WWE Backlash: Best to Worst - by Big Vin Vader

Many of us at Pencilstorm are fans of professional wrestling so we are thrilled to introduce our new beat writer of all things WWE, Big Vin Vader.

Sunday night was the SmackDown brand’s inaugural pay-per-view, Backlash, and I’d say we all got about what we expected.  It wasn’t bad, but it sure wasn’t great.  For the most part, it was alright, and will stand as pretty unremarkable despite the awarding of the new SmackDown Women’s and Tag Team title belts, but it was far from the company’s worst show this year.
  

                                 The Best

The best action of the night was Dolph Ziggler vs. the Miz for the Intercontinental title, which delivered on its promise of being one of the more satisfying matches on the card.  The story and psychology behind the match were good—the Miz has been on a tear, since his promo ripping into Daniel Bryan on Talking Smack.  Ziggler has been given plenty of chances lately, but always comes up short.  He’s determined and a hell of a challenger, so the crowd really sounded into the match.

Ziggler got in some nice amateur moves, while the Miz worked cheap, brawling and undermining Dolph’s attempts at really wrestling him.  It worked perfectly to emphasize the Miz’s cowardly streak at the center of the angle, and drew more heat to hold his place as SmackDown’s best heel.

The whole match, in fact was incredibly consistent on a card that you couldn’t say as much for, and the two performers managed to tell a good story while wrestling a damn fine match.  Ziggler got in some impressive moves, but the whole thing ended the only way it could: another loss for Dolph when he was maced and pinned.  The cheap win keep’s the Miz’s heel momentum and gained him more heat.

On the down side, The Miz’s reign as heel IC champ may be going pretty great, but he needs a more serious opponent, someone who can really threaten his position and make it feel believable.  Ziggler needs the same thing: something he can fight for and stand an actual chance at succeeding.  

                                  #2

The second best match of the night was the main event of Dean Ambrose vs. AJ Styles for the World Championship.  I’m a big fan of Ambrose, and his title win felt overdue after the impressive promo and ring work he’s accomplished this year.  AJ Styles has been on fire all year, with his entire run in the WWE only serving to emphasize his incredible talents.  His heel turn has been successful, giving him a more ruthless edge which pairs nicely with his natural wrestling ability.  He was the one person that should dethrone Ambrose, as his ring work is more impressive and the fact that he had yet to win any titles in the WWE.

There was a sense that this was the only match on the card really worth anyone’s time.  It wasn’t destined to be a classic, and the excitement of a true main event for the title wasn’t there.  It took a while for the two to really get into things, and the slow start was somewhat disappointing, consisting mostly of trash talk from Styles.

Around the ten-minute mark, however, the pace picked up, and both men put a more athletic, physical style on display.  Particularly surprising was Dean’s versatility, busting out a number of new moves.  Styles gave a hell of a performance as always, and Dean held his own while also pushing himself outside of his usual brawling comfort zone.

Styles managed to win the title with a low-blow while the ref was dazed.  It was a smart move, and the kind of thing that really makes his heel turn work.  Sure he can outwrestle Dean any day, but he did what he needed to win.  It’s continued the rivalry between the two, and if nothing else, maybe Dean can flourish without the scrutiny drawn to him by holding the championship.  Besides, Styles deserved the damn title, and the people wanted to see him win it.  

                                     #3

Taking the third spot was the six-pack challenge for the Women’s title, which kicked off the show. There wasn’t much consecutive in-ring action and the pace was a bit slow for most of the match.  What we did get, however were a handful of impressive moments, namely from Naomi and Columbus’ own Alexa Bliss.  The highlight was the conclusion, which saw Becky Lynch become the first SmackDown Women’s champion.  Nobody deserved the belt as much, nor did they have the same amount of popular support.  None of the other contenders really stood a chance.  Her speech after the match was emotional, as it should have been, and proved one of the night’s standout moments.
    

                              The Worst

The two tag matches were about the same in terms of quality, although the first pitting the Hype Bros. vs. the Usos was somewhat weaker.  The crowd couldn’t have cared less, and the action seemed to suffer for it. The Hype Bros got the better crowd reaction, but even that isn’t saying a lot.  Just like everyone else, I wanted American Alpha in the picture, so this wasn’t going to hold my interest regardless.

The match was a pretty unremarkable ten-minute tag bout, although Zack Ryder put in a fine showing with some high-energy moves, including a Frankensteiner. The crowd may have been vocal, but that’s just because they like to chant whenever they can.  Ryder submitted and the Usos moved on to nobody’s approval.  The one plus was that at least it seemed a lock for Rhyno/Slater to pick up the win in the final match.

The second match to award the new Tag Team titles was barely better, and saw Heath Slater/Rhyno against the Usos.  The match should have been a big deal, but the lack of interest in the competitors kept that from happening.

If it’s possible, the crowd seemed even less excited to see the Usos a second time in the same night.  They really didn’t pose much of a threat, and nobody wanted them to win the belts.  The match itself was bland, another plain ten-minute deal that still overstayed its welcome.  Slater spent most of the match playing Ricky Morton and taking a beating, finally made a tag, and Rhyno’s offense helped them score the win.

The victory did little in the long run, just emphasizing that nothing was really gained through the tournament.  Slater and Rhyno should be a one-off team, can’t be expected to stick together and dominate the division.  They’re likeable enough, but this whole thing shouldn’t last.  After all, Rhyno is running for office, so it’s a matter of time before American Alpha rightfully win the titles, of course it looks like we’ll have to slog through a feud with the Usos in the meantime.

                            The Worst-est

Coming up last was Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt, which didn’t even happen, leaving it the biggest disappointment of the night.  It was one of the more promising matches announced for the show, but we got screwed, instead being shown Bray Wyatt assaulting Randy Orton backstage, slamming his ankle in a door.  It came out of nowhere, just a quick fix to cover Orton’s inability to wrestle that night, despite the build-up.  Great planning, guys.

Wyatt’s transformation from swamp zealot to crust punk mystic has been interesting, and he makes it work. What didn’t work was the replacement match: a no-holds-barred affair pitting him against Kane.  Swell.  A match that had some real promise was swapped for one that nobody asked for.  If there was a decent match in there (and there wasn’t), I was too disinterested to notice. 

They dropped the ball with their booking, but they aren’t ready to drop the feud.  Orton ran out near the end of the match, hit Wyatt with an RKO and vanished, letting Kane pick up the win.  The feud will continue, clearly, so Kane’s unexplained presence was a waste of time.  Wyatt went under yet again, to a past-his-prime superstar, and it seems like he’ll keep taking losses.  A decent commissioner would have rescheduled the whole damn thing rather than make anyone sit through that pointless mess.

                     Summary and Final Grade

So in the end we got two solid matches in the IC and World title matches, a decent crowd pleaser in the Women’s title match, two bland tag team matches with a satisfying-enough conclusion, and a worthless tease replaced by boring filler. 

I realize there are a lot of complaints here, but overall, I wasn’t too displeased.  With the brand split, there are nineteen PPVs per year, and every one can’t be a winner.  I don’t even want that to be the case.  Sure, it would have been nice if the first brand-specific PPV of the split had been more remarkable, but that just wasn’t the case.  For the most part, it seemed like the company was showing off its new belts and rushing to award them, good booking be damned.  Despite so many throwaways, there were some bright spots that look to put things in the right for the near future.

So the show was underwhelming, but both brands have heel champs who happen to be incredibly talented in the ring, and both Women’s Divisions are looking good, although Raw still has the clear lead, but no one expected that to ever change. Styles’ win and Becky’s new position on top both point in the right direction, and at least we can count on them.

Overall, the whole thing was a solid D, a passable 60 out of 100.

The Winners:                    
Beck Lynch (Women’s champion)
The Miz (IC champion)
Kane
Heath Slater and Rhyno (SmackDown Tag Team champions)
AJ Styles (WWE World champion)

The Losers:
Alexa Bliss/Naomi/Natalya/Nikki Bella/Carmella
Dolph Ziggler
Bray Wyatt/the crowd
The Hype Bros/the Usos
Dean Ambrose

Top 3 2016 PPVs so far:

NXT Takeover Dallas
-Royal Rumble
-Money in the Bank

Bottom 3:

Fastlane
Wrestlemania 32
SummerSlam

Will the Sooners Run It Down the Buckeyes' Throats? - Baver Answers

Follow Brent @baverbuckeyebag

Colin: First off, have you ever seen a worse play call than Tulsa putting it in the air with 30 seconds left in the half, in the worst conditions I've ever seen in the horseshoe. I think a quick kick on 3rd down would have been a better play. How stupid was that decision?

Baver: A Baylor disciple lives and dies by the sword….very stupid call indeed.

Colin: Before that though, both the O and D lines seemed to be getting pushed around by Tulsa. How big of a concern is this heading into face the Sooners this weekend?

Baver: Somewhat concerning. Although, I think part of that amounted to Ohio State simply not wanting to show anything on either side of the ball prior to the trip to Oklahoma. Some of that strategy then had to be thrown out the window when the score was tied 3-3, late 2nd quarter.

Colin: Historically, it doesn't get any bigger than the Buckeyes on the road in Norman. And for a night game no less. How bad does Stoops and company want this one and when was the last non-conference game this big in Oklahoma?

Baver: 15 years ago, Stoops earned the nicknamed “Big Game Bob” because he won the big ones. Now, he still has the nickname, but it’s used sarcastically. As I mentioned a week ago, I think he gets too much criticism, but losing to Ohio State certainly isn’t going to help his reputation.

Last big non-conference game in Norman? Notre Dame visited in 2012. Phil Steele tells me it was the 8th ranked Sooners vs the #5 ranked Fighting Irish. Notre Dame took home the victory in that one.

Colin: What does Ohio State have to do to win this game? 

Baver: Winning the turnover battle goes without saying. I think the Bucks need a true WR to step up and have a big game. Curtis Samuel has to keep making plays. The pass rush has to be better…with Lewis, Hubbard, Holmes and Lil’ Bosa, the ends have to provide more pressure than they have gotten in weeks one and two.

Colin: Is Malik Hooker this good, or lucky, or both?

Baver: Both. I think Malik covers as much ground as any safety that I ever remember playing here, and his ball skills are insane. He had only played a few years of football when OSU offered him a scholarship, but the OSU coaches saw what Hooker had on the basketball court, and that was all they needed to see.

Colin: What can the Sooners do that worries you?

Baver: (1) Perine and Mixon running it down Ohio State’s throat. The Sooners abandoned the run way too early against Houston. (2) Mayfield scrambling and young Buckeye defenders over-pursuing. (3) A defensive backfield taking Ohio State’s X and Y receivers out of the game.

Colin: The Buckeyes are talented, but very young; can we really be disappointed if this game goes in the loss column?

Baver: We probably shouldn’t be. If you analyze the units and look at experienced depth, Ohio State shouldn’t be favored in this game. But, we certainly will be if we don’t come home with a win.

Colin: What games and/or lines will you be watching this weekend? 

Baver: Third Buckeye game in a row that I would say: stay away from if you’re a bettor. But I have to make a pick here. I chalked this up as a loss prior to September, but I am starting to sip the Kool-Aid. Urban is a road warrior and I think the Bucks make enough big plays to get it done Saturday night. So, if you have to pick the game, I’d say take the Bucks and lay the point and a half.

Two more games….Gotta like Texas A&M getting 3 ½ at Auburn.  Should be a close one and I was thinking the spread would be about even. And I like Southern Cal getting 8 ½ at Stanford. aThe Trojans are better than what they showed against Bama and that line is inflated.

Browns Enter Season With New Regime; NCP Talk Offseason Moves and Week 1 Preview

Since last season, @northcoastposse has been named a Top Five Twitter follow by the Cleveland Browns.  Certainly quite an achievement. To celebrate, The NCP are hosting a Browns kick off party at Four String Brew Sunday, September 11th. The League Bowlers play at noon and Browns v Eagles on the tube at 1pm. 

The NCP Answer Your Browns Questions

Q:  Let’s hope the NCP performs better in 2016 than previous top picks by the Browns. Speaking of that, Mingo and Gilbert... gone. Why?

K-Dubs, the Soldier: Yeah, the Browns continue to be unconventional in weird ways.  By moving Barkevious Mingo and Justin Gilbert for a fifth- and sixth-round draft pick, respectively, Cleveland pulled off not just one, but two rare training-camp trades.  I think the trades make sense, too, even though both of them were top-10 draft picks in recent years.  Here are two guys that just didn’t fit the system.  Mingo always seemed to be stuck between stations.  He is a pass-rush specialist that has yet to develop into a linebacker that can be on the field for all three downs, and he was not big enough to play defensive end.  He was a great special-teams player, though, and by all reports a good guy.  I wish him the best of luck in New England.

I can’t say the same for Justin Gilbert.  Ever since he arrived in Cleveland, he was a malcontent whose confidence far outpaced his effort.  The Browns secondary is fairly thin, and Gilbert had every chance to win a starting job but failed despite his potential.  He was certainly no fan favorite, and now he wears a Steelers jersey.  No love.  

Q:  It appears that the Browns two best players could be a WR who has been too stoned to play for the past two seasons and another WR who has never made an NFL roster to begin a season after converting from QB. Is this concerning?

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  Hell no!  It is exciting.  Josh Gordon and Terrelle Pryor are two of the most physically gifted players in the league.  These dudes are thoroughbreds.  It is like having Secretariat and American Pharaoh lining up at wideout (imaging for a second that a horse can catch a football).  They have the ability to go the distance at any time.  Just check out Pryor’s 93-yard touchdown run against the Steelers in 2013, it was the longest ever by a quarterback.  It was Tecmo Bowl come to life.  The same can be said for Gordon’s 95-yard catch and run against the Jags in 2014.  Sure, Pryor is not a great passer.  Any Buckeye fan can tell you that.  But he is going to shred defenses as a receiver this year, especially when Gordon comes back from suspension in Week 5. 

Ever since their return to the league, the Browns have rarely had dynamic playmakers, let alone much quality depth at the skill positions.  Now Gordon and Pryor join rookie speedster Corey Coleman and Andrew Hawkins at receiver, while Duke Johnson, Jr. (61 catches, 534 yards, 2 TD) adds another receiving option out of the backfield.  There is no doubt the talent is there (finally).  The question is can the line can generate enough of a running game and protect Robert Griffin III long enough to maximize the impact of that talent. 

Big$:  I’m not concerned that JG and TP are the 2 best players.  My concern is that 1 of the 2 best players is not one of the 7,345 first round picks they have had over the last 5 years.

Q:  Would you rather have Carson Wentz or RG3 starting week one?

K-Dubs, the Soldier: RG3, all day long.  He has proven he can play at the highest levels of college, winning the Heisman Trophy, and, as a rookie, he took the perennial also-ran Redskins to the playoffs.  Despite a wicked ankle injury that cost him half of the 2014 season, he is still a dual-threat quarterback that can buy extra time behind the Browns’ young—and still gelling—offensive line.  By all accounts, RG3 has benefitted from the big-ass slice of humble pie he had to eat when he was demoted to the meatball squad last year in Washington, and he has shown considerable growth in terms of leadership and preparation.  He is going to have some weapons to work with this year, too.  I am expecting a big game from RG3 on Sunday.

On the flip side, there’s Wentz—a quarterback from North Dakota State of the FCS, who the Eagles selected with the second overall pick in this year’s draft.  We have seen what a healthy RG3 can do, but the pro film on Wentz is limited to part of one game.  He suffered a cracked rib in the preseason opener against Tampa Bay’s second team and he has not seen game action since.  At 6’5”, 240 lb., Wentz has the prototypical frame for an NFL QB, but all we know about him is that he put up decent numbers in the Missouri Valley Conference and that he couldn’t last a half in a scrimmage.  Look for Browns defensive coordinator Ray Horton to prey on Wentz’s inexperience by confusing him with different defensive looks and blitz packages.  It is this advantage in QB experience that makes this game one of the Browns’ best chances for a victory this season.

Big$:  NDSU is basically a more dominant version of Alabama in D2. They are superior at every position then their opponents. Wentz’s 2015 back up performed as well as he did, which is more a product of having NFL caliber O-lineman than the quality of either QB. I fully expect ole Carson and his super long delivery to be exposed in the pros.

As for RG3, here is my sizzling take. I truly believe he is a better option that Deshaun Watson moving forward. (I’m holding hope that Mentor H.S.-product Mitch Trubisky down at University of North Carolina finds his way back to the North Shore).

Q:  What is the strength of this Browns team?

Big $: My short (somewhat delusional) response is TP Sr.  My more grounded reply is youth. All of the draft picks made the roster, and several will see significant playing time. I specifically have high hopes for the young guns on defense. I think Emmanuel Ogbah, Carl Nassib and Joe Schobert, all have the capability to be quality NFL contributors within the next few years. I also have my fingers crossed that both rookies Spencer Drango and Shon Coleman can find their way into starting OL spots.

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  I think that the Browns’ greatest strength this year is the deep threats they have in the passing game.  Like I said earlier, Gordon and Pryor can score from anywhere on the field.  They both showed that ability in the preseason, with each hauling in 50-yard touchdown catches against top-notch defensive backs.  I have a feeling that the lightning-quick Coleman will prove he has that same explosiveness. 

Throughout the preseason, the defense has struggled.  Surely, you cannot judge a team on its preseason performance (See the 2008 Detroit Lions: 4-0 in preseason; 0-16 in regular season).  Starters do not play the whole games and schemes tend to be more vanilla, so August stats do not offer much foresight on September performance.  But the Browns did give their first- and second-teamers more extensive action this year than most teams generally do, and the results were not good.  The opposing teams had an average of 11 more minutes in time of possession.  Opponents collectively gained 90 first downs to the Browns 51, and converted nearly 50 percent of their 3rd downs.   I hope that these tendencies do not bleed over into the regular season.  If they do, and the defense cannot get off the field, big-time touchdown threats are great equalizers that should give Cleveland a puncher’s chance in every game this year.  

Q:  What is the weakness?

Big$:  Ironically my answer is the same as my take on the strength. The inexperience of this roster is going to make for some painful moments on Sundays, especially against seasoned divisional foes. The key is to stay positive and focused on the future.

K-Dubs, the Soldier: The defensive front seven.  This is a team that has gone from being among the oldest in the league last year to being the second youngest.  At the start of the season, 19 of the guys on the 53-man roster are comprised of first- and second-year players.  That is 36 percent.  Nowhere is that inexperience more prevalent than among defensive linemen and linebackers.    Rookies Ogbah and Schobert are slated to start at the outside linebacker positions in Coach Jackson’s 3-4 scheme.  These guys have shown potential, particularly Ogbah who may prove to be the steal of the 2016 draft, but the fact that they are rolling with the 1’s may say more about a lack of depth than their ability to step right into starting roles.  Young players are more likely to be uncertain in their alignments, more likely to miss assignments, and more likely to hesitate.  For a team that finished in the bottom three in the league in rushing defense in each of the last two years, that is a bad prospect.  This part of the team may be a weakness, but with some of the young talent, including Nassib, it may also be the source of some electricity.  There is potential here, but the team’s success this year will largely depend on how well and how quickly this unit starts to click. 

Q:  Who should LeBron start in place of for week one?

Big$:  I’m not anti-RG3, but after watching what a physical specimen like Cam Newton has accomplished at QB, I’d like to see LBJ calling signals. For what it’s worth, I’d also start JR Smith at punter.

K-Dubs, the Soldier: I’d start LeBron over nose tackle Danny Shelton.  It is uncertain if Shelton is going to stay on the field for an entire series at a time.  When he is out there, he has not shown he can eat up blockers or penetrate the line.  At least we know LeBron is always on the floor when needed, and even if he gets driven off the ball, he can use his wingspan to swat down passes, just like he swats Steph Curry layups. 

Q:  The Browns over/under on wins is 5. Where would you put your money? What games can they win?

Big$: I am a betting man, and I would stay clear of the over. I am not altogether certain this roster is superior to the Chris Palmer gang of ‘99. The game I’m most confident of is this week, mainly because I think Wentz is a bum. If this game gets ugly, a historically bad year could be on the horizon.

K-Dubs, the Soldier: I’m thinking under, too.  The schedule is pretty rough, with games against the AFC East and NFC East, as well as the divisional games against the Steelers, Ravens, and Bengals.  Also, most of the games in which they have the best chances to win are on the road, including at Tennessee, Miami, Bills, Washington, and the opener in Philly.  But I believe that they will be competitive in every game.  It hurts to think that this year will be the 18th-straight rebuilding year, but I really do believe that this time the Browns are laying the foundation for success.

    Sep 11      1:00PM * at Eagles

    Sep 18      1:00PM * Ravens

    Sep 25      1:00PM * at Dolphins

    Oct 2        1:00PM * at Redskins

    Oct 9        1:00PM * Patriots

    Oct 16      1:00PM* at Titans

    Oct 23      1:00PM * at Bengals

    Oct 30      1:00PM * Jets

    Nov 6       1:00PM * Cowboys

    Nov 10     8:25PM * at Ravens

    Nov 20     1:00PM * Steelers

    Nov 27     1:00PM * Giants

    Dec 4      BYE

    Dec 11      1:00PM * Bengals

    Dec 18      1:00PM * at Bills

    Dec 24      1:00PM * Chargers

    Jan 1         1:00PM * at Steelers

Is Bob Stoops the Tom Izzo of College Football? Baver Answers the Question and More

Colin: Before getting into the Buckeyes, why does Les Miles have so much trouble putting an offense together at LSU? He has the best running back in the nation, loads of talent, but no offensive philosophy year after year. Can't he just hire some guy to figure it out?

Baver: Amazing. This should be LSU’s best team in years and I was thinking it would be one of Wisconsin’s worst teams in years. Miles has an offensive coordinator in Cam Cameron that was an OC in the NFL for 10 years, but Cameron appears to be part of the problem. And we know Brandon Harris is a BIG problem at QB. You mention the talent… the 2017 NFL draft for LSU prospects may play out similarly to the way the 2016 draft played out for Ohio State prospects.

Colin: As long as we are talking about coaches on the hot seat, could Bob Stoops be in trouble after taking a beating from the upstart Houston Cougers?

Baver: I would seriously doubt it. Stoops seems to be CFB fans’ whipping boy. The perception is so different in CFB than it is in CBB. Stoops’ accomplishments in football, to me, look like Tom Izzo’s accomplishments in basketball. And Izzo is considered a coaching genius, right? I usually find myself defending Stoops who seems to take a bunch of abuse when he loses, yet gets little to no credit when he wins.

Colin: Is there any chance Alabama doesn't make the football playoff this year?

Baver: They are sick. OSU may do some catching up to Bama talent wise with the 2017 recruiting class, but as for the 2016 season, Bama’s talent is in a league of it’s own. And their road trips to Baton Rouge and Knoxville, no longer look so daunting, do they? A lock for the playoff? Alabama looks like the closest thing to it, but they’ll have to guard against complacency.

Colin: Onto the Buckeyes, Wow. I've seen many ass a whoopins' in the shoe but that was the most yards EVER. Could this offense be that special or was it just a good day?

Baver: I don’t care if it was Bowling Green; this Buckeye offense is much farther along than I think even the coaches could have imagined five months ago. But being so young, I think you will still see some ups and downs out of this offense, and we’ll of course learn a lot more the Bucks when they head west to Norman.

Colin: Losing Sprinkle depletes a thin D-line  further. After watching the Badgers run it down LSU throats, could that be the Achilles heel of the 2016 Buckeyes? 

Baver: Maybe. They’ll soon find out. By the end of October, they will have faced the Perine/Mixon combo, Corey Clements, Saquon Barley, and Justin Jackson. According to Phil Steele, that’s the best tailback in the Big 12 (Perine) and the 3 best backs in the Big Ten.

Colin: After watching film, which Buckeyes jumped out at you and what was your take away both good and bad? And what area do we need to improve before heading down to Norman?

Baver: Samuel’s huge day overshadowed Mike Weber’s very nice start to his career at Ohio State. It wasn’t just his running; the kid more than held is own as a blocker. And it was amazing to see JT and the receiving corps clicking that well together in game 1. They did get help too from the O-line that kept JT upright (I believe) the entire time he was in there.

As for the D, the tackling was very good, and I was surprised at how well Joe Burger played while subbing for an injured Dante Booker. And Malik Hooker? You can take away his 2 picks and he was still amazing to watch; the kid covers so much ground and does so at light speed.

Where does Ohio State need to improve prior to the OU game? The Bucks did not do a great job pressuring Bowling Green QB James Knapke. I would think the pass rush and DT depth is the biggest concern for the OSU coaches right now.

Colin: Tulsa has no chance right? 

Baver: Little chance, but remember the Northern Illinois game last year? The Bucks were a 34 ½ pt favorite and won 20-13. And this seems like a spot for a letdown sandwiched between the opener and Oklahoma. Tulsa has a good one at QB in Dane Evans, but likes to run their tailbacks out of the spread. They averaged 37 ppg last year, putting up 38 on Oklahoma and 52 on Va Tech. Problem is, their defense can’t stop anybody.

Colin: OK, rough week picking last week after going 24-14 last season. Let's chalk it up to an unpredictable first week and scratch them from your record. What games and lines will you be watching this week?

Baver: Ugly slate of games this week… Gotta take Arkansas getting 7 1/2 at TCU, one of the few half-decent games of the week. The TCU defense stunk up the joint last week and they are built to stop Big 12 passing attacks; not a good matchup against a power-run Arkansas team. I like Kentucky catching 16 ½ at Florida. Can Florida’s offense even top 16 ½ points? If I’m a bettor, I stay away from the Ohio State game again this week, but hold a gun to my head, and I’ll take the Bucks laying the 29, with a score somewhere in the ballpark of 56-24. (Editor's note: with severe storms now expected around kick-off, Baver is switching this pick but the weather has made the game too tough to call)

Browns Kickoff Party at Four String Brew with The League Bowlers

The Cleveland Browns will be kicking off the season at 1 pm on Sunday September 11th  against the Philadelphia Eagles. To celebrate the occasion, Pencilstorm Browns bloggers The North Coast Posse will be converging on the Four String Brew Taproom (985 W. 6th) at noon to begin their annual tradition of heavy self-medication to survive another Browns campaign. Four String Brew will be the NCP home of the Browns for the 2016 season.

Follow @northcoastposse (The NCP were named a Top Five follow by the actual Cleveland Browns)

As if watching two of the NFL's worst teams play while day drinking wasn't enough, The League Bowlers (featuring Four String Owner Dan Cochran on the 4 string bass, duh) will be performing a set of rock n roll at noon. The event is FREE. See you there!

Why Is Michigan Getting So Much Love? Is Harbaugh Nutz? Baver Answers and Picks Some Winners.

Colin: Why Is Michigan getting so much love? Who is their quarterback anyway? 

Baver: Michigan probably deserves more respect than Buckeye fans are giving them. But they need to beat at least one of Ohio State or Sparty on the road this year, two schools that absolutely own them, to deserve the love they are getting. As for the QB, Harbaugh is of course doing things in atypical fashion, not naming a starter in fall camp for the 2nd year in a row. But it looks like Wilton Speight will get the first shot. He played against the Bucks last year and did not impress. It’s either Speight, Houston transfer John O’Korn, or a combination of both of them against Hawaii tomorrow. The Wolverines are suspect at QB, RB & LB, but look strong everywhere else, and actually upgraded with Defensive Coordinators with Don Brown replacing DJ Durkin.

Colin: Harbaugh seems to be acting a little extra crazy these days and a couple of recruits have recently jumped ship. Is his act going to fly or do you think his eccentric behavior could become a problem with recruits sooner than later?

Baver: Colin, usually it’s you shooting from the hip and me sugar coating it. It’s not eccentric behavior; it’s a complete freak show with Harbaugh. I watched his interview with the BTN media guys at the Big Ten Media days…and the guy is out there. He didn’t say anything crazy in that interview, but his facial expressions, his delivery when he talks….he is just a bizarre guy. The guy can coach; I’ll give him that, but his strange ways don’t help him in recruiting.

Colin: How would you rate the Big Ten compared to other conferences? What teams have a shot at making the playoff?

Baver: I think it’s the SEC and then a bit of a drop-off, as much as I hate to admit it. The other four Power Five conferences are all neck and neck in my mind – I could see the Big Ten finishing anywhere from 2nd to 5th in terms of conference computer ratings at year-end. I think Michigan and Ohio State have legit shots at the playoff, and maybe even Sparty. But Sparty isn’t going to win any tie-breakers from the committee after laying the egg they laid against Bama in last year’s playoff. Iowa has a longer shot at the playoff, but does play all of their big games at home

Colin: If Pencilstorm could send you to cover five games anywhere in the country this season, which five would you pick?

Baver: I don’t need to necessarily leave Columbus for all of ‘em do I?  Because OSU-Michigan in the ‘Shoe goes without saying; LSU-Bama down on the bayou; Clemson-Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium.  Ohio State-Oklahoma in Norman (and I was actually there with my old man in ’83, and remember it like it was yesterday). And Bama-Tennessee in Knoxville. When is my prepaid expense check coming?

Colin: Looking around the country, do you have any dark horse picks for the CFB playoff or do you expect the usual suspects?

Baver: I like Clemson to win it all. On paper, they are a top-3 team in the country (in my mind) and have the easiest road to the title of all the big boys. As a dark horse, I think Louisville is worth a flyer, and I said that before Lamar Jackson put up video game highlights last night. I’ve got Clemson & LSU in the title game. I think this is Les Miles’ best team since his ’07 team that beat Ohio State in the title game. I think Bama’s schedule probably puts them in the loss column twice this year, but it of course wouldn’t shock me to see them win their 5th title in 8 years.

Colin:  Some interesting match ups in week one. Which games will you be keeping and eye on and who would you put $ on if you did that sort of thing? If I remember right, you lit it up against the spread last year, right?

Baver: 24-14-1 against the spread a year ago, but I am due for some duds this year after knocking ‘em down two straight years. I like Florida State laying 4 ½ as the best play on the board. They’ve got so much coming back and Ole Piss is breaking in a new team that won’t be ready in Wk 1. I like Clemson (-7 ½) to win and cover at Auburn, despite Clemson struggling a bit on the road (ATS wise) last year. I like LSU (-11) to roll Wisconsin in Green Bay. And I picked Bowling Green to cover the 28 against our Buckeyes in the OSU Q&A we had, but I think that spread is pretty sharp.