Saturday, October 28, 2017

SPORTSBALL TALK: Ohio State makes a shitload of mistakes in the first half, stays in striking distance, stops fucking around and outscores Penn State 19-3 in the 4th quarter to win the Big Ten East


The chart above says it all.  Penn State's win probability kept going up like Amazon stock throughout the game then came crashing down like the 2008 financial crisis.  I mean, when the game starts like this, you gotta feel pretty good:


But Ohio State did just enough in the first half to dig out of a 14-0 early deficit to go into the half 28-17 and receiving the 2nd half kick.

The key moment in the game happened when Penn State kicked a Field Goal to up by 11

Yeah it would have been nice to get a TD, but inside the 5, you're not putting that ball in the air when you can make it a two-score game.  Time and again McSorely has scored a TD with his legs, he just couldn't get loose here.  Even so, kicking a FG with 5:42 left up by 11?  I like my chances.

What changed is the Ohio State offensive coaches decided to stop being fucking idiots and throw the ball downfield.  All game that cute swing pass and screen pass shit was shut down by Penn State.  Knowing they needed to score twice and score quickly forced them to get vertical.  Penn State couldn't handle it, giving up a TD in a little over 1:20.  They held tough on the 2-pt try, but the next offensive series did them in.

The first play was a zone read to Barkley that got blown up for a 7-yard loss.  I don't have an issue with the play call, the blocking wasn't there and then you're staring at a 2nd & 17 inside your own 5.  That's what dictated the next 2 plays.  Up 5, you can't throw deep in your own territory, two more stuffed runs meant punting it back to Ohio State, and once again the secondary was carved up for the game-winning TD.

Goddammit.
Like I proclaimed in the title, Ohio State has won the Big Ten East.  They're not losing twice with a remaining schedule like this:


HOWEVA, if they lose once, they're fucked in terms of the CFP.  Unfortunately Penn State won't be able to back its way in to the CFP like Ohio State last year, because the schedule is too soft.  Pitt sucks ass and the only ranked opponent remaining on the schedule is Michigan State.

The Big takeaway is that the Big Ten East goes through Ohio State.  Ever since the Big Ten wisened up and got rid of that "Leaders and Legends" bullshit, the team that won the East was either Ohio State (2014) or a team that beat Ohio State, (Michigan State - 2015, Penn State - 2016).  In other words, you cannot lose to Ohio State and hope they lose two Big Ten games.  Just not going to happen.

Oh well.  I blame ESPN's Heather Dinich for jinxing us:




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Sunday, October 22, 2017

SPORTSBALL TALK: Penn State beats the fuck out of Michigan; Next week's Penn State-Ohio State game is for the Big Ten crown


I'm disappointed in Michigan.  I thought they were better than this.  Something about a 5th-ranked defense and how Penn State had only played one top 30 defense in Iowa.  Well, that's the thing with college football rankings: They don't mean dick.  There's such a disparity in talent between the Power 5 and the Group of 5 and the FCS schools, when you've six weeks in and half your schedule is playing against dogshit non-conference teams, your yards against and other stats are going to be inflated.  When all is said and done, I'm not quite sure what this win means for Penn State.  Michigan is the first ranked opponent of the year, but after this ass-beating, I don't think they deserve to be ranked.  They have to go on the road to Wisconsin and host Ohio State.  Mark those up as two more Ls and well, Michigan just wasn't very good this year.

Probably the highlight of this game was the Michigan kicker missing an extra point:
Why was that so satisfying?  Because this is the fuckstick that missed it:


In case you're wondering why he's wearing Penn State gear but kicking for Michigan, Harbaugh fucking slept over at his house and flipped him to Michigan.  Ha - fuck that guy.  This video will haunt him for the rest of his life.  I hope he made the right decision by attending Michigan and that he lands his dream job at Domino's Pizza HQ in Ann Arbor.

Meanwhile, Saquon Barkley continued his assault on the Heisman Trophy campaign.


Now let's talk about next week.  Penn State at Ohio State is going to determine the Big Ten champ.  If Penn State wins, the only hurdle left is a resurgent Michigan State team, then its smooth sailing from there.  If Ohio State wins, the same Spartans are the toughest test left for them (sorry Michigan).  Why is this game so crucial?  Neither team has a loss in the Big Ten.  The loser of this game would need the winner to lose TWO times in the final weeks of the season just to win the division, and given the schedules, that's just not very likely.  Wisconsin will likely be the undefeated Big Ten West champ, but like the 2015 Iowa squad that went 12-0, I think they're inferior to whoever emerges out of the East.

Despite Penn State's No.2 ranking (remember what I said about rankings meaning dick?), Ohio State will be favored, and rightfully so.  Columbus is a tough place to play, and Penn State has not had a good history there.  However, Ohio State much like Penn State is still a bit of a mystery.  Their strongest opponent, Oklahoma, beat the shit out of them in Columbus, and the other games saw them roll over shitty Big Ten teams like Rutgers, Maryland, and Nebraska.  How good is Ohio State?

Gonna be fun waiting all week for this one.  Last year, Ohio State was No.2 visiting Penn State.  We all know how that story ended.


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