I Hate to Say it, but I Told You So

I don’t even have to go crazy trying to prove it, because my Big 10 previews were posted yesterday.

I wrote a solo review for the Ohio State and Youngstown game, because I’m a Buckeye fan, and I picked Ohio State to win by 28 points. They won 35-7!

At this point, I’m waiting to see what Wisconsin does tonight. I picked the Badgers in a close one, but to recap..

I said Penn State was going to win by a lot, they won 63-7.

I said Nebraska was going to play hard, but lose a close one. Nebraska lost by 22, but it was a hard fought game, and a lot closer than the score reveals.

I said Michigan was going to win big. They were up 28-0 with 6 minutes left in the 3rd quarter the last time I checked.

If Wisconsin wins tonight, I’ll be a perfect 5-0 for week 2!

Big 10 College Football Weekend

College Football 2023

Saturday, September 9th, Big 10 Preview

Delaware, 1-0 vs. (7)Penn State, 1-0: The Penn State Nittany Lions are riding the high from last week’s big win over West Virginia, 38-15, and Delaware might be stepping in front of a freight train here. Delaware has talent and big play potential, but will it be enough? Penn State has a monster at the QB position. The 6’5″ 245 pound sophomore, Drew Allar, threw for 325 yards and 3 touchdowns last week, and he brings these awesome memories back to Happy Valley of Kerry Collins. WR, KeAndre Lambert-Smith is the go-to-guy. Defensively, the 6’1″ 240 pound linebacker, Curtis Jacobs patrols the second level looking to take away Delaware’s potent ground game.

Nebraska, 0-1 vs. (22)Colorado, 1-0: After a 13-10, heartbreaking loss last week to Big 10 rival, Minnesota, Nebraska suddenly finds themselves in a serious situation. Colorado is nationally ranked, and to make matters worse, Nebraska is traveling to Boulder. If the Cornhuskers can’t find a way to steal one on the road this week, it’s going to be tough for them rebound from an 0-2 start, especially with the Wolverines coming to town at the end of the month.

UNLV, 1-0 vs. (2)Michigan, 1-0: Last week, Michigan dominated East Carolina offensively and defensively, and they look to do the same thing to UNLV this weekend. Michigan RB, Blake Corum, is averaging 7.3 yards per carry, which gives Michigan the ability to extend drives and control the clock. Michigan’s defense was spectacular last week as they held the Pirates to just 235 yards of total offense! The unit also forced 5 punts, and didn’t allow a touchdown!

(19)Wisconsin, 1-0 vs. Washington, 1-0: Wisconsin’s game last week against Buffalo will be a walk in the park compared to what they’re about to face. Washington look good in their win over Colorado State. The final score was 50-24, but Colorado State put only 3 points on the board until the 4th quarter. It was a 29-3 ballgame heading into the 4th quarter. Cougars QB, Camron Ward, threw for 451 yards and 3 touchdowns! It’s not going to be an easy, but the Badgers must find a way to contain Ward.

Final Thoughts and Predictions

Penn State is going to win by a lot.

Nebraska is going to play hard, but lose another close one.

Michigan wins big.

Wisconsin wins a close one.

Showdown in Ohio

2023 College Football

The 5th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes are home this weekend for their second game of the 2023 season. According to Ohio State, this game against Youngstown State is a tune-up game, and it’s no secret that OSU will be heavily favored. It is what it is.

I don’t however, think the Penguins plan on laying down.

Youngstown is coming off an impressive victory against Valparaiso, a game in which they came out of the locker room after halftime and exploded for 28 unanswered points. Special teams played very well, and Youngstown has a stud at tailback in Tyshon King. King rushed for 111 yards and 2 touchdowns on 11 carries.

In order for the Penguins to have a chance against Ohio State, they will need a better start than they had last week, and they’ll definitely need to protect the football. If the Penguins start turning the ball over, it’s going to be a long afternoon.

It’s only the second week of the season, but Youngstown State would want nothing more than a victory over Ohio State in Columbus. There’s a little in-state rivalry going on here with bragging rights on the line, but in the bigger picture, there’s a lot more at stake than bragging rights.

Ohio State’s win over Indiana this past weekend wasn’t impressive as far as the score was concerned, but make no mistake, the Buckeyes dominated that game on both sides of the ball.

I expect Coach Day to make a quarterback switch at some point, especially if the game gets out of hand in Ohio State’s favor, but I’d like to see McCord stay in the game. This will be a great week for him to find his rhythm and get in flow with the rest of his offense.

My prediction for this weekend is that Ohio State will win by at least 28 points, but you never know. Look what Duke did last week against Clemson!

In addition, you can expect the Penguins to be really really fired up for this game-treating it as if it’s their Super Bowl, and that type of intensity, well, you can’t dismiss it.

It’s the Ohio State Buckeyes against the Youngstown State Penguins, Saturday, September 9th at 12 o’clock.

Big 10 Football

It’s not often that I reminisce about my glory-days of college football, but yeah, I played college football for the Pioneers of William Paterson University, and I’ve been an Ohio State Buckeye fan since 1995.

Basically, my love for football is probably the only thing that can pull me out of this wonderful astrological rabbit hole I often find myself in. And, it’s that time of year already, so let’s get into the briefing.

Photo by Jean-Daniel Francoeur on Pexels.com

Ohio State, Rutgers, and Minnesota opened up with conference wins this past weekend. The Buckeyes stole a victory on the road against Indiana, Rutgers was impressive in their 24-7 win over Northwestern, and Minnesota barely squeaked past the Cornhuskers in their 13-10 win-but hey, a wins a win.

The 5’9″ 227 pound senior tailback, Miyan Williams, stood out in Ohio State’s win over the Hoosiers on Saturday, September 2nd. His 3.6 yards-per-carry-average was decent, but then again, he only touched the ball 7 times, however, his two touchdowns accounted for 12 of Ohio State’s final 23 points.

Buckeye QB, Kyle McCord, completed 20 of 33 passes and threw for 239 yards. Not bad.

Oh, and I do have to admit. Indiana did force a fumble late in the second quarter with that hit on McCord. Perhaps, that could’ve changed the momentum the game. Instead of going into the locker room trailing 10-3, the Hoosiers would’ve only been down by 4 against the 3rd ranked team in the nation. That’s definitely something to be proud of and build off of for the second half, but..

Next week, Saturday, September 9th, Ohio State will host Youngstown State at 12 o’clock noon.

Final Scores:

Penn State 38 West Virginia 15

Wisconsin 38 Buffalo 17

Michigan 30 East Carolina 3

Maryland 38 Towson 6

Michigan State 31 Central Michigan 7

Illinois 30 Toledo 28

Iowa 24 Utah State 14

Purdue 35 Freson State 39

LVII It’s Going to be Super

This year, the 2023 NFL Super Bowl will be played in Glendale, Arizona at State Farm Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 PM this Sunday, February 12th.

The Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs come into this game having some things in common. They’re both sporting an impressive 16-3 record, and both teams put together at least one five-game winning streak during the regular season. There is, however, one thing that separates them.

Defense.

It’s amazing when people pull these stats out of their asses, but it’s true, the last ten teams that were victorius in the Super Bowl, brought a defense ranked in the top 10 to the table.

And as far as defenses are concerned, the Eagles are ranked 8th overall in the NFL. It’s a tough group with an even tougher front that features DT, T.J. Edwards, the team leader in tackles (99). They’re a busy unit that knows how to get to the quarterback, and I think they’re 2nd against the run.

The Chiefs are ranked 5th in the NFL in defense against the pass, and that’s definitely a plus for them considering Eagle receivers, Devonta Smith and A.J. Brown combined for 2,692 yards and 18 touchdowns.

I’m not sure how many people knew about Patrick Mahommes being on the injury list with an ankle injury. I don’t think it’s going to slow him down because the report said he got a full practice in, but you never know. I feel like the Chiefs wouldn’t announce any weaknesses going into the biggest game of the season where every little edge helps, especially when it pertains to their star QB. So, that’s something we’ll have to keep an eye on.

Without a doubt, all eyes will be on Mahommes, who completed 67% of his passes while throwing for more than 5,000 yards.

The other guy is Jalen Hurts, and I guess we can call him the other guy since Mahommes is one of the most popular players in the league, and he happens to play the same position.

Hurts is in his 3rd year out of Oklahoma, and it never hurts to have a Sooner on the squad. 🤔 Get it? Anyway, he’s neck and neck with Patrick Mahommes in completion percentage, Hurts is completing 66.5% of his tosses. He’s good, and he has help behind him with RB, Mike Sanders. Sanders is averaging just about five yards per touch (4.9 YPC), and he rushed for almost 1,300 yards this season. That’s production!

I don’t know, man. I haven’t watched enough of either team this year to deliver one of my world-famous lock picks with confidence. All I know is that the Eagles are favored by 1.5 points, so we’re almost talking about a pickem here, and your guess is just as good as mine.

Alright, everyone, enjoy the game, enjoy your weekend, and thanks for visiting Nooz Buffet. Please don’t forget to visit our online store by clicking on the merchandise link, and if you haven’t already, pick up a copy of Smorgasbord. Smorgasbord and Smorgasbord 2 are both available online in paperback and e-book format.

Muck Fichigan

I’ve been a Buckeye fan since the days of Andy Katzenmoyer wearing the “four-five” with pride and dignity. Happy Birthday Big Kat. I’ve been a Buckeye fan since the days of coach Copper, Eddie George, David Boston, Orlando Pace, Joe Germaine, and Na’il Diggs. Long story short, I just didn’t feel like reporting Ohio State’s recent loss to Michigan.

Michigan has only won three out of the last eleven games against the Buckeyes since 2011, but the Wolverines just silenced those asking, “What have you done for me lately,” by winning the last two. Last week, both teams came into the game undefeated, so once again, the stage was set. It was a traditionally typical Big Ten showdown, 11-0 vs, 11-0, number one in the conference versus number two, and both teams ranked nationally.

The world was watching, and Buckeye fans were feeling confident as Ryan Day and company headed into the locker room leading by three. OSU Quarterback, CJ Stroud, connected with WR Emeka Egbuka on a short completion, and the Buckeyes were on the board first. A couple of field goals were kicked, and Ohio State was up 10-3 to start the second.

Michigan said, “Hell no, we ain’t going out like this,” and Wolverine Quarterback, J.J. McCarthy completed a pass to his 6’3′ senior wideout, Cornelius Johnson. Johnson ran with it for 60 yards and scored Michigan’s first touchdown.

The game was tied at 10.

Ohio state kicked a field goal with 5:41 left in the second quarter.

13-10 Ohio State.

On the next drive, J.J. McCarthy connected with Cornelius Johnson once again, and this time, the result was an 80-yard touchdown pass. Michigan was leading 17-13, but Ohio State answered the call with a touchdown pass of their own. It was Stroud to Marvin Harrison Jr., and the Buckeyes took the momentum back before the half ended.

20-17 Ohio State.

Little did we know, that was just about it for Ohio State. I don’t even think they came back out for the second half. Michigan scored 28 second half points, and ended up winning the game 45-23.

Michigan running back, Donovan Edwards had one hell of a day; 216 yards on 22 carries and 2 touchdowns! J.J. McCarthy threw for over 200 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Like I said, I wasn’t in the mood to write about this Buckeye loss, but I was motivated by the chance Purdue has tonight to be a spoiler. Tonight, at 8 PM, it’s another Big Ten showdown between the Boilermakers and the Wolverines!

Upset Alert!

Big Ten Football

The NCAA College football season has begun, and I thought it’d be a good idea to reacquaint ourselves with the confusing split between teams in the Big Ten Conference. So, here it is.

BIG TEN

EAST
Indiana 1-0
Penn State 1-0
Maryland 1-0
Michigan 1-0
Michigan State 1-0
Ohio State 1-0
Rutgers 1-0

WEST
Northwestern 1-0
Iowa 1-0
Minnesota 1-0
Wisconsin 1-0
Illinois 1-0
Purdue 0-1
Nebraska 1-1

Big Ten Football Conference

If you look at the chart, you can see by the records that every Big Ten team has played at least one game so far in this 2022 season. Nebraska is the only team to have played two games, and Purdue is the only team in the conference without a win.

Week 1 comes to an end tomorrow when the final game is played between Clemson and Georgia Tech, and then week 2 action picks up again next weekend, Saturday, September 10th.

NFL Round-Up

April 28, 2022

The top story right now around the NFL is the re-signing of RB, Melvin Gordon, with the Denver Broncos. Gordon, who racked up over 1,000 yards on the ground and 10 touchdowns last season, will agree to a new deal with Denver.

The NFL Draft will begin tomorrow night, April 28, 2022, in Las Vegas. The first round will begin at 8 o’clock. The 2022 NFL Draft will continue with rounds 2-7 on Friday and Saturday. The Jacksonville Jaguars have the #1 pick. The New York Giants have the 5th and 7th pick overall and plan on taking the best available talent on the board, although rumors suggest Evan Neal, an offensive tackle out of Alabama, and CB Ahmad Gardner from Cincinnati.

Pittsburgh will get the 52nd and 84th overall selection when they make their selections in rounds two and three with the 20th pick.

The Oakland Raiders traded their first and second round picks to Green Bay for wide receiver Davante Adams. They’ll make their first selection in round three with number 86 overall.

For complete coverage of the 2022 NFL Draft, tune in tomorrow night at 8 o’clock to ABC, ESPN, and the NFL Network.

What are Those Birds Up to?

On March 10, 2022, the Philadelphia Eagle’s organization made deals, specifically, 1-year deals. All three players were already Eagles, but have found themselves in different situations over the last two seasons.

🏈🏈🏈

Guard, Nate Herbig: Herbig made the Eagles as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Stanford. As a rookie, his playing time was minimal, but he started 12 games in 2020. He’s a big guy, 6’4″ and 334 lbs., and depth on the o-line is important.

Defensive Back, Andre Chachere: Chachere was with the Indianapolis Colts before getting picked up by the Eagles last season. The hopes for him were high when he was acquired, but most of his contributions were made on special teams, and not with the starting defense. Chachere found himself in a pretty shitty situation-Exclusive Rights Free Agent. This mean he must accept the offer given by the team, which is usually the minimum. Nobody says this, but I feel like it’s an ultimatum. Take shit money or leave the team.

Wide Receiver, Greg Ward: Ward was a starter with the Eagles back in 2020, but a backup in 2021. He was set to be a restricted free agent, but the Eagles signed him to a new contract.

NBA News

🏀Yesterday, the Miami Heat beat the Brooklyn Nets 113-107. Forward, Bam Adebayo, led the team in both points (30) and rebounds (11). The Nets came out hot taking a 12 point lead into the second period, but it was all Heat after that.

🏀The Dallas Mavericks beat the Golden State Warriors yesterday 122-113, improving their record to 38-25. Maverick’s G, Luka Doncic, scored a team high 41 points.

🏀Today, the Houston Rockets are on the road travelling to Denver to play the Nuggets. That game tips off at 9:00 PM eastern time.

🏀What’s going on with Orlando Magic? 15 wins? I guess they’re out of tricks! 🤣 They’re on the road today travelling to Toronto to play the Raptors.

🏀The San Antonio Spurs lost by three yesterday to the Sacramento Kings, 115-112.

🏀The Philadelphia 76ers are home tonight against the Cleveland Cavaliers. 7:00 PM tipoff.