#11 Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0, 3-1) at Rutgers Scarlet Knights (0-1, 3-1) |
3:30 - Piscataway, NJ - BTN |
These two schools had never met until Rutgers joined the Big Ten in 2014. They've met every year since then, and it's never been close. The Buckeyes have won all 7 meetings, scoring 49+ in every game, with the last two, winning by 35 and 22 being the closest. Coming off a close loss in Ann Arbor, this is probably the strongest Rutgers has looked since joining the conference, and Ohio State looks perhaps as vulnerable as they've been since 2011. You saw the Rutgers formula to compete with the top teams in the conference last week. The problem is that they dug themselves a three score hole, and that formula is contingent on being ahead, or atl east within a score. If Rutgers can grab the home field momentum early, that plan can work. Is Ohio State's offense more dynamic than Michigan's? Absolutely. But I'm not sure Ohio State does any one thing as well as Michigan runs the ball. So the question is whether the Rutgers defense, which was able to shut down an elite Michigan run game, can do the same against a more blanced Buckeye attack. Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud needs to be healthy, if for the sake of his own job security. Kyle McCord looked great last week, but you aren't going to steal a starting job by looking great against Akron. You back that up with a solid performance in a road win over a decent looking Big Ten opponent? Now you have something. And Ohio State still has more talent than everyone, it's just a matter of when it's going to click. This isn't new to the program. As elite as they've been, there have been years where it has taken a minute to all come together. Just anecdotally this feels like the youngest the Buckeyes have been since pre-Tressell. So it may take longer than ever, and that gives Rutgers the opening they need. All that means is that the Scarlet Knights have a shot. |
OHIO STATE 28, RUTGERS 27 |
Great write up as always ELA
#11 Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0, 3-1) at Rutgers Scarlet Knights (0-1, 3-1) 3:30 - Piscataway, NJ - BTN These two schools had never met until Rutgers joined the Big Ten in 2014. They've met every year since then, and it's never been close. The Buckeyes have won all 7 meetings, scoring 49+ in every game, with the last two, winning by 35 and 22 being the closest. Coming off a close loss in Ann Arbor, this is probably the strongest Rutgers has looked since joining the conference, and Ohio State looks perhaps as vulnerable as they've been since 2011. You saw the Rutgers formula to compete with the top teams in the conference last week. The problem is that they dug themselves a three score hole, and that formula is contingent on being ahead, or atl east within a score. If Rutgers can grab the home field momentum early, that plan can work. Is Ohio State's offense more dynamic than Michigan's? Absolutely. But I'm not sure Ohio State does any one thing as well as Michigan runs the ball. So the question is whether the Rutgers defense, which was able to shut down an elite Michigan run game, can do the same against a more blanced Buckeye attack. Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud needs to be healthy, if for the sake of his own job security. Kyle McCord looked great last week, but you aren't going to steal a starting job by looking great against Akron. You back that up with a solid performance in a road win over a decent looking Big Ten opponent? Now you have something. And Ohio State still has more talent than everyone, it's just a matter of when it's going to click. This isn't new to the program. As elite as they've been, there have been years where it has taken a minute to all come together. Just anecdotally this feels like the youngest the Buckeyes have been since pre-Tressell. So it may take longer than ever, and that gives Rutgers the opening they need. All that means is that the Scarlet Knights have a shot. OHIO STATE 28, RUTGERS 27
Great write up as always ELAThey're still going to roll over Rutgers.
And your “anecdotal “ comment is correct.
This is the OSU’s youngest team in 20 years, and the 2nd least returning productivity returned from last year in Division 1.
Schiano can coach. No doubt about it. This isn't Chris Ash's sad sack of Rutgers shit. Still expecting Ohio State to win by at least 14.Ironically I think Ash is a better DC though.He was great in that role during the '14-'15 seasons in C-Bus.Which in turn spring boarded him to the Rutgers gig.
Ironically I think Ash is a better DC though.He was great in that role during the '14-'15 seasons in C-Bus.Which in turn spring boarded him to the Rutgers gig.some guys are just meant to be co-ordinators and some are just meant to be head coaches.
The Schiano-Rutgers fit is a very unique one. I don't know if anyone else can win there besides him. I also don't know if he can win anywhere besides Rutgers.Other coaches can win at Rutgers. Rutgers has just never had a really good HC other than him.
Other coaches can win at Rutgers. Rutgers has just never had a really good HC other than him.I don't know that the NFL is harder to coach than college but it is definitely different.
I think Schiano can definitely win at other places. I think he would've been a much better fit at Michigan than RichRod was and that he would've built a solid program there. He didn't win the NFL- but that league is littered with college coaches who made the jump and couldn't win. Urbz is seeing just how hard the big boy league really is.
I don't know that the NFL is harder to coach than college but it is definitely different.It's definitely harder. A lot harder imo. The players are better. The other coaches are better. The schemes are more complex. You can't schedule 2-3 easy wins a year vs MAC or 1AA teams. There are no easy wins. Urbz said it himself- it's like playing Alabama's every single week.
College is definitely harder because you have to do all the same stuff as the NFL and then also recruit.I was thinking the same thing. As an NFL coach you have a real off-season. As a college coach you really don't.
College is definitely harder because you have to do all the same stuff as the NFL and then also recruit.LOL. No. Urban dominated college. He can't even win a game in the pros. Jimmy Johnson has said many times- college is easy compared to NFL.
College is likely a lot more work than the NFL, but that doesn't mean it's harder.basically this.
A garbageman works a HELL of a lot harder than a neurosurgeon, but I'd say the neurosurgeon has the harder job.
LOL. No. Urban dominated college. He can't even win a game in the pros. Jimmy Johnson has said many times- college is easy compared to NFL.Urban has a, to use your term, shithole roster in the NFL right now. That team went 1-15 in 2020.
Urban has a, to use your term, shithole roster in the NFL right now. That team went 1-15 in 2020.Yeah, I'm not writing Urban off either. He's a hell of a coach. I was merely pointing out that- arguably the best or 2nd best college coach ever- is 0-4 in his first NFL season as a head coach. When is the last time Urban lost 4 games in a season let alone 4 games in a row? Probably never.
I agree with you that the NFL is harder than college, but I wouldn't exactly write the epitaph on Urban Meyer based on 4 games.
Yeah, I'm not writing Urban off either. He's a hell of a coach. I was merely pointing out that- arguably the best or 2nd best college coach ever- is 0-4 in his first NFL season as a head coach. When is the last time Urban lost 4 games in a season let alone 4 games in a row? Probably never.
College is likely a lot more work than the NFL, but that doesn't mean it's harder.I don't know that the NFL is exactly neurosurgeon level stuff. It's not like NFL coaches come to college and dominate with their tactical wizardry.
A garbageman works a HELL of a lot harder than a neurosurgeon, but I'd say the neurosurgeon has the harder job.
I don't know that the NFL is exactly neurosurgeon level stuff. It's not like NFL coaches come to college and dominate with their tactical wizardry.I think many of them fail because they DO have tactical wizardry but they don't have players who can execute it.
I think many of them fail because they DO have tactical wizardry but they don't have players who can execute it.Conversely, see Jim Harbaugh, who went to he NFL from college, simplified the offense, which helped him almost win a Super Bowl. Then he went back down to college and can't quite get the offense over the hump.
You have players with less talent, with limited (by rule) practice time, who are also balancing the workload of a student. They can't run the NFL playbook, and a lot of NFL coaches who come down to the college level never adjust to that.
Guys like Mike Leach famously install their offense in three days in camp. Leach is known--or was previously--for teaching his receivers routes only on one side of the formation, because he'd rather have his WR be capable of executing the route in his sleep rather than have the flexibility of playing them on both sides of the formation.
Conversely, see Jim Harbaugh, who went to he NFL from college, simplified the offense, which helped him almost win a Super Bowl. Then he went back down to college and can't quite get the offense over the hump.Jim Harbaugh is basically a retard who caught lighting in a bottle. That run in San Fran was a fluke.