray struggled...
Kansas Jayhawks (5-1) - Head Coach Mark "Bear" Mangino Here are the Kansas game notes for the Oklahoma game...
Dugan Arnett of the Lawrence Journal World writes how Kansas recruits heavy in the state of Oklahoma... "Similar sentiments should be plentiful Saturday, when a large collection of Oklahoma natives return to their home state for the Jayhawks’ biggest game of the season. With the exception of Texas, the state of Oklahoma is where Kansas’ coaches have gone most frequently to sign out-of-state recruits." ...
Tully Corcoran of the Topeka Captial-Journal writes how Bear Mangino is still well liked in the Sooner state... "The funny thing about Mark Mangino in Oklahoma is that he is a minor celebrity there, which is noteworthy for a guy who doesn't exactly seek out the limelight." ...
John Shinn of the Norman Transcript writes how the Sooners have a history of bouncing back after the Texas game... "The Sooners have been remarkably adept at leaving the Texas game — win or lose — at the Cotton Bowl throughout the years. Under Stoops, they’re 9-0 against whatever team follows the Longhorns. In this case, it will be No. 16 Kansas at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Owen Field." ...
John Shinn writes about the changes made on kick-off coverage... "Stoops pointed out that OU didn’t give up a single kick return for a touchdown last season even though it led the nation in kickoffs with 104. The coaches are the same, but some players have changed." ...
Jake Trotter of The Oklahoman writes how OU needs to rework its defense... "This week, OU will try and reassemble its defense without Reynolds, who is lost for the season with a third major knee injury in as many years." ...
Here was a recent article by Dan Wetzel on Yahoo.com which gives Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez some hope...
Michigan’s struggles likely won’t last By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports Oct 14, 6:25 am EDT
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The first-year coach of the historic national power had that blindsided look on his face. He was trying, fruitlessly, to explain an inexcusable home loss to a weak team from a lesser conference.
You mean Michigan’s Rich Rodriguez after a gut-punch humiliation at the hands of Toledo?
Oh sure, him too.
“About 4 a.m. [Sunday morning] I kept turning over, couldn’t sleep, and my wife Rita said, ‘You know, Nick lost to Louisiana-Monroe last year, and look how that’s changed,’ ” Rodriguez said Monday.
Nick is Nick Saban, who was in the same position a year ago at Alabama as Rodriguez is this week. Saban’s first season remaking an ancient power had descended into a series of distressing losses, one more frustrating than the next. The UL-Monroe defeat was enough to make at least some once-worshipful fans wonder about their head coach.
Saban was so mentally shot he compared the loss to Pearl Harbor and September 11. It was meant as an analogy – an example of how sometimes change requires a shock to the system. Predictably, it went over poorly. Things spun from bad to worse.
Just 11 months later Alabama is 6-0 and ranked No. 2 in the nation. It received 26 first-place votes this week and, by SEC standards, has a favorable schedule from here on out. Saban’s statue outside the stadium is all but ordered.
It’s about the only solace Rodriguez has these days. It’s comforting to think the depths of despair cannot just be forgotten, but celebrated as some kind of necessary step toward greatness.
UL-Monroe wasn’t a negative for Alabama; it was a necessity. Or so legend may one day say.
Saban’s Crimson Tide are merely the most recent example Rita Rodriguez could offer her husband. If Saban can win the BCS championship this season, he’d be the fourth coach this decade alone to do it in just his second season at the helm of a once-underachieving super power (Bob Stoops at Oklahoma, Jim Tressel at Ohio State and Urban Meyer at Florida).
That’s all nice, but in his present mental state, Rich Rodriguez remains mostly unmoved. He’s at No. 3 Penn State this week and plays host to No. 20 Michigan State after that.
“I told Rita, ‘Yeah, that’s true with Nick, but that doesn’t make me feel any better,’ ” Rodriguez said, smiling. “I felt Nick’s pain, but it’s not helping me right now.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gallows humor is all that’s left for the program with the most wins of all time. The Wolverines are 2-4 and in danger of their first losing season since 1967, their first eight-loss season ever and their first bowl-less postseason in 33 years. Veteran athletic department staffers joke about the groundbreaking idea of being home for the holidays.
Michigan has struggled from the start – a combination of a new system (Rodriguez’s spread offense) and new faces (six of 11 starters on offense are in their first year). They’ve been particularly inept at the basics – turnovers, penalties, defensive coverage, etc.
Even so, Michigan never had lost to a team from the Mid-American Conference. This was a chance at a precious victory. Toledo entered the game 1-4 and had given up an average of more than 40 points a game in the losses.
Michigan managed just 10 points. To add insult to injury, UT’s only touchdown was a 100-yard interception return. Then Michigan missed a final-second game-tying kick. UT 13, UM 10.
The question was whether this was worse than last year’s historic, cataclysmic defeat.
“Some of the players were saying, ‘Appalachian State, at least they won three national championships at their division,’ ” offered defensive end Tim Jamison.
The booing from the stands and frustration on the radio shows were predictable. It is one thing to struggle, but this level of futility? Yes, there were heavy personnel losses so it wasn’t like Lloyd Carr would have won a Rose Bowl had he returned for a 14th season. Still, a loss to Toledo?
All the preseason preaching of patience sounded good. Try practicing it, though.
Factor in Rodriguez’s embarrassingly silly off-season contract squabble with West Virginia and a few step-on-the-toes-of-tradition moves, and Year One has been anything but smooth.
“I think it’s fair for everybody to question (my approach),” Rodriguez said. “They’re going to question everything I do. I think they’ve questioned everything I’ve done since I’ve been here, the last eight, nine months. …
“I couldn’t have foreseen this situation. Everybody says, ‘You have to be patient.’ So we’re being patient, but at the same time we want results, too.”
If history is an indicator, those will come quickly. Rodriguez himself won just three games in his first season at West Virginia, back in 2001. The next year he won nine.
Michigan can do even better. There’s a reason these monster programs can reload quickly. The recruiting might, the in-house talent and the institutional commitment can get programs moving rapidly under the proper stewardship.
Rodriguez still is that kind of coach. He’s an innovative offensive mind, a tireless recruiter and a master motivator. He turned West Virginia into a perennial national contender. At age 45, he was one of the hottest young coaches the last few years; he even turned down the Alabama job that eventually went to Saban.
He’s had so much success of late, he has a difficult time remembering when he didn’t.
“You say, ‘Well, I never want to go through this again,’ ” he said.
It’s unlikely he will. You don’t combine one of the best programs and one of the best coaches and not experience success.
As impossible as it is right now to imagine Michigan could be ranked No. 2 next season (not that we’re predicting it), it was just as impossible to dream it in sullen Tuscaloosa last November.
Saban used 2007 the way Rodriguez appears to be using 2008. The Tide finished 7-6, but Saban set the tone within the program, used the setbacks to motivate offseason workouts and spent the rest of the time relentlessly recruiting his kind of players.
It’s the same formula of other big-name coaches. Stoops and Tressel went 7-5 their first seasons and won it all the next. Pete Carroll was 6-6 in his USC debut and has won at least 11 games every season since.
This may be new to Michigan, but it isn’t new to programs just like it.
“As far as building a program, the steps you have to have to have a top-10 program for the future is done,” Rodriguez assured. “It’s just that it’s not showing on the field right now. Eventually it’ll show up in the games, and everyone will be happy.”
With that he smiled weakly and left to go watch game tape. His wife’s middle-of-the-night pep talk had helped, but just a little. All the positive words about the future, about staying the course, is necessary but not enjoyable. One day, he knows, he’ll look back and draw something positive from these dark days.
Right now it’s just a nightmare that keeps him up at four in the morning.
Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press is critical of Rich Rodriguez's performance as head coach of Michigan... "Rodriguez has done an awful coaching job this season. Michigan is 2-4 and just lost to Toledo, which should never happen. Toledo isn’t just a Mid-American Conference team; it’s a bad MAC team, a much worse outfit than Appalachian State last year." ...
- Look for current Ohio State assistant coach Luke Fickell to be the next head football coach at Youngstown State University...there is a good chance that YSU will be making a coaching change after head man Jon Heacock has had another disappointing year...
- If Fickell is not the choice, there is no doubt that Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel will have a major voice in who will be the next head coach at YSU...
- Don't feel sorry for Heacock if he gets fired, he will just move down I-71 and get a job with his brother, Jim, at Ohio State...
- I was surprised that Clemson canned Tommy Bowden in the middle of the season...he has underachieved as the head man at Clemson...the Tigers had many quality players who have done well in the NFL...
- The Tampa Bay Rays players may be young, but they sure act like veteran ball players...after hitting homers, the players move around the bases and into the dugout like true professionals...
- The Redskins, Cowboys, and Giants all missed a golden opportunity to take hold of the NFC East...but all three lost...especially the Giants and Redskins losing to inferior teams...
- I have no problem with a little bench clearing trash talking during the playoffs...it adds even more excitement to the games...
- It is hard to believe that John Madden is actually 72-years-old...
- The betting service that I deal with has Barack Obama the heavy favorite...as of this weekend, you had to place $40 on Obama to win $10...while you can place $10 on McCain and win $15 if he should pull the upset...
The latest Stiles Points Top 16+1 (games through 10/11/08)...the Top 16+1 appeared for the first time last week and already there is another new #1...and just as fast as Vanderbilt broke into the rankings, they were banished after a loss to Mississippi State... (note, the second number in parenthesis is the previous week's ranking)...
1. Texas (6-0) (5) - the Longhorns were impressive, but they cannot celebrate too much as Missouri comes to Austin this Saturday... 2. Penn State (7-0) (4) - JoePa retire?...this may be the best team in the country...Youngstown, Ohio native Daryll Clark - photo 3. Alabama (6-0) (2) - the Penn State and Texas wins caused the Tide to slide 1 spot... 4. Southern Cal (6-1) (8) - it looks like the machine is back in order... 5. Oklahoma (5-1) (1) - Sam Bradford was impressive despite the loss - 5 TDs...this is still a very good team...
6. BYU (5-0) (6) - BYU has been playing good ball all year... 7. Florida (5-1) (11) - that Ole Miss loss is now forgotten...the key to this team is Percy Harvin, not Tebow... 8. Georgia (5-1) (10) - the Dawgs took care of business after their Alabama meltdown... 9. Texas Tech (6-0) (9) - TT had to go OT against Nebraska...they don't rise, but they don't either... 10. Oklahoma State (6-0) (16) - Okie State has a real nice team of talented players...
11. Missouri (5-1) (3) - they lost to a good Okie State team, but still it was a disappointment... 12. LSU (4-1) (6) - 51-21!?!?!...what in the name of Gerry DiNardo happened?... 13. Ohio State (6-1) (12) - the Buckeyes looked awful against a poor Purdue team... 14. Kansas (6-1) (14) - the fighting Manginos can make their mark when they roll into Norman to take on the former #1 team... 15. Utah (7-0) (15) - yawn, wake me when they play BYU... 16. Michigan State (6-1) (NR) - Sparty gets Ohio State on Saturday...this is the game that Mark Dantonio needs to win...he must beat his big brother (Tressel).. +1 North Carolina (5-1) - Butch Davis has turned the Tar Heels around...he may not be a NFL coach, but he is a darn good college coach...
Heisman Four Horsemen 1. Colt McCoy, qb, Texas - he exemplified everything a Heisman winner should be in his win over Oklahoma... 2. Daryll Clark, qb, Penn State - remember when Penn State was trying to get Terrelle Pryor?...who needs Pryor in Happy Valley!!... 3. Sam Bradford, qb, Oklahoma - 5 TDs agains Texas...he played a solid game... 4. Tim Tebow, qb, Florida - just when you thought he was done, T2 comes back with a good game against a tough LSU defense...
Games of the Week Stiles Points will be previewing the following three games this week: Kansas @ Oklahoma - Will Bear Mangino (right) be able to put away a deflated Sooners ball club?... Ohio State @ Michigan State - Big Brother vs. Little Brother - Tressel vs. Dantonio... Missouri @ Texas - the way things are going, Texas will lose this game...
Other games to keep an eye on: Michigan @ Penn State - how will the once proud Wolverines react after a humiliating defeat to Toledo?...remember, Michigan has beaten Penn State the last 9 times they faced off...I smell rout!!!... Pitt @ Navy - the Panthers are starting to gain some momentum, but they cannot take Navy lightly...this is a kind of game Wannstedt always loses... LSU @ South Carolina - the Tigers need to get regrouped after the beatdown at The Swamp...you can never sleep on a Spurrier team either... Wake Forest @ Maryland - I smell upset...
