Eleven Warriors

An uncharacteristic weekend of few upsets led to pretty static initial ballot for week six.

As noted below, we did take an opportunity to get a little more realistic about Texas Tech and we pushed Alabama down as punishment for their close call at home with Kentucky.

With regard to OSU, we kept them 10th after the tough road win but I'm sure we'll still be in the top five for the Coulter/Krugman award.

You know the drill..please sound off in the comments to help shape the final poll due Wednesday. Specifically, who do you think should be in the #2 hole?

1		A 28 point 1st quarter helped Oklahoma put the wood to Baylor 49-17 in Koresh's backyard. Once again, the Sooner offense blew up to the tune of 594 yards behind Sam Bradford's 372 yards through the air (2 TD, 1 INT) and DeMarco Murray's 96 yards rushing and 2 TD. Next up: a showdown with Texas in Norman.	--
2		Chase Daniel helped Mizzou pick up their first win in Lincoln since 1978 with 3 TD passes in a 52-17 thrashing of Nebraska. Through 5 games, Mizzou has trailed a total of 13 seconds. Pelini's boys racked up 14 penalties (101 yards) to just one for Mizzou.	1
3		Bye week. Next up: @ Florida, 8pm Saturday night.	1
4		Bama needed a gift fumble TD from Hartline's bro and 218 rushing yards from Glen Coffee to hold off Kentucky 17-14 in Tuscaloosa. Alabama held the Wildcats to 35 yards rushing.	2
5		Colt McCoy passed for two scores, moving into 2nd place all time for TD's at Texas and Chris Ogbonnaya scored 2 TD (1 rush, 1 pass) as the Longhorns demolished Colorado 38-14. Time of possession: UT 37min, Colorado 23min. Next up: @ #1 Oklahoma	--
6		PSU moved to 6-0 for the 13th time under JoePa in a 20-6 win at Purdue. Evan Royster was the difference rushing for 141 yards and a score plus another 53 yards on 4 catches. Next up: night game at Wisconsin. In between Matlock reruns, Joe Pa watched from the press box.	--
7		USC trailed 10-3 in the 2nd Qtr before scoring 41 unanswered points on their way to a 44-10 pasting of Oregon. Total yards: USC 598, Oregon 239. Sanchez went for 332 and 3 TD. Next up: Arizona State	1
8		Bye week. Next up: Tennessee	1
9		The Red Raiders stayed undefeated thanks to 454 yards passing and 6 TDs from Graham Harrell in a 58-28 win over Kansas State. Looking at the schedule, Leach's crew has two more freebies before they hit a stretch @ Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma State and @ Oklahoma. The drop is unrelated to this game - just caught myself thinking like a real voter due the their record and had to correct. I don't see them as better than UGA or USC.	2
10		Pryor's game winning drive combined with a big game from Beanie and a stout 2nd half effort from the defense helped OSU to 20-17 come from behind win in Madison. Beanie: 22/168, 1 TD. OSU has won 8 of last 9 road games against ranked opponents and 12 straight on the road in conference.	--

11		The Gators broke open a 17-7 game after 3 quarters with a 21 point 4th en route to a 38-7 win over the Arkansas. Chris Rainey (2 TD) and Jeffrey Demps (1 TD) each ran for 103 yards giving Florida two 100 yard rushers in the same game for the first time since 1997. Penalties: UF 12/110. Tebow had school record streak of 203 passes without a pick snapped in 3rd quarter.	2
12		The Cougars jumped out to a 34-0 lead behind Max Hall's 303 yards, 2 TD (2 INT) in a 34-14 win over powerhouse Utah State. BYU posted 4 takeaways but committed 12 penalties for 123 yards.	1
13		Boise State moved to 35-1 at home since 2003 with a 38-3 win over La. Tech. QB Kellen Moore threw for 325 and 2 TD's and RB D.J. Harper picked up 2 TD's on the ground. The Broncos play just one more game against a ranked foe, Fresno State, after beating Oregon back on 9/20.	4
14		Vandy beat Auburn 14-13 behind 2 TD passes from backup QB Mackenzi Adams. The win was Vandy's first against Auburn since 1955 and was their first as a ranked team since 1956. Vandy's 3 game win streak is their longest since 1982.	5
15		OK State's offense remained in overdrive as the Cowboys blitzed Texas A&M 56-28. Dez Bryant had 5 catches for 103 yards and 3 TD. A&M: 5 TO's.	6
16		Trailing 20-0 at the half, Kansas stormed back with 35 second half points to pull off a 35-33 comeback win against Iowa State in Ames. Reesing threw 3 second half TD's and finished with 319 yards passing making it 4 straight games of at least 300 yards passing.	1
17		The Utes needed 11 points in the last 89 seconds, including a 37 yard field goal at the gun, to get past Oregon State 31-28 in Salt Lake City. The Mountain West is now 6-1 against the Pac-10 this season.	1
18		The Hokies were held to under 300 yards of total offense for the third straight game but still held a 27-3 lead early in the 3rd Qtr before giving up a few late scores in a less than impressive 27-13 win over Western Kentucky. VT has won 30 straight at home against non-conference foes.	4
19		Auburn's new spread offense managed just 208 total yards and committed 11 penalties for 81 yards in a 14-13 road loss to Vandy. A missed XP in the 1st Qtr came back to bite Tuberville's over hyped squad.	5
20		Pitt showed some signs of life as the Wannstache took his Panthers into South Florida and came out with a 26-21 win. LeSean McCoy led the charge with 28 carries for 142 yards and two scores.	NR
21		A 26-21 home loss to the Wannestache should finally give the voters some perspective on USF. I fault myself for slotting them 12th before the loss. The Bulls are a decent, but very beatable team in a sorry conference. USF lost the total yards battle in both rushing and passing and chipped in 11 penalties taboot. Not pretty.	9
22		The Badgers had their 16 game home winning streak snapped and Bret Bielema lost his first home game as coach. Next up: Home against PSU.	2
23		Sparty got a late 4th down stand when Iowa decided against a 38 yard field goal attempt that would've tied the game resulting in a 16-13 win in East Lansing. Ringer never got loose finishing with 25 for 91, 0 TD.	NR
24		Cal QB Nate Longshore list up ASU for 3 TD passes in his return to the starting lineup leading the Bears to a 24-14 over a highly disappointing ASU squad. Seriously, I'd hate to be an ASU fan considering the lofty expecations dashed early and Rudy Carpenter was on crutches after the game with USC looming next week. Guess us Buckeye fans don't have it so bad after all. Hell, I'd move from AZ to Columbus to support the Buckeyes if I lived there.	NR
25		Juice got loose for Michigan Stadium record 431 yards of offense in 45-20 win over RichRod. The 45 points were the most scored against Michigan in Ann Arbor since 1991 (FSU: 51).	NR

DROPPED OUT: Fresno State (#18), Oregon (#23), Connecticut (#24).

Defense Comes Up Big After Halftime I know the Wisconsin offense isn't exactly a juggernaut but the OSU defense deserves some props for their performance in the second half.

The unit stopped the Badgers on four of five possessions helping change momentum surrendered at the end of the first half thanks to a 77 yard drive resulting in a field goal and a 10-7 Wisconsin lead. Of course, the D wouldn't even have had to take the field for that drive if not for Tressel's poor play calling on OSU's last series. I'll get to that later.

Back to the Bullets, their clutch play shaped up like this:

• Taking the field to start the second half, the Buckeyes held Wisconsin to 16 yards on 6 plays, 3 of them Evridge incompletions. Considering how mentally fragile this team can be, the hold was huge in that it kept the deficit at three and the fans in their seats. The offense then responded with a 10 play, 77 yard drive ending in a field goal and a 10-10 tie.
• Following the OSU FG, the defense again asserted itself forcing the Badgers to punt after a 6 play, 11 yard drive that started on the Wisc 35 thanks to a late hit by Torrence. The big play was Freeman's 6 yard sack on 1st down at the OSU 48 pushing Wisconsin back to their side of the field and into an obvious passing situation. Evridge responded with back to back incompletions ending the possession.
• On the third defensive series of the half, the Bullets backed up a booming punt from Trapasso (to Wisc 24) with a huge three and out. The Buckeyes gave up zero yards allowing a shift in field position that gave OSU the ball at their own 41. The big play was a sack by Heyward on 3rd and 5 after the Bucks stuffed PJ Hill on 2nd and 5. The offense then responded with a 10 play, 43 yard drive capped by 34 yard Pretorious FG and a 13-10 lead with 4:54 left in the third.
• The fourth series was the lone stinker as the Buckeyes gave up the lead thanks to a 10 play, 63 yard drive in which the Badgers peeled off runs of 14, 9, 17, and 15 yards before PJ Hill punched it in from 2 yards out making it 17-13 Wisky with 6:31 to play. Not pretty. At all.
• Taking the field with 1:08 left and a 3 point lead, the fifth and final defensive series was a quick one as Jenkins picked off Evridge at the Wisc 34 on 1st down to seal the deal. Huge. Especially because the D did what it couldn't do at the end of the first half - get a stop.

In total, the D gave up just 90 second half yards after hemorrhaging 236 in the first. Throwing out the TD drive, OSU held Wisconsin to 16 plays and 27 yards with an INT. Good stuff. Sure, they can still be hard to watch but the players and coaches on that side of the ball deserve some credit for the second half. No crumbling under the road pressure on this night. I'll take that baby step.

Beanie is the Best Player in College Football I don't know that I think he can get back in Heisman contention, but there's no doubting who is the best player in college football.

Last night's performance was just the latest example of what he means to this team. After going for 169 against Wisky last year, Beanie put up a 22 carry, 168 yard night featuring numerous game changing plays. Certainly, the 33 yard touchdown to get things started was beautiful but I think the 54 yard gallop early in the 3rd quarter moving the ball from the OSU 20 to the Wisconsin 26 was his biggest contribution. The run changed the field and essentially assured the Bucks of at least a field goal trailing 10-7. Again, as mentally fragile as this team can be, the run helped stave off any offensive collapse that might allow Wisconsin to extend the lead.

On the season, Beanie is averaging nearly 8 yards a pop (7.9) and his presence in the backfield makes things that much more comfortable for Pryor. Look at the clinching TD, the safety committed to Wells in fear of the pitch which left TP with a huge lane to paydirt. A complete back, he also continues to provide fantastic pass blocking and seems to be the voice in Pryor's head helping push him to greatness.

Have You Seen a More Physical Game? Wow. I know the SEC has the speed, blah blah blah but last night's game was one of those throwback smash-mouth Big Ten games that make your body hurt just by watching.

I think no less than four players needed help off the field and at least one (Boom) was knocked out cold. The hit on Boom was questionable in that he was actually a receiver on the play. The replay wasn't a wide enough shot to see exactly if Pryor was already being tackled but if he wasn't that should've been a penalty because Boom was running a route. To me, that's why he was prone and not looking for contact - he was running an adjusted route due the the scramble and got clocked. Anyone have thoughts on this?

Either way, Wisconsin's Jay Valai is one of those players I love to hate but would love him on my team. He not only put out Boom but he also punished Sanzenbacher causing the fumble. The Buckeye defense could use a guy that plays with the same "I'm not just gonna tackle you, I'm gonna destroy you" tenacity - we haven't seen it since Doss.

The Buckeyes did get in some licks of their own most notably Sabino laying some wood and Heyward dropping dude on Jenkins' INT return.

Overall, just a fun game to watch. Even the routine plays featured slobber knockers with both teams LB's stepping in to take on big RB's. Definitely won't see the same next week against Purdue's finesse team.

Pryor's Final Drive I found it interesting the game winning drive engineered by TP was a microcosm of his overall performance which was a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. I'm not complaining because I expect it with his unreal gifts combined with a lack of experience. It's just wild how he can make a mind blowing play out of nothing then take a 20 yard sack. Knowing he'll have it all figured out by season's end, they better make space over at the WHAC for his 2009 Heisman Trophy.

Back to the final drive..The first play was an incomplete pass to Hartline. Catchable, but needed to be thrown lower and with more zip. After a Beanie run, he threw a 3rd down strike over the middle to Hartline for 19 yards and a first down.

On first down, he fumbled a fake handoff to Beanie putting OSU in a 2nd and 15 hole. So, what's he do? He finds Hartline again over the middle (great protection) for 22 yards. Great look. A little "floaty" but still a good pass.

He scared the crap out of me on the next play flipping a dangerous option to Beanie for 9 yards. Following a 2 yard run from Wells, he dropped back and though the pocket didn't collapse he stepped up and slipped for a four yard loss making it 2nd and 14.

Again, he responded buying some time before hitting Small over the middle setting up 3rd and 1. Ho hum. Two plays later, he ran the option keeper to perfection as Wisconsin got caught trying to get into their formation.

Clutch drive from a true freshman with tons of expectations, hype and pressure on his shoulders. Of course, he's so calm I'm sure he sees it as just another step toward greatness.

Quick Thoughts on Coaching A few items on the coaching last night..First, I was admittedly upset that OSU won the toss and elected to receive on the road. Shows you what I know as the Bucks marched down the field to quiet the crowd. Pretty ballsy by Tress to take the ball considering a poor opening possession would have created a short field. I would've put the D out there to start but maybe it just comes down to Tressel trusting TP more than he trusts the D. What do you think?

One thing I know I disagree with was the play calling on the last series of the first half. I loved the attempt to hit Robo on a bomb on 1st down but I felt, with just over a minute on the clock at their own 29, he should have called running plays on both 2nd and 3rd down to run the clock down.

The offense had been terrible since the opening drive, generating just 50 yards of offense in almost two full quarters, so throwing on 2nd down was foolish. The offense ended up running just 22 seconds off the clock forcing Wisconsin to take just one timeout instead of two, which would've given them 0 timeouts upon taking possession.

Instead, Tressel made his defense go out there again, just 3 game minutes removed from giving up an 8 minute, 15 play, 91 yard TD drive. Plus, Wisconsin was able to save the timeout to set up the field goal. I'll never understand what Tress was thinking on that sequence.

Hopefully everyone is feeling as good as I am (even though I still have an alcohol buzz) this morning after a great win in Madison last night. It is good to know I will have a few more NFL Buckeyes to write about in the coming years, but thankfully I don't have to write about the offensive #2 until 2011.

Division races are starting to shape up as we head into week 5 of the NFL season. The big matchups are out west, where Buffalo is at Arizona and San Francisco is playing host to New England.

I have mentioned for a couple of weeks now, Buffalo maybe for real, lead by Donte Whitner and Ashton Youboty. The Bills are looking to start 5-0 for the first time since 1991. They may have it a bit easier against the Cardinals, as Anquan Boldin is out with a neck injury. Last week Buffalo took care of St. Loius 31-14, as Whitner recorded his first career sack.

The other big game has Nate Clements trying to help slow down Randy Moss. The 49ers are tied with Seattle for the lead out west at 2-2. A victory today could put them in sole possession of first, as Seattle travels to New York to face the Giants. Clements is fifth on the team with 17 tackles and has also forced a fumble. Larry Grant is still on the 49ers practice squad and I wonder how much he emulated Mike Vrabel in practice this week.

The game featuring the most Buckeyes has Atlanta at Green Bay. Even though he registered only 2 tackles last week, AJ Hawk still leads the Packers with 28 stops and is tied for second with 2 sacks. Green Bay is hoping to keep pace with my beloved Bears atop the NFC North division.

No Buckeye on the Falcons roster is making waves. Sadly Micheal Jenkins has only caught 6 passes for a 113 yards, with his first catch of the year going for 62 yards and a touchdown. Ben Hartstock has shown less production, with 2 catches for 24 yards, even though he is listed as the starting tight end. Simon Fraser has been credited with only one assisted tackle.

If you are looking for some fantasy help, Anthony Gonzalez is back after his bye week and faces a Houston team that has given up an average of 33 points a game. Santonio Holmes might have a tough game, as Pittsburgh travels to Jacksonville for NBC's Football Night in America and Ted Ginn looks to get on track at home against Matt Wilhelm and the San Diego Chargers.

After 21 months of seeing the Buckeyes come up short in big games and the second guessing that accompanies that, they came through in a classic that was both nerve-wracking and one of those games that was so fun that you tip your hat to it at the end and think to yourself how honored you were to have been a part of it. From your couch.

Saturday night in Madison marked Terrelle Pryor's first start in a hostile road environment and with one slick 11 yard keeper with just over a minute to go, he crossed some other things off of his list. Pryor got his first comeback victory and the satisfaction of hearing Mark May praise his performance (through gritted teeth no doubt) looped on ESPN throughout the night. He played a part in snapping the Badgers' 16-game home winning streak, the second-longest in the nation. He handed Bret Bielema his first ever home loss and helped even his own coach's record against the only conference team that had logged a winning mark against him.

Pryor's night was far from perfect. He made his share of mistakes and seemed to let a hesitation funk stick with him for the middle quarters. You could also argue that Beanie Wells was just as, if not more important to the team's effort. But it will be Pryor's 80-yard victory march and the plays he made on that drive that will be remembered for years to come. He was so clutch, in fact, that we're considering switching the nicknames up a little and calling LeBron Terrelle in High Tops.

Offense

The two-headed backfield monster of Pryor and Wells got off to a raging start. On the opening series of the game, the two would account for all 71 yards, capped by a 33 yard rushing touchdown from Beanie. His run was a thing of beauty. Brewster got to the 2nd level and delivered a nice block on Casillas, while Browning, Boone and Cordle either sealed off their guys or bothered them long enough for Beanie to break through the eight Wisconsin defenders that were jammed into the box. The last ten yards of the play featured Troy, Ohio native Shane Carter getting clubbed by Beanie's forearm all of the way in to the endzone. It was 7-0 quick and the Buckeyes looked like they might have easy work ahead of them.

After forcing a punt, the Buckeye offense got the ball back again and moved 24 yards on three plays before a poor decision by Pryor led to an Allen Langford interception inside the Badger five. Pryor actually had plenty of time on the play as Wisconsin chose to only rush four, but he locked in on Saine from the snap and an underthrown bomb gave the ball back to the Badgers. Saine, not being a natural receiver didn't quite get up high enough to meet the ball, but credit to Langford with the nice snatch as well.

It seemed like it was at that point that Bielema and his staff decided they were going to start a heavy rotation of blitzing to force Pryor to beat them with his arm. For the better part of three quarters, that strategy almost paid off. Starting with that interception and carrying over possessions that included getting the ball at midfield off of a turnover, Pryor appeared to be trying to do too much by himself as he took several costly sacks, including a 20-yarder. He missed wide-open receivers on several instances that led to tackles or sacks for loss including Posey coming across the middle and Boom on the play he was destroyed on (wondering why there isn't a helmet-to-helmet rule/suspension in the college ranks).

But on the winning drive, Pryor answered the call by going 3 for 4 for 59 yards including a huge 3rd down pickup on the ground and through the air. We're going to cut him some slack and try not to dwell on the fumble he had on the fourth play of that drive. There's something about winning that washes some of that stank away.

Beanie was big beyond his early touchdown jaunt. I continue to be mesmerized by something he does each week and what really stood out to me from the Wisconsin game was how he was almost looking for and trying to make his cutback before receiving the handoff. I didn't think that was possible until I saw him pull it off a handful of times Saturday night. He finished with 168 yards on the ground, one less than he had against the Badgers last season and though he got his points early, his 54-yard burst down the far sideline on the Buckeyes' first offensive play of the 2nd half seemed to be his way of telling the team to get their heads out of their asses and they promptly began flipping the momentum that they had lost in the 2nd quarter.

That and he brought Pryor out of his funk by questioning his manhood.

Hartline lead the team in receptions with three for 57, with 46 of those coming on the final drive (in which he gave us all a jolly good scare by fumbling the ball -- thanks Robo!). Robiskie was largely ineffective, pulling in just 2 catches for 10 yards. Good enough to extend his regular season reception streak to 30 games, but not much more. Sanzenbacher had a couple of nifty catch-and-runs, but his second one ended in disaster when Badger corner Jay Valai, the same guy that knocked Boom out, was the major contributor in a four-man collision that saw the ball come squirting off and Dane being helped off of the field. I'll save you from going broken record on my thoughts about Sanzenbacher, but he's on pace to be helped off the field in four games this year. Posey did get into the game on the fourth play (and later caught a pass), so that placates me somewhat.

I thought the offensive line played well again. No, not perfect, but as long as I continue to see improvement on a game-by-game basis, I'm a happy man. Brewster had some great moments, as did Boone and Browning. The Badgers did get across for four sacks, but most, if not all of them were the result of Wisconsin bringing the heat and Pryor maybe not getting rid of the ball when he should have.

Defense

A youth movement is starting to take place on the defensive side of the ball. Homan may have played his best game as a Buckeye, tying his career high with 10 tackles. Ditto for Thaddeus Gibson. He's spoken of as probably the best cover lineman on the team and his forced fumble against Evridge early in the 2nd quarter was a thing of beauty (pounced on by Homan, of course). Later on, it was Gibson flushing and getting a hand on Evridge forcing the errant throw right into Jenkins' waiting arms to clinch the win. Sabino also made an appearance at linebacker, when the game was kind of on the line, so that bodes well for his continued ascension.

There were times when the Wisconsin offensive line just dominated the Buckeye defensive front and while that's frustrating as hell -- especially the despar you get when you realize that your boys can't stop a 3rd and 3, that's what Wisconsin lines do. They were playing at home and there may be three future NFL draft picks in that group. Heyward got a nice sack and from the interior, which is nice because he got it by overpowering his man. Freeman had the other sack for the Buckeyes, but his was a little less overpowering and more of the accidental variety. Still, we'll take it.

Jenkins got the big interception to end the game and Chekwa made some plays, but the safeties were eaten up at times, most notably during the 9 minute window of the 2nd quarter when Evridge looked like Dan Marino. Beckum is going to get his on whatever defense he goes up against and he did lead the Badgers with six receptions for 60 yards, but the Buckeyes held him out of the endzone.

It certainly wasn't lost on me or some of the other participants in the live blog that both Heyward's sack and Jenkins' game-ending interception (along with a few other notable defensive plays) occurred while the team was in man coverage. Hopefully that really jumps out on film.

Special Teams

Not much to complain about on the special teams front. Trapasso was once again the star of the unit, punting four times for 195 yards -- good enough for an average of 48.8. Impressive. His long was a 67-yard beauty that just barely missed getting downed inside the five.

Pretorius was two for two on a pair of short kicks while the return teams remained consistent by not doing anything spectacular. Rasta Wells had a nice 24-yard kick return off of a nice Sabino block (marking the fourth straight week he's stood out on that unit).

Some good, some bad on special teams, but this wasn't going to be a game won on special teams.

Notes

I loved seeing the players dancing it up during "Jump Around"... Tressel chose the ball first and for the third straight time, Pryor led the Buckeyes to a touchdown on their opening possession of the game. He's now 3 for 3 doing that as a starter... Wisconsin held almost a two to one yard advantage at the half (236 to 122)... The Buckeyes were penalized five times for 30 yards, while the Badgers were whistled just three times for 19 yards (I can only remember one of those being on the Buckeye line, though, so that's good news)... Why was Travis Beckum jawing at Beanie after he had run out of bounds following planting Allen Langford into the turf?

Spurred on by a comment or two in the open thread, we present our first ever live blog. This should be a little more interactive approach than the open thread formats and should avoid the WordPress comment throttling annoyances. Stop by to vent or gloat, however the night may pan out.

[UPDATE: The action has moved to a Live Blog located here.]

Two significant things have happened since we published our Wisconsin preview Friday morning and neither of them bode well for the Badgers.

First came word that the team's leading receiver, tight end Garrett Graham, is not likely to play. Yes, Beckum is definitely a better tight end, but anytime you lose your team's leading receiver, that's not a good thing.

Then news hit that the entire Badger Marching Band (Marching Badgers?) has been suspended from performing due to hazing by way of alcohol consumption and "inappropriate sexual behavior". They will not be playing tonight, marking the first time in at least 40 years that the marching band has been suspended from a game.

There must be something about those trips to Ann Arbor:

In October 2006, the university put the band on probation for seminude dancing, sexualized banter and hazing that occurred during a road trip to the University of Michigan.

The band is a huge part of the atmosphere at Camp Randall and this can only be classified as a bonus to the Buckeyes' chances.

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Another night game means another long day of filled with the agonizing task of watching the game I love while plopped on my couch, remote in hand and beverages at the ready. The slate this weekend will probably go down as the worst of the season as there just aren't that many compelling matchups. Then again, I would watch Delaware battle Alcorn State on a Tuesday afternoon if I could. And you know there's another upset -- or three -- in there somewhere.

Illinois at Michigan, 3:30PM - ABC
Will Michigan be able to build on last weekend's comeback win? Will we see the dynamic Juice Williams that showed up against Missouri and Eastern Illinois or will we see the Juice Williams that was held under 200 yards passing and an four yards per carry like he was against Louisiana-Lafayette and Penn State? Will Steven Threet break another 50+ yarder off? So many questions and to top it off, I can't decide which one of these teams I would like to see humiliated more.

Kentucky at #2 Alabama, 3:30PM - CBS
These folks (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5) will be going nuts for their beloved Crimson Tide and Bear Saban as they welcome the crew back to Bryant-Denny to take on an undefeated (and probably underrated) Kentucky team. The Tide resurgence rests squarely on the fact that they've been able to kick ass on both sides of the line. Look no further than the fact that through five games, they're out-rushing their opponents by a whopping 800 yards. The Wildcats will have their work cut out for them, but Baby Hartline is quietly putting together a pretty good season at quarterback at quarterback for Rich Brooks.

#14 Auburn at #16 Vanderbilt, 6:00PM - ESPN
College GameDay is coming to Vandy for the first time ever and it appears as if they had some trouble finding a location close to the venue. Fans are encouraged to "wear comfortable walking shoes". Tony Franklin's spread hasn't exactly been firing on all cylinders for Auburn, but the Tigers are getting the benefit of the doubt from Vegas entering the game as 4.5 point favorites. However, I don't think any of us would be surprised to see Vanderbilt win this one.

#23 Oregon at #10 USC, 8:00PM - ABC (West Coast)
The Ducks took out a tough loss to Boise State two weeks ago on Washington State last week to the tune of 63-14 (that score should ring bells associated with great pain and humiliation for Buckeye fans) last week. Today, it's USC's turn to vent, fresh off their own bad loss to Oregon State. The game is in LA and it's against a ranked foe, so you gotta love USC.

#4 Missouri at Nebraska, 9:00PM - CBS
Nebraska and the fighting Pelinis will have a great opportunity to put the new regime on the map. A lot of Buckeye fans are pulling for Bo and though they may have a tough time stopping Chase Daniel and that point-a-minute offense, he'll have the Cornhuskers ready. Ready or not, look for Missouri to get their first win in Lincoln in 30 years.

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Kick back, have fun and stay soberish until at least 8PM and you should be golden. It's almost time for the Pryor and Beanie show.

#15 Ohio State 4-1, 1-0 Big Ten Roster | Schedule

October 4, 2008 8:00 PM ET - ABC —— Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI

#20 Wisconsin 3-1, 0-1 Big Ten Roster | Schedule

You've heard the numbers all week long. Wisconsin is the only team in the Big Ten that the Vest has a losing record against (2-3). Bret Bielema has won 16 straight at Camp Randall. The Badgers' last home night game loss came in 1995. Bielema squats 950 pounds. And so on.

Then there's the history. After driving 76 yards to force a 10-all tie with six minutes to go, filthy rich Lee Evans snapped the Buckeyes' 19-game winning streak by faking Chris Gamble out of his shoes the last time the two teams met in Madison. Four times in the last eight seasons, an unranked or lower ranked Badger team has knocked off a ranked Buckeye team.

But what about the epic meltdown last weekend in Ann Arbor? You know -- the one where the Badger defense made Steven Threet look like Michael Vick? Surely this team can't be any good. Well, you only have to look back to the upset in 2003 to see how an inspired Wisconsin team responded after getting embarrassed by UNLV in a 23-5 home loss. Make no mistake, this team will be ready to go and the atmosphere will provide a huge spark.

So, despite all of the excitement on our end over Pryor and the return of Beanie and any thoughts of weakness on the side of the Badgers, this is game is likely to be won like most Ohio State-Wisconsin games are won: by the team that comes out and punches the other one in the mouth the longest.

Opponent

If the Badgers are known for anything, it's for having a punishing rushing attack. Ginormous linemen and fullbacks paving the way for star running backs that are often just as big. After missing P.J. Hill (#39) last year when he sat out due to a leg injury, the Buckeye defense will get their first taste of the 236 pound redshirt junior. The former consensus national freshman of the year broke on to the scene with a 1,569 yard season and followed it up with 1,236 yards in 11 games last year. He opened this season big by going for 210 against Akron but was kept largely in check by both Marshall (18/57) and Michigan (22/70). If you're looking for patterns, he's alternated big games with sub-par performances through four games this season and this week he's due.

When Hill is stuffed, Wisconsin will turn to 23 year-old 5th-year senior Allan Evridge (#4). He saw limited action last season, but has just four career starts and only really looked exceptional in one of them -- when he threw for 308 in week two against Marshall. Still, he only has four touchdowns on the year against three interceptions -- not quite Bradford-esque.

That could be because the best receiver on the team, tight end Travis Beckum (#9) has only played in parts of two games. After sitting out against Akron and Marshall, he suited up against Fresno State in week three and had four catches for 51 yards. Last weekend, against the Wolverines, he didn't enter the game until late, but he will be ready to go Saturday night. Big (6-4/235) and possessing great hands, if he's anywhere near full speed, he'll be a handful for the Buckeye defense -- and a nice safety blanket for Evridge.

While Beckum was out, backup tight end Garrett Graham (#89) stepped up and is leading the team in receptions. He missed the Michigan game due to a foot injury, but like Beckum, he should be available against Ohio State. Not only does he provide Evridge with a second option he trusts, but he's probably the better blocker of the two. When the Badgers line up in a double tight end set, they can throw just as easy as run.

One area the Badgers are not getting production out of is at receiver. Diminutive David Gilreath (#85) leads the group with just 11 receptions in four games, with a long of 22 yards. For someone of his size (5-11/165), you'd expect him to be a complete burner, but the fact that he only earned one track letter in high school seems to indicate otherwise. Glenville product Kyle Jefferson (#7) is the deep threat on the team. He's tall at 6-5, but also thin as hell, checking in at 175 pounds. For the season, he's been kept out of the endzone and was shutout completely by Fresno State.

The Badger offensive line, in addition to being so skilled at run blocking can pass protect a little as well. They have allowed only four sacks on the season -- or one less than the number of sacks the Buckeyes allowed to USC. The leaders of the group are big Kraig Urbik (#63) at right tackle and Eric Vandenheuvel (#71) on the other side. Between them the two seniors have an astounding 70 career starts and will provide a huge test to Gibson and Wilson.

The Badger defensive line is led by 5th-year senior defensive tackle Jason Chapman (#91) and senior defensive end Matt Shaughnessy (#92). Chapman is the real deal and may spark a little bit of tackle envy out of the Buckeye faithful. They don't register a lot of sacks, but both are excellent at penetration and stuffing the run.

Senior linebacker Jonathan Casillas (#2) is a playmaker and snared an early 49-yard interception return against the Wolverines last weekend, but he's probably best known in the CFB universe for his DUI arrest while riding a moped. He's legit, but it's hard to fear a guy with that on his record. That and the Steven Threet exhibition.

Cornerback Allen Langford (#17) has plenty of starts under his belt but hasn't exactly been the dominant force he was expected to be after earning honorable mention all-conference accolades his sophomore year of 2006. Wisconsin does have six interceptions against only four passing touchdowns allowed on the year, but three of those picks came against Marshall. Akron and Fresno State both had success throwing the ball against the Badgers.

After the game in Ann Arbor last weekend, Wolverine running back Brandon Minor alluded to the fact that the Wisconsin defense was lacking in stamina, which Bielema quickly shot down, but the truth is if the Buckeyes can keep the Badger offense from eating up huge chunks of time and yards, this is a defense that can be exposed.

NOTES: Wisconsin's last home loss came on November 12, 2005 to Iowa... Bret Bielema is 6-0 in night games... Camp Randall Stadium is the oldest stadium in the Big Ten conference... Badger tight end coach Joe Rudolph was on Ohio State's staff from 2004-06.

Buckeye Breakdown

Much has already been made of the fact that this is Pryor's first start in a hostile road environment. Personally, I'm confident that Jump Around and the loaded marshmallows won't rattle him in the least. Players like Pryor, that seem to play at three levels above their competition, seem to rise to the occasion in circumstances like he's sure to see. Think Vince in the Rose Bowl (or Ohio Stadium), Jordan at the Garden and Gallagher in front of a watermelon. Guys like this live for this sort of challenge.

Should Pryor struggle, the hero in last year's matchup, Beanie Wells, will be around to take the pressure off. After being held to six carries in the first half, Beanie had eight rushes for 95 yards and two 30+ yard touchdowns on back-to-back second half drives to turn a 17-10 deficit into a lead on the way to a 38-17 Buckeye victory. He finished with 169 yards rushing and three touchdowns on the day, crossing the 1,000 yard mark for the first time in his career midway through the game.

Look for the team to throw the ball around more often than it did last weekend when Pryor finished with just 13 attempts. I stress the word look because there have been and will continue to be many called passes that LIC turns into 20 yard gains on the ground. Just because he can.

Robiskie had his breakout game last weekend and it would be great to see Hartline do the same this week. Even better would be Posey, Small or Washington catching a bomb or two.

Rehring makes his return to the offensive line this week, but Tressel was very non-commital when pressed for how many plays he'd see. Brewster has had his share of rookie mistakes at center and will have his hands full with Chapman this weekend, but he's starting to approach turn-the-corner territory in what could be the start of a great career in Columbus. I fully expect Boone to follow-up his excellent performance last week with another dominating game. It took a while, but midway through his senior season he may finally be learning how important it is to go hard on every play.

You'd be justified in being worried about the interior of the Buckeye defensive line taking on that Badger o-line and P.J. Hill. There's a reason to be optimistic, however, because tackling Beanie in practice all of these years is about the closest you're going to get to simulating what it's like to tackle Hill. Still, it's probably been a while since they've hit Beanie in practice.

If the Buckeyes can hold on first and second downs, the line should be able to pin their ears back and get after Evridge a little. Gibson is on the verge of having a coming out party of sorts and Heyward and Wilson are also both due for a game-changer. When defending the pass, the line should look to get their hands up as Evridge's height (a generously listed 6-2) may allow for some batted passes.

Laurinaitis turned in a monster game against Wisconsin last season with 19 tackles and he should be just as active this weekend between tracking Beckum and stepping up in run defense. He'll also get some help from Freeman and probably Hines and Coleman on the Beckum front.

Considering the way the Buckeyes took Eric Decker out of the game last weekend, I'm not at all troubled by the Wisconsin receivers -- outside of Beckum. That statement will probably come back to haunt me, but that group should be neutralized by the skill and experience in the Buckeye secondary.

I'm sure the coaches have been drilling it into the team all week, but Bielema is a crafty cat. There was the clock chicanery against Penn State two years ago and don't forget that Wisconsin dialed-up two fake punts against the Buckeyes last season in Columbus.

Key on the run, limit Beckum's production and watch out for the trickery and Ohio State has a real shot to come out of Madison with that rare road win. If Pryor leads the Buckeyes to another touchdown on an opening drive, there's good cause to believe the team will get the type of win that will impress the voters and maybe nudge the team up the rankings a bit.

NOTES: Ohio State is 6-3 in Big Ten night games under Tressel... J.B. Shugarts will be held out of action this week after hurting his shoulder in practice... OSU leads the all-time series with the Badgers 51-17-5 including a 23-10-2 mark in Madison... Surprisingly, the Buckeyes lead the Big Ten in return average... Mike Patrick, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe will be doing the game for ABC.

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PREDICTION: Ohio State 27, Wisconsin 16

A few weeks ago, we gave you the chance to have some 11W stickers sent your way. We didn't know how many request would be received, after all how many of our 103 readers would really want the stickers. The actual response blew us away.

I sent stickers out west to Oregon, Utah, Arizona, California and Washington. 11W and Buckeye Pride were sent down to Atlanta, Myrtle Beach, Dallas and throughout the state of Florida. I even sent some up north to Michigan and to mid-town Manhattan. All in all close to 800 stickers were sent out across Buckeye Country.

With all due respect to those loyal readers and great cities, the coolest place the 11W sticker ended up was in Kuwait. I was able to get some stickers to loyal reader Rich before he took off for another tour of duty in the Middle East. He promised to send some photos and as you can see above, he didn't disappoint.

As you can imagine, Rich says there are many Buckeye fans who are serving in our Armed Forces here in the states and overseas. He even sent a link where troops can send video messages back to the states and the Ohio State search is quite impressive. It is an honor to know that 11W may help keep these true Warriors in the Buckeye know.

If you want some stickers or need some more, just send me an email at corey@elevenwarriors.com and I will get some off to you.

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A special shout-out goes to Jason, who was quoted in the USA Today this morning during their Ohio State/Wisconsin preview.

I know we're in the heart of football season but the hoops squad is only six weeks removed from their first exhibition game and seven weeks from the season opener against Delaware State. This, coupled with Dickie V recently naming Jon Diebler as a sophomore who will have a greater impact this season got me thinking some roundball.

As long as worthy updates persist, I'll use my Thursday afternoon slot for hoops related happenings leading up to tip off.

There's no doubt Diebler took his lumps in last year's up and mostly down season. He did manage to bury 48 triples, good for 2nd all time for OSU freshmen, however he needed 166 attempts to do it meaning he shot a meager 28.9% from beyond the arc.

The campaign also saw him struggle to get his own shot against college defenders and his ball handling (43 turnovers against 45 assists) was still on the high school level resulting in 80% of his field goal attempts coming from deep.

His limited skill set was further diminished by a lack of confidence meaning he needed a summer of major growth to avoid significant bench time this season considering Matta's glut of perimeter players including wings Evan Turner, David Lighty and William Buford combined with point guards Jeremie Simmons, PJ Hill and Noopy Crater.

I'm not convinced Diebler has a ceiling above being a spare part streak shooter but I would like nothing more than to see this kid prove Vitale right. Personally, I think Diebs showed enough physical and mental flaws in his game to have me thinking Vitale needs to lay off the Patron.

What do you guys think? Will Diebler breakout this year or will he struggle to get minutes?

There was plenty of talk on Wednesday about how Beanie Wells is still out to win the Heisman despite appearing in only two games this season. Though he probably won't get the 1800+ he'd need to win the award, put him in the (rather tiny) camp that believes the trophy created in his likeness should go to the best player in college football regardless of numbers or team success:

"I like to think that the Heisman is not out of my reach, because a lot of times people get to thinking the Heisman is all about numbers and a team's record," Wells said after practice yesterday. "But when it all comes down to it, it's (about) who is the best player in college football. Plain and simple."

In reality, he probably has as much of a chance of bagging the award this season as I do of making out with Emmanuelle Chriqui in a dumpster off of Chittenden. But, I absolutely love his spirit.

His optimism is no doubt boosted by lining up in the same backfield with Pryor and though we certainly aren't counting on him coming back next season, there's a glimmer of hope. He's spoken a lot recently about the pure awesomeness that is lining up next to LIC and he's also spoken openly this season, particularly before the injury, about the Heisman, so it clearly means a lot to him. The damage they'd do together next season evokes memories of Tommy Frazier and Lawrence Phillips -- but more devastating.

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"I just hurdled this kid."
Brian Robiskie was on the field for The Hurdle, but he had his back turned to the play when the Shoe erupted:

"So I'm wondering, why's everybody cheering, and he was like, 'You didn't see? I just hurdled this kid.'" Robiskie said Tuesday. "I said, 'What do you mean, you hurdled a kid? You don't do that.' He was like, 'No, no, no. You didn't see it? I was like 8 feet in the air!'"

Tight quote, but Robo still thinks Boone got more elevation when he jumped Hartline in State College last season.

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Where Will Kiffin End Up?
Less than 48 hours after Al Davis ditched Lane Kiffin in Oakland, rumors of his next destination have begun heating up in earnest. I know a lot of you would love to see him in Columbus, but chances are his next position will be of the HC variety. Both Syracuse and Tennessee are already being floated as potential jobs for the former USC offensive coordinator.

If he does take a head position somewhere, I hope it's in the Big Ten (Iowa should have an opening soon). I think the biggest differentiator between the SEC and the Big Ten is the coaching talent and though Kiffin heading to Iowa City or some other Big Ten town would make things a little more difficult on the Buckeyes, the boost in recruiting and innovation he'd bring would certainly help the conference.

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More Gear
We're on a roll and have added yet another t-shirt to the 11W Store. You can get one for free by guessing the score of the Wisconsin game -- or better yet -- you can buy one and help us get those new rims we've had our eyes on for the 11W Tour Bus.