WEEK 15 Predictions – 2020
Last Week: The Buckeyes were able to get back on the field and made the most of it as they dominated Michigan State 52-12. The win clinches the Big Ten East title for OSU for the 4th straight year. And not matter what Indiana fans say, sending Ohio State to Indy is the right choice. As for our staff predictions standings, we still have a three-way tie in first with Dave, Dr Mark and Coach Rick. But several others are only a game or two behind so the title is still up for grabs with two weeks to go.
This Week’s Games: Normally this is the biggest week of the season, but as everyone knows now, Michigan has opted to not play this year. That is probably the most telling sign of just how far the Wolverines have fallen in the spirit of this rivalry. Can Michigan turn this around with their current leadership? …. We were also planning to review the Cincinnati-Tulsa game but that was cancelled and will be played as the AAC championship next week. Any hopes the Bearcats can still make it into the top four? …. In addition, Washington-Oregon, another game on our radar was also cancelled late in the week. Will this ever stop? …. We will get to see the Iowa-Wisconsin game as the Hawkeyes continue to improve each week. Had it not been for the first two weeks, Iowa would be in the battle for the B1G West championship. …. Also, it appears the USC-UCLA game is still on so we bring our feedback for the battle for Los Angeles.
Buckeye Greats: As with the past, we will continue to include former Buckeye players in our prediction fun and we are thrilled to have Vaughn Broadnax back with us as a regular participant for the sixth straight year.
Here we go with our Week 15 Picks – Good Luck to All – Gregg
Michigan @ (4)Ohio State
Coach Rick: COVID
Cory: Canceled due to COVID-19 within Michigan’s program. Let us hope all players and staff affected are OK.
Gregg: Something is very shady about the cancelation of this game. Nothing lines up for OSU but if nothing else, it will be another 365 days before Michigan has a chance to win again. One thing I do know, this will set back Wolverine recruiting 5 years.
John: OSU Would have won big. Most likely covered the 30 pt spread
Steven: 🙁 Should have been OSU by a ton.
Trout: For the first time in over 100 years, this game is going to be canceled. Its been a terrible year and this is another terrible occurrence. If the game would have happened, I would have picked the Buckeyes. Michigan was terrible this year. Their best win is Rutgers. Ohio State would have one this game by at least 4 touchdowns. Unfortunately we will never know. (No Contest)
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU 1980-83): Ohio State beats Michigan 60-24
Final Score: Ohio State 0 Michigan less than 0
Wisconsin @ (16)Iowa
Andy: Iowa over Wisconsin by 14
Coach Rick: Wisconsin
Cory: Wisconsin is such an odd team to watch right now. Against the only two good defenses the Badgers have played – Northwestern and Indiana – they struggled to move the ball consistently. In their loss to the Hoosiers, the Badgers did into the red zone a few times but failed to convert or turned the ball over. In case you didn’t see, in those two games Wisconsin combined for 13 points. That’s awful regardless of your opponent. Iowa has now won five straight after opening the season with two losses, and the Hawkeyes feature a legit defense, as well. So far no team has scored more than 21 points on Iowa this season. There is no doubt that Wisconsin is close to being a good time but the struggles on offense are too hard to ignore. Iowa 28, Wisconsin 13
Dave: Wisconsin 28 Iowa 21
Dr. Mark: Iowa
Gregg: Iowa is clearly playing better than any other team in the B1G West. The unexplainable 4 point lose to open the season against Purdue is probably keeping them out of the Big Ten Championship. I expect this to be a defensive struggle for the Badgers as they have had a hard time scoring of late. In addition, they are still down several players from COVID. Notch another win for Coach Ferentz. Iowa 34 Wisconsin 6
John: Iowa
Josh: Iowa
Steven: Not convinced the Hawkeyes defense is any good. They’re ranked 16th, but Wisconsin is number 1. If Wisconsin QB Graham Mertz can stay upright, I see the Badgers winning. Wisky 28-21
Trout: I believe the Hawkeyes will win this game. Since losing their first 2 games of the season, Iowa has played really well. They are probably the third best team in the Big Ten, just behind Indiana and Ohio State. I also don’t think Wisconsin is that good. They looked great in their first 2 games, but have looked awful in their last 2. I feel like the teams are treading in opposite directions. I think the game will be a close, low scoring game. But in the end, the Hawkeye’s superior talent wins out. (Iowa, 17-10)
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU 1980-83): Wisconsin gets by Iowa 31-27
Final Score: Iowa 28 Wisconsin 7
(15)USC @ UCLA
Andy: USC by 17 points
Coach Rick: USC
Cory: UCLA has won three of its last four, and that one loss, which was to Oregon, should have been a win. USC enters undefeated and is the only hope the PAC 12 has in getting a team to the playoff, though it’s a small hope. UCLA has a more balanced offense, but USC has the better quarterback in Kedon Slovis. The only quality opponent the Trojans have faced so far was Utah and they won that game by 16 points. UCLA will keep the game interesting, but in the end the talent difference will be too big to overcome for the Bruins. USC 38, UCLA 28
Dave: USC 28 UCLA 14
Dr. Mark: USC
Gregg: It is hard for me to read the Pac-12 schools right now, the only people that have handled this season worse than the Big Ten is the Pac-12. Then again, they followed the B1G lead in August to cancel the season. Seems like USC should win this, Kelly just doesn’t have UCLA where they need to be yet. But if the Bruins find a way to best the Trojans, it is adios Pac-12. USC 35 UCLA 28
John: USC
Josh: USC
Steven: If this was any other year USC would definitely be in the conversation for the College Football playoff. When the Pac-12 turned tail, letting caution push the start of the season so far back the league became an afterthought, it also ruined a tremendous chance for the league to return to relevance. People want USC to be good again. It would bring back a lot of eyeballs on the west coast that have been deprived of any interest in college football for the last couple of years. Hopefully this game will showcase the talent that is growing out west and lay the foundation for the Pac-12 to get back into the conversation. Trojan QB Kedon Slovis is the real deal and I look for him to pass all over the Bruin secondary. USC 42-34.
Trout: I believe the Trojans will win this game. Although this doesn’t say much, they seem to be the best team in the PAC 12. However, I don’t think the Bruins will be pushovers either. I see this being a very tight game for all 4 quarters. With USC scoring just enough points to beat their rival. It’ll be sloppy, and it’ll be low scoring, but I see the USC Trojans remaining unbeaten. (USC, 19-16)
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU 1980-83): USC over UCLA 30-21
Final Score: USC 43 UCLA 38
Washington @ Oregon
GAME CANCELLED BUT HERE IS HOW A FEW OF US SAW THIS GOING
Coach Rick: xxxx
Cory: The game between Washington and Oregon this week was supposed to be between two of the Pac 12’s contenders, yet it looks to be a matchup up pretenders. Washington is coming off a bad loss to lowly Stanford, while Oregon has lost two straight, including falling to Cal last week. The Ducks offense, which had been so good this season, sputtered as they managed just 17 points in the loss to the Golden Bears. I’m not sure either team is all that good, however Oregon is at home and has the better quarterback of these two teams. Don’t stay up for this one. Oregon 30, Washington 14
Dave: Oregon 32 Washington 28
Gregg: xxxx
John: Oregon
Josh: Oregon
Steven: I like Washington in slight upset. U-Dub 29-24.
Trout: I believe the Trojans will win this game. Although this doesn’t say much, they seem to be the best team in the PAC 12. However, I don’t think the Bruins will be pushovers either. I see this being a very tight game for all 4 quarters. With USC scoring just enough points to beat their rival. It’ll be sloppy, and it’ll be low scoring, but I see the USC Trojans remaining unbeaten. (USC, 19-16)
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU 1980-83): Washington over Oregon 34-31
Final Score: GAME CANCELLED
(8)Cincinnati @ (24)Tulsa
Coach Rick: Cincinnati
Cory: Canceled due to COVID-19 within Cincinnati’s program. Let us hope all players and staff affected are OK.
Dave: Cincinnati 32 Tulsa 28
Dr. Mark: Cincinnati
Gregg: xxxx
John: Cincinnati. Will be unbeaten but on the outside looking in at the playoffs
Steven: Picking this for week 16. Coach Luke Fickell has this team playing well. The Bearcats are not dominating offensively, but they are gritty and they know how to gut out a win. A lot of that also has to do with Defensive Coordinator Marcus Freeman. Look for Marcus to be on the short list for head coaching jobs in the off-season. I’m actually a fan of not playing Tulsa twice. Hopefully this week will give both teams a chance to rest and give us a great game. Cinci 34-29.
Trout: Another game cancelled this week. I would have picked CIncy. Fickell had this team rolling, and I don’t think Tulsa would have stood a chance. Hopefully next year, the Bearcats can have a better shot at the College Football Playoffs. (No Contest)
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU 1980-83): Cincinnati over Tulsa 42-27