Just some random thoughts:

– This is the team many of us envisioned last year, but we were a year early. They didn’t know how to close last year. Now they are a year older, wiser, bigger, faster, and they know how to close a game, even if they’re behind late. This is unique for OSU and special.

– Smith has been out of the way lately. It’s a very good thing. I saw him pondering punt vs going on one of those 4ths around mid field. Glad he punted. It was a sign to me he learned from the past, and he learned to grapple with his own (poor) tendency for gambling and poor understanding of in-game feel rather than just looking at a chart of probabilities. Improving. This is big.

– I like that everyone gets involved. Said this even last year, and then earlier again this year, that having guys like Gould and Colletto is huge. These types of players are good, yet they don’t quite fit into regular rolls. Players on the team see this and empathize. So when a player like that comes in and does well, it gives the entire team an emotional lift. I’m a huge fan of getting every player involved in some capacity. Even more interesting: those players were arguably the MVPs last night.

– Nolan isn’t as great as we thought. An elite D shut him down very well. So as we progress through this year, we have to keep that in mind and game plan around it. More QB runs, more running in general, and need to get “creative” (soft) and incorporate more trick plays against these types of opponents. Utah is probably the next test for this.

– Baylor should be a dark horse Heisman candidate. If they Beavs keep winning, and he keeps his TD and yardage pace. He has much better stats than TreVeyon Henderson, who is currently the top RB in that race.

– It’s nice that we look like a real team. I’ve said it before, but we’re doing all the basic things that teams always did against us; things that we couldn’t do to them consistently. We pass the eyeball test, and now we pass the mental test. That’s the big takeaway tonight: we passed the mental toughness test.

– The mental issue moving forward, and one they haven’t dealt with yet, is how to handle success. Coaches need to be on this.

– So this is what it feels like, for a fan, to be atop the North? It’s pretty sweet. Let’s keep it rolling.

Go Beavs!

What I saw in interviews is that the Beavs were sniffing their own farts all week and enjoying the scent. Smith seemed aware of this. So what plays out?

Originally I thought 31-17 in a game they control but don’t dominate. Now I’m thinking psychology and ego come into play. Smith can try to coach that out of players, but it’s human nature, and therefore can’t be eliminated completely.

Also, I think the Beavs will have to pass more in this game, so I’m going with Nolan, Lindsey, and Harrison as the players to watch tonight. Morris has never impressed me as a QB, and given the Beavs D is getting more pressure, I think they force him into a few key mistakes.

Beavs are the better team, but fart sniffing keeps it close.

31-24

BIRG’ing, first time I heard of Basking in Reflected Glory was right here on AB. How do long suffering Beavs fans not BIRG for a few days?

But, lets not lose sight of the leg humpers this week. So in addition to reflecting on what went right in LA, let’s hear your thoughts about the upcoming game in Reser.  Which DB not named Wright will step up vs the pass happy rich kids? 

Can JS keep his guys grounded? I think so, it’s one of his strengths. Early guess………..31-17 Beavs.

Goooo Beavs.

27-24, Beavs, in a program defining victory.

This one comes down to who starts for USC. Is Slovis starts, Beavs should be in this game. Pick ’em line. 27-24 either way.

If Dart starts, the odds of the game being close drop. I’d say USC by 14 in that scenario. Something like 35-21. Mainly because he’s a really good runner, but also he has a very quick delivery with a strong arm. Very impressive, and even though the Beavs D is improved, I don’t see them stopping that at this point.