The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend

Hype for this weekend's showdown at the 'Shoe is increasing by the minute, and with good reason. But by

You lost, get over it

now everyone knows the match ups, and I am tired of re-hashing how Hurricane fans (both of them) are still sour about how their team was manhandled so badly in 2002 that they banked on the refs missing a pass interference call to win (a strategy that ultimately failed). And for those that are so hard headed they still think it was a blown call, I present you with this, perhaps the single greatest web page in the history of the internet: the truth hurts, doesn't it Miami?

So anyway, the point of this post was the go over some other games that affect the Buckeyes this weekend; namely No. 18 Penn State @ No. 1 Alabama and Unranked michigan @ Unranked Notre Dame. Full Disclosure before I begin. I am a "Big Ten fan" in the loosest meaning of the phrase. I understand that when teams in the Big Ten appear better, it makes Ohio State appear better. However, I hate Penn State and I hate michigan, and root against them in every game. When they play Axis of Evil teams like Alabama and Notre Dame though, it complicates things.

Penn State and 'Bama

Needless to say, knocking off the #1 team in the country would do wonders for the Big Ten's reputation, which is already on the rise after a stellar bowl season last year. But do the Nittany Lions have a chance? They are travelling to the home of the defending national champions, for a game under the lights, with a freshman quarterback. Things do not look good. This is a tough break for Penn State because, while going into this season everyone expected them to have a down year, there was no way of knowing that when the game was set several years ago. All hope is not lost for, for Mark Ingram is still doubtful for the game according to Nick Saban. I trust Nick Saban as far as I can throw him, which is to say, not at all. Alabama also returns only 10 starters from last years team, tied for 4th fewest in all of Division 1/FBS. Penn State returns only 13 starters, themselves. With both teams scheduling easier games in week 1, nobody really knows what these two teams are capable of. I voted Alabama #1 in the ITS poll, because they are the champs until somebody beats them. Early season college football polls are about as useful as Tate Forcier against Ohio State (again, that is to say, not at all useful). So while I wouldn't be horribly surprised to see Penn State pull off the upset, I fully expect them to get it handed to them, 31-17.

Notre Dame and Michigan

There are some things I will never understand. One of them is the love affair America has with Notre Dame (another is how Mark May has a job). Both teams won last week at home. Michigan's Denard Robinson essentially guaranteed Forcier's transfer with his record setting performance vs. UConn. Notre Dame's new quarterback, Dayne Crist, also put up nice numbers against Purdue. Believe it or not, Michigan's already depleted (and that is an understatement) secondary when Vlad Emilien was granted a release from his scholarship this week. An all Big Ten selection last year, Donovan Warren left a year early for the NFL. One of michigan's top secondary recruits (Demar Dorsey) was denied admission in June. Justin Turner transferred less than a month ago, and senior starter Troy Woolfolk broke his leg and is out for the year. That hurts, and ultimately I think the new look spread at Notre Dame puts up enough points against a defense that was bad last year and lost its top three players due to injury or the draft. I really do think it is that simple: Notre Dame passes a lot, and michigan cannot stop the pass. Denard Robinson will have to play Superman every week in order to keep that team winning, and I just don't see it happening. Notre Dame wins 28-10.

Saturday will be a great day for football, and if all goes as expected, Ohio State will be cemented in the national title picture, and our foes from the Big Ten will be flying home on some very quiet airplanes. As always, Buckeye fans: Michigan sucks.