OSU Buckeyes (6-0) v PSU Nittany Lions (5-1) O/U GOM

Written by Mike “The Scientist” Singer (Follow me on Twitter @TheScientistSBC) 

Penn St. Fr. RB Saquon Barkley (26) plays leap frog over Buffalo LB Nick Gilbo (43) during 4th Q on 9/12/15 at Beaver Stadium. Barkley finished the day with 115yds rushing and a TD. PSU won, 27-14.

Broadcast

Date: Saturday, Oct. 17
Game Time: 8:00 pm
Venue: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH 
Network: ABC

Spread OSU -16 O/U 47 See the Latest Odds

 

Ohio State -16 vs Penn State  (Rock (Star) Rating: 5* out of 5*)

Penn State is 5-1 and which opponent do you think was their best win… SDSU? Indiana? Rutgers? Buffalo? Army? Probably Indiana? Well, anyways the 5 of them have a combined .429 winning percentage.  Although, to be fair, OSU hasn’t really played anyone yet either as their 5 wins have a combined win % of .457.  Both teams offenses have struggled at times with their defenses picking up the slack.  First half of the season is gone, and it’s time for the conference pretenders to fade.   If PSU were to pull (an on paper) upset of the current #1 (on paper), then everyone would take notice of this team real quick.

Keep winning. That’s all that matters for the defending champs, apparently, in the eyes of the CFB poll voters.  It really doesn’t matter that the Funkeyes, sucked (compared to last year’s team) for most of the game against Maryland, Indiana, Va.Tech, and NIU.  Then throw in a couple of boarderline FCS/FBS cake walks with Western Michigan and Hawaii, and you have your 6-0 defending national champions.  OSU really knows how to put a schedule together, i.e. after PSU they got Rutgers and Minnesota at home before actually being tested, on the road at Illinois and then Michigan, wrapped around MSU game.  It’s time to start dressing the part…. And they have all the pieces to put it together.

Nittany Lions

Oh how the Nittany Lions would love to not only pull off the big road upset, but also get revenge from last year’s 2OT loss 24-31…. Making it 3 losses in a row in this matchup (Joe Pa’s last year they beat OSU in’’11).

Jr. QB Christian “Hack” Hackenberg is still reeling from his sophomore slump (12TDs, 15INTs, ~3,000yds passing but only a 55% comp.).  This year he’s still only completing 53% of his passes for 1,086 yds, but a better TD/INT ration of 7:2. Hack is trying not to live up to his nickname and  has thrown 6TDs in the last 3gms. Sophomore WRs Chris “It’s a” Godwin and DaeSean Hamilton are the 1^st and 2^nd targets for Hack, and have combined for 597yds, 3 TDs.  Sr. TE Carter has also been stepping up recently and has 9 grabs. The ground game is of course always a Penn State football team’s first choice to move the ball, and averaging 157ypg, and True Fr. Saquon Barkley(questionable, leg) has emerged from a crowded backfield to lead w/ 373yds & 3TDs.  Still, with only 94 1^st downs on the season (ranked 110^th) and 31% 3^rd down conversion rate (121^st), their punters Chris Gulla and Daniel Pasquariello might be their co-MVP at this point in the season (37 punts combined, 6.2ppg).

On D (depth chart), they’re getting it done against the run and the pass, allowing 14.3ppg and 276ypg, and ranked #1 in FBS pass rush with 25 sacks.  OSU is obviously their biggest test of the season and Sr. DE Carl Nassib (10 sacks) will need to keep the pressure on the QB (whomever Urban decides to throw out there).  So. MLB Jason Cabinda (14tkls, 2sacks vs Army) is their leader in the middle stopping the run, and rFR.CB John Reid (2Ints) So. FS Marcus Allen (11tkls vs Rutgers, questionable vs OSU) lead the secondary.

Overall – Reasons Penn State will win/cover

Defense, defense and …a little Hack thrown in.  Did a good job vs Indiana option QB AlexanderDiamont so maybe they can stop Barrett and OSU (on a few drives).  This is the best front 4 that the Yuckeyes have yet to face, allowing just over 3ypc and only giving up 150yds once, to Army, who attempted and completed ONE pass for 32yds. Yikes! The OSU ground game has been the basic mode of transportation to compensate for  inconsistent passing of Barrett and  Jones.  The yards are going to be gained by OSU in this game but it’s going to be a grind.  Last year in the OT loss, the Suckeyes ran for 219yds & 3TD, but it took a massive amount of carries (57).

Buckeyes

JR. RB Ezekiel “Trademark” Elliot (15) 

trots into the end zone during the Maryland game, 

10/10/15 at Ohio Stadium. OSU won 49-28.

The Cockeyes look to remain unbeaten and pick up their 5th home victory of the season. JR QB Cardale Jones has been good, but not yet the form we came to expect at the end of '14.  Jones' stats: 62.7% for 1,158yds, 7TDs vs 5INTs. Splitting time, dual threat SO QB J.T. Barrett saw more snaps most recently in the Maryland matchup in which he put up great rushing numbers (12-62, 3TDs). JT's passing stats: 57.5%, 219yds, 2TDs, 2INTs
JR Michael Thomas and SO Jalin Marshall are both big time WRs that have combined for 678yds & 6TDs.  Braxton Miller has transitioned nicely into a WR/RB totaling 353yds & 3 scores. In addition to their aerial attack OSU's ground game is averaging 230ypg, and JR RB Ezekiel "Trademark" Elliott leads the way with 835yds & 10TDs (6.9ypc).

Defensively (depth chart), OSU is allowing 17.3ppg & 300ypg, and is led by SO LB Raekwon "C.R.E.A.M." McMillan (62 tckl, 1sack, 1PD), Tyquan "Doe" (29tkls, 5.5 sacks), and JR S Tyvis Powell (33Tkls, 2INTs, 2PDs). 

Overall -  Reasons Buckeyes will win/cover

Everyone thinks PSU’s O is below average (ranked 100 out of 128 FBS teams) because we’re now in an era of high octane, football and  we’re used to seeing the Baylors, TCUs, and Texas Techs put up 800yrds of offense in one game. 

Rock Star Fact: There are currently 15teams that are averaging 500+ypg, and that's a BIG jump in previous years in FBS:

2012-’14 had 22 (~7per yr)

2007-’11 had  23 (~5 per yr)
2004-’08 had 17 ( ~3 per yr)

Well, Penn State is and always has been a little old school and sticking with a run first smash first style of play. However, I don’t think that means they can’t open it up if they have to.  The Lions really haven’t played any top 50 RPI talented teams since week 1 in which they lost to Temple, so the 5-1 record is a bit misleading.  Hack hasn’t needed to throw much because opposing run D’s have stunk.  Well, they’re going to have to pass vs OSU, most likely playing from behind, and the last time that happened, Hack, took a sack, 10 times vs Temple.  After the game, Hack was quoted as saying, “I’m going to be a  little sore for a couple days.”

The Duckeyes generate pressure without a problem, and surprisingly it's w/o Joey Bosa putting up numbers.  His first sack was last week vs Maryland. In Bosa’s defense, he’s been facing double teams when rushing the QB at a rate 57% higher than last year.  With so much attention devoted to Bosa, Tyquan “doe” Lewis has gathered 3sacks in the last 2.  Bosa did have 2.5 sacks in lasts year’s matchup and I expect him to certainly draw a lot of attention from PSU blockers to avoid the same embarrassment… which will only open up holes for Tyquan “doe” to get to Hack for the sack.

ATS

PSU is 0-4-1 ATS in their last 5 road gms, & 5-2 ATS in their last 7gms after allowing less than 20pts in the previous game.  OSU is 4-1 ATS in their last 5gms after scoring more than 40pts in their previous game and 0-5 ATS in their last 5gms overall.  PSU is also 2-8 ATS in their last 10 meetings in Columbus.  

O/U. The total has gone under in five of PSU’s last six games.  For OSU, it's gone under in four of the last five games.  The OddsShark computer projects Ohio State to win 40.9 to 18.4. The computer likes Ohio State to cover the spread and the over on the point total.

However, the OVER is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings between these two teams. 

OVER-OVERALL reasons for covering

As long as oddmakers are going to keep giving us a truckload of points, we're going to continue fading the Buckeyes. So I like taking the points with PSU

In the OT game last year @Penn State, they came storming back after being down by 17 points. That's not likely to happen on the road and the fact is OSU is treating this game seriously. So seriously that they are having a BLACK OUT for the Fans.  The Key in this contest is Urban Meyer who is a genius coach, like him or not.   Personally, everytime I hear his name, I cringe... not b/c I don't like him, but b/c I just can't wrap my mind around someone naming their child, Urban Frank. Really.

Prior to last week's game with Maryland the Buckeyes had scored just 6 TD's out of 16 chances in the Red Zone.  Last week 6 TD's in 6 Red zone trips.  The MAIN difference was using Barrett in a makeshift Wildcat Formation. Problem Solved. The 2013 game between these two (In Columbus) featured a 63-14 Ohio State Romp. I'm not saying we will see that kind of score Saturday but we will see OSU score some points. Penn State will get their share as well against a Buckeye D that has allowed 27.5 points per game over their last 2. 

I simply Love this Number and in fact with the weather looking spiffy (A bit Chilly for the Fans, but that's OK because they will be wearing BLACK) for this 8pm EDT game, I'm rating this a full 5* play up to 51.5..

Prediction: 41-20

Singer’s Rock(5star) pick: over 47

Singer's Rock(1star) pick: OSU -16

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College Football Betting Odds & Pick Ohio State Buckeyes at Virginia Tech

CFB Preview: Ohio State Buckeyes vs Virginia Teck Hokies

Written By David Hess (Follow me on Twitter @DavidHess311)

When: 8:00 PM ET, Monday, September, 7, 2015
Where: Lane Stadium in Blacksburgh, West Virginia
Televised: ESPN

Odds: The line for the game opened with Ohio State as 14 point favorites and that has held so far, while the OU Line has been bet down slightly to 52.5, from the opening of 54.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are the reigning National Champs and have been made the favorites to repeat this year. The team is loaded for sure, especially at QB, where they have 3 guys that would start on most teams in America. Braxton Miller did take himself out of the running for the QB job, by moving to WR. That move just makes this team so much more dangerous on offense as there are so many things they can do with him at WR. As of this writing it is still unclear who will pilot the team, (Barrett or Jones). Heck both may play. Ezekiel Elliot is back at RB after rushing for 1878 yards last year and 18 TDs last year, while the Buckeyes also have 6 of the top 7 pass catchers back as well. They will all line up behind one of the best OLs in the Nation. The defense for this team looks very strong as they have 7 starters back from last year, but their is also great depth on this side of the ball. The DL rates as 3rd best in the land, while the LB Corps rates as 2nd best and the secondary rates as 3rd best in the nation. Offense and defense, plus solid special teams. This team has it all.

The Virginia Tech Hokies may just be a sleeper team in the ACC as far as making it to the playoffs after going just 7-6 overall and 3-5 in ACC play last year. For this team it all starts with a defense that will be one of the better ones that Beamer has had at Va Tech. They have 8 starters and 27 lettermen back on this side of the ball, from a group that allowed just 20.2 ppg last year. 9 of their top 12 tacklers are back and they have added the 11th best defensive lineman in the nation in Tim Settle as well, along with the 50th best DB and two more linemen that ranked 63rd and 71st. This will be a deep and scary defense this year. The offense does need to compliment the defense a bit more after averaging just 24.1 ppg last year. Michael Brewer should be ready for a big year, while the running game has its top 8 ball carriers back from last year and the WR corps has it top 3 back as well. The weakness on the offense is the line, which has just 2 starters back and rates as 10th best in the league.

With their defense many are expecting the Hokies to give the Buckeyes a run for their money in this one, especially since they have the game at home in a nationally televised game. That stadium will be rocking, but I have a feeling that Ohio State wants some payback from last year’s loss, which nearly kept them out of the playoffs. The Buckeyes have a huge edge on offense and a slight edge on defense and I just don’t expect the Hokies to score enough points to keep this one close. I look for the Buckeyes to win this one by at least 17 points.

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