Best Chance to be Upset

[JXC]

I was flipping through TSN preseason mag and it has listed every teams, toughest game, Must Win, and Best Chance at a/to be upset.

This poll is for Best Chance to be upset

[scooter1369]

I'm going with Penn State. Under the lights at Beaver is not an easy place to play and the Nittany Lions always seem to elevate their game for us.

[JXC]

TSN's pick: @ Penn State
My pick: @ Penn State

This game gets me nervous for many reasons.

1. It's at Penn State. They still have 107,000+ loud fans. It's a tough place to play, and the Buckeyes never play great games there. They either struggle to win, or lose.

2. Penn State might not be that great this year, but they will have a good defense. I'm worried about turnovers in this game.

3. It's after a bye week. Sometimes this can be good, and sometimes it can be bad. This isn't a game OSU NEEDS a bye week for. I'd like it much better to just go into this game without a bye. Hopefully Ohio State comes out strong after the bye. Last year obviously we didn't and got upset at Northwestern. I don't like road games after bye weeks.

4. This is the first road game of the year. What a tough place to play your first road game. We are going to have an inexperienced RB, and this will be the first time he'll have to deal with a crowd. Hopefully he can just hang onto the ball.

5. Jo-Pa. He's old...and he's not what he used to be. But he loves nothing more than to beat the Buckeyes. He really gets fired up for this game.

[MililaniBuckeye]

Penn State, without a doubt. I have a feeling this is Joe Pa's last year, and the Kittys will be playing their asses off for him.

[Steve19]

I agree. Under the lights. First road game. Joe Pa. Texas and Iowa in the rearview mirror. This is the best chance for an upset.

[kinch]

Wow. I didn't think everybody would choose Penn State. I guess you are all smarter than I thought.

I chose Penn State, but one thing working against me: I thought Penn State would be much better last year too. (I agreed with Dihard on his analysis of them - whatever happened to him, anyway? ) I have been somewhat baffled by their performance, but I think that their defense and potential on offense will make them tough. Like Steve19 said, combine this with the let-down/road-game, etc. factors and this could be a tripping spot.

I would also like to see Penn State reassert itself, just not against us. . .

[HineyBuck]

Can't really disagree with Penn State, but I picked the "tweener" game with San Diego State. That one worries me.

[Piney]

Just because I want to go against the grain and not pick the obvious Penn State game I picked Miami (Oh).

They are not your daddy's mid-major team. They are probable in the top tier of mid-major teams. This ain't no Kent State, Akron or Ohio U. They will be expected to fight with Bowling Green to win the East division of the MAC and win the conference title. Another item is they have played some big teams over the past few years so they are use to what Big Ten football is by playing at Michigan last year and Iowa the year before. Also they have an experienced QB coming in with one of the nations top WR. So with a new CB and the DL still trying to prove they can rush the passer this will be a good test against a passing offense.

What might be the biggest reason for a chance of the upset is the Texas factor. EVERYONE is talking about the Texas game and no matter how badly Tressell and staff is trying to get the team to focus for Miami, you know Texas will get into their minds as they look forward to that game.

Of course I don't see it happening and I am not scared by this game. I am just more aware that this could be a tough game compared to most easy season openers. If their old coach was still there I think alot more people might be thinking this as a tougher game but I will still give them respect as one of the MACs better programs over the past 5 years.

[kinch]

So if the poll were for the most likely "loss" instead of "upset" how many would change their votes? The change of language gives a different feel to the question. . .

[Zurp]

Originally Posted by kinch

So if the poll were for the most likely "loss" instead of "upset" how many would change their votes? The change of language gives a different feel to the question. . .

I think that any loss this year is an upset. I don't see a team on the schedule this year that the Buckeys SHOULDN'T beat. (Though I don't think that they will win all of their games, but that's a discussion for the "what will be the Bucks' record in 2005" thread.) To me, changing "upset" to "loss" in the question doesn't change my answer.

My answer, as was most others', was Penn State. In a stadium where Ohio State has won twice since Penn State has joined the Big Ten (and both were VERY close), at night, and after a bye week, makes me pretty nervous about that game. It smells a lot like 2004 Northwestern.

[AJHawkfan]

@PSU. JoePa was almost in tears after our last visit to Happy Valley 2 years ago. He REALLY, REALLY, REALLY wanted to win that game badly. It would've added a lot of validation to the university for keeping him around. This year will be no different.

Under the lights @ PSU with a crowd very hungry for a big, meaningful win. Yep, it'll be a dogfight.

[stxbuck]

It's gotta be PSU-Joe Pa's last year or not. Tough D+home field advantage+middle of season=tough game. As far as Miami goes, Betts was OK last year, but he is no Roethlisberger or Omar Jacobs, or even Charlie Frye. Nance, the WR, is good, but is not a speed type guy. I don't think Miami this year is as good as Marshall last year-I know, it was close, I saw Nuge's FG in person-I don't think the Miami game will be anywhere near that close.

[Sloopy45]

People forget: Penn State (no matter how bad they've been in recent years) always gives us all we can handle in Happy Valley. Joe Pa always respects the tradition at OSU, and always gets his kids sky high for this game.

We had no business losing to them in '01 (but we did), and they had no business keeping the '03 game close enough for a last second FG attempt for the win (but they did).

Its gonna be a very difficult game for the Bucks. Other than the [censored] House & (maybe) Camp Randall, Happy Valley has been the road game that has been most unfriendly to the Bucks over the last 15 seasons or so.

[goodguy]

Night game, at Penn state, this being Joe Pa's last year are points that are hard to dispute. However I still see the same Penn State that has been down the last few years. Their talent level is not what it used to be and I don't think they can compete with the Big Boys. I think the addition of Williams and King has given a new shine to Joe Pa but they won't be enough, Penn State still has problems.

My pick is Minnesota, based strictly on a gut feeling that Mason is due for a win against Tressel.

[ScriptOhio]

I'll pick San Diego State primarily based on the schedule.

After we beat Texas in game #2, we'll be feeling pretty confident and looking ahead to games #4 (Iowa) and game #5 (Penn State) when we play game #3 (San Diego State). My guess is that we could very easily come out "flat" against San Diego State. It is very difficult to be "up" 4 or 5 games in a row. San Diego isn't a power house and they did lose several of last year's starters; but they can play solid football and they have a good coach. Last year Michigan only beat then 21-14. See their CFN analysis:
http://www.collegefootballnews.com/M...te_Preview.htm