Eleven Warriors

On behalf of the entire Eleven Warriors team and the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research, I want to thank you for purchasing a VIP ticket to Eat Too, Brutus 2011. As you know, the event will be held this Saturday, October 29th, prior to the Wisconsin game. To ensure smooth planning, this guide will cover everything you need to know.

DRINK TOO, BRUTUS

Please join us for a happy hour in the Arena District to kickoff the weekend on Friday night. It's a great chance to mingle with D-list site writers and meet other readers.

• LOCATION: Bar Louie in the Arena District (504 Park Street)
• DATE/TIME: Friday, October 28th @ 7:30pm

EAT TOO, BRUTUS

This is the main event and will be catered by City BBQ and Cheryl's Cookies. Since you purchased a VIP pass, your food and drink are covered for you. You must only show up, ready to have a good time.

• LOCATION: The RV lots behind the Schottenstein Center (Detailed Map).
• DATE/TIME: Saturday, October 29th, 1pm - 6pm

Although you're more than welcome to wear your t-shirt to the event, you do not need to. However, to secure your VIP wristband(s), you must bring a photo ID.

Your food and drinks are covered at this event, but, if you make a mean chili or batch of brownies and you want to show off your cooking skills, you're more than welcome to bring additional food to the event. What quicker way to make additional friends?

Among the activities planned for the event is a charity raffle to help generate even more money for the Stefanie Spielman Fund. We will be selling raffle tickets for $2 each and will be able to accept cash or credit cards. Among the items up for raffle:

Mark Titus' sock from the Final Four

• Chris Spielman autographed helmet
• Mike Vrabel and Matt Finkes autographed helmet
• Cris Carter autographed football
• Robert Smith autographed football
• A poster autographed by the 2010-11 Ohio State men's basketball team
• A Final Four-worn sock, autographed by Mark Titus
• LeCharles Bentley autographed football
• Jimmy Jackson signed photograph
• Gameday prints from M. Walton Keys
• Phil Steele autographed previews
• Buckeye Vodka gift basket

POSTGAME PARTY at SCHMOOGATE

Last, but not least, your VIP wristband will gain you entry to a postgame party held by our friends at SchmooGate, so please don't discard it after the tailgate is over. Once the Badgers are vanquished, there's no telling where the night will go.

• LOCATION: 263-265 W Norwich, Columbus, OH 43201 (Detailed Map)

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us. Thank you, again, for your support of the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research. We're looking forward to seeing you on Saturday.

Spielman's mustache had 155 tackles, good for #2 in the conference

On Saturday, months of planning and fundraising for the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research will finally come to frution with Eat Too, Brutus. From one tailgate, awareness (and some money).

The power of awareness cannot be measured like dollars for research. The ubiquity of the pink ribbon has done wonders for breast cancer awareness, which leads to earlier diagnosis that produces more treatable patients, better outcomes and saved lives, all independent of dollars raised.

If you're having trouble drawing a parallel to this type of proactivity, changing attitudes and habits around men's health issues, it's because you can't. The women's health movement is light years ahead of the the men's. And that's why Movember was created.

As October is the month of the pink ribbon, November is the month of the mustache. Movember is about wearing your support for men's health issues right beneath your handsome beak.

If you'd like to make it official, on or before  November 1 you can register at Movember.com with a clean-shaven face - there's an Eleven Warriors Movember team that you're welcome to join.

Think of your mustache as a pink ribbon you wear for a month, except that it's to raise awareness around cancers that affect men, most specifically prostate cancer.

If you'd like to make it official, on or before  November 1 you can register at Movember.com with a clean-shaven face - there's even an Eleven Warriors Movember team that you're welcome to join. Join our team, donate and grow a mustache for 30 days.

Or just join our team without donating or growing. It's all about awareness. I'll be 'staching out in November, and when people ask me why - I'll tell them.

You'll notice that all of the men and both of the ladies of 11W are on board. Resta assured; our ladies will not be growing mustaches - they simply support the cause.

Beyond the awareness that Movember generates, funds raised in the US support prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men. The money raised is directed to programs run directly by Movember and its men’s health partners, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG, which you probably know as Lance Armstrong's Foundation. 

For more information, visit the Movember home page. To join Team 11W, visit http://mobro.co/elevenwarriors.

First post here at 11W.  This comes from my weekly look at the spreads that I post on my blog "Healthy Scratch".

Another 5-2 week (6th 5-win week in a row, 33-15-1 overall) but once again, not only do I not gain any traction on Bradley, but I fall further away.  His only loss?  Georgia Tech.  What a Delta Bravo.

There are a bunch of good games on TV.  I am an average bettor that looks at this stuff for a few hours each week and have a winning percentage of 67%, and I am not even winning my own pick 'em pool.  The goal for point spreads is to have have of the bettors take one side.  For Vegas to break even, the bettors should be around .500.  Anyway, this year, the guys who pay rent by betting are absolutely killing Vegas.  Therefore, all the spreads are inflated and I do not feel comfortable taking all 20 and 30 point favorites.

This week I am heavily relying on the trends of America and anything over 90% is fair game.  I don't like to bet on random games that aren't even on TV and in the past this has bitten me in the ass, but that's my strategy this week.  Conference USA/ESPN3.com dominates my picks to click for Week 8:

#4 Oklahoma State (-7) at Missouri Noon FX #riseandfire

I have taken the Pokes for 6 weeks.  I am 5-1 (damn you ULL).  10 point W at least.  This game will last longer than The Godfather.



#9 Arkansas (-18) at Ole Miss 12:21 SEC Net

Arkansas is on a roll and Ole Miss is the mattress of the SEC West.  The 'Hogs only have one loss to Alabama.  They came back against TAMU in Jerry's World and handled Auburn last week.

Wake Forest (-3) at Duke 1230 ACC Net

I will take any three-point favorite at Duke.  Wake has been playing well this year, beating FSU at home.  Duke is surprisingly 3-3 with wins against Boston College (20-19) on a missed XP, Tulane and FAU.  Their losses? Stanford, Richmond and Florida State.  Soon to be the Demon Deacons.

#13 Nebraska (-25) at Minnesota 3:30 ABC/ESPN2

Huskers put 34 on Ohio State (28 unanswered).  Minnesota gave up 58 (58 unanswered) to Michigan.  The Gophers did put a fight vs the Spoiled Children Sexual Ballers but that was week 2 which seems like 50 years ago.  Nebrasky is well rested after a bye week.  Another big L for the Maroon and Gold.

#17 Texas A&M (-21) at Iowa State 330 ABC/ESPN Gameplan/ESPN3.com

Fresh off a win over Baylor, the Aggies head into Ames against a horrible Cyclone squad.  TAMU may be down, but Tannehill threw 6 touchdowns last week against an above average BU team.  He may get 600 against Cy and the boys.

#19 Houston (-21) vs. Marshall 4:50

Houston is undefeated.  They have beaten UCLA 38-34 and UTEP 49-42.  Not a very impressive resume, but they do have 6th year senior Case Keenum and Marshall is 3-4.  They have lost to WVU, Ohio 44-7, VT and UCF 16-6.  They are not good and Keenum may have 700 yards.  At half.

SMU +3 at Southern Miss 8:00 CBS Sports Network

A great Conf-USA clash between 5-1 teams.  Home teams usually get 3 so these teams are even.  98% of America is taking the Mustangs so I'm gonna roll with the underdog who beat TCU on the road in overtime a few weeks back.  That's about all I got.

Games I like but aren't going to take:

#15 West Virginia (-14.5) at Syracuse 8:00 ESPN FRIDAY

WVU's O can score 14 in 2 plays and the Carrier Dome hasn't been rocking since McNabb's victory over VT in 1998.  WVU also has revenge on their beards.  Mountaineers roll.

Air Force at #5 Boise State (-31.5) 3:30 Versus

The Falcons gave up 59 to the Irish and 41 to the Aztecs their past two games.  Happy times stopping Kellen Moore on the blue turf for the Broncos' first ever MWC home game.  Boise should not be wearing blue shirts though so birds don't think they are moving puddles, or something.

#10 Oregon (-32.5) at Colorado 3:30

Running back: out.  Quarterback: Out.  Colorado: horrible.  45-0 at half.

#6 Wisconsin (-7.5) at #18 Michigan State 8:00 ABC GAMEDAY

Only a touchdown?  Is it really going to be that close?  At Sparty at night, ok.  MSU's d-line makes me scared from my couch/south stands, but the 10-7 Buckeye game sticks with me.  State is off a tough, clean win against their arch rivals.  Can Spaty keep up with Wisky?  I say neh.  Possibly a classic intra-conference slug fest.  Probably not.

#25 Washington at #8 Stanford (-20) 8:00 ABC

Congrats U-Dub, you have a number now!  You do not have a Locker, you do not have Luck on your side (high fives for puns).  I could see the Huskies nipping the Cardinal if this was a noon game, but at night, on national television?  Stanford sends a message to the Ducks.  Sorry Huskies, you sniffed up the wrong tree on this evening.

Games America Likes:

Illinois -4.5 90% at Purdue

Clemson -10.5 96% vs. North Carolina

Kansas State -12 95% at Kansas

Maryland +16.5 98% at Florida State

Tulane -12.5 96% vs. Memphis

Alabama -29 92% vs. Tennessee

Middle Tenn. -6.5 99% at FAU

Washington State -3 95% vs. Oregon State
 

This was written by Brady, first at Inside The Shoe

It’s amazing what one win can do for your psyche in this kind of a season. Food has tasted better this week, it has seemed brighter outside (which is hard to do considering the amount of rain that has fallen over northern Ohio) and I have generally been nicer to those around me. All of this because of a football game. It’s hard to explain to those outside of our OSU fanatic niche how much a football team can mean but it really is one of the most important things in my life. As long as family, friends and my job are all humming along as expected, football is pretty much the next item on the list. I guess what I am trying to say is.. THANK GOD WE F’N WON A GAME! I was beginning to think I might never feel this way again in 2011.

The Buckeyes had been playing uninspired and sloppy football for the last couple of weeks which added two more losses to the one already collected in South Beach a month ago. If you’re counting at home, that is 3 freakin’ losses only half way through the year. Under normal circumstances that is like two years worth of losses. Unfortunately this season is anything but normal and OSU desperately needed a win in Champaign to get that Herpes B infected monkey off their back (too soon?). I think we all expected some growing pains this year but nobody predicted the horror show err... offensive production witnessed thus far.

Heading into windy Champaign, the OSU football team was still reeling from the 2nd half collapse in Lincoln. The game against Nebraska could have been a season changing victory on the road. Instead, it turned into the latest chapter of despair for this team and its’ fans. I really didn’t know how they were going to react following that second half against the Huskers. My blind Buckeye allegiance was telling me that OSU would be pissed and come back to give the Illini hell. My brain said otherwise and believed that there was no way this team won on the road against an undefeated ranked opponent. I feared that Illinois would be another loss in a long line of potential losses to finish out the year. There was hope because Braxton was cleared to play but the passing game was still only pre-Woody at best so I didn’t know what to expect.

The defense showed as usual and the running game looked good for most of the afternoon.

Seriously though, WTF is up with passing game? This is still Ohio State right? ONE pass completion! That’s all we got? It was a good pass to complete but how can Bollman or Fickell look themselves in the mirror and be happy with one pass? The most damning stat I saw concerning our “passing game” was a tweet from 11W’s Ramzy on Sunday. He found that 2 RB’s and 1 WR had more completions on Saturday than the Buckeye’s. I didn’t even know how to react to that one. Braxton is definitely you and is probably in a little over his head but there is no rational argument to be made as to why you can’t get more than one pass completion.

That one completion did go for a score on a beautiful toss over the middle to Stoney. Miller had a clear throwing lane and managed to lead Stoneburner with a perfect spiral. My point is that it wasn’t like Braxton was launching Bauserbombs into the next county. He showed the ability to complete a college throw and should’ve been given the opportunity for more. I realize the running game is the horse we rode in on but don’t put the air attack out to pasture just yet.

We are going to need that passing game if OSU is going to have any chance of upsetting the Badgers. Wisconsin will be selling out to top the run and you can’t blame them for implementing that strategy. There is absolutely no reason to fear an all out air assault next weekend. If Bollman wants any chance of leaving Columbus without a police escort at the end of the season, he HAS to come up some throws to loosen up that defense. Wisky won’t be as easy to push around as the Illini were. Fickell basically told Zook that he was going to run the ball on every play and they still couldn’t stop us. That’s a testament to the RB talent on this team but that strategy won’t fly against the 4th ranked team in the country. Stopping the Badgers on the other side of the ball is a whole other column unto itself but that is another column for another day.

Before the season started, the best Sister and Brother-in-law on the planet decided to present me with an early Christmas gift. They opened up a package that contained tickets to every OSU home game with instructions to pick my favorite game to attend. Naturally I chose the Wisconsin game figuring that the Buckeyes would be 6-1 and in the hunt for another BCS bowl game bid (obviously that was WAY off but that’s what being a blind OSU supporter is all about). Little did I know the hornet’s nest the Bucks would be facing that late October evening. 

Anything can happen but it’s going to be tough sledding against those corn-fed brutes from Wisky. That’s not the point. I will be able to spend some quality time with my brother Tony who is usually overseas helping to keep this country safe. As a bonus, we get to spend that time with 105,000 of our closest red-clad friends (wear RED to the game if you haven’t heard already). I wanted to use this public forum to thank all of those who serve in the armed forces. They enable us average Joe’s to enjoy great sporting events like the one on Oct. 29. Thanks again for the gift Alison and Tony. Go Buckeyes!

With all the recent talk about Urban Meyer's inevitability as the next head coach of our beloved Buckeyes, I have to ask you all:  what's the argument against re-hiring Jim Tressel?  It was Ramzy's moving article describing the unseen good that Jim Tressel did as head coach that originally brought me to this website.  So if we all know what a quality human being Jim Tressel is, and we all know what an amazing head coach he was, then why are we not supporting him as the next head coach?

I ask you, if you could have anyone, wouldn't it be Tressel?  Do you care what ESPN thinks?  Do you care what the NCAA thinks?  Do you care what ANYBODY else thinks who doesn't care about Buckeye football?  Then get behind this movement:  RE-HIRE TRESSEL!  (Seriously.)

Here is the scenario

Team A plays against Team B.

Weather, low temperature of the day 53 degrees F, high temp 84 degrees F, avg wind speed 2.5 mph, precipitation 0.0 inches

Team A has 194 total yards of offense on 59 plays for an average of 3.3 yards per play against Team B.

Team B has given up at least 4.7 yards per play against all previous 6 opponents.  Team B has given up at least 6.5 yards per play against 2 of those 6 opponents.  Team that only gained 4.7 yards per play is currently 0-6.

Team A is starting a freshman QB who was the #9 QB in the 2011 recruiting class and they also play a freshman who was the #1 ranked Pro Style QB in the 2011 recruiting class.  Team A is starting a senior RB with over 2,000 career rushing yards and over 20 career TD's.  Team A is starting a senior WR with over 90 career receptions and another WR who was the #2 ranked WR in the country in the class of 2009.

Team B is the 98th ranked run defense in the country, even after giving up only 66 yards rushing to Team A.  Team B is the 89th ranked pass defense in the country even after giving up only 128 yards passing to Team A.  Team B is the 60th ranked scoring defense in the country, even after giving up only 6 points to Team A.

Team A has an offensive coordinator who has been a head coach in college football.  Team A's offensive coordinator has also been an offensive coordinator in the NFL.  He has won 3 Super Bowls as an offensive coordinator.

Yes, the Florida Gators with all of their offensive firepower and offensive coaching acumen have now gained fewer than 225 yards in 3 consecutive games.  Yes, a freshman QB completely changes the ability of an offense to succeed at a high level.  Yes, Florida had averaged over 450 yards per game prior to losing their experienced starting QB.

Seriously Buckeye fans, wake up to the reality that this offense has a complete dearth of experience on the offensive side of the ball at WR and QB.  Wake up to the fact that even a Super Bowl winning offensive coordinator is completely handcuffed by having no experience at QB.  NO MATTER HOW TALENTED THAT QB MIGHT BE.

As many of you know, Eat Too, Brutus is sold out this year (thank you!) and we're looking forward to an epic Saturday that leads to us giving the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research a nice fat check.

While we still have many surprises in store for Saturday, we wanted to go ahead and announce Drink Too, Brutus, which is a companion happy hour for the main event. Whether you purchased a VIP pass to Eat Too, Brutus or not, you're welcome to join us for drinks on Friday 10/28 - 7:30pm at Bar Louie in the Arena District.

This is a great chance to meet your favorite D-list bloggers and site regulars while enjoying the standard happy hour fare: $3 beers, and half-off appetizers. DJ has promised to show up in a top hat and a cane, and will be posing for photos, and Pitbull guarantees you'll have a real good time.

Again, just to bullet Drink Too, Brutus 2011 up:

• LOCATION: Bar Louie in the Arena District (504 Park Street)
• DATE/TIME: Friday, October 28th @ 7:30pm
• DECONSTRUCTING BOLLMAN, A SYMPOSIUM: To begin one hour into the night, or when everyone is drunk.

Completely ripped off from MGoBrian.

He explains his terms here http://mgoblog.blogspot.com/2006/10/hennechart-legend.html

Yeah, the touchdown pass is dead on.  The grade might be overly generous but it was on target, on time and thrown down field with a 30 mph wind at his back.  The first pass attempt of the day was listed as catchable, Brown was coming back to the football and the defender went through him to break up the pass.  The officials were ok with that for reasons that escape me.  The two inaccurate are deep balls that are overthrown with the wind at Miller's back.

Runs

So some people on the boards are claiming they would have liked to see more passing plays called.  Well Ohio State called 8 passes in the game, good for -8 yards.  Illinois waited until 6:22 remaining in the game to bring more than 7 men into the box, and that might just be because the formation was 2 TE 1 FB 1 RB and 1 WR.  The combination of Illinois failing to adjust, Ohio State failing to gain yards on passing plays, the score and the wind make me believe . . . Jim Bollman did the right thing.  On designed running plays Ohio State gained 237 yards on 46 carries, good for 5.15 yards per play versus the -1 yard per play on designed passes.  In truth any criticism of the play calling should be why did Ohio State try to pass in the middle of the second quarter from their own 39 yard line on 2nd and 5 when the running game was working.  Ohio State went incomplete/sack/punt instead of sticking with what was working.  Also the 3rd and 5 play on that series was a read option play action pass.  When running the read option the backside defensive end is unblocked and the quarterback reads him to determine if he should hand off or keep the ball.  If you run play action on this play you are running a slow developing passing play with an unblocked defensive end.  This strikes me as an incredibly bad idea.  If anybody has information on this idea working for read option teams (preferably with video link) I'd love to see it.

Receivers

Not a lot there, nice route by Stoneburner on the TD.

This next table is similar to what I think mgobrian is doing with his receiving chart but I am unable to find a link to his explanations so mine will have to do.  The first digit in the grade is from the receiver’s point of view, 4 easy to 1 impossible.  The second digit indicates the presence of the defender (1 there, 0 not there) at the time the ball hits the receiver’s hands.  When I say there, I mean close contact.
Therefore:
11  Bad pass, tight coverage.
10  Bad pass, no defender to stop it
21  Really tough ball to catch and in tight coverage.  A catch on this means the receiver is saving his qb.
20  Really tough ball to catch, no coverage.
31  Ball outside the strike zone, tight coverage
30  Ball outside the strike zone, no coverage
41  Ball on the money, tight coverage
40  Ball on the money, no coverage

For the receivers this is catches/opportunities

Look out again! The South Eastern Conference maybe holding on to that BCS National Title. The way Alabama and LSU are destroying everyone on the schedule. If the # 1 and #2 team LSU and Alabama has anything to say about it. The BCS National Title will be in the South Eastern Conference one more year. Will there be anyone left standing, when the season ends that is undefeated? Alabama and LSU are playing each other in a few weeks. One of them will be walking away with a win one with a loss. I guess the question after that game, will there be anyone walking at all? The way those teams play defense and the hits those guys are putting on opposing offenses. There may not be anyone left to play anymore games! For more information on the SEC try http://www.secfootballtalks.com for up to date information on the players and the teams around the SEC.

I was listening to some Mizzou fans this morning on the radio discussing their beat down of Iowa State on Saturday.  They were thrilled that the Tigers ran the ball 58 times on Saturday and that Henry Josey (averaging 10 yards per carry this season) finally carried the ball a season high 19 times.  They suggested that the coaching staff might have finally listened to the public cries to do what the team does best.....run the ball.  While I doubt the motivation behind the coaching decision was public outcries, it seems that something changed in their offensive strategy.

Far from suggesting that Ohio State only throws the ball an average of 4 times per game for the remainder of the season I also have absolutely no problem with how the game was called against Illinois.  It resulted in a victory and it focused on what the Buckeyes do best.  It resulted in 4.1 yards per play for the game.  That number is pretty pedestrian by any measure of offenses in modern football, but once again it worked for THAT game.  The Bucks never trailed and there was absolutely no reason to risk an interception on a windy day.

By contrast Illinois threw the ball 34 times on Saturday.  For the game they averaged 4.1 yards per play.  They trailed for 55 minutes, and they turned the ball over 3 times.  They lost.

Illinois completed 20 passes on Saturday for an average of 5 yards per pass attempt.  Of those 20 completions 6 of them went for 4 yards or fewer.  So of the 34 passing attempts only 14 of them resulted in gains of 5 yards or more.  By contrast Ohio State had 21 running plays that gained 5 yards or more and 1 pass play that gained more than 5 yards.  Illinois had 11 running plays that resulted in 5 yards or more gained.  Total offensive plays gaining 5 yards or more were 22 for Ohio State and 25 for Illinois.

It was windy, OSU never trailed, and Miller and the receiving corp are a work in progress.  Why throw?  Just cuz isn't good enough for me.  You play to win the game not to appease public outcries or to pad stats.  Move on Buckeyes, Bucky is next.  Revenge is a dish best served cold and by running the ball.