Which midweek matchups could produce surprises?

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Featured Musician: Syd Burnham

THE VIDEO:

[After THE JUMP: Things discussable.] 

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1. USC Preview: Offense

starts at the top

Maiva is getting 12 YPA vs blitzes, so maybe don't Wink so much in this game. They're using a lot more 12 personnel and splitbacks this year as well so it's not just your standard Lincoln Riley spread. It's still Lincoln Riley though, and it's been murder on a mostly bad offense. A big reason is the All-American slot/flanker Makai Lemon. There aren't as many outside guys as last year but they kept their two favorites; Ja'Kobi Lane is back and huge, but freshman Tanook Hines is getting most of the snaps at the other side. You do have to be wary of tight end Lake McRee and JUCO RB Waymond Jordan. OL might be better than they were against Illinois, when they had some significant injuries; we expect LT Elijah Paige to be back but not center Killian O'Connor, so they'll have to play 7th year senior J'Onre Reed.

2. USC Preview: Defense

starts at 19:15

Not the offense. D'Anton Lynn is on the Ravens tree but he's not having the same success, mostly because they can't seem to get the defensive line up to size. Devan Thompkins is 290, Jide Abasiri is 295. Edges were highly ranked (Anthony Lucas was a pre-Elston Michigan target) but sophomore Kameryn Crawford isn't panning out like a top-100 is supposed to. They added Portal #25 Keeshawn Silver from Kentucky and a 5-star freshman, but they haven't changed that math, and are getting pushed around. We do still like Kamari Ramsey, who came with Lynn from UCLA and has been playing nickel this year. Cornerbacks are tall.

3. Wisconsin After Review

starts at 36:56

Underwood is coming along, the RBs are elite, and Andrew Marsh is happening. Still have McCulley the #1 with a bullet, and it's nice to see they're giving him leapy chances now. Not sure where PFF (and Sam apparently) are getting the bad pass protection grades for the tackles, because we thought they were fine. The young OL have mistakes but they fix them, and they all have the talent.

Fire blitzes were the order of the day. Weird seeing this defense spill but that's what they do sometimes I guess. Rod Moore's return was a bigger deal than you think. Seth's not as mad at Wink as you think. 

4. Around the Big Ten

starts at 52:45

There are some pretty big games this weekend (and that's more interesting than hockey vs Mercyhurst) so we previewed each of them.

• Indiana at Oregon: "…is a top-ten matchup" means Okay grandpa let's get you back to a home. Oregon by 7. If IU's OL is legit they can win and if they can beat Oregon there's no ceiling on this team. I can't believe in Indiana!
• Ohio State at Illinois: They'll lean.
• UCLA at Michigan State: What's funnier: MSU losing at home to UCLA or UCLA immediately losing by like 60 after beating Penn State? MSU fans are already saying Jonathan Smith doesn't have That Dawg in him. He seems like a normal human being, not an angry little dwarf.
• Nebraska at Maryland: Interesting game with what happened with Maryland last week. They are throwing many screens.
• Rutgers at Washington: Expect a high-scoring game. Would like this game on the opposite coast but Rutgers's offense is hit or miss and three time zones suggests miss.
• Northwestern at Penn State: PSU fans are already salty after the Eagles and Gavin McKenna/PSU hockey just lost to Clarkston. If you have one punt there could be a riot; OTOH Penn State fans respect Northwestern's big win over a tough UCLA team.
• Iowa at Wisconsin: euugh. Special teams malfeasance by Wisconsin will ruin them.
• Purdue at Minnesota: Vaguely watchable?

Featured Artist: Marcus: Syd Burnham

Okay reader who keeps asking: this is when I'll do Syd Burnham (now Osten; she got married this summer, but kept the performing name). Syd is an indie rock musician and graphic designer from Detroit who mixes a bunch of genres (jazz, singer-songwriter, etc.) to come up with a unique sound. She made an impact with her debut EP "The Yellow Album," at the age of 16, followed by her album "Timeline" at 19. She has since released hit singles like "Summertime," "4 A Grl," "Milky," and "By Then" but her live performances are what carved out a dedicated audience in the Detroit music scene. Syd goes up there with just a guitar and her voice but has a magnetic stage presence who incorporates her modern art into the music, and incorporates local themes into the artwork. Links: IG, YT, FB, Spotify.

Songs:

• "A GRL"
• "Best Friend"
• "By Then"       

Also because Across 110th Street will get our Youtubes taken down, the opener and outro:

• “The Employee is Not Afraid”—Bear vs. Shark
• “Ruska Vodka”—Motorboat