This upcoming game is huge for Ohio State against Nebraska this weekend.

Consider where the Buckeyes are. They are one of the elite teams in college football over the past few years since Urban Meyer became their head coach. They don’t define a successful season as getting into a big bowl game; they define it as getting into the College Football Playoff and having a shot at a national title.

That will be very difficult considering the beat down Purdue put on them in their last game.

Their only shot at the College Football Playoff is in winning the Big Ten. This means they must win out and obviously, that includes beating Michigan at the end of the regular-season. They cannot afford another stumble.

Were they to give up a crap load of points to a 2 – 6 Nebraska team… Well, let’s say it would be a good look to the old guys on the playoff committee. Were they to lose… Well, let’s say that the only thing that would make them feel better is beating Michigan and destroying the Wolverines chances of making the playoff.

There is plenty of speculation surrounding Urban Meyer and whether he will be around to coach Ohio State next season. Could it be that what we see this weekend is a tale of two teams heading in opposite directions?

Nebraska seems to have gotten it together in the past couple games. Granted, those games weren’t against juggernaut photos or anything close, but they were far better games than we’d seen earlier in the season. Conversely, Ohio State looked good early on and seemed to be getting worse as the season goes on. There was not only the shellacking at Purdue but the close (relatively speaking) game at Minnesota in which the Buckeyes won 30 – 17.

It’s clear Ohio State is flawed. It’s clear Nebraska is improving. It’s whether or not those two points intersect at a place in time and space that allow our beloved Huskers another win.

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I live in a small cul-de-sac. It was dark and quiet on Halloween. Years ago, it was filled with children as most of us in our neighborhood had small children at the same time. Those children have all grown, and most have moved on, and there are other neighborhoods around us filled with young life. Ours is an old neighborhood that is not yet seen a new generation take over.

It might seem sad, but that’s how life goes on. Neighborhoods, like ourselves, mature and it’s a matter of whether they replenish themselves or turn old and get decrepit.

That’s rather depressing.

Let’s shift focus to the “good old days.”

My kids reminded me of what we used to do for Halloween when they were children. I’d forgotten that I usually dressed up as “a bag of leaves.” My costume while leading them around from house to house was wearing a garbage bag with leaves glued onto it.

In the years that I stayed home and gave out candy… Well, sometimes I didn’t give out candy. I would give out onions and potatoes.

We would have a big bowl of candy, and in that bowl, I would hide onions and potatoes. I never allowed the children to reach in and grab their candy as that seems uncivilized. Instead, I would hold the bowl out before them so they could see the candy and then I would reach in and “palm” a potato and drop it in their bag with a big “thud.” I’m sure they always thought that I was giving them more candy than everyone else.

I always envisioned them getting home, dumping out their bag on the floor and wondering who in the hell gave them a potato.

My world was shattered one year when a Mom called from the curbside, “I’d rather have another onion this year than more candy.” I thought I’d been so clever.

One year I gave out hotel soaps, those little bars. I said to the children, “Who wants to be clean?” The children, always naïve, always innocent, would say, “We do!” And so I would give them tiny little bars of soap.

I miss the days when our neighborhood was young.

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News

Nebraska linebacker Mohamed Barry presents obstacle for Ohio State offense - Land-Grant Holy Land
Barry can get sacks and tackles-for-loss. If he has a breakout game on Saturday, he’ll be an all-around problem for Dwayne Haskins.

A timeline of Maryland football, from DJ Durkin’s hiring until now - Testudo Times

Let’s take a broad view at these last three years, with a focus on the past few months.

Good lord, this Maryland business with Durkin has been a disaster for them.

These Maryland players loudly spoke out for DJ Durkin firing - SBNation.com
Several players demanded accountability for teammate Jordan McNair’s death.

Maryland tried to give DJ Durkin a second chance. He didn’t deserve one. - Testudo Times
This was written before the news that Durkin had been fired.

Maryland needed massive public backlash to fire DJ Durkin - SBNation.com
Maryland’s initial decision to reinstate Durkin was absurd even by the warped standards college football has set. Public backlash got the university to do the right thing.

Maryland fires DJ Durkin one day after reinstating him - Testudo Times
He returned to the team Tuesday, and his tenure ended Wednesday.

Urban Meyer parting with Ohio State wouldn’t be shocking - SBNation.com
This isn’t about overreacting and firing Meyer due to one loss. It’s not necessarily about firing Meyer at all.

If Ohio State wins out, will they make the College Football Playoff as a one-loss team? - Land-Grant Holy Land
How strong of a résumé would the Buckeyes have if their only loss on the season happened to Purdue?

OUR LONG NATIONAL NIGHTMARE IS OVER: Big Ten Basketball will no longer feature referee TV Ted Valentine - Off Tackle Empire
The Big Ten will not rehire TV Ted Valentine, per a Chicago Tribune report.

Shea Patterson got in Don Brown’s face during MSU game, and Brown liked it - Maize n Brew Michigan’s defensive coordinator tells a great story about Michigan’s quarterback

College football coach retires mid-game by calling time out - SBNation.com
Elite way to retire.

Spooky Purdue Costume Ideas - Hammer and Rails
It’s October 31st. You know what that means....

It’s John Purdue’s birthday! Happy Birthday, Johnny P!

Minnesota Football’s uniforms are, in fact, good - The Daily Gopher
A uniform post on the biggest costume day of the year felt appropriate. Also, some of y’all are freaking out way too much.

Wisconsin football: In Chryst We Trust - Bucky's 5th Quarter
2018 has not been an especially fun year to be a Wisconsin football fan.

After the preseason hype machine sent the season’s expectations into the stratosphere, losses at home to BYU and on the road against Michigan and Northwestern have dropped the Badgers from the polls.

What Needs to Happen: Minnesota - The Champaign Room
Illinois will need to regroup quickly and adapt to the departure of its defensive coordinator

Then There’s This

Antarctica scientist stabbed colleague for spoiling book endings
In the first attempted murder ever on the frozen continent of Antarctica, a Russian scientist reportedly snapped and allegedly tried to stab a colleague to death because the victim kept giving away the endings of books.