A look at the St. Edward football team as it prepares for a regional quarterfinal matchup against Powell Olentangy Liberty.

A look at the St. Edward football team as it prepares for a regional quarterfinal matchup against Powell Olentangy Liberty.

Monstrosities of the Midway need to wipe slate clean to solve their numerous problems this season

Monsters of the Midway? Heck, this year's Chicago Bears have been a monstrosity. The Bears' sad season is one of the topics we tackle in this week's Three & Out.

First down: Unbearable performances in the Windy City

The Chicago Bears had two weeks to prepare for Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers only to fall back 91 years in matching a league standard for futility. Is it any wonder why some folks around Halas Hall are aging so quickly -- even if they are not letting on -- during a season that cannot get over fast enough?

It is getting to the point that everybody from Mike Ditka to Mike Brown to Rich Gannon -- Rich Gannon?&%@? -- has weighed in on the plight of the fuzzy wuzzy Bears. Much of the piling on is centered on the usual suspects: coach and quarterback. While the former says the latter must play better (no kidding), Gannon, who quarterbacked the Raiders when Bears coach Marc Trestman served as the offensive coordinator in Oakland, feels the time has come to sack Jay Cutler.

While backup Jimmy Clausen seemingly could not do any worse in the turnover category than Cutler, who is tied with Jacksonville rookie Blake Bortles with a league-high 15, the biggest fire raging through the Windy City is the reaction to Trestman's Monday press conference in which his tone was more in line with a coach presiding over a 6-3 team coming off a tough loss as opposed to a 3-6 disaster.

The feeling here is little benefit can be derived from a coaching change or shuffling of assistants at this stage as opposed wiping the slate clean in the off-season. That slate should include some players, as well, with Cutler leading the way. While he has done some nice things for the Bears, it is getting to the point where a fresh start for both sides would be productive.

There is certainly plenty of blame to go around. A defense which has been put in bad situations much of the time thanks to the turnovers is nonetheless 26^th in yards allowed. Chicago enters its game against visiting Minnesota on Sunday having yielded a league-worst 30.8 points per game, a figure that went skyward after the Bears became the first NFL team since the 1923 Rochester Jeffersons to allow 50-plus points in consecutive games.

While these bad news Bears have become as laughable as George Jefferson, they are doing anything but movin' on up from the NFC North basement.

Cam Newton and the Panthers were blown out Monday by the Eagles.Michael Perez/Associated Press 

Yet, is what we are witnessing each week parity or simply poor football? In Week 10 eight of 13 games were decided by at least 14 points, with four of those by no less than 21 points. While not as pronounced, Week 9 still had six of 13 games conclude with at least a 14-point differential. Week 4 stands out as one where fans headed for the exits very early as five of 13 matchups were decided by at least 24 points and eight games by 19 or more.

There have been a good number of blowouts this season with 22 games through the first 10 weeks having been decided by at least 24 points. One such game put the lid on Week 10, though the door was shut on a Carolina team that trailed Philadelphia on Monday night by as many as 38 points well before scoring a couple of meaningless touchdowns to make the final 45-21. The San Diego Chargers have been involved in two 30-plus point shutouts this season. They won one and lost one, but who would want to sit through either?

They say football is a young man's game, which may actually be part of the problem. Quarterbacks who in the past would be finishing college are being rushed onto the field as would-be franchise saviors. Whatever the case, what is disguised as parity may actually reveal something that is quite different.

Third down: Debating the "victory formation"

Who could blame Pittsburgh's Mike Mitchell for wanting to create another Miracle in the Meadowlands by launching himself as the Jets were kneeling down? With more than one minute remaining in a seven-point game, hey, why not take one shot?

Come Week 17 suppose a team trailing by a like amount with more than a minute to play and no timeouts faces watching the postseason from a living room if it loses. Guess what? I would want my players to battle to the end.

The other side of the equation is there needs to be a measure of professional respect among players like there is a majority of the time when a team is kneeling down to kill the clock. To that extent it is hard to blame Rex Ryan for calling out Mitchell. After all, there are enough injuries that happen during the course of a game that the last thing anybody wants is a senseless injury during victory formation.

The league needs to address kneel-downs by making sure there are fewer of them. A game is 60 minutes, not 59 or 58. Many times following the two-minute warning, or even starting slightly before it, not a single play is run. That is fine if the scoreboard reads something like 35-10, but often a game is essentially "called" after 58 minutes or so regardless of the score. I do not care if it is simply a quarterback falling into the back side of his center upon taking the snap, plays should be run while the game is still in question.

Michael Vick led the Jets to their second victory last weekend.Bill Kostroun/Associated Press 

While Vick remarked following the win over the Steelers that he felt the team would have more than two wins had he been the starter all along, Johnson chimed in by saying things would be "totally different" had Vick been No. 1. Maybe things would also be totally different if Johnson had more than 360 yards rushing through 10 games. ... The numbers look as though Derek Carr was playing in a phone booth. (For those who are not familiar with a phone booth, here is a picture of one.) The Raiders' rookie QB may have completed 30 passes against the Broncos last week, but it took until his 21^st completion to reach 100 yards. Since his 22^nd went for a loss of two yards, Carr finally got above the century mark for good with his 23^rd completed pass. There is such a thing as dink and dunk and there is also such a thing as going backward. Carr's 9.2 yards per completion and 5.6 yards per attempt are the lowest among the 29 quarterbacks with at least 200 attempts in the NFL this season. ... Tom Brady is very well aware that both of his backups from recent seasons will be opposing each other Sunday when the Browns and Brian Hoyer host Ryan Mallett of the Texans in what will be Mallett's first career start. Of course, being a backup to Brady meant being anonymous. Hoyer (2009-11) threw 43 passes in three seasons and Mallett (2012-13) had all of four attempts in two years.

John Carroll defensive coordinator Chris Shula leads the nation's No. 2-ranked defense in his first year at the school where the stadium bears his grandfather Don Shula's name. Watch video

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio – Chris Shula was running behind. He was in a meeting, upstairs in the Shula Room at Don Shula Stadium. When he hurried back down to John Carroll's locker room area, he strolled by a display of the many alums who have worked in the NFL, beginning with Hall of Fame coach Don Shula.

Chris Shula was all smiles when he finally sat down for an interview during hectic Mount Union week to talk about his first season as John Carroll's defensive coordinator.

"It's been a blast,'' he said.

And a success. John Carroll's defense is ranked second in NCAA Division III heading into Saturday's 1:30 p.m. showdown between No. 6 John Carroll (9-0, 8-0) and No. 3 Mount Union (9-0, 8-0).

Chris Shula is the grandson of Don Shula, who grew up in Grand River, graduated from John Carroll in 1951, and was drafted by the Browns, beginning an unparalleled, 45-year NFL career. Chris' father, David, was coach of the Cincinnati Bengals from 1992 to 1996.

Chris, 28, is just beginning his career. John Carroll is his first coordinator's job after four years as a graduate assistant at Indiana and Ball State.

Chris keeps in close contact with his grandfather and father. At the end of the week, he shares the game plan with David, then talks to him again after the game about what worked and what didn't.

"He gives me a lot of advice, about motivation, thought process and dealing with adversity,'' Chris said.

The Shula legacy

Don Shula, 84, is the winningest coach in NFL history, and won two Super Bowls with the Colts and Dolphins. He keeps close tabs on Chris and JCU.

"I'm very happy and proud of him,'' Don Shula said during a visit with the team before the season. "I think he's really enjoying it.''

David Shula said Don loves having a personal re-connection with John Carroll's and its recent success.

"It's taking it full circle,'' David Shula told The Plain Dealer in May. "John Carroll has always been a very special place to him.''

Chris is personable, quick with a smile, and handsome. He bears a striking resemblance to Don Shula in his youth.

"I'm better looking,'' Don quipped in May.

Chris takes the family's John Carroll legacy seriously, but does not dwell upon it.

"It means a lot to me,'' he said. "When we step on the field, or when I'm coaching the guys, it's not something you're ever thinking about at all, but it's something cool that I can talk to my grandpa about, and he's calling me and checking up on how John Carroll is doing.

"The fact that I'm part of it now, a part of the legacy of John Carroll, is really an honor. Not just my grandfather, but all the other guys that have been to the NFL, it's just such an historic program.''

Not a name hire

So, yes, Chris Shula is a guy who fits right in at John Carroll, and lately it has nothing to do with his name and everything to do with his defense.

"We did not hire him because his last name is Shula,'' John Carroll coach Tom Arth said. "After getting to know him and what his philosophies are on defense, it fit very well with what we are doing. And he is someone who this job is going to mean something to. It wasn't going to just be a stepping-stone situation for him. He has ties to John Carroll. Chris was a perfect fit.

"Chris has done an absolutely phenomenal job. He's an incredibly smart football coach and he's done a great job building those relationships and trust with players, who know this guy is going to put us in the right position to be successful.''

Chris Shula didn't exactly step into a bad situation. John Carroll returned the core of a unit that was ranked No. 1 at this time last year. Several assistants returned, including line coach Brian Cochran, a former head coach who pushed for Shula during the hiring process.

But for many seniors, Shula is their fourth defensive coordinator. The last two, Jerry Schuplinski and Brandon Staley, took jobs with the New England Patriots and James Madison, respectfully.

Arth and Cochran liked that Shula emphasizes the attacking, multiple formations JCU had been using, so the transition was fairly smooth. John Carroll is allowing just 193 yards per game.

"I want guys that get off blocks and run to the ball,'' Shula said. "That's all we're focused on. Pursuit to the ball. We coach effort first, scheme second.''

When Shula begins film review, he first features players who are relentless and play smart. It's the same style he played as an undersized linebacker at Miami University in Oxford, where he was a three-year letterman.

"I would like to think I would fit in our defense real well,'' Chris said. "I was real versatile. I didn't fit in one position. I was really good at anticipating what the offense was going to do.''

Linebacker Kevin Cope loves the effort he sees from Shula as a coach.

"He's one of the most personable coaches I've played with,'' Cope said. "You can sit down and talk X's and O's, but he's really concerned with how we're doing as people, as well. That's something that builds a stronger relationship than just football, which makes you want to play even harder.''

Safety Marty Gibbons, the son of Ohio high school hall of fame coach John Gibbons and the brother of Euclid coach Tom Gibbons, knows the real deal when he sees it, and he thinks Shula is it.

"We believe in him. He's brought the best out in us,'' Gibbons said. "He's got a fire behind him.''

And a legacy.

It has been a somewhat roller-coaster season for the young Akron Zips soccer team, but hosting the MAC Tournament gives the Zips a chance to get on a roll.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Akron Zips soccer team begins Mid-American Conference tournament action Friday pretty much as expected -- the No. 1 seed and hosting a 7 p.m. game at First Energy Stadium.

But this has not exactly been a traditional season for the Zips (11-6-1). They begin the tournament unranked nationally, and the opening match against No. 4-seed Western Michigan (8-6-4) is far from a cupcake.

"The story has been inexperience,'' second-year head coach Jared Embick said. "We had a couple of tough losses, at Wake Forest, at Penn State, at Michigan State, games where we were arguably much better one half, but not the other. It's been that 90 minutes of putting it all together.''

Embick said the team does show signs of getting there as it came back from two goals down against West Virginia to get a 3-2 victory. "That's a sign," he said.

And against Penn State the Zips had numerous chances to tie, but just couldn't get the ball into the net.

"Sometimes, it just doesn't work out for you," he said. "But you see signs of the fight, and we're close to getting over the hump."

If that is the case, it should definitively show against the Broncos, which would send Akron to Sunday's 1 p.m. title game, also at First Energy Stadium. Friday, Akron-WMU will be the second match of the tournament following the opener between No. 2 West Virginia and No. 3 Bowling Green at 4 p.m.

Of the three other teams in the MAC Tournament field, Western Michigan is the only one the Zips have lost to, 1-0, October 25 on Akron's home turf. And still the Zips own a 32-3-2 record in the lifetime series between the two teams.

If the Zips, who won the NCAA Soccer Championship in 2010, are to return to their national championship ways it will have to start with a MAC Tournament win over WMU.

"With this team, we have to get over the hump in the tournament,'' Embick said. "I think we are more than capable, the signs are there that we're close. We're finding our stride. Now we need a couple of wins to validate it."

LeBron James wants to know the person responsible for taking his triple-doubles away.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio – LeBron James wants answers.

After the league nixed his triple-double performance (32-12-10) against the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday, shaving an assist from his total and crediting it to Tristan Thompson, James and his sons want to know who is responsible for this.

"I had two reactions," James said. "My first reaction was it didn't matter, we won and who is the guy in there actually checking every stat? That was my second reaction and my kids didn't quite like it. They didn't care at all, they were like, 'why would they do that?' You know, that's crazy to them."

The league discovered the error on Monday and Thursday after practice was the first time James has had a chance to comment on the matter. He's happy his team got the 118-111 win, but he was visibly irritated with the process.

He noted this was the second time one of his triple-double was confiscated.

"So my first reaction was it doesn't matter, you guys know I don't really care," he said. "If we would have lost and an assist would have been taken away, I would have had a problem with it; but I don't care, we won. But I just want to know who is actually in the office 13 games a night that's recording every statistical category and if that's the case, why am I the only one that's been (affected). It's my second time, by the way."

He was referring to a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in 2009. He registered 52 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, or so most thought. On that occasion, a rebound was lifted.

In the last three games James is averaging 28.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists. It appears he's well on his way of adding a few more triple-doubles to his career total.

Hopefully the next one sticks because if it doesn't, somebody will have some explaining to do.

"I don't know if it's a Cleveland thing or is it a LeBron thing or, I don't know," James said.

LeBron James said he played football because he needed "a way out" growing up. His boys aren't allowed to play football now, but they might be able to in high school.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio – More than a decade removed from the high school gridiron, LeBron James said he played football growing up because "I needed a way out."

"My kids don't need a way out, they're all right," James said Thursday after the Cleveland Cavaliers' practice, discussing his decision not to let his two young sons play football at this time. "I needed a way out when I was a kid, I tried to do whatever it took to get out. That's my excuse."

James was an All-Ohio wide receiver for Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, but stopped playing to focus on basketball after his junior year. It's a topic because James told ESPN's Chris Broussard last week that his two boys, 10-year-old LeBron Jr. and 7-year-old Bryce, are not allowed to play football in the house right now.

That apparently could change, though.

"Today we understand how physical and how body demanding the game is, and they can have their choice in high school. We'll talk over it," James said Thursday. "But right now there's no need for it. There's enough sports they can play. They play basketball, they play soccer, they play -- what else do they play -- they play everything but football and hockey."

James expressed mild puzzlement over the hullabaloo his comments caused, saying Thursday "I don't think I'm the only one who's not allowing his kids to play football. It's just that I'm LeBron James and it just gets put in the headlines for no reason."

But James is not the only high-profile person to talk about holding his children out of football. President Barack Obama, who has two daughters, said he would not let a son play football at any level. The reason: it's too dangerous.

Football is the country's most popular sport at a professional level – James is a huge football fan – and certainly in football-crazed Cleveland. But the greater attention being paid to concussions and other safety hazards of the sport are taking a toll.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, about 10,000 fewer high school athletes played football in 2013 than in 2008. The paper reported that USA Football said youth and high-school tackle football participation dropped from 3.2 million to 2.6 million since 2007.

There are numerous reasons for the drop, including public funding cuts that increase the price for athletes to play high school football, to the rising popularity of other sports. But injury prevention is an issue.

"As a parent you protect your kids as much as possible," James said.

Avon and Midview students have been having fun showing school spirit.

Avon and Midview students have been having fun showing school spirit.

Clean slate system freshly analyzes each team's body of work each week

I've been around long enough to remember when this complaint was still new.

It was sometime, probably in the 90s, when a coach giving his "kids these days" spiel threw out this observation to me for the first time.

"These kids, they grow up with PlayStations," he said. "And they think that any time you're in trouble, you should just be able to hit the 'reset' button and start over.

"The problem is, real life doesn't have a reset button."

And the coach was right. Except in one context -- the College Football Playoff committee.

In its early existence, the committee has made frequent and wise use of the reset button. Voting with a clean slate each week, as opposed to "slot" voting, has been a big emphasis and so far, it's paying dividends with solid results.

It's why this week, we find Oregon leapfrogging Florida State. It's why we find TCU in the top four (something I called in my First Four vote).

Their bodies of work call for that, but you wouldn't see the evidence if you didn't hit the reset button and review everybody's entire body of work on a weekly basis.

Let's take the example of two teams, Minnesota and Oklahoma State.

You might ask, why Minnesota and Oklahoma State? They aren't in anybody's playoff scenario.

No, they aren't contenders, but they are central characters influencing where the contenders rank.

When Jameis Winston and Florida State hurdled the Oklahoma State obstacle on Aug. 31, it looked like a solid win. But now that OSU has dropped three straight, that win is not longer a big plus to the FSU resume. Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press 

Oklahoma State opened its season by playing Florida State to the wire in a 37-31 loss. A couple weeks later, TCU blew out Minnesota, 30-7. Florida State and TCU are now, of course, contenders.

At the time, it looked like a pretty good win for Florida State over what's usually a pretty good OSU team. TCU's win over a usually mediocre Golden Gophers team barely registered.

That was still the case when the committee started voting a few weeks back.

But a funny thing has happened. OSU is now 5-4 and has fallen flat in a recent three-game losing streak against the Big 12's contenders. The Cowboys have been outscored 124-33 in consecutive losses to TCU, West Virginia and Kansas State

That has slowly chipped away at the "quality win" perception for FSU in the season opener, so when Oregon picked up what is currently perceived as a quality win over a much improved Utah team Saturday the decline in the value of FSU's Oklahoma State win was a big reason why the one-loss Ducks passed the unbeaten Seminoles.

Let's look at the Minnesota example, which is similar, but for the opposite reason.

A couple weeks ago, the Gophers were 6-2, coming off a bad loss to Illinois. The perception was that a light schedule allowed Minnesota to get off to a good start before that.

But on Saturday, Minnesota showed it was a little better than that when it trounced Iowa, 51-14.

This is a 6-3 Iowa that has been consistently pretty good in recent years, including an appearance in the Outback Bowl last year. It wasn't supposed to be a team Minnesota was capable of beating by 37.

But the Gophers did and, as a result, TCU's nearly two-month-old, non-conference win became much better than it was a week ago. If the committee didn't hit the reset button this week and re-review not only the Horned Frogs' body of work, but the work of their nine opponents to date, we may have had a result based on old assumptions.

if you look at the tendency of poll voters, that's often what happens. Florida State would get credit for a quality win over OSU early and that credit would stay with the Seminoles through the season, even if that win did not prove to be as good as originally thought. And to many voters, TCU's win over Minnesota would be an afterthought, never revised to reflect what the Gophers would eventually accomplish.

Poll voters perhaps don't have the time to break teams down in that much detail. The committee does.

Minnesota closes its season with Ohio State, Nebraska and Wisconsin, about as tough of a stretch as one could possibly face in the Big Ten. Perhaps part of the reason the Golden Gophers are 7-2 is their schedule is very much back-loaded.

But let's not assume.

A color analyst in a game I watched early Saturday afternoon said he thought Minnesota would finish 6-6 because of its schedule. A few hours later, Minnesota had beaten Iowa by 37 points for its seventh win.

That's a reminder to not only hit "reset" every week, but don't even try to find a "fast forward" button.

There is a good chance Minnesota does finish 7-5. If so, we'll judge TCU's résumé accordingly when that happens. But there's also a chance the Gophers surprise everybody and win the Big Ten West at 10-2. If that happens, then TCU picks up an "élite" win nobody thought they'd have the opportunity to get.

Similarly, I like Alabama's chances at running the table and going 11-1 because the Crimson Tide get both Mississippi State and Auburn at home in the closing weeks. But they haven't played those games yet, so as of now, their best wins are over 7-3 teams LSU and Texas A&M and that's why they aren't in the top four.

So I have them fifth. So does the committee. But I agree with AL.com's Kevin Scarbinksy, who said that if Alabama wins out, it will be the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

That is, I agree, but with a caveat.

If Mississippi State collapses and loses out and Auburn loses to Georgia, all of a sudden those big wins we're assuming Alabama is about to get won't be so big. Let's say, in that scenario, Oregon beats an 11-1 Arizona State team in the Pac-12 championship game.

Then maybe Oregon would have a better résumé than Alabama.

We can't assume things going forward. But we can stop and hit reset. That's the life lesson for the PlayStation Generation when they call out the committee every week. It's you that's forgetting to hit reset and you, of all generations, should know better.

Check out our Week 11 NFL picks and make yours.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Predictors is back. After a two-week hiatus, Jen Steer, Chris Fedor and Dan Labbe are back picking NFL games. Check out their picks of this week's three highlighted games (including Browns-Texans) in the video above and all the picks below.

Make your picks in the comments.

Jen's picks

• Dolphins over Bills
• Browns over Texans
• Falcons over Panthers
• Vikings over Bears
• Saints over Bengals
• Broncos over Rams
• Seahawks over Chiefs
• 49ers over Giants
• Redskins over Buccaneers
• Chargers over Raiders
• Cardinals over Lions
• Packers over Eagles
• Colts over Patriots
• Steelers over Titans

Chris' picks

• Dolphins over Bills
• Browns over Texans
• Falcons over Panthers
• Vikings over Bears
• Saints over Bengals
• Broncos over Rams
• Chiefs over Seahawks
• 49ers over Giants
• Redskins over Buccaneers
• Chargers over Raiders
• Cardinals over Lions
• Packers over Eagles
• Colts over Patriots
• Steelers over Titans

Joey's picks

• Dolphins over Bills
• Browns over Texans
• Panthers over Falcons
• Vikings over Bears
• Saints over Bengals
• Broncos over Rams
• Seahawks over Chiefs
• Giants over 49ers
• Redskins over Buccaneers
• Chargers over Raiders
• Lions over Cardinals
• Packers over Eagles
• Patriots over Colts
• Steelers over Titans

Dan's picks

• Bills over Dolphins
• Browns over Texans
• Panthers over Falcons
• Vikings over Bears
• Saints over Bengals
• Broncos over Rams
• Seahawks over Chiefs
• 49ers over Giants
• Redskins over Buccaneers
• Chargers over Raiders
• Lions over Cardinals
• Packers over Eagles
• Patriots over Colts
• Steelers over Titans

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Is Ryan Mallet or Mark Sanchez worth a look at quarterback? Which running backs on their way back could benefit owners? cleveland.com's Chris Fedor and Dan Labbe talked all things fantasy football on today's Fantasy Football Insider. Chris answered your questions and more during the show. Topics discussed include: Watch Fantasy Football Insider and ask your...

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Is Ryan Mallet or Mark Sanchez worth a look at quarterback? Which running backs on their way back could benefit owners?

cleveland.com's Chris Fedor and Dan Labbe talked all things fantasy football on today's Fantasy Football Insider. Chris answered your questions and more during the show.

Topics discussed include:

• Is Mike Evans a sure thing to start every week?
• What approach should owners out of the playoff picture take?
• Should Robert Griffin III owners go all in again on the quarterback?

Watch Fantasy Football Insider and ask your questions every Thursday at 12:30.

Get preview capsules and links to all coverage on the 18 local football teams still competing in the OHSAA playoffs.

Get preview capsules and links to all coverage on the 18 local football teams still competing in the OHSAA playoffs.

Doug, Ari, Bill and Livy give their picks for Ohio State's game against Minnesota. Give your picks for the game and prove you're smarter than us.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ari is still licking his wounds after suffering his first loss of the season last week in Ohio State's win over Michigan State.

We're all in agreement that he'll get one back in the win column this week with Ohio State traveling to Minnesota for the Buckeyes' final true road game of the 2014 season.

No. 8 Ohio State (8-1, 5-0 Big Ten) and No. 25 Minnesota (7-2, 4-1) kick off at noon on Saturday in frigid Minneapolis.

Our picks are below. Be sure to give yours in the comments section and prove you're smarter than us.

Doug Lesmerises picks Ohio State 38, Minnesota 15

This is the same margin, 23 points, as the Gophers' 30-7 loss at TCU earlier this season, and that's the comparison here. Yes, Minnesota has improved from that day, especially on the offensive line, after turning it over five times in that loss. But Ohio State has improved as well from early in the year, and despite Minnesota's big 51-14 win over Iowa last week, I just don't think the Gophers really have been tested in the Big Ten.

Remember, Minnesota lost to Illinois. And you saw Illinois.

I think the Gophers lose their last three to Ohio State, Nebraska and Wisconsin, and if they had already played a couple of those games, and were entering this week with four losses instead of two, no one would see this as a game the Buckeyes should be worried about.

While we picked big wins at Penn State and were wrong, I don't think there's one side of the ball for Minnesota that is as good as the Penn State defense. And J.T. Barrett won't make the mistakes he made that night. Ohio State gets up 30, then relaxes into an easy win.

Ari Wasserman picks 50, Minnesota 12

Because I keep picking the Buckeyes to score more than 50 points in my outrageous predictions, I'm kind of hamstrung when it comes to the actual game predictions. But I'm fine with that. 

I think Ohio State is drastically better than Minnesota, and barring a blizzard happening (which has kept me up at night this week), there's no way Minnesota is going to be able to stop a Buckeyes offense that's clicking. 

Minnesota is a decent team. But decent won't be enough. 

Bill Landis picks Ohio State 42, Minnesota 17

As we've established this week, none of us are buying into the idea of a trap game. A slower start for Ohio State on the road, in the cold, in the first noon game in a month? Maybe.

But the Buckeyes are better than the Gophers. The No. 25 in front of Minnesota is a bit misleading. The Gophers have two wins against teams with winning records.

Minnesota isn't a bad team, probably on par with a Rutgers or a Maryland, but we know what Ohio State did to those teams. Ezekiel Elliott has another big game and the Buckeyes run defense shuts down Minnesota running back David Cobb.

Bill Livingston picks Ohio State 38, Minnesota 17

Ah, to be young and full of bounteous visions, such as 50-point games rolling off the Buckeye assembly line.

Alas, the tart teachings of experience dissuade me from picking a 50-pointer. Minnesota will be fired up for  its best chance for a Big Ten title since 1967, when Murray Warmath was the coach and Lyndon Johnson was in the White House. Even the half-loaf of the weaker West title is fine with long-suffering Gopher fans.

The Gophers will try to play keep-away from the Buckeyes offense with their running game. Frigid temperatures will help neutralize the OSU speed advantage.

I'm also very much looking forward to watching Gophers tight end Maxx Williams, one of the best pass-catching TEs in the land, who made a catch that was, frankly, impossible (or, actually, swan-diving over) on the sideline last week in Minnesota's route of Iowa in a rivalry game.

I think the Buckeyes cover the two-touchdown spread. They are just on too big a roll not to, and they have the superior athletes. But even 38 points might be too many in weather only Prancer and Dancer might enjoy.

Season records

Straight up: Ari (8-1), Livy (8-1), Landis (7-1), Doug (6-3)

Against the spread: Landis (6-2), Ari (6-3), Livy (5-4), Doug (4-5)

Be sure to like our cleveland.com Ohio State sports Facebook page, where we'll keep you up to date with everything that's happening in the world of Ohio State football, basketball and recruiting.

Check out a breakdown of the Nordonia football season entering the 2014 OHSAA Division II regional semifinals.

Check out a breakdown of the Nordonia football season entering the 2014 OHSAA Division II regional semifinals.

This week's Fall Sports Photos of the Week features Madison football and Hudson football.

This week's Fall Sports Photos of the Week features Madison football and Hudson football.

While Mount Union and John Carroll play for the OAC title, Notre Dame College, Hiram and Lake Erie also have plenty at stake Saturday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Hiram has one more shot at history. Notre Dame College already is there.

John Carroll and Mount Union will play in the playoffs next week, regardless of Saturday's result between the Ohio Athletic Conference powers. But the area's other small-college football teams' seasons end this week, and there still is plenty at stake.

Notre Dame College has guaranteed its first winning season in the five years since it began playing, and the Falcons (6-4) go for win No. 7 Saturday at home against West Liberty.

Lake Erie College (4-6) needs one more win for its best season in five years, but the Storm has a tough road to finish at No. 20 Michigan Tech (8-1). Junior running back Anthony Bilal needs 179 yards to join an exclusive club of 2,000-yard collegiate rushers.

Hiram (4-5) has lost two in a row, but its four victories equal the Terriers' combined total from 2009 to 2013. With a win against rival Oberlin on Saturday, Hiram can achieve its first non-losing season since 1988.

Here's a look at those and other local Division II and Division III games Saturday:

DIVISION II

Lake Erie College (4-6, 3-6) at No. 20 Michigan Tech (8-1, 8-1), 1 p.m.

What: Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference game.

Last week: LEC lost to Wayne State, 47-28; MT beat No. 22 Ashland, 28-12.

Notable: LEC junior Anthony Bilal's 1,821 yards rushing rank second in all of college football. The Storm defense has 18 interceptions.

West Liberty (6-4, 6-3) at Notre Dame College (6-4, 6-3), 12 p.m.

What: Mountain East Conference game.

Last week: WL beat Virginia-Wise, 35-20. NDC lost to No. 15 Concord, 51-14.

Notable: WL and NDC are tied with Charleston for third place in the MEC. NDC has clinched its first winning season and this is the final game for a core group of seniors who have shepherded the Falcons from obscurity to relevance. QB Ray Russ' 3,454 yards and 32 touchdowns passing both rank third in Division II. Michael Shegos' 1,118 yards receiving ranks fifth and his 9.8 catches per game ranks second. Offensive tackle Doniel Gambrell is expected to be drafted or signed by an NFL team next year.

DIVISION III

Baldwin Wallace (5-4, 4-4) at Heidelberg (6-4, 6-2), 1:30 p.m.

What: Ohio Athletic Conference game.

Last week: BW lost to Mount Union, 59-3; Heidelberg beat Capital, 52-28.

Notable: BW hopes to avoid repeating last year's meltdown against Heidelberg tailback Cartel Brooks, who set an NCAA record with 465 yards rushing. He's back and has 1,116 yards rushing this season.

Chicago (7-1, 2-0) at Case Western Reserve (3-6, 1-1), 12 p.m.

What: University Athletic Association game.

Last week: Chicago beat Carnegie Mellon, 28-7; Case lost to Thomas More, 66-34.

Notable: Case finished 3-5 in its first full season back in the Presidents Athletic Conference. The Spartans are tied for seventh in the 11-team league.

Oberlin (2-7, 2-6) at Hiram (4-5, 3-5), 1 p.m.

What: North Coast Athletic Conference game

Last week: Hiram lost to DePauw, 45-12; Oberlin lost to Ohio Wesleyan, 50-13.

Notable: Hiram senior Robert Partridge has set a school record for passing yards. He has completed 139 of 267 attempts (52 percent) for 1,999 yards and 13 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. Oberlin has won five straight against Hiram.

No. 6 John Carroll (9-0, 8-0) at No. 3 Mount Union (9-0, 8-0), 1:30 p.m.

What: Ohio Athletic Conference game

Last week: John Carroll beat Otterbein, 66-13; Mount Union beat BW, 59-3.

Notable: Mount Union and John Carroll are ranked 1-2 in total defense and 1-6 in total offense, respectively, in Division III. JCU senior Mark Myers and UMU senior Kevin Burke are ranked 1-2 in all of college football in passing efficiency. The winner earns an automatic playoff berth while the loser is expected to receive an at-large bid.

Browns safety Tashaun Gipson returned to practice Friday from his concussion. Tight end Jordan Cameron is still idle with his.

BEREA, Ohio -- Bad news for Texans quarterback Ryan Mallett today.

Browns safety Tashaun Gipson returned to practice from his concussion and now has at least a shot at facing Mallett in his first career start Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Gipson was limited today and is listed as questionable. He's still in the concussion protocol and hasn't yet been cleared for contact, but hopes to play Sunday against the Texans.

Cameron, on the other hand, has been ruled out and will miss his third straight game.

Coach Mike Pettine could not give a definitive answer when asked if he'll get Cameron back this season, saying "it's a touchy subject'' because concussion symptoms sometimes come and go.

Gipson said he never lost consciousness and has full recollection of everything that happened in the Bengals game and in the days afterward. He said his mom urged him to speak up about the headaches he began to suffer the day after the game.

Gipson can't wait to face a first-time starting quarterback because he has hands and he's not afraid to use them. He leads the NFL with six interceptions and dropped another last Thursday night in Cincinnati. He also forced a fumble against the Bengals.

In fact, Gipson claims he has the best hands on the team, even better than Josh Gordon, whom he'll challenge to a one-handed catching competition when he rejoins the team next week.

Gipson, who suffered the concussion last Thursday night in Cincinnati possibly when he got knee'd in the head while stripping the ball from rookie running back Jeremy Hill, sat out practice Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The other two Browns with concussions, tight end Jordan Cameron and safety Johnson Bademosi, both sat out Friday's practice and will miss the game. For Bademosi, it's his second straight absence.

In other injury news, defensive end Phil Taylor (knee) is out for the season with a right knee injury unrelated to the scope that kept him out for the four games prior to the Bengals game. He'll undergo more surgery next week and be placed on injured reserve. Pettine said it's not a torn ACL and that he won't require microfracture surgery.

In the case of Gipson, if he can't play or is limited, Jim Leonhard will most likely start in his place and Jordan Poyer will also get reps.
 
Cornerback Joe Haden talked Thursday about how big a loss Gipson would be.

"You can't just replace Gip like that,'' Haden said. "Everybody's going to have to step up. Coach always says 'Next man up.' You never know who's going down. You never know who you're going to have. Next man up, Jordan Poyer, Jimmy Leonhard, both are very, very experienced. Know the game. Really, really comfortable putting them in there and I think whoever is in there is going to be able step up and play the position well."

Texans coach Bill O'Brien praised all of the Browns' safeties.

"Whether (Gipson's) going to play or not, he's had a hell of a year,'' said O'Brien. "This guy is a smart player. He obviously studies a lot of film. He's got good ball skills. Donte Whitner is a guy who's obviously one of the leaders of that defense - has done a really good job. I'm familiar with him obviously from when he was in Buffalo and San Francisco - just a hell of a football player.

"Then Jimmy Leonhard, that's a guy we're very familiar with here because of our New England background from when he was with the Jets. He's like a coach on the field. Those guys are challenging guys to go against because they're great disguise guys, they understand their scheme very well. For Ryan Mallett to go in there for his first start, it's a big challenge, and the guys around Ryan need to play well in order to be able to win the game."

Gipson has four interceptions in his last four games, and almost had five until he let an Andy Dalton pass slip through his hands.

Face with some tough defensive looks at Michigan State, the Ohio State football coaches added some offensive wrinkles that led to big plays. Former Ohio State lineman Andrew Moses breaks it all down in this week's Chalk Talk.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Welcome to this week's edition of Buckeye Chalk Talk with former Ohio State football offensive lineman Andrew Moses.

Last week, we talked about Joey Bosa's sack of Reilly O'Toole in the third quarter of Ohio State's dominating win over Illinois. We also broke down some important factors the Buckeyes had to improve on from their Big Ten Championship game loss to Michigan State last year.

This week we break down two big plays from the Buckeyes' 49-37 win over Michigan State: Ezekiel Elliott's 47-yard run in the first quarter that set up Ohio State's first touchdown; and J.T. Barrett's 43-yard strike to Devin Smith on third and 23 that set up Ohio State's second touchdown. 

The Buckeye offensive coaching staff added a few new wrinkles to the Buckeye ground attack, helping Elliott pound the Spartan defense for 154 yards and two touchdowns. One of these new wrinkles helped Elliott get loose for his long and winding run on the Buckeye's second possession.

The Ohio State offensive coaches also made some crucial adjustments throughout the game. A Michigan State blitz beat the Buckeye pass protection on a third-and-30 play during the Buckeyes' third possession. 

A subtle adjustment was made in Ohio State's seven-man protection on the sideline, and when MSU brought a similar blitz on the third-and-23 play, the Buckeyes picked it up, giving Barrett time to make a perfect throw to Smith for a first down.

Watch my breakdown above. If you'd like to see the actual footage of this week's plays, here is the Elliott run; and here is the Barrett pass.

Andrew Moses was an offensive lineman for Ohio State from 2005-2009. He was named Academic All-Big Ten twice, played in 27 games, started one, lettered in 2008 and 2009, and served as a team captain for the New Mexico State game his senior year. He graduated from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 2013 and currently is an associate attorney at Brouse McDowell in their Cleveland office. 

Kevin Love wanted to clear the air on a report that he would opt out of his contract with the Cavaliers at the end of the year and consider signing with the Los Angeles Lakers.

BOSTON, Mass. -- Kevin Love wanted to clear the air on a report that he would opt out of his contract with the Cavaliers at the end of the year and consider signing with the Los Angeles Lakers.

He vehemently denied it.

"Whatever we were doing with our hands was about as true as me going to the Lakers next year," Love said.

Then while he was in the mood of squashing rumors, he addressed the mustache handshake as well.

"I don't know why it was so hard for people to realize that we were curling our mustache," he said. "I guess because I had my fingers in the wrong place but looking at the tape, the film doesn't lie. It' looks like we are doing something bad but that's not the case."

With all the off the court rumors addressed and out the way, hopefully the Cavaliers can now focus on basketball matters. But the likelihood of that being the last rumor associated with this team is unlikely.

"Going to the Lakers, no, I don't know where somebody got that," Love said.

The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff talks about the Indians, Cavaliers and Browns.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Will the Indians make any significant offseason moves? Will the Browns beat the Texans?

The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff answered those questions and more in his weekly podcast with cleveland.com's Dan Labbe.

Among other topics discussed:

• Is there anything to the Kevin Love rumors from earlier this season?
• Which players might the Indians be willing to give up in a trade?
• What is DMan's prediction for Browns-Texans?

You can download the MP3 or listen with the player above.

Be sure to follow DMan on Twitter.

See notes on football teams across the region as the second round of the playoffs approaches.

See notes on football teams across the region as the second round of the playoffs approaches.