Cavs to face Celtics in Semifinals

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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?

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.