By: Joe Cumberland (@punterjoe)
Turning The Corner
Last season saw the Oregon Ducks finish with a record of 0-8. It would appear AD Gavin Lussier and crew have turned the proverbial corner, as they find themselves 2-0 to start season 22 following a 48-38 victory over Tennessee in Week 2. The Ducks found victory in week 1 versus West Virginia, defeating the Mountaineers 34-11.
Defense continues to lead the charge, as Oregon finds itself in the top 3 of many team defensive categories. You know what they say: “defense wins championships”, are the Ducks on to something? Not to be outdone, running back Ryan Ralosky is currently third in the league in rushing. The junior has rushed 41 times for 243 yards and a touchdown. A strong defense and good ground game remind me of the great teams I grew up watching. Maybe some “old school” in this new age is just what was needed in the Pacific Northwest.
Offensively the Ducks put up 556 total yards of offense. 415 through the air and 141 on the ground. Impressively they were 14 of 18 on 3rd down attempts and did not commit a penalty.
Freshman QB Alexa Earl had another impressive outing going 37/52 for 415 yards with 5 touchdowns. She distributed the ball well, with 9 different players logging at least one reception. Ryan Ralosky, who as mentioned is third in the league in rushing, had 24 carries for 115 yards. The junior also added 6 catches for 85 yards and finished the game with 200 total yards. Daxton Bliss Jr and Isaiah Love Jr each snagged a touchdown, but it was sophomore TE Bob McRoberts who led the way receiving with 9 catches for 121 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
That stout Oregon defense was led by junior CB Matthew Nelson Jr who logged 9 tackles, including a sack. LB Jackson Rodgers and CB Theo Markos accounted for 8 tackles each as well. Coming up big in pass defense was sophomore CB Demetrius Toon, who ball-hawked his way to a pair of interceptions.
The Ducks should look to keep the winning streak alive as they travel to North Bend to take on the 0-2 Fighting Irish of Notre Dame in week 3 action.
A Nail Biter In Columbus
After cruising to a win against Colorado in week 1, the Buckeyes found themselves in a dogfight with the Seminoles of Florida State in week 2 play. The Buckeyes came in boasting a dominating 8-3 overall record versus FSU and would make that 9-3 all time after a 31-30 win.
The Seminoles were coming off an impressive win against Auburn in week 1. The win pushed Ohio State to 2-0 on the season.
The saving grace for the Buckeyes may have been defensive play in the redzone. The Seminoles made 7 trips but only came away with 3 touchdowns in those attempts. OSU also had to overcome the immense pash rush of the FSU defense, as the Seminoles were able to get to the Buckeye signal caller 6 times. Offensively this game was about as even as could be, Ohio State only out-gained Florida State by 2 yards(446-444).
Junior QB Jaylen Tyree only had 10 incompletions for the game, 3 of those however ended up in the hands of Seminole defenders. Facing an onslaught of pressure he was sacked 6 times in the game, but finished 36/46 for 331 yards. The 3 interceptions were matched by 3 scoring tosses. Emily Davis carried the rock 13 times for 72 yards and added 7 catches for 55 yards and a score. Jermaine Wise hauled in 10 passes for 76 yards, and Boone Hyatt made the most of his one reception with it being a touchdown. Tight End John Don found the endzone to go with 5 catches for 55 yards.
On the defensive side of the ball, safety Benjamin Carter had quite the game. The senior led the way with 8 tackles, 4 for a loss, and a sack. Vladimir Antkowiak made 6 stops from his linebacker position and safety Jeremy Schultz made 6 tackles to go along with an interception. Defensive linemen Jesse Stark and Evan McDuffy each had a sack and multiple TFLs. Perhaps the most exciting play of the night came from sophomore CB Isaiah Bonilla who turned a pick of the Seminole QB into a 97-yard pick-6.
The 2-0 Ohio State Buckeyes next travel to Kentucky to face the 0-2 Wildcats.
National Champs Stumble
While many wagered on the Auburn Tigers in week 2 to defeat the defending national champion USC Trojans, this writer went with USC. Unfortunately, the majority were correct and Auburn did defeat USC 35-28. The win for the Tigers was a bounce back after falling to Florida State in week 1. The loss drops USC to 1-1 on the year after defeating Texas A&M in a national championship rematch to begin season 22. The victory gives Auburn a 3-2 edge in the all-time series.
Two stats the Trojan coaching staff and AD Jacob Cobb are probably looking at is an abysmal 3rd down conversion percentage as the Trojans only converted 6 of 16 attempts. Another is the inability to capitalize on Tiger turnovers as the Trojans forced 4. 3 of those were interceptions by sophomore CB Jordan Haack, who now leads the CFSL in that category.
QB Jameson Golde was sacked 5 times, but the junior signal caller finished 40/53 with 412 yards through the air and a pair of scores. He also added a rushing touchdown. Not much happened on the ground as Dash Delano only managed 42 yards on 16 carries. Senior WR Jamarcus Simpson III had another impressive game catching 14 balls for 212 yards. This performance gives him 347 yards on the year- good for 3rd most in the league. Daelin Sparks caught a touchdown and had 29 yards from his tight end position.
A pair of Trojans finished with 9 tackles. Junior LB Derrick Davis and sophomore LB Jay Holt led the way for the USC defenders. DE Jett Trevor chipped in with a pair of TFL and a sack. The star of the night was the aforementioned CB Jordan Haack who picked off 3 Tiger passes to go into the league-leading spot in that category.
The defending champs will look to bounce back next week as they travel to Miami to face the undefeated Hurricanes.
Big10 Week 2 Results
Ohio State defeats Florida State 31-30
Auburn defeats USC 35-28
Virginia Tech defeats Michigan State 29-28
North Carolina defeats Penn State 47-25
Michigan defeats LSU 55-41
Oregon defeats Tennessee 48-38
The Big10 was 3-3 in Week 2 versus OOC
Big10 Week 3 Schedule
Tuesday, January 21st
Oregon @ Notre Dame 6:30 pm CST
USC @ Miami 6:30 pm CST
Michigan @ Clemson 8:30 CST
Wednesday, January 22nd
Penn State @ Texas 6:30 pm CST
Ohio State @ Kentucky 6:30 om CST
Thursday, January 23rd
Michigan State vs Oklahoma 6;30 pm CST
Potential Big10 Game of the Week
Defending champion USC will look to bounce back as they travel across the country to face a very good Miami Hurricane team. Both teams have faced and beaten TAMU this season, but who will come out on top in this colossal battle of two teams with championship dreams?
