Ugh.
Full recap to come, but I'm exhausted. JHC is exhausted. OPS is exhausted. This game was exhausting. (By the way, if you wanted to see the difference between actual blogging and a reporter's perception of blogging, compare the excellent EDSBS/BHGP liveblog with the DMR liveblog. But I digress.) The fact is, a passing game predicated on Andy Brodell, Tony Moeaki, and Trey Stross probably won't have any of those three for some time. The special teams - well, the punting game - isn't improving, and it's killing us. JC's accuracy is still an issue. The running game was virtually nonexistent, due to Wisconsin putting 8 up front on nearly every down.
And yet, there is hope.
More after the jump...
Aside from one Wisconsin drive, the defense was absolutely dominant in the face of horrible field position (when was the last time you saw a defensive line - ANY defensive line - run through a Wisconsin offensive line like that?) Run-DJK looks entirely legitimate, a receiver with speed who catches the ball. James Cleveland, despite a critical early drop, is showing improvement. Daniel Murray might be the answer at kicker (though another block is disconcerting). And when we got the ball back with less than a minute to go in the first half, KOK took off the shackles and the offense looked surprisingly competent. Last week was embarrassing for everyone involved. This week, I walked away proud.
44 carries, 153 yards against the #1 rush defense in the country, properly motivated by Lou Holtz:
Yep, Mike Hart is God. And if Big Blue is going to get back into the race, it's going to be on his back. Anthony Morelli was typically bleh, and the PSU offense did nothing of note.
If Purdue plays Minnesota and nobody's there to watch it, does it make a sound?
The Ohio State University 58 - Northwestern 7
It could always be worse. We could be Northwestern. Ohio State hung 42 on the 'Cats in the first 22 minutes and coasted the rest of the way. The Sweater Vests seem to be working out their offensive problems. Or maybe it just seems that way because they're playing a team missing two of its best players and coming off a loss to Duke. At LTP, the Apocalypse is nigh.
ZookHook: HOOSIER DADDY
HawkeyeState: What?
ZookHook: HOOSIER DADDY BEEOTCH
HawkeyeState: Oh, yeah, congratulations.
ZookHook: THE ZOOKER IS ROLLIN!!
ZookHook: THE JUICE IS LOOSE
ZookHook: REDACT THIS BITCHES
HawkeyeState: It's 4 A.M. I'm sleeping.
ZookHook: I BEEN DRINKING JAGER N ROCKSTAR SINCE NOON
HawkeyeState: Wasn't it an 11:00 kickoff?
ZookHook: FLASK THAT SHIT BITCHEZ
HawkeyeState: Now the playcalling makes sense.
Michigan State 31 - Notre Dame 14
What's better than being motivated by Lou Holtz? Being motivated by Regis Philbin:
Is that cheerleader chained to Jabba the Weis?
Welcome to 0-8, Notre Dame. At least you finally scored a touchdown.
As for Mich State, there might be something to handing an obviously talented group of athletes previously coached by a bumbling, incompetent, self-slapping idiot to a disciplinarian. They still haven't really played anyone, but Michigan State looks pretty decent.
Restoring the Order, eh? Nebraska might have the worst defensive line in BCS-conference football. First USC parts the red sea, and then the Ball State Fighting Football Cardinals roll up 188 yards rushing and only give up one sack. NU was a horrendous dropped pass and about 18 inches left of losing to David Letterman's alma mater. Oh yeah, and it was in Lincoln. Do we still have Frank Solich's phone number?
Oklahoma State 49 - Texas Tech 45
Mentioned only for this moment of brilliance:
Um...really? Wow.
Go read Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician for explanation (I don't want to give it away, but let's just say there's a guy named Fred and he's got a pair of slacks. Ooh, Fred's got slacks.)