2011 Predictions & Game Story
Week 10 - Temple at Ohio
-
MAC Fearless Predictions &
Conference Page
- FREE EXPERT COLLEGE FOOTBALL SELECTIONS
- Get Tickets For This Game
Follow Us @CFBNews
Like Us
Facebook | E-mail Us
Temple (5-3) at Ohio (5-3) Nov. 2, 8:00, ESPN
Here’s The Deal …This is a huge game in the MAC East where the division winner is beginning to look like a product of attrition. Both teams have looked very good at times, and have also bewildered all by laying an egg at other times. The Bobcats are coming off an absolute beat down against Kent State and feel that they have the ship turned back in the right direction, while Temple unexpectedly stubbed its toe at Bowling Green to throw the division into disarray. Interestingly enough, this is only the two team’s fifth meeting against each other, without any of them coming on a Saturday. OU leads the overall series 3-1, and is 2-0 at home. Last year’s game was a win as well by the green and white, but was a product of Bernard Pierce leaving the field after just one play for Temple. The winner is in the driver’s seat for the division, with the loser left with an uphill battle the rest of the way.
Why Temple Might Win: Bernard Pierce. If you haven’t heard of him, turn on the television on Wednesday night and get accustomed. Temple features the run, and for good reason. When Pierce is on his game, he is as good as almost any back in the country and can carry a team on his back. Ohio has been pretty good against the run this year (ranked no. 29 nationally), but the injuries are piling up and they haven’t seen a back the same caliber as Pierce.
To stop the rushing attack of the Owls, it’ll be all hands on-deck for Ohio. The problem--those hands are bruised and battered. Out for the year is the starting SS Xavier Hughes who would undoubtedly be used to come up and support the ground game. Also out is DT Neal Huynh, with both DT Carl Jones and CB Octavius Leftwich banged up if able to go at all. That’s a lot of wounded soldiers going to battle against a bruising running attack. Look for the Temple O-line to be able to wear down the tired and beleaguered Bobcat defensive as the game goes on.
Why Ohio Might Win: Despite the injuries, Ohio is still a very good defense against the run-- when it knows its coming. Where the Bobcats have gotten burned has been against teams that are able to keep them off balance and ultimately make some hay through the air. This won’t be the case with the game-plan for Temple.
The Owls are not going to get fancy. It’ll be run first, and pass when necessary all game as they ride their big horse of a running back. If and when the game plan has to adjust because the Bobcat defense is selling out and stopping consistent gains on the ground, Temple just doesn’t have the make up or horses to take flight. If OU can stop Pierce and company as it has shown against other teams, it’ll be able to protect its home turf.
What To Watch Out For: It’ll be the last man standing that wins this game. There are injuries on both sides, most notably the injury to Bernard Pierce. He has not been practicing for two weeks with a mysterious injury, but has been ready to go for games. He’s a supremely talented athlete when healthy, but if he’s unable to go in practice, there’s enough there to think that he may not be able to run with as much reckless abandon and be completely effective. Last week, there was enough of a flat tire for Pierce to play second fiddle to Junior Matt Brown. Pierce was still in the game and still rushed for over 107 yards, but Brown had five more carries and twelve more yards.
For Ohio, Tyler Tettleton provides an interesting back-drop. As the 5’11”, 198 lb. sophomore has evolved, so too has the Bobcat offense. The offense started the season as a run first team, but slowly, as Tettleton has continued to get more comfortable in the scheme, and as the coaching staff has unbridled him, it’s now a pass first offense. The main beneficiary of this change in schemes has been electrifying play-maker and wide receiver LaVon Brazill. The two have hooked up early and often over the last few games, and it’ll likely be no different in this one. Will the shift in philosophy continue for a Solich coached team, or will the backs become more featured in this one because of the implications?
On one sideline exists a team that will pound the ball into the ground, and on the other sideline lives a team that will be looking to ride its shiny new passing offense to victory. Whichever team can impose its will has the best chance to take over first place in the MAC East.
What Will Happen: This is a close match up no matter how you slice it. What’s more than likely going to swing the balance in this one is the home cooking of playing in Athens. Temple will look to beat down an Ohio offense that is already feeling the wears and tears of a long season and will have success between both Pierce and Brown. The Bobcats will continue to counter by moving the ball through the air while mixing in the rush in some key situations for a change of pace. Both will move the ball somewhat with Ohio getting a jump on the scoring early because of the effectiveness of the passing game. Temple, after staying with the game plan will eventually wear down the OU defense, but it will be too little too late with a less than 100 percent Bernard Pierce. The Bobcats win and take over first place in the division.
CFN Prediction: Ohio 24 … Temple 20
- Click For Latest Line From ATS:
Temple -3.5 .O/U: 47.5
- Get Tickets For This Game
- FREE EXPERT COLLEGE FOOTBALL SELECTIONS
|