CFB - It's time we talk about the reality of both OSU and UM in

Submitted by Bo Harbaugh on November 19th, 2022 at 10:52 PM

Nothing I want more than to beat the Bucks next weekend, ruing their playoff chances, and win the B1G.

That said, with the UT loss, the reality of just 1 SEC team in the playoff has become much more realistic. Crazy enough, and I hate to say it, there is actually a path for Bama to get in here as a 2 loss SEC team.

I could easily see USC, TCU or both losing a game going forward. 

If UGA beats LSU, we're looking at 3 spots left for

UM, OSU, Pac12 champion, Big 12 champion, Clemson.

Things are getting nutty.  Today's win may end up being more important than we could have ever expected.

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k.o.k.Law

November 20th, 2022 at 4:52 AM ^

Same prediction as mine.

Clemson loses to South Carolina and/or North Carolina.

USC trounces ND and UW/Oregon in title game.

TCU beats Kansas then Kansas State in title game.

GA bops LSU for SEC title.

You will notice two Big Ten team in the final four.

We beat TCU and

Upset Alert! - USC takes down GA.

Championship Game is repeat of first Rose Bowl -

with the same winner,

Joined: 08/12/2011

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Buy Bushwood

November 20th, 2022 at 9:34 AM ^

I can't figure out USC.  Their offense looks invincible.  Their D looks invisible.  Is their O an artifact of the horrible PAC12?  As a UM fan, and remembering Donovan McNabb, Troy Smith, Dennis Dixon, and so many others, QB's that run around and throw dimes are terrifying.  I'd hate to give USC 5 weeks to prepare for our D.  But, they can't run the ball that well, and, against Georgia, I think they'd look a lot like Tennessee did, overmatched.  Thus, go TCU, go Blue.  

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BlockM

November 19th, 2022 at 10:59 PM ^

Losing The Game, then losing a rematch in the CFP might break either fanbase for a decade. No thank you. If we lose, I would rather go win a Rose Bowl. If we win, I'd be pissed if we have to play them again.

Joined: 07/03/2008

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realgoodtime

November 19th, 2022 at 11:20 PM ^

This x1000. The psychic damage of 2018 alone took this program and fanbase 3 years to get over –– could you imagine losing to them twice? Or even if we win in Columbus, losing in the national championship game? They would hold either of those over our head forever.

Even if we lost to them, made the playoffs, and won the national championship without beating them again –– that wouldn't feel legitimate to me.

Can totally understand if others feel differently since I'm an old school "beat them, win the big ten, and everything else is gravy" kind of person but I only ever want this game to be a de-facto playoff/Big Ten championship game and to only ever have it played once a year. Anything more than that is just too dangerous and potentially devastating to happen.

Joined: 11/01/2011

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BrightonB

November 20th, 2022 at 12:01 AM ^

Honestly just beat OSU in their house and if we win other games after it's just the icing on the cake. 

I truly wonder if today's game hasn't actually been a blessing and really prepared us for next week.  I do NOT think OSU's D line is as good as what we got today from Illinois.  They have been darn good this year (Illinois) and they really brought it to us today and have a good air game and good RB as well to test our D. We played a good team today and got it done.  Maybe not perfectly but the more I think about today's game the more I feel the way it ended and the way we had to fight was exactly what we might have needed.  Our WR's still of course need to catch those balls that hit them in the hands and if we get everyone we can back and healthy next week we for sure can get it done.

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M-Dog

November 20th, 2022 at 12:29 AM ^

Yes, it is a positive because it shows that teams can stop our running game and that our passing game is not ready to respond accordingly.  

Michigan was starting to get too self-satisfied with their running game, believing they were just going to line up and pave everybody.  It is clear that was more a function of playing some pretty bad Big Ten and OOC teams.    

We are under no illusions now.  The passing game is going to need to be an equal part of the offense to beat Ohio State.  Better to fully realize that a week before the Ohio State game than during the middle of it.

 

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smotheringD

November 20th, 2022 at 2:05 AM ^

Looking forward to the breakdown of the OSU defense this week.

Knowles' defense is a cover 0 and sometimes they shift to cover 1 or cover 3.  But their base defense has no safeties and they will play man on our receivers.  So depending on our formation they could have more bodies in the box, 8 man fronts.  From there they will blitz and we won't know who is coming until they're on the way.  It is a higher risk defense that will concede some big plays and some pass interference calls but they're gambling that they will make more big plays consistently in our backfield, getting us behind the chains.  They are gambling that their players, their cover guys who practice covering OSU receivers all year, will be able to cover our receivers.  And that JJ won't be able to hit them downfield.

The $400,000,000 question is how their defense will hold up against our rushing attack.

I believe it's going to be quite the chess match.

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bdneely4

November 20th, 2022 at 8:56 AM ^

I am sure they will scheme up some blitzes that are confusing but acting like we won’t know where their blitzes are coming every time is a bit delusional. The same can also be said about us that we have been preparing for this game since the summer. I am sure both teams will have some wrinkles. 

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FB Dive

November 20th, 2022 at 12:29 AM ^

Unless Georgia loses to LSU, I don't see a way that a rematch would happen in the semis, so this scenario would require us to meet again in the national championship, which seems pretty unlikely.

In any event, after the Big Ten gets rid of divisions and the playoff expands, the possibility of playing them 2 or even 3 times a season becomes very plausible. Both programs/fanbases need to psychologically prepare for losing multiple times in a season.

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Bosch

November 20th, 2022 at 12:04 AM ^

Am I the only one that saw this post as sarcasm based on his last sentence?  Did the post get edited or is this board turning into neg happy clowns too incompetant to process what's in front of them?

Edit: For context since the tide has turned, when I originally typed this Mattinboots' post was at -14.

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Magnum P.I.

November 19th, 2022 at 11:01 PM ^

Did you see Tennessee and Ole Miss get crushed by South Carolina and Arkansas?? Man the SEC is so deep a win there is worth like two normal wins. Playoffz shuld b UGA, Bama, LSU, Tennessee

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