Tuesday, November 30, 2010

ACC/Big Ten Challenge - BCS Standings - Bowl Projections -




College Basketball TV Schedule for this Week
Tuesday
7:30 p.m.: Ohio State at Florida St. (ESPN)
9 p.m.: Georgetown vs. Missouri (ESPNU)
9:30 p.m.: North Carolina at Illinois (ESPN)

Wednesday
7 p.m.: Richmond at Old Dominion
7:15 p.m.: NC State at Wisconsin (ESPN2)
7:30 p.m.: Purdue at Virginia Tech (ESPN)
8 p.m.: BYU at Creighton
9:30 p.m.: Michigan St. at Duke (ESPN)
10:30 p.m.: St. Mary's at SDSU (The Mtn.)

Thursday
7 p.m.: Arizona St. at Baylor (ESPN2)
9 p.m.: UCLA at Kansas (ESPN2)

Friday
11 p.m.: Kansas St. at Washington St. (FSN)

Saturday
Noon: Utah State at Georgetown (ESPNU)
12:30 p.m.: Kentucky at North Carolina (CBS)
3:15 p.m.: Duke vs. Butler (ESPN)
5:15 p.m.: Illinois vs. Gonzaga (ESPN)
5:15 p.m.: NC State at Syracuse (ESPN2)
8 p.m.: Southern Miss at Ole Miss (ESPNU)
10 p.m.: Wichita St. at SDSU (The Mtn.)

Sunday
8 p.m.: Maryland vs. Temple (CSN)


ACC/Big Ten Challenge
OHIO STATE AT FLORIDA STATE (ESPN, 7:30 ET)

Bilas: Ohio State -- Florida State can really guard, but scoring efficiently is a problem the Seminoles have and the Buckeyes don't.
Brennan: Ohio State – FSU’s defense will keep this one close, but the interior offensive rebounding of Jared Sullinger and Dallas Lauderdale will be too much for the Noles to manage.
Fraschilla: Ohio State – The Leon County Civic Center is not the homecourt the Seminoles deserve.
Gottlieb: FSU's Chris Singleton has put up insane numbers with two triple-doubles, but OSU has the athletes to guard him and his compadres.
Katz: Ohio State -- The Buckeyes won at Florida and have a better inside game than Florida State, although FSU’s Chris Singleton will likely put up the best numbers.
Leung: Ohio State -- Despite the all-around talents of FSU's Chris Singleton, Ohio State has too many weapons, including Jared Sullinger in the middle.
Lunardi: Ohio State -- Buckeyes complete the Sunshine State sweep in Tallahassee.
O’Neil: Ohio State -- Tough follow for the Seminoles after an emotional, disappointing loss to the Gators. Plus, Jared Sullinger is the why to all questions about the Buckeyes.
Williams: Florida State -- Yes, I call the upset here. Xavier Gibson and Bernard James will give Mr. Sullinger a lot to deal with down low.


BCS Standings
RK TEAM AVG PVS RK PTS % RK PTS % AVG A&H RB CM KM JS PW %
1 Auburn .9779 2 2 2769 .9716 2 1419 .9620 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1.000
2 Oregon .9777 1 1 2804 .9839 1 1459 .9892 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 .960
3 TCU .9167 3 3 2621 .9196 3 1343 .9105 3 3 2 3 3 6 3 .920
4 Stanford .8413 6 5 2417 .8481 5 1233 .8359 4 8 7 5 4 4 4 .840
5 Wisconsin .8185 7 4 2441 .8565 4 1282 .8692 7 4 4 12 9 11 7 .730
6 Ohio State .7632 8 6 2301 .8074 6 1213 .8224 9 5 6 8 14 15 10 .660
7 Arkansas .7189 12 8 1997 .7007 8 1012 .6861 5 9 8 9 5 3 5 .770
8 Michigan State .6980 10 7 2080 .7298 7 1083 .7342 11 7 11 6 15 14 9 .630
9 Oklahoma .6780 13 9 1809 .6347 9 943 .6393 6 6 12 4 7 7 8 .760
10 LSU .6067 5 11 1569 .5505 12 796 .5397 7 11 9 10 6 5 6 .730
11 Boise State .5805 4 10 1802 .6323 10 869 .5892 14 13 5 11 16 16 12 .520
12 Missouri .5148 14 14 1291 .4530 14 666 .4515 10 10 17 7 11 8 11 .640
13 Nebraska .5071 15 13 1446 .5074 13 773 .5241 15 14 14 15 13 10 14 .490
14 Oklahoma State .4630 9 16 1171 .4109 15 661 .4481 12 12 13 13 10 13 15 .530
15 Virginia Tech .4396 16 12 1503 .5274 11 843 .5715 20 20 18 20 24 22 20 .220
16 Alabama .4201 11 18 1113 .3905 19 501 .3397 12 16 10 17 12 9 13 .530
17 Nevada .4043 19 15 1231 .4319 17 621 .4210 17 18 16 16 17 18 17 .360
18 Texas A&M .3910 17 19 1032 .3621 18 503 .3410 16 15 20 14 8 12 16 .470
19 South Carolina .3817 18 17 1142 .4007 16 626 .4244 18 17 19 18 18 17 19 .320
20 Utah .2254 20 21 567 .1989 21 291 .1973 19 21 15 19 19 20 18 .280
21 Florida State .2125 22 20 650 .2281 20 353 .2393 22 19 22 21 22 23 22 .170
22 Mississippi State .1630 25 22 393 .1379 22 223 .1512 21 22 21 25 20 19 21 .200
23 Arizona .0713 21 25 120 .0421 NR 47 .0319 23 23 23 0 21 21 23 .140
24 West Virginia .0542 NR 23 251 .0881 24 110 .0746 24 0 0 23 0 0 0 .000
25 Northern Illinois .0482 NR 24 161 .0565 23 130 .0881 24 0 25 0 0 0 0 .000





2010 Bowl Projections - Week 13 BOWL (MATCHUP) Mark Schlabach Andrea Adelson
Tostitos BCS National Championship Game
(BCS No. 1 vs. BCS No. 2) Oregon vs. Auburn Oregon vs. Auburn
Allstate Sugar
(BCS vs. BCS) Arkansas vs. Ohio State Arkansas vs. Ohio State
Discover Orange
(BCS vs. BCS) Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia Virginia Tech vs. Stanford
Tostitos Fiesta
(BCS vs. BCS) Oklahoma vs. Stanford Oklahoma vs. Connecticut
Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO
(BCS vs. BCS) Wisconsin vs. TCU Wisconsin vs. TCU
Kraft Fight Hunger
(Pac-10 vs. WAC) Miami (FL) vs. Boise State Boston College vs. Boise State
BBVA Compass Bowl
(Big East vs. SEC) Connecticut vs. Kentucky Pittsburgh vs. Kentucky
AT&T Cotton
(Big 12 vs. SEC) Oklahoma State vs. Alabama Texas A&M vs. LSU
GoDaddy.com
(MAC vs. Sun Belt) Miami (OH) vs. Troy Miami (OH) vs. Troy
Gator
(Big Ten vs. SEC) Iowa vs. Florida Penn State vs. Florida
Capital One
(Big Ten vs. SEC) Michigan State vs. LSU Michigan State vs. Alabama
Outback
(Big Ten vs. SEC) Penn State vs. South Carolina Iowa vs. South Carolina
TicketCity Bowl
(Big Ten vs. Big 12) Northwestern vs. Texas Tech Northwestern vs. Texas Tech
Chick-fil-A
(ACC vs. SEC) Florida State vs. Mississippi State Florida State vs. Mississippi State
AutoZone Liberty
(C-USA vs. SEC) UCF vs. Georgia UCF vs. Georgia
Hyundai Sun
(ACC vs. Pac-10) Boston College vs. Army Miami (FL) vs. Toledo
Meineke Car Care
(ACC vs. Big East) North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh North Carolina State vs. West Virginia
Bridgepoint Education Holiday
(Big 12 vs. Pac-10) Texas A&M vs. Washington Missouri vs. Washington
Franklin American Mortgage Music City
(ACC vs. SEC) Maryland vs. Tennessee North Carolina vs. Tennessee
New Era Pinstripe
(Big 12 vs. Big East) Kansas State vs. Syracuse Kansas State vs. Syracuse
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces
(C-USA vs. Mountain West) Southern Methodist vs. Brigham Young Southern Methodist vs. Army
Valero Alamo
(Big 12 vs. Pac-10) Nebraska vs. Arizona Arizona vs. Oklahoma State
Texas
(Big Ten vs. Big 12) Baylor vs. Illinois Illinois vs. Baylor
Military Bowl Presented By Northrop Grumman
(ACC vs. C-USA) Georgia Tech vs. East Carolina Clemson vs. Southern Miss
Insight
(Big Ten vs. Big 12) Michigan vs. Missouri Michigan vs. Nebraska
Champs Sports
(ACC vs. Big East) North Carolina State vs. Notre Dame Maryland vs. Notre Dame
AdvoCare V100 Independence
(ACC vs. Mountain West) Clemson vs. Air Force Georgia Tech vs. Air Force
Little Caesars
(Big Ten vs. MAC) Louisville vs. Northern Illinois Louisville vs. Northern Illinois
Sheraton Hawaii
(C-USA vs. WAC) Tulsa vs. Hawaii Tulsa vs. Hawaii
S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia
(Mountain West vs. Navy) San Diego State vs. Navy San Diego State vs. Navy
MAACO Las Vegas
(Mountain West vs. Pac-10) Utah vs. Temple Utah vs. Ohio
Beef 'O' Brady's St. Petersburg
(Big East vs. C-USA) South Florida vs. Southern Miss South Florida vs. East Carolina
R+L Carriers New Orleans
(C-USA vs. Sun Belt) UTEP vs. Florida International UTEP vs. Florida International
uDrove Humanitarian
(MAC vs. WAC) Toledo vs. Nevada Temple vs. Nevada
New Mexico
(Mountain West vs. WAC) Ohio vs. Fresno State Brigham Young vs. Fresno

Monday, November 29, 2010

Buckeye Monday - All Big Ten Teams Announced





2010 All-Big Ten Conference Football TeamAs selected by CONFERENCE COACHES
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE SECOND TEAM
Dan Persa, Northwestern Quarterback Scott Tolzien, Wisconsin
Mikel Leshoure, Illinois Running Back Evan Royster, Penn State
Dan Herron, Ohio State Running Back John Clay, Wisconsin
Tandon Doss, Indiana* Receiver Marvin McNutt, Iowa#
Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, Iowa* Receiver
Dane Sanzenbacher, Ohio State*
David Molk, Michigan Center Mike Brewster, Ohio State
Stefen Wisniewski, Penn State Guard Julian Vandervelde, Iowa
John Moffitt, Wisconsin Guard Justin Boren, Ohio State
Mike Adams, Ohio State Tackle Riley Reiff, Iowa
Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin Tackle D.J. Young, Michigan State
Lance Kendricks, Wisconsin Tight End Allen Reisner, Iowa
Dan Conroy, Michigan State Kicker Derek Dimke, Illinois

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE SECOND TEAM
Adrian Clayborn, Iowa Line Corey Liuget, Illinois
Cameron Heyward, Ohio State Line Karl Klug, Iowa
Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue Line Mike Martin, Michigan
J.J. Watt, Wisconsin Line Ollie Ogbu, Penn State
Greg Jones, Michigan State Linebacker Martez Wilson, Illinois
Ross Homan, Ohio State Linebacker Jeremiha Hunter, Iowa
Brian Rolle, Ohio State Linebacker Eric Gordon, Michigan State
Shaun Prater, Iowa Defensive Back Brett Greenwood, Iowa*
Tyler Sash, Iowa Defensive Back Johnny Adams, Michigan State*
Chimdi Chekwa, Ohio State Defensive Back Trenton Robinson, Michigan State*
Jermale Hines, Ohio State Defensive Back Chris L. Rucker, Michigan State*
Aaron Henry, Wisconsin*
Anthony Santella, Illinois Punter Aaron Bates, Michigan State

HONORABLE MENTION: ILLINOIS: Jeff Allen, Nate Bussey, Trulon Henry, Graham Pocic, Tavon Wilson; INDIANA: Damarlo Belcher, James Brewer, Mitch Ewald; IOWA: Christian Ballard, Mike Daniels, Adam Robinson, Ryan Donahue; MICHIGAN: Denard Robinson, Stephen Schilling; MICHIGAN STATE: Edwin Baker, Kirk Cousins, Mark Dell, Joel Foreman, Charlie Gantt, Marcus Hyde, Jerel Worthy; MINNESOTA: D.J. Burris; NORTHWESTERN: Drake Dunsmore, Jeremy Ebert, Brian Peters; OHIO STATE: Devin Barclay, DeVier Posey, Terrelle Pryor, John Simon; PENN STATE: Quinn Barham, Chris Colasanti, D’Anton Lynn, Derek Moye; PURDUE: Ricardo Allen, Dwayne Beckford, Carson Wiggs; WISCONSIN: Montee Ball, Niles Brinkley, Antonio Fenelus, Peter Konz, Bill Nagy, Blake Sorensen, Mike Taylor, Ricky Wagner, Philip Welch, James White, Kevin

Zeitler.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Denard Robinson, Michigan
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR: Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR: Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: James White, Wisconsin

Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honorees: Tavon Wilson, ILL; Tyler Replogle, IND; Ricky Stanzi, IOWA; Mark Moundros, MICH; Kirk Cousins, MSU; Jon Hoese, MINN; Corbin Bryant, NU; Bryant Browning, OSU; Brett Brackett, PSU; Ryan Kerrigan, PUR; Scott Tolzien, WIS.

* Additional honorees due to ties
# Second team reduced by one due to additional first-team honoree

2010 All-Big Ten Conference Football TeamAs selected by CONFERENCE MEDIA
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE SECOND TEAM
Denard Robinson, Michigan Quarterback Dan Persa, Northwestern
Mikel Leshoure, Illinois Running Back John Clay, Wisconsin
Edwin Baker, Michigan State Running Back James White, Wisconsin
Jeremy Ebert, Northwestern Receiver Tandon Doss, Indiana
Dane Sanzenbacher, Ohio State Receiver Roy Roundtree, Michigan
Mike Brewster, Ohio State Center David Molk, Michigan
Justin Boren, Ohio State Guard Julian Vandervelde, Iowa
John Moffitt, Wisconsin Guard Stefen Wisniewski, Penn State
Mike Adams, Ohio State Tackle Jeff Allen, Illinois
Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin Tackle Riley Reiff, Iowa
Lance Kendricks, Wisconsin Tight End Charlie Gantt, Michigan State
Dan Conroy, Michigan State Kicker Devin Barclay, Ohio State
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE SECOND TEAM
Adrian Clayborn, Iowa Line Corey Liuget, Illinois
Cameron Heyward, Ohio State Line Karl Klug, Iowa
Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue Line Vince Browne, Northwestern
J.J. Watt, Wisconsin Line Kawann Short, Purdue
Martez Wilson, Illinois Linebacker Jonas Mouton, Michigan
Greg Jones, Michigan State Linebacker Eric Gordon, Michigan State
Brian Rolle, Ohio State Linebacker Ross Homan, Ohio State
Shaun Prater, Iowa Defensive Back Marcus Hyde, Michigan State
Tyler Sash, Iowa Defensive Back Brian Peters, Northwestern
Chimdi Chekwa, Ohio State Defensive Back Jermale Hines, Ohio State
Antonio Fenelus, Wisconsin Defensive Back Ricardo Allen, Purdue
Aaron Bates, Michigan State Punter Anthony Santella, Illinois

HONORABLE MENTION: ILLINOIS: Nate Bussey, Derek Dimke, Trulon Henry, Graham Pocic, Tavon Wilson; INDIANA: Ted Bolser, Ben Chappell, Damarlo Belcher, James Brewer, Tyler Replogle; IOWA: Christian Ballard, Mike Daniels, Brett Greenwood, Jeremiha Hunter, Micah Hyde, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, Marvin McNutt, Allen Reisner, Adam Robinson, Ryan Donahue; MICHIGAN: Jordan Kovacs, Mike Martin, Stephen Schilling; MICHIGAN STATE: Johnny Adams, Kirk Cousins, B.J. Cunningham, Mark Dell, Joel Foreman, Trenton Robinson, Chris L. Rucker, Jerel Worthy, D.J. Young; MINNESOTA: D.J. Burris, Troy Stoudermire, Gary Tinsley; NORTHWESTERN: Corbin Bryant, Drake Dunsmore, Jordan Mabin, Al Netter; OHIO STATE: Dan Herron, DeVier Posey, Terrelle Pryor, John Simon; PENN STATE: Drew Astorino, Quinn Barham, Chris Colasanti, D’Anton Lynn, Derek Moye, Ollie Ogbu, Evan Royster, Devon Still, Collin Wagner; PURDUE: Kyle Adams, Peters Drey, Dennis Kelly, Ken Plue, Cody Webster, Carson Wiggs; WISCONSIN: Montee Ball, Aaron Henry, Peter Konz, Blake Sorensen, Mike Taylor, Scott Tolzien, Ricky Wagner, Philip Welch, Kevin Zeitler.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Denard Robinson, Michigan
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: James White, Wisconsin
DAVE McCLAIN COACH OF THE YEAR: Mark Dantonio, Michigan State




10 Things We Learned From A Seventh-Straight Win over Michigan
By Brandon Castel

I love these! Brandon is spot on again!


COLUMBUS, Ohio — It was all Buckeyes Saturday as they captured their sixth straight Big Ten title with a seventh straight win over Michigan.
Jim Tressel’s team is likely BCS bound this January, but there was plenty to be learned from Saturday’s 37-7 victory over the Wolverines.

1. You can’t help your team from the sideline. Having finally gotten a chance to see Denard Robinson up close, there’s no denying how explosive he can be. The Wolverines weren’t able to do much of anything, including catch the ball, when Robinson wasn’t making the plays himself. He’s fast, he’s quick, he has good vision and he deserves to be the player of the year in the Big Ten because without him Michigan would have lost eight or nine games. The OSU defensive players came away impressed with his ability, and if he had stayed in the game the Wolverines might have had a change to put up some points in the second half.
Only Robinson wasn’t in the game. For the 10th time in 12 games, he was forced to the sideline with an injury. This time it was dislocated fingers on his non-throwing hand. Typically that wouldn’t shut down one of the best quarterbacks in the country, but Rich Rodriguez said he likes to carry the ball in that hand. Great player, but you can’t help your team from the sideline.

2. Pryor beat Michigan with his arm. After missing 2-3 days of throwing during practice, Pryor looked off on his first two series. As a result, it took the Buckeyes more than 12 minutes to pick up a first down, but once they did, things started to get rolling. The Wolverines were committing eight or nine to the box in the first half in order to take away Ohio State’s running game and force Pryor to beat them with his arm. It was the same philosophy Oregon used in the Rose Bowl, and it worked, as Boom Herron was held to -1 yards rushing on five carries in the first half.
The problem is, Pryor eventually found some rhythm. Either that, or Michigan started leaving guys so wide open that he couldn’t miss. Despite the bruised shoulder, Pryor finished the half 15-of-21 passing for 196 and two touchdowns. He blew his chance at a third touchdown pass when he was intercepted near the goal line by UM safety Jordan Kovacs. It was his ability to make them pay for loading up the box, however, that allowed Ohio State to have running room in the second half.


3. That was not a good football team. Michigan fans can fool themselves all they want into thinking this was a good football team, but their improvement from last year to this season has been minimal. They are bowl eligible for the first time under Rich Rodriguez, but that is really a bit of a façade. The Wolverines could have easily lost games to Indiana and Illinois, which would make them 5-7 on the season instead of 7-5. It would also make them 1-7 in the Big Ten. Their offensive fire-power worked against Big East-caliber teams like UConn and Notre Dame, but it simply isn’t good enough just to have a great offense in the Big Ten. It also doesn’t help that the offense didn’t show up in the first half of most of their big games.

4. Seniors led the way. There has been a lot of talk about the junior class of Terrelle Pryor, DeVier Posey, Mike Brewster and the rest of that heralded class. It was the seniors, however, who really led this group. There’s a reason this team had six captains this year and all of them were seniors. The senior class had a big day against Michigan, and they have been the lifeblood of this football team. Offensively, Dane Sanzenbacher had three catches and a touchdown, Taurian Washington had a big 13-yard catch on third down and Justin Boren got his second win over Michigan. Defensively, the Buckeyes had four seniors lead the team with eight tackles—Chimdi Chekwa, Ross Homan, Brian Rolle and Jermale Hines. Fellow seniors Cam Heyward and Devon Torrence each finished with six tackles as the Buckeyes held Michigan to 30 points below their season average.

5. Sanzenbacher will be missed. He didn’t rewrite the record books or make weekly Sportscenter highlights with his playmaking abilities, but Dane Sanzenbacher will be remembered. He will be remembered for his great route-running, his toughness and most importantly for his fantastic hands. "The Great Dane” had three more catches for 71 yards and a touchdown Saturday against Michigan. He now has 52 catches for 889yards and 10 touchdowns this season. More importantly, he has been the team’s most reliable weapon in the passing game all season. A guy like that is impossible to replace.



6. Jermale Hines has a future at the next level. Of all the players who stood out defensively Saturday, it was impossible not to notice Jermale Hines. One of the steady forces on the OSU defense all season, Hines saved his best game for Senior Day. He was all over the field making plays in the run game and the pass game. Along with his eight tackles, Hines had two big pass breakups in the red zone and a number of big hits that jarred passes loose. He was a force on the back end of the defense and settled down the play of an often erratic secondary. After playing the “Star” position the last two years, Hines has earned himself some cash playing the traditional safety spot this season. This is a guy who play at the next level for a while.
7. Travis Howard is going to be a player. The Buckeyes are going to lose both of their starting corners after the bowl game, and they really haven’t done a great job stocking the cupboards with talent. They lost both Eugene Clifford and James Scott to transfers, but did add a transfer of their own in former Florida State corner Dionte Allen. He will be a senior next season and will likely be battling younger guys for the No. 2 corner spot behind Howard. In the last three games, Howard has two interceptions and a fumble recovery. He already might be the team’s best cover corner, and the Buckeyes actually added a dime package to their defense to get him on the field. He is not much of a tackler and doesn’t bring a physical presence like a Devon Torrence, but he is long and athletic.

8. Little guy made the biggest play. Ohio State won this game by 30 points, but there was a time when it looked like it might be a highly-contested battle. Despite struggling early, the Buckeyes led 10-0 in the first half, but only because Michigan’s offense had shot itself in the foot on two trips to the red zone. The Wolverines drove down the field and third time and punched it in to make it a 10-7 game. That’s when Jim Tressel challenged return man Jordan Hall to flip the momentum.
The 5-9 tailback grabbed the ensuing kickoff and darted down the left sideline. He got great blocks from Zach Boren, Jaamal Berry and Jamie Wood on his way to the end zone for an 85 yard touchdown and just like that it was 17-7 and the will of Michigan had been all but broken.


9. Herron joins the list of Michigan-killers. Even with Boom Herron’s success this season, few people would have expected him to post the third-highest rushing total by a Buckeye in the history of the Ohio State-Michigan game. No one in their right mind would have expected it after he ran five times for -1 yards in the first half. But all that passing by Pryor in the first half opened to the door for Herron to have a big second half. He busted off a 32-yard touchdown run to open the third quarter and followed it on the next drive with a 98-yard touchdown run. The play was changed to 89 yards after a questionable holding call on Sanzenbacher, but it still tied the longest play from scrimmage in Ohio State history. He finished with 175 yards on 22 carries, the third highest total ever by an OSU player against Michigan.

10. Don’t trust Nike. Hall and Dane Sanzenbacher may have gotten away with it on their touchdowns, but Herron and DeVier Posey were blasted with 15-yard celebration penalties on theirs. What are we talking about? Herron and Posey were flagged for flashing their gloves at the crowd. What’s wrong with that? Well Nike went ahead and put half of a block O on each palm so that together they formed a full block O. Jim Tressel even displayed this “cool” feature to his team when they saw the alternate jerseys. So ultimately just looking goofy wasn’t the only crime Nike committed against Ohio State.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

College Football Power Rankings - Basketball Top 25 - It is Michigan Week




10 Things We Learned In Iowa City
By Brandon Castel
1. Pryor has a hero mentality. For three quarters, Terrelle Pryor was a mediocre football player. He was 12-of-20 passing for 132 yards with a touchdown and a pick. He also had 52 yards rushing on eight carries, but there just wasn’t anything special about him and as a result, the Buckeyes had only 10 points after three quarters.
Then the fourth-quarter rolled around and Pryor seemed to come alive. He completed six of his 13 passes for 63 yards and ran for another 26 yards on seven carries. He led the Buckeyes on two long scoring drives, including a 12-play 76-yard touchdown drive to win the game. Despite what looked like an outburst on the sideline in the first half, his teammates raved about his positive attitude and ability to stay calm. He threw some good balls that were dropped, including the long one to DeVier Posey, but it was his 14-yard scramble on fourth-and-10 that broke Iowa’s back.

2. Ohio State has no offensive identity. Despite their success in the fourth quarter, the Ohio State offense was a disjointed mess for most of the game. The so-called “favorite” gameplan of Pryor’s turned into a jumble of different strategies jammed into one. They wanted to pass more and run Pryor more a week after winning a game on the legs of tailback Boom Herron. They tried desperately to be creative, but it’s hard to all of a sudden be good at everything.
Unlike Ohio State teams of the past, this one doesn’t seem to have an identity on offense. One week they are a passing team and the next a rushing team. They use the pass to set up the run to set up the pass to set up the run. It gets a little goofy sometimes, and honestly they are fortunate to come away with a 10-1 season after 11 games. They had three games with three points in the first half and won two of them. That’s borderline absurd, especially considering those wins came against Penn State and Iowa.

3. No sense of urgency with this team. Another thing this Ohio State team has lacked this year is a sense of urgency. We saw it against Miami when they were anxious to show the world how good they could be with a win over the Hurricanes, but after that they have completely relaxed. These guys seem to think they are talented enough to just show up and win games. The scary thing is, they probably are, if they actually showed up. Instead, they were MIA on both sides of the ball in the first half against Iowa, particularly on offense, and for the second straight week it took a big second half to pull off the win. You would hope the year-round focus on Michigan would have them ready to play next week, but this team might very well take the Wolverines for granted. They will still win the game, but if they continue their current trend it might be tied at 28 at halftime.

4. Tressel desperate to believe in Pryor. There’s a reason Pryor was so highly sought after coming out of high school. He is a physical freak with a desire to be great and (we think) a work ethic to match. He doesn’t want to let people down and it seems like Tressel doesn’t want to let him down. The OSU staff promised they would turn him into an NFL quarterback, and likely a college star, in Columbus and Tressel seems desperate to believe that is still possible.
That’s not to say Pryor hasn’t shown glimpses of greatness, but it’s tough to watch a player that talented look as average as he did for most of the game. The Buckeyes should have focused their gameplan around Boom Herron and the running backs. They did it a year ago and ran for over 200 yards on the Hawkeyes despite their tough run defense. Herron did get 20 carries in the game, but it was hardly as if the gameplan revolved around him. Right from the start it was obvious they wanted to run the offense through Pryor, who has yet to prove he can take over a big game from start to finish in the Big Ten.

5. Offensive line was the difference. So how were the Buckeyes able to win this game? Mainly because their offensive line wore down the Iowa defensive front and took control of the game in the second half. Mike Adams in particular did an excellent job neutralizing star defensive end Adrian Clayborn, but it was a collective effort up front. They gave Pryor plenty of time to pass and while the holes weren’t nearly as wide as they were against Penn State, they still allowed the Buckeyes to average 4.4 yards per carry against the fifth-ranked run defense in the country.

6. Dane Sanzenbacher must be part of the gameplan. Tressel said in his post-game press conference that the gameplan included getting the ball to Sanzenbacher and the tight ends. Clearly, Tressel and his staff realized that it wasn’t a good idea to forget about their best pass-catcher the way they did against Penn State. Sanzenbacher managed one catch against the Nittany Lions despite the fact he was never directly targeted by Pryor. His long touchdown catch was intended for Posey, but Sanzenbacher made a great play to catch the deflection. He had four catches for 73 yards in the first half against Iowa and finished with six for 102. His leaping catch over the head of an Iowa linebacker in the fourth quarter was the second-biggest play of the game behind the fourth-down scramble.

7. DeVier Posey needs to get focused. It’s impossible to question the competitiveness of a guy like Posey, but wherever his head is at right now, he needs to get back to thinking about this team, this season and this last game against Michigan. He had two catches for 32 yards against Iowa, but dropped a pair of balls, including a 50-yard touchdown bomb. It’s one thing when he’s dropping the short passes because he usually makes up for it with the long bombs, but that was not the case against Iowa. He dropped what could have been the game-winning touchdown and would have been the biggest goat of the season if Pryor and Sanzenbacher hadn’t picked him up.

8. Philly Brown is still a freshman. The only guy who had a tougher day catching the ball than Posey was freshman Corey “Philly” Brown. Maybe he got caught up in making his first career start (Buckeyes were in three-wide) but Brown had a day to forget. He dropped three passes, including a bomb from Pryor in the first half. He took a hard hit to the helmet, but clearly lost the ball before contact. Fortunately for Buckeye fans, Brown is still a freshman. He was fast enough to get himself open a few times Saturday and should develop into a solid receiver.

9. Brian Rolle came to play. One of the often-most criticized players on the team, Brian Rolle was flat out balling against Iowa. Considered a speed guy who only suits their defense when playing against the spread, Rolle played big in Iowa City. He led the team with 10 tackles, including three stops in the backfield. He was used as a blitzer and always seemed to be around the ball. Big games for Rolle the last couple weeks.

10. Devin Barclay has a clutch leg. Who knew Barclay had a 48-yard field goal in him? With a career-high of 42 yards coming into the game, many OSU fans were holding their breath when Tressel sent him out there to kick from 48 yards with his team down 17-10 in the fourth quarter. Barclay blasted one through the uprights with the kind of boom we haven’t seen from him on the long field goal tries. It wasn’t as big as his kick in overtime against Iowa last season, but it ultimately led to victory over the Hawkeyes for the second year in a row.





College Football Power Rankings - Week 12
RK (LW) TEAM REC PTS COMMENT
1 (1) Oregon (12) 10-0 492 Oregon took a week off to prepare for its Friday night visit from Arizona and, hopefully, give LaMichael James' ankle extra time to heal. They'll need him. The Wildcats are No. 14 in the country against the run.
2 (2) Auburn (4) 11-0 473 It's a game that needs little introduction. The Tigers have already booked their place in Atlanta but don't want to see their national title hopes put in jeopardy by their nemesis at the Iron Bowl.
3 (3) Boise State (4) 10-0 468 The longest active winning streak in the nation was extended to 24 games after Boise State's rout of Fresno State. The Broncos are creeping up on TCU in the BCS standings; another opportunity to close the gap awaits with a trip to Nevada.
4 (4) TCU 11-0 447 Gary Patterson hit the campaign trail, so to speak, making the case for his Horned Frogs during their bye week. He can feel the heat from Boise State and knows voters might be cool toward whatever TCU does to its next opponent: 1-10 New Mexico.
5 (5) Stanford 10-1 412 The Big Game was little more than a glorified practice session for Stanford, which scored on all its offensive possessions in a 48-14 rout of Cal. The Cardinal close the regular season with Saturday's visit from Oregon State.
6 (7) Wisconsin 10-1 402 With their best running back sidelined, the Badgers have racked up almost 700 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns through their past two games. Maybe John Clay has to earn his minutes from Montee Ball and James White when he returns. That's a joke. We think.
7 (6) LSU 10-1 379 Was there any doubt? LSU engineered another escape act, this time against Ole Miss. Much-maligned QB Jordan Jefferson enjoyed a career night in leading the Tigers to a 43-36 win, giving Les Miles his fourth 10-win season in six years.
8 (8) Ohio State 10-1 365 The Buckeyes have gotten off to slow starts on the road, and Saturday was no exception. It looked like Iowa might end a three-game skid, but OSU scored 10 unanswered points in the final half of the fourth quarter to keep pace in the Big Ten title race.
9 (11) Oklahoma State 10-1 323 Justin Blackmon is turning the amazing into just plain ordinary each week. The sophomore WR turned in his 10th consecutive game with at least 100 yards receiving and a TD in the Cowboys' 48-14 win over Kansas.
10 (10) Alabama 9-2 322 Former Tide coach Bill Curry offered up his current team, Georgia State, as Alabama's pre-Iron Bowl sacrifice. The Tide rolled to a 63-7 victory, their highest point total since 1979.
11 (12) Michigan State 10-1 297 Michigan State fans' worst nightmare was unfolding Saturday as the Spartans were unable to get the better of Purdue for three quarters. But a 22-3 fourth quarter gave MSU a narrow win, keeping its Big Ten title hopes alive.
12 (13) Arkansas 9-2 278 Such is the nature of the SEC West that one of the nation's hottest teams has to settle for fourth place in its own division. The Hogs survived a thriller against Mississippi State in OT and can turn a very good season to great against LSU on Saturday.
13 (14) Virginia Tech 9-2 236 On Sept. 11, Virginia Tech lost to an FCS team to open the season 0-2. On Dec. 4, the Hokies will play for the ACC championship. This after clinching the ACC Coastal title with a 31-17 win over Miami. Go figure.
14 (15) Oklahoma 9-2 223 Baylor and Oklahoma have been playing football since 1901 and the Sooners have never lost to the Bears, a streak that extended to 20 games after Saturday's 53-24 win. Up next for OU: Bedlam.
15 (17) South Carolina 8-3 210 The Gamecocks topped 60 points for the first time in 15 years with a 69-24 win over Troy. Marcus Lattimore went over 1,000 yards for the season, giving S.C. its first-ever 1,000-yard rusher and 1,000-yard receiver in the same season (Alshon Jeffery).
16 (16) Missouri 9-2 199 The biggest Colorado fans outside Boulder reside in Missouri this week. A Nebraska loss to the Buffaloes and a Tigers win over Kansas clinches the Big 12 North title for Mizzou, which beat Iowa State 14-0 on Saturday.
17 (9) Nebraska 9-2 196 Nebraska could only muster a pair of field goals without a full-strength Taylor Martinez, condemning the Cornhuskers to a 9-6 defeat at Texas A&M. They can still clinch the Big 12 North with a win over Colorado on Friday.
18 (18) Texas A&M 8-3 181 One of the nation's hottest teams claimed Nebraska as its latest victim as Texas A&M picked up its fifth straight win, keeping its slim hopes of a Big 12 South title alive. The Aggies face Texas on Thursday.
19 (19) Nevada 10-1 150 The Wolf Pack picked up their 500th win in school history after defeating New Mexico State 52-6, as well as their first 10-win season in FBS play. Nevada now turns its sights to Friday night's visit from Boise State.
20 (22) Arizona 7-3 96 After a two-game losing streak, perhaps a bye was the best thing for Arizona, especially with a visit to Eugene on Friday looming large.
21 (26) North Carolina State 8-3 92 A trip to the ACC championship game remains firmly in NC State's grasp after beating North Carolina this past Saturday. The Wolfpack need only beat Maryland on Saturday to clinch a date with Virginia Tech on Dec. 4.
22 (25) Florida State 8-3 87 The Seminoles did their part in keeping their ACC Atlantic hopes alive with a 30-16 win over Maryland. Now they need the Terps to beat NC State to book their trip to the title game. They end the regular season against Florida.
23 (28) Utah 9-2 48 Utah stopped its free fall in the standings with a win over San Diego State, ending a two-game skid. In the process, the Utes clinched their fourth straight nine-win season under Kyle Whittingham -- they had four such season the previous 41 years.
24 (21) Iowa 7-4 43 Iowa saw a win over Ohio State slip out of its grasp Saturday, the third time the Hawkeyes have blown fourth-quarter leads in Big Ten play. They close the regular season with a visit to Minnesota.
25 (23) Mississippi State 7-4 35 The Bulldogs erased a 10-point deficit in just over four minutes to force OT against Arkansas before falling 38-31. They close the regular season at Ole Miss on Saturday.


College Basketball
AP Top 25
RK TEAM RECORD PTS
1 Duke (58) 3-0 1,616
2 Michigan State (6) 2-0 1,547
3 Ohio State 3-0 1,437
4 Kansas State (1) 3-0 1,423
5 Pittsburgh 5-0 1,388
6 Kansas 3-0 1,263
7 Villanova 4-0 1,260
8 Kentucky 2-0 1,063
9 Syracuse 4-0 972
10 Purdue 3-0 905
11 Missouri 2-0 862
12 Baylor 3-0 757
13 Washington 2-0 735
14 Memphis 4-0 707
15 Minnesota 5-0 608
16 Florida 3-1 589
16 Georgetown 5-0 589
18 San Diego State 4-0 567
19 Illinois 4-1 460
20 Texas 3-1 424
21 Temple 2-0 362
22 Gonzaga 2-1 355
23 Brigham Young 3-0 347
24 Tennessee 3-0 164
25 North Carolina 2-2 124

ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll
RK TEAM RECORD PTS
1 Duke (29) 3-0 773
2 Michigan State (2) 2-0 741
3 Ohio State 3-0 670
4 Kansas State 3-0 666
5 Pittsburgh 5-0 664
6 Kansas 3-0 599
7 Villanova 4-0 584
8 Purdue 3-0 508
9 Kentucky 2-0 476
10 Syracuse 4-0 474
11 Washington 2-0 429
12 Missouri 2-0 411
13 Baylor 3-0 341
14 Florida 3-1 308
15 Memphis 4-0 287
16 Georgetown 5-0 265
17 Minnesota 5-0 219
18 Gonzaga 2-1 215
19 Illinois 4-1 211
20 Temple 2-0 197
21 Texas 3-1 188
22 San Diego State 4-0 164
23 Butler 2-1 113
24 Tennessee 3-0 102
25 North Carolina 2-2

Friday, November 19, 2010

OSU's Jared Sullinger the Real Deal - Top Basketball Recruits - Maurice Clarett's USFL Reflection


Sullinger in charge for Buckeyes
si's Seth Davis
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- All his life, Jared Sullinger has been a boy among men. It began when he was a toddler rumbling in the hallway with his two older brothers. When Jared was in elementary school, his brothers took him to the playground to play basketball with their friends, who pounded him unmercifully. When he was in middle school, he participated in practices run by his father, Satch, the coach at Northland High School in Columbus, Ohio. Whether it was attending Ohio State's basketball camp as a 10-year-old or competing in AAU basketball tournaments as a teenager, Sullinger always went up against older kids.
And yet, despite all that, Sullinger has consistently played like a man among boys. That was the case again Tuesday night at Florida's O'Connell Center. Now a 6-foot-9, 280-pound freshman center at Ohio State, Sullinger dominated the paint in the second half, enabling the fourth-ranked Buckeyes to run away from the No. 9 Gators, 93-75. Sullinger had 16 of his 26 points after intermission, and overall he shot 13-for-17 from the floor and had a game-high 10 rebounds. He may have been one of the youngest players on the floor, but he was also the toughest, the strongest and the smartest. Not bad for an 18-year-old kid playing in his second college game.
The most impressive aspect of Sullinger's performance was just how unimpressed he was by it. After the game ended, Sullinger stood in a hallway and was asked if he was nervous before the game. "Oh, not at all," he replied with cheerful insouciance. "I've played a lot of games in my life, some really tough games in AAU and high school. Usually it was against players who were two grades older. Plus, my brothers threw me into the fire at a young age. All that prepared me to play at this level."
Sullinger is not an above-the-rim athlete. He gets his points mostly through effort and guile, using old-school tactics like angles, efficiency and footwork. During one timeout Tuesday night, he even suggested plays he thought the Buckeyes should run to exploit Florida's weaknesses. "He thinks the game, and his demeanor is off the charts," Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. "In some ways it's like coaching a 40-year-old man. In practice I'll get on him and he'll look at me like, 'OK. I had it coming.' "
Given the hoops-addled household where he grew up, Sulllinger had no choice but to grow up fast. His father, who coached at three different high schools and worked a three-year stint at Oberlin College, first taught Jared how to execute a drop step when he was 2 years old. At 3, Satch had Jared shooting from the foul line with proper form. When Jared was in seventh grade, his father told anyone who would listen that Jared was going to be the best of his three sons. Jared later said he wished his father hadn't said that, but he allowed that it taught him at an early age how to deal with pressure.
The education extended beyond the court as well. When Jared was a sophomore in high school, Satch benched him for a state tournament game because his grades had slipped. Northland lost the game, and Jared never forgot the lesson.
Jared's oldest brother, J.J., who is eight years his senior, began his college career at Arkansas before transferring to Ohio State. One day J.J. went up to Matta and said, "Coach, I'm not telling you how to do your job, but you need to offer my little brother a scholarship." Matta thought J.J. was referring to Julian, who was four years older than Jared and would eventually play for Kent State. But J.J. said he was talking about Jared.
"Fat Jared?" Matta asked.
"Yes," J.J. replied. "I just saw him get 28 rebounds in a 20-minute game."
By the time Jared was a sophomore at Northland High, everyone in the country was offering him a schoalrship, but it was clear he was never going to leave Columbus. As a junior, he led the Vikings to a state championship, and last spring he finished his high school career with a 94-3 record. Sullinger was just the fifth player to be given Ohio's Mr. Basketball award twice. He was also named a McDonald's All-American and awarded the Naismith trophy for national high school player of the year. (Satch was named the Naismith national coach of the year for leading Northland to the No. 1 ranking in USA Today before they lost in the state tournament.)
Since becoming a Buckeye, Sullinger has absorbed advice like a sponge. During summer pickup games with Ohio State alumni who have been playing professionally, Sullinger picked the brain of Terence Dials, the Big Ten's player of the year in 2006. "He said you have to have a move for your move for your move, if that makes sense," Sullinger said. "In other words, you have to have a counter move for every move you have. That's what I've been developing over the years."
Sullinger has likewise culled lots of wisdom from Ohio State's four seniors, especially 6-8 center Dallas Lauderdale, whom Jared battles in practice like he used to battle J.J. and Julian. "Honestly, they're just teachers," Sullinger said of the seniors. "When I get fouled and the refs don't call it, Dallas tells me, 'Keep your head. If they don't call it, make them call it.' "
Lots of college freshmen say they want advice. Sullinger is one of the few who is both eager to hear it and able to apply it. "I'm open ears when it comes to basketball," he said. "There are times when I fight it, even with my father. But at the end of the day, it really processed. If you want to play basketball, you have to be able to think."
Matta knows that players like Sullinger don't come around often, and when they do they usually don't grow up in a coach's backyard. "He's a special kid," Matta said. "The best part about him is he's a great teammate. He just wants to win." It looks like Ohio State will be doing plenty of that this season. The scariest part is that this man child still has a lot of growing up to do.




2011 College Basketball Top 50 Recruits
OSU Ranks 8th with the early signing period.
1 Austin Rivers 98 Duke SG 6'4" 189 Winter Park H.S. (FL)
2 Anthony Davis 98 Kentucky PF 6'10" 200 Perspectives Charter School (IL)
3 Michael Gilchrist 98 Kentucky SF 6'7" 210 St. Patrick H.S. (NJ)
4 Quincy Miller 98 Baylor PF 6'9" 210 Westchester Country Day School (NC)
5 James McAdoo 98 North Carolina PF 6'8" 216 Norfolk Christian (VA)
6 Marquis Teague 98 Kentucky PG 6'2" 175 Pike H.S. (IN)
7 Bradley Beal 98 Florida SG 6'3" 177 Chaminade College Prep School (MO)
8 Adonis Thomas 98 Memphis SF 6'6" 210 Melrose H.S. (TN)
9 Myck Kabongo 97 Texas PG 6'2" 170 Findlay College Prep (NV)
10 Rakeem Christmas 97 Syracuse C 6'9" 222 Academy of the New Church (PA)
11 LeBryan Nash 97 Oklahoma State SF 6'7" 230 Lincoln H.S. (TX)
12 P.J. Hairston 97 North Carolina SG 6'6" 220 Hargrave Military Academy (VA)
13 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 97 Georgia SG 6'4" 190 Greenville H.S. (GA)
14 Branden Dawson 97 Michigan State SF 6'6" 220 Lew Wallace H.S. (IN)
15 Cody Zeller 97 Indiana PF 6'11" 210 Washington H.S. (IN)
16 Kyle Wiltjer 97 Kentucky PF 6'9" 221 Jesuit H.S. (OR)
17 Wayne Blackshear 97 Louisville SG 6'5" 205 Morgan Park H.S. (IL)
18 Jabari Brown 97 Oregon SG 6'3" 200 Oakland H.S. (CA)
19 B.J. Young 97 Arkansas PG 6'3" 170 McCluer North H.S. (MO)
20 Josiah Turner 97 Arizona PG 6'3" 185 Sacramento H.S. (CA)
21 Johnny O'Bryant 96 LSU PF 6'10" 245 East Side H.S. (MS)
22 Nick Johnson 96 Arizona SG 6'3" 185 Findlay College Prep (NV)
23 Tony Wroten Jr. 96 Washington SG 6'4" 206 Garfield H.S. (WA)
24 Quinn Cook 96 Duke PG 6'1" 180 Oak Hill Academy (VA)
25 Michael Gbinije 96 Duke SF 6'6" 194 Benedictine H.S. (VA)
26 Dorian Finney-Smith 96 Virginia Tech SF 6'7" 185 Norcom H.S. (VA)
27 Chane Behanan 96 Louisville PF 6'7" 230 Bowling Green H.S. (KY)
28 Levi Randolph 96 Alabama SG 6'4" 180 Bob Jones H.S. (AL)
29 Ky Madden 96 Arkansas SG 6'5" 195 East Poinsett County H.S. (AR)
30 Rodney Hood 96 Mississippi State SF 6'7" 190 Meridian H.S. (MS)
31 Michael Carter-Williams 96 Syracuse SG 6'5" 175 St. Andrew's School (RI)
32 Jakarr Sampson 96 St. John's SF 6'8" 200 Brewster Academy (NH)
33 Deuce Bello 95 Baylor SF 6'4" 180 Westchester Country Day School (NC)
34 Dezmine Wells 95 Xavier SF 6'5" 220 Hargrave Military Academy (VA)
35 DeAndre Daniels 95 None SF 6'7" 191 IMG Academy (FL)
36 Sheldon McClellan 95 Texas SG 6'5" 190 Bellaire H.S. (TX)
37 Nick Faust 95 Maryland SG 6'6" 175 Baltimore City College H.S. (MD)
38 Ben McLemore 95 None SF 6'5" 185 Oak Hill Academy (VA)
39 Amir Williams 95 Ohio State C 6'10" 220 Detroit Country Day School (MI)
40 Mikael Hopkins 95 Georgetown C 6'8" 210 DeMatha Catholic H.S. (MD)
41 Maurice Harkless 95 St. John's SF 6'6" 200 South Kent School (CT)
42 Shannon Scott 95 Ohio State PG 6'2" 170 Milton H.S. (GA) 43 Jahii Carson 95 Arizona State PG 5'11" 160 Mesa H.S. (AZ)
44 Marshall Plumlee 95 Duke C 6'11" 215 Christ School (NC)
45 Adeji Baru 95 None C 6'9" 225 The Steward School (VA)
46 Dai-Jon Parker 95 Vanderbilt SG 6'2" 185 Milton H.S. (GA)
47 Norman Powell 95 UCLA SG 6'2" 175 Abraham Lincoln H.S. (CA)
48 Hunter Mickelson 95 Arkansas PF 6'10" 220 Westside H.S. (AR)
49 Erik Copes 95 George Washington C 6'8" 220 Imhotep Charter H.S. (PA)
50 Zach Price


Maurice Clarett reflects on UFL season

OMAHA, Neb. -- Maurice Clarett's football comeback was a success, certainly to him.
Clarett says he would gladly spend another year with the United Football League's Omaha Nighthawks if they want him back. He feels lucky to have played anywhere and been given a chance to rebuild his life after being incarcerated for 3½ years.
"In January I was in prison, and now I've completed a professional football season," Clarett said in an interview with The Associated Press before Omaha's season finale Friday night. "I would absolutely say I could never ever have thought of being at this place. It's a blessing from God, and I take it that way."
The 27-year-old Clarett hadn't played competitively since he led Ohio State to the 2002 national championship. He was suspended by the NCAA for taking improper inducements and failed to make it in the NFL. He pleaded guilty in 2006 to aggravated robbery and carrying a concealed weapon in connection with a holdup outside a Columbus bar, and wound up behind bars.
By all accounts, Clarett has been a model citizen in Omaha.
Nighthawks general manager Rick Mueller, a former executive for the New Orleans Saints and Jacksonville Jaguars, said the team probably will put Clarett on the team's protected list. That means no one would be allowed to pick him in the next UFL expansion draft. The UFL has said it hopes to add three teams in 2011.
"His arrow is on the rise," Mueller said. "He's going to get nothing but better from here on out. I'm glad we had him."
NFL draft consultant Gil Brandt, a former Dallas Cowboys executive, said it would a long shot for an NFL team to bring in Clarett next year.
"When you're out of circulation for a while, it takes more than a year to get back," Brandt said. "The thing that always impressed me about Clarett is that I think basically he's a good guy. I don't think what's happened with the robbery was vintage Clarett.
"But I don't think anybody will take a chance on him. Statistically, he hasn't shown enough for anyone to go overboard and take somebody who has that kind of baggage and then is 27 years old."
Clarett didn't get much playing time early in the eight-game season as he worked his way into football shape. He became a bigger part of the game plan the past couple games as top running back Ahman Green battled injury. He went into the Nighthawks' final game with just 25 carries for 85 yards and 11 catches for 92 yards.
After the season, Clarett will head back to Columbus, where he'll live with his girlfriend, Ashley Evans, and their 4-year-old daughter, Jayden. He's enrolled for the spring semester at Ohio State. He said he's two years from completing his degree in gerontology. He'll also continue working out at OSU to prepare for next season.
Clarett said his time in prison matured him.
"Any time you have a period of that much isolation, and you reflect on your life and the decisions that brought you to the place you're at, it's going to do one of two things," he said. "You're going to stay stuck in the same place or you're going to evaluate and figure out how to get better. In my case, I had responsibility. I had a daughter. I decided to grow up and accept responsibility for the things I've done and move forward."
Mueller said Clarett eagerly participated in the team's community projects. Clarett especially enjoyed visiting the Boys and Girls Club in a hardscrabble area of north Omaha.
He spent much of his time in the club's education center helping boys with their homework and proofing math problems, said Paul Haskell, the club's director of marketing.
"You could really tell that's where he felt his place was," Haskell said. "I could tell he definitely wanted to be there."
Clarett said Omaha fans and people on the street have been welcoming, which initially surprised him.
"It's obvious I had some public struggles, but they recognize me, we speak and it's cool," he said.
Clarett rushed for 1,237 yards in 2002, helping Ohio State to its first national championship in 34 years. He scored the winning touchdown in the second overtime of a dramatic Fiesta Bowl victory over top-ranked Miami.
He was ruled ineligible the following year for taking extra benefits worth thousands of dollars. He sued to enter the NFL draft early, before he was out of high school for three years, but lost in court.
He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2005, but he reported to camp out of shape, injured his groin and was cut before the season started. He spent the last 4½ months of his prison sentence in a dormitory-style facility in Columbus that serves as a transition for those getting out of prison.
"He's not proud of where he's been," Mueller said, "but he's learned from it and wants to show everybody he's a different person."
Clarett said prison humbled him and that he doesn't presume the NFL would want anything to do with him again.
"I just deal with the reality of my situation," he said. "I pretty much don't get ahead of myself."

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Oden Done Again - Tyler Moeller will be Back in 2011 - College Football TV Schedule - OSU Signs Another Big Recruit


READ THE SHIRT! HOW FITTING!

Oden Done For the Year......... Again!
Can you say complete bust! At least Ryan Leaf played some games.
With the latest Greg Oden injury news, all I can think about is the money. We've already shed our tears for Oden, the nice guy whose body has repeatedly betrayed him. We've already made the Sam Bowie comparisons, rendered our verdict on Oden versus Kevin Durant, lamented what might have been for the Portland Trail Blazers if only Oden stayed on the court. Now it's time to count the lost dollars.
Oden's string of injury woes could cost him some $80 million to $90 million. Even Bill Gates cringes at the thought of missing out on $90 million.
We'll use Durant, who was selected right after Oden with the second pick in the 2007 draft, as the benchmark. This past summer, Durant tacked a five-year extension that could be worth up to $89 million onto the $6 million he'll make this season. The Trail Blazers already have declined to pick up their option on Oden following the expiration of his rookie-scale contract this season. Why would they when they already have $9.2 million committed to Marcus Camby?
So Oden would be forced to enter whatever free-agent market awaits for players under the next collective bargaining agreement, a new set of rules that is universally expected to be less lucrative for the players.
Oden reminds me of Shaun Livingston, the promising Clippers draft pick who shredded every part of his knee you could name (and some you couldn't) during his third season in Los Angeles.
Livingston received the final $4.4 million the Clippers owed him for the remaining year on his contract and didn't make $1 million total over his next two seasons.
If teams took a chance on Livingston, they'll take a chance on the 7-foot Oden, but it will be at a pittance by NBA standards. This is not about weeping for someone who already has made $22 million while playing in 82 games over the first four years of his career. It's about a man missing out on the best earning years of his life, sidelined through no fault of his own.
After he missed about one and a half seasons in his first two years in the league, the Blazers were encouraged by the work Oden put in during the summer of 2009. He was averaging 11 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots in the first 20 games last season, then he fractured his left kneecap while defending a shot by Houston's Aaron Brooks. He hasn't played an NBA game since. We don't know when and where he'll play again. It shouldn't be in Portland. Yes, the Blazers have made the investment in him, and that's the problem. There's a sense of obligation he must feel to the team that drafted him first overall and the fans who greeted him like a conquering hero when he first got to Portland. Except at this point he'll never be able to fulfill the expectations. Not with two knees repaired by microfracture surgery.
Oden will be a restricted free agent next summer. He needs to go somewhere where any contribution he makes will be considered a welcome addition, not a comedown from what was expected from the No. 1 pick.
And it's possible he needs to be surrounded by a different medical and training staff. Oden's knee troubles are the latest in a Portland line that includes Zach Randolph, Darius Miles, Joel Przybilla and Brandon Roy, the franchise player who limped through the playoffs and currently is on the shelf for at least a week. I've had NBA people from inside and outside the organization cast wary eyes on the Trail Blazers' medical ways.
At a news conference Wednesday, the Blazers went out of their way to praise the medical staff, with team president Larry Miller saying, "We have without a doubt one of the most respected medical and training staffs in all of sports," and general manager Rich Cho's opening statement consisting of "These guys are top notch. These guys are very knowledgeable, thorough, extremely hard-working, and I support them 100 percent."
That was all unprompted, before athletic trainer Jay Jensen was asked, pointedly, whether the training and medical staff ever wonders whether it needs to re-evaluate its methods.
"Absolutely," he said.
He said team orthopedic surgeon Dr. Don Roberts is constantly seeking outside opinions while within the organization they ask themselves, "Is there anything we could be doing that we're not doing? Is there anything that we're missing?"
It was only recently that Oden's left knee began swelling after rehab workouts. Fluid was drained from the knee, but the swelling persisted.
Won't the nagging questions persist along with the nagging injuries if he stays in Portland?
It would be best for all if Oden moves on. There's always more demand than supply of big men, so there's a spot for him somewhere. We know Miami could use a big (although the Heat's medical staff also has come under question, particularly by Shaquille O'Neal, and might not be the most knee-friendly).
Jensen said that when they saw the exam results revealing the damage in Oden's knee, they "felt like we had been told somebody close to us had died."
No, no need to write an obituary. Just shake your head at the money lost and lament the potential that has gone unfulfilled.


Tyler Moeller will be Back in 2011
Ohio State safety Tyler Moeller has been granted a sixth year of eligibility and will return in 2011.
As expected, the NCAA approved Moeller's application for a sixth year, and coach Jim Tressel informed the team after practice Wednesday afternoon.
Moeller suffered a torn pectoral muscle in an Oct. 2 game at Illinois and underwent season-ending surgery days later. He missed the entire 2009 season with a head injury he suffered as the victim of an assault at a Florida bar and restaurant in July of that year.
Moeller, who played the "star" position in Ohio State's often-used nickel package this season, recorded 20 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, an interception and a sack this season.




Thursday, Nov. 18 Network Time (ET)

Georgia State at Alabama ESPNU 7:30 p.m.
UCLA at Washington ESPN 8 p.m.
Air Force at UNLV CBS CS 10 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 19 Network Time (ET)

Fresno State at Boise State ESPN2 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 20 Network Time (ET)

Wisconsin at Michigan ESPN Noon
Oklahoma State at Kansas FSN Noon
Purdue at Michigan State BTN Noon
Pittsburgh at South Florida ESPN2 Noon
Penn State vs. Indiana BTN Noon
West Virginia at Louisville ESPN3 Noon
Virginia at Boston College ESPNU Noon
North Carolina State at North Carolina ESPN3 Noon
Troy at South Carolina ESPN3 12:21 p.m.
Appalachian State at Florida ESPN3 12:30 p.m.
Duke at Georgia Tech ESPN3 1:30 p.m.
Clemson at Wake Forest ESPN3 2 p.m.
Eastern Michigan at Buffalo ESPN3 2 p.m.
Mississippi at LSU CBS 3:30 p.m.
Stanford at California FSN 3:30 p.m.
Ohio State at Iowa ABC 3:30 p.m.
Virginia Tech at Miami (Fla.) ESPN 3:30 p.m.
Middle Tennessee at Western Kentucky ESPN3 4:15 p.m.
New Mexico at Brigham Young mtn 6 p.m.
Arkansas at Mississippi State ESPN 7 p.m.
Missouri at Iowa State FSN 7 p.m.
Army vs. Notre Dame NBC 7 p.m.
Connecticut at Syracuse ESPNU 7 p.m.
Tennessee at Vanderbilt ESPN3 7:30 p.m.
Nebraska at Texas A&M ABC 8 p.m.
Oklahoma at Baylor ESPN2 8 p.m.
Florida State at Maryland ABC 8 p.m.
USC at Oregon State ABC 8 p.m.


Buckeyes Sign Recruit After Whipping Florida
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Buckeyes were already riding high from their 93-75 win at Florida the night before, when they got the call on Wednesday.
Less than 24 hours after beating the ninth-ranked Gators in Gainesville on national television, Ohio State landed a big commitment from 4-star center Amir Williams for 2011.
“A good day just became great,” OSU assistant coach Jeff Boals said via his Twitter.com account after landing a signature from Williams on the final day of the early signing period.
The Buckeyes got 26 points and 10 rebounds from freshman Jared Sullinger and that may have been enough to hook Williams, who had narrowed his list to just Ohio State and Florida.
A 6-foot-10 , 220-pound center out Detroit Country Day High School in Beverly Hills (Mich.), Williams could end up replacing Sullinger if he decides to be one-and-done. Even if that happens, Ohio State coach Thad Matta has once again put together a top-10, or even top-five, class nationally with the recent signings of Williams and 6-foot-8 wing LaQuinton Ross.
Both were in Columbus over the weekend for official visits, and they took in Ohio State’s season-opening win over North Carolina A&T Friday night as well as the football team’s come-from-behind 38-14 win at Ohio Stadium Saturday.
It only took Ross until Monday morning to make his decision final. Williams waited a few extra days, possibly on the outcome of Tuesday night’s top-10 matchup on ESPN, but ultimately he opted to become Ohio State’s fifth and final member in the class of 2011 by submitting his National Letter of Intent on Wednesday morning.
“We are thrilled to cap off our 2011 class by filling a major need at the center position,” Matta said.
“He is a big man that can produce offensively and have a major presence defensively. Amir chose Ohio State for all the right reasons and I am confident he will be very successful as a Buckeye.”
Over the summer, Williams helped the U.S. Under-18 team to a 5-0 record en route to winning the gold medal at the FIBA Americas tournament in San Antonio, Tex. Prior to that, he averaged 15 points, 10.2 rebounds and nearly five blocks per game while leading Detroit Country Day to a state championship as a junior.
He is rated as the No. 2 center in the country by Scout.com (No. 36 overall) behind Syracuse commit Rakeem Christmas. He is also rated the No. 2 center by ESPN.com (No. 39 overall) and the No. 7 center by Rivals.com (No. 73 overall).
Williams becomes the second Michigan product in the class, joining Trey McDonald, a 6-9, 230-pound center from Battle Creek (Mich.) High School. The class also includes true point guard Shannon Scott (6-2, 165/Alpharetta, Ga) and Chicago forward Sam Thompson (6-7, 190).
Landing Williams was critical for the Buckeyes, who must replace senior center Dallas Lauderdale and possibly Sullinger. If Ohio State loses Sullinger and junior William Buford, the addition of the five 2011 signees would give them 12 players on the roster for next season.
If they also lose freshman Deshaun Thomas, which seems like more of a long-shot after last night, they would only return their forwards. That includes Boston College transfer Evan Ravenel, who is sitting out this season, Serbia native Nikola Kecman, who has only played one game in three years at Ohio State, and freshman J.D. Weatherspoon.
The door would then be open for Williams to move into the starting lineup at center. If the Buckeyes retain Sullinger, Williams would give them a defensive boost off the bench next season.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Buckeyes Destroy Florida - Heisman Watch - College Football Power Rankings







GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Florida coach Billy Donovan believes No. 4 Ohio State will be better off without All-America guard Evan Turner.
Sound crazy? Not to Donovan, who witnessed a "complete" Buckeyes team dismantle his ninth-ranked Gators on Tuesday night.
Jared Sullinger dominated inside and David Lighty broke guys down outside as Ohio State beat Florida 93-75 in an early season matchup of teams with national championship hopes.
The Buckeyes (2-0) used a nearly flawless second half to turn a small deficit into a double-digit lead that sent fans scrambling for the exits with about 5 minutes remaining.
"Ohio State has a better chance of being a better team this year than they did a year ago," Donovan said. "Evan Turner's a great player, the player of the year in the country and they won 29 games and did a great job.
"But when you have that kind of player, you really kind of become a little more one-dimensional. They are a complete team that probably has a chance to do a little more this season because there's going to be a lot more balance to their team."
Although Sullinger and Lighty did most of the damage, they got plenty of help.
William Buford had 16 points, eight assists, three steals and just one turnover. Jon Diebler added 14 points and four assists. Reserve Aaron Craft finished with seven points and five assists. The guard trio beat Florida's press early and often, creating easy baskets for Sullinger and open looks for Lighty.
Neither team played much defense.
The Gators shot 61 percent from the field and 43 percent from 3-point range. The Buckeyes were slightly better at 63 and 43. The real difference came after halftime, when Ohio State hit 24 of 34 shots and sliced through Florida's press with relative ease.
"That's ungodly," Buckeyes coach Thad Matta said. "We did a great job finding the open man."
The Gators (1-1) led by seven points in the first half and were up 41-38 at the break thanks to 60 percent shooting, a 19-8 rebounding advantage and a 24-14 edge in the paint. Matta made it clear in the locker room that his guys needed to get tougher.
"We challenged our guys to get in there and rebound the ball better," Matta said. "We just weren't as physical as we needed to be."
Ohio State turned things around in the second half.
Sullinger finished 13 of 17 shooting and had 10 rebounds, including five offensive boards. He abused Vernon Macklin and Alex Tyus in the paint, scoring on layups, dunks and short jumpers. His only weakness came at the foul line, where he missed both attempts.
Hack-a-Sully? It might happen down the road.
"He had a great demeanor coming in here," Matta said. "He knew he was going to half to play well for us to have a chance to win."
Lighty was just as important to the game plan. Florida rotated several defenders on the senior, but none had any success. Lighty hit 9 of 11 shots and made 6 of 7 from the free throw line. He drove to the basket repeatedly, getting fouled or forcing defenders to leave Sullinger alone under the basket for dunks.
"In the second half, we kind of knocked them around a little bit and went after the ball," Lighty said.
The Buckeyes outscored Florida 30-15 over the final 10 minutes, taking advantage of poor shot selection and 11 second-half turnovers.
"They started jumping on us," Florida's Chandler Parsons said. "They started hitting some shots. We didn't start executing. We weren't very disciplined on offense. It's early and it's a learning experience. To play a team that good early on, hopefully it turns out to be a good thing us."
Parsons had 13 points and seven rebounds for Florida. Erving Walker added 15 points, but had seven turnovers. Macklin chipped in 12 points and five rebounds.
Ohio State returned four starters from last season's team that advanced to the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament. Florida returned five starters from its NCAA tournament team. Both were popular picks to win their conferences and maybe meet in the Final Four.
To Donovan, the Buckeyes clearly looked like the more well-rounded team.
"To lose the last 10 minutes just hopefully helps our guys understand how far we have to go to be a complete team for 40 minutes," Donovan said.



Heisman Watch

1. Cameron Newton, QB, Auburn: As long as Newton is eligible, his Heisman candidacy should be based solely on his performance between the lines. Through 11 weeks this season, it is hard to make an argument for another player being more outstanding. Newton has the stats (leads SEC in rushing and passing efficiency), the wins and the on-the-field charisma of a Heisman Trophy winner. Plus, no player means more to his team than Newton does to the 11-0 Tigers. It's not as though Auburn has a bunch of All-Americans surrounding Newton on offense, and its defense is vulnerable -- and that's putting it kindly.

2. Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State: Moore moved up from No. 3 in my rankings this week in part because of his continued effectiveness and in part because of LaMichael James' substandard performance (by his standards, at least) in Oregon's near miss versus Cal. Moore leads the nation in passing efficiency, a formula that includes his remarkable touchdown-to-interception ratio of 24-4. Every time I consider knocking him for the level of competition that Boise State faces, Moore's clutch fourth-quarter performance in the Virginia Tech game pops into my head. In Boise State's two closest games this season (Virginia Tech and Oregon State), Moore completed 65 percent of his throws for 503 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions. No. 11 simply delivers in the clutch.

3. LaMichael James, RB, Oregon: James turned in a gutsy performance in a 15-13 win at Cal. It was the first time in six games that James failed to hit the century mark in rushing yards (91), but the Bears had their way with Oregon's offensive line and James showed a lot of grit battling through a second-half ankle injury. His 7-yard run on third-and-5 in the game's final minutes sealed the deal for the Ducks, who will be bound for Glendale, Ariz., if they take care of business in their final two regular-season contests (Arizona and at rival-Oregon State). James still leads the nation in rushing yards per game (158), and he's the most dynamic weapon in the nation's most explosive offensive attack.

4. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford: Luck and TCU QB Andy Dalton are on the outside looking in at this point. The loss to Oregon all but prevents Luck from taking home the hardware next month. However, the junior has performed well enough to earn a trip to Manhattan. Luck is completing 69.6 percent of his throws for 2,511 yards with 22 touchdowns compared to seven interceptions. Should Luck elect to leave school early, his next trip to New York could be in April, when he has a legitimate shot at becoming the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL draft.

5. Andy Dalton, QB, TCU: The No. 5 spot has been a fluid situation for me the past six or so weeks. Michigan QB Denard Robinson, Oklahoma RB DeMarco Murray, Baylor QB Robert Griffin III and Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon have all come and gone. Dalton and TCU were a bit underwhelming in their scare versus San Diego State, but Dalton's season-long résumé is strong enough to keep him in the mix. The senior ranks sixth nationally in passing efficiency and has chipped in with 415 yards and five scores on the ground. His steady play and unassuming leadership are playing a big role in TCU's undefeated run and ascent to No. 3 in the BCS standings.



College Football Power Rankings - Week 11
RK (LW) TEAM REC PTS COMMENT
1 (1) Oregon (12) 10-0 492 Its offense largely grounded, Oregon proved it could win without its A-game. A 2-point conversion and a missed Cal field goal proved to the difference in a 15-13 win at Cal as the Ducks enter their bye week with their No. 1 BCS ranking intact.
2 (2) Auburn (4) 11-0 473 Speculation as to whether or not Cam Newton would play turned out to be exactly that as Auburn's playmaking QB turned in four touchdowns to punch the Tigers' ticket to the SEC championship after a 49-31 win over Georgia.
3 (4) Boise State (4) 9-0 465 The Broncos did in this week's Power Rankings what they narrowly missed out on in the BCS standings, that is, overtake TCU at No. 3 after a week that saw them beat Idaho for the 12th consecutive time.
4 (3) TCU 11-0 450 San Diego State jumped out on top of TCU early but the Horned Frogs righted the ship thanks to Andy Dalton and Jeremy Kerley to record a 40-35 win. The Aztecs scored more points against TCU than its previous six MWC opponents combined.
5 (5) Stanford 9-1 404 The Cardinal followed a script similar to Oregon in a 17-13 win at Arizona State. The defense provided the stops and the offense engineered a scoring drive before running out the clock on ASU's upset bid to record Stanford's first 9-1 start since 1951.
6 (6) LSU 9-1 393 The last time LSU lost a regular-season nonconference game was in 2002, a streak of 32 games. Louisiana-Monroe was not going to stop the Tigers from extending the streak to 33, and didn't even come close to troubling LSU in a 51-0 win.
7 (7) Wisconsin 9-1 392 The ugliest scoreline of Week 11 belonged to Wisconsin as it rolled to an 83-20 win over Indiana. Even with John Clay sidelined, the Badgers owned the ground game with Montee Ball and James White combining for 311 yards and 5 TDs.
8 (8) Ohio State 9-1 357 It was a tale of two halves in Columbus, as Ohio State turned a 14-3 deficit into a 38-14 win over Penn State after the intermission. A pair of interception returns for touchdowns gave the Buckeyes the cushion they needed. A visit to Iowa is next.
9 (9) Nebraska 9-1 336 The nation's longest uninterrupted series has been a decidedly one-sided affair. Nebraska and Kansas have played every year since 1906, with the Huskers winning 40 of the lsat 42 meetings, including Saturday's 20-3 win.
10 (12) Alabama 8-2 308 Big-play touchdowns from Marquis Maze, Mark Ingram and Julio Jones powered Alabama to a 30-13 win over Mississippi State. The Tide face a Thursday night tune-up against Georgia State this week before hosting Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Nov. 26.
11 (11) Oklahoma State 9-1 297 The Cowboys ended a 12-game losing streak to Texas with a 33-16 win fueled largely by Brandon Weeden's 409 passing yards. A trip to Kansas is all that separates Oklahoma State from a visit from Oklahoma to end the regular season.
12 (10) Michigan State 9-1 294 Michigan State saw its Big Ten title hopes bolstered without even playing as Northwestern's win over Iowa dropped the Hawkeyes from the ranks of the one-loss league teams. The Spartans close the regular season with Purdue and Penn State.
13 (14) Arkansas 8-2 264 Ryan Mallett turned in a school-record 5 touchdown passes and even ran for a score in Arkansas' 58-21 win over UTEP. It was the fourth straight win for the Razorbacks, who close the regular season with Mississippi State and LSU.
14 (15) Virginia Tech 8-2 227 The beat goes on for Virginia Tech as the Hokies cruised to their eighth straight win and added to their cushion atop the ACC Coastal standings with a 26-10 win over North Carolina. A visit to Miami looms large on Saturday.
15 (17) Oklahoma 8-2 209 Oklahoma rebounded from last week's loss to Texas A&M with a 45-7 rout of Texas Tech. With visits to Baylor and Oklahoma State to close the regular season, the Sooners' Big 12 South destiny remains firmly within their grasp.
16 (20) Missouri 8-2 199 Missouri ensured its fifth-straight eight-win season with a 38-28 win over Kansas State, ending a two-game skid for the Tigers. They close the regular season with Iowa State and Kansas.
17 (22) South Carolina 7-3 183 Steve Spurrier delivered on his long-awaited promise and did so on his old stomping grounds as South Carolina clinched its first SEC East title with a win at Florida. Dates with Troy and Clemson stand between the Gamecocks and their trip to Atlanta.
18 (24) Texas A&M 7-3 137 Texas A&M has suddenly emerged as one of the hottest teams in the country as the Aggies collected their fourth straight win, beating Baylor 42-30 on Saturday. It came at the right time too, with a visit from Nebraska on Saturday.
19 (21) Nevada 9-1 133 The Wolf Pack have rediscovered the scoring form since their sole loss to Hawaii. They clipped Fresno State 35-34 on Saturday for their third straight win, scoring 154 points during that span.
20 (28) USC 7-3 117 A stretch of three losses in four games had some writing USC's epitaph but consecutive wins, including Saturday's 24-21 win over Arizona, have breathed new life into the Trojans' campaign.
21 (13) Iowa 7-3 95 Iowa became the first of the one-loss Big Ten dominoes to fall after the Hawkeyes tripped up at Northwestern Saturday. They can still play spoiler however, with a visit from Ohio State looming large on Saturday.
22 (18) Arizona 7-3 58 The Wildcats limp into their bye week after losing their second consecutive game, 24-21 to USC. Arizona has 11 days to plug the leaks in its defense, with a visit to Oregon on Nov. 26.
23 (19) Mississippi State 7-3 53 The Bulldogs' six-game winning streak came to an end at the hands of Alabama on Saturday. Mississippi State closes the regular season with Arkansas and Ole Miss.
24 (29) Miami (FL) 7-3 41 Miami kept its ACC Coastal hopes alive with a 35-10 win over Georgia Tech, but needs to win out and have Virginia Tech drop its last two in order to get to the ACC championship game. They can get halfway there when the Hokies visit on Saturday.
25 (27) Florida State 7-3 29 Kicker Dustin Hopkins redeemed himself after missing two fourth-quarter field goals in last week's loss to North Carolina with a 55-yard FG that pushed Florida State past Clemson 16-13. The Seminoles close the regular season with Maryland and Florida.
Others receiving votes: North Carolina State (24), Northwestern (21), Utah (21), Northern Illinois (15), Maryland (5), San Diego State (5), South Florida (2), Michigan (1)

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Iowa vs Buckeyes Game is Huge - Troy Smith to Start Again - College Basketball 24 Hr Marathon - Bucks vs Gators at 6:00



Huge Game for Both Teams Saturday in Iowa
COLUMBUS, Ohio - A whole season of hope and expectation rides on eighth-ranked Ohio State's game at No. 21 Iowa on Saturday.
The Buckeyes know that all those offseason workouts, the grueling two-a-days in the heat of August, the close calls and the big wins will be for naught if they lose to the Hawkeyes. A defeat would most likely mean an end to Ohio State's five-year run as Big Ten champion and maybe even a trip to a second-tier bowl game.
Win, however, and they will be just a victory against rival Michigan away from a sixth straight shared or outright conference title, plus they'll still be in the mix for a Bowl Championship Series bowl bid.
They don't expect it to be easy.
"We have a huge challenge having to play at Iowa," wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher said. "Iowa is a team that has made its reputation as a tough team. Whether or not they're coming off a loss, I'm sure they've had this game circled on their schedule."
Adding to the intrigue is Iowa's 21-17 loss at Northwestern on Saturday. The Hawkeyes (7-3, 4-2 Big Ten) are on the outside looking in on the conference race, with Michigan State, Ohio State (9-1, 5-1) and Wisconsin all tied for first place.
"The Big Ten race, obviously we're out of that," quarterback Ricky Stanzi, an Ohio native, said after the defeat. "I don't know. We've just got to go on to the next game."
The Buckeyes know how the Hawkeyes feel. They went to Wisconsin last month and fell behind 21-0 early, drew close and then ended up losing 31-18. They say they learned a lot from that loss — and the experience helped them transform a 14-3 halftime deficit Saturday against Penn State into a 38-14 win.
"We've been there before with Wisconsin and we didn't get the outcome we wanted," defensive lineman Dexter Larimore said. "Since then we have assessed how we can come back and really applied it (against Penn State). We picked it up and got the game rolling in our favor."
Ohio State hasn't been a powerhouse on the road, struggling at Illinois before losing at Camp Randall. They won at Minnesota not long after head coach Tim Brewster was fired.
"Going on the road for a big game like this, it helps that we have an older team," Sanzenbacher said. "I hope we react differently than we did at Wisconsin. All that could have gone wrong did at Wisconsin. But that will help us prepare for this situation."
The Buckeyes expect the Hawkeyes to be desperate.
"It'll be a dogfight," quarterback Terrelle Pryor said. "We went to overtime last year."
The 2009 game pitted two teams tied for first in the Big Ten. Once again Iowa was coming off a loss to Northwestern, which had ended the Hawkeyes' perfect season. They also lost Stanzi to an ankle injury in that game, so freshman James Vandenberg got his first career start.
After a slow start, he led the Hawkeyes to three second-half touchdowns, tying the game at 24 with a 10-yard pass to Marvin McNutt with 2:42 left.
The Buckeyes won in overtime on sub Devin Barclay's 39-yard field goal.
The victory clinched a share of the Big Ten title and sent Ohio State to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 13 years.
The Buckeyes have almost always played well at Kinnick Stadium, winning six of their last seven there. The only setback in that string is Iowa's 33-7 victory in 2004. They've only played at Iowa once since then, winning 38-17 four years ago.
Kinnick is a tough enough place to play without facing a team that risks so much.
"We hoped they'd win (last week)," Pryor said.
The game would have been important regardless. Except now neither team can afford another slip or they'll be all but an afterthought for the rest of the season.
The solution is simple for the Hawkeyes.
"We'll go back to work and see what we can do about bouncing back," coach Kirk Ferentz said.







Troy Smith earns another start for 49ers in Week 11
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -- The San Francisco 49ers are 2-0 during the Troy Smith era, and coach Mike Singletary isn't about to mess with a good thing.
Singletary said Monday that Smith will remain the team's starting quarterback this week against Tampa Bay even though Alex Smith is healthy and cleared to play for the first time since separating his left shoulder Oct. 24
It wasn't a very difficult decision. Troy Smith has directed the 49ers to their first winning streak of the season after having one of the most prolific games by a San Francisco quarterback in the past six years.
Troy Smith passed for a career-high 356 yards Sunday to spark a 23-20 overtime victory against the St. Louis Rams, guiding the 49ers on a dramatic touchdown drive in the final minutes of regulation to keep San Francisco's postseason hopes alive.
"He's had a big part in us winning these last two games, and you want to keep that going and see how much is there," Singletary said. "Our team understands that I'm going to go with the guy that is winning right now, the guy that has the hot hand and has made the difference in the past two weeks."
Troy Smith has made a big difference since leapfrogging veteran backup David Carr to take over as the starter during San Francisco's Oct. 31 game against Denver in London. Smith had been San Francisco's No. 3 quarterback to that point and had rarely even taken any snaps with the offense in practice since joining the 49ers in September.
But he led a comeback 24-16 victory over the Broncos, then played a starring role against the Rams as the 49ers improved to 3-6 and remained two games out of first place in the weak NFC West.
Smith passed for more yards in a game than any San Francisco quarterback since 2004.
Smith had at least 60 yards passing to five different receivers, the first time that has ever happened in franchise history. And he produced in the clutch, completing passes on third and 32 and fourth and 18 during a 76-yard touchdown drive that put San Francisco ahead 20-17 with 2:10 to play in regulation.
"Hopefully, the guys see that as a quarterback I'll be there for them for four quarters until we get a win," Smith said. "You want to give guys the chance to showcase their talents and abilities. We're going to attack it the same way we always do, and I'm going to continue to prepare and do the things I need to do to win."
Singletary recently said that Alex Smith would likely still be the team's starter when healthy. But Troy Smith has clearly been an upgrade over Alex, who had a 75.0 passer rating and nine interceptions while going 1-6 in his seven starts. Troy Smith hasn't committed a turnover in his two starts while throwing for 552 yards and compiling a 116.6 passer rating.
Alex Smith took his latest setback in stride. His six-year career with the 49ers has been plagued by turmoil, inconsistency and injuries since he was the No. 1 overall selection of the 2005 NFL draft.
"It's frustrating, but I wasn't surprised by it," Alex Smith said. "He's done a great job the past two weeks and we've won, so I was ready for anything. I'm going to prepare like I always have. When my number gets called, I'll be ready for this team."

NOTES: OT Joe Staley will miss four to six weeks after suffering a fractured left fibula against the Rams. Singletary said the 49ers will not place Staley, the team's starter at left tackle, on injured reserve with the hope he can return at the end of the season for a possible playoff run. ... Swing lineman Adam Snyder and OT Barry Sims are the top candidates to replace Staley. Snyder started at right guard Sunday but left the game with a right shoulder injury and did not return. Snyder had a MRI exam and his shoulder was heavily bandaged in the locker room Monday, but Singletary expects him to be available to play against Tampa Bay.







2010-11 College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon Schedule for ESPN family of networks (all times ET)
Time Matchup Network
Midnight Miami at Memphis ESPN/ESPN3.com
2 a.m. St. John's at St. Mary's ESPN/ESPN3.com
4 a.m. Central Michigan at Hawaii ESPN/ESPN3.com
6 a.m. Stony Brook at Monmouth ESPN/ESPN3.com
8 a.m. Robert Morris at Kent State ESPN/ESPN3.com
10 a.m. Northeastern at So. Illinois ESPN/ESPN3.com
Noon Oral Roberts at Tulsa ESPN/ESPN3.com
2 p.m. La Salle at Baylor ESPN/ESPN3.com
4 p.m. Virginia Tech at Kansas State ESPN/ESPN3.com
5:30 p.m. Dick’s Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off: Marist at Villanova ESPNU
6 p.m. Ohio State at Florida ESPN/ESPN3.com
6 p.m. State Farm Women’s Tip-Off Classic: Baylor at Connecticut ESPN2/ESPN3.com
7 p.m. Legends Classic: Detroit at Syracuse ESPN3.com
7:30 p.m. O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic: Miami (Ohio) at Duke ESPNU
7:30 p.m. St. Joseph's at Penn St. ESPN3.com
8 p.m. Butler at Louisville ESPN/ESPN3.com
8 p.m. North Dakota at Wisconsin ESPN3.com
9:30 p.m. Dick’s Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off: Belmont at Tennessee ESPNU
10 p.m. South Carolina at Michigan St. ESPN/ESPN3.com
11 p.m. O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic: San Diego State at Gonzaga ESPN2/ESPN3.com
11:30 p.m. Dick’s Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off: Nevada or Pacific at UCLA ESPNU

Monday, November 15, 2010

Troy Smith 2 Starts 2 Victories - College Football Rankings - Buckeye Football Review


10 Things We Learned from Tressel’s Biggest Comeback
By Brandon Castel
As usual Brandon is awesome!
COLUMBUS, Ohio — It’s crazy to think that 11 points was the largest comeback of the Jim Tressel era. That probably says a lot about how often the Buckeyes have played from behind in the last 10 years, but it also explains some of the losses they have had.
Ohio State failed to rally from 18 down at Wisconsin earlier in the year, and a key fourth-down stop ensured they wouldn’t have to climb that steep of a hill against Penn State.
Tressel delivered a fiery halftime speech and the Buckeyes rattled off 35 straight points in the second half for a 38-14 victory.
We take a look at 10 things we learned from the key November win.

1. Rose Bowl all but out of picture. It’s not over yet, but Saturday was not a good day for those hoping to see the Buckeyes back in Pasadena this January. In order to get there, they would need a Wisconsin loss, or somewhere find a way to jump the Badgers in the BCS standings. That’s going to be a lot harder after Wisconsin hung 83 points on Indiana. To make matters worse, Iowa suffered a huge setback at Northwestern, which means the Bucks won’t get much love in the BCS from beating the Hawkeyes next week. Ohio State even hurt itself with the ugly first half against Penn State as they lost points on Wisconsin in the BCS standings.

2. Buckeyes won the coaching battle. Early in the game it looked like the Ohio State coaches had over-thought themselves preparing for this game. With two weeks to get ready for Penn State, the Buckeyes came out trying get cute in the first half. They ran plays they had not run much, if at all, this season and they tried to let Pryor move around and make plays. When they ran the ball with Pryor in the first half, they averaged 3.0 yards per carry. When they ran it with Brandon Saine, they averaged 2.7 yards. When they actually gave it to Boom Herron, he got them 9.9 yards a pop.
The Nittany Lion coaches seemed to have their number all half, but credit the Buckeyes with staying calm. Their coaches came together at halftime and formulated a new game plan that centered around Herron running the ball, and they adjusted their defense to counter what Matt McGloin had done in the first half. Had the Penn State coaches also adjusted their plan, it might not have had the same impact. Instead, they tried to continue what they did in the first half and played right into Ohio State’s hands.

3. Tressel’s fire saved the day. That coaching job started at the top with Jim Tressel. Ohio State’s 10th-year head coach had fire in his eyes as he sprinted to the locker room at halftime. Typically, he would come in and calmly tell his team what they had done wrong and what needed to be fixed in the second half. There was nothing calm about Tressel Saturday. Whether he was yelling, screaming or just speaking with intensity, Tressel showed his players a side of him they rarely see. From the sound of it, he did everything short of ditching his sweatervest as he rallied his troops like he was possessed by Woody Hayes. It worked. The players came out with a different kind of fire in the second half and they left it all on the field for their head coach.

4. 96-yard drive set the tone for entire second half. That started with the defense getting a stop of Penn State’s first possession of the game, but the Nittany Lions pinned Ohio State inside their five-yard line with a fantastic punt. It could have been the dagger they needed to finish the Buckeyes, especially after a false start on first down. Instead, Ohio State put together an 11-play, 96-yard touchdown drive that put the pressure squarely on Penn State. The ran the ball nine times for 78 yards, with Pryor throwing key passes to Herron and DeVier Posey. Herron did the rest of the work, setting the tone for a second half where OSU would rush for 225 yards against a defense that held them to just 89 yards on the ground in the first half.

5. Boom Herron becoming a star. At the center of it all was Boom Herron. Not even expected to be a starter when the season began, Herron has quietly become the best player on the offense this season. After going over the 100-yard mark in the first half against Minnesota for his first-career 100-yard rushing game, Herron exploded for 190 yards on 21 carries against PSU. After gaining 69 yards in the first half, Herron went off for 121 yards in the second half. He was weaving in and out of traffic all day and gave a listless offense the spark it needed to put the game away. He now has 824 yards and 13 touchdowns in 10 games this season. He is on pace to rush for over 1,000 yards and 17 touchdowns for a team that was primarily a passing team early in the year.

6. Offensive line back to what it does best. While Herron certainly deserves a large share of the credit for the resurgence of the Ohio State running game, it all has to start up front. Not just with the five offensive linemen, who have finally gelled to become the unit fans were expecting at the beginning of the year, but also tight end Reid Fragel and fullback Zach Boren. The Buckeyes completely controlled the line of scrimmage in the second half as they averaged 7.3 yards per carry on 43 rushing attempts. They went over the 300-yard rushing mark for the second time this season, but the first time when it mattered. Much like they did last November, the offensive line took it upon itself to win the game.

7. Buckeyes better when Pryor does less. One other reason the offense was clicking in the second half was the fact they were asking less of quarterback Terrelle Pryor. The 6-foot-6 junior has the ability to make some special plays, but he has not excelled when asked to take control of a game. He does not make crisp passes when he’s not calm and he tends to dance around instead of running hard and making guys miss. Give Pryor credit, he didn’t try to do too much in the second half, and that is the blueprint. Like last November, this team will be best served if Pryor is a facilitator who can make big plays when needed.

8. Defense got in McGloin’s head. It’s impossible not to be impressed with the job McGloin did in the first half against the Buckeyes. He was in a nice rhythm and had no fear making some of the throws he made. Brian Rolle compared it to the job Matt Barkley did last season, but Barkley finished strong. McGloin did not. The Buckeyes changed their coverages and brought more pressure in the second half and McGloin folded like an inexperienced quarterback making his first road start. He threw as many pick-6’s in the second half as he did completions and seemed completely rattled by Jim Heacock’s gameplan.

9. Torrence totally redeemed himself. One of those pick-6’s went to cornerback Devon Torrence, who had been picked on all day in the first half. McGloin went after him on the boundary a lot in the first half and Torrence finally made him play in the second half. He said he dreamt about making a big play in this game the way Malcolm Jenkins did, and boy did he deliver. After all the plays they made in front of him, Torrence finally stepped in front of one and took it to the house.

10. Dorian Bell’s return made big difference. One thing that went largely unnoticed with all the craziness of Saturday’s game was the job Ohio State did on kick coverage. A unit that has struggled all year facing one of the fastest return men in the Big Ten seemed like a recipe for disaster, but the Buckeyes never allowed a kick return of more than 26 yards. A big part of that was the return of linebacker Dorian Bell, who is head and shoulders above the rest of the coverage team. He was the first one down almost every time and made a great play to stuff one return at the 16-yard line.






BCS Standings
1 Oregon .9753 1 1 2788 .9782 1 1457 .9878 2 2 2 4 2 2 2 .960
2 Auburn .9687 2 2 2733 .9589 2 1397 .9471 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 1.000
3 TCU .8966 3 4 2583 .9063 4 1318 .8936 3 4 1 3 5 6 3 .890
4 Boise State .8634 4 3 2591 .9091 3 1329 .9010 6 5 4 6 7 12 8 .780
5 LSU .8243 5 6 2241 .7863 6 1175 .7966 3 3 5 2 4 4 4 .890
6 Stanford .7553 6 8 2118 .7432 8 1066 .7227 5 9 10 7 3 3 5 .800
7 Wisconsin .7258 7 5 2268 .7958 5 1197 .8115 12 14 9 14 11 11 11 .570
8 Nebraska .7203 8 9 1971 .6916 9 1061 .7193 8 8 7 9 8 5 6 .750
9 Ohio State .6674 9 7 2142 .7516 7 1107 .7505 13 13 11 12 16 17 13 .500
10 Oklahoma State .6601 10 12 1657 .5814 10 913 .6190 6 6 8 5 6 7 7 .780
11 Alabama .6151 12 11 1693 .5940 12 828 .5614 9 7 6 11 10 8 10 .690
12 Michigan State .6066 11 10 1753 .6151 11 892 .6047 10 10 12 8 13 13 9 .600
13 Arkansas .5133 15 13 1524 .5347 13 745 .5051 13 15 17 15 12 9 12 .500
14 Oklahoma .4728 16 14 1326 .4653 14 683 .4631 15 11 14 13 14 14 15 .490
15 Missouri .4563 17 16 1122 .3937 16 583 .3953 11 12 15 10 9 10 14 .580
16 Virginia Tech .3676 20 15 1244 .4365 15 673 .4563 20 22 16 18 25 23 20 .210
17 South Carolina .3244 23 17 969 .3400 17 521 .3532 19 16 21 19 19 19 19 .280
18 Nevada .3016 21 18 851 .2986 18 422 .2861 17 18 23 16 18 20 16 .320
19 Texas A&M .2788 25 20 636 .2232 19 359 .2434 16 17 0 17 15 15 18 .370
20 Iowa .2190 13 19 698 .2449 20 298 .2020 20 21 20 20 21 21 21 .210
21 Mississippi State .1770 19 22 331 .1161 22 184 .1247 18 19 19 23 20 16 17 .290
22 Arizona .1413 18 23 321 .1126 23 164 .1112 22 23 22 21 17 18 23 .200
23 Utah .1109 14 21 364 .1277 24 140 .0949 23 24 13 22 0 25 22 .110
24 Miami (FL) .0885 NR 24 311 .1091 21 216 .1464 28 0 0 25 0 0 25 .010
25 Florida State .0415 NR 25 187 .0656 NR 87 .0590 29 0 0 24 0 0 0 .000
768329

AP Top 25 RK TEAM RECORD PTS PVS
1 Oregon (38) 10-0 1469 1
2 Auburn (12) 11-0 1427 2
3 Boise State (9) 9-0 1377 4
4 TCU (1) 11-0 1361 3
5 LSU 9-1 1220 5
6 Wisconsin 9-1 1176 6
7 Stanford 9-1 1129 7
8 Ohio State 9-1 1073 8
9 Nebraska 9-1 1051 9
10 Alabama 8-2 916 11
11 Michigan State 9-1 910 10
12 Oklahoma State 9-1 879 12
13 Arkansas 8-2 816 14
14 Virginia Tech 8-2 671 16
15 Missouri 8-2 624 20
16 Oklahoma 8-2 611 19
17 South Carolina 7-3 520 22
18 Texas A&M 7-3 413 23
19 Nevada 9-1 412 21
20 USC 7-3 310 NR
21 Iowa 7-3 251 13
22 Mississippi State 7-3 222 17
23 Arizona 7-3 156 18
24 Miami (FL) 7-3 107 NR
25 Utah 8-2 105 15
Dropped from rankings: Florida 24, UCF 25
Others receiving votes: Northwestern 99, Florida State 69, North Carolina State 38, Northern Illinois 37, San Diego State 32, Temple 9, Michigan 4, Tulsa 2, Syracuse 2, Maryland 1, Delaware 1,





Niners knock off Rams in OT as Troy Smith explodes for 356 yards passing
SAN FRANCISCO -- After getting back into the NFC West race with two gutsy performances by their new starting quarterback, the San Francisco 49ers think they've finally found the right Smith for the job.
Joe Nedney kicked a 29-yard field goal with 9:38 left in overtime, and Troy Smith passed for 356 yards while leading two late scoring drives in the 49ers' 23-20 victory over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday.
Smith earned his second straight victory as a starter for the 49ers (3-6), throwing a go-ahead 16-yard touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree with 2:10 left in regulation before leading the winning drive in OT.
Although he realizes he won't remind anybody of Joe Montana or Steve Young just yet, Ohio State's former Heisman Trophy winner is thriving in place of Alex Smith, who's out with a separated left shoulder.
"When you're part of a team that has nothing but a winning tradition, you want to keep that going as a quarterback," Troy Smith said, overlooking the 49ers' current seven-year absence from the playoffs. "There's too many tremendous athletes here to not share, for everybody to not have the opportunity to make a play. It's on me for distribution."
With agility, mental resilience and a knack for making on-the-move throws into St. Louis' porous secondary, Smith started slowly but went 17 for 28. He also outplayed Rams rookie Sam Bradford in the first NFL meeting of Heisman-winning quarterbacks since Carson Palmer and Vinny Testaverde faced off six years ago.
Nobody will get any trophies after this often-ugly game -- but thanks to their division's profound mediocrity, San Francisco is back in the chase for its first playoff berth since 2002, just two games behind leader Seattle. St. Louis fell a game back of first place after losing on the road for the 20th time in 22 games.
"Somehow we've got to find that killer instinct," said Bradford, who went 30 of 42 for 251 yards and a touchdown in his fourth road loss. "We have to be able to put teams away when the game is on the line."

Fast Facts
• San Francisco has won five straight against St. Louis.

• The Rams fell to 0-4 on the road this season and have alternated wins and losses over their last six games.

• The 49ers have won three straight home games and three of their last four overall.

• With a career-best 356 passing yards, San Francisco's Troy Smith became the first 49ers quarterback to have a 350-yard passing day since Tim Rattay's 417-yard performance in a 2004 game against Arizona.


The 49ers overcame 14 penalties -- including two that wiped out fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Crabtree and Vernon Davis -- and the late loss of starting left tackle Joe Staley to a broken leg with outstanding drives on their final two possessions. St. Louis couldn't stop Smith from leading a 76-yard march for Crabtree's catch, followed by a 55-yard drive for Nedney's winner.
Coach Mike Singletary wouldn't pick his starter for next week, but it's fairly clear Troy Smith energizes his teammates in ways Alex Smith hasn't mastered.
"When we go out there, it's just like we're little kids," said Gore, who rushed for 87 yards and caught three passes for 67 more, including a pivotal fourth-down reception during the final regulation drive. "It feels good, because going back to the first eight games, something was always going wrong for us."
After Bradford and Steven Jackson led the Rams (4-5) back for Josh Brown's 33-yard field goal on the final snap of regulation, St. Louis couldn't get a first down after winning the overtime coin toss.
Smith swiftly moved the 49ers 55 yards, converting on third down for the first time in the game when St. Louis' Oshiomogho Atogwe was called for a 22-yard pass interference penalty.
Nedney then made his third field goal despite injuring his leg on the opening kickoff of San Francisco's fifth straight win over St. Louis.
Danny Amendola caught an early TD pass for St. Louis, which went ahead 17-10 late in the third quarter on Jackson's 13-yard TD run through traffic. Jackson rushed for 81 yards and made a tough 25-yard catch to set up the tying field goal for the Rams, who have lost seven straight road games.
"Stick together. Everyone stick together," Jackson said. "Everyone trust in what we're trying to get done, what we're trying to establish here. We have seven games to go. Although this is a tough one to swallow ... we're still in the middle of things."
Gore caught two big passes on the 49ers' 76-yard go-ahead drive in the final minutes of regulation, including an inexplicably wide-open 23-yard reception on fourth-and-18 when a stop would have finished it for St. Louis.
"Nothing more frustrating," Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said. "You never relax, but a good quarterback got it to a good back twice. There's no excuse for that. Really, that can't happen."

Game notes
Staley was on crutches after the game. He broke his left fibula. ... A first-quarter penalty also erased a long interception return by San Francisco CB Nate Clements. ... St. Louis also lost LT Rodger Saffold to an ankle injury in the first half, but Spagnuolo didn't think the injury would be a long-term problem.