OCT. 25, 2006
OSU-MINNESOTA: POINT-COUNTERPOINT
The Gophers are really bad, but it's homecoming, so Cal Remkey and Scott Clifton take turns answering five questions about OSU's game against teh Gophers:
1. Which Minnesota team will show up in Ohio Stadium this weekend? The one that took Penn State to overtime or the one that was outgained 380-249 by Div. I-AA North Dakota State at the Metrodome?
>> CAL REMKEY: Does it really matter? I fear no team that lost to the Nits this year. With that being said,Minnesota will put for their best effort for at least a quarter or two on Saturday. This is a season savinggame for them. Last week was probably looked at as the bye week. They had to have been looking past NDSU to the Buckeyes. They will come out fired up, because no one wants to a “Homecoming Opponent.” And I’m sure Glen Mason wants to prove himself when playing Ohio State. But realistically, the biggest highlight of the day should come during halftime when Jack Nicklaus dots the 'i'.
>> SCOTT CLIFTON: I'm not sure that Minny is even good enough to look at North Dakota State as a bye week. Now, JoePoo and the boys at Penn State might have been looking at the Gophers as a bye week, but I digress. I don't think Mason has any chance of getting his team mentally where they need to be to go into Ohio Stadium and compete against a No.1-ranked team. If it wasn't for The Vest this one would get ugly in a hurry.
2. Are Glen Mason's days numbered as coach of the Golden Gophers?
>> REMKEY: That’s an interesting question. On the one hand, Glen has definitely restored some pride to that program and has gotten them to at least that “respectable” level and won a couple of bowl games. But he has never broken through to that elite level. I heard a stat last week on 1460 that said Minny has been to a total of ten bowl games and six of those have come during the Glen Mason era. Mike Ricordotti said that so who knows how accurate it is, but that right there should tell you that he is the best coach they have seen since at least Lou Holtz. If the Gopher administration is smart, they will keep him until at least the new stadium is built. That will be an imposing place, especially late in the year. Mase has great ties to Ohio high school coaches and if they were to cut him loose after this year, they could risk losing all of the momentum that he helped build over the past ten years or so.
>> CLIFTON: Mason has done a good job building Minny into a nice football team — if they were in the MAC. Yes, Mason has ties to Ohio, but does it matter when you're recruiting leftovers that OSU doesn't want? I have to think the boosters up there are tired of winning games against non-conference cream puffs only to collapse in the Big Ten and limp into their annual trip to the Mr. Clean Toilet Bowl or whatever middle December "bowl" game they go to. Yes, it would be only fair to give Mason a chance with an on-campus facility, but 0-5 starts in the Big Ten don't buy much time for a head coach.
3. Is there any way either TSUN or Ohio State doesn't make it to Nov. 18 unbeaten?
>> REMKEY: I cannot envision a scenario with that happening. It would take a massive upset for either school’s next three opponents to knock of OSU or TSUN. In fact the combined record of each school’s next three opponents is 15-33. Not exactly an intimidating group. I suppose Indiana could give TSUN a game, the week before they play Ohio State, but the talent levels are where the Bucks and the Wolverines are going to distinguish themselves. These two programs are recruiting a different kind of athlete from their opponents. It harkens back to the days of “Big Two, Little Eight.” I would be utterly shocked if either Ohio State or TSUN showed up on November 18th with anything in the loss column.
>> CLIFTON: I have to agree. TSUN and OSU have separated themselves from the rest of the country,
4. Given the most current BCS standings, how can the computers still rank both USC and TSUN ahead of Ohio State?
>> REMKEY: I still don’t know. My best guess is that it has something to do with Ohio State having only defeated one team (Texas) in the most current top 25. TSUN (Domers & Wisky) and USC (Hogs & Huskers) have each defeated two. My other theory is that there is an “Ohio State Rule” worked into the computer formula, which prevents one team from appearing too dominant, so that people still bother to watch. Honestly, has there been another team that has been as dominant week in and week out, as the Bucks
>> CLIFTON: For some reason, USC gets points in the computer polls for being a good team — in the past! And TSUN's best win is against Wisconsin. Yes, they beat Notre Dame, but I'll get to that in the next question. USC is the 2002 OSU team of this season, except that everyone still seems to love them rather than call them lucky. And the Wolverines jumped way up in the standings because of a win over a bad Irish team. The Buckeyes have dominated every team they have played. And that's saying a lot considering don Tresselli doesn't like to blow people out until the end ot the year. For once, I'm glad the coaches, er, the sports information directors and the media have a clue what they're doing in the polls.
5. Who is the most overrated team in the country and why?
>> REMKEY: I have to go with TSUN at this point. Yes they did have a nice win over Wisconsin and first year coach Bret Bilema. And yes they had another nice win over an extremely overrated Domer squad, (that to this day continues to be overrated). But other than that, why are they being hyped? I’ll tell you why: promotion. ESPN wants the Ohio State – TSUN game to be the “Game of the Century”, of this year. I mean, they already have a running clock counting down to the second of kickoff on the Gameday set. Hey, it’s fine by me. I welcome the hype because I have a very good feeling about The Game this year, and I like to see the Bucks win big games. But why do I feel this way? Well one reason is common opponents. TSUN and OSU have played three common opponents so far (Michigan St., Iowa, and Penn St.) Ohio State has fared much better against these three teams, and has held two of those three teams to less points than the vaunted Wolverine defense.
And yes I have heard about the “new” TSUN defense and how much better and quicker they are. Well I have news for you, they are not doing anything different schematically. The only real improvement that I have seen has been in the defensive line. They do appear to be quicker. The biggest beneficiaries of this have been the linebackers. But, they have yet to face the poison that has cut them so deep in the past four seasons — a healthy, mobile quarterback.
>> CLIFTON: I'm not sure TSUN can be more overrated than a Notre Dame team that got blown out by the Wolverines in South Bend, needed a miracle collapse by Sparty to beat John L's boys in East Lansing and barely beat winless Stanford. I'm not even going to talk about the UCLA game, I'm still pissed about it. And now Charlie Weis is complaining that his team is dropping in the polls. You shouldn't even be ranked you clown! Quit cryin' and recruit a defense.I'm so tired of teams getting too much credit for beating Notre Dame and the Irish never getting criticized for sketchy wins. I'd love to get into a discussion about how religion has no place in athletics, but I'll save that for another time. Let's just hope USC does their job and whacks the Domers. Touchodown Jesus save us if they don't.
Cal can be reached via email at calremkey@meanbrutus.com
Scott can be reached via email at scottclifton@meanbrutus.com
