posted September 12, 2008 at 14:30 EST in NCAA F Betting Trends
NCAAF XBOX 360 Sim – Ohio State Buckeyes vs. USC Trojans
by Mike Rose
It feels as if the BCS Championship game will be played in September with all the press this huge Big 10-PAC 10 battle has received. This NCAAF betting online primetime affair takes center stage on ABC’s nationwide telecast when the Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0 SU & 0-1 ATS) travel to sunny California to take on the (1-0 SU & 1-0 ATS) USC Trojans; Kickoff from the LA Memorial Coliseum is set for 8:00 ET.
Weather: Highs in the lower to mid 70s at the beaches to the lower 80s inland. Lows in the mid 60s.
1st Quarter:
The Coliseum was probably the loudest venue in the world when QB Mark Sanchez and the Trojans offense took the field, but none were more excited than the thousands of college football sportsbettors that threw down their action for the biggest game of the young 2008 season. However, the Trojans first offensive possession fizzled real quick after a three and out.
OSU looked to get RB’s Maurice Wells and Daniel Herron some quick action to settle them into the game for the injured Beanie Wells. They both rattled off nine-yard gains to move the chains, but the drive stalled after that.
The Trojans made minced meat of the Buckeyes defense in their second possession of the game when QB Mark Sanchez completed five passes in a row before he found RB Stafon Johnson for his first TD reception of the season to give USC the early 7-0 lead.
QB Todd Boeckman converted on his first two pass attempts of the Buckeyes second possession, but penalties put them in too big a hole for them to move the chains again. AJ Trapasso booted a 46-yard line drive punt to sophomore CJ Gable who hauled it in at the USC 26, and before you knew it, was celebrating in the Buckeyes endzone after scampering 74-yards for the special teams score. This is not how OSU wanted this one to start!
It got worse from there when the kick-off was fumbled and recovered by the Trojans at the Buckeyes 28-yard line, but MLB James Laurinaitis and the Buckeye “D” buckled down and held the Trojans to a field goal.
With their backs completely against the wall and the Coliseum crowd making it nearly impossible to communicate, the Buckeyes got a gift from the gods when seldom used TE Jake Ballard snuck behind the Trojans defense that bit on play-action and hauled in Boeckman’s precision strike for a 69 yard TD reception. The Buckeyes sideline erupted as the big play got them right back in the game.
In a bit of Déjà vu, The Buckeyes recovered a fumble on the ensuing kick-off, and also had to settle for a 26 yard Ryan Pretorius FG to cut the Trojans lead to seven.
Ohio State finally stopped the Trojans offense in their next drive and held possession of the ball when the second quarter finally arrived.
OSU 10 USC 17
2nd QUARTER
The Buckeyes got into Trojans territory after WR Brian Hartline hauled in a 19-yard reception, but the drive stalled on the Trojans 26 and the 43 yard FG attempt sailed wide right.
The Trojans rode the back of their talented RB corps all the way down to the Buckeyes 25-yard line before Sanchez attempted a pass. It was complete to TE Anthony McCoy for 18 yards, which found them at OSU’s seven-yard line, but the Buckeyes forced a pair of incomplete passes before sacking Sanchez on 3rd and goal forcing the Trojans into a FG attempt. K David Buehler nailed the chip shot and increased USC’s lead to 10.
Ohio State’s offense looked completely different in its next drive as it picked apart the Trojan with a number of big passing plays, and capped the drive off with a 24 yard Boeckman to Robiskie strike to cut the Trojans lead back to three-points.
Whomever backed the Over in this contest has got to be thrilled with the fact that 37 points have been tallied with 2:50 to go before the break.
Instead of running the ball like USC did in its previous scoring drive, they elected to pass on their first three plays from scrimmage. The first two passes fell incomplete, and then SS Kurt Coleman jumped in front of Sanchez’s pass and fell to the ground with possession at USC’s 28 yard line. The Coliseum got real quiet after that…
After an eight-yard pass to Brian Robiskie, the Buckeyes rode the back of RB Herron all the way to the Trojans eight yard line. On 3rd and goal, Boeckman hit Brian Hartline in the back of the endzone to give the Buckeyes their first lead of the game.
What an unreal first 30 minutes of football!!!
OSU 24 USC 20
3rd Quarter
Ohio State received the second half kick, but wasn’t able to do anything with the possession after picking up one first down.
This set USC up with solid field position at their own 46 for its first drive of the second half. The Trojans once again went to the ground game to drive all the way into the Buckeyes redzone. However, that’s where head coach Jim Tressel‘s stop unit buckled down and stonewalled a pair of runs on first and second down, and then forced QB Sanchez to throw it away on the next play. Buehler nailed the chip shot once again to cut the Buckeyes lead to one.
Again, OSU managed nothing on its next possession as the WR corps was suffering from a case of the “dropsies”. Another three and out is not what the “sweater vest” wanted at all.
USC had solid field position once again to start its next drive, but the Buckeyes defense wasn’t as inviting this time around. They drove down to the Buckeyes 36 yard line, but Buehler showed off his leg and booted a 53-yarder that just made it over the crossbar.
Down by two, the Buckeyes had to get something going after their first two drives of the half came up with nothing. Come up with something is exactly what they did when they used a balanced attack on the ground and through the air to get all the way down to the Trojans seven-yard line with 15 second left in the quarter. Boeckman found his other TE this time, Rory Nichol, and the scarlet and grey were once again on top.
OSU 31 USC 26
4TH QUARTER
Buckle your seatbelts for what’s sure to be an electrifying 15 minutes of football!
QB Mark Sanchez showed off his arm on the Trojans next drive hooking up with WR Patrick Turner for 27 and WR Vidal Hazelton for 24, but the drive stalled at the Buckeyes 28 and Buehler came in to send home his fifth FG of the game to cut the Buckeyes lead to two.
OSU was able to move the chains twice on a pair of long strikes after the Trojans stuffed their ground game on 1st and 2nd down. Then the Trojans came up with a huge sack that forced the Buckeyes to relinquish possession of the ball with three-plus minutes left in the game.
After a quick huddle around head coach Pete Carroll, the offense took the field looking to take as much time off the clock as possible, while at the same time, get into the endzone. Sanchez worked the ball over to his TE and WR’s before being sacked at midfield on first down. He got back up, dusted himself off, and calmly threw a 14-yard strike to WR Hazelton to set the Trojans up with a 3rd and short with 20 ticks left in the game.
The Trojans dug into their bag of tricks on the next play by pitching it on a WR end around only to have Patrick Turner cock his arm back and throw a strike to little used FB Stanley Havili who rumbled in from 41 yards out to put the Trojans back on top with just seven seconds remaining sending the Coliseum crowd into a frenzy.
Stunned, the Buckeyes tried the lateral game on the ensuing kick-off, but it went for naught, and the Trojans pulled out the exhilarating come-from behind victory.
FINAL SCORE: OHIO STATE 31 USC 36
This game simulation calls for an Ohio State cover and for the game to go well Over the posted ‘Total’. You can get OSU (+11) –110 and the Over 45 –110 at BetUS Sportsbook right now!!!
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
FINAL |
|
OSU |
10 |
14 |
7 |
0 |
31 |
USC |
17 |
3 |
6 |
10 |
36 |
QB Todd Boeckman: 19/32 287 yards 4 TD 1 INT
QB Mark Sanchez: 23/35 333 yards 2 TD 1 INT
RB Daniel Herron: 22 carries for 145 yards 0 TD Long of 28
RB Stafon Johnson: 23 carries for 92 yards 1 TD Long of 14
WR Brian Hartline: 7 receptions for 93 yards 1 TD Long of 25
WR Patrick Turner: 6 receptions for 80 yards 0 TD Long of 28
OSU |
USC |
|
| TOTAL OFFENSE | 446 |
434 |
| RUSHING YARDS | 152 |
101 |
| PASSING YARDS | 294 |
333 |
| 1ST DOWNS | 18 |
21 |
| TOTAL YARDS | 644 |
722 |
| TURNOVERS | 2 |
2 |
| 3RD DOWN CONV | 10/20 50% |
8/15 53% |
| RED ZONE PERCENTAGE | 5-5 100% |
3-5 60% |
| RED ZONE TD’S | 4 |
1 |
| RED ZONE FG’S | 1 |
2 |
| PENALTIES | 7-55 |
8-60 |
| TIME OF POSSESSION | 34:23 |
25:37 |
