Category: Buckeyes Wire

Michael Thomas sets NFL record for receptions after ten games

Former Ohio State wide receiver Michael Thomas has set an NFL record for receptions in the first ten games of an NFL season, with 90.

With his 90th reception on the season, former Ohio State wide receiver Michael Thomas set a new NFL record for receptions in the first ten games of the season, breaking a record previously shared by Marvin Harrison and Julio Jones, in 2002 and 2015, respectively.

Thomas’ 90th catch of the year was also his fourth of the game, and it came shortly before the halfway point of the second quarter. The former Buckeye went on to catch four more passes in the game, so the current record for receptions over the first ten games of the season now stands at 94.

The current record for most receptions in a season is held by Marvin Harrison, who caught 143 passes in 2002. Thomas currently is averaging 9.4 catches per game, which is on pace to break Harrison’s record. If Thomas can continue his current pace, he will reach about 150 receptions on the year.

Thomas also made an incredible catch along the sidelines last week, which reminded Buckeye fans of his all-time great touchdown catch before halftime of the 2015 Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama.

Whether Thomas can keep up this pace or not is anyone’s question. Drew Brees’ brief absence due to injury doesn’t seem to have hampered him too much, though. Whether or not he sets the full-season record, this has already been a historic season for the former Ohio State standout.

Ohio State opens up as -18 point favorite against Penn State according to BetMGM

BetMGM has published its early line for Ohio State vs. Penn State and it has started at eighteen in favor of the Buckeyes.

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The Ohio State football season starts for real Saturday. Up until now it’s all been window dressing and beat down after beat down. Now comes a top ten Penn State team with the same dreams of grandeur Ohio State has. Win the game Saturday, cruise on into the Big Ten Championship Game in Indy, win and then hopefully get a crack at the College Football Playoff.

It’s such a big game nationally that ESPN’s College Game Day, FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff Show, and BTN Tailgate are all converging on Columbus to rub elbows with fans and each other.

We now have a line on the game too. According to the online sportsbook BetMGM, Ohio State has been installed as an eighteen point favorite for the titanic struggle in the ‘Shoe Saturday at Noon.

*Odds via BetMGM. Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 9:00 a.m. ET. 

That might seem a little outlandish considering the Nittany Lions have played almost every game tight with Ohio State during James Franklin’s tenure, but apparently Vegas believes this Buckeye squad is just different.

And based on what we’ve seen this year, the oddsmakers might be right. We’ll find out Saturday.

“Want to get in on the action? Place your bet now at BetMGM.” 

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Big Ten football power rankings after week 12: Movement at the top?

We’ve got the latest Big Ten football power rankings. Is there some movement at the top with Minnesota’s loss? What about Ohio State?

The season is now hitting the home stretch in the Big Ten and in college football in general. We’re now eleven weeks into the college football season, and we have a fairly good feel about who’s in this thing, and who’s not. Michigan continues to be a bit resurgent, Ohio State has clearly separated  itself, and everyone else is looking to position themselves for the postseason.

We’re here to make sense of it all, and teams like Penn State and Wisconsin are still right there for a trip to Indy.

As we do each week, here’s your Big Ten football power rankings after the latest round of games. As always, give me a break on these, after being in vacation in Mexico, I had to catch up on This is Us, A Million Little Things, and The Purge. The struggle is real.

14. Rutgers – (Last week 14)

Things aren’t good when a 35-point loss is a moral victory, but that’s what we had when the Scarlet Knights were able to put up 21 points against the Ohio State defense Saturday.

13. Maryland – (Last week 13)

Nothing to see here really. The Terps were on a bye week and it’s still the same Maryland team that’s quite on the season.

12. Northwestern – (Last week 12)

The Wildcats stepped out of conference and finally got another win. It’s still an awful season for Pat Fitzerald and crew.

11. Nebraska – (Last week 11)

Another week, another loss for everybody’s preseason dark horse in the West Division. The ‘Huskers now have to win their last two games just to get to a bowl. That’s sounds like a proverbial corn maze with a gain against Iowa to end things. It’s doable, but you have to make all the right turns.

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Next … 10 thru 6

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Big Ten Football 2019 Bowl Projections, College Football Playoff picks after week 12

Here’s the latest look at where we project Big Ten teams to be playing in the postseason, as well as a look at the Playoff projections.

The Big Ten has a rich, rich history in historical bowl games, and the expectations are set for that to continue in 2019. Here at Buckeyes Wire, we’re keeping with tradition and giving you a peek at where we think all the teams in the conference will end up when all the dust settles on the season.

We reassess after each week of games and project based on what we’ve seen.

And as a reminder, don’t get too upset with these just yet. The season might be a rounding the corner into the home stretch, but there’s still a lot that could — and will — happen. So this whole things remains in flux and we’ll adjust each and every week.

Keep in mind that these scenarios are very complicated with projecting when there’s not enough teams from certain conferences with tie-ins, and the agreements with bowls to not repeat the same program over a certain time-frame if at all possible.

Here’s a look at the projections now after twelve weeks of results on the field.

Quick Lane Bowl

Thursday, December 26
8:00 ET, ESPN
Ford Field, Detroit, MI
ACC vs. Big Ten

Projection: North Carolina vs. Michigan State

New Era Pinstripe Bowl

Friday, December 27
3:20 ET, ESPN
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
ACC vs. Big Ten

Projection: Illinois vs. Louisville

San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl

Friday, December 27
8:00 ET, FS1
SDCCU Stadium, San Diego, CA
Big Ten vs. Pac-12

Projection: Michigan vs. USC

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Next … Continued

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Ohio State beats Rutgers: 5 things we learned in victory

Ohio State took care of business against Rutgers on Saturday. Here’s five things we learned.

Okay, so maybe it wasn’t quite the score most people projected, but Ohio State still more than took care of business against a Rutgers team that’s just looking to turn the page into a new era.

Like most games, the Buckeyes raced out to a big lead, then cruised from there. The second and third teamers may have took it on the chin just a wee-bit toward the tail-end of the game, but it was still good experience and something the whole team can grow from.

Next up is the big one against Penn State, but first we take time to reflect with five things we learned from the Ohio State win over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

Anyone can make the spectacular play at anytime

Yeah, you know about Justin Fields, J.K. Dobbins, and Chase Young, but there’s so much NFL talent on this roster it’s a bit ridiculous. I think we’re going to look back on this year’s team and be absolutely floored by how many kids end up playing ball on Sundays.

Wide-receiver Chris Olave made a draw-dropping catch, cornerback Shaun Wade made a highlight-reel interception, and they aren’t the only ones to get into the spotlight.

Again, maybe it didn’t go as well with after the first-teamers as you would have thought against Rutgers, but this team has a depth of talent maybe nobody else in the country has.

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Next … Justin Fields can indeed sling it

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Ohio State stays at No. 2 in latest Amway Coaches Poll

The Ohio State Buckeyes held on to their No. 2 spot behind the LSU Tigers in the latest Amway Coaches Poll.

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The Ohio State Buckeyes held on to their No. 2 spot behind the LSU Tigers in the latest Amway Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.

The Buckeyes did pick up an extra first-place vote, receiving six after only earning five last week. The change was likely due more to LSU’s defensive struggles against Ole Miss than for anything the Buckeyes did in their blowout win over Rutgers. Or it could just be that one voter missed last week, and he would have picked Ohio State at No. 1 then too.

There was a change in the Top 5 this week, as Georgia jumped Alabama. Whether this was due to Georgia’s win over Auburn, Tua Tagovailoa’s injury, or some combination of the two, the Bulldogs have passed the Tide and will likely hold that position as long as Georgia doesn’t lose another game.

Minnesota and Baylor, who each suffered their first losses of the season this week, fell out from the Top 10–from No. 7 to No. 11 and No. 10 to No. 13, respectively.

The Big Ten and SEC led the poll with six ranked teams each. Three teams each were ranked from the AAC and Big 12, while the Pac 12 and Mountain West each put two teams in the poll. The ACC and Sun Belt each had one ranked team, along with Independent Notre Dame.

Navy, Texas, and Indiana all fell out of the rankings, while Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, and San Diego State moved in to replace them.

Week 12 CFP Implications: Static at the top, chaos at the bottom

Looking at the national College Football Playoff picture after Week 12, a few things are becoming very clear. Let’s start at the top.

This past week, all 25 teams ranked by the CFP selection committee were in action. With so many games, a trend that has been slowly developing over the year came to full fruition.

We haven’t seen many upsets at the top of the game this year. And while we have seen some matchups of Top 15 teams–mostly involving Auburn or Michigan–we have yet to really see top teams get upset, or matchups between serious contenders. (Yes, we have had a few, most notably Alabama-LSU, but there have been far fewer than in most years.) That will change over the final few weeks of the season, whether due to scheduled matchups or conference championship games.

While there haven’t been many upsets at the top of the rankings. We’ve had plenty at this bottom. This past week, three of the committee’s teams ranked 19-25 lost, plus a pretty weak display from Cincinnati, for the second time in three weeks. Don’t be surprised if the committee drops the Bearcats a little after this performance.

What that leaves us with is essentially a two-tier ranking system. And while we can subdivide each tier further, the breakdown of the tiers will be very important.

The Top 17 teams are basically locked into those spots. LSU, Ohio State, Clemson, Georgia, Alabama, Oregon, Utah, Minnesota, Penn State, Oklahoma, Florida, Auburn, Baylor, Wisconsin, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Iowa will be the Top 17 teams from here on out. A shocking upset could knock one of these teams out, sure, and Baylor could fall out on its own by losing two of its final three games (to Texas and then again in the Big 12 Championship Game). Other than that Baylor case, though (and assuming no one does something crazy like lose to Northwestern or an FCS team), these 17 teams will be ranked the rest of the way, no matter what, and will like be the Top 17 the rest of the way.

From 18 on down, though, is anybody’s guess. We could see AAC teams stay in, though they’ve been less impressive as the season has gone on. Also, Cincinnati and Memphis still have to face each other. Appalachian State and Boise State can stay ranked by winning out, but one more loss will end any rankings the rest of the way. Maybe SMU slides back in this week.

After that, though, what’s left? What teams are we looking at to be ranked in the back section of the Top 25? Pitt, Virginia, and/or Virginia Tech could slide in, though Pitt plays Virginia Tech this week, and Virginia faces Virginia Tech next week, so only one of those three, at most, will likely be ranked by season’s end. Are we looking at Iowa State, with as impressive a four-loss resume as we’ve seen in a while?

17 teams have basically locked up their year-end rankings, with two weeks left in the regular season. The other eight spots in the Top 25, though, are entirely up for grabs. Who does this help most? Quite clearly, the Pac 12.

Next… How this helps the Pac 12

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Watch what Rutgers interim head coach Nunzio Campanile said about Ohio State post game

Rutgers interim head coach Nunzio Campanile met with the media after the game and had some complimentary things to say about Ohio State.

It wasn’t as dominant on the scoreboard as what many would have thought, or what had taken place in other games this year, but Ohio State went to Rutgers and took care of business with an easy 56-21 victory.

The Buckeyes raced out to a dominant, early lead, got the starters out of harm’s way in the second half, then put it on cruise control to put it away and turn the page towards the game against Penn State next week.

We’ve said it before, but we always like to give you the comments of the opposing head coach after the conclusion of each game, and it’s no difference here.

Rutgers interim head coach Nunzio Campanile met with the media in Piscataway after the game and said some very complimentary things about the Buckeyes after the game.

He seemed encouraged that his team kept fighting, but also knows that Ohio State is one whale of a team. Watch his entire comments below courtesy of RVision.

Week 12 CFP Eliminator: Still a lot of scenarios

We break down the 12 teams remaining in the College Football Playoff race, as our Eliminator took out three more teams in Week 12.

Welcome back to the Eliminator. I explain the process behind eliminating teams in my Week 1 post. In short, I ask myself a simple question: “If this team wins out, will they have a chance at the Playoff?” I don’t assume that teams will lose–there’s no need to. The losses will come when they come; and when they do, I’ll eliminate those teams. Until then, they’re not eliminated. It’s that simple. I also track every eliminated team on this Twitter thread.

This week didn’t involve any real eliminations. The three teams we knocked out were all long shots. Florida and Michigan needed miraculous conference titles to boost the resumes, and they were eliminated from their division races this week. Auburn, meanwhile, picked up its third loss.

Instead, we have 12 teams. All 12 can win Power 5 conferences, and 11 of them have one or zero losses. If we get chaos, most of these teams can still get in with even two losses. It’s too early this year to present specific scenarios, because there are so many possibilities.

One thing is very clear, though. We probably won’t see very many eliminations next week, either. These are our 12 teams, and unless we see a surprising upset next week, all 12 will still be alive heading into Thanksgiving weekend. What happens after that, though, is anyone’s guess.

Next … What teams are still alive?

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ESPN College Game Day set to come to Columbus for Ohio State vs. Penn State

ESPN’s College Game Day has announced that it will be on site for Ohio State vs. Penn State Saturday.

It’s going to get crowded in and around Ohio Stadium next Saturday.

We’ve already heard that FOX’s Big Noon Kick will be in Columbus for Ohio State vs. Penn State. That was announced a couple of weeks ago. In tow with the FOX crew will be BTN’s Tailgate pregame show as well.

Now, we also know that ESPN’s College Game Day will also be there based on an announcement from the worldwide leader in sports Saturday night.

It all makes sense. As it stands, it’ll be an undefeated Ohio State team against a one-loss Penn State squad for the inside track to the Big East title. In fact, if Ohio State wins, it clinches the trip to Indy for the third-straight year.

If Penn State finds away to pull off the upset, it will still need to win the following week against Rutgers. So basically, this game is for the Big Ten East title.

Get there early because it’s going to be crowded folks.