CFB51 College Football Fan Community
The Power Four => Big Ten => Topic started by: medinabuckeye1 on October 22, 2025, 12:20:15 PM
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I double-checked this time and BOTH teams are in fact off this weekend so this game is the next game for both squads. Thus, I'm starting the game week thread early.
In all my years of CFB fandom I don't think I've ever seen a collapse as sudden and complete as Penn State's. They were ranked #2 in the first four polls this year then dropped to #3 on September 21 when Miami supplanted them by beating the Gators. It was really no big deal because with #6 Oregon on tap the Nittany Lions had a chance to not only regain #2 but possibly take over #1.
Oregon scored early in the 4th quarter to take a two-score lead at 17-3 but Penn State answered immediately with a 4 play, 75 yard drive for a TD to make it a one-score game at 17-10 then forced a punt and scored again to tie it up.
Penn State scored first in the first OT and then this happened (https://youtu.be/qdv_Y70Z5zM?si=nudt2da_nbgbEO2Q).
Penn State was still ranked #7 and controlled their own destiny to at least the CFP.
Then this happened (https://youtu.be/RyYINtbcIXo?si=uxqnI9TYCkDI2MT2).
Then this happened (https://youtu.be/c5Un6Ipo36E?si=MfSuN1GCdUCmLioq).
Then this happened (https://www.youtube.com/live/_2G675qYx6o?si=xdVZ-8dOaUO-x5jH).
Then this happened (https://youtu.be/Au3hrUOx3_Q?si=P9fePXxZ-B66Aqt2).
On September 27 this looked like it would be a #1 v #2 GOTC with Gameday on hand for Franklin vs Day.
At the beginning of October this still looked like a top-10 matchup, Gameday likely on hand for Franklin vs Day.
Now it is unranked, sub .500, and coachless Penn State visiting the undefeated, defending NC, #1 team in the nation. FOX still tabbed it for Big Noon but if Gameday visits it will only be for the same reason that people slow down to look at car wrecks on the highway.
All of that said, as an Ohio State fan this doesn't make me feel good. Penn State is a dumpster fire of epic proportions and the only thing that could possibly revive it would be something really, Really, REALLY big . . .
Ya know, like beating the undefeated, defending NC, #1 team in the nation on the road.
From my perspective as an Ohio State fan the other winless B1G teams (MSU, RU, PU, UW) couldn't beat Ohio State unless the Buckeyes played a terrible game. I never want to say "never" but the analysis starts and ends with Ohio State. If the Buckeyes played even reasonably well, they'd beat MSU/RU/PU/UW regardless of how well the Spartans/Knights/Boilermakers/Badgers played. Any of those teams could play the game of their lives against Ohio State and that would only make it closer.
This game is not that. Really, the analysis here is almost exclusively about Penn State. There is a lot of talent on the roster even without Allar and I view them as a wounded animal. You just don't know what you are going to get from them.
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Yeah I agree, they will look like a completely different team against OSU.
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Series history:
Ohio State has played Penn State 40 times with the Buckeyes holding a 26-14 advantage including 15-7 at home. The Lions are closer at 6-11 in State College and also won the lone neutral site matchup, the 1980 Fiesta Bowl (Joe Paterno over Earle Bruce).
Penn State won the first four games (1912, 1956, 1963, and 1964) and the two teams split four games in six seasons from 1975-1980 then didn't play again until PSU joined the league. There have been 32 league games and the Buckeyes lead those 24-8 including 14-2 in Columbus.
The Buckeyes have won eight straight and the last time Penn State won in Columbus the Buckeyes were the ones with an interim HC, some guy named Luke Fickell ( @847badgerfan (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=5) may have heard of him).
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This game is not that. Really, the analysis here is almost exclusively about Penn State. There is a lot of talent on the roster even without Allar and I view them as a wounded animal. You just don't know what you are going to get from them.
Yep. And you didn't really get to see much in their loss to Iowa... They ran the ball a ton [moderately effectively] and passed the ball a little [ineffectively].
But now they'll have two full weeks to prepare, for the new coaches to possibly win back the team emotionally, and to implement whatever schematically they want to change.
So it's nearly impossible for OSU to prepare for this team. There's simply not going to be film that's going to give you any good idea what they're going to throw at you.
All that the OSU coaching staff can do, IMHO, is make sure the team is prepared. That you don't treat PSU like their record and overlook them. Because as you point out, there's still a lot of talent there. A wounded PSU is 10x more dangerous than a fully intact Purdue. Gotta go into the game with that mentality.
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Jim Knowles would understand Day's tendencies better than anybody.
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Penn State will take down #1 in back to back weeks before dropping the remainder of their games. That’s the type of season it’s been.
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Penn State will take down #1 in back to back weeks before dropping the remainder of their games. That’s the type of season it’s been.
I knew PSU still had to play Indiana but I didn't realize that it was the very next game so yeah, if PSU wins and Indiana doesn't barf up an upset in their games against UCLA and UMD, PSU will actually play #1 in back-to-back weeks.
Has any team ever beaten #1 in back-to-back weeks?
According to Google's AI overview, no: "No college football team has ever beaten the #1 ranked team in consecutive games in the same season". I suppose that leaves open the possibility that some team beat #1 in a bowl then opened the following season with a win over #1.
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Yep. And you didn't really get to see much in their loss to Iowa... They ran the ball a ton [moderately effectively] and passed the ball a little [ineffectively].
But now they'll have two full weeks to prepare, for the new coaches to possibly win back the team emotionally, and to implement whatever schematically they want to change.
So it's nearly impossible for OSU to prepare for this team. There's simply not going to be film that's going to give you any good idea what they're going to throw at you.
All that the OSU coaching staff can do, IMHO, is make sure the team is prepared. That you don't treat PSU like their record and overlook them. Because as you point out, there's still a lot of talent there. A wounded PSU is 10x more dangerous than a fully intact Purdue. Gotta go into the game with that mentality.
This is exactly how I see it and very good points. You have no idea what to prepare for and PSU has every motivation to throw anything and everything at you because they literally have nothing to lose. I don't even know who the interim coach is and I'm not bothering to look it up but if he goes batshit crazy and PSU loses by 100 he was going to be looking for a job at the end of the season anyway so who cares. If he goes batshit crazy and they win . . .
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I would say on CFP era, if you beat the #1 seed in the semifinals, then beat the #2 seed in the NCG, that would be the equivilant of beating #1 in back to back games.
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It's funny that they didn't make Knowles the interim. He's a Philly guy, they are paying him like a HC, and this was a dream job for him, at least to some extent. Instead, they promoted someone over him from his defensive staff.
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I would say on CFP era, if you beat the #1 seed in the semifinals, then beat the #2 seed in the NCG, that would be the equivilant of beating #1 in back to back games.
So Ohio State kinda did it in 2014 (Bama was #1, Oregon was #2).
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It's funny that they didn't make Knowles the interim. He's a Philly guy, they are paying him like a HC, and this was a dream job for him, at least to some extent. Instead, they promoted someone over him from his defensive staff.
That had to sting,be absolutely comical and peculiar if PSU gave the gig to Knowles.
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Could be a problem game for the Buckeyes. Mostly because PSU has had some troubles stopping the run on defense, but the Buckeyes have had some problems running the ball. If they can't get that going, Jim Knowles will throw all sorts of weird stuff at Sayin.
They also have to weeks to retool their offense, so they might come out with all sorts of weird things. I don't think they'll go up and down the field, but a couple scoring drives plus a couple turnovers can even things up.
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Ya well knowles can't cover Tate and Smith and they can dump the ball off to Jackson and West all day. But it does seem like the Bucks come out flat after a bye,that concerns me a little. But NU put up 22 and Iowa put up 25 on PSU in beating them. If the Bucks can't beat a back up QB at home after his team lost 4 straight,then Day needs to reimburse the Athletic Dept a couple of Mil
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(https://cms-artifacts.artlist.io/content/generated-image-v1/image__8/generated-image-241808d1-b5b1-4d62-a2ef-4643a3ad636c.jpg?Expires=2076972348&Key-Pair-Id=K2ZDLYDZI2R1DF&Signature=PWlyIugS3t9ojmPZTZ1aUMH8DuPSFPlLlHKCVgYGXRdzh~QMiZTBDq0S2eJfQtUHkp-0fzH~cGXFbGOBLPWIdov-ysv8lW~Hr6zpEyoguBCDFrSbM7~6O82WoBJDxQGNeynvH46jiQmUGHQ37eChvS~gBr-0roldGE6QhDvlH9bKmQm9DiXrmVKZZtDM-KUPGcIMX92qySxXKnizVwJvwoh5ZjTCOzuza9XpErI2LPK-WktTZ70KV90vIdHirCD5uh6qScsyauzfeBxu2sX8uhO5OXZPWXxEh1gTxsm4NoTyp5HpPewyCMv1JUeu7LxMqo7cNQlV7PL7raSr8YZKFg__)
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Could be a problem game for the Buckeyes. Mostly because PSU has had some troubles stopping the run on defense, but the Buckeyes have had some problems running the ball. If they can't get that going, Jim Knowles will throw all sorts of weird stuff at Sayin.
They also have to weeks to retool their offense, so they might come out with all sorts of weird things. I don't think they'll go up and down the field, but a couple scoring drives plus a couple turnovers can even things up.
anything is possible....any given Saturday, right? having said that, Ohio State is most likely going to beat the ever loving shit out of Penn State and this game will be over by the 3rd QTR.
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Penn State's record is deceptive.
Their donor class wanted Franklin out more for losing big games in the past than for losing 3-straight this season. They feared Franklin had the coaching talent and the athletes to turn things around before the end of the season, and they would lose their power to strike, or look bad doing it.
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-Penn State and Ohio State are set to meet for the 41st time with Ohio State leading 26-14 in the all-time series.
-The Nittany Lions are 7-15 in road matchups.
-Eighteen matchups have been decided by less than one possession.
-Penn State fell 20-13 in Happy Valley last year, their last win in Columbus was in 2011.
-Penn State sits No. 7 in all-time victories (946) and No. 9 in winning percentage (.689).
-Ohio State sits second with 985 all-time victories and No. 1 with an all-time winning percentage of .737
-Penn State is 4-13 all-time against opponents ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll.
Penn State, was the preseason pick to win the Big Ten, opened the season with three consecutive wins. However, the Nittany Lions lost their next three contests, which led to the firing of longtime coach James Franklin.
The Lions have lost 4 straight but by a total of 13 pts. Singleton and Allen are some good RBs and have 886 yds between them on the season. tOSU Dfense will probably cheat in some to help slow down the ground game. Kaytron Allen rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns against Iowa.Hist 10th 100yd game and leads all current FBS players with 3,489 career rushing yards, while ranking fourth in career rushing touchdowns (33).
So we know what the Buckeye defense will be focusing on. For the third-straight week, Penn State blocked a kick & returned one for 6, the Lions have blocked four kicks this season.
Meanwhile, Ohio State seems to be firing on all cylinders. Julian Sayin had 393 yards on 36-of-42 passing (85.7%) for the Buckeyes in that matchup against the Badgers, with four touchdowns and no interceptions. Isaiah West rushed for 55 yards on nine carries (6.1 yards per carry). Carnell Tate had six receptions for 111 yards (18.5 per catch) and two touchdowns against the Badgers.
I'm gonna guess a 14-17 pt OSU win
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Was hoping we'd get a second thread
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Was hoping we'd get a second thread
can we merge?
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Was hoping we'd get a second thread
can we merge?
Thank you.
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can we merge?
Sorry it was on the 2nd page when 1st looking
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Was hoping we'd get a second thread
😳🙈😬
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Their donor class wanted Franklin out more for losing big games in the past than for losing 3-straight this season. They feared Franklin had the coaching talent and the athletes to turn things around before the end of the season, and they would lose their power to strike, or look bad doing it.
It doesn't matter quite as much anymore now that we have a 12-team playoff but as I've said before, one of the most under-appreciated achievements probably in sports in general but specifically in CFB is winning the games you should win and Franklin was very good at that up until UCLA:
In 2024 Franklin's teams lost to #4 Ohio State (eventual NC), #1 Oregon, and to #7 Notre Dame in the national semi-final.
In 2023 they lost to #3 Ohio State on the road, #3 Michigan (eventual NC), and #11 Ole Miss.
In 2022 they lost to #5 Michigan and to #2 Ohio State.
Prior to the UCLA game Franklin's Nittany Lions hadn't lost to an unranked team since losing 20-18 to Illinois in 9OT on October 23, 2021. Winning a game against an unranked team isn't that impressive but winning EVERY SINGLE ONE of them for five years is a feat that even the very best coaches have only rarely achieved.
It gets discounted because you "should" win but if it was easy everyone would do it. Ask Alabama how easy it was to beat unranked Vanderbilt, unranked Oklahoma, and unranked Michigan last year or unranked FSU this year. Ask Ryan Day how easy it was to beat unranked Michigan last year.
Probably the best example is Pete Carroll. His Trojans missed the BCSNCG in 2003 because they lost to unranked Cal (finished 8-6). They missed it in 2006 because they lost to unranked UCLA (finished 7-6). They missed it in 2007 because they lost to unranked Stanford (finished 4-8). They missed it in 2008 because they lost to unranked Oregon State. Carroll was phenomenal in big games but his teams seemed to be good for one "WTF loss" almost every year.
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Sorry it was on the 2nd page when 1st looking
Nice work 👏
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John Cooper went 46-3 against unranked teams from October 17, 1992 through the end of 1998. The 3 losses were pretty costly
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didn't find it with a simple google search but Doc Tom's record vs unranked teams had to be pretty solid
I know he lost one vs Iowa State in Ames with a true frosh QB
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John Cooper went 46-3 against unranked teams from October 17, 1992 through the end of 1998. The 3 losses were pretty costly
Quite possibly cost Ohio State two NC's.
Loss to unranked Michigan in Ann Arbor on 11/20/1993:
Ohio State came into this game 9-0-1 (tied UW in Madison) and #5 in the AP Poll. That may not sound all that close to the top but based on what happened after that, it was. On the same day that Ohio State lost in Ann Arbor, #1 Notre Dame (just moved up fresh off their GOTC win over previous #1 FSU in the first-ever on-campus Gameday game) lost at home to Boston College. Also, #4 Miami lost in Morgantown to #9 WVU.
#2 in the poll was 9-1 FSU and the Seminoles ended up winning the NC.
#3 in that poll was 10-0 Nebraska, they lost to FSU in the Orange Bowl.
Wisconsin had previously and inexplicably lost in Minneapolis so the Buckeyes were alone atop the Big11Ten standings and a win in Ann Arbor would have sent them to Pasadena. A win there over UCLA (whom UW did beat there) would have left Ohio State as the lone (non-probationary) unbeaten and earned them the NC over 12-1 FSU (lost to ND), 11-1 ND (lost to BC), and 11-1 UNL (lost to FSU).
Loss to unranked Illinois in Columbus on 10/8/1994:
Ultimately this one didn't cost much as the Buckeyes finished the regular season 9-3. An improvement to 10-2 wouldn't have made much if any difference in bowl destination and the NC was obviously off the table based on the blowout loss in Happy Valley.
Loss to unranked Michigan State in Columbus on 11/7/1998:
I still don't know how this happened. I missed the ending due to my presence being demanded at a family wedding (inconsiderate to get married on a fall Saturday). Ohio State was #1 going into this one and ended up just BARELY missing the inaugural BCSCG. The Buckeyes were #2 in the final poll after beating aTm in the Sugar Bowl.
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Nice work 👏
Still not putting out nearly as much nebraska nonsense promotional posts as just you alone
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Series history:
Ohio State has played Penn State 40 times with the Buckeyes holding a 26-14 advantage including 15-7 at home. The Lions are closer at 6-11 in State College and also won the lone neutral site matchup, the 1980 Fiesta Bowl (Joe Paterno over Earle Bruce).
Penn State won the first four games (1912, 1956, 1963, and 1964) and the two teams split four games in six seasons from 1975-1980 then didn't play again until PSU joined the league. There have been 32 league games and the Buckeyes lead those 24-8 including 14-2 in Columbus.
The Buckeyes have won eight straight and the last time Penn State won in Columbus the Buckeyes were the ones with an interim HC, some guy named Luke Fickell ( @847badgerfan (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=5) may have heard of him).
In 1912, OSU's noncon included Michigan, Penn State and Michigan State.
Looks like a B1G East schedule, but none of the four were in the Big Ten in 1912.
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A former PSU lineman, Landon Tengwall, does Youtuber stuff. I found his analysis of the OSU offense pretty good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0NdZ539S_Q
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This game is an informal job/talent showcase for Hartline.
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A former PSU lineman, Landon Tengwall, does Youtuber stuff. I found his analysis of the OSU offense pretty good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0NdZ539S_Q
Yep. Very good.
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Remember when this game was supposed to mean a whole lot? Good times a month ago.
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soon to be 0-5
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Ohio State 37, Penn State 13
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Ohio State 37, Penn State 13
Boy- I would be happy with that.
I have a sneaking suspicion that PSU, who is loaded with NFL talent, will have much in their offensive and defensive playbook not yet seen on film. Especially Knowles. I expect a tight game.
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Boy- I would be happy with that.
I have a sneaking suspicion that PSU, who is loaded with NFL talent, will have much in their offensive and defensive playbook not yet seen on film. Especially Knowles. I expect a tight game.
Usually I'm not as pessimistic as you but in this case I agree. However, it is not difficult to imagine a scenario in which the PSU players and coaches are just going through the motions and mail it in because they are all looking at their own individual exit strategies rather than playing football as a team so a blowout wouldn't completely shock me. It just depends on what is going on in Happy Valley. If they are all on the same page and want to fight for their team then yeah, it will be a close game and I'll be thrilled if tOSU simply escapes. If they are all on different pages worried about themselves then @ELA (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=55) 's prediction will look tame.
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IMHO this game is circled and will make their season.If the Silver Bullets can slow down their running game and the weather is decent(no rain) Day will indeed try to stretch his legs V Knowles. I've read enough I don't think they parted ways as pals,so it could be quite a pissing match. And Knowles could be auditioning for the Franklin's vacated position
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I view this completely as a trap game. I won't be calm unless we are up by 3 scores with less than 5 minutes to go.
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John Cooper went 46-3 against unranked teams from October 17, 1992 through the end of 1998. The 3 losses were pretty costly
That's a shocking statistic. I always knew his success was massive outside of a certain couple games. I just didn't realize it was that massive.
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I view this completely as a trap game. I won't be calm unless we are up by 3 scores with less than 5 minutes to go.
This really is an odd situation. I could see the Buckeyes absolutely leveling them and winning by 4 touchdowns, but it depends on what culturally has happened at PSU this past week. This could be their one and only saving grace to the team imploding. QB situation for Penn State is probably their biggest issue, but it will be interesting to see if they play their best game of the year or have simply decided to pack it in for the year.
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This really is an odd situation. I could see the Buckeyes absolutely leveling them and winning by 4 touchdowns, but it depends on what culturally has happened at PSU this past week. This could be their one and only saving grace to the team imploding. QB situation for Penn State is probably their biggest issue, but it will be interesting to see if they play their best game of the year or have simply decided to pack it in for the year.
Exactly. They may well have packed it in and in that case this could be a ridiculous blowout and the concern of all the Buckeye fans here will look silly in retrospect or they could come out spitting mad and all on the same page and this will be a fight.
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Usually I'm not as pessimistic as you but in this case I agree. However, it is not difficult to imagine a scenario in which the PSU players and coaches are just going through the motions and mail it in because they are all looking at their own individual exit strategies rather than playing football as a team so a blowout wouldn't completely shock me. It just depends on what is going on in Happy Valley. If they are all on the same page and want to fight for their team then yeah, it will be a close game and I'll be thrilled if tOSU simply escapes. If they are all on different pages worried about themselves then @ELA (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=55) 's prediction will look tame.
Even if they are only concerned about their future careers, they will want to win their individual match ups for the draft film.
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That's a shocking statistic. I always knew his success was massive outside of a certain couple games. I just didn't realize it was that massive.
To understand Cooper you have to divide his tenure into phases:
Phase 1 was his first five years. He went 0-4-1 against Michigan and obviously Ohio State fans hated that but the problem wasn't "Michigan" it was that the team just wasn't very good. The Buckeyes were the underdogs in all five games and only the 1991 loss was bad (31-3) but even that makes some sense in context. Ohio State played a crap OOC, lost to Illinois, lost to Iowa, lost The Game and the Bowl and finished 8-4. Michigan's OOC was MUCH better. They split games against high powered FSU and Note Dame teams and finished 10-2 with their only other loss being in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State didn't get blown out in Ann Arbor because Cooper had a "Michigan problem", they got blown out in Ann Arbor because Michigan was a substantially better team. In the 1988, 1989, and 1990 losses the Buckeyes actually performed better than you would expect given how much better those three Michigan teams were compared to those three Ohio State teams.
Phase 2 was his golden era, 1993-1998. His teams were great and his recruiting was even better but in spite of that he was terrible against Michigan and almost as bad in bowl games. It actually probably started in mid-October of 1992. The Buckeyes started 1992 3-2/0-2 but then things changed. They rattled off five straight wins to get to 8-2/5-2 and headed into The Game ranked #17. They tied the Wolverines in what most Michigan fans refer to as "the year of the tie" because Michigan also tied Notre Dame and Illinois. Michigan won the Rose Bowl and finished #5 so tying them was something of an accomplishment although it obviously wasn't the great win that E. Gordon Gee (the "K" is silent) referred to it as. Even the bowl loss in 1992 wasn't bad. The Buckeyes got matched up with Georgia in the Citrus Bowl and it was a mismatch. Georgia came in 10-2 and #8 while Ohio State was 8-2-1 and #15. That may sound close but it wasn't. Ohio State's two losses were to ~.500 Wisconsin and Illinois teams while Georgia's were to Tennessee and Florida who both finished in the top-12. In spite of the mismatch it was a great game and Ohio State lost by a TD, 21-14.
The 1993 season was my freshman year at Ohio State so I remember it well. They started out at only #17 because they hadn't done much in years (decades really). In one of the games that year they had a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the 1968 National Championship team and it really looked like the 1993 team might accomplish that as well. They won eight straight to get to 8-0 and #3 then tied Wisconsin in Madison and headed into The Game at 9-0-1 and very much in the NC picture at #5. We all know what happened in The Game although Cooper finally got the bowl win monkey off his back with a win over BYU in the Holiday Bowl.
1994 was a bit of a rebuilding year. They lost a west coast OOC game, lost at home to Illinois, and got obliterated in Happy Valley but Cooper finally got the Michigan monkey off his back (or so we thought). Oddly he did it against a superior Michigan team and in style, 22-6! The bowl was a terrible mismatch. Ohio State was 9-3 and #13 and played 11-1 #6 Alabama. Bama's only loss was by one point to the Gators in the SECCG and Ohio State kept that close as well, losing by a TD at 24-17.
1995 was a great team. They started #12 but rattled off 11 straight wins and climbed to #2 heading into The Game. We all know how that worked out. The Buckeyes finished #6 after losing yet another Citrus Bowl, this time to Tennessee (the "cleats" game).
1996 was a near-repeat of 1995. This time they were 10-0 and #2 heading into The Game and this time they won the bowl to finish 11-1 and #2.
1997 was a bit of a rebuilding year but even in a rebuilding year they pushed PSU to the brink in Happy Valley and give Michigan their closest game in Ann Arbor so it wasn't bad.
The 1998 team actually beat Michigan AND won their bowl, the only Cooper team to accomplish both of those things but unfortunately it was squandered by a completely inexplicable loss to a .500 MSU team in Columbus. The MSU coach was some guy named Nick Saban so I guess that answers the "inexplicable" thing.
Phase 3 was after 1998. Cooper was still there but it was over. I think he was just tired. I don't know. 1999 was a rebuilding year but when 2000 wasn't much better that was the end of the road.
The thing he will always be known for is going 2-10-1 against the team up north but it is really just about three games:
- 1993 as #5, would have gone to the RB to play for the NC with a win.
- 1995 as #2. I'm not sure what happens with a win. Northwestern went undefeated in the league but lost OOC to Miami, OH. I'm not sure if the operative tiebreaker would have been overall record or "longest loser rule". Either way, the Buckeyes would have been playing for the NC in their bowl.
- 1996 as #2, would have gone to the RB to play for the NC with a win. They went to the RB anyway and DID win it so this is the closest to a NC that he got.
It is amazing how different the view of Cooper would be if he had just won those three games. He still would have had a losing record against Michigan at 5-7-1 but he'd have been 5-3-1 after losing the first four partially due to inheriting the consequences of Bruce's recruiting. He'd have also had at least one (1996) and possibly as many as three NCs and he'd be an absolute legend in Columbus.
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No one called Johnny after the curtain came down in Columbus.Nice guy I'm sure and a fine family man and neighbor and all of that.But the fact is he blew many winnable games too numourus to bother scribbling out.Tressel took basically Bill Conley's recruits and beat Michigan the next two seasons,that's as many as John won in 13 seasons
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1995 was a great team. They started #12 but rattled off 11 straight wins and climbed to #2 heading into The Game. We all know how that worked out. The Buckeyes finished #6 after losing yet another Citrus Bowl, this time to Tennessee (the "cleats" game).
This was the year that almost tested my fanhood as a M fan living in Ohio. Growing up an M fan, i was taught I was supposed to hate the Buckeyes. It was impossible to hate Eddie George. But I loved everything about him. I loved how he played the game and I loved who he was off the field. To this day, he is my favorite Buckeye player to ever wear that terribly ugly colored uniform, if you were a 15 year old and you didn't love watching Eddie George play, you didn't have a pulse. I can still see myself playing football with the neighborhood kids, wearing a Michigan jersey, but stiff arming people calling myself Eddie George lol. That was seriously a special season.. And thankfully Biakabutuka kept me grounded the final game of the regular season
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Usually I'm not as pessimistic as you but in this case I agree. However, it is not difficult to imagine a scenario in which the PSU players and coaches are just going through the motions and mail it in because they are all looking at their own individual exit strategies rather than playing football as a team so a blowout wouldn't completely shock me. It just depends on what is going on in Happy Valley. If they are all on the same page and want to fight for their team then yeah, it will be a close game and I'll be thrilled if tOSU simply escapes. If they are all on different pages worried about themselves then @ELA (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=55) 's prediction will look tame.
You crack me up Medina. Anytime I don’t pick OSU to win 56-0, you say I am pessimistic.
all I said was- I won’t be surprised if this is a very tight game. Lots of talent on both sides. you’re usually very thorough analysis, which you are very good at, can tell you a lot, but I can’t tell you who’s going to win or who’s emotionally ready to play or who’s thinking about other things or who is more motivated than normal etc. teams can look unbeatable until they’re not. These are still young people, and it’s very hard to predict consistency
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(https://i.imgur.com/g5djfyU.png)
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(https://i.imgur.com/g5djfyU.png)
Hmm hmm. that’s what you all said last year when I told you that Michigan was going to give Ohio State a run for their money lol
it’s like you guys just don’t see the upsets that happened every weekend. It’s like to this crowd. They just never happened it’s actually kind of weird
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OSU is vastly superior to most every team in the country. It's talent and coaching, and everything related.
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OSU is vastly superior to most every team in the country. It's talent and coaching, and everything related.
I really agree with every part of this, but cautious, close to a pessimistic level, has always been the honestbuckeye way. He's not a sandbagger, he's just simply the most cautious reasonable Buckeye fan you could meet.
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I know.
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To understand Cooper you have to divide his tenure into phases:
Phase 1 was his first five years. He went 0-4-1 against Michigan and obviously Ohio State fans hated that but the problem wasn't "Michigan" it was that the team just wasn't very good. The Buckeyes were the underdogs in all five games and only the 1991 loss was bad (31-3) but even that makes some sense in context. Ohio State played a crap OOC, lost to Illinois, lost to Iowa, lost The Game and the Bowl and finished 8-4. Michigan's OOC was MUCH better. They split games against high powered FSU and Note Dame teams and finished 10-2 with their only other loss being in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State didn't get blown out in Ann Arbor because Cooper had a "Michigan problem", they got blown out in Ann Arbor because Michigan was a substantially better team. In the 1988, 1989, and 1990 losses the Buckeyes actually performed better than you would expect given how much better those three Michigan teams were compared to those three Ohio State teams.
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The bowl record was perhaps more perplexing than the Michigan record. He lost a bowl game to Air Force, ffs.
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OSU is vastly superior to most every team in the country. It's talent and coaching, and everything related.
We'll find out how vastly superior they are if it rains,got a couple of good young backs - Jackson and West but they are freshmen. Who happen to be replacing Judkins and Henderson who are busy on Sundays - good luck with that
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I really agree with every part of this, but cautious, close to a pessimistic level, has always been the honestbuckeye way. He's not a sandbagger, he's just simply the most cautious reasonable Buckeye fan you could meet.
I don't know you anymore
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Nah, there's a difference between seeing an occasional upset (undoubtedly they happen), and downplaying your team's chances every week, or nearly every week. The former is reasonable, the latter is sandbagging. And there's some of that to go around. :-)
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Nah, there's a difference between seeing an occasional upset (undoubtedly they happen), and downplaying your team's chances every week, or nearly every week. The former is reasonable, the latter is sandbagging. And there's some of that to go around. :-)
Just pointing out what is possible. For us that have been watching this sport for a long time- surprises are to be expected from time to time.
And when a team has its “ Super Bowl”, the savior game, they have gut level motivation.
For physical team sports, especially if you have played them, true gut level motivation can’t be manufactured or faked.
It’s often not enough to get you over the hump of better talent. But- sometimes it is.
I am not predicting it. Just saying it isn’t impossible- or even shocking.
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I don't know you anymore
I'd say that about you, but I consider you a borderline Michigan fan lol
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OSU is vastly superior to most every team in the country. It's talent and coaching, and everything related.
they are superior. not vastly superior.
I don't see any juggernaut team out there in CFB that is a lock to go wire to wire undefeated. Ohio State is a great team, but they can be had like anyone else on any given Saturday.
having said that....this Penn State team stinks and is not the team that will get em.
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Penn State gonna get spanked. They are terrible. Any Buckeye fan saying otherwise is sandbagging, badly.
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I'd say that about you, but I consider you a borderline Michigan fan lol
I'd look forward to getting tickets with the purchase of every 2 - 2 liter bottles of Coke Products just like a few years ago. :d030:
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they are superior. not vastly superior.
I don't see any juggernaut team out there in CFB that is a lock to go wire to wire undefeated. Ohio State is a great team, but they can be had like anyone else on any given Saturday.
having said that....this Penn State team stinks and is not the team that will get em.
Then which one will? The road game at Purdue?
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I mean it would be tough for PSU to win but of their four losses one was in OT and the rest were by a combined 7 points, so I think the predictions of OSU running away with this are also pretty off. This will be a tough game.
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I mean it would be tough for PSU to win but of their four losses one was in OT and the rest were by a combined 7 points, so I think the predictions of OSU running away with this are also pretty off. This will be a tough game.
Oh no SAM. Ohio State is the greatest team in history. And they will win by 40. 😂😂
if you think anything different- your a pessimist and a Sandbagger.
Am I doing this right lol.
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they are superior. not vastly superior.
Ohio State is a great team, but they can be had like anyone else on any given Saturday.
I posted the other day we'll find out when it rains
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Penn State gonna get spanked. They are terrible. Any Buckeye fan saying otherwise is sandbagging, badly.
(https://i.imgflip.com/aaorft.jpg)
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Then which one will? The road game at Purdue?
Yeah. Great OSU teams NEVER lose to much lesser Boilermaker teams in West Lafayette. In fact, I can't ever remember it happening. Much less multiple times in the last two decades.
There's NO WAY.
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Yeah. Great OSU teams NEVER lose to much lesser Boilermaker teams in West Lafayette. In fact, I can't ever remember it happening. Much less multiple times in the last two decades.
There's NO WAY.
I "liked" because this was well played and because there are three things that make this more funny than concerning:
- I think that this Ohio State team is better than the three that lost to Purdue in the last two decades.
- I think that this Purdue team is worse than the three that beat Ohio State in the last two decades.
- Most importantly, in the 12-team CFP era an upset loss at Purdue would be a forgotten footnote on the way to the playoff rather than a crushing defeat that derails a Championship run.
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I "liked" because this was well played and because there are three things that make this more funny than concerning:
- I think that this Ohio State team is better than the three that lost to Purdue in the last two decades.
- I think that this Purdue team is worse than the three that beat Ohio State in the last two decades.
- Most importantly, in the 12-team CFP era an upset loss at Purdue would be a forgotten footnote on the way to the playoff rather than a crushing defeat that derails a Championship run.
The season has to count for something and it's extremely difficult since adding the 4 PAC teams to go thru the schedule unscathed(with extensive travel vs some stout squads). Or thru the S-E-C, S-E-C schedule either ;D since expansion. So I liked the old format as it was difficult to back in.
On the other hand last year tOSU was able to redeem itself in it's Play Off Run by beating 6 post season AP top 10 teams. Pretty wild taking it to #2, #3, #4, #5, #9, and #10 - that has never been done. ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯
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The season has to count for something and it's extremely difficult since adding the 4 PAC teams to go thru the schedule unscathed(with extensive travel vs some stout squads). Or thru the S-E-C, S-E-C schedule either ;D since expansion. So I liked the old format as it was difficult to back in.
On the other hand last year tOSU was able to redeem itself in it's Play Off Run by beating 6 post season AP top 10 teams. Pretty wild taking it to #2, #3, #4, #5, #9, and #10 - that has never been done. ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯
The playoff games are certainly fun to watch especially as it was for us with our team winning but, IMHO, it takes a lot away from the intensity of the regular season games because losses aren't devastating anymore. Since this started as a discussion around Purdue upsets of Ohio State, think of 2002: Without Holy (https://youtu.be/9017_xA5tn8?si=yRDcoy2fff6G_3--) Buckeye (https://www.elevenwarriors.com/11w/2020/07/115251/my-favorite-things-episode-17-holy-buckeye) there is no BCSNCG, no "GOTC" upset of Miami, and no NC. If we need another "Holy Buckeye" against Purdue this year and don't get it, no big deal.
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The playoff games are certainly fun to watch especially as it was for us with our team winning but, IMHO, it takes a lot away from the intensity of the regular season games because losses aren't devastating anymore. Since this started as a discussion around Purdue upsets of Ohio State, think of 2002: Without Holy (https://youtu.be/9017_xA5tn8?si=yRDcoy2fff6G_3--) Buckeye (https://www.elevenwarriors.com/11w/2020/07/115251/my-favorite-things-episode-17-holy-buckeye) there is no BCSNCG, no "GOTC" upset of Miami, and no NC. If we need another "Holy Buckeye" against Purdue this year and don't get it, no big deal.
I would have thought this, but now I think the playoffs make the regular season way more impactful on a per game basis. Every single game involving a top 25 team has playoff implications this weekend. In past years, most of them would be relegated to "who cares" status as the top teams were whittled down. Now, they all matter.
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I would have thought this, but now I think the playoffs make the regular season way more impactful on a per game basis. Every single game involving a top 25 team has playoff implications this weekend. In past years, most of them would be relegated to "who cares" status as the top teams were whittled down. Now, they all matter.
That is definitely the trade-off. At the very tippy-top the individual games are MUCH less impactful because the top teams can afford a loss. Ie, in the prior era the game this weekend and EVERY game would have been a "must win" so for #1 Ohio State, the game this weekend against PSU is MUCH less impactful than it would have been. OTOH, as you point out, games for #21 Michigan and #23 USC this weekend are MUCH more impactful because they are both still in the hunt despite having two losses. In the prior era they would both already be effectively eliminated.
Where I think it is less impactful now is that I don't really think that M/USC have a plausible chance of winning four-straight playoff games anyway so while they are most definitely in the playoff race, they aren't really in the NC race. Both of those teams are good enough to knock off a legitimate contender but I just don't think they are good enough to do it back-to-back-to-back-to-back.
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Yeah. Great OSU teams NEVER lose to much lesser Boilermaker teams in West Lafayette. In fact, I can't ever remember it happening. Much less multiple times in the last two decades.
There's NO WAY.
FWIW, here are Purdue's six wins over Ohio State in the four decades from 1985-2024:
October 15, 1988:
Purdue won 31-26 in Columbus. This wasn't an upset, both teams sucked. This was Cooper's first year and the Buckeyes finished 4-6-1 with Purdue finishing half a game worse at 4-7.
October 28, 2000:
Purdue won 31-27 in West Lafayette. This wasn't an upset, Purdue was the better team. Both teams finished 8-4 but Purdue was 6-2 in the league with an OOC loss in South Bend to a very good Notre Dame team and a bowl loss to a VERY good Washington team in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State played a crap OOC, went 5-3 in the league, and lost to a mediocre USCe in the also-ran Outback Bowl.
November 13, 2004:
Purdue won 24-17 in West Lafayette. This wasn't an upset, the teams were about even. They both went undefeated OOC and 4-4 in the league. Purdue beat Notre Dame but that was a crappy 6-6 Notre Dame team. Purdue ended up a game worse at 7-5 vs 8-4 for the Buckeyes but that was only because Purdue got a better bowl opponent and lost while Ohio State got a weaker bowl opponent and won.
October 17, 2009:
Purdue won 26-18 in West Lafayette. This was very much an upset. Purdue was a bad team that finished 5-7 and their other four wins were all over sub .500 teams. Ohio State finished 11-2 with league and Rose Bowl Championships. The Buckeyes' other loss was to one of Pete Carrol's USC juggernauts.
November 12, 2011:
Purdue won 26-23 in West Lafayette. This wasn't an upset, both teams sucked. Purdue finished a game better at 7-6 vs Ohio State's 6-7 but that was only because Purdue drew an easier bowl opponent and won while Ohio State drew a tougher bowl opponent and lost. This was also a very strange game that I personally attended. Ohio State was down 20-14 late and scored what should have been the game-winning TD but they doinked the XP off the upright, went to OT, and lost.
October 20, 2018:
Purdue won 49-20 in West Lafayette. This was an upset and the shocking part wasn't so much that Purdue won as that they won by 29 points. This Purdue team sucked and finished 6-7. This Ohio State team finished 13-1 with league and Rose Bowl Championships but missed the 4-team CFP because of this loss.
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The playoff games are certainly fun to watch especially as it was for us with our team winning but, IMHO, it takes a lot away from the intensity of the regular season games because losses aren't devastating anymore. Since this started as a discussion around Purdue upsets of Ohio State, think of 2002: Without Holy (https://youtu.be/9017_xA5tn8?si=yRDcoy2fff6G_3--) Buckeye (https://www.elevenwarriors.com/11w/2020/07/115251/my-favorite-things-episode-17-holy-buckeye) there is no BCSNCG, no "GOTC" upset of Miami, and no NC. If we need another "Holy Buckeye" against Purdue this year and don't get it, no big deal.
that's why I said "So I liked the old format as it was difficult to back in." komsi-komsa
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I would have thought this, but now I think the playoffs make the regular season way more impactful on a per game basis. Every single game involving a top 25 team has playoff implications this weekend. In past years, most of them would be relegated to "who cares" status as the top teams were whittled down. Now, they all matter.
Only problem was under the old system Day's head would absolutely roll if he lost to M* again. After last years unimaginative repeated plunges into the center of M*s only stregth on defense - IMHO.So there's that, no real easy answers prolly depends on the season and circumstances as to what we would prefer
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that's why I said "So I liked the old format as it was difficult to back in." komsi-komsa
Would have cost you a natty last season
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Ya but it didn't - Ruhle's extension might cost UNL one :93:
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ya but it won't
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He's another Lame Game James who might keep the UNL from Dr Tom II!! j/k
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We'll find out how vastly superior they are if it rains,got a couple of good young backs - Jackson and West but they are freshmen. Who happen to be replacing Judkins and Henderson who are busy on Sundays - good luck with that
Obvious sandbagging
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(https://i.imgur.com/eM6zMqk.png)
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Caleb Downs is like why I am still in. Time to sub myself out.
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Ohio State 37, Penn State 13
Too much faith in the defenses
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Ohio State 37, Penn State 13
ELA why aren't you leading the R.G. contest?
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R,G, is about anything but final scores
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIoYSgdmJgA
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R,G, is about anything but final scores
Ya but the guess was almost perfect