Daily briefing: On Alabama vs. Ohio State, Nebraska’s failure and Auburn’s dysfunction
Ivan Maisel’s “Daily Briefing” for On3:
Wins and losses for Alabama and Ohio State
This race between No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Ohio State is closer than you think. Ohio State played its first game in 1890, Alabama a year later, and each begins the 2022 season with exactly 942 wins. The Buckeyes (942-329-53, .73149) are a buck-eyelash ahead of the Crimson Tide (942-333-43, .73103) in all-time winning percentage. They are so close that if Alabama defeats Utah State this Saturday and Ohio State loses to No. 5 Notre Dame, the Tide will take the lead. If only this were a pennant race, right?
5 years in, Nebraska keeps making mistakes
The risk/reward on Nebraska coach Scott Frost’s onside kick call didn’t justify the decision, as the result proved, but anyone can complain (and has) after the fact. The larger issue re: the call is that the kicker didn’t execute it, another example, as Jesse Simonton detailed Saturday, of how Northwestern won by making fewer mistakes. How did the onside kick failure prevent the Huskers, on their final six possessions, from crossing the Wildcats’ 43-yard line? How did that failure make the Blackshirts incapable of getting Ryan Hilinski and the ‘Cats’ offense off the field (34:12 in TOP)? Hilinski, a fourth-year player, noted before the game that this is the first time he has had the same offensive coordinator for a second year. The continuity showed in his stat line (27-of-38 for 314 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and an 86.7 QBR).
AD departure latest Auburn storyline
You have to hand it to Auburn, always ready to put a new spin on athletic department dysfunction. Marvel Studios applauds the myriad ways in which the Loveliest Village retells the same story every few months. In the latest episode of House of the Draggin’, athletic director Allen Greene and the university agreed that he should leave five months before his contract expires. This is seven months after football coach Bryan Harsin survived a coup following his first season with the Tigers. Does anyone know where this series is streaming? Seriously, how does Auburn assure the next athletic director, and football coach, and whoever is imperiled in the next episode, that this fan base ever will pull in the same direction again?