Ohio State vs Miami Week 3 College Football Pick

September 16, 2011

Ohio State vs Miami Week 3 College Football Pick

Two teams flooded in scandal will clash on Saturday when 17th-ranked Ohio State heads to South Beach to face the Miami Hurricanes. It’s been nearly ten years since the two teams met in the National Championship, and the teams are both in polar-opposite places since that game.

So don’t look for any group hugs to break out, just some smash mouth football.

Buckeyes v Hurricanes
Venue/Stadium: Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Florida
Time/Date: 7:30 PM ET, Saturday, September 17, 2011
Football Odds From: 5 Dimes
Moneyline: Miami -135, Ohio State +115
Spread (ATS): Miami 2 1/2, -110

Off the field, Ohio State and Miami (FL) have a lot of similarities, like both being involved in game-changing scandals, but on the field, the teams are in completely different spectrums.

Senior quarterback Joe Bauserman, who replaced Tyrelle Pryor after the benefits scandal, has shown why he was recruited years ago. Bauserman has passed for over 350 yards and four touchdowns through the team’s first two games of the season and so far looks capable of carrying the team on his shoulders.

Miami’s quarterback situation on the other hand, is in shambles, and is holding the team back instead of what it should be doing –leading the team to winning games. Something they haven’t done since November of 2010, and that was before the scandal.

Stephen Morris, a sophomore, has looked like he regressed over the summer, and got destroyed in the teams’ first game. However, with an extra week to prepare and the return of starting QB Jacory Harris , they’ll definitely be in better shape than they were in Week 1, but that might not help much against a deeper, more experienced Ohio State.

The Buckeyes’ running game has been punishing since the start of the season, and sophomore Carlos Hyde is leading the way. Hyde has rushed for two touchdowns on just 39 carries, but the team’s rushing attack is a committee and Hyde is just the leader.

Meanwhile, Ohio State’s defense has been dominant through the team’s first two games, starting with a shutout of Akron. They are 15th in the nation in points allowed, and have a bruising core of defensive players that should keep them at a respectable place for the next few years.

If there is anything that the Ohio State community should thank Jim Tressel for, it’s the great defense that he recruited during his time in charge of the Buckeye’s athletic department.

That defense could be a big problem for a Miami squad that came out against Maryland looking like everyone thought they would–distracted. The Hurricanes let Maryland pop them in the mouth, and if they want to change that going into this week, they will have to step up the offense and play much better on the defensive side of the ball.

Miami’s defense allowed 32 points in the game against Maryland, along with 172 rushing yards. The running defense, or lack thereof, really hindered their chances at holding Maryland to a respectable number.

Matt’s Prediction: Ohio State 21, Miami 10 – The Buckeye defense is just far too good for Miami, and I think they will shut them down from the get go. If the Canes’ have any chance in this game, it is their ability to score on special teams, but that won’t get them enough points to keep up with Ohio State’s high-flying offense.

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