Ohio Sports Time

Cavs to face Celtics in Semifinals

2008-05-05T14:22:00.002-04:00

The Cleveland Cavaliers will face the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals thanks to Boston's Game #7 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Ohio Sports Time will bring coverage of the Cavs/Celtics series over at OhioSportsTime.com.

Spring Training Tickets & more now available

2008-02-20T15:03:00.001-05:00

Spring training is just around the corner. Starting on the 28th of this month, the Indians will kick off their spring training against the Houston Astros in Winter Haven, Florida. At TickCo.com, you can check out the entire Indians Spring Training schedule and more Spring Training tickets. Cheer on the Indians to ring-in another incredible season. Before you head down to Florida for Spring Training, TickCo Premium Seating also has plenty of Cleveland Cavs tickets in stock. Use a lazy Sunday to catch the big game against the number-four Chicago Bulls on March 2nd at home. March Madness is also only a couple weeks away, and you can root OSU on with Big 10 Basketball Tournament tickets as the Buckeyes battle it out for a spot in the Final Four Tournament.

Ohio State merchandise & hats a hot item

2007-12-10T13:18:00.000-05:00

With the OSU Buckeyes playing in the BCS Championship game yet again this winter bowl season in college football, Ohio State fans are running to stores both online and offline faster than "Beanie" Wells can run to the endzone. Why you might ask? Well to buy the best Ohio State hats, clothing, gear & merchandise. From sweatshirts and t-shirts to hats, headwarmers and sweater vests, OSU fans are dishing out the money. Hopefully the media will be smart enough to avoid the debacle of last season where the Columbus Dispatch sold pre-orders for "Ohio State Championship" newspapers only to see the Buckeyes fall to Florida in a blowout, but either way, Buckeye fans are rejoicing across the nation. So be sure to take a look at the great Ohio State clothing, hats & merchandise available online or visit your local Ohio State apparel shop.

Ohio Sports Time adds Ohio Sports Apparel & Fatheads

2007-06-09T20:49:00.000-04:00

First off, a reminder that Ohio Sports Time has moved to our new home at OhioSportsTime.com. Recent post topics on the new Ohio Sports Time include SportsTime Ohio: Covering only part of Ohio, Reds vs. Indians: Will Homer be a hit? and the Cincinnati Bengals 2007 season predictions.

Ohio Sports Time is also proud to have added Ohio Sports apparel, hats & merchandise and Ohio Sports Fathead posters. Check all of these new offerings out over at the new Ohio Sports Time blog.

Ohio Sports Time blog has a new home

2007-04-21T15:33:00.000-04:00

The Ohio Sports Time blog has a new home. It's been over a year since we kicked off the highly popular Ohio Sports Time blog about Ohio college & pro sports teams, and as a result of the great success we have decided we needed something bigger and better. From now on you can check out the Ohio Sports Time blog at OhioSportsTime.com. Our old posts and articles will remain here on the blogger server until Google and blogger allow access to our new system to download past posts, but all new posts will be made at OhioSportsTime.com

Cavs win, earn #2 seed in East

2007-04-18T22:19:00.000-04:00

Coming into the final four games of the NBA season, the Cleveland Cavaliers needed to go 4-0 with the Chicago Bulls losing at least one game in order for the Cavs to gain the Eastern Conference's #2 seed. As both teams went 3-0 into the final night of the NBA season, not many thought the Bulls would stumble @ New Jersey. But stumble Chicago did as the Cavs beat Milwaukee and the Bulls fell @ New Jersey, giving the Cavs (50-32) a match-up with the Washington Wizards (41-41) in the first round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs. Buy Cleveland Cavs merchandise, NBA jerseys or a LeBron James Fathead wall poster online at DFN Sports today!

Reds, Indians start season strong

2007-04-07T22:31:00.001-04:00

Ohio baseball is off to a strong start through Saturday's games. The Cincinnati Reds have begun the season 4-1 after taking 2 of 3 from the Cubs and winning the first two from Pittsburgh in the weekend series in Cincinnati. Adam Dunn leads the Reds with 3 HR and 6 RBI and Aaron Harang has already picked up two wins for Cincinnati. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Indians are 2-1, and should be 3-1. Some questionable decision-making by the unpiring crew on Friday cancelled the Indians game with the Mariners at Jacobs Field in Cleveland. With the Indians up 4-0 and one out away from an official game the umps called the game. Even without the Friday win and the snowed-out Saturday double-header, the Tribe is 2-1 and led by Grady Sizemore's 3 HR.

Sunday will feature the Reds at 1:15 against the Pirates with Cincinnati looking for a sweep. Meanwhile the Indians will play a traditional double-header with Seattle, weather permitting.

Check out the great selection of MLB apparel, hats & gear online at DFN Sports. DFN Sports has all of the best Cleveland Indians jerseys & styles of Cincinnati Reds hats you could want, and check out the selection of MLB Fathead wall graphic posters.

Indians get snowed out; MLB proves incompetence

2007-04-06T20:55:00.000-04:00

One pitch away from making it an official game today, the Cleveland Indians home-opener against the Seattle Mariners was snowed out today. With Cleveland leading 4-0 in the top of the 5th and Paul Byrd set to pick up a win, the umpires delayed the game again and later postponed the game until Saturday afternoon at 1 pm as part of a day-night doubleheader. Lucky for the fans their tickets will be redeemable on Saturday for the early game, and for those of us at home who still do not have SportsTime Ohio, the game will be broadcast on local TV. But seriously, who the heck is running this dog and pony show that is Major League baseball. Come on Bud Selig, step up to the plate. How do you let your umpires call a game that is literally one out, and possibly just one pitch, away from making it an official ballgame.

Ohio Teams in the NCAA & NIT Tournaments

2007-03-13T15:04:00.000-04:00

Ohio Teams in the NCAA Tournament

Ohio State - Champions of the Big Ten Tournament
#1 seed in South Regional vs. #16 Central Connecticut State on Thursday @ 7:10 pm ET

Miami - Champions of the Mid-American Conference Tournament
#14 seed in _ Regional vs. #3 Oregon on Friday @ 5:05 pm ET

Xavier - Champions of the Atlantic 10 Tournament
#9 seed in South Regional vs. #8 BYU on Thursday @ 9:30 pm

Ohio Teams in the NIT Tournament

Toledo - @ Florida State on Tuesday @ 6 pm ET

Ohio teams in Conference Tournaments

2007-03-08T22:13:00.000-05:00

It's conference tournament time so I thought it was time to update you all on the rest of the Ohio Division I college basketball programs.

Akron - defeated Central Michigan to advance to the MAC Tournament Semifinals on Friday

Bowling Green - elimnated by Ohio in the first round of the MAC Tournament on Wednesday

Cincinnati - did not place in the top 12 to qualify for the Big East Tournament

Cleveland State - fell to UW-Green Bay in the first round of the Horizon League Tournament

Dayton - eliminated by Xavier on Thursday in the Atlantic 10 Tournament

Kent State - defeated Western Michigan to advance to the MAC Tournament Semifinals on Friday

Miami - facing Toledo on Friday night in the MAC Tournament Semifinals

Ohio - elimated by Miami in the Quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament on Thursday

Ohio State - facing Michigan in the Quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Friday

Toledo - facing Miami on Friday night in the MAC Tournament Semifinals

Xavier - facing Rhode Island in the Atlantic 10 Semifinals on Friday night

Youngstown State - fell to UW-Green Bay in the second round of the Horizon League Tournament

Wright State goes dancing after upset of Butler

2007-03-06T23:32:00.000-05:00

The Wright State Raiders have had a fantastic season in 2006-2007, but with all of the Horizon League buzz around Butler, few would have known. Tuesday night that all changed. Wright State won their 23rd game of the year and their second over much-heralded Butler team by defeating the Bulldogs 60-55 for the Horizon League Tournament Championship. > more

Busy week of basketball ahead

2007-03-03T23:44:00.000-05:00

So it looks like I will be having one heck of a busy week of high school and college basketball ahead of me. After watching girls basketball tournament games the past two Thursdays, I watched the undefeated Pymatuning Valley Lakers boys basketball team extend their record to 21-0 in defeating Newton Falls this evening to warm things up. On Tuesday I will be traveling to Lakeland Community College (Painesville, OH) to see coach Jeremy Huber lead his PV boys against Berkshire in the District Semifinals. Huber is an up-and-coming coach who has gone 39-3 in the past two season with PV after turning around a program that was 2-18 just 5 years ago. Here's hoping for a win over Berkshire and a much-anticipated match-up with Villa-Angela/St. Joseph on Friday night. Wednesday begins one of my favorite events of the year; the Mid-American Conference Tournament. For the second straight season I will be covering the MAC Basketball Tournament for VanDelay Sports, a popular MAC sports fansite. I will be at Quicken Loans arena from noon to about 10 pm on Wednesday and Thursday, then all evening Friday and Saturday for the MAC Championship as well. Hopefully Friday will be a tough decision for me as if the PV boys win they will play for the District Championship Friday night @ 7:30; during the MAC Tourney games. Either way, it's gonna be a full, and fun, week of basketball.

MAC Football Recruiting Analysis Released by VanDelay Sports

2007-02-19T22:05:00.000-05:00

Cleveland, Ohio - Since the late 1990’s, VanDelay Sports has been bringing Mid-American Conference football fans something they could rarely find elsewhere; in-depth coverage of MAC football teams. Before the main-stream media caught on the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of alumni and fans of MAC schools scattered across the USA, Nick Gerogosian began VanDelaySports.com. With the intention of giving MAC football programs some of the additional exposure they so sorely deserve, Gerogosian also began his annual MAC Football Recruiting Report. Released each February after MAC football recruiting classes are announced, the VanDelay Sports recruiting report has quite a strong following. “While our traffic is strong all-year round, the MAC recruiting report drives some of the highest traffic numbers to our site,” said Gerogosian.

The 2007 edition of the VanDelay Sports MAC Football Recruiting Report features an in-depth look at each team’s 2007 recruiting class breaking the classes down by position. Gerogosian also lists his top recruits for each team and the top recruits throughout the conference. His data is gathered from a number of sources including both large and small recruiting sources, school media departments, and from his own experience as a high school referee.

Ohio teams finish 7-2 in Bracket Buster games

2007-02-18T21:56:00.000-05:00

The 6 MAC basketball teams from Ohio along with the 3 members of the Horizon League faced Bracket Buster match-ups over the weekend finishing 7-2 in the 9 games. Probably the biggest name in all of these games featured Kent State @ George Mason. The game pitted last year’s Final Four member George Mason against the MAC’s most consistent basketball program and recent Elite 8 member Kent State. Overall the MAC basketball teams from went 4-2 while Ohio’s Horizon League members finished 3-0 to prove once again the strength of Ohio basketball. Here’s a rundown of the final scores from Ohio basketball teams this weekend.

Miami defeated Indiana State, 70-58.
Ohio fell @ NMSU, 77-72.
BG won @ Morehead State, 90-72.
Akron won at home over Austin Peay 74-57.
Kent State won @ George Mason by a score of 68-62.
Toledo fell at home to Old Dominion, 73-70.
YSU defeated EKU 66-61
Wright State defeated Cal State Fullerton 77-62
Cleveland State 85 - Cal State Northridge 76

Rating the Super Bowl XLI Commercials

2007-02-04T22:13:00.000-05:00

Ohio Sports Time weighs in on the Super Bowl XLI Commercials that we felt were memorable. While a 30-second spot during the 2007 Super Bowl commercials cost advertisers upwards of $2.6 million, viewers were exposed to an array of different commercials. Below are a few of the commercials that we liked and disliked, rated in football terminology.

Touchdown!
• Blockbuster - Animated animals “clicking” the mouse

30-yard pass
• Budweiser - Axe hitchhiker

First Down
• Nationwide - Kevin Federline “Life Comes at you Fast”
• Sierra Mist - Comb-over beard
• eTrade Savings - bank holding up it’s customers
• NFL – Brett Favre “it’s hard to say goodbye”

No Gain
• All Career Builder “survive the workweek” commercials

FUMBLE!
• All Coke commercials

Interception returned for a TD
• Chevrolet - Naked men washing car

Reds re-sign Ross, Lohse

2007-01-24T18:39:00.000-05:00

The Cincinnati Reds have signed catcher David Ross and starting pitcher Kyle Lohse to avoid salary arbitration with both players. Ross, a 29-year old catcher who came to the Reds prior to the 2006 season in a trade with San Diego, had a breakout season in 2006. In just 90 games Ross hit 21 home runs with 55 RBI while batting .255. His 21 HR total was the 3rd highest total among National League catchers in 2006 and the emergence of Rose lead to Jason Larue receiving significantly less playing time in 2006 and the offseason of Larue to Kansas City. Ross' deal is 2 years at $4.5 million. Pitcher Kyle Lohse came to Cincinnati duringthe 2006 season in a deal with the Minnesota Twins. After losing his starting spot in Minnesota, Lohse went 3-5 with Cincinnati in 11 starts with a 4.50 ERA. While he didn't set the city of Cincinnati on fire with his pitching, Lohse kept the Reds in most of the games he started and was a reliable starter. In a offseason of low-talent, high-dollar starting pitchers, the option of signing Lohse for 1 year and $4.2 million doesn't seem so bad.

Ohio Sports Time's Ohio College Basketball Rankings

2007-01-02T00:01:00.000-05:00

Below is the latest 2006-2007 Ohio College Basketball Rankings for Division I-A college basketball programs located in the state of Ohio from Ohio Sports Time.
With several upsets involving Ohio teams on both sides these rankings will get more and more difficult. As a result we are adding in RPI rankings as a factor as well, but we can all agree that the #1 team in the state this year is from Columbus. Feel free to post your comments.

1. Ohio State – 11-2 – RPI #25

2. Dayton – 10-3 – RPI #60

3. Ohio – 9-3 – RPI #65

4. Xavier – 9-4 – RPI #71

5. Cincinnati – 9-4 – RPI #122

6. Akron – 8-3 – RPI #147

7. Youngstown State – 7-7 – RPI #123

8. Kent State – 7-5 – RPI #142

9. Toledo – 4-8 – RPI #162

10. Miami – 4-8 - RPI #150

11. Cleveland State – 6-9 – RPI #214

12. Bowling Green – 9-4 – RPI #252

13. Wright State – 7-6 – RPI #197

Ohio State's Greg Oden - Is he really that good?

2006-12-20T20:20:00.000-05:00

Read more about Ohio basketball teams on Ohio Sports Time at our new addres - OhioSportsTime.com!

Is Greg Oden really that good? Find out over on the Big Ten Fans sports blog as the staff from the Big Ten's favorite sports fan site, BigTen-fans.com, who just posted this topic.

Three Bengals, Zero Browns headed to the Pro Bowl

2006-12-19T16:54:00.000-05:00

Three members of the Cincinnati Bengals will be heading to the NFL's Pro Bowl following the completion of the season. QB Carson Palmer, WR Chad Johnson and OT Willie Anderson were named to the Pro Bowl squad for the AFC on Tuesday. Meanwhile the Cleveland Browns will go yet another year without a single player going to the NFL's All-Star game. In fact, since the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999, the Browns have had just one player make the Pro Bowl roster. That one Pro Bowler was LB Jamir Miller who made the 2002 squad, but an injury cut his career short. For Johnson and Anderson this is the fourth time that both players have been named to the Pro Bowl team. For Carson Palmer this will be his second time being named to the team and along with Boomer Esiason, Palmer is the only other Bengals QB to go to the Pro Bowl in two consecutive seasons.

Final Regular Season Ohio College Football Rankings by Ohio Sports Time

2006-11-29T20:58:00.000-05:00

1. Ohio State – 12-0 (8-0 Big Ten) – #1 Ohio State heads into the BCS National Championship game where they will likely face #2 USC, if they can win @ UCLA on Saturday. If not then expect a rematch with Michigan.

2. Cincinnati 7-5 (4-3 Big East) – After their 2nd winning season in 3 years under Mike Dantonio, the Bearcats’ head coach has left to take the head job at Michigan State. UC is likely headed to the International Bowl to face Western Michigan on January 6th.

3. Ohio 9-3 (7-1 MAC) – The Bobcats accepted a bid to play in the GMAC Bowl on Tuesday marking their first bowl appearance since the 1968 Tangerine Bowl. Before the bowl preparations are made for the Bobcats, Ohio faces Central Michigan on Thursday night in the MAC Championship game at 7:30 pm on ESPN.

4. Kent State 6-6 (5-3 MAC)

5. Toledo 5-7 (3-5 MAC)

6. Akron 5-7 (3-5 MAC)

7. Miami 2-10 (2-6)

8. Bowling Green 4-8 (3-5 MAC)

Would Tressel listen if Browns called?

2006-11-28T22:46:00.000-05:00

If the Randy Lerner made a call to Jim Tressel about coaching the Cleveland Browns would Tressel listen? Popular Cleveland talk show host Mike Trivisonno thinks that Tressel would be a winner at the pro level...
> Read more

Blue Jackets bring on big-name coach

2006-11-23T18:48:00.000-05:00

In the past few years I must admit that NHL hockey has almost fallen off my personal radar screen. Thanks to a fan-killing strike and a dispute that led to losing their ESPN contract, the NHL is just another sport that's out there to me just like the Canadian Football League, the X Games and Division III College Basketball. But even I had to be impressed when I heard that the Columbus Blue Jackets have hired Ken Hitchcock as their new head coach. After a 5-13-2 start for the Blue Jackets, a team that had playoff aspirations in 2006-2007, it's easy to see why there was so much disappointment. Despite being the only pro team in the city, the Columbus hockey team could not hold a candle to the #1 Ohio State football team and even to the #3 Ohio State basketball team. With a slow start to the new season it was clear that something had to be done, and the hiring of Hitchcock is what the fans in Columbus are hoping was indeed the correct move.

The hiring of Hitchcock is significant for many reasons. The guy is a proven winner having never completed a full season with a losing record. Not only is he a winner in the regular season with a career mark of 408-227-88-28, but he is also a proven winner in the postseason with a 66-51 playoff record and a Stanley Cup Championship with the Dallas Stars in 1998-1999.

Only time will tell if the hiring of Hitchcock was the right move for the Blue Jackets, but for now it sure seems to be a step in the right direction.

Play to Win

2006-11-19T22:18:00.000-05:00

The Browns had the Steelers on the ropes. The Browns physically pounded Pittsburgh for four quarters. There's only one thing the Browns failed to do Sunday in their 24-21 loss to the Black and Canary yellow: play to win. It's hard to figure out the Browns approach at times. Head Coach Romeo Crennel has proven he's not afraid to go for it on 4th and 1. He's also proven his team will play it very close to the vest in the 4th quarter. They escaped with a win over the Jets... they barely hung on to beat Atlanta.. but trying to "hang on" against Pittsburgh just didn't work. If this team is going to take the next step and start winning some of these close games, the Browns need that same aggressive approach that got them the lead in the first half against their hated rivals. Where were the blitzes late in the game? Rookie Kamerion Wimbley battered Ben Roethlisberger play after play in the 4th quarter- but not before he got rid of the ball. Would bringing a DB on a blitz have made a difference? It's hard to tell. The offense didn't score a touchdown against Pittsburgh, but moved the ball very effectively at times. It's not like games we've seen when Dave Zastudil seems to get as many snaps as Frye. Be patient, Browns fans. This team is growing. There are more reasons to be excited about this team than we've seen in the past few years. Some folks in the NFL have said the Browns are the most physical team they've faced this season. The team is on the right path. They just need to remember to play to win. Then we can celebrate instead of saying, What if?

Ohio College Football Rankings after Week #12 by Ohio Sports Time

2006-11-19T00:13:00.000-05:00

1. Ohio State – 12-0 (8-0 Big Ten) – The Buckeyes proved that they indeed are the #1 team in the land as they defeated #2 Michigan 42-39. Ohio State earns a spot in BCS National Championship game in Arizona and will await the BCS standings to see who their opponent will be.

2. Cincinnati 6-5 (3-3 Big East) – The surprise of the day Saturday came out of Cincinnati, Ohio where the Bearcats knocked off #7 Rutgers 30-11 and dominated the entire game. As a result UC has moved into the #2 spot in our rankings and more importantly, became bowl-eligible. Cincinnati’s season finale will be @ UCONN next Saturday as UC will look to end the regular season at 7-5.

3. Ohio 8-3 (6-1 MAC) – It’s hard to knock the MAC East Champions down a notch considering they just won their first championship of any kind in 38 years, but UC beat Rutgers this year and Ohio did not. The Bobcats will face Miami on Friday looking for a win over their arch-rival and their 9th win of the season. No matter the result of the Miami game, Ohio will face Central Michigan (7-4, 6-1 MAC) in the MAC Championship game on November 30th.

4. Kent State 6-5 (5-2 MAC) – A 14-6 win over Eastern Michigan snapped a 3-game losing streak for Kent State and keeps the Golden Flashes’ slim bowl hopes alive. They will need a win @ Ball State on Friday coupled with an Akron win over Western Michigan to have any chance to go bowling, but even then it will take a lot of luck. No matter how Kent’s season ends, it has been a great year for Doug Martin and the Golden Flashes and Kent fans and alumni should be pleased with the new direction of this program.

5. Akron 5-6 (3-4 MAC) – The Zips tried to hang on to their slim MAC East Championship hopes last week but Luke Getsy and the Zips’ offense was bottled-up by the fierce Ohio defense. Akron will host Western Michigan (7-4, 6-2 MAC) on Friday in what should be a great MAC match-up.

6. Toledo 4-7 (2-5 MAC) – The disappointing season continued for Tom Amstutz and his crew as they fell at home to Ball State on Tuesday night by a score of 20-17. Despite the rough 2006 season, the Rockets were 3-1 at home this season and the Glass Bowl in known to be one of the toughest places to play in college football. Toledo will complete their season with a rivalry game as they host Bowling Green on Tuesday night.

7. Miami 2-9 (2-5) – While the RedHawks have endured one of the worst seasons in school history, you have to give Shane Montgomery’s squad credit for their late-season fight. Despite a 1-9 record and terrible conditions, Miami picked up a 9-7 win @ Bowling Green last week. The RedHawks final game of the season is Friday vs. rival Ohio. While Ohio will play in the MAC Championship no matter the outcome Friday, both teams know of the importance of this rivalry game and the bragging rights that come with it.

8. Bowling Green 4-7 (3-4 MAC) – Can anyone figure out Bowling Green? How can a team that plays two top 10 teams tough, Wisconsin and Ohio State, and beats the MAC East Champions, Ohio, also lose to two of the worst teams (record-wise) in the nation? In what many are calling the Mud Bowl, BG found a way to lose at home to Miami 9-7 and earlier this season they handed Temple their only win of the season. BG ends the season @ rival Toledo on Tuesday night.

Ohio College Basketball Rankings by Ohio Sports Time - Week #1

2006-11-17T19:45:00.000-05:00

Below is the initial 2006-2007 Ohio College Basketball Rankings for Division I-A college basketball programs located in the state of Ohio. We will update this list throughout the season as I will be casting my vote along with Dan Whitmyer, head basketball writer for VanDelay Sports. Each week we will also offer a few notes before the rankings to help you all understand where we came up with these rankings.

The 2006-2007 college basketball season has begun and a couple of interesting all-Ohio match-ups have already taken place. Miami hosted Wright State on Saturday and fell 57-56 and on Sunday Ohio State pulled away from Kent State after just a 3-point lead at the half to win 81-59. In out-of-conference play we will see several other all-Ohio games this season including Miami vs. Dayton, Xavier and UC, Kent vs. Cleveland State & Youngstown State, UC vs. both Ohio and Ohio State and more.

1. Ohio State (26) – 3-0

2. Cincinnati (24) – 3-0

3. Xavier (22) - 1-0

4. Akron (20) - 1-1

5. Dayton (17) - 1-0

6. Toledo (14) – 0-1

7t. Ohio (13) – 1-0

7t. Kent State (13) – 2-1

9. Miami (11) – 0-2

10. Wright State (10) – 1-0

11. Cleveland State (6) – 1-1

12t. Bowling Green (3) – 1-0

12t. Youngstown State (3) – 1-2

Ohio College Football Rankings after Week #11 by Ohio Sports Time

2006-11-13T18:38:00.000-05:00

1. Ohio State – 11-0 (7-0 Big Ten) – A 54-10 thumping of Northwestern is just what the Buckeyes needed to get ready for their annual rivalry game with Michigan. Leading up to Saturday’s 3:30 kickoff the nation may well witness the most hype ever leading up to a college sporting event.

2. Ohio 7-3 (5-1 MAC) – Ohio has enjoyed a much-needed week off to get healthy and prepare for Akron. The Bobcats and Zips face off in Athens on Thursday night where a win for Ohio will put them in the MAC Championship game to play Central Michigan on November 30th. An Ohio win over Akron should secure a bowl bid for Ohio in either the GMAC Bowl, International Bowl or Motor City Bowl.

3. Cincinnati 5-5 (2-3 Big East) – No surprises for UC as they allowed Steve Slaton and Pat White of WVU to run all over them en route to a 42-24 WVU win. Two late Nick Davila TD passes made the final score respectable. The Bearcats host #7 Rutgers on Saturday in hopes that the Scarlet Knights will overlook them after the big win over Louisville.

4. Akron 5-5 (3-3 MAC) – The Zips knocked off Buffalo on Thursday night to draw even at .500 on the season both in MAC play and overall. Thursday night Akron faces Ohio in Athens with a chance to play spoiler and keep their slim MAC East hope alive.

5. Kent State 5-5 (4-2 MAC) – While a 23-0 loss @ #20 Virginia Tech is nothing to be embarrassed of, especially after trailing just 6-0 at the half, but Kent and Akron are headed in opposite directions and that is why the Golden Flashes are below the Zips. Kent will look to snap a 3-game losing streak as they face Eastern Michigan at home on Friday night.

6. Toledo 4-6 (2-4 MAC) – The Rockets finally seem to be heading in the right direction with consecutive wins over Akron and Northern Illinois. With two home games remaining against Ball State (Tuesday) and Bowling Green, Toledo looks to end the season 6-6.

7. Bowling Green 4-6 (3-3 MAC) – All right, in fairness to BG fans we moved the Falcons up to #7 again. Their final two games are against #8 Miami and #6 Toledo as BG will look to finish the season at .500.

8. Miami 1-9 (1-5) – The Wednesday night game with Bowling Green could determine who the #8 spot on this list really belongs to. Miami will look to play spoiler against BG and Ohio in their final two games.

Ohio College Football Rankings after Week #10 by Ohio Sports Time

2006-11-06T21:54:00.000-05:00

1. Ohio State – 10-0 (6-0 Big Ten) – No blowout this week for the Buckeyes. In fact, had it not been for the crazy clock rules in college football the Fighting Illini may have had time to cause Buckeye fans to worry a bit. #1 OSU is @ Northwestern this weekend and I think we will see them get back to their old ways as they tune up for #2 Michigan.

2. Ohio 7-3 (5-1 MAC) – What a year for the Bobcats. Frank Solich has guided Ohio to 4 straight wins and the MAC East lead. A win vs. Akron on Nov. 16th an Ohio will clinch the MAC East’s spot in the MAC Championship game and possibly end their 38-year bowl drought.

3. Cincinnati 5-4 (2-2 Big East) – A bye on Nov. 4 for the Beatcats gives them time to prepare for #10 West Virginia this Saturday. Expect the Mountaineers to come out firing coming off their loss to #3 Louisville.

4. Akron 4-5 (2-3 MAC) – All season the feeling has been that Akron is better than their record. A win over Bowling Green proves to be big for the Zips and keeps their slim hopes at a share of the MAC East title alive. Akron hosts Buffalo on TH, Nov. 9 as they look to go to .500 in MAC play.

5. Kent State 5-4 (4-2 MAC) – Someone forgot to tell Kent that after their loss to Ohio they were still tied for 1st in the MAC East and in position to make a good case for a bowl bid. After allowing 38 points in the 2nd half @ Buffalo, Kent State looks a lot like the team we all thought they were coming into 2006. Meanwhile, Phil Steele looks less like the brilliant prognosticator that many were making him out to be for picking Kent to win the MAC East before the 2006 season. Kent travels to face #20 Virginia Tech this weekend in a game that I fear will be ugly.

5. Toledo 3-6 (1-4 MAC) – Toledo travels to Dekalb, IL, to face Northern Illinois on Nov. 7 in a game that is key to NIU’s bowl and MAC West title hopes. With the rivalry that has brewed over the past few years in this match-up, anything can happen despite the poor Toledo record.

7. Miami 1-9 (1-5) – Another week for Miami, another loss. While Miami has played a lot of close games on the year, they just do not seem to have that extra something to pull out the W’s. The RedHawks are @ Bowling Green on Nov. 15th as they look to avoid picking up their 10th loss of the year.

8. Bowling Green 4-6 (3-3 MAC) – Last week I said the following: “I do not care what your record is, if you lose to Temple, at home or on the road, you deserve to be dead last on this list.” I am gonna hold onto that one for another week despite BG playing Akron tough last weekend. BG is off until their Nov. 15 home match-up with Miami.

Ohio College Football Rankings after Week #9 by Ohio Sports Time

2006-10-29T17:57:00.000-05:00

1. Ohio State – 9-0 (5-0 Big Ten) – Minnesota, the recipient of the weekly Buckeye pounding, must have forgotten their offense on Saturday. Or maybe the Buckeyes are that good… OSU is at Illinois this coming weekend for their next big blowout.

2. Ohio 6-3 (4-1 MAC) – By beating Kent State 17-7 on the road, the Bobcats now control their own destiny for a MAC East title and berth into the MAC Championship game. With the toughest schedule in the MAC and 32nd toughest overall, Ohio has proven that they are much-improved from a year ago. This week’s match-up is @ Eastern Michigan where Ohio will face an improving EMU Eagles squad.

3. Cincinnati 5-4 (2-2 Big East) – Cincinnati picked up their 2nd straight win and 4th in their last 5 games as they beat Syracuse 17-3 this past weekend. The schedule takes a nasty turn as the final games in 2006 for UC are @ #4 West Virginia and vs. #16 Rutgers before closing the season @ UCONN.

4. Kent State 5-2 (4-0 MAC) – Despite the week off before the Ohio game, Kent looked uninspired and unable to adjust to the weather conditions at Dix Stadium on Saturday. Had it not been for QB Julian Edelman, the Flashes would have been shut out and completely dominated. This weekend will send the Golden Flashes to Buffalo to face off with the 1-7 (0-5) Buffalo Bulls.

5. Toledo 3-6 (1-4 MAC) – Toledo’s 35-20 win over Akron may finally be the breakthrough the Rockets needed as they finally gained their 1st MAC win of the season. With their next game @ Northern Illinois on November 7th, the Rockets will have their hands full with Garrett Wolfe & Company.

6. Akron 3-5 (1-3 MAC) – The Zips found themselves down 14-0 in the 1st Quarter on the road @ Toledo on Saturday night and never make up the deficit in the 35-20 loss. After falling to 1-3 in MAC play with the loss, the Zips head home to face Bowling Green next weekend and could knock BG out of the MAC East race.

7. Miami 1-8 (1-4) – I said it earlier in the season that Miami is not as bad as their record indicates. While this team is not as good as I or anyone else expected, they definitely are struggling badly. The turnaround from solid program to almost MAC East doormat should have head coach Shane Montgomery under fire. A lot of fire…

8. Bowling Green 4-5 (3-2 MAC) – I do not care what your record is, if you lose to Temple, at home or on the road, you deserve to be dead last on this list. How did this team beat Ohio back in September? BG is @ Akron this week in a key battle where the winner will still hold on to hope of a MAC East crown.

Ohio College Football Rankings after Week #8 by Ohio Sports Time

2006-10-23T10:34:00.000-04:00

1. Ohio State – 8-0 (4-0 Big Ten) – Another week, another blowout win for the Buckeyes as the Indiana Hoosiers were this past weekend’s victim. OSU faces Minnesota on Saturday for their next blowout of the week.

2. Kent State 5-2 (4-0 MAC) – The Golden Flashes’ had the week off and should have plenty of time to prepare for Frank Solich’s Ohio Bobcats. Saturday’s game features two teams which have not had much success in the MAC standings over the years as Kent’s last MAC title was in 1972 and Ohio’s last title in 1968. I will be making my first trip to Dix Stadium and I look forward to watching a good game with a lot on the line.

3. Ohio 5-3 (3-1 MAC) – The Bobcats looked solid as they beat up on Buffalo 42-7 on Saturday. This weekend’s showdown in Kent is an extremely large one as the winner will control their own destiny for a MAC East title and berth into the MAC Championship game.

4. Cincinnati 4-4 (1-2 Big East) – The Bearcats face South Florida on Sunday night and looked strong in the 2nd half to get their 1st Big East win of the season, 23-6. After leading 2-0 at the half, yes, 2-0, the UC defense scored on a fumble recovery TD and the offense came alive. The Bearcats have a home match-up with Syracuse this Saturday before ending the season with 2 of their last 3 games against ranked opponents.

5. Bowling Green 4-4 (3-2 MAC) – The closest thing to a guaranteed win in Division I-A football is coming up for the Falcons this week as they face the Temple Owls. BG fell to Central Michigan last Thursday night 31-14 and was outscored 17-0 in the second half. BG has not had consecutive losses this season and do not expect that to change this week as the Falcons should roll over the Owls.

6. Akron 3-4 (1-2 MAC) – The Zips gained their 1st MAC win of the season 24-13 over Miami on Saturday. Akron’s rushing attack was the difference in a game that was otherwise pretty even. The Zips will travel to Toledo to face the Rockets Saturday night and will need to put together a strong winning streak to have any hope at defending their MAC East title.

7. Toledo 2-6 (0-4 MAC) – With their loss to Eastern Michigan I really think they should be in 8th place on this list, but the close loss in 3OT @ Iowa State and win over Kansas still are both much more impressive than Miami’s lone victory over Buffalo. The Rockets will look for their 1st MAC win of the season as they host Akron in the Glass Bowl on Saturday night.

8. Miami 1-7 (1-3) – The RedHawks brief winning streak was ended on Saturday night as they fell 24-13 @ Akron. While QB Mike Kokal was solid yet again, the Miami rushing attack gained just 57 yards on 30 carries. The RedHawks have a more favorable match-up as they host the Ball State Cardinals this Saturday.

Ohio College Football Rankings after Week #7

2006-10-15T20:32:00.000-04:00

Below are the Ohio Sports Time NCAA Division I-A Ohio football rankings after week #7:

1. Ohio State Buckeyes - 7-0, 3-0 Big Ten - Buckeyes spank Michigan State 38-7. The Indiana Hoosiers will be the next victim for the Buckeyes on Saturday.

2. Kent State Golden Flashes - 5-2, 4-0 - The Golden Flashes won their 5th straight game by beating Toledo 40-14 on Saturday. When was the last time Kent State won 5 straight football games? Try 1976. The Flashes have a week off before hostin the Ohio Bobcats on October 28th, and I plan to be there.

3. Bowling Green Falcons - 4-3, 3-1 MAC - The BG defense held on to defeat Eastern Michigan 24-21 on Saturday to vault the Falcons up a notch to #3 this week. The win @ Ohio proves to be the difference in the #3 and #4 or 5 spots despite BG's other MAC wins being against Buffalo and EMU who have a combined 1-11 record in 2006. This week is a short one for the Falcons as they have a Thursday night game @ MAC West leader Central Michigan.

4. Ohio Bobcats - 4-3, 2-1 MAC - Last week I said "Ohio will have a chance to make a nice statement for the program and the MAC this weekend as they face the Illinois Fighting Illini this Saturday." Well a 20-17 win @ Illinois is indeed a statement for the program as Ohio now has wins over BCS programs in 3 straight years. Homecoming in Athens is this Saturday as the Bobcats will take on a much-improved Buffalo team.

5. Cincinnati Bearcats - 3-4, 0-2 Big East - The Bearcats continue to hang in with tough opponents as they fell to #8 Louisville 23-17 on Saturday. The "hang-in-there" results are nice, but to date their only wins on the season are against a I-AA school and over two MAC schools (Miami & Akron) who are a combined 3-10 on the season. UC's next game is against South Florida on Sunday night @ 8 pm.

6. Akron Zips - 2-4, 0-2 MAC - Nothing like a bye week to help you move up in the rankings. Thanks to the lousy play of the Toledo Rockets, Akron moves up to #6 this week. The Zips could easily be #2 on this list based on their talent and upset of NC State, but losses to Kent State, CMU and UC leaves the Zips at 2-4 through 6 games.I said it last week and it still is ture: "If Akron wants to defend their 2005 MAC Championship and contend in 2006, they're going to need to start getting some wins beginning October 21st against the Miami RedHawks."

7. Toledo Rockets - 2-5, 0-3 MAC - What the heck is going on? The same team that took Iowa State to 3-OT and beat Kansas in 2-OT has fallen apart. A 40-14 road loss to Kent State is the latest whipping that the Toledo Rockets have taken as they have fallen to 0-3 in MAC play this season. Saturday's game @ Eastern Michigan should prove to be the first MAC win for Toledo in 2006; if it is not then pigs may start to fly...

8. Miami RedHawks - 1-6, 1-2 MAC - Apparently the snow caught everyone in Buffalo, NY off guard this past week as the Saturday match-up between the Miami RedHawks and Buffalo Bulls was postponed and played on Sunday instead. Tied at 21 heading into the 4th Quarter, the RedHawks scored 17 straight and held on for a 38-31 win over the much-improved Bulls. Miami looks to keep their new streak alive and ruin Akron's season in Saturday evening's match-up with the Zips.

Ohio College Football Rankings After Week #6

2006-10-08T15:34:00.000-04:00

Below are the Ohio Sports Time NCAA Division I-A Ohio football rankings after week #6:

1. Ohio State Buckeyes - 6-0, 2-0 Big Ten - No doubts that the Buckeyes are #1 in the state as they will hold on to this ranking all season. OSU travels to East Landsing, Michigan to face the MSU Spartans this weekend.

2. Kent State Golden Flashes - 4-2, 3-0 - The Golden Flashes now have won 4 straight after defeating Temple 28-17 this weekend. A home match-up with Toledo will be a true test for Kent this weekend.

3. Cincinnati Bearcats - 3-3, 0-1 Big East - I'll be honest when I say I did not believe the Bearcats were better than most, if not all, of the Ohio MAC schools this season. But wins in Week #5 & 6 over Miami and Akron vault UC into the #3 spot. While the Bearcats are now 3-3 on the season, this weekend's matchup with #8 Louisville will prove to be too much for the Bearcats.

4. Bowling Green Falcons - 3-3, 2-1 MAC - The Falcons had a respectable showing @ Ohio State in their 35-7 loss last week. BG will be pleased to see a major drop-off in their opponents' talent level this week as they face Eastern Michigan this weekend.

5. Ohio Bobcats - 3-3, 2-1 MAC - The Bobcats ended a 3-game losing streak by upsetting the WMU Broncos 27-20 in Athens on Saturday. Ohio will have a chance to make a nice statement for the program and the MAC this weekend as they face the Illinois Fighting Illini this Saturday.

6. Toledo Rockets - 2-4, 0-2 MAC - With a 3-OT loss @ Iowa State and a home win over Kansas, many thought the Rockets would be atop the MAC West again this year. But two losses to MAC West-rivals Western and Central Michigan leave the Rockets at 0-2 in MAC play heading into a road match-up @ Kent State this Saturday.

7. Akron Zips - 2-4, 0-2 MAC - The expectations for the Zips in 2006 were very high, but with a 20-14 loss @ UC on Saturday, Akron drops to 2-4 to start the season. If Akron wants to defend their 2005 MAC Championship and contend in 2006, they're going to need to start getting some wins beginning October 21st against the Miami RedHawks.

8. Miami RedHawks - 0-6, 0-2 MAC - While the RedHawks fell to 0-6 on the season in their 28-25 loss to NIU on Sunday night, this team is not nearly as bad as their record indicates. The RedHawks will look to get their first W of the season on Saturday as they travel to New York to face off with the Buffalo Bulls.

MAC Football Programs Lead in Graduation Success Rates

2006-10-06T18:48:00.000-04:00

A new article over on VanDelaySports.com entitled "MAC Football Programs Lead I-A Public Institutions In Graduation Success Rates" describes how the Mid-American Conference leads the nation in graduation rates. Eight of 12 MAC schools can boast 70% or higher graduation rates while no other Division I-A conference has more than three schools in their conference with 70% or better grad rates.

While Mid-majors and non-BCS Conference schools attempt to brag about their success as they work to get a larger piece of college football's money pie, only the MAC, as a whole, seems to be doing it the right way. If you look at the number of institutions at the 70% rate or above, the MAC not only blows away all of the BCS conferences, but they also blow away Conference USA (3/8), Mountain West (2/6), Sun Belt (1/8) and WAC (0/8). Check out the link above for more; I think you will find that the MAC is truly the conference that believes in the "student" athlete.

Ohio College Football Rankings After Week #5

2006-10-06T18:44:00.000-04:00

Looks like I forgot to post the NCAA Division I-A Ohio football rankings for the week so here's the abbreviated version:

1. Ohio State
2. Kent State
3. Toledo
4. Akron
5. Cincinnati
6. Bowling Green
7. Ohio
8. Miami

Buckeyes and Big Ten Notes

2006-09-29T22:07:00.000-04:00

The Ohio State Buckeyes will head to Iowa City on Saturday with much more than the Big Ten championship on the line. Drew Tate and the Iowa Hawkeyes stand in the way of OSU’s Big Ten aspirations, National Title run, and Troy Smith’s standing in the Heisman race.

The Big Ten is definitely up for grabs and five teams appear to be in the hunt. Four Big Ten teams enter week five with a record of 4-0. Either Ohio State or Iowa will suffer their first loss this weekend, and Purdue faces Notre Dame. Michigan will need to beat Minnesota on the road to remain undefeated. Michigan State will face Indiana to open conference play this week after suffering a tough loss to Notre Dame last week. The Buckeyes and Wolverines look to have sights set on a November 11th showdown in Columbus that could shape the Big Ten and National Championship.

Troy Smith has not separated himself from the pack of Heisman candidates but remains right in the picture. His style has changed this season as he is much more comfortable reading through his options before running the ball. He keeps the ball up by his ear in a pass-ready form which allows him to make throws easier as pressure comes from the defense. Smith’s rushing numbers entering week five are shocking: 15 rushing attempts for four yards. His passing rating of 159.9 and ability to win games will keep him in the Heisman watch, but Smith will need to put together some big numbers in the next few weeks to keep pace with Oklahoma’s Adrian Peterson.

Big Ten Notes

Iowa has just two Top 25 ranked opponents on their schedule. They batt1e the #1 team in the nation Saturday and face the currently ranked #6 Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor on October 21st.

Michigan’s Chad Henne and Mario Manningham are turning into a major scoring threat. Six of Manningham’s 16 receptions have gone for touchdowns. The duo average over 20 yards per connection. Preseason Heisman hopeful Tedd Ginn Jr. has five touchdown receptions.

Purdue’s Curtis Painter leads the Big Ten in passing yards with 1,140. Troy Smith is second in the Big Ten, but he has 256 yards less than Painter. While Painter is racking up passing yards, RB Kory Sheets has been spending plenty of time in the end zone for the Boilermakers. Sheets leads the Big Ten in scoring with 10 touchdowns in the first four games.

Despite returning ten starters this season on both offense and defense, Illinois has mustered up just one win in four games. Based on their remaining games, it appears the Fighting Illini will need to defeat Indiana and Ohio University to improve on their 2005 record of 2-9.

Cincinnati Reds: Can The Reds Sneak Into The Playoffs?

2006-09-27T16:14:00.000-04:00

St. Louis has dropped 7 in a row. The Reds are only 2 and a half games back. Can they win the NL Central? I've still gotta say "No" but I am intrigued.

The Reds looked like they were left for dead upon arriving back from their west coast trip where they went 2-8. They're hardly been on fire lately (5-5 in their last 10), but the way St. Louis has looked could it really be enough? Keep in mind that Cincinnati still has to worry about the Astros as well who are only 1 and a half games back of the Cardinals, and have caught fire over the past week, winning 7 in a row, which has made them the talk of ESPN lately.

The odds that the division could end in a 3-way tie is an interesting factor that we haven't seen since realignment in 1994. Another interesting curve in this scenario is the fact that the Cardinals had an early season game against San Francisco cancelled due to inclement weather. If Houston, Cincinnati, or both, finish within a half game of the Cards they'll need to make up that game.

It's difficult to make-up 2 and a half games with only 5 remaining. To me it still looks like the Reds are a year or two away from being serious playoff contenders. They need to strengthen the back of their rotation, their lineup is much weaker since the trade of Kearns and Lopez, and Guardado's injury hurt them significantly. That said, this team has been a surprise all season, and nobody should be shocked if they pull this off.

Ohio College Football Rankings after Week #4

2006-09-26T14:29:00.000-04:00

1. Ohio State – 4-0 (1-0 Big Ten) – The Buckeyes opened Big Ten Conference play with an impressive 28-6 win over Penn State. While the game was much closer than the final score shows, the Buckeyes proved to be the superior team. The Buckeyes travel to face the #14 Iowa Hawkeyes in Saturday night’s prime-time game of the week.

2. Toledo 2-2 (0-1 MAC) – The Rockets followed their impressive win over Kansas with another home win over Division I-AA McNeese State. Toledo will have yet another opportunity to impress as they travel to Pittsburgh to face the Pitt Panthers this weekend.

3. Akron 2-2 (0-1 MAC) – The Zips bounced back from their loss @ CMU with an impressive 33-13 win over North Texas. The annual Akron/Kent rivalry game is set for this weekend as the defending MAC East champion Zips will face the up-and-coming Golden Flashes who come in 2-0 in MAC play.

4. Ohio 2-2 (1-0 MAC) – The Ohio loss @ Missouri should have been closer, but the Tigers proved to be the better team. The Bobcats come home to face Bowling Green this Saturday in a game that will be a nice measuring stick for both teams.

5. Cincinnati 1-3 (0-1 Big East) – The Bearcats gave Virginia Tech all they could handle before falling 29-13 to the 11th ranked Hokies. After leading 10-5 at the half UC saw Virginia Tech score 17 points in the 4th Quarter to gain the victory. The Bearcats will look to avenge their 2005 loss to Miami as the two teams face off this weekend in Cincinnati.

6. Kent State 2-2 (2-0 MAC) – The Golden Flashes’ 38-3 win over BG this weekend is certainly impressive and Kent has two road wins @ Miami and @ Bowling Green in consecutive weeks. Kent comes into their home match-up with Akron at 2-0 in MAC play and in 1st place in the MAC East.

7. Bowling Green 2-2 (1-1 MAC) – After getting thumped by Kent at home, the Falcons may deserve to be dead last in this poll. But Miami’s 0-4 start keeps BG out of the bottom spot. The Falcons travel to Athens to face off with the Ohio Bobcats this weekend.

8. Miami 0-4 (0-1) – Losing to Syracuse 34-14 is not a bad loss, but Syracuse is not a top-level Big East team and a closer game, maybe even an upset, would have been nice. Miami faces another Big East member, the Cincinnati Bearcats this weekend.

Ohio College Football Rankings after Week #3

2006-09-18T14:47:00.000-04:00

1 - Ohio State - 3-0, 0-0 Big Ten - As detailed in the BigTen-fans.com Big Ten football Week #3 recap, the Buckeyes came out of the gates against UC slowly trailing after the 1st Quarter and leading just 13-7 at the half. But nobody can argue with Ohio State's offensive talent as they rolled in the 2nd half. The #1 Buckeyes stay in Columbus this week to face off with #24 Penn State in what will be, on paper, one of the better match-ups of the weekend.

2 - Toledo - 1-2, 0-1 MAC - The Rockets jump up from #5 last week, but I think we all knew UT was better than 5th in the state. The 0-2 start was not what Rocket fans wanted, but as Nick predicted this week, the Rockets got the win over a BCS Conference school. Toledo should have no problem hanging onto the #2 spot as they face McNeese State this weekend.

3 - Akron - 1-2, 0-1 MAC - After an outstanding win over NC State last week, most fans would look at a loss @ Central Michigan as a bad one. But fans that really know MAC football know that the Chippewas have developed into a solid program, and in the 2006 MAC football preview by VanDelay Sports, CMU was picked to finish 8-4 this season. Akron faces a tough out-of-conference opponent in North Texas at home this weekend in a game that is critical for the Zips to regain their swagger heading into the MAC regular season.

4 - Ohio - 2-1, 1-0 MAC - The Bobcats dropped a spot as their offense sputtered @ Rutgers. Last week I said that a 1-1 split @ Rutgers and @ Missouri would be great for Ohio, but the Rutgers game looked to me like the more winnable of the two. The Bobcats will be looking to make it two straight weeks for the MAC with wins over Big 12 teams as they travel to Columbia, MO, this weekend to face the Missouri Tigers.

5 - Bowling Green - 2-1, 1-0 MAC - The Falcons came into their match-up @ Florida International with a chance to prove who the better team was and they did just that. I commented to a couple of my co-workers last week that "BG better not make the MAC look bad" and they did a good job of doing what they needed to do to get the win. A home game against Kent State should prove to be interesting this weekend as the Golden Flashes come in after beating Miami on the road.

6 - Cincinnati - 1-2, 0-1 Big East - A strong showing in the first half @ Ohio State coupled with an extremely poor performance by Miami moves the Bearcats up a spot to #6. The Baercats do not get to catch a break this week as they travel to Blacksburg, Virginia to face #11 Virginia Tech.

7 - Miami - 0-3, 0-1 MAC - I think there are a lot of people in the world of MAC football and beyond that are scratching their heads over Miami's loss at home to Kent State. The RedHawks trailed 16-0 late in this game and drove for two TDs, the latter of which they failed on the 2-point conversion. Some of the blame in this one should be on the RedHawk "fans" in my opinion. Despite having a storied football tradition and a perennial winner in Oxford, only 10,486 fans showed up. Now I know that Miami has a ton of die-hard fans as I see them all of the time on Miami's #1 fan site, MiamiHawkTalk.com. But come on. Under 11,000 fans this early in the season for a school who wins as many games as Miami? Pitiful. The RedHawks travel to Syracuse to face the Orangemen or whatever they call them these days this weekend. Looks for a closely-contested match and I sure do hope the RedHawks come out fired-up and looking to regain some confidence after the loss to Kent.

8 - Kent State - 1-2, 1-0 MAC - As much as Kent fans will be mad that they're still #8 on the list after beating #7 Miami in Oxford, I just do not believe they have a better team. At least not yet anyway. Kent faces Bowling Green on the road this weekend in MAC play and I think a lot of these rankings will solve themselves in the coming weeks. Which Golden Flashes team will show up @ BG? The team that lost 44-0 to Minnesota at home? Or the team that beat Miami on the road? I know which one BG fans will be hoping for.

Ranking the Ohio football programs - Week #2

2006-09-14T09:21:00.000-04:00

1 - Ohio State - Hands down the best team in the state again this year, and most think the Buckeyes are the best in the country. Expect a lot of points to be scored by OSU against UC this weekend.

2 - Akron - A fantastic, thrilling 20-17 win @ N.C. State last weekend after a respectful 34-16 loss @ Penn State in Week #1 puts Akron solidly in the #2 spot. The Zips travel to Mount Pleasant, Michigan, to face the CMU Chippewas on Saturday in what is expected to be a great early-season MAC matchup.

3 - Ohio - The Bobcats are 2-0 for the first time since 1999 and their 35-23 win @ Northern Illinois may be the biggest MAC win for the program in a decade. The next two games are tough road matchups with middle-tier BCS conference opponents, Rutgers and Missouri. A 1-1 split would be awesome for the Bobcats and their fans, but Ohio will be double-digit underdogs in both.

4 - Miami - The RedHawks seemed flat in their opening week 17-3 home loss to Northwestern, but played inspired football @ Purdue in a 38-31 OT loss. This weekend's game with Kent will tell us more about the 2006 Miami squad, but the RedHawks should handle KSU with few problems.

5 - Toledo - The Rockets are 4.5 point favorites vs. Kansas in the Glass Bowl Friday night. A win over a Big 12 team should bring the MAC further respect and turn the Rockets' slow start around.

6 - Bowling Green - Special Teams are killing the Falcons as a blocked punt in Week #1 led to a Wisconsin TD and 4 blocked kicks in Week #2 led to a 3-OT thiller against perennial doormat Buffalo. Playing @ Florida International seems like a trap as the MAC can't have losses to lower conferences if the teams want national respect and headlines.

7 - Cincinnati - UC has struggled in their first two games this season and facing #1 Ohio State this weekend means their struggles will continue.

8 - Kent State - With a chance to pull out a win @ Army and end their 11-game losing streak, the Flashes blew it in OT, falling 17-14. A trip to Oxford to play Miami will be quite the challenge this weekend.

Bobcats, Buckeyes put up same offensive numbers vs. NIU

2006-09-11T14:31:00.000-04:00

When people talk of the 2-0 Ohio team with the great offense that beat up on the Northern Illinois defense by scoring 35 points, they likely are not talking about the Ohio Bobcats. Well, in a state where anyone other than Ohio State gets very little attention, I'm going to give credit where credit is due.

One of the most surprising games from this past weekend was the Ohio Bobcats upsetting the Northen Illinois Huskies in Dekalb, IL. The Huskies came into the game 14.5 point favorites; not surprising considering the NIU football program under Joe Novak is a perennial MAC title contender.

While Garrett Wolfe got his yards on the ground for NIU, the real surprise was the Ohio offense led by Senior QB Austen Everson. A quick look at the box score shows that Everson passed for 322 yards and 3 TD. At many schools these numbers would not be a big deal, but at a school that ran the triple-option in the late 1990's, that is good for the most passing yards for a Bobcat QB since 1985.

Wolfe rushed for 196 yards and 2 TD averaging 8.2 yards per carry, but the star running back on this day was Ohio's Kalvin McRae. Ohio's offensive playcalling seemed to be a step ahead of the NIU defense the entire day as Everson hit numerous receivers with short passes. McRae led the way with 5 catches for 98 yards and a TD as 9 different receivers had at least one catch for the Bobcats. McRae also rushed for 107 yards and 2 TD to cap off a stellar afternoon by the Junior RB.

While NIU is supposed to be the favorite in the MAC football race in 2006, the Bobcats' next two challenges are both tough out-of-conference road contests. Ohio will play @ Rutgers this Saturday, September 16th and follow that with a trip to Columbia, Missouri to face the Missouri Tigers of the Big XII Conference. While Ohio will not be favored in either of these two contests, the Bobcats will look to add to the national headlines that the Mid-American Conference made this past weekend when the Akron Zips upset the ACC's NC State Wolfpack.

Cleveland Browns: Center of Attention

2006-09-02T23:57:00.000-04:00

The Cleveland Browns have once again made a move in attempt to fill their void at the center position. Since the injury to LeCharles Bentley on the first day of camp, the Browns have taken a look at six different centers to replace their prize free agent, Pro Bowl center. Their latest move brings six-year veteran Hank Fraley from the Philadelphia Eagles for an undisclosed 2008 draft pick.

At 6-2, 300 pounds, Fraley brings a wealth of experience to the offensive line. He had 71 career starts at center for the Eagles and was an important member of the line that paved the way for the Eagles during their prime over the past few seasons. With just one week before the start of the regular season, Fraley will compete with Lennie Friedman for the starting center position.

Fraley was an undrafted free agent out of Robert Morris University in 2000. He’s a hard working player who recently saw time at guard with the Eagles during the preseason. He brings value to the team with the ability to play multiple positions on the line. While Fraley looks to be a great fit to fill in for Bentley as the starting center this season for the Browns, he is also a talent that Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel may be able to use in the long-term once Bentley returns next year.

This move illustrates that the front office is trying hard to show fans that the Browns are making a push to put the days of 4-12 or 6-10 seasons behind them.

Cleveland Browns: Browns Cut Tucker

2006-09-02T14:33:00.000-04:00

The Cleveland Browns bizarre run with the center position this preseason only got weirder today as recently aqcuired center Ross Tucker's name was included on the final cutdown list. Browns officials have not been given a chance to comment on cuts yet.

Other notable cuts included Lee Suggs, Frisman Jackson, and Pete Hunter.

Cincinnati Reds: Faltering Down the Stretch

2006-09-01T11:41:00.000-04:00

That noise you hear in Cincinnati is the town's sports fans flipping the channel over from the Reds to the Bengals. The Bengals looked very promising with Carson Palmer's healthy return against Green Bay on Monday Night, giving Cincinnati football fans lots of hope. On the other hand, the Reds have looked awful on their latest West Coast swing and need to right the ship immediately if they still want a shot at the playoffs upon returning to Great American Ballpark next week.

A week ago, the Reds were on-top of the NL Central. After swooning to a 6 game losing streak, they're now 5 games behind the Cardinals, with only 28 games to play... all but forcing them to concentrate on a wildcard berth. If the Reds want to get back into the Wildcard race, now's the time to do it. They have a 3-game weekend series versus San Diego, who they currently trail by 1.5 games.

I'm not predicting doom and gloom for the Reds yet, like some of the local sports talk hosts and callers, but this is the most important series of the season for the Cincinnati Reds. For the Reds to survive this roadtrip, they really need to win this series. If they take 2 of 3 versus San Diego they'll be right back in the driver's seat for the Wildcard... Now it's time to sit back and see if they can do it.

Cleveland Browns: Savage and Crennel Bring Talent

2006-08-29T23:27:00.000-04:00

Ohio Sports Time has moved! Check us out at OhioSportsTime.com!

Since their return to the NFL in 1999 the Cleveland Browns have not had an impact player to serve as the face of the team. Despite high draft picks, the front office has yet to draft a player to make it to the Pro-Bowl. The fans desperately need a player to step into the light and bring back positive national attention to the Cleveland Browns.

In previous years the fans have had blinders on; believing that Wali Rainer was the next coming of Mike Singletary. Instead the results were more like Mike Junkin. I think you understand the association.

Now, Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel look to have the roster headed in the right direction to put Cleveland back on the NFL map. Fans have tried to connect with Tim Couch, Courtney Brown, and other top picks that never brought the type of play that is worthy of wearing the orange and brown, but now those connections may be a little easier to make.

Braylon Edwards, Reuben Droughns, and Kellen Winslow Jr. are three offensive players that could possibly be considered “playmakers” by opposing teams. In the past, the fans have considered Kevin Johnson, Terry Kirby, and Darnell Sanders playmakers. I’m sure other teams didn’t worry about the combination of WR, RB, and TE that the Browns had prior to this year.

Kamerion Wimbley, Willie McGinest, Leigh Bodden, Andra Davis, D’Qwell Jackson, Gary Baxter, Ted Washington, Orpheus Roye, and Sean Jones are nine defensive players that could instantly impact a game at any moment. That’s quite an upgrade from previous years.

I’m not telling you to make reservations for the Super Bowl, but 2006 brings some real excitement back to Cleveland. Fans don’t need to have a false sense of over excitement heading into this season to cover for the lack of talent. Savage and Crennel are slowly building a roster with names that will actually be noticed by fans from other teams. Enjoy the transformation of this roster. True Browns fans will soon have a team with an identity that will be associated with positive adjectives.

Green or Suggs??

2006-08-21T19:51:00.000-04:00

As the Cleveland Browns progress through the preseason there are questions that still need to be answered. One of these remaining questions swirls around the depth at running back. With Reuben Droughns the clear-cut starter; who will be the number two runner? William Green or Lee Suggs?

I think it’s obvious that rookie Jerome Harrison, a fifth-round draft pick, is the favorite for handling the situations on third down. Harrison scored a touchdown in both of Cleveland’s first two preseason games, and amassed over 100 total yards against the Detroit Lions. He’s a spark that possesses great speed for changing the pace with Droughns.

So, what will the Browns do with Suggs and Green?

The decision appeared to be made last week when the Browns attempted to trade Suggs to the NY Jets. After Suggs apparently failed a physical, he was sent back to Cleveland leaving a decision to be made by Romeo Crennel and Phil Savage.

Last season Green averaged 3.9 yards on a mere 20 carries. Suggs averaged only 1.9 yards on just eight attempts. With the emergence of Harrison it seems obvious that the Browns do not need to keep both players on the roster.

Green has had trouble staying on the field due to personal situations that have resulted in suspension by the NFL. Suggs has had trouble staying on the field due to injuries.

So, what will the Browns do with Suggs and Green?

Both players do not have great trade value because of their histories, but here’s hoping the Browns choose to stick with Suggs and attempt to trade Green. Green's vision and ability to break tackles is completely missing. He doesn’t drive his legs at the initial point of contact and seems to collapse on the first hit. He no longer seems to be able make any plays unless a clear hole is opened up by the line.

On the other hand, Suggs does show a knack for having vision. He can create plays even when the blocking up front breaks down. It’s a tough decision for the front office to make between two backs that have shown ability to run the ball at the NFL level, but right now it seems that Suggs should be the player to keep.

Pay Hafner

2006-08-20T03:42:00.000-04:00

37 HRs, 109 RBIs... On a team well out of contention. Travis Hafner is the straw that stirs the drink in Cleveland. But don't tell him that. The 29-year-old might be the most humble big-leaguer you'll ever meet. When I interviewed Hafner after his record-tying grand slam last week, he acted like it was just another day at the office. That's why the Tribe should give the slugger a new contract this off-season. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Hafner will make a base salary of $3.95 million in 2007. The club option is worth $4.95 million or a $250,000 buyout. Pay the man. Give him a new deal that pays him what he's worth so he doesn't run for the money at the end of his current deal. If Larry Dolan ever wants to bring a championship to Cleveland, the team will need Hafner to drive in runs. Sign him. Let him DH until he's tired of sending balls to Pronkville. Who cares if he doesn't play first base? He is one of the few players fans know and love. And he drives in runs .. and runs.. and runs. Too many times we've seen players exit Cleveland and continue to produce. Omar is still playing in San Francisco. Manny Ramirez... (Thome is having a good year, but without his departure, we probably wouldn't have Pronk). Pay Hafner.

Cleveland Browns: Offensive Roster Spots on the Line

2006-08-18T16:22:00.000-04:00

Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel will have their eyes peeled for players able to make an impact and grab a spot on the Cleveland Browns 2006 roster. The defense (other than the corner backs) looks to be under control. There are actually some playmakers on the roster this season, and the line and linebackers will sort itself out without any major decisions to be made. Sean Jones and Brodney Pool still seem pretty equal at safety even though Crennel stated that Jones is the starter right now. Once Gary Baxter, Daylon McCutcheon, and Antonio Perkins return at the CB positions, the defense should be pretty solid. Keep an eye on Ralph Brown as he'll start opposite Leigh Bodden tonight. Brown will need have a better outing than Pete Hunter had last week to be considered for roster depth at CB.

Don’t worry too much about the defense; it’s the offense that needs to move the ball tonight to give the front office something to gauge the players on. After last week’s inept performance, players need to step up and give Savage a reason to keep them around.

Here’s a look at the offensive position battles heading into preseason game #2 with the Detroit Lions.

QB – Charlie Frye’s the starter. The back-up is still in question as Ken Dorsey was not impressive in game one. Lang Campbell moved the offense against the Eagles “last team,” but that should get him more of a look this week. Derek Anderson and Dorsey need to show some life or Savage will be making the rounds looking for a veteran QB to sign.

RB – Reuben Droughns ran hard last week, and it appears after the attempted trade of Lee Suggs that William Green will be the #2 back. Green still needs to return to his form when he could actually break a tackle. That hasn’t been seen for quite sometime. Look for Suggs to see time so the Browns can show that he’s still worth something in trade. Jerome Harrison needs to get some reps carrying to ball this week to see what his true value will be for the team this season.

WR – With Joe Jurevicius, Dennis Northcutt, Braylon Edwards, Travis Wilson, and Josh Cribbs eating up five roster spots, there isn’t much room left for any more receivers. Frisman Jackson wasn’t great last week, but he’s shown in previous seasons that he’s capable of making an occasional play. The rest of the receivers you’ll see tonight are basically fighting to earn a spot on the practice squad.

TE – It would be nice to see Kellen Winslow catch a pass downfield tonight. Heck, it would be nice to anyone catch a pass downfield for once. Steve Heiden is the number two TE, so that leaves Darnell Dinkins and Paul Irons. If you care that much about the third TE on the roster (and true Browns fans do!) keep an eye on Dinkins and Irons.

OL – Here we go…I know it hurts to even discuss this, but we’ll give it a shot. At least a few spots are already determined. LT Kevin Shaffer, LG Joe Andruzzi, and RG Cosey Coleman will all be starters in the regular season barring _nj_ry. I don’t even want to write the word! Ryan Tucker, when he returns from his, will be the RT. A backup tackle position is still up in the air between Nat Dorsey and Kirk Chambers. Dorsey played last week, but is out for tonight’s game. He wasn’t great last week either, so Chambers will get his shot tonight to show whether he can earn a spot on the team.

And finally, one more position. I tried to put it off as long as I could. Ross Tucker is not playing for just a role as a backup. As we all know the chronicles of the center position for the Browns, the saga continues tonight. Alonzo Ephraim had his chance last week to start, but regardless of his performance he’s out for four regular season games after failing a drug test. Apparently he wasn’t expecting a call from any teams in the near future as he sat at home not on an NFL roster.

Ross Tucker could be the starter for the 2006 season. It looks like he’s the Browns fourth choice at center behind LeCharles Bentley, Bob Hallen and Ephraim, but he does have experience. Plus he came from the New England Patriots system that is similar to the Browns. Maybe Romeo found someone who’s actually better than Bob Hallen. It’s always a possibility...just look at the Browns’ luck.

Griffey battles through difficult life events

2006-08-17T16:10:00.000-04:00

If I had a chance to say just one thing to Ken Griffey, Jr. right now I can honestly tell you that I would tell him that I’ll be praying for him and his family. That says it all; everything that rushes immediately to my mind after reading ESPN.com’s article entitled Griffey struggles as both parents battle health woes.

So why is this my initial reaction you may ask. Well not only is it because Griffey has been my favorite player since even before his days in Cincinnati, but also because I feel as though I can relate to his current situation (the family illness part, not the baseball part). In February I had my own personal experience with cancer striking my family when my father was diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer. In the year prior to my father’s diagnosis my family was rocked by two Aunts having breast cancer and both of my grandmothers have spent time in the hospital in 2006 as well. So when it comes to dealing with tough times, especially when cancer is involved, I have a fairly strong resume. But it is not how you deal with the good times that defines who you are, but how you deal with the tough times. Griffey is dealing with those tough times now, and while he prefers to keep to himself and not share his life with the media, his actions on the field are the only true example of how he is dealing with this. In today’s game Griffey just hit a homerun in the top of the 7th inning against the Cardinals to break a 0-0 tie. Last night Griffey hit his 560th homerun of his career, both of which likely put a smile on his mother’s face. Both of these homeruns come in what could be the biggest series of the year for the Wild Card-leading Reds.

Griffey’s positive influence on my generation cannot be discounted. He played at a level few have ever seen for much of the 1990’s. Of all of the most recent 500 homerun club members, a list that includes Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and Junior Griffey, only Griffey has NOT been somehow linked to steroids. This is the way it is supposed to be; living the life that is respectable and fair. While others “cheat” or bend the rules and find loopholes, it has been Ken Griffey, Jr. who has risen above all of this. It has been Junior who gets razzed by the fans because of injuries. Could he have used special (illegal) drugs to help speed up his recovery process? Probably so, but I am not a medical expert. I just know that on the surface Ken Griffey, Jr. has done things the right way and should be rewarded in life, and in baseball, for doing so.

So Junior, in case you read this, I’m praying for you and your family. I will likely never shake your hand or meet you in person, but I understand the power of prayer and positive thinking and if there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know.

Cincinnati Reds: Reds extend Wild Card lead

2006-08-13T20:33:00.000-04:00

The Cincinnati Reds have pulled off the improbable this season, and despite some shaky pitching in their 3-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies this weekend, the Reds have extended their Wild Card lead over several contenders. By defeating the Phillies in 2 of the 3 games the Reds are now 61-57 and just 1.5 games behind the 1st-place St. Louis Cardinals who fell to Pittsburgh again today. While the San Diego Padres remain just 1/2 game behind the Reds, Cincinnati extended their lead over Arizona, Houston, Colorado and of course Phildelphia with today's 7-5 win in 11 innings.

Wimbley Shines in Preseason Loss

2006-08-11T15:00:00.000-04:00

The Browns number one selection of the 2006 NFL Draft was impressive in his first opportunity Thursday night. Despite Cleveland's 20-7 loss to the Philadelphi Eagles, Wimbley showed his ability to make plays on the Eagles first drive of the game. With the ball inside the one-yard-line, Wimbley collapsed the left side of the offensive line on second down, and the defense stopped Reno Mahe for a loss of three. This play put the Eagles with third and goal from the four. The Browns finished the stand giving the Eagles just a field goal.

Wimbley finished the evening with three tackles. He's needs more work dropping into pass coverage, but it appears Phil Savage made a great selection by choosing Wimbley. The physical ability and athleticism that Wimbley possesses should give the Browns a playmaker on the defensive line that has been missing.

Cleveland Browns: Five Questions for the 2006 Season

2006-08-09T23:53:00.000-04:00

Charlie Frye and the Cleveland Browns kick off their 2006 preseason schedule Thursday night in Philadelphia. This practice game will be quite interesting considering the number of storylines that have surrounded Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel’s team during camp. Here is a look at five question marks heading into the 2006 season.

Question Mark #1
What’s the deal with the center position?
It all began during the free agent period when the Browns landed former OSU standout/All-Pro center LeCharles Bentley. Considered the number one free agent of the 2006 available players by many, fans had to be shocked that the Browns could possibly have a strength in the offensive line. Now it’s August, and not only is Bentley is out for the season, but also Bob Hallen, the backup center, has experienced back spasms and is considering retirement. So, what appeared to be a strength for the Browns is now a huge question mark.

Question Mark #2
Will Kellen Winslow be the player we all expected?
Winslow may have been the most hyped draft pick by the Browns since their return to the NFL in 1999. Now the fans will finally get a chance to see what this guy can do. He has worked hard to get back on the field after his motorcycle accident and has looked impressive in camp. Maybe it will translate into production on the field.

Question Mark #3
How soon will Braylon Edwards return to game action?
It has been encouraging to see Edwards in camp participating in drills. Is his knee prepared to take a beating in games? Only time will tell. I don’t worry too much about his ability to run routes. The question is if he can engage with defensive backs while blocking.

Question Mark #4
How will the off season moves (other than Bentley and Hallen) turn out?
*Willie McGinest LB – Great linebacker and leader.
*Joe Jurevicius WR – Solid receiver and end zone threat.
*Kevin Shaffer LT – Needs to protect Frye.
*Dave Zastudil P – Good punter with Ohio ties. From Bay Village and played at Ohio University.
*Ted Washington DT – Vertern who will “eat up” space in the middle.
*Darnell Dinkins TE – Special teams and blocking TE.
There are five starters in this group who will all be expected to produce.

Question Mark #5
How will the draft picks fit into Romeo’s master plan?
Romeo admitted he doesn’t like to throw rookies right into the fire. He eases players in and feels more comfortable with veterans on the field. It took Edwards a while, but he got Romeo to crack, and he couldn’t keep Braylon off the field last year. Who will emerge from this year’s draft in that fashion?

Defensive End Kamerion Wimbley, and LBs D’Qwell Jackson and Leon Williams appear to be in the best positions for making an impact this year. WR Travis Wilson signed after camp started and will be a little behind. He’s a big receiver, but has a few players ahead of him on the depth chart.

The Browns have made some outstanding additions to upgrade the roster, but the team needs to stay healthy. Slowly, Phil Savage has improved the depth that Crennel will have to work with, but the injury bug must live in Berea. We’ll see if the Browns can improve in the win column with what appears to be a stronger team than last year.

Big Ten & Ohio State football preview

2006-07-25T22:58:00.000-04:00

Well college football is right around the corner. In just about a month 119 Division I-A schools will kickoff with hopes of bowl games and more. With the new season comes BigTen-fans.com as the newest member of the Dash Fans Network or College Sports fan sites. BigTen-fans.com currently has their Big Ten football previews live on their site including their 2006 Ohio State football preview. Check it out today and feel free to sign up for the Big Ten sports message board while you are there and let your voice be heard!

Big Ten Message Board and Fan Site launched

2006-06-23T10:19:00.000-04:00

Big Ten fans now have a new place to go to talk Big Ten football & basketball on the Web as BigTen-fans.com has launched their new Big Ten football & basketball message boards. While the remainder of the Big Ten sports fan site, BigTen-fans.com will be launched in July, the Director of the Dash Fans Network of Independent College Sports Fan Sites, said that he is pleased with the progress so far and decided that starting up the message boards/forums would give them a small head start for when the rest of the site is live. "I am very pleased with the potential for this site and we have our writing staff hard at work on our Big Ten football preview." The DFN team expects the Big Ten team previews to be ready in ealry July and plans to release 1-2 each week until the kickoff of the 2006 season.

Big Ten football & basketball message boards

Cleveland Indians: Jason Johnson Designated for Assignment

2006-06-20T20:03:00.000-04:00

In a long overdue move, the Cleveland Indians designated Jason Johnson for assignment, giving them 10 days to trade or release the lackluster starting pitcher. Johnson was signed to a 1 year $3.5 million deal at the beginning of the year as the Indians tried to make up for the loss of starters Kevin Millwood and Scott Elarton. It appears that highly touted prospect Jeremy Sowers will take Johnson's place in the rotation.

The signing of Johnson didn't make much sense to many Indians fans, yours included, from the very beginning. Johnson had been no more than mediocre during his stints in Detroit and Baltimore. Also, as the Indians traded Coco Crisp in a deal that appeared to increase their chances of competing in '07, it only made sense to give a young starter like Sowers, Fausto Carmona, or Jeremy Guthrie a chance. Mark Shapiro missed the boat on this one... In hindsight that $3.5 million would have been better served as an investment in the bullpen, which has experienced trouble holding leads this season.

In other news, Jeremy Guthrie was optioned to AAA. Here's hoping the Indians put him back in the rotation where he belongs. Guthrie has much more value as a future starter than a quick fix in the bullpen for the sinking ship that is becoming this season.

VanDelay Sports releases MAC Football Pigskin Preview

2006-06-14T15:04:00.000-04:00

VanDelay Sports, the Mid-American Conference’s premier site for MAC football and basketball news, picks, articles and links, has released their annual Pigskin Preview. Since the late 1990’s Nick Gerogosian, the owner of VanDelay Sports, has spent countless hours each summer preparing the annual MAC football preview which details Nick’s expected final MAC standings, his All-VanDelay MAC Football team and his predictions for any 2006 MAC non-conference game wins.

Next week it is expected that VanDelay Sports will release the team previews where Nick details all 12 current MAC football members and tells how he came up with his final record predictions.

2006 MAC Football Pigskin Preview

Roethlisberger a lucky man; condition upgraded

2006-06-13T17:15:00.000-04:00

Ben Roethlisberger should consider himself a lucky man. Just hours after telling Cleveland's WTAM 1100 host Bill Wills that he is extremely blessed and thanks God for the good fortune in his life on Monday, Big Ben was involved in a motorcycle crash in downtown Pittsburgh.

The latest on Roethlisberger is that his condition has been upgraded from serious to fair as he recovers from fractures in his upper and lower jaws, a broken nose, multiple head lacerations, a mild concussion, and the loss of two teeth as well as several other chipped teeth.

After claiming he was "blessed" before all of this happened I am going to have to agree that Big Ben is indeed blessed and maybe a little lucky as well. This entire incident could be much more tragic; instead reports are that Big Ben has no brain damage and is completely aware of what happened. While speculation about his football career is everywhere, what matters the most is that Roethlisberger is expected to recover from this accident completely.

Roethlisberger in serious condition after motorcycle wreck

2006-06-12T15:12:00.000-04:00

Former Miami RedHawk and current Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is in serious but stable condition in a Pittsburgh hospital after a motorcycle accident earlier today. Roethlisberger was a guest on Cleveland radio station 1100 WTAM's Wills & Coleman in the morning show around 7:45 am before news broke of his motorcycle crash around noon today.

Cincinnati Reds: First Place Reds win 8th straight

2006-06-09T12:21:00.000-04:00

The Cincinnati Reds are on a roll as they defeated the Chicago Cubs last night for their 8th straight win moving them ½ game ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1st place in the NL Central. But what is the biggest key for the Reds success this season? They’re taking advantage of the opportunities given to them. With superstars Albert Pujols (Cardinals), Derek Lee & Mark Prior (Cubs) and Roy Oswalt (Astros) all battling injuries and Roger Clemens (Astros) pitching in the minor leagues, the Reds are beating up on their NL Central foes. During the current 8-game winning streak the Reds have defeated the Cards and Astros 3 times each and the Cubs twice, and on the season Cincinnati is 25-12 against NL Central Division teams. As a result of their longest winning streak since 1999, the Reds have erased a 5-game deficit behind the Cardinals in a week’s time, and at 36-24 the Reds lead Houston by 6.5 games and the Cubs by 12.5 games.

Cincinnati Reds: Griffey ties HR record then wins game for Reds with another HR

2006-06-06T09:30:00.000-04:00

Some have thought that Ken Griffey, Jr., was washed up in the past few years. Battling a plethora of leg injuries including hamstring problems that would lead most any athlete to call it quits, Junior quieted (but not silenced) the critics last year with 35 HR and 92 RBI. But an early-season stint on the DL caused some in Cincinnati to voice concern over Griffey’s defensive play in CF and whether he should move to LF or RF. While it seems that, too, has quieted down, it is apparent that Griffey’s bat is not remaining quiet for the Reds. After hitting a walk-off, game-winning homerun to beat Washington on May 11th in his first game back from the DL, Griffey began a stretch that would see him hit 5 HR with 21 RBI in 19 games in May.

So far in June he has connected for 5 HR and 10 RBI in just 3 games, including 2 HR and 4 RBI last night. The first of Griffey’s 2 HR came in the 5th inning as Junior homered in the 43rd ballpark of his career, tying Fred McGriff for the Major League Baseball record. Then Griffey came to the plate in the 9th with the Reds trailing 7-5 and St. Louis closer Jason Isringhausen on the mound. Junior sent the ball over the fence for the second time in the game giving the Reds their 5th straight win while cutting the St. Louis lead in the NL Central to just 2 games over the Reds.

With all of Griffey’s success comes the obvious question “can he stay healthy?” While that remains to be seen, it is obvious that the man that was once supposed to be the heir-apparent to Hank Aaron’s HR record is still producing when he is healthy. Griffey currently has 10 HR and 34 RBI in 31 games in 2006. At his current rate he is on pace to hit 44 HR with 149 RBI in just 136 games. If Junior can put season-ending numbers like that up he may just lead the Reds to a playoff berth in 2006. With 546 career homeruns, Griffey now trails former Ohio Bobcats and Philadelphia Phillies 3B Mike Schmidt for 11th on the career HR list.

Ohio Baseball Update: Reds surge, Indians stumble

2006-06-05T19:45:00.000-04:00

The weekend was a great one for one Ohio Major League Baseball team and a not-so-great one for the other. While the Cincinnati Reds were coming off a 2-1 series loss in Chicago to the Cubs, they didn’t seem to let that bother them as the slugged their way to a 3-game series sweep in Houston. The sweep of the Astros marked the first 3+ game series sweep by the Reds in Houston since they swept the Astros in 4 games during the 1999 season. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Indians were unable to capitalize on their momentum from their 3-1 series win over the Chicago White Sox as they dropped 2 of 3 games to the team with the dumbest name in the history of professional sports, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The entire 3-game series was a slugfest seeing the Indians lose game 1 by a score of 10-3, winning game 2 by a score of 14-2 and losing game 3 by a score of 14-2.

The Reds begin a 3-game series in St. Louis to face the Cardinals who lost superstar 1B Albert Pujols on Saturday to the DL. The Reds are now 32-24 and in 2nd place in the NL Central trailing the Cardinals by 3 games. Meanwhile, the Indians remain in 3rd place in the AL Central at 28-28 trailing the Detroit Tigers by 8.5 games and the Chicago White Sox by 6 games. The Indians begin a 3-game series at home against the Oakland A’s on Tuesday before a 3-game series at the Chicago White Sox which begins on Friday.

Cleveland Indians: Tribe comebacks lead to 3-1 series win over White Sox

2006-06-02T09:31:00.000-04:00

Last season it was the Chicago White Sox who haunted the Cleveland Indians while the Chi Sox were on their way to a World Series Championship. This season the roles seem to be reversed. Consecutive 4-run innings in the 6th and 7th led the Tribe to a 12-8 win last night as the Indians now have a 6-3 season advantage over their AL Central Division rivals the Chicago White Sox.

Ronnie Belliard powered the Indians with a HR and 4 RBI while Jason Michaels, Grady Sizemore and Ben Broussard each added 2 RBI as well. With the win the Indians are now 27-26 on the year and trail the Detroit Tigers by 8.5 games and the White Sox by 6 games. While those deficits may seem large, the Tribe has momentum on their side having gained 3 games on the White Sox and 2 on the Tigers in the past 3 days.

So have the Indians finally turned the corner? Will we see the team that went into the final week of the 2005 season as a strong playoff contender? Indians broadcaster Matt Underwood think the Indians might have hit “rock-bottom” in their 11-0 Memorial Day loss to the White Sox at home. But with 3 straight wins over the defending World Series Champions and a struggling LA Angels of Anaheim coming to town for the weekend, it is time to see the Tribe ride this momentum to a long hot streak and gain even more ground on the White Sox and Tigers.

Cleveland Indians: Indians Rumors

2006-05-30T13:14:00.000-04:00

Your favorite Ohio sports blog, Ohio Sports Time, has moved! Check us out at OhioSportsTime.com!

There was a good article by Bud Shaw in today's PD about the Indians' recent struggles, and what it could mean in the race for the Central Division. Usually Memorial Day is a time for clubs to take a look at the state of the franchise. Mark Shapiro and Co. can't like what they're seeing when studying the Indians performance so far this season. At 24-26, the Indians are now 10.5 back on the Tigers and 9 in back of the White Sox.

Unlike last season, the causes of the Indians' early-season struggles have been largely due to lackluster pitching, not the offense which has produced 284 runs through Monday's action, 2nd in the majors to only the Yankees. If Cleveland has any hopes of turning things around they must get better production out of their starting pitching. C.C. Sabathia has pitched like a Cy Young candidate since coming off the DL, but Cliff Lee, Jake Westbrook, Jason Johnson, and especially Paul Byrd have been inconsistent at best, and awful far too often.

Johnson's last start against Detroit--0 runs, 6 hits, 6 innings--saved his spot in the rotation for now. The Indians need to be ready to call up Jeremy Sowers, who has pitched brilliantly at Buffalo. Sowers should be inserted into the rotation at the next sign of trouble.

For Cleveland to string together any sort of winning streak improved play from the bullpen is a necessity as well. Improving the starters, keeping the pen fresh, should help. It is obvious however that losing Bobby Howry was a major blow, and the Indians will need to acquire another arm for the back of the bullpen before the trade deadline.

Look for recently demoted catcher Kelly Shoppach to serve as trade bait. With Victor Martinez serving as the everyday catcher, Shoppach was getting very little playing time in Cleveland. Moving to Buffalo will give the young catcher time to develop, as it will give other teams an opportunity to see him play. Shoppach could be a mediocre starter in the majors today, yet the Indians don't really need him unless Victor Martinez gets hurt for a significant period of time.

Also, I wouldn't be surprised to see one of either outfield prospect Brad Snyder or Franklin Gutierrez shipped off. Some scouts question whether either player has the offensive skill-set to stick at the major league level. It seems like giving up on such a question mark would be a good trade if Shapiro could land a solid reliever. If Cleveland gets a chance to add a veteran reliever (Eddie Guardado perhaps?) look for them to jump at it.

Ohio State Buckeyes: Mayes leaving OSU hoops program

2006-05-24T06:02:00.000-04:00

Word out of Columbus is that junior guard Sylvester Mayes is leaving the Ohio State men's basketball program. A reserver guard during the 200-5-2006 season, speculation is that Mayes did not like the idea of being a role player again in 2006-2007 with the Buckeyes' big-name recruiting class coming to town. So far there has been no mention of possible schools that Mayes is looking at transferring to.

So let the speculation begin. Mayes is from Fort Wayne, Indiana, and the Buckeyes have had several players in the past who have trasferred out of the OSU basketball program to local schools. Charles Macon (Central Michigan), Damon Stringer (Cleveland State), John Sanderson and Shaun Stonerook (both Ohio) have all transferred out of the Ohio State program in years past; could Mayes be the next?

Cleveland Cavs: National Media Needs to Keep Cavalier Run In Perspective

2006-05-23T15:40:00.000-04:00

I'm sick of the national pundits sticking it to the Cavs. I've had it with reading articles like this one "LeBron has a long way to go" written by ESPN Morning Pizza loud-mouth Skip Bayless. Cleveland fans should be proud of the run made by the Cavaliers this postseason against the Detroit Pistons. I don't have to tell you that down 0-2, looking like they were about to get swept, LeBron was the one who led the Cavs storming back, winning three games in a row to take a shocking series lead. Sure the next two games didn't have the endings that we would have preferred, but the Cavs didn't exactly lay down for the Pistons either.

At the beginning of these playoffs who had the Cavs making the Pistons sweat it out into a Game 7? I would guess just about the same number of people who had Cleveland actually winning the series. What's that, probably about 0.1% of unbiased NBA fans? Now because Cleveland was within one game of advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals I'm supposed to believe that we failed? I'm supposed to look back on the season with hostility and discontent? I don't buy that.

Another thing that I don't buy are the constant comparisons of LeBron to Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. Whether pundits are using the comparisons as compliments, or hacks like Bayless are using them as put-downs, these comparisons are way off. At this stage in his development LeBron is a better passer and is more skilled at getting his teammates involved than Michael Jordan ever was. At the same time, he's a much more dangerous scorer than Magic Johnson could be. Yet, as the critics will correctly point out, LeBron is still not as polished as either Hall of Famer, which is probably to be expected since he's only 21 years old and just completed his 3rd NBA season.

Let's repeat that again. LeBron is only 21. He just completed his 3rd NBA season for crying out loud! He led this Cavalier team all year and throughout the playoffs. LeBron took his game to another level against the Wizards, and he did it again when his whole team had their backs against the wall in an 0-2 hole against the #1 seed. This wasn't a moral victory for a young Cavalier team. This was a team performing better than anyone could have possibly predicted, gaining valuable postseason experience.

Cleveland fans, I wouldn't trade this postseason for the world. It may not have ended with a championship--or even an Eastern Conference Finals appearance. What we saw in these playoffs was a superstar coming of age. I have no doubt that if LeBron keeps improving and Dan Gilbert and Danny Ferry can continue to improve the rest of the team around him, it's only a matter of time until Cleveland can bring home an NBA Championship.

Cleveland Cavs: LeBron James’ contract & future in Cleveland

2006-05-23T09:54:00.000-04:00

The comparisons between Michael Jordan and LeBron James will continue for years, and I can’t say that the staff at Ohio Sports Time has any reason to ignore them. Sure, Jordan is likely the greatest player of all-time, but few can argue with LeBron’s potential and his success so far. This season the Cavaliers had no business giving the Pistons a good series, let alone forcing seven games, but LeBron did not disappoint as he led the Cavs to a 3-2 series lead. While the Cavaliers were unable to close the deal it was Jordan and the Bulls who struggled to get past the same Detroit Pistons back in the early 1990’s while Jordan was developing into the eventual superstar player we know him as now.

Talk now is that the Cavs will offer LeBron James a new contract extension around July 1st. Then LeBron can sign anytime after July 12th on a contract extension that could be worth as much as $75 million over 5 years. All indications from LeBron are that he wants to stay in Cleveland and sign a long-term deal. If he were to say no to the Cavs or wait until next year’s off season to hear offers from other teams he would become a restricted free agent meaning the Cavs could then match any offer he gets from another team. As we all know, the Danny Ferry and the Cavaliers will match any offer LeBron may get. But again, all indications are that LeBron will indeed sign that long-term extension this offseason and set all doubts aside.

Now, after a bitter Game 7 loss @ Detroit, it’s time for LeBron and the Cavaliers to remain hungry and become even hungrier. The disappointment of the 4-3 series loss to Detroit needs to fuel the fire of the Cavaliers over the next 5 months until they get into the NBA preseason in October and then fuel their drive toward an NBA Championship in 2006-2007. LeBron will have a hard time topping his 2005-2006 numbers, but the Cavaliers will be looking to improve on their 50-32 record to better-position themselves for a NBA Championship run next season.

Reds Rumors: Cincinnati Reds to Send Dave Williams Packing?

2006-05-22T20:48:00.000-04:00

The title of this post is more fact than rumor at this point as the Cincinnati Reds designated Dave Williams for assignment on Saturday. Williams had been a disaster on the mound this season, amassing a 2-3 record with a 7.20 ERA. This move proves that the Reds are committed to improvement no matter what the price, as they're willing to eat a pro-rated amount of the $1.5 million remaining on Williams' deal if they can't work out a trade, or if another team doesn't claim him on waivers. Williams does still have an option, so it's possible that he could remain in the Reds farm system playing at AAA Louisville.

Williams was acquired in an offseason salary clearing move by the Reds when they parted ways with Sean Casey and the $8.5 million in salary that he would be owed this season. From the outside, this looks like a colossally bad trade, but really the Reds were still effective in clearing 7 million dollars for a player who's offensive production they've replaced with the Hatteberg/Aurilia platoon, and who's been out with back problems for most of the year so far. Not to mention, there's still a chance that a team in dire need of starters like the New York Mets could claim Williams and take responsibility for the $900,000 still owed to him.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Today we could witness greatness

2006-05-21T08:42:00.000-04:00

Today might be an awesome day for Clevaland Cavalier fans. With Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals tipping off at 3:30 pm ET, we very well may witness one of the best games in Cleveland sports history. In 1989 a young superstar led his rising team into a similar situation. The superstar's name was Jordan and his opponent was the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs were the heavy favorites that year having won 57 games; 10 more than Jordan and the Bulls. The best-of-5 series was tied 2-2 with both teams owning a road victory as Game 5 came back to Cleveland. As many Cleveland fans know, the game ended with "The Shot" as Jordan nailed the game-winner despite Craig Ehlo's hand in his face.

Now there's a new superstar in LeBron James. His late-game performances were questioned during the regular season, but now that he has a few game-winning shots under his belt it seems the media has cooled off and finally given him the respect he deserves. Always under intense scrutiny, James has been an ideal leader at age 21, scoring when needed, but most importantly playing the team game dishing out assists and grabbing rebounds as well. Today could be the day we see the Cavs take the next step and see LeBron force the media and the fans to come up with a new name for a big game-winning shot.

Today we have Game 7 with the winner of this series moving on to face the #2 seed Miami Heat and the loser heading home. While the Cavs will have guard Larry Hughes back after missing three games and sitting out Game 6, those who follow Hughes and the Cavs know he's not 100% healthy. Since Game 3 of the series we have witnessed a defensive battle between the Cavs and Pistons and Hughes is the Cavalier best defender. Having him on the court, even in a minor role, could be huge for the Cavaliers if they want to win today.

A few Game 7 notes:
- The Cavs are 2-0 all-time in Game 7's; 1992 Conference semifinals over Boston and the 1976 semifinals over Washington.
- In the NBA's history, home teams have won 81.7% of Game 7's (76 of 93). Last year home teams went 2-2 in Game 7's while this year home teams are 1-0.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Cavs host Pistons looking for a series “W”

2006-05-18T12:50:00.000-04:00

Since there always seems to be a lot of talk about “W” here in the office most days, I thought I would throw out a few W’s for the fans about the Cavs and Pistons series in the NBA Playoffs.

Who – Cleveland Cavaliers & Detroit Pistons
What – Game 6, NBA Quarterfinals
Where – Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
When – Friday @ 7pm
Why – Because the Cavs have come back from a 2-0 series deficit to take a 3-2 series lead.
How – The Cavs are up 3 games to 2 because they have figured out how to play tough defense and beat the Pistons at their own game. LeBron James has shown why he should have been the NBA MVP this season by leading the Cavaliers all season and averaging 25.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game in the Detroit series. Manewhile, F/C Anderson “Wild Thing” Varejao has stepped his game up big-time scoring 10.6 ppg in the series and shooting 80.9% from the free-throw line. In the regular season Varejao averaged 4.6 ppg and shot 51.3% from the line.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Cavs top Pistons 86-84 to take a 3-2 series lead

2006-05-17T21:52:00.000-04:00

The Cleveland Cavaliers seemed to control from start to finish in Game 5 in Detroit while beating the Pistons 86-84. But Rasheed Wallace's technical foul at the 10:26 mark in the 4th Quarter seemed to spark the Detroit Pistons in a game that saw a lot of fouls and a surprising final score. NBA fans and sports fans across the nation are stunned as the heavy-favorite Detroit Pistons who held a 2-0 lead in this series now find themselves down 3-2 after seeing LeBron James and the Cavs win 3 straight in the best of seven series. The game-winning shot came on a pass from LeBron james to Drew Gooden with about 28 seconds remaining to put the Cavs up 86-84.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Cavs face Pistons in Game 5 tied 2-2

2006-05-17T17:08:00.000-04:00

After the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Pistons at their own game on Monday night, the Pistons remained confident. Rasheed Wallace didn't make any more guarantees, but he reamained confident that the Pistons would win the series. But in tonight's Game 5 the pressure is on Detroit. The Cavs have shown that they can beat Detroit in their type of defensive-minded, low-scoring game, and a 3rd straight loss for the Pistons would have them on the brink of elimination in Cleveland on Friday night. The Cavs, on the other hand, need to remain cool about their recent success and build off of their confidence-building wins. A loss tonight would not be devestating at all; most people thought the Pistons would win this series in 4 or 5 games. However, even if the Cavs were down 3-2 going into Friday night the Cavs will host Game 6 in Cleveland where they are 2-0 in this series and 4-1 in the 2006 NBA playoffs.

Meanwhile, it was announced today that LeBron James was the top vote-getter for the all-NBA team this season.

Reds Rumors: The Griffey Shift

2006-05-16T12:46:00.000-04:00

No, I'm not talking about the adjusted defensive alignment that teams often use when Ken Griffey Jr comes to the plate. Actually the latest Reds Rumors have Griffey sliding over to play leftfield in the Cincinnati Reds outfield. For what it's worth, I don't believe these rumors, I'm just relaying them.

If you live in the Tri-State area and frequent the sports talk stations, you're probably familiar with a couple of local windbags known as the "Two Angry Guys". The Two Angry Guys, Richard Skinner and Tom Gamble, are on 1360 The Homer weekday mornings during drive-time. Both hosts believe (and insist on regularly shoving this belief down listners' throats) that the Reds would be improved if Griffey moved to leftfield, Dunn to firstbase, and Ryan Freel took over in center.

The argument is that Griffey will have a decreased chance of getting hurt, with less ground to cover in left, and that the team will still be defensively solid with Freel in center. I disagree. My feelings are that Griffey is a superior centerfielder over anyone else the Reds have on their major league roster, or even in the minor league system. Also, the Reds are probably better offensively with Hatteberg and Aurilla splitting time at first base.

I might feel differently if the Reds had a hot-shot centerfielder waiting in the wings in AAA, but Chris Denorfia is really more of a corner outfielder than a centerfielder. For now I think the Reds are better served to keep Junior in center, and hope that the injury bug doesn't bite.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Cavs knock off Pistons to even series at 2-2

2006-05-15T22:58:00.000-04:00

It appears that Rasheed Wallace's "Guaran-Sheed" was nothing more than an empty promise. The heavy-favorite Detroit Pistons, who looked like they would run away and sweep the Cavs in their best-of-seven series, now see their series even at 2-2 as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Pistons 74-72 on Monday night. It was another all-around performance for LeBron James at home against the Pistons. Coming off a 21 point, 10 rebound and 10 assist triple-double performance on Saturday, LeBron responded with 22 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists in Game 4.

The Cavs and Pistons will face off in Game 5 on Wednesday night at 7 pm in Detroit with Game 6 on Friday night in Cleveland.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Cavs face Pistons in pivotal Game Four

2006-05-15T12:45:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately, the Ohio Sports Time blog does not have the time to write-up a game preview for tonights NBA playoff match-up between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Detroit Pistons in Cleveland. However, here is a collection of links for fans to read more about tonight's big game.

Hughes to miss second straight; Cavs to attend funeral

Scouts: Pistons vs. Cavaliers Game 4

Cleveland vs. Detroit Game 4 Preview

Cavs' Game 3 win offers map to team's future needs

LeBron's triple-double gives Cavs life against Pistons

Indians, Reds struggle as both teams get swept

2006-05-14T18:30:00.000-04:00

It was not a good weekend for the fans of either Ohio MLB team. Both the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies completed a 3-game series sweep over the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds to end a weekend of miserable weather and miserable baseball in the state of Ohio. For the Indians, Sunday's loss marked their sixth straight after the Royals had swept the Indians in KC earlier in the week. While the Reds were coming off a series where they beat the Nationals in two of three games, they needed a dramatic HR from Ken Griffey, Jr. to salvage the rubber match on Thursday in Cincinnati.

Looking ahead, the Tribe faces the Kansas City Royals in a 4-game series in Cleveland starting on Monday. The Royals are 5-1 against the Indians on the season but 5-24 against the rest of the American League. Meanwhile, the Reds will look to end their 3-game slide as they head to Pittsburgh on Tuesday for three games before a trip to Detroit to face the Tigers in interleague play.

Cincinnati Reds: Griffey returns, HR lifts Reds past Nationals in 11

2006-05-11T23:22:00.000-04:00

Despite the rainy conditions, the Cincinnati Reds decided to activate OF Ken Griffey, Jr. from the DL on Thursday. It appears that was a good move. Griffey did all he could by making a diving catch in the game only to see Reds closer David Weathers blow a 1-0 lead in the top of th 9th inning. As the Reds blew their chances, including having a runner at 2B with no outs in the bottom of the 9th, the Nationals took full advantage of the Reds bullpen with 3 runs in the top of the 11th. After Washington took the 4-1 lead I shut off my Internet feed of the game in disgust, but I was pleased to be wrong as ESPN's Baseball Tonight flashed the highlight of Ken Griffey Jr.'s walk-off HR in the bottom of the 11th to win the game for the Reds 5-4.

With the win the Reds are now 23-12 which remains the best record in the National League and one full game ahead of the St. Albert Pujols Cardinals.

Ohio University Marching 110 appears on NBC's hit show Deal or No Deal

2006-05-11T10:51:00.000-04:00

Ok, so this isn't directly Ohio sports-related, but it is indirectly related. Ohio University's great marching band, known as the Marching 110, was on "Deal or No Deal" last night on NBC. The contestant is a OU alumnus named Chad Pritchard who was the Ohio University mascot, the Bobcat, during his days in Athens from 1997-2001. "Deal or No Deal" host Howie Mandell told Pritchard that his alma mater had a surprise for him and as soon as he heard the bass drum beats he proclaimed "The 110!"

Ohio Sports Time spoke with one Marching 110 member, Dan Pittman, and when asked he said "yes, the models who hold the cases are just as hot in person."

"Deal or No Deal" will air again with the Marching 110 and Pritchard on Friday night at 8 pm ET, 7 pm CT.

Cavs show life, but Pistons go up 2-0

2006-05-09T22:18:00.000-04:00

Earlier today I said that the Cleveland Cavaliers needed to show some life and get a "moral victory" tonight to gain the confidence needed heading back to Cleveland for Game 3. If the Cavs were going to lose, they needed to make sure this was not a blowout. As the game unfolded this game had all the makings of a blowout as the Pistons led by as many as 20 in the 3rd Quarter and by 18 heading into the 4th Quarter. But LeBron James led the Cavs surge to make a game of it as Cleveland cut the lead to 5 with under 2 minutes remaining. Unfortunately for the Cavs their comeback came up short as the Pistons hung on for a 2-0 series lead with a 97-91 victory.

Cleveland Cavs: Cavaliers look to show they can hang with the Pistons

2006-05-09T16:30:00.000-04:00

When the Cleveland Cavaliers face off with the Detroit Pistons in Game 2 of the NBA’s Eastern Conference Semifinals tonight they should have more than just winning the game on their minds. After the poor showing on Sunday in the Pistons 113-86, the Cavs should also think about playing a more respectable game. While Detroit isn’t coming out and saying it, there’s no doubt that Game 1 was a statement game for the Pistons. The Cavaliers were on national TV for every game of their 1st-Round series with Washington with Nike commercials sporting the “We are all witnesses” slogan about LeBron James. Meanwhile the Pistons were taking care of business over on NBA TV, waiting for their chance. When the Cavs/Wizards series extended to 6 games the Pistons were resting up after finishing off the Bucks in just 5 games, and the Eastern Conference’s #1 seed was poised and ready for the up-and-coming #4 seed Cavaliers.

So with Game 1’s embarrassment behind them, the Cavs could really use a win. But let’s be realistic here. The Cavs first need to show they can play with the Pistons and compete with them on their home court. As much as I hate to say they need a moral victory since we all know moral victories don’t give you anything in the “W” column, I do believe that the Cavs need a moral victory tonight to boot their confidence. Sending the series to Cleveland with the Cavs feeling strong about their chance of winning some games at home could go a long way towards getting them back into this series.

Cavaliers keys to victory:
• Hold the Pistons to a normal 3-point shooting percentage – under 40% and under 30% preferably
• Flip Murray scoring in double-digits
• Efficient LeBron James scoring – 30 points on say, 22-24 shots would be nice
• Z showing on offense – 15 points, 10 rebounds

Ohio Sports Update for Sunday - Cleveland Cavs, Cleveland Indians & Cincinnati Reds

2006-05-07T09:23:00.000-04:00

- The Cleveland Cavaliers should probably get more space on this Ohio sports blog, and it's likely that they will as they begin their best-of-seven series with the Detroit Pistons today @ 3:30 pm ET on ABC in Detroit.

- The Cleveland Indians have lost 2 of 3 with last night's 4-1 loss @ Seattle. First pitch in Seattle on Sunday is @ 4:05 pm ET. The Tribe is 16-15 on the year and in 3rd place in the AL Central behind the White Sox and Tigers.

- The Cincinnati Reds have lost 3 of 4 but remain in 1st place in the NL Central at 20-11. The Reds have dropped the first two games in Arizona and face to Diamondbacks @ 4:40 pm ET this afternoon.

Cavaliers win! Cleveland advances with OT thiller over Washington

2006-05-05T23:20:00.000-04:00

LeBron James and Gilbert Arenas were supposed to be the players who provided the late-game heroics. Someone forgot to tell Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown about this when he inserted Damon Jones into the lineup with 14.3 seconds remaining in OT down 113-112 to the Wizards. Jones, who had not played a single second prior, saw LeBron pass to Larry Hughes who found Jones in the corner for a 2-point basket to win the game for the Cavs in 114-113 OT. The win advanced the Cleveland Cavaliers over Washington 4-2 and into the 2nd Round against the Detroit Pistons.

It was not as if this game lacked heroics, or moments of "choking" for that matter. Gilbert Arenas could not decide which of these hats he wanted to wear as he extended the game to overtime with a long-range 3-pointer at the end of regulation. But it was Arenas who missed two consecutive free-throws in the final seconds of OT which could have made the Cavs comeback much more improbable. Those two missed FT's led to a Cavs timeout, followed by the insertion of Damon Jones, and you know how it ended.

Series note: I am not sure what impressed me more during Game 6 between Washington and Cleveland, the announcers' high praise of Wizards PG Antonio Daniels or his fantastic play. Daniels averaged 13.2 ppg (22 pts in Game 6), made 53.8% from the field and hit 90.9% of his FT's. The former Bowling Green star was the most playoff-experienced player on Washington's roster and certainly played like it with a fantastic showing on national TV for six huge playoff games.

Cleveland Cavaliers: We Are All Witnesses

2006-05-04T10:35:00.000-04:00

In case you missed it the Cavaliers squeaked by the Wizards in OT 121-120, taking a 3-2 lead in the series last night. I suggest catching SportsCenter ASAP to see LeBron's game winner. The shot itself, a layup, wasn't that difficult. But LBJ's tightrope act down the baseline past 3 Wizards defenders with only 3.9 seconds remaining was amazing. Magnificent performance.

Cincinnati Bengals: 2006 NFL Draft Picks in Review

2006-05-02T16:28:00.000-04:00

The Cincinnati Bengals put together what I consider to be a decent, albeit unspectacular draft. Below is my analysis of each player selected by the Bengals in the 2006 NFL Draft.

1st Round, #24 (24) - Johnathan Joseph - CB - South Carolina
This was an ideal pick-up for the Bengals at the #24 spot. Johnathan Joesph has spectacular speed, quickness, and possess natural playmaking skills. He doesn't have a bunch of experience, only playing one full season at the DI-A level, but that's OK for the Bengals in this spot. Barring injuries, Joseph is not going to be counted on as anything more than a nickle or dime-back for Cincinnati this season, and the Bengals coaching staff should have plenty of time to develop him into a solid cornerback.

2nd Round #23 (55) - Andrew Whitworth - OT - LSU
Andrew Whitworth is another solid pickup with time to develop for Cincinnati. With the much publicized rift between aging OT Willie Anderson and the Bengals over the past couple of weeks, it was no surprise to see the Bengals go with a solid OT in the second round. Whitworth is big and strong, with a great frame. Although, not the best athlete, or the most mobile lineman, he's been described as a mauler, and should provide good depth up front this season, and could step in as a replacement for aging Willie Anderson in time.

3rd Round #27 (91) - Frostee Rucker - DE - USC
I think Rucker might have been a reach at this spot. Rucker does a lot of things competantly, and has adequate size and speed, but doesn't stand out in any one area. The knock on Rucker is that he isn't dominant in any facet of the game. He lacks the size and power to consistently hold his ground versus the run and isn't fast enough to be a situational pass rusher. It looks like Rucker is destined to be a situational reserve in the NFL. It's also possible that Rucker could shift to linebacker at the next level.

4th Round #26 (123) - Domata Peko - DT - Michigan State
Peko may have been another slight reach, although I'm not as down on him as I was on Rucker in the 3rd Round. Peko is a big, strong prospect with good height, power, and bulk. Peko isn't a great athlete, and takes too long to change directions, but he is a very good tackler for his size. Peko lacks even the most basic pass-rush moves and can only get to the quarterback when he bowls over the offensive line, something he probably won't have much success with in the NFL. Peko's lack of athleticism or ability to rush the QB makes him destined to be a 2-down run-stopper in the NFL. This, coupled with character concerns from a May 2005 arrest probably mean that the Bengals could have waited until slightly later, and still drafted him.

5th Round #25 (157) - A.J. Nicholson - OLB - Florida State
The Bengals next pick, A.J. Nicholson, is a player with even more character concerns. Nicholson was charged with two seperate alcohol-related crimes, before his senior season in 2005. He's also been charged with resisiting arrest, suspended by the team for the 05-06 Orange Bowl, and questioned by police after a 19-year-old woman accused him of sexually assulting her. Not good.

Looking strictly at Nicholson on the field, he looks like a much better prospect. He's a ball-hawkish OLB, who lacks superb speed, but makes up for it with instincts and quickness. Nicholson is bulky with good size for a shorter LB prospect. He's a good tackler who can both blitz and drop into coverage sufficiently. Nicholson might have been a 2nd round pick if it wasn't for his off-field baggage. If Marvin Lewis and the Bengal staff can get this kid to fly right, he could be a steal.

6th Round #24 (193) - Reggie McNeal - QB - Texas A&M
It's not likely that the Bengals drafted McNeal to play QB in the NFL, but he's the type of athlete who definitely will see the field at the next level. McNeal is a spectacular athlete who could be the Bengals answer to former Steelers Kordell "Slash" Stewart, or Antwaan Randel El. It'll be interesting to see how the Bengals use McNeal as he has the superb athleticism, speed, quickness, and change of direction skills to play receiver, or return punts in the NFL.

7th Round #1 (209) - Ethan Kilmer - WR - Penn State and
7th Round #23 (231) - Bennie Brazell - WR - LSU
I don't have a lot of info on Kilmer or Brazell, but the fact that the Bengals are drafting two WRs late shows me that Chris Henry and his off-field troubles could be out the door by the end of training camp, especially if he keeps causing headaches. Wide receiver had been one of Cincinnati's deepest positions before the draft. The Bengals signed WR Antonio Chatman from Green Bay this off-season, and Chad Johnson and TJ Houshmanzadeh aren't going anywhere. Add to that Tab Perry and Kelley Washington as decent 4th wide receivers and these two draft choices show me that the Bengals aren't about to stand pat with their core of receivers.

Cleveland Browns: 2006 NFL Draft Picks in Review

2006-05-01T16:14:00.000-04:00

The Cleveland Browns put together what I consider to be a very good draft class. Several major sports outlets are in agreement as the Browns draft is rated as a B by Mel Kiper, a B+ by CBS Sportsline, and an A by FoxSports. Below you'll see my in-depth analysis of each player selected by the Browns in the 2006 NFL Draft.

1st Round, Pick #13( 13) - Kamerion Wimbley - OLB - Florida State
This was the direction that Cleveland had been rumored to go for weeks, and no surprise that the Browns took Wimbley with their first rounder. Although he lined up at DE in college, Wimbley will play OLB in the NFL. With his superb lateral quickness the Browns hope that Wimbley will be able to help a defense that was very deficient rushing the QB in 2005.

Note: In trading with the Ravens to move down one spot, the Browns added a 6th round pick, and still managed to grab the player that they wanted.

2nd Round, Pick #2 (34) - D'Qwell Jackson - ILB - Maryland
The Browns traded up 9 spots in the second round to select D'Qwell Jackson. ILB was a position of incredible weakness for the Browns in 2005, and a position that they were not able to shore up through free agency. Jackson lacks elite size and speed, but makes up for it with some intangibles. Speficically, he has good recognition skills and takes good angles to the ball. Even if Jackson will challenge Matt Stewart and Chaun Thompson for snaps at ILB next to Andra Davis. He'll also be solid on special teams.

Note: The Browns traded Jeff Faine to New Orleans to move up in the 2nd round. According to the NFL pick value chart, it would have taken about a 3rd round pick to move up this far in the 2nd round. Chalk this down as another poor pick from the Butch Davis era.

3rd Round, Pick #14 (78) - Travis Wilson - WR - Oklahoma
It wouldn't be a draft if the Browns didn't select a WR on the first day. In selecting Wilson, it's obvious that the Browns are worried about Braylon Edwards' rehabilitation (he may be out until October or November) and that they know Frisman Jackson can't get open enough to be a satisfactory 3rd receiver in this league. Travis Wilson has good size and is strong, but probably lacks the elite speed of a top receiver in the NFL.

Wilson played his sophomore and junior seasons in the shadow of Mark Clayton, and didn't take advantage of becoming the primary target his senior season. That said, Oklahoma was breaking in a new QB last season, which could have accounted for some of Wilson's struggles. Wilson is sure-handed enough that if he can get into camp early and impress, he has a shot to earn some time on this Browns team with Edwards out for the forseeable future.

4th Round, Pick #13(110) - Leon Williams - ILB - Miami (Fl)
Leon Williams in a LB prospect with elite size, at 6-3, 245 lbs, and has been called one of the most physically gifted linebacker prospects in the draft. That said, Williams is somewhat of a project who lacks a lot of instincts and fundamentals, especially in coverage. It's obvious that the Browns selected Williams as a project with tremendous upside. Thankfully, as opposed to past regimes, Savage/Crennel chose to select a project on Day 2, rather than Day 1.

5th Round, Pick #12 (145) - Jerome Harrison - RB - Washington State
Jerome Harrison is the change-of-pace back that Phil Savage has been coveting since he arrived in Cleveland. Harrison is a shifty, quick type of runner who comes in the same mold as former Brown Jamel "Track Meet" White. Harrison was an accomplished runner at Washington State who gained 1,900 yards in his senior season.

Harrison also showed the ability to make catches out of the backfield, showing that he can serve as a decent 3rd down back in the NFL. Many boards had Harrison going in the late 3rd round. The fact that he was still on the board when the Browns picked in Round 5 was probably too good a deal to pass up. This could spell the end of Lee Suggs injury-riddled tenure with the Orange and Brown.

5th Round, Pick #20 (152) - DeMario Minter - CB - Georgia
Minter has the skill set that you look for in a good DB. He has good size with great speed and quickness. Minter is a good tackler and a smart player who rarely gets beat deep and has the quickness it takes to stay with even the shiftiest receivers in the NFL. The one knock against Minter is his ability to play the ball. He had 0 INTs as a Junior, only 2 as a senior, and is said to lack big play ability.

Minter probably should have come off the board by the end of Day 1, but he was suspended for two games in 2003 after being arrested for marijuana possesion, so character concerns probably kept him around for as long as he lasted. Minter could be an instant contributor as a sub-in for Nickle and Dime packages. Also, he should be an instant playmaker in Special Teams coverage.

6th Round, Pick #11(180) - Lawrence Vickers - FB - Colorado
The Browns didn't have a major need for a fullback, but as Lawrence Vickers was thought by many to be the best FB in the draft, Phil Savage and Co. just couldn't pass him up at this spot in the 6th round. Vickers has good size, and the body frame to be able to bulk up even more, which is good because he still lacks the elite strength and power that he'll need to compete in the NFL. Vickers has good speed and agility for the position as well. If he hits the weight room hard, he could be a starter at FB in another year or two.

6th Round, Pick #12 (181) - Babatunde Oshinowo - DT - Stanford
Oshinowo is a big-bodied NT prospect. The Browns were very high on him, having him rated as one of the top 3 or 4 NTs in the draft. Oshinowo has the requisite size and strength to play the NT position, although he needs to improve his speed and mobility. Hopefully learning from Ted Washington for the next two years will help him learn when to disengage from blocks, how to play the run, and when to penetrate upfield, because this guy definitely has the body to play NT in the NFL.

7th Round, Pick #14 (222) - Justin Hamilton - S - Virginia Tech
Honestly, I don't know a whole lot about Justin Hamilton. The Cleveland Browns last pick in the 2006 draft was Justin Hamilton out of Virginia Tech. The Browns took a flier on Hamilton as an athlete who played running back and wideout for V-Tech before moving to safety in '05. He's a heady player who called the defensive signals for the nation's top-ranked defense. The Browns expect him to play special teams and serve as backup safety.

Browns, Bengals picks in 2006 NFL Draft

2006-04-30T18:26:00.002-04:00

Here's a quick all-Ohio NFL Draft update from all 7 Rounds:

Cleveland Browns
1st Round, Pick #13( 13) - Kamerion Wimbley - DE - Florida State
2nd Round, Pick #2 (34) - D'Qwell Jackson - ILB - Maryland
3rd Round, Pick #14 (78) - Travis Wilson - WR - Oklahoma
4th Round, Pick #13(110) - Leon Williams - ILB - Miami (Florida)
5th Round, Pick #12 (145) - Jerome Harrison - RB - Washington State
5th Round, Pick #20 (152) - DeMario Minter - CB - Georgia
6th Round, Pick #11(180) - Lawrence Vickers - FB - Colorado
6th Round, Pick #12 (181) - Babatunde Oshinowo - DT - Stanford
7th Round, Pick #14 (222) - Justin Hamilton - S - Virginia Tech

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Cincinnati Bengals
1st Round, #24 (24) - Johnathan Joseph - CB - South Carolina
2nd Round #23 (55) - Andrew Whitworth - OT - LSU
3rd Round #27 (91) - Frostee Rucker - DE - USC
4th Round #26 (123) - Domata Peko - DT - Michigan State
5th Round #25 (157) - A.J. Nicholson - OLB - Florida State
6th Round #24 (193) - Reggie McNeal - QB - Texas A&M
7th Round #1 (209) - Ethan Kilmer - WR - Penn State
7th Round #23 (231) - Bennie Brazell - WR - LSU

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NFL Draft Update - Browns, Bengals & players from Ohio colleges

2006-04-29T22:25:00.000-04:00

Here's a quick all-Ohio NFL Draft update from the first 3 Rounds on Saturday:

Cleveland Browns
1st Round, Pick #13( 13) - Kamerion Wimbley - DE - Florida State
2nd Round, Pick #2 (34) - D'Qwell Jackson - ILB - Maryland
3rd Round, Pick #14 (78) - Travis Wilson - WR - Oklahoma
- It appears as though the Browns chose Scenario #3 from our Browns NFL Draft Preview.

Cincinnati Bengals
1st Round, #24 (24) - Johnathan Joseph - CB - South Carolina
2nd Round #23 (55) - Andrew Whitworth - OT - LSU
3rd Round #27 (91) - Frostee Rucker - DE - USC
- The Bengals chose Scenario #1 from our Bengals NFL Draft Preview.

Players drafted from Ohio colleges:
Ohio State Buckeyes
#5 (1st) - AJ Hawk - LB - Green Bay Packers
#8 (1st) - Donte Whitner - S - Buffalo Bills
#18 (1st) - Bobby Carpenter - OLB - Dallas Cowboys
#25 (1st) - Santonio Holmes - WR - Pittsburgh Steelers
#29 (1st) - Nick Mangold - C - New York Jets
#70 (3rd) - Ashton Youboty - CB - Buffalo Bills
#76 (3rd) - Anthony Schlegel - ILB - New York Jets

Expect to see Bowling Green QB Omar Jacobs, Ohio CB Dion Byrum and Toledo QB Bruce Gradkowski and more taken on day two of the NFL Draft on Sunday.

Ohio Baseball Notes:
- The 1st Place Cincinnati Reds won their 6th straight with a 6-3 win over the Houston Astros. The Reds (17-7) set a club record for most wins in April with the victory as Aaron Harang started and won his 4th game of the year and Brandon Phillips added 2 RBI for Cincinnati.
- The Cleveland Indians did not fair so well against their former teammate Kevin Millwood as the Texas Rangers beat the Indians 7-5 on Grady Sizemore bobblehead night. Ben Broussard had 2 RBI and raised his batting average to .413 with 2 hits including his 5th HR of the season.

Browns trade down, draft DE Wimbley at #13

2006-04-29T15:36:00.000-04:00

The Cleveland Browns surprised many on Saturday as they traded the #12 pick in the NFL Draft. But the trade itself was not the surprise, it was who they dealt the #12 pick to. Inter-division rival Baltimore sent a 6th Round pick to the Browns along with the #13 pick in the draft for the #12 pick, and Baltimore followed that up by selecting Oregon DT Haloti Ngata. The Browns seemed to be content with getting the player they wanted while adding a 10th pick in the 7 rounds of the 2006 NFL Draft, and with the #13 pick the Browns selected Florida State DE Kamerion Wimbley. The selection of Wimbley is the first defensive player drafted in the 1st Round by Cleveland since the 2001 NFL Draft where they chose Gerrard Warren with the #3 pick.

Reds move into 1st, Indians win 3rd straight

2006-04-28T23:29:00.001-04:00

The Cincinnati Reds have been playing solid baseball all season and now it seems that the Cleveland Indians are on-track too. As the Reds solved Astros ace Roy Oswalt for the first time in 16 decisions (yes, Oswalt is now 15-1 against the Reds with today's loss), their 5-4 win over Houston was their 5th straight win sending Cincinnati (16-7) into 1st place all by themselves in the NL Central. Meanwhile, the Indians return home has proved to be a successful one as the Tribe had won two consecutive games over the Boston Red Sox before tonight's match-up with the Texas Rangers. As most over Northeast Ohio witnessed the Tribe on SportsTime Ohio tonight, they saw the Indians (13-10) get their 3rd straight win beating Texas 7-6.

Reds & Indians Notes:
- Reds 2B Brandon Phillips, the former Indians 2B/SS who won the NL Player of the Week last week, went 3-4 tonight with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI.
- Brandon Claussen picked up the win for the Reds with David Weathers getting his 7th save despite a rought 9th inning.
- Indians LF Jason Michaels went 3-5 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI and Eduardo Perez drove in 2 runs as well.
- Bob Wickman picked up save #5 with Jason Davis getting the win in relief.

Reds 5, Astros 4

Indians 7, Rangers 6

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LeBron's 41 lead Cavs to 97-96 win

2006-04-28T23:15:00.000-04:00

LeBron James scored 41 points, the most points ever scored by a player making their road playoff game debut, to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 97-96 win over the Washington Wizards on Friday night. The win puts the Cavs up 2-1 in the best-of-seven series with Game 4 being held in Washington on Sunday night @ 7:30 ET.

As mentioned, LeBron James scored 41 points, and added 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals on 16-28 shooting. Zydrunas Ilgauskas fouled out with 15 points, 8 rebounds and former Wizard Larry Hughes scored 16 points.

Box Score

Cleveland Browns NFL Draft Preview

2006-04-28T09:51:00.000-04:00

Cleveland Browns Draft Needs
The Browns are going to be looking at mostly defense in this draft, and certainly in the first round. With the 12 pick, prognosticators are expecting Cleveland to select an interior d-lineman to help stuff the run or a rush linebacker to sack the quarterback. Given the Browns roster, I can't argue with this thinking. See the scenarios below.

Scenario 1: The AJ Hawk
The scenario that most Browns fans would like to see is also the one that's probably the least likely to occur. For this scenario to play out it's going to take some luck, and a trade up. It's very doubtful that the Browns can trade all the way up to the #5 selection to get Hawk. If Hawk slips a couple of spots though... who knows. Here are some things that would need to happen in this scenario.

Reggie Bush and Mario Williams go 1-2.
The Titans, who are definitely going QB at #3, listen to their front office rather than their coaching staff and select Vince Young.
The Jets are unable to pass up on Matt Leinart, who should make a fantastic pro.
The Packers take DeBrickishaw Ferguson to bolster their weak O-line.
San Fran takes Vernon Davis to give Alex Smith someone to throw to.

This means that the Raiders would be sitting at #7 with only 1 guy from the defensive side of the ball off the board. Would the Silver and Black consider moving down as the Browns make desperate attempts swap picks, so they could select the perfect guy to play next to Andra Davis? Browns fans surely hope so.

Scenario 2: The Buffalo Second Option
The Buffalo Bills have the #8 pick this season and smart money has them selecting either massive NT Haloti Ngata or Florida State DT Broderick Bunkley. The Browns could use a beefy run-stopper like Ngata to serve as an apprentice to Ted Washington for a year or two. Bunkley who played DT in college would translate well over the a DE in Romeo Crennel's 3-4 scheme. In this scenario the Bills would select either Ngata or Bunkley, and the Browns would bolster their D-Line by selecting the other at #13.

Scenario 2b: The Ohio Swap
Scenario 2b rolls into motion if the Browns take Ngata at the #12 spot. Having strengthened the D-Line Romeo Crennel will be looking to bolster his pass rush. The Browns could wait for their second-round pick where they could have a look at Penn State or BC DEs Tamba Hali or Mathias Kiwanuka. I think Crennel would rather find a rusher for the OLB spot oposite newly aqcuired Willie McGinist.

This is where the Bengals come into play. As discussed in my Cincinnati Bengals Draft Preview, the Bengals don't have any immediate needs, and are looking to add depth. Would Cincinnati be interested in trading their #24 pick for something like the Browns 2nd and 4th round selections?

If NC State DE/OLB Manny Lawson is on the board at this spot the Browns would certainly be interested in trying to work something out. I doubt Cleveland gives up their 2nd and 3rd rounders, but if they can swing a deal adding another 4th or 5th rounder for Jeff Faine I could imagine that Phil Savage would be willing to part with a 4th rounder if it meant finding the pass rushing LB that the Browns defense so sorely lacks.

Scenario 3: The Pass-Rushing OLB
Romeo Crennel's defensive system makes use of 1 or 2 pass rushing linebackers on the outside, which is why DEs are often moved to OLB in the 3-4 defense. In this draft, Florida State DE Kamerion Wimbley looks like the perfect candidate to play that role. Wimbley has a great motor and should translate into a pass-rushing deamon from the OLB spot in the NFL.

Taking everything that I know and am hearing about the Browns into account, I think Scenario 3 is probably the most likely, especially if Savage plans on keeping all of his picks. It's no secret that the Browns covet a pass-rushing LB and Wimbley would fit the bill wonderfully.

While it's possible that Cleveland could trade down and add picks, while hoping to select NC State's Manny Lawson, I don't think that they could move very far for fear of someone grabbing Lawson ahead of them. All in all, should be an interesting day for Browns fans as Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel work to add talent and depth, especially to Cleveland's defense.

Cincinnati Bengals NFL Draft Preview

2006-04-28T09:30:00.000-04:00

Cincinnati Bengals - Draft Needs
The Bengals are in a slightly odd position, for the first time in years they don't have bunches of holes to fill on both sides of the ball. For Cincinnati, this draft is going to be about drafting depth in the secondary, both the O and D-lines, and finding a pass-catching TE. The good news for Cincinnati is this year's draft is very deep in DBs and TEs. Onto the scenarios...

Scenario 1: The Defensive Back
This is the most likely scenario, even though every caller on the SportsTalk radio stations think that the Bengals should draft a pass-catching TE in the first round, there's something important to remember here. The Bengals had one of the best offenses in the NFL last season. Adding a solid TE, while important, probably shouldn't head the Bengals "Things to Do" list.

I say that Marvin Lewis & Company wait patiently in their #24 slot. Looking to add depth to an aging, mediocre secondary, when time comes for the Bengals to pick they go with the best defensive back still on the board. Someone who can serve as a decent Nickel or Dime back, and bring something to Special Teams would be paramount here. The Bengals could be able to choose who they prefer out of a group of CB Antonio Cromartie, CB Jimmy Williams, and S Donte Whitner.

Scenario 2: The Offensive Explosion
Will there be enough balls to go around with Rudi Johnson, Chad Johnson, TJ Houshmandzadeh, and a pass-catching TE? This scenario sees the Bengals farther strenghten their offense by adding a TE with the 24 pick. If Cincinnati is intent on selecting a TE it would make sense to trade down, as all of the TEs not named Vernon Davis are rough around the edges this year, and Davis is really the only true first-round talent in at TE in this draft.

However, the Bungles of old wouldn't worry about value at their draft slot, and you should never forget your roots. This scenario would see the Bengals select their preference of TE out of Leonard Pope, Marcedes Lewis, or Anthony Fasano.

Scenario 3: The Trade Down
It wouldn't be surprising at all to see the Bengals try to move this selection. It would make a lot of sense for Cincinnati to drop down to the middle of the second round if they could add another middle round pick. This would save salary as they wouldn't have to pay first-round money to any draftees, and as mentioned this draft is very deep in D-Backs and Tight Ends, which are two positions that the Bengals will definitely be looking at. It would make a lot of sense for Cincinnati to trade out of the 24 spot, but of course there would have to be a team that wanted to trade up.

Really, I expect to see the Bengals trade down from their 24 pick if at all possible. It can only help if someone talented (Jay Cutler maybe) starts sliding and teams start to look at moving up to get a guy. If the Bengals keep their pick I would bet that they'll spurn the radio callers and take a DB rather than a TE.

Reds win again, Indians and Cavs lose

2006-04-25T23:13:00.000-04:00

- After LeBron James scored a triple-double with 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in his playoff debut, the second game of his playoff career will not leave him smiling. The Cavs fell to the Wizards in Cleveland on Tuesday night by a score of 89-84 to even the best of seven series at 1-1 heading to Game 3 @ Washington.

- The Cincinnati Reds continued their hot streak winning their 3rd straight and 6th of 7 with a 6-5 victory over the Washington Nationals. Dave Williams pitched well enough to win and earned his first career win with the Reds as 3B Edward Encarnacion had 4 RBI.

- The Cleveland Indians returned home to Cleveland and survived Jake Westbrook's control problems, but the bullpen again failed the Tribe in a 8-6 loss to the Boston Red Sox. Despite tagging Curt Schilling for 5 runs in 6 2/3 innings, the Tribe bullpen allowed 5 runs in the 7th & 8th innings combined to provide the Reds Sox with enough to win the game.

Cincinnati Reds Notes: Phillips named NL Player of the Week, Milton on DL & trade with Dodgers ends Womack's time in Cinci

2006-04-25T12:51:00.000-04:00

There has been a lot of news coming out of the Cincinnati Reds of late, and from the looks of my posts in the past week to ten days, I may have to start a Brandon Phillips blog. Below are a few Reds headlines to note.

Phillips named NL Player of the Week

Milton lands on the DL

Reds deal for Dodgers OF Ross, Womack designated for assignment

Reds keep rolling with 4-2 win over Nationals

2006-04-24T22:25:00.000-04:00

Few outside of Cincinnati expected the Cincinnati Reds to do much this season, and so far those believers in the Reds are looking pretty smart. Coming off a series in Milwaukee where the Reds won 3 of 4 games, including a 11-0 win on Sunday, the Reds traveled to our nation's capital and defeated the Washington Nationals on Monday by a score of 4-2. With the win the Reds are now 13-7 and have guaranteed themselves a winning April.

The Reds enter play on Tuesday with a 7-4 road record and two more games remaining in Washington before heading home for a tough 5-game series with Houston and St. Louis in Cincinnati. Tuesday features an all-star pitching match-up of former Pirate Dave Williams (0-2, 10.50 ERA) for the Reds against former Indians pitcher Billy Traber (1-0, 4.76 ERA) who will be making his second start of the season for Washington.

Ohio college football teams wrap up spring practice

2006-04-23T21:48:00.001-04:00

Saturday marked the big day in the state of Ohio as several of Ohio's college football programs held their annual spring football games. Ohio State, Cincinnati, Ohio & Bowling Green each held their spring games on Saturday while Miami had their game on Friday and Akron had their game last Saturday. Below are a list of links of interest for each of these schools. Please note that Toledo and Kent did not have any official spring game info worth adding.

Ohio State Buckeyes football - Smith leads Scarlett to 12-0 victory

UC Bearcats football - Defense and special teams dominate spring game

Ohio Bobcats football - White holds on for 14-12 victory in Ohio spring football game

Miami RedHawks football - Defense wins battle in spring football game 29-21

Bowling Green Falcons football - Offense tops defense in spring game, 44-33

Akron Zips football - Football Wraps Up Spring Ball With Blue-Gold Game

Phillips 2 HRs lead Reds to 12-8 win

2006-04-21T13:21:00.000-04:00

Last night I mentioned the nice numbers that former Cleveland Indian and current Cincinnati Reds 2B Brandon Phillips is putting up this season. Since the trade that sent Phillips to the Reds, the young 2B has had an opportunity to play and get some at-bats, and the results have been phenomenal. As I was writing last night, Phillips was 2-3 with a HR and 2 RBI. Shortly after posting, Phillips connected for a Grand Slam and ended the night 3-5 with 2 HR and 6 RBI in the Reds 12-8 win over Milwaukee. He is now on a pace to drive in 224 runs this season according to ESPN.com.

Cincinnati Reds & Bengals Updates

2006-04-20T22:03:00.000-04:00

Cincinnati Reds Notes:

- Someone explain to me how the Cincinnati Reds can allow 38 runs in 5 games and still somehow be able to go an almost respectable 2-3 in those 5 games. Coming into Thursday night's game the Reds had allowed 38, yes, thirty eight runs in just five games. To top it off, one of those games was a 9-1 win meaning that 37 runs had been scored on Cincinnati pitching in just 4 of those games.

- While the Reds pitching has not been anything to get excited about, the hitting has. The Reds scored 23 runs in the 3-game homestand against Florida and had a nice come-from-behind win against Dontrelle Willis and the Marlins on Wednesday afternoon. After falling behind in tonight's (TH) game by a 6-2 margin, the Reds bats have come alive and Cincinnati leads 7-6 in the bottom of the 6th.

- Coming into Thursday night's game @ Milwaukee, Reds 2B Brandon Phillips, who was acquired from the Indians in early April for a player to be named or cash, was batting .346 with 7 RBI in 9 games. With a 2-3 start to the night including a HR and 2 RBI, Phillips is now 10-28 (.357) with 3 doubles a HR and 9 RBI in 10 games. This puts him on pace for over 120 RBI this season. While we all know that B-Phil won't drive in 120 runs this year (we do know that, right?), the deal looks like it was a good one for Phillips and the Reds as well.

- Dave Williams, the guy that the Reds got when they sent Sean Casey to Pittsburgh, is terrible. Williams has now allowed 12 runs in his last 6 IP counting Thursday night's game. Meanwhile Scott Hatteberg is putting up Sean Casey-like numbers at 1B for a fraction of the cost, but Reds fans still miss The Mayor.

Cincinnati Bengals Notes:

ESPN.com is reporting that the Bengals extend Johnson with monster deal, locking up their Pro Bowl WR through 2011. The flashy receiver who never shies from attention caught 97 balls for 1432 yds and 9 TD in 2005.

Cincinnati Reds: Reds Set to Change Jerseys in '07

2006-04-20T14:55:00.000-04:00

Fresh off the OSU jersey-altering controversy the Cincinnati Reds are the latest area team to decide that they need a new look. Information is still sketchy, but preliminary word is that the Reds will remove the color black from the uniform and from around the logo. Apparently the Reds may replace their current black with navy-blue, which was also used as a color on Cincinnati jerseys as recently as the 1960's.

Sports Time Ohio Update: MAC Sports on SportsTime Ohio?

2006-04-19T21:51:00.000-04:00

It makes too much sense. SportsTime Ohio, the new channel produced by the Cleveland Indians for their baseball games, is looking for programming. Meanwhile, the Mid-American Conference is looking for exposure. While nothing has been officially announced between SportsTime Ohio and the MAC, it sure as heck would make sense if the two parties struck a deal. Several ideas are being throw out over on the MAC bbs, but until something is official we can only chalk it up to speculation.

Cincinnati Reds update: Griffey back on DL

2006-04-18T06:59:00.000-04:00

As much as I hate mentioning this, Ken Griffey, Jr. is back on the Disabled List for the Cincinnati Reds. Griffey felt tightness behind his knee about a week ago and has been sitting out as a precautionary move, and now the Reds are saying that he has been diagnosed with a strained tendon behind the knee.

With Griffey out of the lineup for at least another 10 days or so, expect a lot of super-utility man Ryan Freel in CF and more playing times for Rich Aurilia, Tony Womack and/or Brandon Phillips at 2B. Phillips, acquired in a trade with the Indians in early April, went 3-4 with 4 RBI in the Reds 9-1 win over the Marlins on Monday night.

Scarlet & Gray (Part II)

2006-04-14T13:29:00.000-04:00

Remember my blog post last week about Ohio State's new uniforms? Well apparently the minor alterations to the football jerseys are NOT going over well with angry Buckeye fans. In fact as ESPN reports, Buckeye fans uniformly disdain jersey changes.

As the ESPN article points out, Ohio State has a contract with Nike. As we all know, Nike is in the business of selling jerseys, and a new style probably means more sales. I don't see OSU fans pulling back support for the football team, but the outcry from the Buckeye faithful in Columbus is getting louder. In a day when most professional teams alter their jerseys every 5 or so years, this could be an interesting story to keep tabs on.

MAC football may finally get what it deserves: more recognition & more bowl games

2006-04-13T18:01:00.000-04:00

The popular Mid-American Conference sports fan site, VanDelaySports.com, is reporting that the MAC may finally get a 3rd bowl tie-in this fall and possibly a 4th as well. Nick Gerogosian, the head man over at VanDelay Sports, is reporting that in a conversation with MAC Commish Rick Chryst he was told that ESPN is backing both bowl games which could match the MAC up with opponents from the Big East and Conference USA.

MAC football has long been underrated and this announcement should make fans of MAC schools very happy. Once a one-bowl league, the MAC is the home of the 1998 Miami RedHawks and the 2000 Toldeo Rockets. Both teams went 10-1 during those respective seasons without a bowl bid. Last year's "last team out" was the Northern Illinois Huskies, the Champions of the MAC West. NIU Head Coach Joe Novak led his team to a 7-4 record (6-2 MAC), finally beat their nemesis in Toledo, yet watched as the Rockets received a bid to the GMAC Bowl while the Huskies went on to a loss in the MAC Championship game to the up and coming Akron Zips. As a result, Novak & Company were left to sit at home in DeKalb while the Rockets and Zips went bowlin'. And let us not forget the Western Michigan Broncos or Miami RedHawks of 2005 either. WMU surprised many after an 0-2 start by running off 7 wins in their next 8 games and finished the season at 7-4. Meanwhile, Miami also started the season 0-2 and finsihed 7-4. Any one of these three teams could have represented the MAC respectfully in a bowl game in 2005.

So finally it seems as though the Mid-American Conference may have caught a break. Or is it that they're finally getting what they deserve? After years of being underrated and underappreciated, a 3rd bowl tie-in can be huge for the football programs in the MAC in terms of both fan support and recruiting. While MAC football recruits seem to be better every year according to VanDelay Sports, an additional opportunity for postseason national TV exposure and additional bowl payouts can only help the conference as a whole.