Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Florida A&M

This will be short.  I think we are playing Florida A&M because we couldn’t find anyone else.   For a few years we had “TBA” slotted here and I think we ran out of time.  The Rattlers were all that was left.   No one is happy about this.  Players want to play big games, not these glorified scrimmages.   Coaches worry about players getting hurt.  Poll watchers will not elevate OSU no matter how bad the score gets.   It’s a lose-lose weekend for most.

Don’t worry, there won’t be any moments like this.   Florida A&M is a bad FCS team.  They are 109th in total offense . . . among FCS teams!  98th in 3rd down conversions, 87th is scoring offense, and 109th in fewest penalties committed.   They are compiling these statistics v. SAMFORD (not Stanford).   Let me put it another way – thru three games the Florida A&M offense has rushed for 287 yards . . . as a team!   Jordan Hall has 402 yards by himself!  Their QB has 31 completions TOTAL!  In three games!  Well, 36 if you count the 5 he’s thrown to the other teams.  Guiton has 41 in 2 games.

Vegas set the opening line at 57.   Fifty-freaking-seven?  It has now fallen to 50 and rightly so.   The Buckeyes’ offense may be prolific but we have scored more than 57 points only three times in the past 16+ seasons (2012 – 63 v. Nebraska; 2010 – 73 v. Eastern Michigan;  2007 – 58 v. Northwestern).    Covering 57 points would take you all the way back to the first two weeks of 1996, when the Buckeyes opened with a 70-7 win over Rice followed by a 72-0 whitewash of Pitt.  I think the wiseguys took notice and starting taking the Rattlers and the points, which lowered the spread.    There is still no Over/Under for this game and I don’t think Vegas will set one.

Urban’s plan for this game is probably the following:  start Braxton and the first teamers and get it to 28-0 at the end of the first, and 45-7 at half.   Then play Guiton and second/third teamers in third, then rest Guiton and play 4th/5th teamers in fourth quarter.    Just make sure no one gets hurt – not with Wisky and Northwestern coming up.   Get the rust off of Braxton and Carlos Hyde, and keep everyone healthy – even Kenny Guiton.

Last year, the Rattlers went to Norman, Oklahoma in Week 2, suffered a 13-69 beating, but got a nice paycheck.   This week, they’ll get a bigger paycheck, but I think a similar beating.


Schaef says:  Ohio State 66-14.   Ohio State covers the new line, not the initial line. 

To date:  3-0 S/U.  1-2 ATS.  

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