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Thank you God, for letting me see this memorable manifestation of Steeler MNF magic. We had a frenzied crowd, a 100+ plus grind out game from nails Najee, George Pickens picking those catches out of the air without a care (but get that other foot down next time, it will win you more points for style than you know), a calm, cool and reflective Russ, who spread the ball around and kept our minds at ease with the flicks he had up his sleeve, Calvin Austin III with two dazzling TDs, and of course the mostly smothering defense, led by our edge rusher wrecking balls. Give the Giants credit for hanging in there, but that ridiculous perversion of a two-point conversion try was just a hopeless harbinger of bad things to come.
It could have been the one of the greatest Sundays in recent memory — instead here’s how the carnage unfolded:
–Philly pounded the Bungles repeatedly and without mercy in the second half, after things had started rather favorably for Cincy. Hurts was on target and the tush push, not to mention the rest of the Eagle rushing attack, showed up. And I don’t know what happened to the revitalized Bungle d-line. No, there was no vitality. My bad.
— The irresponsible Ravens fiddled and diddled there way to a loss, one that they truly deserved. Famous Jameis is again famous, and they’re doing the crab leg walk in the dog pound. Again, my bad.
— The Lions did show up in a big way. Dorothy Dawn, your bad. Yes, they were more than interested. Pat myself on the freaking back for that ballsy call… lol
— My Cardinals (no… Gidget’s Cardinals) made me proud by defying the big crowd that came to the return of Tua. You go Fun-sized Kyler. My good.
— The Jets walked me down the primrose path, taking a pretty commanding lead on the Patsies, only to wilt a drooping venus fly trap in the face of a furious fourth quarter dead cat bounce by New England. My bad for thinking this game would go like the encounter earlier this year at Metlife.
— Atlanta, almost unexpectedly, held on for dear life, and covered in the always up close and personal meeting with the fagged out Bucs. The Bucs did give it 110%, but now find themself in the bowels of the AFC South, save the very bottom flour inhabited by Scarolina. My good.
— The Packers had the spread handled, or at least technically in hand, until they fells asleep in the 4th, woke up with the usual 3 point win. Ditto for the Texans-Cots. My double bad.
— The Bills oil spilled the Wee-hawks. Is that a defense I’m seeing that could actually stand up to KC. My good for relying on old reliable.
— Chargers manipulate the Aints into a very predictable 18 point loss, which must have been as exciting as standing in a bank line. My good for knowing Rattler would be rattled and Harbaugh would recover his pants, lost in Arizona last week.
— Carolina continues to look not very nice with Bryce, while it increasingly appears Bo knows football again.
— Chiefs did what they often do, dominate a game but do just enough to screw me when I give them my whole hearted support. Or maybe its the Raiders screwing with me?
— Commanders really rip my heart out with that amazing hail Jaden; nearly crashed my bike on my ride home when that result flashed on my phone. Thanks Bears, and my double bad… as I changed my initial pick thinking Daniels wouldn’t be playing.
— Boyz took their eyes off of the ball, lose a lead and then nearly win (and cover); but it was all for nothing, as the final margin for the Niners was 6, not 5.5. Let’s face it,…. post-op Dak just doesn’t want to run for it, and that really limits his team’s down-the-field potentials. My bad.
Welcome back everyone to NFL WEEK 8! I would love to celebrate 11 picks right last week (Week 7) if it wasn’t me losing two by half a point. Like Vegas, we’ll have to settle with cashing in only 9/15 (60%) of my bets. Before you consider my Week 8 Scrumdidilyumptious ATS Picks here is my season resume for your review.
Resume:
WEEK 1: 10/16 (62.5%) WEEK 2: 8/15 + 1 Push (53.3%) WEEK 3: 8/16 (50%) WEEK 4: 9/16 (56%) WEEK 5: 7/14 (50%) WEEK 6: 10/14 (71%) WEEK 7: 9/15 (60%) SEASON RECORD (ATS): 61/106 + 1 Push (58%)
OK, now that we’re all caught up and you’re still willing to read my scumbag picks, lets fucking go NFL Week 8 (thank you for knowing that you still have a better shot with my picks below than LITERALLY flipping a quarter)!
THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
OK…I messed up royally and expected much more from the Vikings. Of course, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua come back from the IR for the Rams like rock stars and blow the Vikings out of the water. It is what it is. Unlike the past two Thursdays, I didn’t take the chalk…but consciously picked the Vikings to do better even though they are the chalk…no bueno….one pick already in the gutter.
VIKINGS -3.5 @NewportBest_ https://t.co/rNRlpYkKm0 pic.twitter.com/hHCqyqv13o
— Abe Miranda (@gawdbrudder) October 25, 2024
| | @gawdbrudder
Baltimore by at least 10… why not. Going Baltimore in Brown town.
Detroit by over 10 against the Titans. Why not. Going Detroit.
Arizona gets it close against Miami. Arizona.
Jets by at least 7 against New England. Why not. Jets.
Atlanta getting 2.5 against the beaten up Bucs. I’ll make some bucks on that one. Atlanta
Going with the Bears Sunday unless Jaden Daniels’ prognosis changes. Bears to win.
Jville is on a roll and will beat the 4.5 spread. Green Bay didn’t cover last week and they won’t this week with the Jags.
Houston will demolish Indy. Going Houston.
Chargers will get well against the Saints, even though they have no running game. Saints have no “game”. Taking Chargers giving with the ridiculous 7.5
Bufffalo giving 2.5 against the Sea-men… Yes going Buffalo
Cincy gets by Phlly by 3. Taking Cincy.
Denver by more than a TD against Scarolina. As with Elway’s two Super seasons, the winning here will be back to back.
Vegas has mailed it in. Going with the Chiefs giving 10.5
Dallas will come back strong against SF, which is depleted. Taking Cowboys getting 5.5.
5.5 is usually a ton of points for the Steelers, but look who they’re playing. Going Steelers.
I was doing very well last week up until Monday Night Football. The Pittsburgh lock worked out well thanks to the Jets’ continued incompetence and Washington predictably destroyed Carolina despite the injury to Jayden Daniels that will torpedo my fantasy football season. My card was looking really good when Tampa Bay jumped out to an early lead on Baltimore, but then Lamar Jackson ruined all the fun and Baker Mayfield threw a pair of mind-numbing interceptions to help him out. In the ESPN+ game that no one watched, the Chargers failed to reach the end zone and lost to the Cardinals while Cameron Dicker scored more fantasy points than Kyler Murray to hand me a fantasy loss in a match that I had in the bag. Talk about the worst of both worlds.
So that is how I ended up 7-8 and below .500 for a third straight week. The overall record is 49-57-1. Let’s turn it around!
Minnesota at LA Rams +3.5
The Vikings finally suffered a loss last Sunday against Detroit in a game that I correctly predicted. The Rams just beat Las Vegas to keep their season from totally imploding, and an upset over the Vikings could be a big part of Los Angeles’ turnaround. The return of Cooper Kupp and the Rams’ 2-1 record at home this season will give them the edge. Ram it!
Baltimore -9.5 at Cleveland
The Ravens are a juggernaut and I cannot bet against them again until they slow down. Maybe it will be this week against Cleveland’s tough defense and some Jameis Winston magic. I will take my chances with that.
Tennessee at Detroit -10.5
Jared Goff just doesn’t throw incomplete passes anymore and the Titans have even less of a passing offense than before because they traded DeAndre Hopkins.
Arizona +3.5 at Miami
Tua Tagovailoa is coming back to rescue the Dolphins even though the Twitter doctors haven’t cleared him yet. I don’t know how that is legal. I will give Tua a week to shake the rust off and go with the frisky Cardinals.
NY Jets at New England +6.5
Another Jets line that makes no sense. The New England offense has been revived by Drake Maye and the Jets’ defense collapsed in Russell Wilson’s Pittsburgh debut. The Jets are desperate, but maybe not in a good way.
Atlanta at Tampa Bay -2.5
The Falcons’ momentum was suddenly stopped with a surprise ass kicking at the hands of the Seahawks. Tampa Bay also got beat down horribly, but at least that was against a dominant team. The Buccaneers will be looking for revenge after their thrilling overtime loss in Atlanta three weeks ago. That revenge should be served if the defense just shows up a little bit.
Chicago at Washington +0.5
Here is the dirty little secret that no one is talking about: Washington’s offense didn’t slow down much when Marcus Mariota was under center last Sunday. The Commies can win this with our without Jayden Daniels.
Green Bay -4.5 at Jacksonville
The Packers have won five of six with four of the five wins coming by more than four points. Plus, I just traded Jordan Love away in fantasy and he is guaranteed to go off. The Jaguars got a much-needed win last week, but that doesn’t mean they are back to fulfilling expectations.
Indianapolis +5.5 at Houston
Anthony Richardson has been very disappointing this season, but against Houston in Week 1 he had his best game of the season. Plus, Jonathan Taylor looks like he is ready to return to action. That should allow the Colts to pound the ball and keep it away from C.J. Stroud.
New Orleans +7.5 at LA Chargers
Why do I keep dooming my picks with the Saints? They have gone from unstoppable juggernaut to one of the worst teams in the league. I am picking them again because the number is way too high against the feeble Chargers offense.
Buffalo -2.5 at Seattle
The Seahawks got a nice road win last week, but their defense has been dreadful lately, even at home. Buffalo should be able to run up the score.
Philadelphia at Cincinnati -2.5
Are the Bengals back? Their three wins have come against the Panthers, Giants, and Browns. However, Philadelphia hasn’t beaten anyone decent since Week 1. I am making an anti-Philly pick that is amplified by my fantasy match against Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown.
Carolina at Denver -7.5
The Panthers stink and Bryce Young is back under center. Plus, Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen are missing the game due to injury. The line has risen to 10.5, so let’s take advantage.
Kansas City at Las Vegas +10.5
You’re welcome, Kansas City! I keep picking against the Chiefs, and they keep winning despite their wide receiver injuries. Can DeAndre Hopkins give them some relief? He might be washed up, but he’s also getting a huge quarterback upgrade. Remember that Antonio Pierce led Las Vegas to a shocking upset at Arrowhead last year.
Dallas at San Francisco -5.5
Wow, I really thought the Cowboys had their act together after that gritty win in Pittsburgh, but then they got embarrassed by Detroit in Jerry World. Imagine if Russ had been ready to cook just a little earlier? These Cowboys could be 2-4! The 49ers have also been disappointing, but I think they will take their frustration out on Dallas.
NY Giants +5.5 at Pittsburgh
The Steelers’ offense was rejuvenated with Russell Wilson under center and they impressively routed the Jets last week while the Giants were totally feeble against Philadelphia. The Giants should get crushed here, but that’s what I thought before the Seattle game, so I am sticking with Big Blue this time.
In my opinion, these 5 are all worthy of enshrinment. A. Clay Matthews was brute force as linebacker, cracking heads and taking no prisoners for 19 years, as integral member of a few Browns teams during the Schottenheimer Era. He was responsible for a mind numbing 1600 or so tackles and about 83 sacks, and in the process instilled fear and trepidation in countless jittery running backs and slick stepping receivers who dared to come across the middle. B. Joe Jacoby, the monster-sized boss hog, who was so large (six foot 7, 305) he seemed to cover about 1/2 of the o-line all by himself. Jacoby played his entire career for the Redskins, won 3 Super Bowls and made 2 All Pros. C. Sterling Sharpe was extremely sharp during a very productive 7 year career, in which he caught nearly 600 passes, and helped Brett Favre make history. 3 All pro teams, 65 TDs and lots of dazzling runs after catches. D. Chuck Foreman, who shaked and baked his way to glory … but no Super Bowl titles… in the 1970s. Chuck was synonomous with the great Viking teams of the 1970s and ran with an almost acrobatic, physical style that those who witnessed will sure remember. Nearly 6,000 years in 7 seasons, along with over 350 pass receptions… he was elusive and powerful, and a serious competitor. E. Jim “Wrong Way” Marshall is more famous for his big blunder — running the wrong way and into his own end zone after recovering a fumble — than anything else. But this was a guy who was tough, reliable and showed up for work for an incredible 270 consecutive games, a record that would stand until Brett Favre went for 297. He recovered 30 fumbles over a 20 year career, and ruined plays for countess QBs, as part of the devastating Purple People Eater pass rush, alongside Hall of Famer Alan Page and Karl Eller. It’s time to put Jim in!
It’s time for ChabDog’s Happy Idiot Week 8 Sports Rock Pool Predictions:
Thank you Brian Keller for the kind words of intro (I am not Worthy, but I’m always willing to try and come up with my best for the big game): That being said, week 8 is a time to say a prayer for the pretenders, and for those who are running empty, to fill up or get the hell off the road, so here goes (WINNING TEAM IN ALL CAPS, AND NO I AM NOT PICKING TENNESSEE TO BEAT ANYONE LOL):
1) TNF — Get serious… the VIKES will atone for last week’s weakness and sacrifice the Rams at the alter.
2) I probably shot myself in the football foot for picking a game with the ffing Falcons, but jeez Louise, they are healthy and Bucs are beaten and broken. FALCONS crest by TB on the strength of Koo’s shoe.
3) The bend in the round is the BENGALS turning the corner and moving to .500; I am not buying into the myth that the Eagles are flying straight. Go with Cincy.
4) My new commandment is that the COMMANDERS command my respect. Sorry Bears.
5) BILLS continue to look super duper with Amari Cooper; sorry Sea-men.
6) A true cupcake game for the CHIEFS…
7) Two teams going in the same, wrong direction… but the 49ERS almost never lose 2 in a row at home and the Dallas fraydsters were flat out ruined last week by the Motown marauders.
9. Please… STEELERS kick the G-men to the curb on Monday Night without giving Daniel Jones curb feelers. Look for both Fields and Mr. Wilson to have big games. YEAH!!!!!
1941, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1963, 1977, 1978, 1981… and 2024
Yanks dominated early on, but Dodgers have held their own lately, with the teams splitting the last six…
What gives? Dodgers have the intangibles and better relief pitching… .
Dodgers in 7, and this thing goes into November?
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It’s time for ChabDog’s Happy Idiot Week 8 Sports Rock Pool Predictions:
It’s time for ChabDog’s Happy Idiot Week 8 Sports Rock Pool Predictions:
Thank you Brian Keller for the kind words of intro (I am not Worthy, but I’m always willing to try and come up with my best for the big game): That being said, week 8 is a time to say a prayer for the pretenders, and for those who are running empty, to fill up or get the hell off the road, so here goes (WINNING TEAM IN ALL CAPS, AND NO I AM NOT PICKING TENNESSEE TO BEAT ANYONE LOL):
1) TNF — Get serious… the VIKES will atone for last week’s weakness and sacrifice the Rams at the alter.
2) I probably shot myself in the football foot for picking a game with the ffing Falcons, but jeez Louise, they are healthy and Bucs are beaten and broken. FALCONS crest by TB on the strength of Koo’s shoe.
3) The bend in the round is the BENGALS turning the corner and moving to .500; I am not buying into the myth that the Eagles are flying straight. Go with Cincy.
4) My new commandment is that the COMMANDERS command my respect. Sorry Bears.
5) BILLS continue to look super duper with Amari Cooper; sorry Sea-men.
6) A true cupcake game for the CHIEFS…
7) Two teams going in the same, wrong direction… but the 49ERS almost never lose 2 in a row at home and the Dallas fraydsters were flat out ruined last week by the Motown marauders.
9. Please… STEELERS kick the G-men to the curb on Monday Night without giving Daniel Jones curb feelers. Look for both Fields and Mr. Wilson to have big games. YEAH!!!!!
Yankees vs. Dodgers Once Again… and what gives?
1941, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1963, 1977, 1978, 1981… and 2024
Yanks dominated early on, but Dodgers have held their own lately, with the teams splitting the last six…
What gives? Dodgers have the intangibles and better relief pitching… .
Dodgers in 7, and this thing goes into November?
Well Read’s Posts
Abe’s Posts
Week 3: Abe’s Scrumdidilyumptious NFL Picks (ATS)
Hey everyone, it’s week 3 and off to the NFL races we go with the Patriots vs the Jets tonight (ATS: Patriots ML: Jets )! As always, here are my scrumdidilyumptious NFL picks based on very flawed science, numbies based solely on Taylor Swift’s game attendance, and a spidey sense that may or may not be functioning well based on the amount and quality of tacos I ate today. As for week 2, I got 53% (8/15) of my picks right with my 16th pick being a “push” (8 – 7 – 1). Overall, you still have a better shot with my picks below than literally flipping a quarter. So if you’re stuck on a particular game to pick, just know you got better odds right fucking here!!! LFGoooooo!
WEEK 1: 10/16 (62.5%) WEEK 2: 8/15 + 1 Push (53.3%) SEASON RECORD (ATS): 18/31 + 1 Push (58%)
| | @gawdbrudder
Week 2: Abe’s Scrumdidilyumptious NFL Picks (ATS)
Hey everyone, it’s week 2 and so happy to hauk tuah all over this NFL thang once again!!!!! As always, here are my scrumdidilyumptious NFL picks based on very flawed science, numbies based solely on Taylor Swift’s game attendance, and a spidey sense that may or may not be functioning well based on the amount and quality of tacos I ate today. As for week 1, I got 62.5% (10/16) of my picks right which means you have a better shot with my picks below than literally flipping a quarter. So if you’re stuck on a particular game to pick, just know you got better odds right fucking here!!! LFGoooooo!
WEEK 1: 10/16 (62.5%)
| | @gawdbrudder
Dorothy’s Posts
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Purdue vs. Illinois will be an epic Big Ten clash tonight, but it’s only on Peacock
The Peacock strikes again! We heard outrage from across the sports universe when the NFL made its Dolphins vs. Chiefs Playoff game exclusively available on NBC’s streaming service. Now, something similar is happening in Big Ten Basketball, and the conference should be embarrassed that the top game on its regular season schedule won’t be in front of as many viewers as possible. Before the Big Ten’s new media rights deal that went into affect this fall, Purdue vs. Illinois on Tuesday night would be on ESPN where every fan knows how to find it, and it would have been promoted all day long on ESPN’s many programs. The new deal might work for football because the Big Ten doesn’t need ESPN when it has games on three major networks all day, but with basketball NBC has made Peacock part of the deal, and that is a nightmare for ratings.
The worst part is that we are over a month away from WrestleMania, so a fan would need to subscribe for two months in order to get Purdue vs. Illinois as well as the Showcase of the Immortals. At least with the NFL sham, the Royal Rumble was included in the price of the football game. As a wrestling and Big Ten fanatic, I’ve been watching on Peacock all season, but for fans who are just getting into college basketball now, the stream exclusive is going to be a major turnoff. They’ll likely just stick with ESPN for Alabama vs. Florida and Kansas State vs. Kansas.
Those who do invest in Peacock should get a great game. Purdue and Illinois met earlier in the season on January 5, and the Boilermakers led comfortably for much of the game on the way to a 83-78 win. However, not only was that game at Mackey Arena where Purdue never loses, but Illinois’ star guard Terrence Shannon Jr. was suspended due to sexual assault allegations. The Illini held Zach Edey to 10 points, but they were burned by Trey Kaufman-Renn, who erupted for 23 points on 8-for-12 shooting. It will be interesting to see if Illinois head coach Brad Underwood employs a similar strategy tonight since Kaufman-Renn hasn’t approached that kind of scoring output in the last two months and hasn’t even scored 10 points in his last six games.
With the game shifting to Champaign’s State Farm Center and Shannon playing some of his best basketball, the Illini are favored by two and a half. It will be the first time Purdue is an underdog in Big Ten play this season and the first time it is an underdog at all since its clash with Arizona back in December. Both teams are riding three-game winning streaks, but Illinois’ schedule has been a little tougher lately with a game at Wisconsin and another against a hot Iowa team at home. Plus, the Illini have scored at least 85 points in their last six games. With Shannon finding his three-point shot and Marcus Domask being a master technician in the paint, this is a team that can come at you from everywhere, and I didn’t even mention Coleman Hawkins’ range at center or the rebounding ability of Quincy Guerrier and Ty Rodgers.
In other words, Illinois won’t be the only defense with its hands full tonight. On the other end, Zach Edey has been unstoppable lately. In Purdue’s last game against Michigan State on Saturday night, Spartan big man Mady Sissoko accumulated four personal fouls in just six minutes. Michigan State threw a bunch of bodies at Edey, but he still scored 32 points on 9-for-15 field goal shooting and 14-for-20 free throw shooting. Edey is too big to keep him from getting into scoring range, but he can be forced into turnovers if he has to put the ball on the floor. Turning a few Edey turnovers into fast-break scoring opportunities will be key for Illinois tonight. Scoring in transition helped the Illini put away Wisconsin on Saturday when Justin Harmon blocked Chucky Hepburn’s shot in the paint in the final two minutes. That led to a fast break and a layup for Shannon to give Illinois a 10-point lead.
Ohio State did it again and Iowa’s missed opportunity
I really thought Ohio State was done with the upsets after it stunned Purdue two weekends ago in interim head coach Jake Diebler’s debut, but on Sunday, the Buckeyes pulled off yet another shocker. They went into East Lansing as 10-point underdogs and beat Michigan State 60-57 with the margin of victory coming on a last-second three-point heave by Dale Bonner. Just moments earlier, Tyson Walker had a chance to put Michigan State ahead with a fair of free throws, but he somehow wedged his first attempt in between the backboard and the rim. Walker had to settle for a tie with his second free throw, but Bonner’s clutch bomb ensured that it didn’t matter.
Ohio State is now 2-1 since Chris Holtmann was fired, and I feel a little bad for him even though he is technically on a paid vacation right now. These kinds of wins are what Ohio State was building towards with its young lineup, and against Michigan State, it was even younger than usually due to Jamison Battle missing the game with an ankle injury. Freshman Scotty Middleton replaced Battle to give Ohio State all underclassman in the starting five. The Buckeyes certainly missed Battle’s three-point prowess, as they went 3-for-17 from beyond the arc in the low-scoring affair, but the Spartans had their own shooting issues and shot just 4-for-16 from that range, including 1-for-9 from Tyson Walker and Jaden Akins.
OHIO STATE STUNS MICHIGAN STATE AT THE BUZZER 🚨 pic.twitter.com/SaIQY2jT0m
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) February 25, 2024
Still, Michigan State appeared to have the game under control with a 12-point lead and 11 minutes on the clock, but Devin Royal came off the bench for Ohio State and proved to be an unlikely hero alongside Felix Okpara. The pair of big men led the Buckeyes on the comeback trail and closed to within one point at 52-51 with six minutes left, setting the stage for the exciting conclusion. Royal, another freshman, showed off his post moves and mid-range game while scoring 14 points on 6-for-8 shooting in just 18 minutes. Okpara added 10 points and six rebounds, with four coming on offense.
No matter who is the head coach for Ohio State next year, the team has a bright future with all the young talent that has emerged this season. If the roster doesn’t fall apart, it should be a very desirable job since whoever gets it will be in line for massive improvement without having to do much. Michigan State, meanwhile, looked like it was a lock for the NCAA Tournament a week ago, but back-to-back home losses over teams with worse records have put the Spartans’ postseason status in doubt. It doesn’t help that their next game is on Saturday at Purdue.
Penn State’s thrilling win in Rec Hall and Indiana gets cooked
We’ve been saying for years that Penn State Basketball would be a more impressive television product if the home arena wasn’t the Bryce Jordan Center. The giant arena is way too big for a program that strives to be in the middle of the Big Ten standings in a good year. When Penn State plays in the Palestra or at Rec Hall, it looks like a proper basketball program, and sometimes it even plays like one. Wednesday night was one of those nights with Illinois in town. However, for most of the night, it looked like a typical 2024 Penn State loss. The Lions got off to a hot start on offense, but then fizzled and struggled to keep pace with the talented Illini because of their failure to grab a rebound on defense. Illinois often doesn’t need second chances, especially with Terrence Shannon Jr. playing like he did, but it got 19 of them, with the Swiss Army Knife Ty Rodgers grabbing five offensive boards. That helped make up for 18 Illinois turnovers that Penn State needed just to keep the game respectable while Shannon was going off for a career-high 35 points on 10-for-18 shooting.
Another reason why Penn State only trailed by 10 points with two and a half minutes left was Nick Kern Jr. He has shown some upside with his athleticism this season, but again Illinois he got to the basket at will. At one point in the second half, Kern scored 13 straight Penn State points, and he finished with a season-high 22. Now that Kanye Clary is out of the picture, I’m hoping that Kern can stick around for one or two more seasons and develop into a star, but to do that he needs to expand his range past 10 feet from the basket.
IT'S STORMING IN STATE COLLEGE ‼️@PennStateMBB takes down No. 12 Illinois. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/zq0GMzJNVk
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) February 22, 2024
Anyway, Zach Hicks hit a mid-range shot to cut the deficit to eight points, and then the Illinois collapse began. Shannon drove into the paint and kicked the ball to the corner to set up Luke Goode with a wide-open dagger three. With the way Goode shoots the ball, that should be a layup for him, but he missed, and Hicks answered with a triple for Penn State to cut the lead to five. However, Illinois was still in great shape after two free throws from Marcus Domask and a missed three by Ace Baldwin Jr. Now the Illini were up by seven points with less than a minute left. Shannon tried a runner in the paint, but it bounced out and Jameel Brown took advantage by crushing a three-point shot in transition. Brown’s next play was even bigger, though, because Penn State needed a turnover to make it a one-possession game. Brown came through by stripping Shannon of the ball, which led to an easy layup for Puff Johnson. All of a sudden, the Lions trailed by just two with 30 seconds left.
Purdue upset by Ohio State and Penn State loses Kanye Clary
I almost feel bad for Purdue fans even though they have a tremendous basketball team that will probably make the Final Four. No matter what the Boilers do in the regular season, there is nothing they can do to change their reputation as a team that collapses in the big moment. The only way to do that is to win in the NCAA Tournament. Whenever Purdue slips up this season, the doubters and haters (Indiana fans) come out of the woodwork to say “this is what will happen in March.”
I have said since November when Purdue won the Maui Invitational that this team reminds me of the 2019 Virginia team that bounced back and won the national championship after losing to a 16 seed the year before. Maybe Purdue will fulfill that prophecy, or maybe it will hilariously disappoint its rabid fans once again. On Sunday in Columbus, Matt Painter’s team gave us a preview of March or a blip on the radar, depending on your perspective. Despite shooting 20-for-20 from the free throw line and dominating the offensive glass like they always do, the Boilers lost 73-69 to an Ohio State team that was playing its first game since head coach Chris Holtmann was fired.
It didn’t help that Purdue turned the ball over 14 times, most notably when Zed Key poked the ball away from Zach Edey with less than a minute to play and the Boilers needing two points to tie the score. Purdue ended up fouling Jamison Battle, who helped put the game away at the charity stripe.
We're still thinking about Zed Key's impact in Ohio State's upset over then-No. 2 Purdue.
The F had a career-high 5️⃣ steals, to go along with nine points.@iamzedkey x @OhioStateHoops pic.twitter.com/XZBdxfJWt1
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) February 20, 2024
Just moments before, Purdue rallied to overcome a seven-point deficit and tied the game 65-65 on Lance Jones’ clutch three-point jumper, but Battle answered with a 15-foot jumper to ensure that Ohio State would not fall behind. The Buckeyes were boosted by Battle’s 19 points on 6-for-8 shooting as well as 26 points from a bench effort led by Key and Dale Bonner. Purdue, meanwhile, got its usual great effort from Edey (22 points, 7-for-11 shooting, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks) but only four points from the bench. I still have no clue how Ethan Morton gets more than 10 minutes a game on team as talented as Purdue.
Ohio State interim head coach Jake Diebler made a great impression and he’ll have a case to keep the job full time with a few more wins down the stretch. I will feel very smart for talking about the potential of Ohio State’s young core if the team can upset Minnesota or Michigan State on the road.
Indiana blew a chance to join the bubble
Speaking of upsets, only one other Big Ten underdog won outright over the weekend. That was Northwestern defeating Indiana, but we can probably have a long argument over whether or not the Wildcats should have been considered the underdog in Bloomington. While they have been way more successful than Indiana this year and are projected to make the NCAA Tournament, Northwestern hasn’t impressed on the road. That’s why I saw this game as a great opportunity for Indiana to get a quality win and get into the bubble conversation. I should have known that the Hoosiers would waste it since they have shown so little heart and fight this season.
Ohio State fires Chris Holtmann and Maryland wins a bubble battle
Wisconsin finally broke its four-game losing streak in very Wisconsin-like fashion on Tuesday night. It used solid defense and three-point shooting by Max Klesmit to close the first half on a 16-3 run that turned an 18-18 tie into a 34-21 advantage. Ohio State got within five points in the second half, but Chucky Hepburn answered with a three-point shot followed by a steal and a breakaway layup while the Buckeyes failed to score for seven straight minutes. When Bruce Thornton finally got his team back on the scoreboard with 1:36 to play, Hepburn responded with another triple to put the game away. Perhaps the most thrilling part of the game was Jamison Battle not scoring all game until he hit a three with 16 seconds left to cover the 9.5-point spread for Ohio State. Klesmit had a chance to expand the lead back to 10 points, but he missed the front end of a one-and-one and the Badgers settled for a 62-54 victory.
Chucky Hepburn creates so much offense with his defense. 💥@ChuckyHepburn x @BadgerMBB
💻: Peacock pic.twitter.com/Pdu8gNTINj
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) February 14, 2024
It wasn’t the most impressive win for Wisconsin since it came at home against Ohio State, but Greg Gard’s team will take what it can get after dropping games to Rutgers and Michigan on the road. The real excitement came on Wednesday when reports came out about Ohio State firing Chris Holtmann after six and a half seasons with the program. Holtmann made the NCAA Tournament four times (would have been five if not for the pandemic) in a row since taking over for Thad Matta in 2017. However, he never made the Sweet 16 and his highest seeded NCAA Tournament team was upset by Oral Roberts in the first round in 2021. 2023 was a disaster for Holtmann, as his team lost 14 of 15 games in the middle of conference play and finished 16-19 overall. It looked like everything would change this season, as Ohio State beat Alabama in November and improved to 12-2 when it defeated Rutgers on January 3. The Buckeyes have won just two games since, though, and athletic director Gene Smith has had enough of the losing.
I don’t blame Ohio State for expecting to make the NCAA Tournament every year. but I’m surprised Holtmann got fired when he has such a young and intriguing group of sophomores at the core of his team. Keeping a group of starters together for more than one season in today’s college basketball environment is rare, but I think Holtmann had something with Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle Jr., Felix Okpara, and Evan Mahaffey. They have not been winning much lately, but they are also playing in a league that’s full of fourth- and fifth-year players in the starting lineup. With the way they are all improving together as first-year starters, I wouldn’t be surprised if the group returned next season as juniors and finished in the top third of the Big Ten. With Holtmann gone, it’s more likely that the program will be reset under a new head coach who wants to bring in his own players.