I will be starting Rondale Moore in fantasy football this week. No, I'm still not over it.
Don't worry.
— Mia O'Brien (@MiaOBrienTV) September 22, 2021
I asked Urban Meyer about #Cardinals, @BoilerFootball alum Rondale Moore #Jaguars | @FCN2go pic.twitter.com/tQfGXJouR5
Word of the Day: Acrimony.
THE HEAVIEST OF FAVORITES. I don't think there's anyone in the world that would argue that the Buckeyes have looked particularly dominant in their first three games. And yet, Ohio State heads into Saturday's showdown as an obscene 48.5-point favorite (down from a 52-point favorite at opening).
The line felt obscenely high to me, so I decided to spend my day doing something a little more productive than photoshopping a meat jersey on Ohio State's freshman running back and did some good old-fashioned research.
Turns out, this is just the 11th time the Buckeyes have been favored by 40 or more points, and the 48.5-point spread is the third-largest in program history behind only the 52-point spread against Rutgers in 2019 (which Ohio State didn't cover) and the 51-point spread against Florida A&M in 2013 (which Ohio State covered easily.
| Date | Away | Home | Score | Result | Home Spread | ATS | Total | OU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 16, 2019 | OHIO STATE | RUTGERS | 56-21 | W | +52.0 | L | 63.0 | O |
| Nov 9, 2019 | MARYLAND | OHIO STATE | 73-14 | W | -42.5 | W | 66.0 | O |
| Sep 1, 2018 | OREGON STATE | OHIO STATE | 77-31 | W | -40.0 | W | 63.0 | O |
| Nov 18, 2017 | ILLINOIS | OHIO STATE | 52-14 | W | -41.0 | L | 53.0 | O |
| Sep 23, 2017 | UNLV | OHIO STATE | 54-21 | W | -40.5 | L | 66.5 | O |
| Sep 12, 2015 | HAWAI'I | OHIO STATE | 38-0 | W | -42.5 | L | 66.0 | U |
| Sep 21, 2013 | FLORIDA A&M | OHIO STATE | 76-0 | W | -51.0 | W | 54.5 | O |
| Sep 25, 2010 | EASTERN MICHIGAN | OHIO STATE | 73-20 | W | -44.5 | W | 58.0 | O |
| Sep 18, 1999 | OHIO | OHIO STATE | 40-16 | W | -43.0 | L | 0.0 | N/A |
| Sep 13, 1997 | BOWLING GREEN | OHIO STATE | 44-13 | W | -40.5 | L | 0.0 | N/A |
The good news is, Ohio State is a perfect 10-0 straight up in these games. In fact, only three of these opponents even came within 40 points of the Buckeyes since 2000 with Rutgers losing by 35 in 2019, UNLV losing by 33 in 2017 and Hawai'i by 38 in 2015.
But before you toss that rent payment on the Bucks, please know that the Buckeyes are only 4-6 against the spread against these opponents, and Ryan Day is personally 0-1.
If you really want to know where the money is, peep that over/under trend. These games have gone over the posted total in 7-1 games where Vegas set a total. Free money!
“IT'S WILD STUFF, MAN.” Some people keep insisting Urban Meyer's going to come back to coach college football when he inevitably flames out in Jacksonville, but I don't think those people are living in reality.
I mean, part of Meyer's problem in the NFL seems to be that he's not exactly clicking with millionaire professionals who play football for a full-time job. This sure doesn't sound like a guy who now wants to deal with millionaire college students, instead.
“(It’s) wild stuff man,” Meyer told reporters Wednesday when asked about NIL deals in NCAA athletics. “The guy never played a snap and gets $1.5 million. I imagine getting him to go to Sociology 101 is not easy. Once again, that’s not my issue.”
And that's not even factoring in the NCAA transfer portal and the one-time transfer rule, all of which came about after Meyer handed Ryan Day his whistle.
And folks really think this man is about to gleefully stroll back into that USC job...
PRETTY GOOD! I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Ohio State has never finished the season with two running backs averaging more than 8 yards per carry.
But I'm all for making history, so let's keep this rolling.
A at the @OhioStateFB RBs.#B1GToday pic.twitter.com/xEIRHKJyXT
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) September 22, 2021
I must admit, I have my concerns about the fact that this offense can't seem to sustain drives and is only really to be able to score on plays of 30+ yards. But if that's the way it's going to be, at least there are some homerun hitters out of the backfield.
THAT CHECKS OUT. Y'all want a good laugh on a Friday morning? Keep reading!
DISLIKE: ARIZONA CARDINALS FITTING THE RUN
I joined PFF to create carefully considered takeaways from data and film study, such as the following: The Cardinals really stink at stopping the run.
The team’s run defense is bad by every metric and on every level. Arizona surrendered 5.64 yards on average before making a tackle in Week 2, and that’s assuming that a tackle is made at all. The Cardinals’ 10 missed tackles against the Minnesota Vikings, a mark that was outpaced by only the Houston Texans.
To finish the game with a 27.2 run-defense grade in spite of tallying six tackles for loss or no gain speaks to how poorly the unit performed — and the film shows that each of those tackles came on a run blitz of some kind. The only way the defense can find any success is by selling out to get it.
If you're now wondering why the Arizona Cardinals' atrocious run defense is funny or relevant to Buckeye football, you're now going to want to click here, and it will all make sense.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Live and Let Die" by Paul McCartney.
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