Baver’s Buckeye Bag 12/3/14

The Game thoughts, the Barrett injury and Misc.

--Hats off to Michigan for remaining composed after the poor start Saturday, and for hanging tough with Ohio State.  It is quite amazing though, how emotion affects college football so much.  I mean, if you didn’t know any better, you’d have thought Ohio State played a pretty good Michigan team this past Saturday.  But that simply isn’t the case.  The Wolverines 5-7 final record tells it all; this was a bad football team.

--The finish to the 2014 season is mirroring the finish to the 2013 season for this Buckeye defense.  Michigan had no Jeremy Langford, no David Cobb, and no Tevin Coleman….hell, they didn’t even have an offense to speak of.  I gave some deserved credit to UM above, but once again, the Buckeye defense helped make a horrendous Michigan offense look pretty good.  So, how is this Buckeye D going to stop Wisconsin’s running game?  That is the million dollar question.

--Once you saw the replay of JT Barrett’s leg getting bent backwards, you knew it was bad.  Such a shame.  How ‘bout JT returning from the locker room, and coming back to the stands to watch the end of the game before heading to the hospital?  I said it a few weeks ago…is there anything not to love about this kid?

--What can we expect from Cardale Jones?  Jones has a cannon….and if he can settle into a rhythm, I think he will throw the ball better than most think.  Cardale also runs very well for a 250-pound man.  But Cardale, experience wise, is about where JT was going into the Va Tech game….and we all know how that turned out.  The rest of this Buckeye team is going to have to raise their collective “game” if Ohio State is to have any shot at beating Wisconsin.

--My thoughts are with the Karageorge family and those close to him.  Being distraught over Buckeye football injuries obviously doesn’t hold a candle to what this family is going through right now.

--Since late October, I’ve been saying winning out likely puts the Bucks in the playoff.  My guess is that this is still the case.  It’s not a given, but it never was.  There is a better than 50% chance of at least one team losing this weekend between Oregon, TCU, FSU and Bama.  If the Bucks win and none of the others lose, you could still see TCU drop two slots in the poll, although the chances of the Horn Frogs dropping two slots aren’t great.

The Big Ten Championship Game

From a matchup standpoint, this is about as bad as it gets for Ohio State.  The Buckeyes have not been able to stop the run as of late and they now face what is probably the best rushing attack in the nation.  The Buckeyes will have to sell out to stop the run, otherwise Melvin Gordon is going to add another 200+ yards to the 2,260 yards he already has accumulated this year.  That means Buckeye corners Doran Grant and Eli Apple will have to handle the Badger WR’s one-on-one for much of the evening.

On the other side of the ball, the Bucks also face a tall challenge – the Wisconsin defense is ranked 8th in the country against the run, 2nd against the pass, and 2nd in total defense.  And the Bucks will of course have to face the Badger defense without their top 3 Heisman candidate, who is being replaced by a QB that has not started a game at the college level.  The Buckeye O-line is going to have to play their best game of the year and the Buckeye playmakers, Marshall, Ezekiel, D. Smith and company are going to have to dial it up.

The thought here is that Urban Meyer will have this Buckeye team ready to play and they will play with a stronger sense of urgency, realizing they have to after losing Barrett.  Meyer is 3-0 at OSU in games where the Buckeyes are underdogs….he knows how to motivate his team in these type of games.  Normally you don’t take chances with a new QB, but this staff obviously has to, with this being the Big Ten title game.

In the end, I expect the Bucks to put up a valiant effort, but to come up short.  It is just too much of a downgrade from Barrett to a QB with no starting experience, and I don’t see this Buckeye defense doing enough to stop Melvin Gordon.  Hope I am wrong.   The Call: Wisconsin 33 Ohio State 27

--Brent Baver

The Browns Hang On In Atlanta To Stay In Playoff Race; On To Buffalo With The NCP

How Could The Browns Look So Bad And Good In Last Week’s Win?

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  The Browns held on for a big 26-24 win at Atlanta last week, with a last second field goal that snatched victory from the jaws of a defeat.  Brian Hoyer showed much mettle again in leading the game-winning drive.  Unfortunately, the quarterback was a primary reason that such heroics were needed.  His three interceptions were awful, ill-advised throws that kept the Falcons in a game that would not have been close otherwise.  The Browns got their running game back on track last week, gaining 162 yards on 29 carries (5.6 yd/avg).  But I think offensive coordinator Kyle Shannahan got too cute with the game plan, calling in pass plays at puzzling times, and Hoyer just did not execute.  Most strikingly, the Browns drove 74 yards on 7 plays in the fourth quarter setting up a first-and-goal at Atlanta’s 6 yard line.  By this point of the game, the Browns offensive line had worn down the Falcons front seven, and had ripped off runs of 20 and 18 yards on this drive.  On first down, with the goal line right under their noses, the Browns run a bootleg right and Hoyer, under pressure, noodle-armed a ball to the back of the end zone that was picked off, giving the Falcons another chance to win.  Earlier in the half, they rammed the ball down to Atlanta’s 5 yard line, before throwing an incomplete pass on second down out of the shotgun, taking a 9-yard sack on third down, and ultimately settling for a field goal.  Discounting Hoyer’s bad performance and the questionable play-calling, the Browns played a pretty good all-around game.  Again, the offensive line played well, and Josh Gordon looked good in his return, with 120 yards on 8 catches.  The defense bottled up the Falcons running game, holding them to just 63 yards, and made Pro-Bowl quarterback Matt Ryan look fairly pedestrian.  There is a lot of bad to pull out of this game, but I think the never-say-die attitude the team showed again is going to help in what appears like it’s going to be a difficult push for the playoffs.

Big$: Well the Browns are 7-4, but there is definitely good news and bad news surrounding last week's last second victory.  I'll stay in my comfort zone and open with the bad news. As much as I want to stick up for the hometown boy, Brian Hoyer's play against the Falcons was wretched.  He had been walking a tightrope all year as it relates to INTs and that rope snapped like many a thanksgiving belt in Atlanta.  To miss as bad as he was missing showed a startling lack of focus which could be deadly in a playoff hunt (ask Derek Anderson).  This week will tell us a lot about Brian Hoyer and where he’s headed. Coupled with the concerns at QB, is the fact that it seems as though the rest of the AFC North is hitting its stride.  Rumors of the Bengals, Ravens, and Steelers demise have been greatly exaggerated.  The Browns are in a dogfight and they have infinitely less experience in this area than their other playoff tested counterparts.  I have my doubts that they can keep their heads up above water.

Now the good news, the NFL is a war of attrition.  There are no style points, and a win is a win.  This team has proven that it can win ugly when the moment calls for it and that character should serve them well during the late season push.  As far as this week’s match up goes, I also believe the Browns will gain some sort of competitive advantage from Pettine and O Neil’s history with the Bills and hope to see it capitalized on.

Where would you start LeBron this week?

Big $:  With all the defensive injuries it would be dumb not to utilize LeBron on that side of the ball.  So on Sunday I’m sending Barkevious Mingo to the buffet for weight enhancement and letting the King run wild at outside linebacker.

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  I would like to see LeBron patrol the sidelines as an assistant coach.  Last week in Atlanta, Coach Pettine again showed poor clock/timeout management.  He also pulled the ultimate head-scratcher on the last play of the first half by choosing to try a 60-yard field goal with Billy Cundiff, who is statistically the NFL’s worst long-range kicker ever.  Almost any other offensive play would have a better chance of netting some points, especially when you have deep threat Josh Gordon back on the field. 

What do you expect this week on the road against the 6-5 Buffalo Bills?

Big $:  In retrospect, the Browns could of won the Falcons game by 3 touchdowns had it not been for Shanahan and Hoyer’s dual lobotomies.  I am going to hope and assume things were learned and corrections were made.  However, I'm also concerned that Sammy Watkins may throw a shaker of salt on our current 2014 draft woes.  With that said, I’m going to go out on a mile-long limb and not only predict a 21-17 Browns victory, but also that Justin Gilbert will atone for our Watkins envy with a big play this week.

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  The Bills are the type of team that has given the Browns trouble all year, as they have a great defensive line.  Buffalo averages more than 4 sacks per game, led by end Mario Williams and tackle Marcell Dareus, who have 12 and 10 sacks, respectively.  Teams that can penetrate the Browns front line, especially at the interior, have stifled the run and forced the ever-inconsistent Hoyer into poor throws.  The Bills have thrived in such situations this year, ranking 4th in the league in scoring defense and 6th with a plus-8 turnover margin.  The Browns offensive line, though, showed some dominance last week against the Falcons.  The outcome of this matchup will determine the game.  On the other side of the ball, the Browns are missing LB Karlos Dansby and safety Tashaun Gipson are injury, but I still think they can match up well against a Bills offense that ranks in the bottom third of the league in just about all relevant categories.  I think the Browns can keep the Bills offense at bay but, ultimately, I don’t think they can outscore them this week.  I am expecting a low-scoring game, with that Bills front seven leading the charge and taking a 16-13 win.  

Follow @northcoastposse on Twitter for Browns coverage and commentary.

Thanksgiving Couldn't Have Come At A Better Time by Wal Ozello

Let's be honest. The world is really messed up right now.

Ferguson. Immigration. Healthcare. All polarizing events that are splitting the country in half. You're either for the decisions that have been made by those leading the government or against them. The emotion behind everyone's conversation seems to rise to a boil instantly.

ISIS. Ebola. Crisis that are affecting the whole world. Sure, they are over-sensationalized by the media but they are very real and a threat to all of our livelihoods.

These big issues shadow other stories that would have been big news otherwise: Bill Cosby's rape allegations, the 12 year old that was killed by policeman for brandishing a BB gun, the fraternities suspended for gang rape at the University of Virginia.

Oh... and by the way... the Nigerian school girls that were kidnapped back in April? Still missing.

Personally, this hasn't been a great year for the world around me. I've got friends who are sick with cancer, friends who have died, and several friends that have recently lost their jobs.

2014 is one depressing year.

So with racism, rape, death, and terrorism flooding the headlines, what in the world can we be thankful for?

A lot.

As you sit down to enjoy your Thanksgiving meal, here are some "Thanks-Starters":

1) You have food in front of you. (obvious one)

2) You're surrounded by family and friends. (Even if you're uncle's a douchbag)

3) We live in a country where there is due process and a trial system. (We also have the ability to protest without repercussions in the event we believe justice isn't served.)

4) We have easy access to the world's best healthcare. (If we can't afford it, the government's going to end up footing the bill from the ER.)

5) The media is really good at punishing those that have sinned in the public eye. (Cosby may never face trial for his accused rape charges, but his legacy has flipped from the jello pudding man to rapist.)

6) By comparison to the rest of the world, we're really rich.

This is just the beginning of things we can be grateful for. I believe there's still good in this world. It's there to be found. Sometimes you have to pull up every stone that's been thrown and check under it.

From everyone here at Pencilstorm, we wish you, your families, and your friends, a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Wal Ozello is  a science fiction techno-thriller novelist and the author of Assignment 1989: The Time Travel Wars  and Revolution 1990. He's a resident of Upper Arlington, Ohio and a frequent customer at Colin's Coffee.

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

Baver’s Buckeye Bag 11/26/14

Baver’s Buckeye Bag 11/26/14

The Indiana debacle, Michigan week, other misc thoughts…

--I guess we have to start with the rush defense.  It’s an embarrassment, and the thought of facing Melvin Gordon in a week and a half is frightening.  (More on that in a second.)  Bad angles, bad reads…just plain bad execution.  Not sure what the answer is, but the entire linebacking crew, along with Tyvis Powell, are just not getting it done.  Thankfully, they are finally facing a team this week that doesn’t have an elite tailback.

-- As a Buckeye fan, do you still want to see Wisconsin in the B1G title game?  I would think you do, but from a matchup perspective?  Certainly I’d rather take my chances with David Cobb and Minnesota again than have to face Gordon and Wisconsin.  A win over the Badgers would look more impressive to the Committee but a potential matchup with the Badgers is looking much more troublesome than it did two weeks ago.

--The Indiana game surprised me more than any game all season.  It shouldn’t have mattered that the Bucks had trouble getting up for this one.  They should have hammered the Hooisers, and the game should have never been in doubt.  Trailing an Indiana team in the 3rd quarter that is 0-6 in Big Ten play?  Really?  As unpredictable that college football is, I never saw that coming.  That game by itself shouldn’t affect Ohio State’s final position in the Committee ranking, but it’s still hard to swallow.

-- It’s Michigan week, and that’s still special….but does it seem like Michigan week?  This is a bad Michigan football team.  Can they get up and win one for a coach that is likely on his way out?  Certainly possible.  The “Springs slip” in 1996, when the Bucks lost as 17-point favorites, blowing their undefeated season, is still fresh in my mind…..18 years later.  Man, that was painful.  And if the Bucks play like they did against Indiana, this game will be closer than it should be.  More on the matchup below.

--Glad to see The Game again being a noon kick.  The day that they move it to an 8 pm kick, I will want to cry.  The Game was made to be played on a Saturday afternoon – period.  Absolutely have to keep this game as the last game on the schedule with an afternoon kickoff time.

--Nice to see Jalin Marshall respond like he did after the tough one in Minneapolis and the Twitter onslaught afterwards.  Marshall is electric and will be needed against Michigan.  Urban Meyer talked about Marshall having some “wear and tear” and him possibly being limited some against Michigan.  This is concerning with no other healthy H-back available.

--Noah Spence permanently ineligible now?  Not often you hear the word “permanently” in sports.  Best of luck to Noah Spence, and if he still has drug problems, let’s hope he overcomes them.

The Game – The Matchup

The Michigan offense is atrocious….no easier way to say it.  111th nationally in scoring offense, 114th in total offense, #113 is passing offense, and #61 in rushing offense.  Brady Hoke’s recruiting hasn’t been great, but it’s been good enough that their offense shouldn’t be this bad.  And this after adding former Alabama OC Doug Nussmeier in the offseason to help cure their offensive woes.

The Wolverines are not clicking on the ground or through the air.  Devin Gardner is wrapping up a disappointing career; he’s now thrown 14 picks, with only 8 TD’s this season.  They lost their #1 TB Derrick Green to a broken clavicle in early October and have lately been going with the sophomore combo of Drake Johnson and De’Veon Smith.  Green has been ruled out against Ohio State. 

Michigan has been much better on the other side of the ball, ranking 9th in the country in total defense and 21st in scoring defense.  If they can get some confidence early, they may be able to get the Buckeye offense in a rut, much like Penn State did.  As mentioned above, if Jalin Marshall isn’t close to full go, this could be a major issue for Ohio State against this Michigan defense, with Dontre Wilson out until the bowl game(s). 

Last chance for Brady Hoke to beat Urban Meyer?  One would think so, at least while Hoke is UM’s head coach.  Last year’s Michigan team was sky high for Ohio State, but I don’t expect their emotion to be the same Saturday.  I think this Michigan team is more than demoralized.  They do have more talent than their 5-6 record might tell you, so letting UM hang around might be ill advised.  But if the Buckeyes can get Michigan down 2+ scores early, the rout should be on.   The Call: Ohio State 38 Michigan 13

--Brent Baver

This Month In Music History - Alice Cooper: Muscle of Love by Scott Carr

November, 20, 1973 - Alice Cooper: "Muscle of Love" is released.

"The album in the plain brown, slightly greasy wrapper"

Muscle of Love is the seventh and final album from the original Alice Cooper Group. It was released on November 20th, 1973 and was the follow up to the hugely successful Billion Dollar Babies album which was released in February of the same year. Muscle of Love was considered a failure upon it's release as it peaked at No.10 on the Billboard charts and only attained gold status whereas Billion Dollar Babies had made it to the No.1 position on the charts and sold in excess of a million copies.

Muscle of Love was an attempt by the band to make a straight ahead rock and roll record without all the trappings and theatrics that they had so carefully crafted with their previous albums. Muscle of Love was the bands first album to not be produced by Bob Ezrin since their breakthrough 1971 album Love It To Death. It was originallly reported that Ezrin dropped out of the project because of an illness but later reports indicated that Ezrin was at odds with the band.....mainly guitarist and chief songwriter Michael Bruce.....over the direction the album was taking. It was decided that Jack Richardson and Jack Douglas would co-produce the record in Ezrin's absence. The result is a solid collection of songs that have aged well. Over the years Muscle of Love has become a fan favorite and many feel it is right in line with all the other Cooper classics of the day. Two singles were pulled from the record..."Teenage Lament '74" and the title track....but neither track managed to make much of a dent on the singles chart. Other highlights on the album include "Working Up A Sweat", "Big Apple Dreamin' (Hippo)", "Never Been Sold Before", "Hard Hearted Alice" and "The Man With the Golden Gun". "Man With the Golden Gun" was originally intended for the soundtrack of the James Bond film of the same name but the band turned the song in too late and the song was not used in the film......so the band decided to include on their album. 

The packaging of the album is unique as it came in a shallow corrugated cardboard carton with a stain intentionally printed along the bottom of the carton. Many of the records were returned by retailers because they thought the cartons had been damaged in shipment....so it's actually pretty tough to find vinyl copies of this album that don't have a "cut-out" notch on one of the corners that indicates it as a return. 

This album marks the last time the original Alice Cooper Group would record together as it was decided that Alice Cooper (the group) and Alice Cooper (the man) needed a break from each other. Alice would release his first album as a solo artist in 1975....with his very successful Welcome To My Nightmare. It was originally thought that the group would reunite for another record after Alice finished up with Welcome To My Nightmare....but this never happened and three of the original Alice Cooper Group members formed the band Billion Dollar Babies and released an album entitled "Battle Axe" without Alice. "Battle Axe" was a bomb and the band disappeared soon after.....Alice would continue on with his solo career and is still releasing new music and touring to this day.

In 2011 The Alice Cooper Group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and later that year the surviving members of the original Alice Cooper Group joined Alice in the studio for the first time since the Muscle of Love record and they contributed to a few songs on his Welcome 2 My Nightmare album. Sadly Alice Cooper guitarist Glen Buxton passed away in 1997...so a full Alice Cooper Group reunion wasn't in the cards.

In recent years Alice has been performing the title track from Muscle of Love in concert.....which is a nice tip of the hat to an album that many have forgot about. If you are an Alice fan.....I'm sure you have heard this record before but if not....I highly recommend that you give it a listen. 

This video, for the purpose of music history and education, is a tribute to the Alice Cooper band's career in the '60s and '70s. In 2011 they were deservedly inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. "Muscle Of Love" was released on their same-titled album in 1973.

Alice Cooper performs at the 2012 Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. URL link to all videos captured at this event: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8578EB48831B6624

Switched live, shot by us & never edited videos @ U.S.Cellular Pavilion,NH USA Copyright Disclaimer.Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.

Cleveland at the Crossroads, The NCP looks at Browns vs. Falcons....

Final feelings on the Texans loss:

K-Dubs, the Soldier- Despite their unimpressive record, I figured the Texans would give the Browns a tough game.  I did not foresee the beating they were going to administer in a 23-7 win, though.  The Texans’ front seven, led by J.J. Watt, bottled-up the running game, holding the Browns to 58 yards on 24 carries, and registered 8 tackles for losses.  They also harassed Hoyer all afternoon, tallying 2 sacks, laying him out an additional 4 times, and pressuring him into a 20 for 50 performance.  Hoyer looked baaaaddd even when he had time, missing some targets by a country mile.  His inconsistency is consistently becoming more of an issue.  His receivers also had a couple of untimely drops, which did not help things.  Fortunately, not every defense has Watt and Brian Cushing, but unfortunately that includes the Browns, who allowed 213 rushing yards to a team missing its starting running back.  The defense just could not off the field, as Houston had 8 more minutes in time of possession and converted on 7 of 18 third-down opportunities.  This game was a big letdown after the curb-stomping administered to the Bengals the week before, but I am still forgiving of team that has far exceeded my expectations this season.  Even with the loss, the Browns sit at 6-4 and Josh Gordon, their most dangerous offensive weapon, makes his return this week.  

Big$- I ended last week’s entry by saying I was gonna kick back and enjoy being 6 and 3. Oddly enough, the beat down the Browns suffered in game 10 does not diminish the enjoyment I received from the 1st 9 games of the season. This team has out-performed my expectations and they have done so without the aid of two pro bowlers on offense (Mack and Cameron) and a rash of injuries on D. With that said, I believe they are at a crossroads. This week is going to go a long way in showing who the Browns are and where they are going. Are they legit playoff contenders or are they also-rans that caught a few breaks this year? Due to the week to week nature of the NFL, I don't think the Texans game does a whole lot to help figure that question out. Remember when Mark Sanchez was about to embark on a Hall-of-Fame-level career revival, and Andy Dalton was banished to the Arena league? That was only 2 weeks ago. Take it back a little farther and recall when we all assumed the Seahawks would be 17-0 and the Patriots run was done. Overreactions run rampant in NFL discussions and I’m not going to fall prey to over reacting to the game last week.

Where are you starting LeBron this week?

K-Dubs, the Soldier- I would like LeBron to suit up at linebacker this week in the place of Karlos Dansby, who is listed as doubtful after leaving last week’s game with a knee injury.  Craig Robertson has shown a lot of improvement since last year, and NCP favorite has Chris Kirksey played well, but they do not yet have the veteran leadership needed to captain the defense.  Dansby does, and so does LeBron.   

Big$- I want Lebron and the other 9 guys in the Cavs current rotation to play on kickoff coverage with the hopes that it will knock a little sense and life into their lackluster early season.

What’s your prediction for this week’s game on the road against the 4-6 Falcons:

Big$- On one hand I’m seriously concerned about the Browns ability to contain the strong-armed Matt Ryan, as Ryan Mallet went All-Pro on the defense last week. The good news is, his main weapon (and former Browns draft board asterisk) Julio Jones is a bit nicked up. On the other hand, I feel that the return of Josh Gordon is going to open up the offense. I suspect Ole Flash G. is a grip it and rip it type of guy who won’t be hampered by rust in any way and he’ll be the spark that leads to a Browns 31 -17 victory.

K-Dubs, the Soldier- The big news this week is the return of Gordon from his 10-game suspension resulting from drug-policy violations.  Gordon dominated the NFL last year with Brandon Weeden throwing him the ball.  Regardless if he catches a single ball this week, he makes the offense more potent.  His mere presence outside the hash marks should keep opposing defenses from stacking the box, which should help open up running lanes for Isaiah Crowell and Terrence West.  Getting him back at the No. 1 receiver position allows leading receiver Andrew Hawkins to match up against opponent’s second-tier cornerbacks or against linebackers and safeties when lining up in the slot.  In looking at this week’s game, I had counted this one as a loss when I scanned the scheduled at the beginning of the season.  Atlanta seemed like a playoff contender on paper, and this is an out-of-conference roadie, which results in a win for the home team more often than not.  Now, however, the Falcons are 4-6, and the only wins are against the poor divisional competition.  Matt Ryan is moving the ball, ranking 5th in the league in passing yards per game and throwing 17 touchdowns, and he has only thrown one interception in the last four games, but the defense cannot stop anyone.  They rank last in total defense and have lost to the Giants, Vikings, and Bears—not exactly Murders’ Row.  Similarly, the Browns defense have made rookies and second-team QBs, running backs and receivers look like All-Stars all year.  And that was with leading tackler Dansby and fellow starting linebacker Jabaal Sheard, who may not play this week because of injury.  With two porous defenses matching up against offenses with some dangerous toys, I am expecting a shoot-out with the Browns holding on late for a 33-27 win.