2019 Ohio State Season Thread

[Brutus Buckeye]

It is odd that Ttun is favored in every game. They play a lot better as underdogs, at least against ranked teams under Harbaugh

[Anonymous Coward]

It is weird - in terms of recent history. But though Vegas lines probably aren't predictive of specific W/L records, I suspect that there is a correlation between better/worse seasons when teams get better/worse offseason Vegas lines. And Michigan does have a lot going for it in 2019.
For its two toughest games, OSU and ND, they get both at home. Not only that but (a) ND is 97th in returning production and (b) OSU used to have one of the best 2 or 4 coaches of this century, and that guy just retired. Then there's the M roster which is as well situated as it has been on offense since at least 2011, maybe since 2006. And then the "educated wishfulness" (which isn't unusual for Michigan) about a new OC, paired with year #2 with Warinner -- who clearly worked magic with the OL in his first try and now he gets back 4/5 of the starters (Bredeson, Onwenu, and Ruiz [+Runyan]), which makes the odds reasonable for another Warinner leap in year 2.
(...) This should probably be moved to that thread, though, if it's what you guys want to discuss.

[Cincydawg]

Vegas lines are quite good, I think, as predictors, they aren't perfect, except for the House anyway.

Obviously you can be favored in every game and end up 10-2, but you won't be 5-7 with any real statistical chance.

[Brutus Buckeye]

Definitely their best shot at winning THE GAME since the Fickel year. Especially with OSU having to battle Penn St the week before, while Michigan gets a nice delicious pastry from the Hoosier state. 

[Mdot21]

former Ohio State QB Tate Martell cleared to play immediately. NCAA really should just get rid of the sit a year transfer rule if they are just going to give everybody and their mother a waiver to play early.

[Mdot21]

I mean 4 and 5 are out, they have no other option.  I'll say #2

I could see scenario #3 happening. Fields has loads of raw talent, but he's far from a sure thing.

[Anonymous Coward]

Definitely their best shot at winning THE GAME since the Fickel year. Especially with OSU having to battle Penn St the week before, while Michigan gets a nice delicious pastry from the Hoosier state.

I'm nodding my head yes, though Michigan has gotten about as much trouble from IU as OSU has from Purdue in recent years. Not the same record as v-PU and IU's not the same caliber of opponent these days, but it's similarly spooky in terms of how unexpectedly competitive those games have been.

[Roaddawg]

former Ohio State QB Tate Martell cleared to play immediately. NCAA really should just get rid of the sit a year transfer rule if they are just going to give everybody and their mother a waiver to play early.

The start of the college football free agent era.  Teams thought the playing field was uneven before, just wait.  The Have's will continue to thrive and the Have Not's will continue to slip.  The big teams will be able to swoop in and poach kids that were surprises or late bloomers, like Moore from Purdue, and move on without a hitch.  IF the NCAA allows this to continue, they may as well officially get rid of the Amateur Status, open it to what it really is, a D League NFL playground, and let these kids start earning money outside of the college degree moniker they hide behind.

[Anonymous Coward]

There's still a barrier. It doesn't open until a star enters the transfer portal. No doubt mid-level schools are starting to soothe the egos of their top players like never before. Very little changes until the player shops himself around.

As for amateurism, you could argue this kind of increased freedom for athletes isn't just an organic trend or just from public pressure but is something the NCAA is begrudgingly embracing as part of a mounting legal strategy for the landmark cases on the horizon. 

Auto-eligibility on transfers doesn't undo the antitrust claims against the NCAA but it does unfasten one of the bullets their opposition always uses in court when explaining how these athletes are stuck in an unfair machine with extreme power asymmetries.

Don't get me wrong, there's a far better way to reduce those asymmetries. But the NCAA hates that way enough that I could never be surprised if they prostitute themselves on other fixes to avoid giving players their likeness rights.

[Roaddawg]

Watched Haskins Pro Day hype, he looked good (of course he would in Columbus) and looked to have dropped weight.  I liked the under center reps he was doing, since we heard all season how he was not an under the center guy during those Red Zone SNAFUS, and his movement seemed to be quicker.  I know there was no real pressure but his throws were crisp and showed his arm strength.  I still think he needs two or three years sitting and learning before throwing him to the lions, but with the money today, that wont happen.  Heard a few talking heads comparing him to Byron Leftwich, found that interesting and hope he does not follow that career path.   Also found it interesting the different takes on Bosa.  I have no issue with him not doing a Pro Day, he should not have conducted a Pro Day at Ohio State, he quit the team and left half way through the season, so to me, he was not part of the team.  Hope he can stay healthy in the NFL.

I heard a comment on Sport Talk about the view point of players, forget who it was, but he referred to players as Stock Options, and it made perfect sense hearing him speak about it that term. Be interesting to see if those comments turn political and get mashed into a whole different take.  The money involved in the game is growing and growing, makes me wonder when the bubble will burst. 

[betarhoalphadelta]

The start of the college football free agent era.  Teams thought the playing field was uneven before, just wait.  The Have's will continue to thrive and the Have Not's will continue to slip.  The big teams will be able to swoop in and poach kids that were surprises or late bloomers, like Moore from Purdue, and move on without a hitch.  IF the NCAA allows this to continue, they may as well officially get rid of the Amateur Status, open it to what it really is, a D League NFL playground, and let these kids start earning money outside of the college degree moniker they hide behind.

I get what you're saying but Rondale Moore ain't leaving. He came to Purdue to play for Brohm, who went to his high school and was a fixture in the Louisville athletic world for a long, long time. 
As long as Jeff Brohm is our coach, Rondale ain't leaving for anything but the NFL.

[Cincydawg]

I saw something briefly about a pro basketball minor league that would pay its players in part with tuition, fees, books, and R&D at any college (nearly).  They get into college and get a free ride for playing BBall.

Could this work in football?  You have a preNFL league, the players attend school and practice nearby in the PM professionally, and get both.  No rules about attending class etc.

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe. But even then we're sidestepping/delaying the problem that some Americans are being stripped of their likeness/naming rights when we can just fix it in one swoop. Creating another league doesn't solve the NCAA's illegalities re: antitrust law.

Plus, now that Congress is on this and the courts have passed landmark hurdles, the losing outcome for the NCAA is practically inevitable in every characteristic except the timeline. Investing in small leagues who only have an edge before the end of NCAA amateurism may be foolish if they can't compete after amateurism ends. Unless that time is decades from now, which I have to admit seems unlikely.

[Anonymous Coward]

Ironic it's from the NFL but timely:

https://mobile.twitter.com/RobertKlemko/status/1108819810547191809