Baver Answers Colin's College Football Questions. 9/19/14

Every Friday during the season, Pencilstorm college football guru Brent Baver answers Colin's questions about the upcoming weekend. Click here for previous week.
 

So, with the Kent State beatdown, what did we learn?

Kent State is worse than expected; maybe the spread should have been 40.  But the Bucks still beat that number by almost 4 TD’s, so things went better than expected.  Miami (OH), a team on par with Kent State, trailed by only 7 points at halftime against UM Saturday, to put things into perspective. 

Against KSU, we were able to see the talents of true freshmen Raekwon McMillan and Jalyn Holmes.  Holmes looks like a potential star down the road, and I would be shocked if McMillan doesn’t become a star very soon.  Another true frosh, Jamarco Jones, seemed to hold his own at LT, and could end up pushing starter Daryl Baldwin at RT.  With the outcome of the game being effectively over by halftime, it was nice to get a look at these three kids and so many other youngsters that are behind veterans on the current OSU depth chart.

I know you will preview Cincinnati in next week’s blog, but any early thoughts?

I’m happy Ohio State bounced back a bit and smacked Kent State, but I am still worried about Cincinnati.  I haven’t watched Cincy QB Gunner Kiel play yet, but understand that Kiel looked every bit as good as advertised against Toledo.  There is a reason he was rated the #1 QB prospect in the country coming out of high school.  I think this game will be interesting, as the Bearcats are fairly solid on both sides of the ball.

So at this point, what is a reasonable goal for this Buckeye team? 

Winning the Big Ten is still a realistic goal.  A quick glance at the updated “Games of the Year” lines at sportsbook.com shows OSU giving 7.5 to State Penn in Happy Valley, the Bucks getting 1.5 in East Lansing, and Ohio State laying 13 to UM in the ‘Shoe.  So, the odds-makers still think Ohio State has a very legitimate shot at winning the Big Ten East.  Va Tech, despite their letdown against ECU, was well prepared for OSU.  It’s now very clear that the Hokies spent countless hours in August preparing for Ohio State.  Don’t write the Bucks off because of that loss just yet.

You are teaching Logic 101. Evaluate these two statements:

1) The Big Ten blows. A national laughing stock. 1-10 against other major conference schools. (+ Notre Dame)

2) Notre Dame are now considered national title contenders largely based on beating Big Ten schools.

Can both statements be true? What gives?

The Big Ten is an atrocity, whether Notre Dame enters the conversation or not.  Every year we hear how down the Big Ten is, but this year, the league is as bad as I can ever remember.  And, it’s time for Big Ten fans to quit crying about the SEC.  The SEC is the best of the five major conferences and the Big Ten is the worst.  It is what it is.

We will have to wait and see with Notre Dame.  They didn’t play well against the worst team in the Big Ten…Purdue.  And they spanked a mediocre Michigan squad.  The upcoming 6-game stretch for the Brian Kelly’s squad is brutal.  Let’s reevaluate after they are halfway through that stretch.

Which line do you prefer? Michigan over Utah by 5 on Saturday….or…. Brady Hoke eats over 5 dozen donuts Sunday?

I don’t like Michigan laying the 5 against the Utes, but I think the donut over/under is slightly high.  I think a 4 ½ dozen o/u would draw more action on both sides.  I am still hoping ESPN will have some live look-ins from the Hoke household on Sunday. 

On the slightly more serious side, what’s the latest with the Brady Hoke watch?

The love child of Chris Christie and Chris Farley has some work to do, and Hoke seems to be in over his head more and more as every day passes.  I’ve leaned toward UM keeping Hoke at least for another season, but will lean the other way if the Michigan loses to the Utes Saturday.

If you were a gambling man, what games catch your eye this weekend?  You were 3 for 3 last week – nice.

I’ve hit the two Virginia games in this Q&A (Wk 1 & Wk 3) and will stick with them once again.  Maybe their luck runs out against BYU, but I still like this much improved Virginia team and will take them getting the 14 pts at BYU.  I don’t like much else, but put a gun to my head, and I’ll take the Gators and the 14.5 at Bama.  Think Bama wins the game, but guessing Florida hangs around with their more than solid D.  And I will take Oklahoma giving the 7.5 on the road at West Virginia.  Definitely a much improved ‘Eer squad, and they hung with the Sooners last year; but the line is too low on this one.  11-ish is more in line with where it should be.

Colin Gawel runs Pencilstorm out of Colin's Coffee. Brent Baver knows more about college football than you. Click here to learn more about them and our other contributors.

Insider's Guide to Independents' Day Festival

Full disclosure: I have been a huge fan of this festival since it started and was honored when The Lonely Bones were chosen to perform and was happy to oblige when Watershed was asked for their only Columbus appearance a couple years back. What makes it so special? Hell, I can't define that. You will know it when you see it, so please make plans to attend the weekend September 19-21.  Click here for full schedule.

 In the meantime, let's get the straight dope from the Indy Day braintrust.

1) Obviously, the big question would be after all the success Independents' Day enjoyed downtown, why the move to Franklinton?

Adam Brouillette, Independents' Day Board Chair + Independents' Day Co-Founder: We moved to Franklinton for greater opportunity. We had largely outgrown our downtown location and in a search for our new home, we found Franklinton well-suited to the ethos the festival tries to adhere to. The partner neighbors, the ample space, and the diminished logistical issues have been beneficial to the growth of the festival. Now, as the neighborhood grows, we can grow with it. 

Michael S. Brown, Independents' Day Board Member + Co-Founder: Gay Street has seen incredible growth over the past seven years and we love it, but we also saw that there is some very real creative energy building in Franklinton, and that makes for a very attractive canvas.  Standing down near 400 W. Rich just begs the question, what next?  We think that the more people see it filled with life and art, the more they will love it and find ways to integrate that creative energy into whatever it is they are doing. 

2) Were you involved with this festival from the start? How did it begin?

Erin Corrigan, Independents' Day Board Member: I was lucky enough to be involved more or less from the beginning. The first Independents' Day was put together in an extremely short time-frame, so there was some very direct outreach to determine who could do what and how fast. I was the service chair for Cap Square Rotary at the time, so I was able to commit the club to providing some volunteers, and then worked on coordinating the rest with help from CYP (Columbus Young Professionals), other groups, and friends. We started with a few dozen volunteers, and now we recruit more than 300!

***it's not too late to volunteer! free T-shirt and beer tokens! Click here to sign up!

Brown: The summer before the first Independents’s Day there was a great crew of creative people who kept intercepting at events and festivals, we all felt there was an energy that needed to be tapped and that wasn’t getting showcased enough at other fests.  We knew we could get beer and bands together, but we believed the creative community is a lot bigger than that, so we tried to build the festival around that ethos.  This was also a time when downtown was just starting to show signs of a come-back, Gay Street was an open canvas that we felt we could fill in with fun and music.  It worked and we not only enjoyed each year more than the last, we built a community of organizers and volunteers who may not have every really worked together if not for ID.

3) It seems that Independents' Day is always a cut above other festivals as for quality of live music, what is your secret?

James Allison, 2014 Music Chair: We have about 20 people involved on the music committee that cover a range of tastes, eras, scenes, and genres who get an equal say in what gets booked for the festival. I think the greatest strength of the music line up at Independents' Day is its diversity. On top of that, we also try and focus on unique and rare experiences. We always dream big at the start of the booking process with reunions, collaborations, etc. We'll never gawk at a suggestion and always explore the possibilities. I think everyone's usually surprised by how many of them actually work out.

4) If someone was planning to attend this year, give me a couple can't miss options food, music or otherwise?

Corrigan: In addition to all the usual festivities, there are some really amazing things we've never tried before, including:

• Pinata Thunderdome 

We've recruited local artists to craft special works of piñata art just for us.

• Shipping Container Park

We've challenged a group of vendors to turn shipping containers into retail stores, art galleries, food concepts and alternative spaces for the weekend.

• Battle of the Pig

At 5 p.m. on Saturday, two of the city's best-known chefs will battle it out, preparing a series of pork-centric dishes for our panel of judges, and only one will be named King of the Pig! 

• PBR Skate Ramp

Our friends at Pabst Blue Ribbon and Abnormal Allies will be building and skating a PBR themed skate ramp all day. Stop by to check out riders on half pipes and fun boxes doing wall rides, grinds, and flips.

• Mini Moss Terrariums

This free of charge feature will provide you with the sand, soil, stones, moss, bark & a tiny glass container you need to make your very own terrarium.

• Urban Mini-Golf 

Scenesters may remember the A-Holes (art holes) mini-golf from a few years ago... well, it's back! Each of the nine holes was designed by a local group of artists to create a one-of-a-kind mini-golf experience.

In addition, we'll have some 30-foot visual pieces that will really bring a new dimension to the festival.

And last but certainly not least, James' music picks: sets by J Rawls and his stream of proteges; Happy Chichester, who's taking a break from his string of solo sets to perform with a drummer; and The Floorwalkers with Jared Mahone. All three of those sets are going to feature unique collaborations with different artists that you probably won't see again, or at least for a long time.

We Have Forgotten September 11 by Wal Ozello

Last week September 11 came and went. There was a few mentions on TV. A documentary on the History Channel, an acknowledgement on the morning news shoved between NFL Public Relations problems and commentary from the President's ISIL speech the evening before. There was a spattering of 9/11 pictures and posts on social media, with the obligatory tweet from your politicians.

At my son's school, there was no classroom conversation about that important day in history, only a moment of silence as they shuffled to class from period 1 to period 2.

While flags flew at half mast, they weren't lined up and down my block like they were in October of 2001.

But see, I'm okay with that. I'm perfectly fine with a watered down memory of 9/11 as long as we can continue what happened AFTER 9/11. Unfortunately, we've forgotten the American Companionship and Compassion we forged the weeks after that tragic event.

Yes, we should say a prayer for those that died that day. For those killed by the murdering terrorists and those killed trying to save the innocent from the terrors inside. But do more than say a prayer, remember that we are all Americans and that we're all in this together. Reach out and help your fellow American, or just say "Hi" to a stranger. Let's work with each other to make this country the amazing place it is.

Be patriotic. Let's create a better America tomorrow than one we have today. Let's create a better country for all of us to live in.

The divisiveness in America is astonishing today. So many seem to be out for themselves. Sure there are the extremist - the entitlementalists on one side who feel they deserve everything and the 1% on the other side who don't feel they need to help.  But there's a wide spectrum of in-betweeners - those that still aren't willing to compromise on anything because they want to live in their America and not anyone else's.

This country is not mine. It's not yours.  It's ours.  And making it better for the generations to come is our responsibility.

I don't care if you want to live by President Reagan's "If we love our country, we should also love our countrymen" or President Kennedy's "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." I don't care if you're right or left, Republican or Democrat, African-American, Euro-American, Latino, or whatever.

Work hard to have America continue to be the best nation to live in.  Not for yourself, but for all of us. Let's get back to that "We are America" feeling we had days after 9/11.  The feeling that birthed flag-lined neighborhoods, the feeling that made you warmly greet whoever passed you by, and the feeling that made all of us believe we're in this together.

Let's do this so those that died that on 9/11, didn't die in vain.

We got a whole year to get it together before the next anniversary of September 11.  Maybe by then we can remember to act like Americans again.

Wal Ozello is the author of Assignment 1989: The Time Travel Wars and Revolution 1990,  novels about World War III fought as a temporal cold war.  He's a deep believer in liberty, justice, and the pursuit of the American Dream for all.

Learn more about Wal Ozello and other Pencilstorm contributors by clicking here

Cleveland Indians Coverage: Francona Still May Need a Bubble Gum Supply for October by Jim Brazytis

I’m not giving up on the Indians just yet! I know, I know, we’re four games out of the division and second wild card spot with two weeks left in the season. But stay with me, I’m talking with my head here, plus a little bit of my broken Cleveland sports heart.

If you take an objective look through my “homer” glasses at the teams we’re battling for a playoff position, which include the Detroit Tigers, Oakland A’s, Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners,  the Wahoos still have a chance to ensure Manager Terry Francona is blowing bubbles in October. First, we’ll start at home with the Indians. After last weekend’s series with the Tigers the Tribe now will take on the Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins, then they go head-to-head for four games with the Royals (this series includes a suspended game we’re leading by two runs in the bottom of the tenth inning) before wrapping up the season against the Tampa Bay Rays.

All these teams are sub-.500 except for the Royals but at least we control our own destiny against them. In addition to the series with the Indians, the Royals also have a three-game series against the Tigers. So their road to the franchise’s first playoff appearance in nearly three decades is not a lock.

Now let’s look west to see what’s in front of the Oakland A’s and Seattle Mariners. The A’s are leading the wild card race by a ½ game over the Royals and Mariners but are fading fast. This team in playing horrible baseball! Over their last 10 games they’re 2-8 and 14-26 since July 30! My prediction - and you can take this one to the bank - team “Money Ball” will not be playing in October. (In your face Brad Pitt.)

In Seattle, the Mariners are hoping their $240 million investment in Robinson Cano will pay playoff dividends. The Mariners are playing at a high level with a 7-3 record over their last 10 games.  But Tribe fans have no fear; the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are here! Luckily for the Indians, the Mariners have seven games left against the best team in the American League – the Angels – who are fighting to hold off the Baltimore Orioles for home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Over their last 10 games the Angels are 9-1. All I know is that I’ll be Mike Trout’s biggest fan the next two weeks.

Now that all the analytics are out of the way, I’m just pleading to the sports-gods, please, please let the Tribe get on a roll. We can still do it, I know we can! All we need is a little hitting to go with the outstanding pitching we’ve been getting and Francona will be blowing playoff bubbles on the corner of Ontario and Carnegie.

Jim Brazytis is a 43-year old amateur athlete still waiting for the scouts to find him at his "old man" baseball league games. A life-long Clevelander, he has suffered through decades of losing sports teams and heartache while waiting for some Cleveland professional sports team team, besides the Cleveland Crunch, to win a championship.

Browns Talk w/ The North Coast Posse: Big Money and K-Dubs the Soldier

Click here for previous NCP story.

Browns 0 - 1. Sunday opponent at home vs New Orleans Saints. 1 p.m. kick.

Big Money:  Well, it’s Week Two and I’m confused by this strange feeling circulating through my veins: I think fans of other teams call it “positivity.”  Specifically I’m encouraged by the play of Brian Hoyer, which was aided by Shanahan tempering his fortunate son ego and going no-huddle.  Let’s hope Kyle continues this trend in Week Two.  It was also impressive to see Coach Pettine refuse to crumble at the half and instead spur some worthwhile adjustments. 

Directly underneath this positivity, though, is a firm layer of concern.  Number one on that list is special teams. Now that the dust has settled it’s evident that failure on almost every aspect of special teams contributed to the loss.  The fake punt that flipped field position, Chris Kirksey’s inability to down a punt, lack of confidence in placekicker Billy Cundiff’s leg, and Travis Benjamin’s poor decision making on returns all were instrumental in stifling the comeback and must be addressed. 

Stock up/stock down?

Big Money: Up: Johnny football, not for anything he has done on the field of course, but because Jerry Jones is probably nearing a level of desperation where he may offer a decade of 1st round picks for the Snickers- munching Q.B. Munchkin. 

Down: Billy Cundiff, he was already a penny stock, but you have to drop an NFL kicker who isn’t trustworthy past 50 yards on a mild September day.

K-Dubs the Soldier: Up: Terrance West.  After coming in for the injured Ben Tate, the rookie running back showed good vision and elusiveness on his way to a 100-yard game.  Fellow rookie Isaiah Crowell had a big game, as well, exhibiting a punishing running style on his way to the end zone, twice.

Down: After seeing the Browns’ punter Spencer Lanning get kicked in the face, I have to go with Lanning’s sensei.  You’ve got to block those flying tiger kicks, son.   

BROWNS Q&A

Q)  Did Hoyer’s performance in the second half put the Manziel talk to rest for a while?

Big Money: Short answer: God, I hope so

K-Dubs the Soldier: Had the 2nd half gone as atrociously as the 1st half, I think the amount of clamoring from the Manziel contingent of Browns fans would have been more obnoxious than at any time since the draft.  But the 2nd half was actually exciting and hope-inducing.  Hoyer looked strong in running the no-huddle offense.  He was generally decisive, efficient, and accurate.  He did hold the ball too long on a few snaps and took sacks at critical times, but overall he played well.  I expect him to keep improving and for Johnny to be riding the swan, er, pine for a while.

Q)  What do you think the loss of running back Ben Tate for 2-4 weeks means for the team?

Big Money:  I’m not too concerned.  This running attack is going to be predicated on the ability of Mack, Thomas and company mastering the Shanahan zone-blocking scheme.  If the 2nd half of last week was any indication things are heading in the right direction Tate or no Tate.

K-Dubs the Soldier:  Well, the Browns lost Tate early on Sunday, and didn’t miss a beat.  The team averaged more than 6 yards per carry for the game.  As long as the offensive line continues to wear down opposing front sevens, I think the Browns will be able to move the ball on the ground effectively, even without their number one running back.  Until West shows he can be a reliable receiver out of the backfield, though, I think the team will miss Tate in the passing game.

Q) Who would you like to see LeBron start in place of this week?

Big Money:  This week I’d task LeBron with starting at tight end. No way he loses his balance the way J Cameron did in the 1st quarter against Pittsburgh. 

K-Dubs the Soldier:  I’d love to see LeBron start in place of wideout Miles Austin.  He was all but invisible against the Steelers, with two catches for 20 yards on three targets.  Without suspended receiver Josh Gordon, the Browns need to stretch the field.  Who better to do that than a 6ft. 9in. speedster that can jump out of the stadium? 

Q) Prediction for Saints game?

Big Money:  Although I referenced my positivity, I cringe at the idea of Justin Gilbert attempting to stop a Brees led-passing attack.  Saints 38  Browns 24.

K-Dubs the Soldier:  The Saints defense was porous last week, giving up 37 points and 571 yards of offense to the Falcons.  I expect the Browns to be able to move the ball, both on the ground and through the air, and put up points.  But the offense is going to have to keep pace with Brees and his precision passing attack.  In the first half last week, Ben Roethlisberger had a career high in passing yards for one half, and I’m expecting some big numbers this week for Brees, too.  Watch for a shoot-out, with the Browns coming up just short.  Saints 31  Browns 27.

Baver Answers Colin's College Football Questions 9/12/14

1) Not to harp more on last week's game, but I'm starting to doubt Tom Herman's famous IQ. I was at the game and I swear at one point we ran deep patterns like 19 out of 20 plays despite the fact they were bringing max pressure. J.T. literally had nowhere to throw before he got hit. What gives?

X’s and O’s aren’t my specialty, but I’ll take a stab at answering.  I’m not sure how often Meyer was overruling Herman’s play calls this past Saturday, so I don’t know which coach gets the blame here.  Regardless, Va Tech’s double-eagle defense all but eliminated the OSU run game, but left the Hokie D potentially exposed to the long ball.  So the deep route strategy, in theory, would seem to make some sense.  But Hokie DC Bud Foster started bringing the house in the 4th quarter, I think realizing that the young Buckeye O-line was too confused to account for the different Va Tech blitzes.  If that is what Foster was thinking, he was right.  The Hokies sacked Barrett six times in the 4th quarter.  Now, why the Buckeyes didn’t employ a different strategy after giving up the first three or so sacks, I don’t know.

2) Boy, last weekend was rough for the Big Ten. The losses by OSU and MSU are easily explained but what to make of Michigan's historic beat down by the Domers. Is Michigan that bad or Notre Dame that good?  And how bad is Devin Gardner?

UM - bad vs ND – good?  Probably a little of both.  The preseason talk was that new UM offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier was going to cure Michigan’s offensive woes.  Even with a weak opponent in Appy State the first week, I thought UM’s offense looked improved.  But with the goose egg laid by the UM offense against the Irish, I guess I was wrong.  As for the Domers, the return of Everett Golson appears to be just what the doctored ordered.  And the Big Ten?  No excuses….the league is an embarrassment – have to call a spade a spade.

Oh….the answer to the Devin Gardner question is “very”. 

3) It appears to these eyes that Brady Hoke is growing fatter as the ice under him is growing thinner. Can Michigan outbid Jerry Jones for the services of Jim Harbaugh?

The spanking by the Irish definitely warmed up Hoke’s seat.  I said last week that he could lose to Notre Dame, Sparty and Ohio State and still possibly keep his job.  Not so sure anymore.  But, the fact that Michigan hired Hoke in the first place tells me that the administration get it.  So, we’ll have to wait and see what they do.  Not sure Harbaugh wants the Michigan job; he didn’t seem to the last time it opened up.  And I hope he doesn’t want it, because Harbaugh is about as good as it gets.

4) Kind of a quiet weekend over all. What games and lines do you find note worthy?

Well, I hit the margin of victory spot on in Ohio State’s 17-point win over Navy and had Va Tech as the best bet on the board last week.  Not so hot in my other picks, though.  Kent State is a piss-poor football team; I really think Ohio State (a 32-pt favorites) hammers them.  I said 45-10 in Wednesday’s blog, but the more I think about it, that sounds conservative.  I like Virginia getting 6.5 at home against Louisville.  This is a vastly improved Cavalier team.  And going against the grain a bit; I like East Carolina getting 11 at Va Tech, with Va Tech in a classic letdown spot, having this one sandwiched between Ohio State and Ga Tech.

5) Final question, I don't know anything about Fresno State, but Nebraska gets blown out. Correct?

No.  The Husker’s will bounce back, I think.  But that doesn’t mean much; Fresno State is a very bad football team – a huge dropoff from the 2013 Bulldog squad that went 11-2.  However, Nebraska will still lose their four games this year, as sure as death and taxes.