Al Dannity says it’s just as well Joe Paterno got win #400 last week because he should have little to celebrate after Penn State take on the Buckeyes on Saturday.
Buckeyes need to keep winning big Ohio State are on the outside looking in when it comes to the race for the Big Ten’s slot in the Rose Bowl as it stands. The potential for Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Iowa to slip in the final weeks of the season is still substantial however so the Buckeyes know they can still make it to Pasadena. All they can do to stay in the race is to keep on winning.
That’s bad news for the Nittany Lions this Saturday. While JoePa’s quest for his 400th win inspired an offensive explosion, the result was out of character with Penn State’s offensive performances this season. The same could be said of Ohio State’s sole loss of the year, a 31-18 defeat at Wisconsin. The game looks to have been a wake-up call for the Buckeyes’ offense as they rolled to 49-0 and 52-10 wins over Purdue and Minnesota in their two subsequent games.
Defensively the Nittany Lions are far superior to the Boilermakers and Gophers but I still expect Ohio State to win comfortably on Saturday. Terrelle Pryor has brought his game up a level in recent weeks, completing 72.7 percent of his passes against Purdue and 81.8 percent against Minnesota. I like the Buckeyes’ quarterback to play at a similar level this weekend. Bet on the Ohio State Buckeyes as -17.5 favorites with Sports Interaction.
Utes can lift themselves Utah’s quest for the BCS may be over but the Utes still have one more chance to shine on a national stage. Notre Dame welcome Kyle Whittingham’s team to South Bend this Saturday in a battle of programs with very different reasons to be downbeat.
The Utes rode into their meeting with TCU last week safe in the knowledge that victory would put them in pole position for a trip to a BCS bowl. Instead they got a 47-7 beat-down for their troubles and now face a trip to the Las Vegas Bowl instead. There are worse places to be than Sin City at Christmas time but the Utes had their eyes set on making it at least as far as Pasadena.
Utah’s pain pales in comparison to Notre Dame’s. The Irish are 4-5 and are staring second losing season in three years in the face. Only a win on Saturday will do for the Fighting Irish but it’s tough to see them succeeding. Dayne Crist is done for the year and they have a woeful defense. This won’t be pretty. Bet on Utah to win big as -5.0 favorites with Sports Interaction.
