Last Week: The Buckeyes had a much needed week off to heal some injuries and to think about their game against Oregon. But that loss is behind them and cannot be changed. Now they need to look forward to the second half of the season and continue to work on the goals they set for themselves back in the spring. For our staff predictions, Trout was able to go 5-0 for the week in spite of all the upsets. Steven, John and Vaughn were all 4-1 and as the dust settled on the week’s games, Steven moved to the top of the leaderboard with a record of 30-8.
This Week’s Games: For Buckeye fans, Saturday cannot come soon enough. They welcome Nebraska to town for Homecoming weekend. The school is calling for all fans to wear scarlet, should be a great day for football. Do the Buckeyes get back on track? …. Our games start Friday night again as Boise State heads to Vegas to take on the Rebels. Both teams are still holding out hope for the final slot in the playoff as the Group of 5 representative. Which team will come out on top and put themselves on a path for the post season? …. LSU and Texas A&M are both still thinking about an SEC championship. Both started the year with a loss but now find themselves in full control of their conference and playoff fate. Which team will win and stay on track for 2024 greatness? …. Missouri will play Alabama on the road, who is coming off their second loss of the year. Is this a good time or a bad time for the Tigers to be facing the Tide? …. Notre Dame and Navy play this week and all the tradition this game holds is secondary to what is at stake for the playoffs. Both teams want a ticket to the playoffs, the winner will still be in the running.
Buckeye Greats: As in 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 tenth straight year.
Here we go with our Week 9 Picks – Good Luck to All – Gregg
Nebraska @ (4)Ohio State(-25.5)
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU-RB 1980-83): After Indiana decimated the Huskers in Bloomington, one would expect a similar if not a more significant result in the shoe. However, Matt Ruhle will test our DBs with Dylan Raiola’s arm and find success. Buckeyes aren’t aggressive, but win 42-27.
Andy: The Ohio State players and coaching have had to hear criticisms for the past week now. Whether those criticisms are fair or not, they’ve probably galvanized this team. Nebraska looked like it could be a 9 or 10 win team this season after opening the season 5-1 before getting trounced by the Hoosiers this past weekend in Bloomington. The Cornhuskers really have one chance to win and that is for their passing offense to go nuts against Ohio State. Ohio State still has one of the best rosters in the country and they are elite on both sides of the football, the players need to come out and execute better on defense and on offense with the recent injuries on the offensive line I expect Ohio State to come out and beat up on this Nebraska team. Ohio State 48 Nebraska 6
Cory: Nebraska just went to Bloomington and got embarrassed by Indiana. Are the Hoosiers that good, or was Nebraska a bit overrated? We’ll find out this week as the Cornhuskers come into town. I think the key to this game will be how the defense handles Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola. Last week, the Hoosiers did everything to could to confuse and frustrate Raiola with constant blitzes, stunts, changing coverages, and disguising their defense, and it worked. Raiola had three interceptions and Nebraska only scored one touchdown. If Ohio State’s defense plays passively like it did against Oregon, this game could be close. The defense has to find a way to force Raiola into bad decisions. After the loss to the Ducks, I am sure we’ll see some changes and hopefully the defense won’t be as passive this week. Ohio State 42 Nebraska 17
Dave: Ohio State 32 Nebraska 14
Gregg: Last week on GameDay, Coach Saban called out Desmond Howard for how much of a ‘homer’ he is when it comes to picking games involving Michigan. He also called out the OSU defense for being inferior for what they need to be if they are going to compete for a national title. In both cases he was spot on and the Buckeyes had better listen. No pressure on the QB and Ducks were able to put up 500 yards on Ohio State. Oregon has now shown everyone else how it is done. So, until improvements are made, everyone else will follow that pattern when they face the Bucks. Will Howard will need to shake off all the stories and posts from the past two weeks and take care of business. I will be shocked if he does not have over 300 yards this week. But the focus this week will be on the defense. What changes will be made in the past two weeks. I believe the Buckeyes will have a comfortable win this week over the Huskers and begin their prep for the Lions in Happy Valley. Ohio State 45 Nebraska 13
Joe-S-U: Ohio State
John: What should be a testy, although somewhat banged up, Ohio State comes off a bye week to host the Cornhuskers. If this team is what we thought it was, this one gets ugly early. If Nebraska makes a game out of it the back half of the season could get real ugly for the Bucks. Ohio State 49 Nebraska 10
Josh: The Buckeyes will be working through some lineup changes on both sides of the ball, but now they have the strange added pressure of putting up a performance similar to Indiana (what a crazy season.) I think the Buckeyes will rebound from their loss better, getting an extra week to work on some scheme, and refocus on their opponents because all of their goals (outside of an undefeated season) are still on the table. Will Howard will work more into the run game, especially if Quinshon Judkins is limited in his playing time. Ohio State’s offense should be able to get what they want on this defense and might play more ball control to limit Nebraska’s possessions. Ohio State 42 – Nebraska 10
Steven: Coming off the loss to Oregon two weeks ago there has been much soul-searching particularly across the OSU defensive staff. Coach Day says coaches Johnson and Knowles are on the same page, but it is easy to see, from a production standpoint, they really aren’t. Coach Knowles is known for being aggressive from the back-end, dialing up safety and corner blitzes to pressure the quarterback. Somehow, the same cannot be said for our edge rushers. Maybe we have been spoiled by generational talent such as the Bosa brothers and Chase Young, but overall, the Buckeye front four should not be reliant upon the backs to pressure the quarterback. This needs to be fixed, and fixed immediately if the Buckeye truly want a shot at a national championship. As for the Huskers coming in this week, Dylan Raiola is one of the top freshman QBs in the nation, but he has shown that he can be rattled at times and his inexperience shows. He brings in a 9/6 TD to INT ratio. If the Bucks can continue this trend and force Raiola into turning the ball over, they have a great chance to win. Like the Oregon game, ball control is essential. Nebraska isn’t as good as Oregon on either offense or defense, so Saturday shouldn’t be as much of a struggle. The Bucks just need to finish drives. Make that time of possession pay off and the Bucks win easily, but the final score will make the game look closer than it actually is. OSU 31-21
Trout: After having to stew on that gut wrenching loss at Oregon, I think the Buckeyes are hungry to get out there and beat up a lesser team. Which just happens to be Nebraksa. Although better than before, Nebraska is still not a great team. I can see the Buckeyes scoring early and often. It might take a series or two to get adjusted, but once they find their groove, it’ll be hard for the Cornhuskers to stop them. Nebraska will get some scores against the Buckeyes. Raiola is a good quarterback and he’ll be able to lead the Nebraska offense to a few scoring drives. But it won’t be enough to win the game. Ohio State gets back on track this week and handles the Cornhuskers in a blowout win. (Ohio State 49-16)
Final Score: Ohio State 21 Nebraska 17
(17)Boise State(-2.5) @ UNLV
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU-RB 1980-83): Boise State runs the table on UNLV to 28-21
Andy: This game should actually be a good one to watch, UNLV is only allowing an average of 100 rushing yards per game and they face the best running back in the country when Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty comes to Las Vegas. Jeanty has been sensational this season rushing for nearly 10 yards per carry and 17 rushing touchdowns, he is on pace to break Barry Sanders single season rushing record he has rushed for over 200 yards in 3 of his 6 games this season. I expect him to carry Boise State to a win. Boise State 31 UNLV 27
Cory: I am a believer in running back Ashton Jeanty. Averaging 9.9 yards per carry, and already has 17 rushing touchdowns on the season? That is absurd. UNLV’s only loss was a three-point one to Syracuse, but the Rebels have had a pretty easy schedule so far. Also, UNLV’s defense has not been great. I think this game will be a shootout, so for Friday night viewing it should be pretty fun to watch. Boise State 45 UNLV 38
Dave: UNLV 28 Boise State 24
Gregg: These teams are 2-0 in their conference, and both have one loss overall. But Boise State is ranked and in a position to make the playoffs. They need to come into Vegas, stay away from the buffets, stay away from the tables, (even stay away from Blue Man Group!) and focus on the game. Las Vegas has become a sports town now, already having a professional hockey team, football team and a baseball team on the way. Yet this year, their college football team is having a great season, and if it had not been for a 3-point overtime loss to Syracuse, the Rebels would be unbeaten and the top candidate for the group of 5 candidate for the playoffs. Yet they still have time if they can knock off the Broncos and win out. But I think BSU is just a bit too much for them and will sneak out with a narrow win. This should be a great game for a Friday night and warm up college fans for the Saturday slate. Boise State 31 UNLV 24
Joe-S-U: Boise State
John: A battle of two one loss teams, so this one should be entertaining. Too bad it’s on Friday night, which should be all about H.S. football (I know, my cranky old man is shining through again). Neither teams loss to date is bad – Boisie lost by three at now #1 Oregon and UNLV lost by three to Syracuse. Game is in Vegas, which isn’t exactly Death Valley. I like the Bronco’s in this one. Right now, BSU is on a collision course with Ohio State in the projected first round of the playoffs on some sites. That would be a tasty early December matchup. Boise State 42 UNLV 38
Josh: Earlier in the season when we were previewing UNLV vs Syracuse, I had called this game to be a pivotal game for the Group of 5 who are competing for a guaranteed playoff spot, but dont be surprised if we see two teams. I think Boise State has the best player on the field with Ashton Jeanty who in 6 games already has 1,248 yards and 14 touchdowns, but the Broncos are pretty decent on defense as well. This game was moved to Allegient Stadium, and the Rebels are arguably the best team in Vegas at the moment. I think Hajj-Malik Williams for UNLV will keep the Rebels in it with his dual threat ability, but I think Boise State ends up winning this game with a last series drive. Boise State 42 – UNLV 35
Steven: Hands down, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty is in the lead for this year’s Heisman trophy. He has so far amassed 1,248 yards and 17 touchdowns on only 126 carries. That’s just about an average of 10 yards per carry, folks. UNLV is top 20 in the nation in stopping the run, allowing a bit over a hundred yards on the ground per game. Unstoppable force, meet immovable object. Immovable may be a stretch, but you get the point. Both teams have 1 loss and they are both fairly good losses at that, (BSU, a 1 point loss on the road at Oregon and UNLV, a one point loss in overtime against Syracuse). Gut call here, but Jeanty just seems to have a bit of destiny on his side. BSU is going to be very tough to beat. BSU 33-28.
Trout: I am going with the Broncos in this game. I think both teams are good mid-major teams. I could see either one of these teams taking the group of five spot in the playoffs. I’m giving the edge to Boise State because of their superstar running back, Ashton Jeanty. This guy could easily have over two thousand yards before the end of the season. He seems to be the x factor in this game that pushes the Broncos over and gets them the victory. UNLV are not pushovers, and they will make Boise State fight for every yard. The game will be close, but the Broncos offensive attack lead by Jeanty will wear the Rebels down to a point where they can’t respond in kind. Boise State wins in a close one and keeps their playoff hopes alive. (Boise State 35-27)
Final Score: Boise State 29 UNLV 24
(8)LSU @ (14)Texas A&M(-2.5)
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU-RB 1980-83): Texas A&M tames the LSU Tigers 27-17.
Andy: LSU has really turned things around after their early season loss to USC. These teams are pretty evenly matched on paper when you look at scoring defense and scoring offense, but there is a mismatch between LSU’s passing offense and Texas A&M’s pass defense. A&M is 52nd in the country against the pass and LSU’s offense is the 8th best pass offense in the country behind junior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier who is 2nd in the SEC with over 2,200 passing yards and 18 touchdowns. In a close matchup like this, I like to give the edge to the team with the better quarterback especially when he is an upperclassmen. LSU 34 Texas A&M 28
Cory: Both LSU and Texas A&M opened the season with a loss, and both teams have gone undefeated since then. The Aggies favor a balanced offense, whereas LSU is very pass heavy. While A&M’s schedule has not been too difficult, they did upset Missouri, which was an impressive win. That said, I am not sure the Aggies will be able to hold up the Tigers relentless offense. LSU has just been outlasting their opponents and will do so again this week. LSU 35 Texas A&M 24
Dave: Texas A&M 24 LSU 21
Gregg: The SEC finds itself in the usual place in the SEC biased AP poll with 9 teams in the top 25 and 4 in the top 8. None of those four teams, however, are the Aggies and yet they are on top the conference standings with a with a (6-1, 4-0) record. There are no unbeaten teams left in the conference, and only 6 with one loss. As they will continue to play each other and feed on each other, I find it less and less likely the playoff committee will have more than 3 teams in the playoff field, but time will tell. For this week, this is a huge game for both teams, the SEC and Notre Dame. Yes, the Irish have week one win over A&M and need them to keep winning out to boast their own playoff resume. LSU has a great running game, and one of the best offensive lines in the country, only giving up 2 sacks all year. But I think it will be the Aggie defense that proves to be a bit stronger and will hold the Tigers in check just enough for the win. Texas A&M will then work their way through their schedule right up to the regular season ending game with the Longhorns. Go 12th Man! Texas A&M 24 LSU 21
Joe-S-U: Texas A&M
John: Prime time in Aggieland. Again, both are 6-1, and again, neither loss, both in week 1, was particularly bad – USC beat LSU and Notre Dame took care of A&M. Unlike Boise/UNLV, home field should give A&M an advantage. Texas A&M 24 LSU 21
Josh: LSU has bounced back since their opening loss to USC, who is showing to be an above average team, while Texas A&M is building momentum for a dramatic run the rest of the season. With this game being in Aggieland, I think the home field will play a factor, and I still just don’t trust LSU despite their win against Ole Miss. I think A&M wins this one close. Texas A&M 31 – LSU 24.
Steven: LSU and TA&M sit atop the SEC undefeated in conference play. Each has an early season loss, but neither of those losses will matter if the teams win out. One team goes home with a second loss this weekend. A second loss is not a de facto elimination from the CFB Playoff, but it certainly puts the losing team in a much more precarious position. So, this one really is important. The QB comparison between LSU’s Garrett Nussmeir and A&M’s Conner Weigman tilts solidly in Nussmeir’s favor, while the Aggies can claim the tighter defense. I think Weigman’s inconsistency dooms the Aggies and LSU brings it home. It will be close, but the Tigers win 38-31.
Trout: The Aggies will win this game. The Tigers will keep it close for a while, but I can see Texas A&M pulling away at the end. I’m not high on either team, but I have a harder time believing in LSU. Since their loss to a bad USC team, LSU has pulled off some good wins, but they’ve also had some games that are closer than they should have been. Granted, the same could be said of A&M. Their first game was a loss to underperforming Notre Dame, and then they won their last six games, some blowouts and some too close for comfort. I just have a gut feeling that the Aggies will pull this out. Also, I have stated this before. Brian Kelly has a terrible track record with big games. I can see it being low scoring, with the Tigers keeping it close deep into the fourth quarter. But then the Aggies are able to get ahead by a score or two, and maintain the lead until the whistle blows. LSU losses and ends their playoff chances. (Texas A&M, 24-13)
Final Score: Texas A&M 38 LSU 23
(21)Missouri @ (15)Alabama(-7)
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU-RB 1980-83): Alabama
Andy: Alabama 31 Missouri 27
Cory: What is going on with Alabama? The Crimson Tide have now lost two of their last three games, and the one win there was almost a loss to South Carolina. Jalen Milroe was not good against Tennessee, and the inconsistency has to be infuriating for Tide fans. Alabama for the win.
Dave: Alabama 32 Missouri 28
Gregg: Missouri comes into this game with only one loss on the season, to a very solid Texas A&M team that currently leads the standings in the SEC. In most cases I would pick the Tigers to win this game, mostly because I believe in them a lot more than the Saban-less Tide. But after last week, Alabama picked up their second loss of the season to Tennessee. I personally think it knocks them out of the playoffs but I am sure the committee will do everything then can to keep Alabama in the running. But there is no way a 3 loss team will be in the playoff field. They will play with desperation and pride and do just enough to squeak out a win at home. Alabama 20 Missouri 17
Joe-S-U: Alabama
John: Mizzou should have lost at home to a bad Auburn team last week, but eked out a win. Now they have to go on the road to play an Alabama team that finds themselves playing for their post season lives. No way a three loss Alabama makes the playoffs this year. Tide is a 17 point favorite. I think they cover. Alabama 35 Missouri 14
Josh: My honest opinion is that both of these teams are not that good. Missouri needed a last effort drive to beat Auburn last week and I think Alabama is looking to rebound from losing to Tennessee last week and try and keep a slim chance of making the playoffs alive. With this one being a home game for the Crimson Tide, I think they win this week, but lose at least 1 or 2 more games this year. Maybe this is the last time we have Bama on this list for predictions. Alabama 35 – Missouri 31
Steven: Mizzou has give a lot of teams fits this year. They only have a loss to Texas A&M on their record. Alabama comes in with 2 losses, one to Tennessee and one to Vanderbilt, both on the road. I think the Tide may want to steer clear of the state of Tennessee for a while. At least this one’s at home for the Tide. It is truly a must win for them or they will be virtually eliminated from playoff contention. As of Wednesday, Tiger leading rusher Nate Noel is out and QB Brady Cook is doubtful for Saturday’s game. If the rushing game falters, it will be hard for the Tigers to keep Alabama’s defense from blitzing from every direction and on every down. Add in a backup quarterback, starting on the road… HMMMM, it’s not looking good for Mizzou. Tide Rolls 34-17.
Trout: Alabama will win this game. It’s hard for me to foresee Alabama losing two weeks in a row. This is definitely a down year for the Crimson Tide. In the last 4 weeks they almost lost to Georgia, they lost to Vanderbilt, squeaked out a win against South Carolina, and then lost to Tennessee. It has not been a good first year for DaBoer. But as bad as the Crimson Tide have played, I still think they are talented. They should be able to handle Mizzou. The Tigers are a decent team, but I don’t think they’re ready for that next step just yet. Their one shot so far at “good” competition was Texas A&M, and the Aggies wiped the floor with them. The Tigers may eventually make some noise in the SEC, but it won’t be this year, and definitely not against an angry Alabama team. The game will be unnecessarily close for a while, but then the Tide will begin to out play the Tigers and pull away. Alabama wins, and stops their potential freefall for at least one more week. (Alabama 41-13)
Final Score: Alabama 34 Missouri 0
(12)Notre Dame(-12.5) @ (24)Navy
Vaughn Broadnax (OSU-RB 1980-83): Notre Dame struggles with the Midshipmen, but holds on to win 31-27.
Andy: Notre Dame has one of the best defenses in the country again under head coach Marcus Freeman. The Irish have been really good on offense at running the football, as a team they’re averaging nearly 6 yards per carry and they have 20 rushing touchdowns between three players. They do have one issue though on offense. Quarterback Riley Leonard is responsible for a majority of their offensive production this season, both in terms of throwing the ball and running it, accounting for 16 of the 30 offensive touchdowns this season himself. If Navy can take away the run or limit the run, they have a chance. I don’t see it happening though as they are ranked the 95th rush defense in the country allowing an average of 165 yards on average on the ground to their opponents. I think Notre Dame will run their way to victory against Navy. Notre Dame 28 Navy 13
Cory: It is not out of the realm of possibility that one of the service academy teams could get into the playoffs this year. Notre Dame has a chance to ruin the dream season of Navy, but the Fighting Irish have to travel to Navy in order to do it. Since losing to Northern Illinois, Notre Dame has been pretty good, especially defensively. In their last five games the Irish have given up an average of just 10.8 points per game. Even though it will be a tough game, expect Notre Dame to prevail. Notre Dame 24 Navy 21
Dave: Notre Dame 21 Navy 20
Gregg: I am rooting for Coach Freeman and the Irish this week. Notre Dame 24 Navy 17
Joe-S-U: Navy
John: Perhaps the best story for the first half of the 2024 season has been Army and Navy being unbeaten to date. From a rooting interest, I’ll be pulling for Navy, but the Irish just out talent the Midshipmen at too many positions across the board. Notre Dame 30 Navy 20
Josh: A surprisingly impactful game for both teams. Navy needs a win, and this might be their toughest game before playing Army, while Notre Dame has a chance to beat both Army and Navy and secure a spot in the playoffs. Not that they were completely out of it, but the Northern Illinois loss is still a bad look for the Irish. I think it is always hard to play a service-academy, but Notre Dame makes enough plays to win this one. Notre Dame 24 – Navy 21
Steven: Notre Dame meets an undefeated Midshipman team for only the 4th time in their storied history. Of the previous 3 games where Navy came in undefeated, they have won only once, (2009 Navy 23-21). The Middies may be undefeated, but the level of competition jumps significantly this week. Notre Dame, while not being a juggernaut offensively, they are 10th in the nation in total defense. Irish QB Riley Leonard will never be mistaken for Joe Montana, but he’s an efficient passer, with a 70% completion rate in the last month. Navy QB Blake Horvath leads the Midshipmen in both passing and rushing yards. Key on the quarterback and stop him, you win the game. As Buckeye fans know all too well, that’s a tall order with Navy’s strong, polished option game. Quite simply Navy is a pain to play against, but they can be figured out and defeated. Coach Freeman faced Navy as a player back in 2005 during his sophomore season where the Bucks won 31-14. Strangely enough, the offensive system Navy uses hasn’t changed all that much in the interim. Notre Dame should have this figured out at least by the second half. Domers win 27-20.
Trout: With this game, I will have to go with the Fighting Irish, but I can see the Midshipmen keeping it close. Navy is a good team, and they have proven that they can put up some points. And at the same time, Notre Dame has been able to bounce back after their embarrassing loss to Northern Illinois. Marcus Freeman seems to have them going in the right direction. I can see this being a back-and-forth game, with the lead changing several times. Both teams should be able to score some points. However, in the end, Notre Dame does just enough to get by. The Fighting Irish win and stay alive in the Playoff chase. (Notre Dame, 38-35)