Dave Thurman (2:23 pm)

The national media isn't too hyped about the OSU-Michigan game this year, and there will not be the kind of nationwide coverage or exposure we are used to, but there is still plenty of great reasons to tune in and be pumped about this contest. Since Ohio State is going for an unprecedented fifth straight win against "that school up north," I have chosen my Top 5 reasons to get excited about the 2008 edition of "the Game."

1) It is the greatest rivalry in sports: It doesn't matter where "The Game" is played, what time kick-off is scheduled, or how good the teams are perceived to be, the fact is when these two teams go at it you are watching the most storied rivalry in all of sports. But don't just take my word for it. In balloting conducted by ESPN.com, the annual Ohio State-Michigan football game was named as the greatest sports rivalry of the 20th century. That's right, better than Yankees-Red Sox, North Carolina-Duke, or Cowboys-Redskins. Count on hard hits, memorable plays, and all out effort when these two lace up the cleats!

2) Upsets happen!: I shutter as I write this since the Bucks will be huge favorites this year, but there have been some memorable upsets, just as you would expect in this kind of rivalry. Here's three that stick out in my mind:

- 1969: Michigan 24, Ohio State 12 - A year after winning the national title and riding a 22 game win streak the Buckeyes were confident and nobody gave Michigan much of a chance. However Bo got the best of his mentor this day which still ranks as one of the greatest upsets in Big Ten history.

- 1987: Ohio State 23, Michigan 20 - a 5-4-1 Buckeye squad came limping into Ann Arbor after three straight losses that cost Earl Bruce his job, but sent the head coach out with a suprise win.

- 2001: Ohio State 26, Michigan 20 - Jim Tressel's first team was given little chance of beating the 11th ranked Wolverines on their home turf, but just as JT has promised 310 days before in Value City Arena, the Scarlet and Gray made their fans proud with a big upset victory.

Anyways, realizing that the underdog often plays pver their heads in this rivalry, it is worth tuning in. 

3) A chance to see if we can stop the spread - even a bad spread!: I have yet to see Ohio State look good against the spread offense. In fact I was in Champaign on Saturday, and watched the Illini chew up huge chunks of turf, moving the ball easily most of the day. Thanks to turnovers and a blocked punt, the Bucks controlled the game, but once again, looked very shaky against the spread. Michigan doesn't have the athletes to run this offense well, but you still have to be a little nervous considering Heacock's track record against the spread.

4) A Big Ten title on the line: Lest we forget, this game gives the Bucks a chance to claim four straight Big 10 titles (two shared and two outright). That's nothing to sneeze at, and if you know anything about Ohio State football tradition, winning the Big Ten is always priority number one. That was true of Woody and Earl, and it's now true of Tressel. The ball has to bounce right to win a national championship, but a Big Ten title can be earned on the field, and that is what the Buckeyes are playing for this Saturday.

5) The chance to see Rodriguez get it handed to him: Be honest, you'd love to see "Dick Rod" humbled in his first appearance in this storied rivalry. Other than "Chuck Wagon" Charlie Weis, I can think of no coach I'd rather see on the opposite sideline at the end of a one-sided Buckeye victory. Considering Tressel's penchant for keeping blowouts from getting out of hand, and the fact that rivalry games are usually hard fought, I doubt this will be a lopsided contest, but we can wish, and tune in with the fervor of a small child on Christmas morning.

Anyways I can't wait for kickoff this Saturday at noon and whether the nation is watching or not, it's still "The Game," and there's nothing that compares with it anywhere else in the world!

Drew Thurman (8:07 pm)

Jim Tressel and the Buckeyes made the end of Lloyd Carr's coaching career pretty miserable. It would be nice to start Rich Rodriguez's Michigan career the same way. The Wolverine fans are already in dispair about the 3-8 season thus far, so let's hope the Buckeyes add some salt to those wounds. Go Bucks! Here are some highlights from last season:

Drew Thurman (12:56 pm)

The rain and snow didn't show up in Champaign as predicted, but the Buckeyes rushing attack sure did. The game was an old fashion Big Ten showdown that included cold weather, a loud crowd, and a lot of running. Here were a few of the things I saw:

Turnovers/ Mistakes: Illinois showed how turnover prone they are in yet another game this season. On the Illini's second drive Juice cough up a fumble that would get the Buckeyes going on offense. Later in the first quarter Malcolm Jenkins would block a punt that would lead to not only a safety, but a Buckeye scoring drive. The Illini then put together an impressive drive that would be stopped short by a Kurt Coleman interception on the 12 yard line. That interception led to another Buckeye touchdown, helping to open up a 23-7 lead. These three plays would be the turning point in the game that allowed the Buckeyes to play more conservative in the second half.

Running Frenzy: The Illini and Buckeyes combined for an amazing 519 rushing yards in the game. Dufrene, Williams, and Ford looked good for the Illini, but they were no match for Beanie and Pryor. Beanie had a solid 24 carries for 143 yards and a touchdown, and gave ESPN the highlight of the game when he leaped over an Illini defender. Pryor was also superb on the ground with 110 yards and a touchdown.

Referees: Somehow the refs keeping adding to the drama in these Big Ten games. There were several questionable spots and calls throughout the game going both ways. First, I was shocked they did not review Beanie's fumble. I am not sure the angles they gave on the television, but the one we got in the stadium made it look as if he was down. They also had a questionable personal foul call on the only pass Ohio State threw in the entire second half. That call kept the Buckeye drive alive, and helped produce the "boo birds" for the next eight or ten plays. The Illini fans were ticked!

Unlikely Heroes: The Buckeyes had a few guys that came up big on Saturday. The first had to be Tyler Moeller who replace the injured Jermale Hines. I was very worried about losing Hines because he is the best player the Buckeyes have against the spread, but Moeller looked very good in his absense. I am guessing he earns so more PT after that performance. The other man was Boom Herron. His statistics were not mind blowing because of some garbage carries late when they knew the Buckeyes were running, but I really like how quick he hit the hole. His touchdown run was a thing of beauty!  

Defense???: It was a very weird game for the Buckeye defense. Giving up 455 yards will give Tressel and Heacock something to chew the team out about, but I really was not to disappointed with the way they looked. First, they forced turnovers in key situations. Our defense in years past has been bad in the turnover department, but this defense has forced a ton of them this season. I also liked our strategy on Juice. Last year the defense sat back on its heels, but on Saturday they kept Juice off balance all day. They blitzed him a ton, and had Marcus Freeman spying him at linebacker. I still get frustrated with how the spread rips up the defense at times, but on Saturday they did enough for the victory.

Trenches: The Bucks beat the Illini in the trenches all day long. Neither of the lines have been spectacular this season, but the last four or five games they really have fought hard. The defensive line got lots of pressure on the quarterback, and the offensive line blocked well even when the Illini knew the run was coming (the whole 2nd half). I got to give these guys some props for fighting hard on Saturday!

MICHIGAN WEEK: As soon as Carmen Ohio was finished in the corner of Memorial Stadium everyone's focus headed to "The Game" this weekend. In fact a guy right in front of me said "It's officially Michigan week," as soon as he finished the O-hi-o. For many around the nation the Michigan-Ohio State game might not mean as much this season, but we as fans know it means just as much. It's time for "Dick Rod" and the boys to get beat down in the Horseshoe this Saturday!

Some Good Links:

Eleven Warriors- Hitting Rewind: Offense vs. Illinois

ESPN - Ohio State finds identity in final act

Dave and Drew Thurman (11:10 am)

Mascot: Fighting Illini

Stadium: Memorial Stadium (65,000)

Coach: Ron Zook (41-42; 5th year at Illinois, 18-28)

2007 Record: 9-4, lost Rose Bowl 49-17 to USC

2008 Record: 5-5 (3-3)

Base Offense: Ace (3 wide receivers)

Base Defense: 4-3

Lettermen: Returning - 44; Lost - 24

Returning Starters: Offense - 7; Defense - 6; Specialist - 1

Returning Stars: QB Juice Williams, CB Vontae Davis

Notable Alumni:

Rober Ebert - Film Critc
George Will - Columnist and author
Gene Hackman - Actor
Lou Boudreu - Hall of Fame baseball shortstop
Neal Doughty - Founding member of REO Speedwagon
Jesse Jackson - Civil rights leader (expelled before graduation)
Red Grange - Charter member of Pro Football Hall of Fame
Dick Butkus (Pictured below) - Hall of Fame linebacker

Illinois Overview:

Offense

After a Rose Bowl trip just a season ago, the Illini have struggled to put it all together this season. They have struggled to be consistent week in and week out, and this was very evident in last Saturday's lost to Western Michigan 23-17. Still though the Illini pose a much bigger threat than their 5-5 (3-3) record would show. Most of this comes because they are led by Juice Williams at quarterback. Williams defines what a dual-threat quarterback looks like, and has 2769 passing yards with 20 touchdowns along with 728 rushing yards and five touchdowns. For the past few seasons people have wanted Williams to show that he has a consistent arm to along with his running ability, and this season he is finally proving that with 276.9 passing yards a game. The only knock on him is that he like the Illini, is very turnover prone. Williams has 14 interceptions on the season, and in the two games he did not throw a pick the Illini won big.

Williams has several targets he likes to go to at the wideout position. His favorite wideout with out a doubt is sophomore sensation Arrelious Benn. He has an incredible 60 catches so far this season, which have led to 947 yards receiving with three touchdowns. The number of touchdown receptions might seem small in comaparison to his 60 catches, but that is because Williams has thrown touchdown passes to nine different receivers this season. Several of these young men will be important to watch on Saturday like Will Judson (401 yards, 2 TD), Jeff Cumberland (270 yards, 3 TD), and tight end Michael Hoomanawanui (278 yards, 2 TD). All three of these targets have seen the ball in their hands a lot this season, but the Buckeyes might have to watch most for a wideout that goes under the radar. A.J. Jenkins only has eight receptions all season long, but he is averaging 29.9 yards per reception and has three touchdowns.

The rushing attack has been a real issue for the Illini all season. They lost Rashard Mendenhall to the NFL after last season, and replacing his 1681 yards and 17 touchdowns has been difficult. Daniel Dufrene has seen the most snaps at running back this season, and though he has 575 yards rushing this season, he has yet to find the endzone. A lot of this is becuase Dufrene is a speed runner rather than a power back, and becuase of that he now shares the backfield with two freshmen. Jason Ford (239 yards, 7 TD) and Mikel LeShoure (140 yards, 1 TD) will probably carry the load against the Buckeyes because unlike Dufrene they are both big physical runners. Neither has totally proven themselves yet, but with Juice Williams averaging 57.7 rushing yards per game there is still time.

Defense

Like a few positions on the offense, the Illini are really missing some key defensive players that left after last season. Lucky for this defense that their offensive unit has put up so many points because they are giving up 26.2 points a game with 351 total offensive yards per game. The Illini defense has been gashed in many ways, but nothing has hurt them more than through the air. They give up 210 yards a game passing, and have let opponents score 15 touchdowns through the air. On top of that, they have only been able to force five interceptions!

With all that said, they have been led by a very good linebacker. Brit Miller has stepped in nicely for J Lehmen at middle linebacker this season, and has 110 total tackles to go along with 15.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. He truely has done a little bit of everything for the Illini defense. The other three young men to keep your eye on are linebacker Martez Wilson (69 tackles, 5.5 TFL), cornerback Vontae Davis (64 tackles, 6 TFL, 3 FF), and defensive end David Lindquist (37 tackles, 4 sacks).  

How it will go:

The weather in Champaign on Saturday looks pretty ugly! There will be a high of 38 degrees with rain or snow showers to go along with some extremely windy conditions (21 mph). This could actually play into the Buckeyes hands because they have the better running attack and defense. So expect when Ohio State has the ball that they will try to run, run, and run so more. Tressel has shown that he wants to come out and pound it up the middle until it is obviously not working any more. Beanie and Boom should have their fair share of carries in this game. Also watch for Pryor to have a big day running. Many times in these bad conditions broken plays can lead to the biggest gains of the game. Two years ago Tressel played a very conservative game in Champaign, and if the weather is as bad as it look it will be, expect it again.

When Illinois has the ball obviously watch Juice. The weather might totally neutralize him throwing down the field, but the Buckeyes will still have to worry about him thowing short passes and running with the ball. The Illini's lack of a power rushing game really might come back to haunt them in this game. They will have to find inventive ways to continually move the ball because it does not appear as if they will be able to run up the middle on the Buckeyes. Turnovers should also play a big part in this game. Illinois has killed themselves with turnovers this season, and unlike last year in Columbus, expect a couple.

So get ready for bad weather, prepare for lots of defense, and anticipate an ugly game. The Illini play the Buckeyes tough every year, and it looks like that might happen again this season. This one is a battle the entire way...

Father vs. Son Prediction Battle:

Dave has it: Ohio State 24 Illinois 17

Drew has it: Ohio State 20 Illinois 10

Drew Thurman (8:33 am)

With the Illinois/Ohio State game approaching this Saturday, we wanted to get the opinion of an Illinois fan and blogger on what to expect. We caught up with Dan O'Brien of Illinoisloyalty.com, and this is what he had to say...

1) After a Rose Bowl trip last season, the Illini are 5-5 (3-3) this season. What do you feel has caused the step back?

"Inexperience at safety and linebacker (besides Miller), plus not-so-great play from the offensive line has not helped matters on the field when Illinois is consistently getting opponents' A-game this season.

That plus the 2008 Illini are not morning people. Illinois is 1-3 on 11:00 am kickoffs, the lone win coming at home against Louisiana Lafayette 20-17."

2) Who has impressed you the most on the Illinois team so far this season?

"Brit Miller has had a fantastic year, filling in for J Lehmen at the mike. Brit leads the conference in tackles per game (11.0), and is about the only guy on the D who has consistently shown up each game"

3) The Illini have played the Buckeyes tough under Zook, do you feel there is a reason for this?

"For some reason, the Buckeyes always get the Illini's best game in the recent history of the series (the Buckeyes hold a slight 12-11 advantage since 1983). The 3 games in Champaign this decade have all gone down to the final minute or gone to OT. I attribute this closeness to the historical interconnectedness of the two rivals, each being #2 on their list of most games played versus a team."

4) After the loss last weekend to Western Michigan, what do expect from the Illini on Saturday?

"A loss. See 11:00 am kickoff."

5) Who or what do you think the Buckeyes need to watch out for this weekend?

"I don't see Illinois running on the Buckeyes, so cover the receivers starting with Arrelious Benn, AJ Jenkins, Jeff Cumberland, and the big TE we call 'Uh Oh' because his full name is too tough to spell or pronounce. That, and blitz Juice."

6) Any other thoughts:

" Final Score: Ohio State 31 Illinois 24."

Dave Thurman (9:03 am)

Many Buckeye fans are searching for answers as to why the ’08 team has struggled at times and not been nearly as successful as anticipated. After all there was a boatload of returning starters including lots of seniors from a team that was in the National Championship Game two seasons in a row.

Obviously this is a complex issue, but if you want a simple answer I’ve got one for you.  Take a look at some recent near misses in recruiting, particularly from the class of ’07. If you remember (and I wish I could forget) the early days of January, 2007, proved to be a black period that followed a whole lot of sunshine. The ’06 season featured a wire to wire #1 ranking, a Heisman trophy for Troy Smith, and the front cover of every sports journal and magazine published. Then came January, featuring an embarrassing loss to Florida on the national stage, followed by a couple of weeks when all the recruiting news was bad. Looking back on those near misses it appears that if OSU signed the players they thought were in the bag, then the weaknesses on this year’s team might be erased.

Let me show you what I mean.

Defensive Line:  Without doubt this has been the area in which the Buckeyes have fielded the least talent this year. But look at the prospects from the ’07 class:

-  Joseph Barksdale (pictured above) – Supposedly a silent verbal out of Detroit, he was coveted as a defensive tackle, but pulled a stunner on the Bucks by choosing LSU. He has since been converted to the offensive line and starts for the Tigers, but I have no doubt he would be plugging the middle for the Bucks. A five star recruit according to Scout he goes 6’5” 315, and would look great in Scarlet and Gray.

- Josh Brent – Ranked just slightly below Barksdale, OSU thought they had a decent shot at this big guy who signed with Illinois. Brent now starts at defensive tackle for the Illini, and has done a pretty good job of stopping the run and getting into the backfield.

- Antonio Jeremiah – A big and highly rated d-lineman from Columbus (now at 318 lbs.), he signed with the Spartans of Michigan State due to qualifying issues, and is playing some but not starting.

-  Devon Still – An end coming out of high school, he has since bulked up to 300 lbs. and moved inside, but is not getting any game action at Penn State. 

- Ben Martin – Considered a sure thing to don the Scarlet and Gray this five star end from Cincinnati shocked the recruiting world by signing with Tennessee. Currently he is listed as second team and though he logs a lot of minutes, Martin is yet to have the impact most predicted.

Note: The Bucks did sign Cameron Heyward who has been a fine player, as well as undersized Solomon Thomas who is trying to bulk up in order to play.  Overall, though, OSU has suffered from a lack of “big-uglies” in the middle.  Check out those excellent SEC teams and you’ll see huge, powerful tackles stuffing the run and freeing up the linebackers to make plays. I wish the Bucks had a few guys with nicknames like Hoss, Bubba, and Butterbean!

Offensive Line: Talent may not be the problem here but consistency and production has been. So who did OSU miss out on?

- Anthony Davis – This five star stud was another dreaded “silent verbal,” but at the last minute decided on staying close to home and signing with Rutgers. He has been a starter pretty much from day one, and was a Freshman All-American last year.

- Kristopher O’Dowd and Nick Claytor – I throw these two together because I don’t how much chance the Bucks had but they did recruit both heavily.  O’Dowd signed with USC and starts at center for the powerful Trojan line, while Claytor opted for Georgia Tech, and now starts at tackle.

Note: The one lineman OSU did sign in this class was Evan Blankenship who may never see any game action!

Receiver: One more position at which the Buckeyes have underachieved this year. So who did they miss out on?

- Deonte Thompson – From the same school that produced Santonio Holmes and Albert Dukes, OSU had high hopes of grabbing this 5-star recruit. So far he has been okay, but not exactly lit up the scoreboard for the home state Gators with whom he signed.

- Ronald Johnson – This stud out of Michigan chose USC and is a big time player for the Trojans with 6 touchdowns thus far in ’08.

- J.R. Hemingway – A big, physical receiver, he opted for Michigan, where he is seeing limited playing time.

-  Leonard Hankerson – Another talented receiver from Florida he stayed in state at Miami, and is having marginal success thus far.

- Kyle Jefferson – Considered a little too thin, this Glenville grad has started for Wisconsin from the get-go but put up better numbers as a true freshman than he has this year as a sophomore.

Note: The Bucks signed Dane Sanzenbacher who has been a solid possession receiver and Taurian Washington, a spring hero, who has yet to catch a pass in a game this year. Also, worth noting, is the fact that OSU was in on a great pass-catching tight-end from Pennsylvania by the name of Rob Gronkowski, who chose Arizona at the last minute, where he has been a stud (13 TD’s in less than two years). Of course, he probably wouldn’t have had 13 catches at OSU since we rarely throw to the tight end.

I could go on and mention defensive backs like Eric Berry (Tennessee), Dionte Allen (FSU) and Major Wright (Florida), but OSU got good players at corner and safety, although Eugene Clifford and James Scott have since been kicked off the team.

The Bottom Line:  Obviously there were lots of near misses in the class of ’07 and Ohio State had to settle too often for second tier replacements, which has hurt the quality and depth of this year’s team. But when you boil it all down there were three players that the coaching staff felt sure were in the bag, and I ask you to imagine this year’s team with (drum roll please): Anthony Davis at right tackle instead of Bryant Browning; Joseph Barksdale plugging up the middle of the d-line; and, Ben Martin helping Thad Gibson put pressure on the quarterback.  Indeed, a few key misses have had an incredibly negative effect.

Drew Thurman (5:45 pm)

If you just looked at the score from the Northwestern game, it would appear as if the offense has found its legs again. 45-10, that validates Tressel's play calling right? Wrong. I don't care if the offense put up 45 points and gained 441 total yards, the play calling is still inept!

The Buckeyes came out with the usual game plan of trying to run up the middle with Beanie. I'm shocked that Northwestern actually thought to game plan for this stellar attack, but they did. So after Beanie had rushed four times for negative four yards, Tressel decided to go to his typical "Plan B" of throwing the bomb.

I know what followed was a 44 yard reception to Brian Hartline, but this would be the start of what was a game of "homeruns" for the Buckeyes. Not counting the last scoring drive (to bail out Northwestern's defense), four out of the five touchdown scoring drives were set up by long yardage plays. Here they are:

- Brian Hartline 44 yard reception (1st scoring drive)

- Chris Wells 55 yard touchdown run (2nd scoring drive)

- Brian Hartline 46 yard reception (4th scoring drive)

- Brian Robiskie 34 yard touchdown reception (5th scoring drive)

This to me shows a real problem in the Buckeye offense. Tressel's play calling requires the big play to happen in order to score. Sometimes watching us is like watching someone play NCAA Football on a game system! The Buckeyes run and throw bombs, there never seems to be an in between. It seems as if Tressel refuses to have an intermediate passing game or a real variety of running plays. This is fine playing teams like Northwestern, but if the Buckeyes are going to get over the hump the offense needs consistency.

On the totally opposite end of the spectrum, watching the Florida Gators the past several weeks just makes me plain jealous. They have such a great variety of quarterback reads, screen passes, slants, draws, and deep passes that I can barely watch them anymore. When the Gators have the ball things seem to be fluid, even with a variety of players getting involved.

I am not saying the Buckeyes have to copy the Gators exactly, but emulating their rhythm is important. Instead of just running to run or throwing to throw, Tressel needs to have a real game plan. Run to set up a certain pass play, or throw a few balls to set up a creative running play. This is real offensive play calling that does not just count on "homeruns" to win the game. Beanie's absense at times this season has shown that we are sporadic at best without a homerun hitter at running back. With the real possibility of his departure at the end of the season, better play calling is even more a must! It will be the difference in a two to three loss season and a National Championship!

Drew Thurman (10:02 pm)

The Silver Bullet and Eleven Warriors were both featured by ABC 6 in Columbus. I would like to thank 11W for posting the video, and bringing it to my attention. Anyways, here is the clip:  

Dave and Drew Thurman (3:45 pm)

Big win 45-10 for the Buckeyes, that had a lot of offense for a change. Here are some of the things we saw in this game...

Play Calling: The play calling was terrible early in this game. The team looked asleep, and it is hard to believe that Tressel and company didn't have anything better up their sleeves after two weeks to plan. The game plan has to be better next week against Illinois. We cannot just throw long and run up the middle against a much more athletic Illini team!

I-Formation: For whatever reason Tressel decided to come out in a single back formation. Beanie is an I-formation runner, and looked much better once Smith was brought in at fullback. We can't make Beanie something that he is not!

Protection:  The pass protection was better for most of this game. Given it was Northwestern and Pryor made some big plays scrambling, but he was given the time to throw long most of the day. 

Mr. Third and Long: Speaking of Pryor, it was awesome to see him have a big day. He has special gifts, and a few of those broken plays showed his true athleticism. Have you ever seen anyone so good on third and long? The only third down he didn't convert was on third and three, figure it out! Anyways, the fact that he had a solid game both through the air and on the ground could be huge for the rest of the year.

4 TD's: It was also good to see Beanie and Robiskie get back on track. These men had four touchdowns between them, and had the Buckeyes had that kind of production all year it would have been a different season!

Referees: What was up with the referees in this game? We have never seen such weak penalties in a game. The Boone head butt obviously deserved the flag, but these guys had no clue outside of that call. They called some pansy late hits on the sideline, and then chose to "just talk" to Peterman when he decided to throw a punch at the Buckeyes. The bad refereeing is getting old, and the Big Ten needs to take a serious look! 

Defensive Stars:  We would like to send a shout out to Nadar Abdallah, Jermale Hines, and Malcolm Jenkins for a solid game. These guys were on it all day, and had some huge hits. There are a few guys on the defense that really don't have a mean streak, but Hines and Jenkins both are out for blood every play. Also it was nice to see Abdallah's motor running all game. The defensive tackle position has been one where the Buckeyes have struggled the most, and Abdallah has been solid several weeks in a row. 

Andre Ware: We would like to say this as nicely as possible, SHUT UP ANDRE WARE! He ran Tressel into the ground, and acted like he was a classless coach because of the fake punt. There are Big 12 and SEC teams running up the score every week, and he chooses to chastise the Buckeyes for still playing offense when they were up 31-10 with lots of time on the clock. What a joke! This is coming from Andre Ware, whose Houston team ran up the score every chance they got with the run and shoot offense. Not only was he a terrible announcer all day, but this whole beat down Tressel thing got really old. Seriously did you see his face on that touchdown run from Boom Herron, Andre?  

The Boom: Speaking of Boom Herron; it was really nice to see him back in this game. He is a great change of pace from Beanie, and the Buckeyes really could use him next week against Illinois. He hits the hole faster than any back we have, and his future looks bright. 

Gibson?: Finally, we really hope Gibson didn't get hurt in this game. He disappeared, and Nathan Williams replaced him for the remainder of the game. The crack squad at ESPN2 obviously didn't give us any news about it, so let's hope Gibson is alright. With that said, Williams played great in Gibson's absense with two sacks. It sure shows how bad the defensive line is when an undersized freshman defensive end looks better than about anyone else the Buckeyes have.

Dave & Drew Thurman (12:07 pm)

Mascot: Wildcats

Stadium: Ryan Field Stadium (47,130)

Coach: Pat Fitzgerald (Third year, 17-16)

2007 Record: 6-6

2008 Record: 7-2

Base Offense: Spread

Base Defense: 4-3

Letterman: Returning - 47; Lost - 19

Returning Starters: Offense - 7; Defense - 8; Speacialists - 2

Returning Stars: RB Tyrell Sutton, SS Brendan Smith

Notable Alumni:

-Charlton Heston - Actor
-George McGovern - US Senator & Presidential nomine
-Warren Beatty - Actor
-Michael Wilbon - ESPN analyst and host of PTI (pictured below)
-Julia Louise-Dreyfus - Actress
-Jerry Springer - TV personality
-Hugh Heffner - Playboy fame
-Brent Musburger - Sports commentator
-Otto Graham - Football hall of famer who also played basketball

Northwestern Overview:

Offense:

The Wildcat offense this year has been on a roller coaster ride, filled with its ups and downs. Especially of late as they have battled the injury bug with some of their star players. This means the Buckeyes first have to prepare to see two different quarterbacks on Saturday. The starter if healthy is senior C.J. Bacher, who has accumulated 1700 yards passing to go along with 10 touchdowns. He has struggled with consistency though, completing just 59 percent of his passes with 11 interceptions. Bacher has also bailed the Wildcats out with his legs having 244 yards and three touchdowns on the season.

The other possibility at quarterback on Saturday is Mike Kafka, who played very well in Bacher's absense last week against Minnesota. Kafka was 12 of 16 for 143 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He really burned the Golden Gophers on the ground with 217 yards rushing.

On top of quarteback, the Wildcats have been plagued with injuries at the running back position. First, the Akron native Tyrell Sutton went down with a wrist injury after being hurt for a big part of last season. Sutton had 776 yards with six touchdowns on the season. His replacement then became Omar Conteh who has 235 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Conteh was injured this week in practice, so the Wildcats throw sophomore Stephen Simmons out as the starter against the Buckeyes. Simmons has a whopping 4 rushing attempts for 19 yards on the season, so there is not much to know about him.

The other position of major importance for the Wildcats is at wideout. Northwestern throws the ball a lot, and actually have 8 players with ten or more catches. The three main guys to look for are Ross Lane (397 yards, 0 TD), Rasheed Ward (329 yards, 2 TD), and Eric Peterman (386 yards, 3 TD). All three of these young men have 30 plus receptions, and will get a lot of short throws coming at them. With that said, all three have the ability to bust one long if they are given the space.

Defense:

Northwestern's defense has been better than many predicted. Their statistics are not mind blowing, but they are holding opponents to 18.1 points a game. This has been key because even though they are giving up 341 yards a game, they are holing opponents under 50 percent on red zone touchdowns. They have clamped down under pressure, and have forced field goals.

A lot of this is due to the fact that the strength of the defense is the back seven. Actually catch this, the top seven tacklers for the Wildcats come from the linebacking core or secondary. On top of tackles, these seven guys account for 26 tackles for loss, seven interceptions, and six forced fumbles. They truely are the heart of the defense. Especially at safety with Brad Phillips (75 tackles) and Brendan Smith (57 tackles). Phillips and Smith are tough all the way around, and will make quarterbacks pay for misguided throws.

The only other player to really keep your eye on is Corey Wootton. The junior defensive end has had a stellar year, accumulating 27 tackles with 12 tackles for loss and six and half sacks.

How It Will Go:

When Ohio State has the ball expect to see a power attack unleashed. The Wildcats interior defense is not incredibly strong, so look for the Buckeyes to try to pound the ball with Chris Wells. The Buckeyes could very well open things up for Pryor as well. If the running game is working, allowing Pryor to throw the ball down field would be great for his confidence. If Pryor has a successful game on the road against a ranked team, he really could get back on track. The slot wideouts and tight ends will need to play an important part of this game as well. The Wildcats have good safties, so it will be important for Pryor to get the ball to guys with one on one coverage. Brandon Smith, Dane Sazenbacher, and Brain Hartline will all have big games if the line can protect Pryor.

When Northwestern has the ball, expect to see a very hungry Buckeye defense. The Wildcats are down to their third string running back, so expect a lot of short passes to replace a consistent running game. Also, like last week against Minnesota, expect which ever Northwestern quarterback that starts to run much more than any of their backs. Kafka ran the ball 15 more times than anyone else on the team last week! Finally, get ready to see some forced turnovers by the Buckeyes. Northwestern has been very turnover prone all season, especially in their losses. In their two losses the Wildcats lost the turnover battle 0-8. 

Father vs. Son Prediction Battle:

Dave has it: Ohio State 24 Northwestern 14

Drew has it: Ohio State 31 Northwestern 10