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Tonight's LIVE Chat event

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Looking forward to a great LIVE chat with everyone tonight!

Let's go Bucks!


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Auburn Airport "Fan" Must Feel Like a Total Moron Now as Tigers Sit at No. 1 in the BCS Rankings

Some unhappy Auburn "fans" await the return of AD Jay Jacobs back in 2008 as rumors swirled that Gene Chizick was about to be named the new head coach of the Tigers.

Whoops.........





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College Football Week 8 Rankings: Justifying What the Top 10 Should Look Like

Just like the AP voters and the coaches who vote in the USAToday Poll, I am also a human voter, but unlike the AP voters and coaches, I allow sound logic to define my rankings.

I am not sure what some of those voters base their rankings off of—The flip of a coin perhaps, or maybe they ask their wives which teams have the the prettiest colors?

Here's a real man's top 10, not based on heads, tails, excellent color coordinating, or just plain idiocy...


No. 10 - Alabama (7-1)

Alabama was No. 8 in last weeks BCS standings and will likely move up at least one or two slots after their win over Tennessee, combined with LSU's loss at Auburn.

What the national poll voters are ignoring is that after Alabama lost by 14 points to South Carolina (5-2), the Gamecocks then went on to lose at Kentucky (4-4), and they struggled until late in their 21-7 win against Vanderbilt (2-5) last evening.

Also last evening, Georgia (4-4) took the Wildcats out behind the woodshed to the tune of a 44-31 pounding in Lexington.

Only one of Alabama's wins have come against a team still currently ranked in the top 25 (Arkansas) and the loss to South Carolina continues to look worse and worse with each passing week.


No. 9 - Ohio State (7-1)

Like every other team, Ohio State is not perfect, but they are a solid top 10 team.

In the national polls, Ohio State is 10th, while Alabama is 6th, but those voters have it wrong. The Buckeyes deserve to be ahead of the Tide for several reasons.

Ohio State has one win over a team currently in the top 25 (Miami-Fl (5-2)), but their 13-point-loss in Camp Randall Stadium to now-No. 9 Wisconsin (7-1) looks much better than Alabama's loss at South Carolina.

It's true that no loss is a "good loss", but Ohio State losing at Wisconsin was much less of an upset than Alabama losing at South Carolina.

The Badgers only loss this year was in East Lansing to No. 5 Michigan State (8-0).

The Gamecocks have two losses—to Auburn (8-0) and Kentucky (4-4).

Ohio State is also the only team with a loss in the FBS that ranks in the top in both scoring offense (6th, scoring 40.8 ppg) and scoring defense (9th, allowing only 14.0 ppg).

The only other teams in the nation that have a top 10 scoring offense and scoring defense are Boise State, TCU, and Utah.


No. 8 - Wisconsin (7-1)

As mentioned above, the Badgers only defeat was to the No. 5 Spartans in East Lansing.

Last night, Wisconsin won their second huge game in as many weeks when they traveled to Iowa City and took down the No. 18 Hawkeyes, 31-30, one week after beating then-No. 1 Ohio State.

The case could be made by others and even myself that Wisconsin is too low sitting here at No. 8, but the top 10 will become much more clear in the next two to three weeks and they could find themselves in the top five when that dust settles.


No. 7 - Utah (7-0)

Utah might be a slot or two too high, but you have to respect an unbeaten team and not punish them just because the other teams in their conference mail it in every year.

Also, you may remember from above that Utah is one of only four FBS teams ranked in the top 10 in both scoring offense and scoring defense.

They opened the season with a win over then No. 15 Pitt and have not really been tested since then, but that will all change starting next week.

It is possible, although unlikely, that the Utes could go from 7-0 to 7-5 to finish off the season with remaining games at home against AP No. 4 TCU and BYU and road games against Air Force, Notre Dame, and San Diego State.

Coming out of the mine field unscathed and still unbeaten would be an absolute miracle for Utah.


No. 6 - Michigan State (8-0)

The Spartans last started a season 8-0 in 1966 and ended up winning a share of the national title. In the corrupt system that is the BCS, they might not get the chance to play for a title this season even if they finish 12-0.

[rant]Everyone with a half-functioning brain can tell you that the BCS is all about selling tickets and making money, period. If you don't believe that, just ask Boise State, Utah, and TCU who all have done well in games against BCS-conference schools, yet have continually been shutout when it comes to having a chance to play one of the "big boys" for the BCS title.

Michigan State doesn't have that problem in that they are a member of the Big 10, but they do share the same problem that gets those teams repeatedly passed over—they are not a traditional football power that has a huge national following like a Texas, USC, Ohio State, Alabama, or Notre Dame.

The BCS would gladly invite a 1-loss Alabama to play in one of it's games over an unbeaten Spartans team. Hell, they'd probably take Texas, who may end up with 4 or 5 losses this year over Michigan State if they could get away with it...[/rant].

The bottom line is MSU is 8-0, they have two wins over teams that were ranked in the top 20 when they defeated each (then-No. 11 Wisconsin, and then-No. 18 Michigan), and they have a very good QB, two excellent running backs, a tough-as-nails coach, and a solid defense.

This week they travel to Iowa to face the No. 18 Hawkeyes. If they win that game, an unbeaten season is nearly a lock.

Now all they need should they finish the season 12-0 is a fair shake from the BCS, but don't hold your breath.


No. 5 - Missouri (7-0)

In a lot of ways, 2010 feels like 2007 all over again.

No. 1 ranked teams were dropping like flies that year, and so far this year.

It's also the last time the Tigers were this high in the rankings. They actually made it to No. 1, only to lose to Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game and missed a huge opportunity to play in the BCS championship game.

This time around, Mizzou took it to the BCS's No.1 ranked Sooners, handing them a 36-27 defeat.

Oklahoma, however, was as usual over valued. They did blowout then-No. 17 Florida State earlier in the year and they also narrowly beat a then-overrated Texas team by eight points in the Red River Rivalry, but close wins over Utah State, Air Force, and Cincinnati revealed the real Sooners.

So, not to take away too much from what Missouri did to the Sooners, they do move up into the top five, but they could be even higher if Oklahoma were really as good as some blind voters believe they are/were.

Missouri faces the same problem as Michigan State. This week should be their final legit test as they face No. 14 Nebraska (6-1) and then their schedule, and lack of a huge national following will likely hurt their ranking.

They have one saving-grace which will be the Big 12 championship game should they win out.

Not in their favor if that scenario plays itself out is the fact that the Big 12 South representative will probably be Baylor, Oklahoma State, or Oklahoma and a win over any of those three probably won't do much to help the Tigers move ahead of anyone.


No. 4 - Boise State (6-0)

Last week I had Boise State at No. 1 and the only reason they are not No. 1 this week is because they were idle again, while Oregon, Auburn, and TCU all played and played well.

Oddly, everyone else has played seven or eight games to their six.

Anyway, Kellen Moore is one of the best quarterbacks in the country and if ever a team was truly a "team" in every sense of the word, the Broncos are it.

There are no selfish egomaniacs on the Broncos. They play together and all they do it win, and win, and then win some more.

They have two wins this season over previously ranked BCS member schools Virginia Tech (6-2) and Oregon State (3-3). Their remaining schedule has only three games against Hawaii, Fresno State, and Nevada where they might face some competition, but they will be favored in each of those contests.

It's not fair to punish a non-AQ team like Boise State just because the majority of the teams in their conference mail it in early every year. That is not their fault, and neither is the fact that they have a standing offer to play any BCS team in that teams home stadium, or at a neutral site, but have very few takers.

If Boise State keeps winning, you can take it to the bank that no team with a loss will ever jump ahead of them in this guys' top 10.


No. 3 - TCU (8-0)

TCU may have the best chance of the non-AQ schools to play for the title this year and here's why.

They beat then-No. 24 Oregon State 30-21 to open the season.

In week three, they rolled over Baylor, who is now ranked at No. 25 in the BCS standings, by a score of 45-10.

After pitching back-to-back shutout wins over Colorado State and Wyoming, and a 31-3 blowout of BYU, the Horned Frogs crushed Air Force 38-7. Yes, the same Air Force team that leads the nation in rushing and the same Air Force team that former No. 1 Oklahoma only beat by three points.

On November 6th, TCU will travel to Provo to face No. 7 Utah. If both are still unbeaten going into that meeting as expected, the winner of that game should benefit greatly, despite the fact that the BCS is designed to keep them down.

TCU would obviously benefit the most since they are already currently in the top five, but Utah could do just as well with a win and a few losses by other key teams currently ahead of them.

Should TCU finish the year 12-0, I will have a hard time not giving them my No. 1 ranking based on their entire 2010 body-of-work.


No. 2 - Oregon (7-0)

As a Buckeye fan, I couldn't put Oregon at No. 1 this week. I heard all about Oregon's speed and talent and how unstoppable they were on offense last year before the Rose Bowl.

Everyone said Ohio State would do well to keep within 25-30 points. Oregon was going to score at least 50 and Ohio State would lose yet another BCS bowl.

Ohio State 26, Oregon 17.

Here it is 2010 and Oregon, minus thugs Jeremiah Masoli and LeGarrette Blount, are otherwise pretty much the exact same team.

So what makes them legit now?

The same thing that had everyone fooled in 2009—style points.

Never mind the fact that they are averaging over 55 points per game solely because six of their seven games have been against horrible teams with terrible defenses.

AP voters love style points, even when all the competition are doormats.

And even in beating Stanford, the Ducks lone victory over a ranked opponent this year, they didn't exactly face a defensive juggernaut.

The Cardinal are 60th in scoring defense, giving up over 24 points per contest. Even hopeless Washington State scored 28 on the Stanford "D".

Oregon is 7-0 and they have talent, but if they lose this week to USC like I think they are going to, they can almost certainly kiss this top 10 ranking goodbye.


No. 1 - Auburn (8-0)

Let me start off by saying I hate the SEC and every SEC team as much as I hate that team up North, so you better believe that it pains me to rank any SEC team No. 1.

That being said, in a season where there appears to be no dominant great team, but many very good teams, no other team has proven to me that they belong in the top spot this week than the Auburn Tigers.

Their defense could end up being their Achilles heel, but they have faced, and defeated, five teams of the eight teams they have played that are, were, or could be ranked in the top 25, so the 23.5 points they are allowing per game isn't as bad as it seems when you consider the level of competition they have faced.

Having Cam Newton as their QB doesn't hurt either. He is leading the nation in rushing and much like Vince Young at Texas in 2005, could be on his way to leading his team to the BCS title. Unlike Young, he may also being home the Heisman too.

After beating then-No. 6 LSU this past Saturday, moving Auburn up to No. 1 was a no-brainer.

Mississippi and Chattanooga will provide little resistance as Auburn should easily move to 10-0, with surging Georgia and former No. 1 Alabama left on the schedule at the end of the year, plus a potential SEC title game appearance.

With their rankings in the human polls and the love the computers will show them, there is no way the Tigers don't play for the BCS title if they win out.

With their SOS, they might still get a shot at the BCS title even if they lose one of the next four games.

We'd all like to see what a non-AQ team could do vs. one of the best from a BCS conference, but if Auburn or even Alabama plays in and wins the SEC title game, it's almost a guarantee that the BCS will do what they always do and screw the unbeaten little guy, aka Boise State, TCU, etc.


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Ohio State—Purdue: HQ Highlights of OSU's Excellent Bounce-Back Performance

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Ohio State—Wisconsin: HQ Highlights of OSU's Lowlight Performance

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Ohio State vs. Wisconsin LIVE In-Game Blog Chat, Saturday @7:15PM

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Ohio State—Wisconsin: Gameday Preview, History Lesson, and Prediction

The last time Ohio State traveled to Madison, Wisconsin to face the Badgers, then-freshmen Terrelle Pryor won the game with his legs in the final minute.

This time around, Wisconsin will likely try to force Pryor and the Buckeyes to have to rely on Pryor's arm.

That may prove to be a tough road-to-hoe for the 18th-ranked Badgers, as the No. 1 ranked Buckeyes are prolific in both running and throwing the ball.

The same may also hold true for a banged-up Buckeye defense when it comes to stopping Wisconsin's passing game led by QB Scott Tolzien, and their very talented running back duo of John Clay and James White.

Camp Randall is always a tough environment to play in, so the Buckeyes will want to take the crowd out of the game early.

The best way to do that is by controlling the ball, taking the early lead, shutting down the running game and forcing the Badgers to throw, and by forcing Wisconsin into turnovers.

That formula worked to the tune of 31-13 in favor of the Buckeyes last season, and it should work again Saturday night.


Wisconsin—By the Numbers


Scott Tolzien, QB

92/132 passing, 1,201 yards, 69.7% completion percentage, 7 TDs/2INTs, 160.6 QB Rating


John Clay, RB

115 carries, 692 yards, 6.0 yards per carry, 9 TDs


James White, RB

63 carries, 458 yards, 7.7 yards per carry, 8 TDs


Montee Ball, RB

46 carries, 201 yards, 4.4 yards per carry, 3 TDs


Lance Kendricks, TE

25 receptions, 391 yards, 3 TDs


Jared Abbrederis, WR

15 receptions, 172 yards, 1 TD


David Gilreath, WR

8 receptions, 148 yards, 0 TDs


Nick Toon, WR

11 receptions, 134 yards, 0 TDs


Isaac Anderson, WR

12 receptions, 117 yards, 0 TDs


Jacob Pederson, TE

5 receptions, 69 yards, 2 TDs


Philip Welch, K

27/27 PATs, 7/9 FGs


Nationally, Wisconsin is 67th in passing (209 yards per game), 11th in rushing (241 yards per game), 16th in scoring (37 points per game), and 32nd in points allowed (19 points per game).


Ohio State—By the Numbers

Terrelle Pryor, QB

104/153 passing, 1,349 yards, 68% completion percentage, 15 TDs/3INTs, 354 yards rushing, 6.2 yards per carry, 3 rushing TDs, 1 receiving TD, 170.47 QB Rating


Dan Herron, RB

77 carries, 355 yards, 4.6 yards per carry, 7 TDs, 8 receptions, 115 receiving yards


Jaamal Berry, RB

20 carries, 219 yards, 11.0 yards per carry, 1 TD


Brandon Saine, RB

44 carries, 183 yards, 4.2 yards per carry, 2 TDs, 13 receptions, 159 receiving yards, 4 TDs


Jordan Hall, RB

14 carries, 75 yards, 5.4 yards per carry, 0 TDs, 5 receptions, 61 yards, 1 receiving TD, 1 passing TD


Dane Sanzenbacher, WR

27 receptions, 411 yards, 7 TDs


DeVier Posey, WR

26 receptions, 364 yards, 3 TDs


Jake Stoneburner, TE

9 receptions, 110 yards, 1 TD


Devin Barclay, K

32/32 PATs, 11/12 FGs


Nationally, Ohio State is 37th in passing (249 yards per game), 20th in rushing (217 yards per game), 6th in scoring (43 points per game), and 7th in points allowed (13.5 points per game).


Ohio State—Wisconsin History Lesson

• Ohio State leads the all-time head-to-head series 53-17-5.

• Ohio State is 6-3-1 vs. Wisconsin in the last 10 meetings in Madison.

• Ohio State's last road loss at Wisconsin was in 2003.

• Ohio State is 19-1 in their last 20 Big 10 road games.

• Ohio State is 18-8 (including bowl games) vs. top 25 teams since 2005.

• Ohio State boasts an all-time record of 362-126-28 in October games.

• Ohio State's defense has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in their last 29 games.

• Since the beginning of the 2005 season, the Buckeyes have allowed only seven 100-yard rushers during a span of 70 games, the fewest among FBS teams.

• Terrelle Pryor is now 25-3 as Ohio State's starting quarterback.

• Coach Jim Tressel (100-21) became the 3rd fastest coach to 100 wins in Big Ten history with last weeks win over Indiana.

• Tressel is 4-3 overall vs. Wisconsin, with a 2-1 mark on the road in Madison.

• Wisconsin is the only team to have beaten Ohio State three times in the last decade.

• Wisconsin has lost three straight games to Ohio State and they are 1-4 in the last five meetings at home.

• Since 2005, Wisconsin is 6-11 (including bowl games) vs. top 25 teams.

• Since 2005, Wisconsin is 1-5 (including bowl games) vs. top 10 teams.

• Wisconsin coach Brett Bielema is 0-3 against Ohio State, losing by an average of score of 30-16.

• Wisconsin last won the Big 10 conference title in 1999.

• Wisconsin is 21-4 in Big 10 games at Camp Randall since 2004.


Summary

Both teams will want to run the ball, and while the edge at running back goes to the Badgers, the edge at run defense goes to Ohio State, hands-down. A 30th-straight game without allowing a 100-yard-rusher could be on tap for the Buckeyes.

Whichever team protects the football should win this game.

This too bodes well for Ohio State, which leads all BCS AQ-schools with a turnover margin of plus 10 (17 take-aways, seven turnovers).

Wisconsin has a turnover margin of plus two (six take-aways, four turnovers).

The Badgers lost, 34-24, to a very good Michigan State team two weeks ago. Most knowledgeable fans would agree that Ohio State is the better overall team when comparing them to the Spartans.

Combine that with the trends and stats that are in Ohio State's favor and it seems as though if the Buckeyes and Badgers both play up to their capabilities on both sides of the ball, Ohio State should still easily cover the three-and-a-half point spread, and then some.


Final Score Prediction

Ohio State 38
Wisconsin 24


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Ohio State Football: Why the Buckeyes and Terrelle Pryor Deserve To Be No. 1

Tim Bielik—Featured Contributor / Storm the Field Founder

It hasn't been since before the kickoff of the 2008 BCS National Championship Game that the Ohio State Buckeyes were the No. 1 team in the country until Sunday's polls came out.

Thanks to Steve Spurrier and the South Carolina Gamecocks' 35-21 victory over the then-top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, the Buckeyes rose to No. 1 in both the AP and USA Today Coaches' Poll, and they were also No. 1 in the first Harris Poll of 2010.

But even though the Buckeyes slid into the top spot by default, this group is very worthy of being the top team in the country.

One reason Ohio State belongs at the top is Heisman hopeful Terrelle Pryor who showed Saturday against Indiana that he could throw the football all around the field.

Against an Indiana team that gave up 42 points to Denard Robinson and Michigan, Pryor threw for a career-high 324 yards and three touchdowns, completing 80 percent of his passes despite a left quad strain.

Pryor's spectacular season has the Buckeyes' offense in the Top-20 in yards per game, rushing yards per game and sixth in the country in points per game.

The play of the Ohio State offense has been a big surprise when considering how much the unit struggled in 2008 and 2009, when Jim Tressel was pegged as being too over-conservative in his play calling.

And in addition to the surprising success of the OSU offense, the Silver Bullets defense has been quite good once again.

Despite the lack of QB sacks (eight in six games), the Buckeyes' defense ranks third in the country and first among AQ teams in total defense and sixth in scoring defense at 13.5 ppg.

But even with the tremendous amount of success that the Buckeyes have had in the season up to this point, they have not been tested like some of the other teams in the hunt for a national title spot.

So far on the season, Ohio State has played only one team that was ranked at the time, a Miami squad that was blown out of their home stadium Saturday night by Jimbo Fisher's Florida State Seminoles 45-17.

Now the Hurricanes are unranked, leaving Ohio State in a shocking predicament in mock BCS standings where even though they are first in all human polls, they are fifth in ESPN's earliest projections due to a very bottom-heavy schedule.

But playing in the much-improved Big Ten, especially with three of their final six conference opponents ranked in the Coaches' Poll, should help balance the computers to where OSU would play in Glendale in January for the National Championship.

Despite the computers, Ohio State has the makings of a true No. 1 team, with a great offense to complement a very consistent defense.

The biggest improvement for this team has been the fact that the special teams has started to turn itself around after a disastrous stretch of giving up three special teams TDs in the first two games and lengthy kickoff returns for most of September.

But this team will be very heavily tested against a tough Wisconsin team hungry to knock off the new No. 1 in Camp Randall, a place where Ohio State has had problems historically, especially in 2003 where the Badgers ended OSU's 19-game winning streak dating back to the 2002 championship season.

The fans will be loud as ever, and John Clay, James White, and the Badgers will have extra motivation to do what Spurrier did to the Crimson Tide just a few days ago.

And if Ohio State can win in Madison, they will have earned the right for the time being to be the best team in the country.

But for how long is up to them.


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BlockONation Exclusive Video: Ohio State-Indiana High-Definition Game Highlights

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Turn Out the Lights, the Competition's Over...

Down goes Bama, down goes Bama...




And as we predicted, back to reality up North...





The new No. 1 team in the nation?

Ohio State—Indiana: Game Preview, History Lesson, and Prediction

If the Indiana-Michigan game last Saturday showed us anything, it was that Indiana may not have much in the way of defense, but they have several playmakers in their spread offense.

With the Buckeyes banged up defensively, this game could be a little more interesting and closer than we expected going into the season.

The Hoosiers are now 3-1 after the 7-point home loss to the Wolverines last weekend.

Ohio State is 5-0, but they are coming off a 24-13 lethargic showing against Illinois.

Terrelle Pryor injured his quadriceps muscle on a run scramble, and LB/DB Tyler Moeller suffered a torn pectoral muscle and will likely miss the rest of the season.

With mounting injuries on the defense, TP a bit dinged up and an anemic running attack from Brandon Saine and Dan Herron, Buckeye fans should be somewhat concerned this week (do not sleep on the Hoosiers), but especially the following week when Ohio State has to travel to Madison to take on the Badgers in Camp Randall.

But for now, let's keep our focus on the task at hand.


Indiana—By the Numbers

Indiana QB Ben Chappell just set the Indiana all-time record for passing yards in a game with 480 last week against Michigan, yet the Hoosiers still lost.

Ohio State has had trouble defending the spread in the recent past, however, a repeat performance for Chappell this week against the Buckeye defensive unit is still not very likely.

Last year, Chappell did have two touchdown passes, but Ohio State held him to just 210 yards passing and intercepted him twice in the 33-14 Buckeye victory.

Through four games, Chappell has thrown for 1,370 yards with 12 touchdowns and just one interception.

What Chappell has done so far statistically is impressive, but it is only fair to point out that said stats have come against Towson, Western Kentucky, Akron, and Michigan. None of those teams know much about playing real, big-time defense.

Running back Darius Willis is averaging 4.3 yards per carry, and on the year has rushed for 278 yards with four rushing touchdowns. He has also caught 11 balls for 102 yards and one receiving touchdown.

In 2009, the Buckeyes held Willis to 23 yards on 11 carries and he did not score.

The Hoosiers have five players with at least 100 yards or more receiving.

Demarlo Belcher leads the way with 31 receptions for 375 yards and three scores.

Tandon Doss and Terrence Turner are close behind with 23 and 24 catches respectively.

Doss has 323 yards receiving, while Turner has 246 yards through the air. Each have caught one touchdown pass.

Duwyce Wilson has 12 catches for 148 yards and one touchdown.

Rounding out the list, tight end Ted Bolser has made 10 catches for 155 yards, with four of his receptions coming in the endzone.

Nationally, Indiana ranks 4th in passing yards per game (361.8), 99th in rushing yards per game (106.8), 13th in points scored per game (39.8), and 72nd in points allowed per game (25.0).


Ohio State—By the Numbers

QB Terrelle Pryor is still near the top of the Heisman favorites list, but he'll have to shake off the quad injury he suffered last week and put up much better numbers if he wants to remain in the race.

Pryor has 1,015 passing yards, 12 touchdown passes to just three interceptions, 373 rushing yards (6.9 ypc) and three rushing touchdowns.

He also has a 20-yard touchdown reception. His current QB rating is 161.7.

Pryor is currently on pace for 2,436 passing yards, 895 rushing yards, 38 total touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Last week, Dan Herron carried the ball 23 times for 95 yards and emerged as the No. 1 back.

Brandon Saine proved that he belongs out in space, not in the backfield taking handoffs. His field vision and ability to navigate through traffic is horrendous. He has much higher value as a receiver.

Overall, Herron has gained 287 yards rushing and has scored five touchdowns. He is averaging 4.4 yards per carry. He also has eight receptions for 115 yards.

Saine has 183 yards on the ground and 75 through the air with two rushing touchdowns and three receiving touchdowns.

Jaamal Berry has made the most of his limited opportunities. Unfortunately, he did not see any time at running back in the Illinois game last Saturday.

Why you might ask?

Who knows, but Tressel needs to play the kid when it counts.

Berry has carried the ball 15 times for 177 yards and has one touchdown. His ridiculous average of 11.8 yards per carry is nearly triple that of Herron's and Saine's.

Dane Sanzenbacher still leads the Buckeyes in receiving with 23 catches for 351 yards and six touchdowns.

Devier Posey has 18 catches for 261 yards and two touchdowns.

Tight end Jake Stoneburner, who has missed the last two weeks with an ankle injury, has nine catches for 110 yards and a touchdown. No word yet on if he will return this week or not, but if the coaches hold him out until next week at Wisconsin, it would not be a surprise.

Of the 120 FBS teams, Ohio State is 56th in passing yards per game (240.0), 14th in rushing yards per game (234.8), 8th in points per game (44.2), and 11th in points allowed per game (14.2).


Ohio State—Indiana: History Lesson and Other Tidbits

• Ohio State leads the all-time head-to-head series 66-12-5.

• Ohio State has won 15 straight over IU and are 18-2-1 vs. the Hoosiers since 1985.

• Ohio State is 7-0 vs. Indiana under Tressel, having outscored them 255-71.

• Ohio State is 23-2 against unranked conference opponents dating back to 2005.

• Ohio State is 31-5 since 2001 in home conference games under Jim Tressel.

• Ohio State is 41-1 overall in their last 42 home games against unranked opponents under Tressel.

• Ohio State boasts an all-time record of 361-126-28 in October games.

• Ohio State's defense has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in their last 28 games.

• Since the beginning of the 2005 season, the Buckeyes have allowed only seven 100-yard rushers during a span of 69 games, the fewest among FBS teams.

• Terrelle Pryor is now 24-3 as Ohio State's starting quarterback.

• Coach Jim Tressel (99-21) is just one win shy of his 100th at Ohio State.

• Indiana has lost 11 straight Big Ten road games.

• Indiana last defeated Ohio State in Bloomington in 1988.

• Indiana's last win over Ohio State in Columbus was a 31-10 victory in 1987.

• Indiana is 17-24 under head coach Bill Lynch, now in his 4th season at IU.

• With last weeks loss to Michigan, Indiana is now 0-7 against top 25 teams under Lynch.

• Since 2005, Indiana is just 1-11 vs. ranked Big Ten opponents, with three of those losses coming against the Buckeyes.


Summary and Prediction

Indiana has a porous defense and even if Terrelle Pryor isn't at 100%, he and his Buckeye teammates shouldn't find much resistance moving the ball and finding the endzone.

Offensively, IU has a handful of talented players and they too will have some success moving the ball and scoring points against a younger, less experienced Buckeye defense that has had to shift or replace a couple of key starters due to injury.

Ohio State survived a bit of a scare last week against Illinois in their first road game of the year, but coming back home to play in Ohio Stadium against Indiana is practically a sure-fire confidence builder and the cure for whatever ails you.


Final Score Prediction
=================
Ohio State 48
Indiana 23


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No Zooming, and Minimal Booming: Shake up Needed at Running Back for the Buckeyes?

By Ronnie Hampston
BleacherReport.com


The Ohio State Buckeyes have a need at the running back position.

Games in the Big Ten are won in the trenches with great offensive line play and strong defensive line play. The Ohio State Buckeyes running game has been average at best.

Boom Herron has ran the ball pretty well this season, but Brandon Saine has been a disappointment so far. Take away his big game versus Marshall and he has been very underwhelming.

Terrelle Pryor is the team's leading rusher and that is a great feat, but that creates more wear and tear on the young quarterback's body.

Saine is the weak link of the backfield between him and Boom Herron. Saine possess great speed and amazing hands for a running back, but he lacks vision and patience when running the ball. The Buckeyes may have the biggest offensive line in the country and there is no excuse why they cannot run the ball effectively.

Jaamal Berry is unproven, but seems to add a spark to the offense when he is on the field. When given the opportunity this season, he has answered the call.

Berry is an undersized back, but he will not be another Maurice Wells (OSU RB, 2006-2009).

The combination of Pryor, Berry, and Herron running the ball will be very effective and it is a preview of what next season's backfield will look like.

Saine should not be an outcast from the offense, however.

He is a valuable asset, but he should be used as a gadget player to utilize his speed and his ability to make plays in the open field. Saine can also fill the void as a third receiver and a third-down back.

Offensive coordinator Jim Bollman and head coach Jim Tressel need to re-evaluate the running back situation and insert Berry into the lineup.

As a fan I may be hitting the panic button a little too soon, but something needs to be done, before we play tough games against Wisconsin, Iowa, Penn State, and the team up North.

Other than Pryor, the backs aren't getting it done, but there is still time this season for improvement in the running game.

Jim Tressel must challenge his offensive line and his running backs to elevate their play in the crucial part of the season.

The Bucks will need to do something soon, because they cannot afford to lose Terrelle Pryor.

If he gets injured carrying the ball, which could very well happen if he continues to take multiple hits game after game, the season will be all-but over.


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