Each week, we’ll look back on what our expert analysts thought each team needed to do to secure victory in our NCAA Football broadcasts, brought to you by Pennzoil.
- November 24th – Halftime score: Michigan 21 – Ohio State 20
(Listen to Randy Cross’s Keys to the Second Half from our broadcast)
[podcast id='1']
Ohio State: Randy said the Ohio State defense needed to step it up and cause some confusion for Michigan’s offense.
Ohio State Verdict: Whatever the Buckeyes cooked up at halftime worked to perfection. After piling up 219 yards and 21 points before the break, the Michigan offense managed just 60 total yards in the second half and was held scoreless.
Michigan: Randy said he’d like the Wolverines to get star receiver Roy Roundtree the ball in the second half.
Michigan Verdict: With the Buckeyes defense causing problems all over the field, Michigan was unable to get the ball into Roundtree’s hands even once after halftime. A lack of any kind of offensive production was ultimately the Wolverines’ downfall as two Ohio State field goals were enough to propel the Buckeyes to a perfect season.
Final Score: Ohio State 26 – Michigan 21
- November 24th: Halftime score: Stanford 21 – UCLA 10
(Listen to Terry Donahue’s Keys to the Second Half from our broadcast)
[podcast id='2']
UCLA: Terry wanted the Bruins to establish the running game through Johnathan Franklin to take some pressure off Brett Hundley.
UCLA Verdict: Establishing the run could’ve been a noble pursuit, but thanks to a pair of early third-quarter turnovers, UCLA was down by 25 points before they could really give Franklin a go. First, the Cardinal picked off a Hundley pass and went 42 yards on four plays in a drive capped by Stepfan Taylor’s 1-yard TD run. Then, on the ensuing kickoff, a Bruins fumble was scooped up and taken back 11 yards for another Cardinal TD. Just like that, the score was 35-10. Franklin would add a UCLA touchdown later in the quarter but it would prove to be just a consolation.
Stanford: On the Cardinal’s side, Terry said they needed to force UCLA to respect the pass to help open up lanes for Stepfan Taylor.
Stanford Verdict: With Stanford jumping out to a big lead early in the second half, Taylor wore down the Bruins defense, finishing with 142 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns. The teams will play again Friday in Palo Alto with a spot in the Rose Bowl on the line.