Week 9 2017

Results of Last Week's Games to Watch 

#14 NC State Wolfpack @ #9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 

A loss in this game would definitely either team from playoff contention.  And the home team would not be losing Saturday.  

NC State got on the board first when the Wolfpack blocked a punt and recovered it in the endzone for a touchdown.   Notre Dame responded with a drive that concluded with a 25 yard passing touchdown by quarterback Brandon Wimbush. The scoring ceased until the 2nd quarter when NC State scored a touchdown on a 15 yard pass by their quarterback Ryan Finley.   However, the Fighting Irish then took control of the game with 2 straight touchdown drives that gave them a 21-14 at the half.

Notre Dame's defense shutout NC State the rest of the way and returned an interception for a touchdown to make matters worse for the Wolfpack.  Josh Adams, the top running back for the Fighting Irish, sped down the field for a 77 yard touchdown in the 3rd quarter, icing the game for all intents and purposes. 

Final Score: Notre Dame 35, NC State 14

Most Exciting Game of the Week 

#2 Penn State Nittany Lions @ #6 Ohio State Buckeyes 

The stakes for this game couldn't have been higher for the Buckeyes.  Penn State was undefeated coming into this game and could afford a loss while still remaining in the chase for the playoffs.  Ohio State, on the other hand, had already suffered a loss early in the season to Oklahoma.  A 2nd loss would virtually destroy the Buckeyes' chances of making the playoffs.

According to how the game started for Ohio State, elimination from the playoff discussion seemed to be their destiny.  The coin toss decided that Penn State would receive the ball first.  This made the Penn State coaches happy because star running back Saquon Barkley was their return man and they were hoping he would have a chance to create a great return.  The Ohio State kicker unwisely did not kick the ball away from Barkley.  Big mistake.   Upon catching the ball, Barkley started toward the left sideline before realizing the Buckeyes coverage team had left the other side of the field wide open.  Barkley zoomed across the field, took advantage of good blocking by his teammates, and scored a 97 yard kick return touchdown that silenced the crowd.

This horrendous start for the Buckeyes would only get worse when wide receiver Parris Campbell fumbled on the 3rd play of Ohio State's opening drive.  This set the Penn State offense with exceptional field position at the Ohio State 22 yard line.  Five plays later, the Nittany Lions found the endzone when quarterback Trace McSorley completed a 13 yard TD pass to top receiver DaeSean Hamilton.

Ohio State's next drive didn't go much better for one reason: bad play calling.  For weeks, senior quarterback J.T Barrett had proven that his medium and deep passing abilities had improved greatly.  But much to my bewilderment, when the Buckeyes passed the ball, they called screen passes which are thrown to wide receivers behind the line of scrimmage.  The talented Nittany Lion defense stopped many of those plays for minimal or sometimes even negative yardage. Eventually, the Ohio State offensive coordinator began to trust Barrett with some deep passing opportunites, but he should have figured it out far quicker when he's paid an insane amount of money to call plays.  (Some of the blame should be placed on Head Coach Urban Meyer as well).

 The Buckeyes finally got on the board with a field goal with 4 minutes left in the 1st quarter.  After this, 4 straight touchdown drives occurred.  The first of Penn State's two touchdown drives were powered by the arm of Trace McSorley and the legs of Saquon Barkley.

The second was due to blunders committed by Ohio State and the referees. 

After scoring their first touchdown of the day to make the score 21-10, Ohio State had to kick off again.  Kickoffs continued to be an embarrasing problem for the Buckeyes when a good kick that kept the ball away from Barkely was negated by a offsides penalty on the kicking team.  Ohio State had to repeat the kickoff and this time terrible positioning reared its ugly head again.  The Buckeyes kick coverage team all directly raced toward secondary returner Koa Farmer once he caught the ball instead of staying in their lanes.  Soon they were out of position again!  Just like Barkley, Farmer faked left then cut back to the right, speeding all the way down to the Ohio State 23 yard line.  As a Buckeyes fan, I wanted to cover my face with a pillow after those two plays.

Penn State was actually almost prevented from scoring when a  defensive back intercepted a McSorley pass in the endzone. However, a bogus defensive pass interference was called on Buckeyes cornerback Damon Arnette, giving the Nittany Lions the ball at the 6 yard line.  Quarterback Trace McSorley ran for a touchdown on the next play and Penn State now led 28-10.

Fortunately, the play calling continued to improve for the Buckeyes.  Ohio State running back Mike Weber busted into the endzone on the last play of a very important touchdown drive.  The Buckeyes had cut the lead to 28-17 and the score remained the same going into halftime. 

When the Buckeyes opened the 3rd quarter with a drive that ended in a field goal, the Ohio State faithful were invigorated with fresh passion for their team.    However, Penn State's next possession would quiet the crowd again.  McSorley and Barkley continued to make headway against the Ohio State defense.

On the 10th play of the drive, McSorley lofted a deep pass to wide receiver DeAndre Thompkins.  Thompkins was well covered and both receiver and defender had their hands on the ball when they landed in the endzone.  The play was originally ruled an interception but upon review it was apparent that Thompkins had been the one that truly caught the ball.

Yet again, Penn State held a two score lead: this time 35-20.  This score held for the rest of the 3rd quarter, but the scoreboard would sure shift in the 4th!  

Early in the final quarter of play, Penn State was forced into a three-and-out by the great play of the Ohio State defensive line.  The Buckeyes decided to bring an all-out blitz the try and block the ensuing punt.  Denzel Ward sped around the right side of the screen of Penn State blockers and knocked the ball out of the air soon after it left the punters's foot.

Ohio State defender Dante Booker picked the ball up and returned it 6 yards to the Penn State 41.

The special teams unit had finally come through with a great play and the entire Ohio State team had a fresh wave of confidence.   Two plays afterwards, Barrett fired an accurate pass over the middle to wide receiver Johnnie Dixon who caught it in stride and galloped into the endzone for a 38 yard touchdown.  The Nittany Lions now possessed a 1 score, 35-27 lead. 

Penn State managed to scrape together enough offense to tally a field goal, but it was obvious the Ohio State defense was just beginning to get the upper hand.  

Now down by 11 with under six minutes left, the Buckeyes had to score, and fast! They scored at lightning-fast speed as a matter of fact.  J.T. Barrett continued to show just how much he has improved as a passer, throwing two crisp passes to wide receiver Austin Mack, and one to K.J. Hill, before finding Johnnie Dixon for another touchdown.

The Buckeyes went for two to try and get within a field goal but failed.

Seeing their lead dwindling to only five, Penn State was nonetheless unable to respond because of the constant pressure that Ohio State's defensive line was able to exert on McSorley.  When the Buckeyes got the ball back with 3 minutes remaining, it seemed like they had enough confidence to complete the comeback.

Barrett still had to make a key throw under pressure to keep his offense running on all cylinders, but he was up to the task.

J.T. concluded the drive with a perfect placed completion to tight end Marcus Baugh to give the Buckeyes their first lead of the game.

The Lions of Nittany had plenty of time to mount a comeback attempt of their own, but didn't even get a sniff of the endzone.  The defensive line of Ohio State, arguably the best in the nation, got continued pressure on McSorley, giving him no time at all to throw the ball.  A final desperate 4th down pass by McSorley skipped off the turf and the game was all but over.

Having witnessed such a dramatic comeback, it was no wonder that Ohio State fans rushed the field to revel in the victory.

Look out, College Football Playoff Selection Committee, the Buckeyes are making their case!

Final Score: Ohio State 39, Penn State 38

Top 2 Games to Watch: Week 10

1.  #5 Oklahoma Sooners @ #11 Oklahoma State Cowboys 

This rivarly is affectionately known as Bedlam.  Considering this is also a playoff elimination game, things could be even wilder.  Will the Sooners beat the Cowboys and prove once again that they are the top program in the state?  Or will Oklahoma State finally show they can win a big game?

My pick: Oklahoma   

2.  #13 Virginia Tech Hokies @ #10 Miami Hurricanes 

Miami has shown they can win close games with a combination of will to win and fortunate bounces.  Will the Hurricanes' quest for an undefeated season end against the Hokies?  Or will Head Coach Mark Richt guide his team to yet another victory? 

My pick: Miami