So… Vegas has posted the odds, and the Buckeyes are 7 point underdogs. At home.
Which is too low, if you ask the folks hereabouts. I almost had a “friend” talked into giving me three touchdowns (just to see how high he’d go), but he “came to his senses” and said “I couldn’t give you more than about 20…”
So, yeah, there’s a lot of expectations that this is going to be a blowout, and that it’s a last gasp for “respect”. And while much of that has yet to be decided, I am interested in seeing what the folk who are headed to the game have to say about the night atmosphere in the ‘Shoe. You can’t get 105,000 people to show up for anything out here unless it’s a celebrity funeral.
And now, an actual excerpt from an email I received today:
Remember that one time that you almost lost to NAVY!!! and then had to think about playing a team that despite a couple of bad drives to start the game looked dominant on both sides of the ball all the while starting a TRUE FRESHMAN at quarterback for the opening for the first time ever…admit it you are a little nervous…
Over the next few days, you’ll be hearing about how loaded this U$C team is- That they return 8 offensive starters (including the entire OL, now that the center’s knee is better), all world running back Joe McKnight, and all helicopter parented WR Damien Williams. You’ll hear how, even though they lost all but three defensive starters, they return Taylor Mays:
who seems to be the second coming of Jack Tatum/Ronnie Lott.
But there are still some question marks. LAist talks about the changes in the coaching staff, and points out that “new quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates… spent the last few years mentoring Jay Cutler in Denver” as if that were a good thing. They also comment that “The Trojans have a real special teams coach — Brian Schneider –for the first time in many years, and the feeling around the program is that he’s already making a big difference“, although the news I’ve read about their kicking game doesn’t seem to be all that different.
So, in spite of Vegas and LA’s constituencies, let’s go ahead and play the game, shall we? I think it will be worth it.
More thoughts/commentary as the week progresses.
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