Spread Offense 11/2/17: College Football Week 10 Preview

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta


WEEK 10 TOP TEN

10. Wisconsin (last week: 10)
9. Oklahoma State (last week: NR)
8. Penn State (last week: 2)
7. Miami (last week: 6)
6. Oklahoma (last week: 9)
5. Notre Dame (last week: 8)
4. Clemson (last week: 7)
3. Ohio State (last week: 5)
2. Georgia (last week: 2)
1. Alabama (last week: 1)

Two of the top 5 teams went down last Saturday, and as the first college football playoff ranking of the season are released this week, my top 4 is who I currently would have in.

While the SEC isn’t what it used to be, the conference does account for the top 2 teams in the country now as Georgia jumps up to 2nd after a dominating win over Florida coupled with a Penn State loss. Penn State was well on their way to making a statement against Ohio State, but a big 4th quarter comeback by the Buckeyes lead to a thrilling 39-38 OSU win, catapulting the Buckeyes up to #3 while dropping Penn State to #9. And Iowa State’s victory over TCU moved the needle for 2 teams in the top 10, 1 obviously being TCU who fell out of the top 10 after the loss. The other being Oklahoma, who lost earlier in the season to Iowa State, who at the time we all thought the Cyclones were average at best. Well that Iowa State team is now 6-2 and tied for the Big 12 conference lead, so maybe that loss to them wasn’t such a terrible loss overall, although the way they lost was somewhat unacceptable(up 24-13 at halftime and at home.) Knowing what we know now about ISU, Oklahoma gets a slight bump in the rankings since they really don’t have a "bad loss" after all.

I typically hate the "pat me on the back" kind of fan, so naturally I’m going to do that here. Leading up to their game against USC, I ranked Notre Dame at #9 (AP/coaches poll had them #13) and said that it’s time to start believing in this team. Well after a beat down of USC followed by another beat down of #14 North Carolina, looks like the rest of the country is joining me in buying in to this Notre Dame team. They’re good and should definitely be a team to watch going forward this season.

Wisconsin yet again remains at #10, their 24-10 win over a 2-6 Illinois team just wasn’t enough to convince me to move them up at all.


HEISMAN WATCH

5. J.T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State
4. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
3. Bryce Love, RB, Stanford
2. Josh Adams, RB, Notre Dame
1. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

Saquon Barkley all but had the Heisman trophy wrapped up after the 1st quarter against Ohio State. He returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and followed it soon after with a 36 yard touchdown run. After that though, he was stuffed all game and finished with just 44 yards on 21 carries in which 9 of those 21 carries went for negative yards and he also only had 4 receptions for 23 yards. His 2.1 YPC looks bad especially since OSU came back and won the game, take away his lone touchdown run and that’s 20 carries for 8 yards even so he became a non-factor in a game that his team needed him the most.

Josh Adams on the other hand, closed the gap big time with his 202 yard performance against North Carolina State. The Notre Dame RB carried the ball 27 times with a 7.4 YPC and helped the Fighting Irish overwhelm the #14 ranked Wolfpack. He’s right there in discussion now for the Heisman and may very well take over as the favorite with Wake Forest, Miami, and Stanford left on their schedule.

Bryce Love’s best case for the Heisman might have came last Thursday, in a game that he didn’t play in. Without him, the Cardinal struggled against Oregon State and needed a costly turnover by the Beavers to pull out the win, 15-14. In his absence, Stanford looks like a middle of the road team, not the #21 ranked team that could win the Pac-12 North division.

And J.T. Barrett makes his way on the list after an incredible performance against Penn State. Barrett has been playing excellent ever since the Oklahoma loss, but it was against lesser competition so he really needed to show it against a top team before he could be considered a Heisman candidate. 33-39 for 328 yards and 4 TD’s against Penn State, he completed his final 16 passes, went 13-13 with 3 TD’s in the 4th quarter alone, which included the game winning TD pass with under 2 minutes left in the game.
With Barkley’s stumbling and Adams and Barrett on the rise, this Heisman trophy is wide open for the taking now.




#7 Penn State at #24 Michigan State - 12:00 PM

A meeting between two teams coming off very emotional losses last Saturday. Penn State traveled to Columbus in attempts to put their stamp down on Big Ten dominance, got up 35-20 in the 4th and then a big comeback by the Buckeyes happened which ended in a 39-38 Penn State loss. Michigan State was at Northwestern hoping to remain unbeaten in conference play, the game went into triple OT where MSU needed a touchdown to match Northwestern but an interception sealed the deal for the Wildcats and MSU suffered it's first conference loss. This game will be about how each team bounces back from that loss, could see both teams firing on all cylinders in a rage or could see them have the "hangover" effect, or one of each which will make for a lopsided game. Penn State just needs to stick with what they have been doing, which is getting the ball to Saquon Barkley while mixing in some read option QB runs and an occasional deep pass. Michigan State needs to find some offense, they only scored 14 points on 5 turnovers against Michigan, 10 points against Indiana and 17 points in regulation against Northwestern. Their defense is stellar but even the best defense will give up 14+ points to Penn State so they'll need to be able to answer those scores if they want a shot at this.

PREDICTION: Penn State 27-14


#21 Stanford at #25 Washington State - 3:30 PM

This game has a lot of variables going into it. The main variable is Stanford RB Bryce Love and if he's playing this week. Love sat out last week with an ankle injury and the Cardinal offense looked bad without him. The Heisman candidate is their main key to success on offense, so him being able to not only play but be effective will be huge for Stanford in getting a win here. The other variable is Washington State QB Luke Falk, who was benched last week due to his poor performance as the Cougars lost 58-37 to Arizona. Falk was once a Heisman candidate as well, but has been off ever since their loss to Cal and head coach Mike Leach saw enough last week to finally bench him. This can either motivate him to get back to playing like he was earlier in the season or could rattle his confidence and make him play just as bad, if not worse. This game really is a wait and see type game, a lot of factors will be going into this one to see which team will be able to get the win.

PREDICTION: Stanford 37-20


#4 Clemson at #20 North Carolina State - 3:30 PM

Clemson had a nice bounce back game against Georgia Tech, the Tigers defeated the Yellow Jackets in their first game back since suffering their first loss of the season. Their defensive line looked as good as ever, stifling the GT triple option running attack and controlling the tempo all game. They'll need that again this week as they go up against a NC State offense that's capable of putting a lot of points up on the board. The Wolfpack have a balanced offense, led by QB Ryan Finley and RB Nyheim Hines, they'll look to chip away at the Clemson defense with sustaining drives and tiring the defense out. Also, look for NC State DE Bradley Chubb to be all over QB Kelly Bryant, getting pressure and disrupting the Clemson QB will be a priority for one of the best defensive ends in the country. This is going to be a close game, they mimic each other in a lot of ways but Clemson may just have a little more talent here. The homefield advantage could even things out though, NC State will be building momentum off of that and looking to get a big win here in front of the home crowd.

PREDICTION: Clemson 27-21


#5 Oklahoma at #11 Oklahoma State - 4:00 PM

Get ready, because it is time for the Bedlam game. This matchup here is as even as it gets, both teams averaging close to the same amount of points, total yards, rushing yards and passing yards while on defense they are similar in points allowed and passing yards allowed (Oklahoma State has a slightly bigger edge in rushing defense.) The Sooners put together a complete game last week after struggling the previous 4 weeks and beat Texas Tech 49-27. If that teams shows up then it could be bad news for Oklahoma State, but the Sooners also struggled to beat Baylor, Texas and Kansas State while losing to Iowa State so it's a toss up on how the Sooners will play. Oklahoma State has also been up and down this season, they are capable of putting up a lot of points but also have some games where their offense just isn't clicking. 2 weeks ago against Texas for example, after beating Texas Tech 41-34 they were barely able to score on the Longhorns and squeaked out a 13-10 victory. So both teams are a bit of a wildcard here, we could have a shootout on our hands or see a defensive game while the offenses struggle. Both teams have the Big 12 championship and a playoff spot well within reach, the loser of this game though will all but be eliminated from playoff contention and will need help reaching the Big 12 championship game.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma 38-33


#13 Virginia Tech at #10 Miami - 8:00 PM

The battle for the top spot in the ACC Coastal division is right here. Miami has struggled to score points in their last 4 games, escaping with a win in every one of those 4 games. Their struggle started right around the time that RB Mark Walton went down with a season ending injury and the offense shifted to QB Malik Rosier. While Rosier throws for a lot of yards, his inaccuracy tends to kill drives, as he is over 50% completion percentage in just 2 of his last 4 games and is just 56% on the season. He'll need to be a lot more fluid and sustain drives if Miami wants to win this one, that may be a tough task though as the Hurricanes face a Virginia Tech team that only allows 11.5 points per game. If Virginia Tech can continue their dominance on defense and get their normal offensive output then that should be enough to take this win back home. The offense, led by QB Josh Jackson, loves spreading it out and playing fast so expect them to put up 24+ points in this game, leaving the onus on Miami to score with them. The Hokies have bounced back after losing to Clemson, they've won their last 3 and look to build off that here to take over the division lead.

PREDICTION: Virginia Tech 31-17


#19 LSU at #2 Alabama - 8:00 PM

Here's a game that always tends to be a big time defensive slugfest. Alabama may be playing with a chip on their shoulder now that the college football playoff rankings were revealed and they came in at #2 instead of their assumed spot at #1. The main thing for the Crimson Tide in this is to control the line of scrimmage and not turn the ball over, if they accomplish both of those things they should cruise to a victory. LSU needs to find some offense here, RB Derrius Guice will be keyed on so the Tigers will need QB Danny Etling to get the passing game going in order to open things up on offense. LSU's front 4, which includes projected top 10 pick Arden Key, will need to win the battle in the trenches and not let RB's Damien Harris and Bo Scarborough run all over them. If they can stop the run and put it in the arm of QB Jalen Hurts then they have a chance at forcing some turnovers and controlling time of possession.

PREDICTION: Alabama 27-6

Spread Offense 9/28/17: College Football Week 5 Preview

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta


Week 4 certainly was fun, let's get right to my top 10 ballot and discuss further.


WEEK 5 TOP TEN

10. Ohio State (last week: 10)
9. TCU (last week: NR)
8. Michigan (last week: 9)
7. Washington (last week: 8)
6. USC (last week: 5)
5. Georgia (last week: 6)
4. Oklahoma (last week: 4)
3. Penn State (last week: 3)
2. Alabama (last week: 2)
1. Clemson (last week: 1)


The big change of the week is TCU joining the top 10 after their big win at Oklahoma State. Oklahoma State had been dominate on both sides of the ball all season and I was really buying in to them, but TCU overwhelmed them and brought home a lopsided 44-31 victory. QB Kenny Hill managed the game well and RB Darius Anderson could not be stopped, TCU were the big winners of the weekend and they have a top 10 ranking to show for it.

If you haven't started believing in the Georgia Bulldogs, then right now is a good time to start. The Georgia offense has so many weapons and their defensive line is one of the best in the country, they took on a Mississippi State team that just throttled LSU the week before and drilled them, 31-3. They flip flopped with USC after the Trojans yet again struggled to win convincingly against a team that they should've had no problems beating.

And we had 2 close calls in the night cap as both Penn State and Oklahoma avoided big upsets. Oklahoma struggled to win against a winless Baylor team, Baylor even recovered an onside kick in the final minute to give them a shot to tie the game but ultimately Oklahoma prevailed 48-41. And Penn State, while they dominated Iowa on the stat sheet, needed a touchdown on the last play of the game in order to defeat the Hawkeyes. It was truly a thrilling finish, that whole last drive was edge of your seat type feeling and QB Trace McSorley came up with the big throw when he needed to most and Penn State got the walkoff touchdown to remain undefeated.


HEISMAN WATCH

5. Luke Falk, QB, Washington State
4. Sam Darnold, QB, USC
3. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
2. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
1. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

Baker Mayfield remains in the #1 spot for the Heisman trophy, for now. RB Saquon Barkley showcased just how great he is on Saturday, shredding the Iowa defense in both rushing and receiving. Penn State even put him in on kick returns, that's how much they relied on him to bring home the win for the Nittany Lions and they needed every last one of those yards. Mayfield is still the choice, but it's very close now.

QB Luke Falk makes his debut on the Heisman watch as well. I know Mike Leach and the Washington State Cougars love throwing the ball, but 14 touchdowns to only 1 interception on a 4-0 team cannot be ignored. Add in his 1,378 yards and 76% completion percentage(yes, 76%) and we have the makings of a darkhorse candidate.



WEEK 5 PREVIEW



#5 USC at #16 Washington State - Friday 10:30 PM

We get treated to a big game on Friday night here in week 5 with the backend of an ESPN doubleheader(Miami-Duke before this is also a good game to tune in for) as USC heads to Pullman, WA to take on the Washington State Cougars. This one will be a battle of the QB's, both USC's Sam Darnold and WSU's Luke Falk are Heisman candidates and have been putting up big numbers this season. So in a battle of QB's, it always comes down to the defense and which team will be able to get the stops. This favors USC, as does a lot of other positions as their skill players on offense are also a bit better than WSU's. But USC has a knack for being a team that doesn't bust out it's full potential and flirts with losing a game that it should win based on talent level. Being on the road could be a factor as well for the Trojans, the Cougars have a big chance to make a statement here and come away with a huge home win. Knowing the way USC is though, after 2 weeks of sandbagging this will likely be a week in which they wake up and play like they are capable.

PREDICTION: USC 44-31


#7 Georgia at Tennessee - 3:30 PM

At 3:30 PM on Saturday, an old SEC rivalry kicks off. Tennessee had a heartbreaking loss to Florida 2 weeks ago and followed it up with a "hangover" game where they barely beat UMass, 17-13. Tennessee's offense looked stagant through 3 quarters against the Gators, but QB Quinten Dormady and RB John Kelly finally started getting a rythym down and put themselves in a position to win the game by scoring 17 4th quarter points, They'll need to find that rythym again and a lot sooner this game against Georgia, who boasts one of the top defensive lines in the country and hasn't given up more than 19 in a game all season. Georgia also boasts a pretty good offense, they are starting a 3 RB by committee approach and may have QB Jacob Eason back for this game as well. Tennessee hasn't beaten a top 10 SEC team at home since 1999 and this will be very tough to break that skid here against Georgia.

PREDICTION: Georgia 26-13


#24 Mississippi State at #13 Auburn - 6:00 PM

Last week, we were all trying to figure out if Mississippi State was for real or not. After a 31-3 beating by Georgia, how real they are remains in doubt. They came in with the #1 ranked offense and defense in the SEC, but Georgia was way too much for them and they didn't show that offense or defense out there. Auburn was beat down by Clemson earlier this season, luckily for them it wasn't a conference loss which makes it a better loss than the one Mississippi State took to Georgia. Mississippi State is clinging for the SEC West title hopes and needs this one big time, and will turn to their QB Nick Fitzgerald to lead the way for them. Auburn also has a pretty good QB in Jarrett Stidham and Auburn can remain right atop the SEC West, along with their rival Alabama, with a big win at home here.

PREDICTION: Auburn 27-17


#3 Clemson at #12 Virginia Tech - 8:00 PM

First off, if you want to see one of the best, if not the best, college football entrances then make sure you tune in a bit early for the pregame here as it doesn't get much better than Virginia Tech's. In a rematch of last year's ACC Title game, the Hokies look to avenge that loss to Clemson and make a big statement on Saturday night. This game will be a big step for redshirt freshman Josh Jackson, whose QB play has put the Hokies in ACC championship contender discussion. His 11 TD's on the season to only 1 interception has gotten some early Heisman buzz, and he can also do it on his feet which he showed off in the season opener against West Virginia where he rushed 11 times for 101 yards and 1 touchdown. Clemson also starts a redshirt freshman at QB, and Kelly Bryant is now not a stranger to big night games on the road. The Tigers went on the road to Louisville and came away with a big 47-21 victory, where Bryant threw for over 300 yards. The big key though, as always with Clemson, will be their defensive line. They have been bullying every team so far and have shut down the best players in the country, even defending Heisman trophy winner Lamar Jackson. If the defensive line can keep this up then it could make for a long night for Josh Jackson and the Hokies, so Virginia Tech will need to find a way to get him open looks in the passing game and some room to run as well. This should be a stellar game which we could see again later on in the ACC title game, here's to a fun Saturday night involving these two teams.

PREDICTION: Clemson 37-27

TV Tonight 12.29

By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

NBA
Celtics @ Cavaliers (TNT, 8pm)
Mavericks @ Lakers (TNT, 10:30pm)

NHL
Devils @ Capitals (NBC Sports, 7pm)
Blue Jackets @ Jets (FOX Sports Ohio, 8pm)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Belk Bowl: Arkansas vs. Virginia Tech (ESPN, 5:30pm)
Valero Alamo Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Colorado (ESPN, 9pm)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Butler @ St. John's (FOX Sports 1, 7pm)
Kentucky @ Mississippi (ESPN 2, 8pm)
Vanderbilt @ LSU (ESPNU, 9pm)

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Superstore (NBC, 8pm)
The Great American Baking Show (ABC, 8pm)
Hell's Kitchen (FOX, 8pm)
The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 8pm)
IMPACT Wrestling (POP, 8pm)
The Good Place (NBC, 8:30pm)
The Great Indoors (CBS, 8:30pm)

America's Got Talent (NBC, 9pm)
American Housewife (ABC, 9pm)
Supernatural (The CW, 9pm)
Mom (CBS, 9pm)
Speechless (ABC, 9:30pm)
Life In Pieces (CBS, 9:30pm)

Modern Family (ABC, 10pm)
Scorpion (CBS, 10pm)

Spread Offense, College Football Week 6: The Bridge Episode

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta

Now that was a fun last Saturday, wasn't it? Last second dramatic wins with multiple lead changes in the final minute in the Tennessee-Georgia and North Carolina-Florida State game, 2 Big Ten heavyweights in Michigan and Wisconsin just pulverizing each other in a great defensive game, and did Louisville and Clemson put on a show or what? Last Saturday delivered big time overall, those types of exhilarating games are what makes this sport so great.

Each season of a TV series has something called a bridge episode. TV series typically start fast to hook you in followed by an episode or two that is more about building characters and storylines by being dialogue heavy while taking away the majority of action. That episode's purpose is to bridge the beginning of the season to the finale, hence the "bridge episode" name. This is what week 6 seems to be, with only 4 games involving 2 ranked teams it seems as though this will be less about the action on the field and more about what's to follow based off of this week. We are starting to get into conference play and we have some rivalry games this week so it will still hold everyone's attention, but this will be a natural come down after week 5's fantastic games and finishes. 

SATURDAY OCT 8TH

Noon kickoffs are headlined by Texas and #20 Oklahoma playing in their annual Red River Rivalry game. Oklahoma came in to last year's game at a perfect 5-o and ranked #10 in the country while Texas was a disappointing 1-4 at the time. They always say to throw the records out in a rivalry game though and last year was a perfect example, as the Longhorns handed Oklahoma their only regular season loss by a score of 24-17. This year, both teams are in need of a big win as Oklahoma just evened their record out to 2-2 after outlasting TCU 52-46 last weekend, and a promising start to the season for Texas has turned sour after 2 straight losses. Texas coach Charlie Strong will be calling defensive plays now after the Longhorns gave up 49 points to Oklahoma State, some reports are saying that this is a make or break game for him as far as determining his future as coach of the team.

They'll need to slow down an Oklahoma offense that finally got rolling last weekend and looked like the playoff contender that they were expected to be. Oklahoma's main concern will be the 2 QB system that Texas runs, last week they had a ton of problems with stopping TCU and Texas is the type of team that could put up some points if they find a weakness. The luster may be off this rivalry game a bit since both teams are just 2-2, but there's a lot at stake for these two teams and always expect some great moments when bragging rights are on the line.

We also have LSU at #18 Florida at noon. The post Les Miles era started out big for LSU as they rolled Missouri 42-7. Florida gets their starting QB back, Luke Del Rio, as they hope that provides a spark on the offense that they were missing last weekend against Vanderbilt. They still managed to win but the offense was stagnant overall and they coasted to a 13-6 victory. Can a rejuvenated LSU team go on the road and knock off a healthy Florida team on the road? It's a pretty big task for interim head coach Ed Orgeron.

The 3:30 games give us 2 of the 4 games involving 2 ranked teams. In ACC action, we have the #25 Virginia Tech Hokies going on the road to face the #17 North Carolina Tar Heels. The Hokies have moved on from "Beamer ball" and are now running a full time spread offense under 1st year head coach Justin Fuente. The switch is paying off right now, as they are averaging 40 points per game and QB Jerod Evans has found himself on some Heisman sleeper lists. After suffering their lone loss on the season (45-24 to Tennessee), the Hokies have shut out Boston College 49-0 and rolled East Carolina 54-17. North Carolina has also been putting up some impressive numbers on offense, along with pulling out games in crunch time. In back to back weeks, the Tar Heels outscored Pitt 14-3 in the 4th quarter to win 37-36 then had a last second drive against Florida State culminating in a 54 yard game winning field goal for the 37-35 win. Bud Foster's Virginia Tech defense may be the key factor in this, he's one of the best at game planning and disguising blitzes in order to rattle the opposing teams' QB, if he can dial up a game plan to get Mentor, Ohio's own Mitch Trubisky off his game then that will be the deciding factor. It will be close though and North Carolina thrives in close games, expect this game to play out in the final minutes.

We also have the #9 Tennessee Volunteers at the #8 Texas A&M Aggies. Tennessee seems to be living a charmed life, they start slow and sloppy and as it looks like they are going to lose, they seem to do just enough to get the win. OT win against Appalachian State, uninspired win against Ohio, 21 point comeback against Florida and then last week, a last second Hail Mary win over Georgia. This will be their toughest task to date, Texas A&M looks very good and Kyle Field provides a big home field advantage. The Aggies use a balanced attack to put up nearly 40 points and 520 yards per game, with QB Trevor Knight leading the charge for them. Their defense also seems legit this season, as 24 points is the most that they have given up in a game. If they hold Tennessee to that then they have a very good chance of winning this game. This game will tell us a lot about both teams, starting with how serious a contender each team is going forward.

The 7 pm start time takes us to Fayetteville where the #16 Arkansas Razorbacks host the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide. Arkansas looks for a statement win right here to show that they aren't a middle of the road type team. QB Austin Allen is the type of QB that has given Alabama's defense problems in the past and the Razorbacks are going to need him to play at his peak in order to win this game. Arkansas will also look to their 2 RB's, Rawleigh Williams and Devwah Whaley, to provide a big punch and balance out the attack so the Crimson Tide won't have the benefit of keying on Allen. If Arkansas does become one dimensional then that plays right into Alabama's hands, their defense thrives on getting after the QB to force sacks and turnovers. The Crimson Tide offense will look for the same success as Texas A&M had against Arkansas, which is the big play.

The Razorbacks, while a good defensive team overall, are susceptible to giving up big plays and that was their Achilles heel in their 45-24 loss to the Aggies. The Tide does have the weapons, both in their running and passing game, to score quickly and Arkansas has got to do a better job of containment if they want to stay in this game. This is Alabama's 1st of 4 straight big games with Tennessee on deck, Texas A&M in the hole and LSU awaiting after a bye week. Arkansas needs this one badly if they want any shot of earning the SEC West title.

Then our 8pm primetime matchup pits 2 in-state rivals against each other, with the #23 Florida State Seminoles facing off against the #10 Miami Hurricanes. At the beginning of the season, not many people would have believed that FSU would be the team with 2 losses while Miami is undefeated. The Seminoles rebounded against South Florida after the beating they took against Louisville, only to lose on a last second field goal last week to North Carolina. FSU certainly has the talent on offense, starting with RB Dalvin Cook, but miscues on defense have haunted them this season. Mark Richt has revitalized the Miami program already in his 1st season as head coach, and people are starting to buy into this team. This will be their chance to really prove it though as they have yet to play a ranked team and their opponents have a combined 7-13 record.

Their offense, led by QB Brad Kaaya and RB Mark Walton, have been lighting up the scoreboard while their defense has been one of  the stingiest in the country. If they can take advantage of FSU's problems on defense and keep their offense rolling then this could be a long night for the Seminoles. We will see just how good they are though in this game, whether they are a contender in the ACC or fool's gold that put up numbers due to softer competition. Rivalry games always bring an added amount of intrigue and with two teams ranked in the top 25 and with the history they have for playing close, memorable games, then this is a perfect game for that 8pm time slot.

TV Weekend 9.9 - 9.10

By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

Stand Up To Cancer (FRI, NBC/ABC/FOX/CBS, 8pm)
New Japan Pro Wrestling (FRI, AXS TV, 8pm)
Masters Of Illusion (FRI, The CW, 8pm & 8:30pm)

10th Annual ACM Honors (FRI, CBS, 9pm)
New Japan Pro Wrestling (FRI, AXS TV, 9pm)
Killjoys (FRI, Syfy, 9pm)

Burgers, Brew & Que (FRI, Food Network, 10pm)
ELeague (FRI, TBS, 10pm)
Dark Matter (FRI, Syfy, 10pm)
Quarry (FRI, Cinemax, 10pm)

======

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Louisville @ Syracuse (FRI, ESPN 2, 8pm)
Maryland @ Florida International (FRI, CBS SportsNet, 7:30pm)

Central Florida @ Michigan (SAT, ABC, 12pm)
Penn State @ Pittsburgh (SAT, ESPN, 12pm)
Wyoming @ Nebraska (SAT, ESPN 2, 12pm)
Indiana State @ Minnesota (SAT, ESPNews, 12pm)
North Carolina State @ East Carolina (SAT, ESPNU, 12pm)
Central Michigan @ Oklahoma State (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 12pm)
Cincinnati @ Purdue (SAT, Big Ten, 12pm)
Nicholls State @ Georgia (SAT, SEC, 12pm)

Tulsa @ Ohio State (SAT, ABC, 3:30pm)
Nevada @ Notre Dame (SAT, NBC, 3:30pm)
Kentucky @ Florida (SAT, CBS, 3:30pm)
Wake Forest @ Duke (SAT, ESPNU, 3:30pm)
Western Kentucky @ Alabama (SAT, ESPN 2, 3:30pm)
SMU @ Baylor (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 3:30pm)
Akron @ Wisconsin (SAT, Big Ten, 3:30pm)
Wofford @ Mississippi (SAT, SEC, 4pm)
Ball State @ Indiana (SAT, ESPNews, 4pm)

Arkansas @ TCU (SAT, ESPN, 7pm)
South Carolina @ Mississippi State (SAT, ESPN 2, 7pm)
Jacksonville State @ LSU (SAT, ESPNU, 7:30pm)
BYU @ Utah (SAT, FOX, 7:30pm)
Iowa State @ Iowa (SAT, Big Ten, 7:30pm)
Arkansas State @ Auburn (SAT, SEC, 7:30pm)
Tennessee @ Virginia Tech (SAT, ABC, 8pm)

Texas Tech @ Arizona State (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 10pm)
Washington State @ Boise State (SAT, ESPN 2, 10:15pm)
Virginia @ Oregon (SAT, ESPN, 10:30pm)

MLB
Indians @ Twins (FRI, STO, 8pm)
Rangers @ Angels OR Mariners @ Athletics (FRI, MLB, 10pm)

Red Sox @ Blue Jays (SAT, FOX, 1pm)
Rays @ Yankees OR Mariners @ Athletics (SAT, MLB, 4pm)
Indians @ Twins (SAT, STO, 7pm)
Orioles @ Tigers OR Dodgers @ Marlins (SAT, MLB, 7pm)
Rangers @ Angels OR Giants @ Diamondbacks (SAT, MLB, 10pm)

NBA
2016 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony (FRI, NBA TV, 7:30pm)

NASCAR & RACING
XFINITY Series: Virginia529 College Savings 250 (FRI, NBC Sports, 7:30pm)
Sprint Cup Series: Federated Auto Parts 400 (SAT, NBC Sports, 7:30pm)

MMA & BOXING
Premier Boxing Champions (FRI, Spike, 9pm)

Boxing: Kell Brook vs. Gennady Golovkin (SAT, HBO, 5:30pm)
UFC 203: Miocic vs. Overeem Prelims (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 8pm)
Boxing: Carlos Cuadras vs. Roman Gonzalez (SAT, HBO, 10pm)

HOCKEY
World Cup Exhibition: Team Canada vs. Team USA (FRI, ESPNU, 7pm)

GOLF
BMW Championship, Third Round (SAT, NBC, 12pm)

TENNIS
U.S. Open Tennis, Men's Semifinals (FRI, ESPN, 3pm)
U.S. Open Tennis, Women's Final (SAT, ESPN, 4pm)

TV Tonight 1.24

By @nevaRWilliams

NFL PLAYOFFS
NFC Championship: Cardinals @ Panthers (FOX, 6:30pm)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
North Carolina @ Virginia Tech (ESPNU, 6:30pm)
Syracuse @ Virginia (ESPN 2, 7pm)
Utah @ Washington (ESPNU, 8:30pm)

NHL
Blues @ Blackhawks (NHL Network, 7pm)

TENNIS
2016 Australian Open, Round of 16 (ESPN 2, 7pm)

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Galavant (ABC, 8pm)

Shameless (Showtime, 9pm)
Keeping Up With The Kardashians (E!, 9pm)
Quantico (ABC, 9pm)
Madam Secretary (CBS, 9pm)

The X-Files (FOX, 10pm)
NCIS (CBS, 10pm)

Mike Tyson Mysteries (Cartoon Network, 12:15am)

On The Mark 9.8.15: Ohio State #Buckeyes vs. Virginia Tech Recap

Cardale Jones, Braxton Miller shine for the Buckeyes in 42-24 revenge win against Virginia Tech
By @MarkW2112

Hello and welcome to another season of Buckeyes football!  It's been 8 long months since the Buckeyes won the first ever National Championship trophy and their first game of the 2015 season was a rematch against the Virginia Tech Hokies, who beat the Buckeyes in the second game of the year in Columbus. This year, it was the number 1 ranked Buckeyes who pulled out the big win, 42-24 in Blacksburg, VA.

Urban Meyer kept his starting quarterback a secret until the very first play of the Buckeyes offense.  But it really came as no surprise to see Cardale Jones, who had 3 of the greatest games in college history to end last season, as the starting quarterback.  And he started off this season where he left off, throwing amazing passes and running with power.  He finished the game 9/18 for 186 yards, 2 touchdowns and interception while carrying the ball 13 times for 99 yards and 1 touchdown.  While Jones was mostly solid, with an excellent pass and touchdown catch to Curtis Samuel, it was Braxton Miller who stole the show with 2 show stopping touchdowns.  The converted wide receiver caught 2 catches for 78 yards, including a fantastic 54 yard where he kept his balance while staying inbounds.  His second touchdown was on a spectacular 53 yard run which included an amazing spin move.  J.T. Barrett did come in during "garbage" time to throw a touchdown to Michael Thomas, making it 42-17. 

The defense struggled some after the Buckeyes went up 14-0 early in the first half, especially the secondary.  The Hokies, led by Michael Brewer at quarterback, scored 17 unanswered points before halftime.  While taking some big hits, Brewer was in control throwing some big time throws including a 51 yard touchdown to fullback Sam Rogers and another 1 yard TD before halftime to Ryan Malleck.  However, to start the second half, after saying during halftime that it would "take a hell of a lot more than that to take me out", Brewer was knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury on a big hit by Adolphus Washington.  Junior quarterback Brenden Motley came in to the game and the Buckeyes defense were able to easily shut him down.  Motley finished 4 of 9 for 36 yards passing, a touchdown and an interception.

Thoughts:  The Buckeyes started out quickly on offense, lagged a little bit after being up 14-0 and showed in the second half  how powerful the  offense can be with 28 unanswered points until the very last few minutes where the Hokies scored a garbage time touchdown to make it 42-24 final.  Braxton Miller proved that he is still a dynamic player with his 2 show stopping touchdown plays.  Ezekiel Elliot was able to break away for an 80 yard touchdown run himself and finished with 122 rushing yards on 11 carries.  The possibilities are endless once Jalen Marshall and Cory Smith return next week.  As far as the defense, they were able to hold their own without Joey Bosa.  But with him coming back, look for a more disruptive defense to appear.  That said, there is work to be done in the secondary which got burned multiple times in the first half.

Player Of The Game:  Braxton Miller, who's conversion to receiver/h-back proved to be fluid with his big day both catching and running the ball for touchdowns.

Biggest Factor: The Hokies losing Michael Brewer was deflating for their offense, especially after getting them up 17-14 before the end of the first half.  

Up Next For The Buckeyes: the home opener at "The Shoe" in Columbus against Hawaii

TV Tonight 9.7

By @nevaRWilliams

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
College Football Countdown (ESPN, 7pm)
Ohio State @ Virginia Tech (ESPN, 8pm)

MLB
Dodgers @ Angels OR Twins @ Royals (MLB Network, 9pm)

BASKETBALL
FIBA Americas Championship: Canada vs. Uruguay (NBA TV, 6:50pm)
FIBA Americas Championship: Mexico vs. Venezuela (NBA TV, 9pm)

TENNIS
2015 US Open Tennis, Round of 16 (ESPN 2, 7pm)

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WWE Raw (USA, 8pm)
American Ninja Warrior (NBC, 8pm)
So You Think You Can Dance? (FOX, 8pm)

Bachelor In Paradise SEASON FINALE (ABC, 9pm)
Awkward (MTV, 9pm)
Faking It (MTV, 9:30pm)

Running Wild With Bear Grylls (NBC, 10pm)
Bachelor In Paradise: After Paradise SEASON FINALE (ABC, 10pm)
Todrick (MTV, 10pm)
Girl Code Live (MTV, 10:30pm)

#Buckeyes Preview 9.6.15: Ohio State @ Virginia Tech #Hokies

By @jddisantis

This Labor Day get the family time out of the way early because Monday night the National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes will try to avenge their only loss of last year by traveling to Blacksburg for a showdown with the Virginia Tech Hokies.   There is no shortage of storylines attached to the Buckeyes and their first test of the 2015 season.  Here is a breakdown of four areas of this game that I will be watching closely as the Buckeyes will attempt to extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 14.

1.   Who’s under center?:   Everyone has heard the age-old-adage, “If you have two quarterbacks, you have no quarterbacks.”   Well, that’s not the case for the Buckeyes.  In the 2014 season we saw something that movies are made of as Ohio State had TWO quarterbacks go down to injury yet their third string QB, Cardale Jones, stepped up and won the Big Ten Championship, National Semifinal and National Championship with a combination of size and arm strength reminiscent of JaMarcus Russell.   With 2-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Braxton Miller moving to WR, J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones have been battling it out this summer for the starting job.   After watching Cardale in the final three games of last year many fans forget that J.T. Barrett was himself a Heisman contender before getting injured late in the season. 

Urban Meyer said that both quarterbacks will play in this game and reports have said that he will notify Barrett and Jones on Saturday who will start, although he will not tell the team until Monday night before the game.   Both men have been very humble during this process and have shown 100% support for the other so whatever the outcome I don’t anticipate any animosity towards the other.  Personally I would go with Barrett (who was recently named a team captain) but how could you argue with either player. 

2.  How badly will the recent suspensions hurt Ohio State?:   This offseason four Ohio State players received one game suspensions for “violating Department of Athletics policy.”  It is believed that the violations involve marijuana and academics.  The biggest impact the Buckeyes will be missing is potential #1 overall pick in next year’s NFL draft, junior defensive end Joey Bosa.  Sophomore H-back Jalin Marshall, senior WR Corey Smith and junior H-back Dontre Wilson will also be missing in action against the Hokies.  With WR Noah Brown down for the year with a broken leg the suspensions of Marshall, Smith and Wilson hurt even more.  We can expect to see a healthy dose of newly transitioned Braxton Miller to make up for the loss along with the emergence and continued growth of WR Michael Thomas. 

Redshirt sophomore Sam Hubbard will be starting in place of Joey Bosa, with Jalyn Holmes getting time as well.  Despite not playing all last year Hubbard was compared to J.J. Watt by former assistant coach Kerry Coombs and coach Meyer has mentioned that he thought about burning Hubbard’s redshirt year because he knew Hubbard was an NFL caliber player who won’t end up staying for four years.  Hubbard had two sacks in the spring game and exhibited the type of talent that has coaches excited to see what he can do on the main stage.  The Buckeyes may not have Joey Bosa out there Monday night, but they just might have the next best thing.   

3.  Braxton Miller’s switch to WR/H-back:  This offseason was filled with rumors and questions about the two-time Big Ten Offensive POY.  Will Braxton compete for the starting QB at Ohio State?  Will he transfer to Oregon or FSU to play QB there?  All of those questions were answered when Braxton Miller said he would be staying at Ohio State and make a transition to WR.  This was a great business decision for Miller as his potential at QB in the NFL was minimal but as one of the best athletes in college football he will have an opportunity to showcase that athleticism and playmaking ability at a different position.  Due to his recent injuries I think many fans have forgotten just how dynamic a playmaker Braxton Miller is and he should get ample opportunities to remind the nation Monday night against the Hokies. 

4.  Michael Thomas vs. Kendall Fuller:  One of the best battles you will see this opening weekend and maybe all year will be between Ohio State’s top wide-out Michael Thomas and Virginia Tech’s All-ACC cornerback Kendall Fuller.  We’ll have to wait and see if Fuller is going to follow Thomas throughout this game but they will definitely see a lot of each other.  Fuller is a fluid athlete who has football in his DNA as all three of his brothers have played (two are currently playing) in the NFL.  Michael Thomas also has NFL DNA as he is the nephew of former NFL wide-out Keyshawn Johnson.  Thomas is a technician at the position and will try and use his 6-3, 210 pound frame to his advantage against the smaller, faster Fuller.  Kendall Fuller is being touted as a sure fire first rounder while ESPN’s Todd McShay has Michael Thomas ranked as his #1 WR on his big board.  Keep your eyes on these two players as this battle will surely have game, and draft implications. 

TV Tonight 10.16

By @neveRWilliams

NFL
Thursday Night Kickoff (CBS/NFL Network, 7:30 PM)
Jets @ Patriots (CBS/NFL Network, 8:25 PM)

MLB PLAYOFFS
Cardinals @ Giants, Game 5 (FOX Sports 1, 8 PM)

NHL
Bruins @ Canadiens (NHL Network, 7:30 PM)

NBA
Celtics @ 76ers (NBA TV, 7:30 PM)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Virginia Tech @ Pittsburgh (ESPN, 7:30 PM)

SOCCER
MLS: New England Revolution @ Houston Dynamo (ESPN 2, 8 PM)

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The Biggest Loser (NBC, 8 PM)
Grey's Anatomy (ABC, 8 PM)
Bones (FOX, 8 PM)
The Vampire Diaries (The CW, 8 PM)

Bad Judge (NBC, 9 PM)
Scandal (ABC, 9 PM)
Gracepoint (FOX, 9 PM)
Reign (The CW, 9 PM)
A to Z (NBC, 9:30 PM)

Parenthood (NBC, 10 PM)
How To Get Away With Murder (ABC, 10 PM)
Ridiculousness (MTV, 10 PM)
Snack-Off (MTV, 10:30 PM)

TV Weekend 9.5.14 - 9.6.14

By @neveRWilliams

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Pittsburgh @ Boston College (Friday, ESPN, 7 PM)

Missouri @ Toledo (Saturday, ESPN, 12 PM)
Oklahoma @ Tulsa (Saturday, ESPN 2, 12 PM)
Akron @ Penn State (Saturday, ABC/ESPN 2, 12 PM)
Western Illinois @ Wisconsin (Saturday, Big Ten Network, 12 PM)
Florida Atlantic @ Alabama (Saturday, SEC Network, 12 PM)

USC @ Stanford (Saturday, ABC, 3:30 PM)
Missouri State @ Oklahoma State (Saturday, FOX Sports Ohio/Regional FOX Sports, 3:30 PM)
Nicholls State @ Arkansas (Saturday, SEC Network, 4 PM)
Mississippi @ Vanderbilt (Saturday, ESPN, 4:30 PM)

Michigan State @ Oregon (Saturday, FOX, 6:30 PM)
Michigan @ Notre Dame (Saturday, NBC, 7:30 PM)
The Citadel @ Florida State (Saturday, FOX Sports Ohio/Regional FOX Sports, 7:30 PM)
BYU @ Texas (Saturday, FOX Sports, 7:30 PM)
Sam Houston State @ LSU (Saturday, SEC Network, 7:30 PM)

Virginia Tech @ Ohio State (Saturday, ESPN, 8 PM)

MLB
White Sox @ Indians (Friday, STO, 7 PM)
Diamondbacks @ Dodgers OR Astros @ Athletics (Friday, MLB Network, 10 PM)

Giants @ Tigers (Saturday, FOX, 1 PM)
Royals @ Yankees (Saturday, FOX Sports 1, 4 PM)
White Sox @ Indians (Saturday, STO, 7 PM)
Cardinals @ Brewers OR Angels @ Twins (Saturday, MLB Network, 7 PM)

FIBA WORLD CUP BASKETBALL
Round of 16: USA vs Mexico (Saturday, ESPN 2/NBA TV, 10 AM)
Round of 16: Croatia vs France (Saturday, NBA TV, 12 PM)
Round of 16: Senagal vs Spain (Saturday, NBA TV, 4 PM)

TENNIS
2014 US Open, Men's Semifinals (Saturday, CBS, 12 PM)

GOLF
BMW Championship, Third Round (Saturday, NBC, 3 PM)

BOXING
Adrien Broner vs Emmanuel Taylor (Saturday, Showtime, 9:25 PM)

SOCCER
MLS: Colorado Rapids @ Los Angeles Galaxy (Friday, NBC Sports, 10:30 PM)
MLS: Sporting Kansas City @ New York Red Bulls (Saturday, NBC Sports, 7:30 PM)

MMA
UFC Fight Night Jacare vs. Mousasi, Prelims (Friday, FOX Sports 1, 7 PM)
Bellator MMA Live (Friday, Spike, 8 PM)

NASCAR
Nationwide Series, Virginia529 College Savings 250 (Friday, ESPN 2, 7:30 PM)
Sprint Cup, Federated Auto Parts 400 (Saturday, ABC, 7:30 PM)

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WWE Friday Night Smackdown (Friday, SyFy, 8 PM)

Doctor Who (Saturday, BBC America, 8 PM)
The Brittany Murphy Story (Saturday, Lifetime, 8 PM)
Hell On Wheels (Saturday, AMC, 9 PM)
Outlander (Saturday, STARZ, 9 PM)
Intruders (Saturday, BBC America, 10 PM)

On The Mark: Ohio State vs. Virginia Tech Preview, 9.5.14

By @MarkW2112

Match up: Virginia Tech Hokies at Ohio State Buckeyes
Place: Ohio Stadium, Columbus Ohio
Time: Saturday, 9/6/14, 8 PM
Channel: ESPN

After an exciting 34-17 victory over Navy last Saturday, the #8 ranked Buckeyes are coming home for their first game at The Horseshoe in Columbus Saturday night at 8 PM on ESPN.  Thankfully, most of us will be able to see the game instead of digging through our channel guides to see where the heck CBS Sports Network was located (turns out if you have DirecTV you were able to watch it).

The young Buckeyes will be facing another young team in the Hokies.  Thankfully for the Bucks defense, they do not run a triple option offense.  But the offense and special teams will be facing "Beamer ball", with it's emphisis on special teams and defensive play making.  Will it be enough to defeat a very fast and talented Buckeyes team in prime time?

Who to watch: J.T. Barrett will be under the bright lights of his first nationally televised game.  Can he rise to the occasion and make the big plays he did in the second half of the Navy game?  It should also be a good test for Ezekiel Elliot and freshman phenom Curtis Samuel against the young Hokie defense.

Defensive stand: Will the defense make a stand and show that last weeks game was a fluke?  You have to know Joey Bosa is licking his chops to get to quarterback Michael Brewer, who threw for 251 yards and 2 TD's against William & Mary last week.  True freshman running back Shai McKenzie had a big game as well but the Buckeyes should be able to contain him as well as his fellow running backs.  The Buckeyes secondary need to keep themselves in front of the receivers and not miss tackles like they and the rest of the defense did against Navy.

Prediction: The Buckeyes win 37-20, lead by Barrett and the tandem of Elliot/Samuel with a much improved defense.