Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

I hadn't realized all of this. 

I just get the feeling that PSU is living on borrowed time and it is about to end.  Back on October 19 about half-way though the second quarter against Michigan the Nittany Lions were ranked #7 in the nation and up 21-0 against a stout opponent.  Since then, here is what they have done:

• Got outscored 21-7 over the last 33 minutes against Michigan at home. 
• Beat Michigan State 28-7 but this is an MSU team that hasn't held an opponent below 28 points since Northwestern way back in September. 
• Lost to Minnesota. 
• Struggled mightily with an Indiana team that Ohio State obliterated. 

As an Ohio State fan I feel like I should be nervous but I just can't see PSU keeping up. 

I love your optimism. However, I still have that nagging feeling that this will be a slug-fest. I hope I'm wrong, but I can't shake that feeling. 

This should always be a night game on the final Saturday in October.

I love your optimism. However, I still have that nagging feeling that this will be a slug-fest. I hope I'm wrong, but I can't shake that feeling.

I'm going to agree NOB,Franklin and the Ninnies are going all in.This will be a good test on tOSU defense against Clifford and Company.They'll want up off the canvas after last week.Of course I hope MB is right

I don't *THINK* it is that I am being optimistic so much as that my concern has shifted.  I watched the PSU/M game.  Mid way through the second quarter PSU was a 6-0 team ranked #7 in the Nation and they were up 21-0 on #16 Michigan.  It looked like the PSU/M game was going to turn out just like Michigan's game against Wisconsin.  PSU appeared to be well on their way to running the Wolverines off the field.  

At that point (five minutes to go in the second Quarter of the M/PSU game) Michigan did not look good at all.  FWIW, Michigan trailed 21-0 with five minutes left in both Madison and Happy Valley.  They were a 5-1 team ranked #16 but they had gotten run off the field in Madison and appeared to be about to get run off the field in Happy Valley.  They also looked sluggish against MTSU, needed OT to beat Army, managed only 10 points at home against Iowa and nearly blew a huge lead at Illinois.  

If you had asked me right then what I thought of Ohio State's remaining opponents I would have told you without hesitation that I thought PSU was Ohio State's most dangerous remaining opponent.  

Since that point PSU has looked pretty average.  As I listed above, since the the Nittany Lions:

• Got outscored 21-7 by Michigan.  
• Beat MSU 28-7 but that is an MSU team that has given up at least 28 points to each of their last six opponents.  
• Lost to Minnesota.  
• Struggled mightily with an Indiana team that Ohio State obliterated.  

Since that same point Michigan has looked like the B1G and National Championship contender that most of us expected them to be before the season started.  Since falling behind 21-0 in Happy Valley the Wolverines:

• Outscored PSU 21-7.  
• Obliterated a pretty solid Notre Dame team.  
• Obliterated Maryland.  
• Obliterated Michigan State.  Note that Michigan's 44-10 win over MSU was more impressive than either tOSU's 34-10 win or PSU's 28-7 win.  

If you ranked the entire B1G by their performance only since PSU scored their third TD in their game against Michigan the Wolverines would be in the discussion for #1 with Ohio State while the Nittany Lions would be in a distinctly lower tier.  

Over in the Power Rankings thread I have PSU #2 and Michigan #4 but that is in large part because I'm trying to rank the whole season.  However, I'm not sure whether or not that ranking is appropriate because I usually think of it as "who would win on a neutral field tomorrow" and on that basis . . .

That's great,insightful logic,however a Border War on a different day with different energies all that can fall by the wayside.Factoring in the fervent fans,I just hope the Good Guys grind them down

Let me phrase this as a question for you.  If some wealthy benefactor offered you a big pile of money if you correctly picked a game that Ohio State would win and you had only two choices, this week's PSU game or next week's Michigan game, which one would you pick?  

FWIW, Michigan trailed 21-0 with five minutes left in both Madison and Happy Valley.  They were a 5-1 team ranked #16 but they had gotten run off the field in Madison and appeared to be about to get run off the field in Happy Valley.  They also looked sluggish against MTSU, needed OT to beat Army, managed only 10 points at home against Iowa and nearly blew a huge lead at Illinois. 

If you had asked me right then what I thought of Ohio State's remaining opponents I would have told you without hesitation that I thought PSU was Ohio State's most dangerous remaining opponent. 

Since that point PSU has looked pretty average.  As I listed above, since the the Nittany Lions:

• Got outscored 21-7 by Michigan. 
• Beat MSU 28-7 but that is an MSU team that has given up at least 28 points to each of their last six opponents. 
• Lost to Minnesota. 
• Struggled mightily with an Indiana team that Ohio State obliterated. 

Since that same point Michigan has looked like the B1G and National Championship contender that most of us expected them to be before the season started.  Since falling behind 21-0 in Happy Valley the Wolverines:

• Outscored PSU 21-7. 
• Obliterated a pretty solid Notre Dame team. 
• Obliterated Maryland. 
• Obliterated Michigan State.  Note that Michigan's 44-10 win over MSU was more impressive than either tOSU's 34-10 win or PSU's 28-7 win. 

If you ranked the entire B1G by their performance only since PSU scored their third TD in their game against Michigan the Wolverines would be in the discussion for #1 with Ohio State while the Nittany Lions would be in a distinctly lower tier. 

This is what I'm seeing but would add that PSU looked pedestrian in the 1st half against Buffalo and also against Pitt.  The writing has been on the wall all season.  It's impressive that they've managed only a single loss IMO.  If PSU wins or loses by less than 8 points, I'm questioning how good OSU is.  Everything we've seen thus far points to a convincing OSU win.

The same applies for UM against Indiana.  If they don't win that game convincingly, next week against OSU is going to be rough for them.  I haven't seen anything to suggest that UM/IU should be competitive regardless of recent history between the two teams.

I'm expecting convincing wins from OSU and UM on Saturday.  I also think their matchup next week will be a good one.  UM appears like they might have a legitimate shot, but would like to see how things play out this weekend first.

I agree with everything you posted. All I am saying is that I've seen teams that I thought that OSU should dominate, come in and throttle them. Granted, it was always TTUN that did it to them, but it still concerns me. The 1995 and 1996 teams still haunt me to this day. In both cases, Ohio State should have mopped the floor with the skunk weasels, but we know how that turned out.

Oh trust me, I know.  I was a student both of those years.  I watched the 1995 game with my roommates in our off-campus apartment and I was at the 1996 game.  Ugh.  

Franklin to FSU or USC? Seems to be lot of talk that both those schools are targeting him.