JessN: Ohio State Game Preview: The 'Bama of the Upper Midwest' tries to unseat its muse once again

[JessN]

Ohio State preview: The 'Bama of the Upper Midwest' tries to unseat its muse once again
By Jess Nicholas, TideFans.com Editor-In-Chief

Over the same time frame in which Nick Saban has dominated Southeastern Conference football – and if not for Clemson, dominated the entirety of Southern football altogether – only two teams from other conferences have been able to keep pace.

One of those is a pseudo-Southern team in its own right, Oklahoma. With Texas mired in repetitive failure in the Big 12, Oklahoma has emerged as the go-to team in that conference, mostly off the back of Texas-based recruiting. No PAC-12 teams have been able to achieve consistent success, although USC threatens to do it every couple of years, and Oregon has established itself as consistently respectable, thanks mostly to attention brought to that program courtesy of Nike's Phil Knight.

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[bamacon]

Excellent breakdown considering what you have had to do all year Jess. Really appreciate it. I’ve been vacillating with a score like yours or one that is similar in the outcome but has less points than almost everyone seems to be predicting. Just based on the offensive talent and the suspect and inconsistent safety play on both sides I’d lean towards track meet too.
Major props for all your game analysis breakdowns this year!!!!

 

[CajunCrimson]

We won Special Teams?

Sweet

 

[rja4bama]

I hope it's that easy. Think it all depends on how healthy Fields is.

 

[CajunCrimson]

The important message I got.....

They sought revenge on Clemson. It was an amazing performance. The emotion this time will be completely different.

Bama has seniors who have been in two previous Championship games. This is going to be a challenge for tOSU to focus on the trophy.

Bama kids talk about winning a championship.

The OSU kids are focused on playing Alabama.

It’s a subtle difference. But a huge one when preparing for the experience they are about to undertake.

 

[NationalTitles18]

Excellent preview.

 

[Toddrn]

I'll take it.

 

[BamaDMD]

You put a big smile on my face this morning Jess. Thank you for the analysis. RTR!

 

[Con]

The best preview all year. Great one @JessN!

 

[Tug Tide]

Does anyone else always scroll to the scores first?
RTR

 

[TriCountyTider]

Roll Tide! Thanks for all the work you put in Jess!

 

[BamaDMD]

Does anyone else always scroll to the scores first?
RTR

Do you like knowing the ending to a book before reading it?

 

[deltatider]

It is very difficult to match the type of emotion OSU brought against Clemson for back to back weeks. Not impossible but very difficult. That’s why I can’t get comfortable on this game. 75% of me feels like we won’t see the same OSU team that Clemson saw for the reason I mentioned above. But then there’s that part of me that can’t unsee what they did to Clemson, in which case it’s game on. We can still beat that team but the offense will have to score pretty much every possession and it’ll be a game of who’s offense blinks first... the latter might make for good television... gonna be hell on us with real interest in the game.

 

[B1GTide]

That was a very unbiased preview, and some of your best work. You really took the time to understand your opponent, even though you don't get to see the Bucks play often. Not sure that I love the prediction, but I can't argue with the logic behind it.

Thank you, and Roll Tide!

Go Bucks!

 

[VirginiaTide57]

That was a very unbiased preview, and some of your best work. You really took the time to understand your opponent, even though you don't get to see the Bucks play often. Not sure that I love the prediction, but I can't argue with the logic behind it.

Thank you, and Roll Tide!

Go Bucks!

Is there a “Jess” up north who writes analysis from the BE perspective?

Roll Tide Roll

 

[B1GTide]

Is there a “Jess” up north who writes analysis from the BE perspective?

Roll Tide Roll

Read the articles on Eleven Warriors. They are not nearly as unbiased as JessN's work, but they are well researched.

 

[Con]

Does anyone else always scroll to the scores first?
RTR

Nah, I like to be surprised.

 

[81usaf92]

oh we are screwed. Jess picked both a blowout and Alabama as the better special teams.

 

[Al A Bama]

Wow! I got it so wrong according to Jess, the PRO. I'll take it, hoping Alabama gets 52 or more and that the Bama Defense is able to keep tOSU from getting 35. My hope is no more than 17. To get that total or less would mean Fields did not play.

 

[DrollTide]

I think 52 will be enough to win, and Bama is capable of that. However I take your point, Jess, that OSU has recruited on the same stratospheric level as Alabama and has very good coaching, and is dangerous. I'm seeing a win but not one where we go 5 scores up, and I can lean back in comfort and munch on my Lays while watching Brice close out the second half.