Bengals take next franchise passer, retool offensive line in new 4-round mock

A new four-round mock draft sends Joe Burrow and others to the Bengals.

The Cincinnati Bengals are the star of any 2020 mock draft right now.

Favorites to land the first pick by a large margin, those Bengals don’t go the unexpected route in mocks right now — it’s all about LSU passer Joe Burrow.

Burrow, the fast-rising quarterback and Athens, Ohio native, is the pick by the Bengals in a new four-round mock from Luke Easterling of Draft Wire:

“For the longest time now, it’s seemed Tua Tagovailoa was written into this spot with permanent marker. But Burrow’s performance so far this season has launched him into the No. 1 overall conversation, while a hip injury has ended Tagovailoa’s season. Burrow looks like the real deal in every way.”

After Burrow, the Bengals grab some offensive line help with Alex Leatherwood from Alabama at No. 33 in the second round. They then follow up with another tackle in the third round at No. 65, this one Darryl Williams out of Mississippi State. In the fourth, things switch to the defensive side of the ball where they grab Michigan linebacker Khaleke Hudson at No. 97.

As far as a top-100 goes, it’s hard to complain here at the end of November. Adding two linemen to pair with the returning Jonah Williams and Trey Hopkins at center could fully turn the unit around in time.

But the real treasure of the class here is obviously Burrow, the man who so far has completed 78.9 of his passes for 4,000-plus yards with 41 touchdowns against just six interceptions. In the wake of the Tua Tagovailoa injury he’s the top choice, so fans would be wise to start getting to know him now.

As far as mocks go, it’s hard to complain about hitting on the team’s biggest needs at what early in the process here seems to be good value.

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Giants’ Julian Love will see more action in Jabrill Peppers’ absence

New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur says rookie Julian Love will see more action at safety with Jabrill Peppers ailing.

Prior to Week 12, New York Giants rookie defensive back Julian Love had played just three defensive snaps in the team’s first 10 games. Then, last week in his hometown of Chicago against the Bears, Love played 42 of the Giants’ 76 defensive snaps, many of them due to the absence of starting safety Jabrill Peppers, who left the game with back injury.

Peppers will be out for some time — maybe the rest of the season if things don’t break his way — and the Giants will now turn to Love, a fourth-round draft pick out of Notre Dame, and veteran Michael Thomas.

“We’ll have a combination with Love back there, Michael Thomas,” head coach Pat Shurmur said on Wednesday as the Giants began preparation for Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers’ visit this Sunday. “We’ll fill in. I thought Love did a good job with his first extended action last week. He’s displayed a lot of the things that we thought he might have. We’ll just try to build on that if for some reason Jabrill can’t make it.”

Jabrill has a fracture in his transverse process, an injury that heals itself with rest. Very few plan on seeing him anytime soon.

Many were wondering with all the rookies playing extensively this season why Love was the one that was held back. Shurmur said it was simply a matter of time and finding the right role for him.

“He was ready to play. He was ready to play, and we just made a decision coming off the bye week that it was time. That’s all,” Shurmur said.

Love had only one tackle in the game but managed to come away with his first career interception on an errant throw by Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. After all the waiting, he was ready.

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Tremont Waters has proven he belongs in the NBA

Boston Celtics rookie point guard Tremont Waters is an NBA talent and he continues to put that on display.

It might have cost his Maine Red Claws the game and their perfect record but Boston Celtics two-way guard Tremont Waters didn’t lose any sleep over the loss.

Waters’ stat line in his NBA debut — seven points (on 2-7 shooting from the field), two rebounds and three assists against the Sacramento Kings on Monday — might not seem worth blowing one of the G League’s only two remaining unbeaten records but a closer look tells a different story.

Called up to play for the parent club as All-NBA point guard Kemba Walker recuperated from a frightening injury sustained in a loss to the Denver Nuggets last week, the LSU product sacrificed that spotless record for a chance at meaningful minutes in the NBA.

Following the game, Waters says that it was “a surreal feeling” but that’s he’s “not satisfied with it.”

“It’s a surreal feeling,” Waters said (via MassLive’s Tom Westerholm). “Kids dream of this moment, and to be able to be in this position, to go from the G-League … to come to the NBA level and to help the team actually get a win definitely feels good, but I’m not satisfied with it.”

“Just got to keep working and everything else will definitely play itself out,” he added, hungry for another bite of the apple.

In a game won by the thinnest of margins, Waters was one of only two players on the Celtics with a double-digit plus/minus on the night of +20 (the other belonging to SMU product Semi Ojeleye), his ability to calm down an offense having helped keep the Kings from running away with the game.

With news that Walker would return as soon as Wednesday night against the visiting Brooklyn Nets, Waters was reassigned to the Red Claws after his short-lived stint with Maine’s parent club.

Even still, the two way guard — who, despite being only 5-foot-10 also led the team in blocks with against the Kings with two — caught the attention of his teammates and head coach Brad Stevens, who had plenty to say after the narrow win.

“[Waters] just has control of the game,” noted Stevens (via the Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy).

“You don’t have to get too creative with any actions, you don’t have to run complicated things. You just have to get in space, give him a step and let him run the right play. I think he’ll play a lot better when it’s not his first time coming out here, but we think he’s really good … we’re not going to hesitate to play him.”

Early-season Defensive Player of the Year candidate Marcus Smart was equally effusive in his praise for the young guard’s debut performance at the NBA level, saying, “he picked up on it quick.”

“He came in and he’s a good true point guard, he was finding everybody, he was getting to his spots. Guy’s not afraid, he showed that. He comes out shooting the ball, hit a really big 3 for us down the stretch and really controlled the game. We’re excited about Tremont and we’re happy to have him here.”

While the Claws may no longer be the winningest team in the G League, they aren’t far behind and it’s not unreasonable to think he’ll see more gametime success at both levels in the coming months, perhaps even without an injury to a player as important as Walker.

Waters’ play at both levels has been something of an eyebrow-raiser just when the banged-up Celtics needed a lift and fresh off of receiving G League Player of the Week honors, he’s shown he can help out in a big way when his number is called.

Maybe even scarier to opponents is a sagacious observation from the longest-tenured Celtic Smart:

“He’s only going to continue to get better.”

In his first game back with the Red Claws, Waters would score 33 of the team’s record 155 points, while dishing out seven assists in a win over the Greensboro Swarm.

Boston is lucky they managed to keep Waters on a two-way because there are plenty of teams in the league that could use a backup point guard of his caliber. Rookie or not.

Eagles QB Carson Wentz and wife are expecting their first child

Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz announced on Instagram that he’s going to have a child with wife, Madison Oberg

Carson Wentz is set to have plenty more sleepless nights, but the Eagles star will be up late for an amazing reason. On Thanksgiving morning, Wentz his and wife, Madison Oberg announced that they’re expecting a child.

Wentz and Oberg, became engaged two-days after the Eagles victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.

A special Thanksgiving series history against Texas A&M

A dead rivalry since 2011, Texas used to play Texas A&M on Thanksgiving night. Here is the series history between these two bitter rivals.

One of the best rivalries in all of college football, the annual Lone Star Showdown between Texas and Texas A&M was played every single year from 1915-2011. The rivalry had started before then, being played 22 times beginning in 1894.

Being played on Thanksgiving for the first time in 1901, it became an annual tradition beginning in 1996. Playing on the holiday for a total of 63 times, it was one of, if not the only, college football game played that night.

When Texas A&M left for the SEC in 2012, the matchup that had been played 118 times went dormant. There have been rumors of the two schools playing each other in a bowl game, but until then, it remains a dead rivalry.

Here is the series history of the historic Thanksgiving Day rivalry between the Longhorns and Aggies:

All-time series record: Texas leads 76-37-5

Largest wins: Texas 48-0 in 1898, Texas A&M 42-10 in 1985

Latest Texas win: Nov. 24, 2011

The final matchup between the two schools took place in College Station where the 25th ranked Longhorns faced now NFL quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Neither team lit up the stat sheet, with Texas having 237 yards and Texas A&M having 328. Both teams each had 10 penalties, totaling 187 yards.

The Aggies were in total control of the game in the middle of the second quarter, up 13-0. Their defense had forced the seventh straight Texas punt, but returner Dustin Harris muffed the punt and the Longhorns recovered. One play later, wide receiver Jaxon Shipley threw a double pass 41-yard touchdown to Blaine Irby.

After a couple A&M field goals to end the half, Tannehill threw a pick-six to Carrington Byndom to cut the Longhorn deficit to two.  Later in the quarter, Quandre Diggs took a punt down to the Aggie nine-yard line to set up the field goal that gave Texas their first lead. The Longhorns extended that lead to 24-16 on their next drive via a Cody Johnson rushing touchdown.

In the fourth quarter, A&M scored 10 points in their final two drives, taking the 25-24 lead. With 1:48 left in the game, quarterback Case McCoy lead Texas on a drive to put them in field goal range that included a 25 yard run from McCoy. They set up kicker Justin Tucker to have a chance to end the rivalry with a game-winning field goal.

Tucker hit the field goal to give the Longhorns their 76th win in series history. Texas ended the rivalry the only way they knew how, with a win.

Latest Texas A&M win: Nov. 25, 2010

Thanksgiving night 2010 ended up being the final Lone Star Showdown that took place in Austin. The Aggies were ranked No. 17 at the time and had a chance to make an appearance in the Big 12 championship with a win. Even though they beat Texas by seven, they still came up a little short of winning the Big 12 South.

The story of the game was Texas A&M’s running back Cyrus Gray. On 27 rushes, he ran for 223 yards, averaging 8.3 yards per carry. A good chunk of his yards came on his two touchdowns, where he had an 84-yard score in the second quarter and a 43-yard touchdown that ended up being the game-winning score for Texas A&M.

For Texas, quarterback Garrett Gilbert was under-center, where he went 20-37 with 219 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. His one touchdown came late in the first quarter, as he found Marquise Goodwin for a 31-yard touchdown. Running back Cody Johnson had 107 yards on 14 carries, leading the Longhorns in rushing.

Down seven late in the fourth quarter, Texas had the opportunity to tie the game up in the red zone. On 3rd and 5, Gilbert threw his second interception of the night, sealing the A&M win.

Since the game ended in 2011, both teams have played different teams on Thanksgiving weekend. Texas has played TCU and Texas Tech on both Thanksgiving night and the day after the holiday. Add Kansas into the mix and the Longhorns have not had a consistent opponent. For Texas A&M, they have developed a small rivalry with LSU while also playing Missouri.

While it may be a long ways off, these two schools will find a way to renew the rivalry, hopefully on Thanksgiving night.

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Pro athletes share what they’re thankful for on Thanksgiving

See what NBA, NFL and MLB players are giving thanks for on Thanksgiving.

On Thanksgiving, millions of people from across the world will give thanks for the blessings in life. Professional athletes took to social media to share what they’re thankful for on Thursday.

 

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Wyoming vs. Air Force: 3 Keys to a Cowboys Victory

Can the Cowboys make it four wins in a row over the Falcons? Here’s our preview of how Wyoming can win.

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Wyoming vs. Air Force: 3 Keys to a Cowboys Victory

Can the Cowboys Make It Four In A Row Over The Falcons?

Contact/Follow @jessetachiquin & @MWCwire

Cowboys vs Falcons

WEEK 14: Wyoming Cowboys (7-4, 4-3 MW) vs Air Force Falcons (9-2, 6-1 MW)

WHEN: Saturday, November 30— 12:00 PM MT

WHERE: Falcon Stadium; Colorado Springs, CO (46,692)

STREAMING: Facebook

RADIO: Wyoming | Air Force

SERIES RECORD: Air Force leads 28-26-3 all-time

WEBSITES: Wyoming | Air Force

ODDS (via OddsShark): Air Force -10.5

FEI Projection: Air Force by 15.5

Wyoming will enter Colorado Springs as a considerable underdog according to many prognostications. The Vegas line currently has the Pokes at +10.5, SP+ predicts a 34-20 win for the Falcons, and FEI gives Wyoming only a 22% chance to win. History says otherwise, Craig Bohl is 4-1 vs Air Force while Troy Calhoun is 1-5 against Wyoming since the “Howdy Doody” game of 2012. The Cowboys have won 3 consecutive against the Falcons.

Air Force has been specular to watch on offense behind QB Donald Hammond III and RB’s Kaden Remsburg, Taven Birdow, and Timothy Jackson.

Three Keys to a Wyoming Win

Limit Big Plays in the Passing Game

Which 2 receivers have the highest yard per catch average in the conference? If you guessed Air Force’s Ben Waters (32.1) and Geraud Sanders (25.5), you would be correct. The duo has combined for the second-most receiving touchdowns (13) by conference teammates behind only Ward and Byrd from Hawaii (19). The Falcons are still rushing for over 300 yards per game but their ability to throw has taken their offense to the next level.

Wyoming’s Young Defensive Line Against Air Force’s Option

The Cowboys defensive line is largely responsible for the stifling run defense that has allowed 2.7 yards per carry and 94 rushing yards per game but they have yet to face an offense like Air Force. While the Falcons will probably rush for well over that amount, the closer Wyoming is to keeping Air Force closer to 2.7 yards per carry as opposed to the Falcons average of 5.2 yards per carry will likely determine the outcome.

Stopping the triple-option offense requires a complete team effort and players like Logan Wilson, Cassh Maluia, and Alijah Haliburton know what’s coming on Saturday. The young defensive line will need to catch up to speed quickly if the Pokes are going to have a shot at this one.

Control the Clock

The Cowboys and Falcons have a lot in common, both teams are highly effective at running the ball and stopping the run. The huge difference has been Air Force’s ability to make chunk plays. The Cowboys methodical offense with the Falcons ability to control the clock could be too much to overcome if Wyoming is down by more than a possession. Third down conversion rate and time of possession will extremely important for the Pokes if they are going to spring the upset.

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‘Canelo’ Alvarez throws shade at Floyd Mayweather for wanting to box MMA fighters

Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez throws shade at Floyd Mayweather for wanting to box MMA fighters.

[autotag]Saul Alvarez[/autotag], the champion boxer best known as “Canelo,” can only laugh off [autotag]Floyd Mayweather[/autotag]’s rumored 2020 comeback.

The two fought in 2013, when Mayweather defeated a 23-year-old Alvarez via majority decision. Since then, Alvarez has captured numerous boxing world titles, winning 11 fights with one draw, and Mayweather remains his only career blemish to date.

Mayweather previously came out of retirement in 2017 to box former UFC double champion Conor McGregor, taking him out in the 10th round. But “Money” proceeded to retire once again after that, though it appears that retirement is also going to be short-lived. Mayweather recently announced he is aiming for a return in 2020 and will be working alongside UFC president Dana White. But exactly what Mayweather has planned in his return remains a bit of a mystery.

Speaking to TMZ, Alvarez said he doubts Mayweather will ever rematch him, and mocked him for going after MMA fighters.

“He’s not going to fight with me,” Alvarez said. “Don’t worry, no. He’s going to take an MMA fighter.”

Alvarez is admittedly a bit limited in his knowledge of English, but he surely can cut a promo. Highly doubtful it will be enough to lure Mayweather into a rematch, though, but no harm in a little fun. Alvarez for one, is certainly not a fan of the MMA crossover, recently dismissing Jorge Masvidal’s offer.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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Wyoming at Air Force: Three Keys to an Air Force Win

Can the Falcons extend their winning streak to seven games? Here’s our preview of how Air Force can beat the Cowboys.

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Wyoming vs. Air Force: Game Preview, Kick Time, TV & Radio Schedule, Odds, Prediction

Can the Falcons Extend their Win Streak to Seven?

Contact/Follow @Sean or @MWCWire

WEEK 14: Wyoming Cowboys (7-4, 4-3 Mountain West) vs. Air Force Falcons (9-2, 6-1 Mountain West)

WHEN: Saturday, November 30 —12:00 PM MT/1:00 PM PT

WHERE: Falcon Stadium; Colorado Springs, Colorado (46,692)

STREAMING: Facebook Live

RADIO: Air Force | Wyoming

SERIES RECORD: Air Force leads the all-time series 28-26 (and 3 ties)

GAME NOTES (PDF): Wyoming | Air Force

ODDS (via OddsShark): Air Force -14

SP+ PROJECTION: Air Force -11.4

FEI PROJECTION: Air Force -15.5

Week 14 is here, and where does the time go? Air Force and Wyoming meet on Saturday to close out their regular season. If you like physical throwback football this should be the game for you. That is, if Donald Hammond doesn’t go off completing 90% of his passes for over 300 yards again.

Hammond and the rest of the Falcon offense will find the Cowboys defense to be a much stiffer test than what they faced last week. In fact, it wouldn’t be too far a stretch to say that Air Force will go from facing the conferences worst defense, to its most formidable.

The Falcons don’t pack such a bad defense themselves, with much improved performance this year surrendering 21 points per game.

In fact, I don’t think the defense has really been as appreciated because of the offenses flash. But in many games this season, it’s actually been the defense that has set the tone until the offense got going. Frankly, it was the defense who was most responsible for their win against Army.

As stout as that performance has been, the Pokes are giving up just over 17 per game. So even with the improved defense of Air Force, this is truly a strength on strength matchup of the Falcons offense, averaging 35 points per game against, up against the very formidable Wyoming D.

Three Keys to an Air Force Victory

1. Balance on Offense

Real estate won’t come easy against Wyoming, so it will be imperative for the Falcons to keep them guessing. Regardless of the opponent, the ground game is Air Force’s bread and butter. And for them to find success on the ground, a threat through the air should also be present.

As previously stated, the Wyoming pass defense will pose a completely different challenge than the Lobos did. So getting the Pokes defense out of position and guessing will be paramount to success. Not an easy thing to do against the Logan Wilson led, Cowboys crew. But predictability is not an option this week.

2. Don’t Let Halliburton Drill

A key cog in the Falcons offensive wheel is to stay ahead of the chains and on schedule. This means avoiding tackles for loss and especially those third and long scenarios. For Air Force to mitigate those less favorable down-and-distance scenarios, they must account for Alijah Halliburton.

Not only is the Wyoming safety third in the conference with over 100 tackles, but he is seventh in tackles for loss, averaging nearly one per game. Halliburton isn’t the only player that the Falcons need to worry about on their side of the line of scrimmage, as Wyoming is second in the conference with sacks.

3. No Turnovers

In spite of what has been a very successful season thus far for the Falcons, turnovers have been problematic. Fumbles in particular, these two teams are at complete opposite ends of the spectrum. Wyoming has only lost three fumbles all season, while Air Force has surrendered the ball via fumble 11 times. This should be a point of focus considering Wyoming’s offense is extremely run heavy.

It would serve the Falcon offense well to be particularly careful with the ball in the air also, as Wyoming’s All-Everything linebacker, Logan Wilson is near the top of the conference with four interceptions.

Prediction

I expect an excellent game between two of the conferences top teams on Saturday. Air Force may be favored by most publications, and come in with more momentum, but I’ve seen a very good 10-win Air Force team lose to a Colby Kirkegaard led Pokes team that won just three FBS games that season.

Whether it’s freshman Levi Williams or Tyler Vander Waal under center, the Pokes will show up ready. Currently Vander Waal sits atop the depth chart after exiting last weeks game.

Even if Wyoming has not had spectacular production from their pass game, Tyler Vander Waal stepped in for an injured Shawn Chambers last year and led the Pokes to a win against Air Force. This is just that kind of series, you don’t necessarily get the expected result.

Air Force should be dialed in for this game, after all, they have lost the last three in the series. So I don’t believe they will be surprised by what Wyoming throws at them. Then again, most teams aren’t, yet they have stacked up wins. Not every team has the multitude of weapons that the Falcon offense is blessed with this year though.

Points could be at a premium for both teams; As good as the Wyoming defense is, I think Air Force has a much better offense comparably. That combined with a defense that seems to keep getting better, should give the Cadets a slight edge.

Air Force 17 – Wyoming 13

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Ohio State writers Q&A: What makes Buckeyes so potent, how Michigan can win

What makes the Buckeyes so potent and how the Wolverines can get an upset victory over their rival on Saturday, from an OSU perspective.

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As part of our continuing coverage on The Game — which kicks off at noon EST on Saturday — we asked friend of WolverinesWire, Dan Hope (beat writer covering Ohio State football for the site Eleven Warriors) and Phil Harrison, (publisher of our sister site BuckeyesWire), to answer some questions about the Buckeyes to try and get a better understanding of what could happen on Saturday.

Ohio State looks like the best, most complete team in the country. What’s made it so good in Ryan Day’s first year as the head coach?

Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

Everything has come together as well as anyone could have imagined through Ryan Day’s first 11 games as head coach. Justin Fields has made few rookie mistakes and has been superb in his first season as Ohio State’s starting quarterback. His ability to both pass and run the ball has made Ohio State’s offense tougher to defend, as has an improved offensive line (particularly in the running game) and a resurgence from J.K. Dobbins following a disappointing 2018 season. Defensively, Ohio State has improved exponentially thanks in large part to the new defensive coaches Day hired, who have implemented a new scheme that fits the players’ strengths and has them playing fast and confident.
The Buckeyes are loaded with future NFL players on both sides of the ball, and their buy-in to what Day and the rest of the coaching staff are preaching to them has been evident. The players also talk constantly about how much they care about each other and how much they are enjoying being a part of this team, and I believe there is a tremendously high level of chemistry and confidence within the team right now that is empowering them to play at their best.

Phil Harrison, BuckeyesWire

I always thought the demise of Ohio State was greatly exaggerated. Any other year with Urban Meyer, and with the returning talent, the Buckeyes would have been a consensus top three team. All the question marks had answers. Ryan Day had his hands all over the offense the last couple of years and knows the culture. It was about as smooth transition as you can have with a head coaching change. At quarterback, Justin Fields is one of most highly rated recruits to ever come out of high school. I thought his abilities would make the OSU offense more dangerous as long as he could get a good handle on the offense. He has. And though the offensive line replaced lost starters, it do so with guys that already had experience, either at Ohio State or elsewhere. The simplified scheme on defense has really put all those athletes in position to be successful too. All of that together has resulted in one of the most complete teams we’ve seen in Columbus in quite some time.

We talked in the offseason about Greg Mattison improving fundamentals on defense. What have you seen and why has the defense improved so much this year over last year?

Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

When Mattison and the rest of Ohio State’s new defensive coaches arrived this offseason, their goal was to simplify the Buckeyes’ defensive scheme so that their players would be thinking less and playing faster. Mission accomplished. Unlike last year, when Ohio State’s defenders were constantly out of position and chasing plays from behind, this year’s Buckeyes have looked confident from the beginning and have swarmed to the ball while rarely making the kind of mistakes that lead to big offensive plays.
Mattison and fellow co-defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley have sought to play each of their players to their strengths instead of trying to fit them into a predetermined scheme, and they’ve used a variety of different packages and lineups to allow them to match up with each opponent without forcing their players to drastically change what they’re doing from week to week.
Most of the Buckeyes’ top defenders are returning starters from last year, so their gained experience has certainly been a factor in the defense’s improvement, but I believe the coaching changes have made the biggest difference by far. It’s evident that the Buckeyes’ defensive players have connected with Mattison, Hafley and Al Washington on a deeper level than they did with some of Ohio State’s former defensive coaches, and their confidence has enabled them to maximize their talents instead of constantly feeling like they’re out of their comfort zone.

Phil Harrison, BuckeyesWire

Mattison has brought so much experience from the NFL level to college that’s invaluable. That and the symbiotic relationship he has with Ryan Day, and the simplified defensive scheme has resulted in a team that plays fast and isn’t too busy trying to out think itself. Marry up athletic ability with clearly defined assignments, sound tackling, and being in the right place is the byproduct of what you are seeing this year.

If there are any perceived weaknesses on this team, what would they be?

Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

That’s really difficult to answer because if there is any significant weakness on this Ohio State team, it hasn’t shown up yet. The Buckeyes have been sound in just about every area of the game, and among the best in the country in most. Truthfully, the biggest lingering concern for the Buckeyes is their lack of quarterback depth; if anything happens to Justin Fields, there isn’t another quarterback on the roster who can come close to performing at the same level. Ohio State’s defense has had some minor issues in defending the quarterback run that could potentially become a bigger issue if they play a quarterback who is more dangerous with his legs, and they still haven’t found the kind of impact they’re looking for out of their kick and punt returners. But there is no major area of weakness that I think is ripe to be exploited.

Phil Harrison, BuckeyesWire

I think Penn State showed that if you have the personnel and scheme to do it, some yards can be had between the tackles against the defense, especially from the quarterback spot. The defensive line gets up the field so much, it can open some over-pursuit angles up inside. You’re not going to get big plays consistently on the outside and in space because of the speed of the defense, but draws and Q-runs are there and for whatever reason, it was hard to adjust to last week.

What concerns you about this matchup?

Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

Michigan has seemingly hit its stride over its past four games, which has made this matchup look a lot more dangerous than it did a month ago. As well as Shea Patterson has played over the past two weeks, this might be the most dangerous passing offense Ohio State has faced, and Michigan’s defense is certainly one of the best, too. The Wolverines will also be the best team Ohio State has had to play in a road game this season, by far, so it’s still uncertain how the Buckeyes will handle the hostile environment if they end up in a close game. I think this has the potential to be the Buckeyes’ toughest test of the regular season.

Phil Harrison, BuckeyesWire

A couple of things really. Michigan appears to be playing its best football of the season and has a quiet confidence we haven’t seen in past years. I’ve been critical of the culture of sounding off in the media in years’ past and then not backing it up. This team seems to have a better nucleus of leaders that are respecting the rivalry and saying the right things. The mindset of the Michigan program is in a much better space this year. Add that to the sour taste of what happened last year and I think the Wolverines are coming to play in this one.

Aside from Chase Young, Justin Fields and J.K. Dobbins, who are the key players that Michigan fans should be on alert for?

Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

Michigan fans are probably already on alert for Chris Olave after he caught two touchdowns and blocked a punt in last year’s game, and they should be, as he’s built on that breakout performance to become the Buckeyes’ best wide receiver this year. Defensively, the Buckeyes are loaded with playmakers in the secondary, led by perhaps the nation’s best cornerback in Jeff Okudah as well as Damon Arnette, Shaun Wade and Jordan Fuller. Malik Harrison is the Buckeyes’ top playmaker at linebacker, and up front, DaVon Hamilton has quietly emerged as a major difference-maker alongside Young at nose tackle.

Phil Harrison, BuckeyesWire

Wide receiver Chris Olave has been very underrated. He’s become the big play threat in the passing game. Michigan fans should remember him well from breaking out in The Game last year, and he’s only gotten better. He runs great routes, might be the fastest guy on the team, and can go up and make plays in traffic. Aside from that, linebacker Malik Harrison is as athletic a linebacker as you’ll see. He’s a big play guy that can roam sideline to sideline and has really come on since the end of last year. And all the guys in the secondary will be in the NFL. From corners Shaun Wade and Damon Arnette, to safety Jordan Fuller, they all have been very stingy and can blanket any passing game.

If Michigan can win this game, how can they do it against this OSU team?

Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

They’re going to need to play better on both sides of the ball than any team has played against Ohio State all year, and they’re going to need to force turnovers or make big plays on special teams. Last week’s game against Penn State was the first close game Ohio State has been in all season, and three lost fumbles – two in Penn State territory that led to Nittany Lions points, and one that took a touchdown off the board for the Buckeyes – were the reason why. No team has been able to consistently stop Ohio State’s offense or move the ball on Ohio State’s defense, and I’m not sure Michigan will be able to either, but if the Wolverines can make a couple game-changing plays and put the Buckeyes into a tight spot on the road, they’ll give themselves a chance.

Phil Harrison, BuckeyesWire

The Wolverines have to slow down the running game of Ohio State, especially in key moments with the ability Justin Fields has in extending drives by moving the chains with his legs. He hasn’t had to run too much this year, but much like what we saw against Penn State, he’ll be needed more in this one against a very good Michigan defense. I expect him to be more a part of the rushing game plan than any other weeks, and how that’s dealt with is going to have a big say in which team wins Saturday. Without fail almost, the team that wins the running battle takes this matchup. It’s no different in 2019.
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