Behind Barrett, the Buckeyes offense that many thought had a chance to average 50 points per game this season managed only 132 yards of total offense. Barrett completed only 9-of-16 throws for 46 yards and a touchdown.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- When Ohio State beat Michigan State in East Lansing last year, it was the best start of J.T. Barrett's career. It was explosive. 

Barrett zipped the ball all over the field, racking up 300 yards passing and 86 yards rushing and four total touchdowns. Ohio State won in a blowout. 

So why wouldn't you think that Barrett was capable of doing the same again this year? The Buckeyes were home and the Spartans were beat up, not as good defensively as they were a year ago. 

Ohio State lost, 17-14, on a last-second field goal by Michigan State. 

Behind Barrett, the Buckeyes offense that many thought had a chance to average 50 points per game this season managed only 132 yards of total offense. Barrett completed only 9-of-16 throws for 46 yards and a touchdown. 

Here are a few instant thoughts: 

* What's more concerning than just the lack of statistics is the hesitation. Barrett made games of 500 yards of total offense look routine a year ago, and now all of a sudden the Buckeyes coaching staff seems almost afraid to let him whirl it around. Why? Is it because Barrett hasn't gotten into a groove yet? The receivers aren't as good as they were last year after losing Devin Smith and Evan Spencer? Protection off? What is it? 

Three-and-outs were routine. Quarterback draws in passing situations were common. And the Buckeyes offense looked like it was playing behind a freshman quarterback, not the one who broke the all-time, single-season Big Ten touchdowns record. 

* Part of the reason Ohio State made the switch from J.T. Barrett to Cardale Jones was because Barrett was so good at the designed quarterback runs. But those are usually most effective when there's a passing game. Ohio State couldn't get Barrett going in the running game because Michigan State state stacked the box and never feared Ohio State was going to throw over the top. 

* Barrett took only two deep shots the entire game -- One to Braxton Miller in the first half that he overthrew (Miller was wide open and would have scored with an accurate throw). And the other was late in the game on a fly route to Mike Thomas, an underthrown pass that Thomas had to knock down from the Spartans cornerback. 

* Part of this may be because of the quarterback derby that never ended. This was only Barrett's third start of the season, and that's not ideal after 10 games against inferior opponents. It's possible that Barrett never got into the rhythm he had for last year's Michigan State game, and it ultimately bit Ohio State. 

* What happened to Ezekiel Elliott? Don't ask that. The Spartans sold out to stop Ohio State's run and the Buckeyes never made a rather average defense pay for it. Michigan State was 86th in the nation in pass defense, allowing 243 yards per game, coming into the game. 

The No. 3 Buckeyes lost a Big Ten regular-season game for the first time in Urban Meyer's career in Columbus.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Quick thoughts after No. 9 Michigan State's 17-14 upset of No. 3 Ohio State.

* There must be questions about first-year quarterbacks coach Tim Beck because both Ohio State quarterbacks seem to have regressed from a year ago.

* This isn't just on the offensive coordinators. Eleven games into the season, the coaches didn't seem to know their own offense. Urban Meyer is an offensive coach who has little to do with the defense, but this is HIS offense and it all runs through him. The way the offense played in a game like this is at his feet as much as it's on Beck and Ed Warinner.

* This has been an amazing Ohio State run, and it's still ongoing. Don't wish away the success of this program in the midst of disappointment and frustration. But this was the year the Buckeyes were aiming for, not last year, and it never came together.

If you were waiting for them to play up to their level of competition, if you figured they'd flip a switch and be fine, you were hoping for something that wasn't there.

* Two biggest losses from last year - receiver Devin Smith and play-caller Tom Herman.

* Once again, Ohio State had some issues with a running quarterback. The Spartans used dual-threat QB Damion Terry a lot, and it felt a bit like the way Indiana used running QB Zander Diamont after pro-style QB Nate Sudfeld got hurt.

* That game was so Dantonio-ish. Mark Dantonio heads into Columbus with backup quarterbacks and senior QB Connor Cook injured on the sideline and then does that. The sandbagging during the week was classic Dantonio as well. They said they didn't talk about injuries, got mad when anyone asked about them but dropped enough hints to make it seem like Cook could play after hurting his shoulder against Maryland last week.

Then he made some light tosses in warmups and never came close to playing.

* You know who liked that game? Iowa. The undefeated No. 5 Hawkeyes clinched the Big West with a 40-20 win over Purdue.

I feel like Kirk Ferentz is watching this game doing that Kermit the Frog sipping tea thing.

-- Doug Lesmerises (@DougLesmerises) November 21, 2015

* The Big Ten champ will make the playoff. Michigan State is absolutely on a palyoffd path. But I think this thought may have crossed the minds of a few selection committee members watching that game ...

"Well, I guess we could take Notre Dame AND the Big 12 champ after Clemson and Alabama ..."

Michigan State handed Ohio State its first loss of the season, and its first in 24 games.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Michigan State kicker Michael Geiger might have just ended Ohio State's hopes of repeating as National Champions.

Geiger hit a 41-yard field goal as time expired to lead the Spartans to 17-14 win over the Buckeyes on Saturday in Ohio Stadium.

Michigan State's win forces a three-way tie atop the Big Ten East Division with Ohio State and Michigan. The Spartans hold the tie breaker with wins over both teams.

Michigan State turned to Ohio native and leading rusher L.J. Scott to help close out the game. Scott carried 10 times for 36 yards in the fourth quarter after having just three carries in the game to that point.

The Buckeyes offense was the worst it had been all year, finishing with 132 total yards, five first downs and six three-and-outs.

Ezekiel Elliott ran for 33 yards on 12 carries. J.T. Barrett finished 9 for 16 for 46 yards and a touchdown. He ran for 44 yards on 15 carries.

Ohio State's offense couldn't move the ball to start the second half, but got bailed out on a play by the special teams. Michigan State punt returner MacGarrett Kings muffed a punt that was recovered at the Spartans 3-yard line by Ohio State's Terry McLaurin. The Buckeyes took a 14-7 lead on the next play when Barrett faked a quarterback draw and three a touchdown pass to Jalin Marshall.

Michigan State had an answer with a 13-play, 75-yard drive on the next possession to tie the game at 14 with 12:03 left in the fourth quarter. The drive was kept alive when Joey Bosa jumped offsides for the third time on the day on a fourth-and-8 play.

The game was tied at 7 at halftime, after neither team scored in the first quarter. It was the third time this season that the Buckeyes were held without a first-quarter point, the fifth time they were held without a first-quarter touchdown.

Ohio State got on the board first on a Ezekiel Elliott 1-yard touchdown run. It came two plays after a J.T. Barrett run that was ruled a touchdown initially got called back.

Michigan State answered on the next drive. O'Connor connected with Aaron Burbridge on 36-yard play on third down to keep the drive alive. The Spartans scored two plays later on a pass from O'Connor to fullback Trevon Pendleton.

The Spartans missed a 43-yard field goal after the Buckeyes gave them good field position on a 5-yard punt from Cameron Johnston. Ohio State had just 75 yards of total offense at halftime.

When it was over

Geiger's field goal. That's pretty obvious in a game like this.

Connor Cook doesn't play

Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook was a game-time decision coming into Saturday. He injured his throwing shoulder last week against Maryland, missing the second half of that game, and he did not play on Saturday against Ohio State.

Cook, a Northeast Ohio native and graduate of Walsh Jesuit High School, had made 36 consecutive starts coming into Saturday. He was 32-4 as Michigan State's starter. O'Connor made his first career start in place of Cook.

O'Connor finished 7 for 12 for 89 yards and touchdown.

What it means

Ohio State saw it 23-game winning streak come to an end, but more importantly, the Buckeyes are now out of the driver's seat for a berth in the Big Ten Championship.

Now the Buckeyes need to beat Michigan next week, and need the Spartans to lose to Penn State next week to get to the Big Ten title game and still have a shot at the College Football Playoff.

What's next

Ohio State closes the season with the first matchup between Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh. The Buckeyes travel to No. 12 Michigan for a noon game next Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Elliott was very critical of Ohio State's coaching staff and the play-calling. He said that he repeatedly lobbied on the sideline for the Buckeyes to give him the ball or to call more power running plays, but his calls for the ball were ignored. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- After carrying the ball just 12 times in Ohio State's 17-14 loss to Michigan State, Ezekiel Elliott called out the Buckeyes play-calling and said he's declaring for the NFL Draft after the season. 

Elliott was very critical of Ohio State's coaching staff and the play-calling in Saturday's postgame interview. He said that he repeatedly lobbied on the sideline for the Buckeyes to give him the ball or to call more power running plays, but his calls for the ball were ignored. 

Instead, the Buckeyes struggled to gain only 132 yards of total offense. Elliott finished with only 33 rushing yards, snapping his 15-game streak of rushing for at least 100. 

"I'm disappointed in the play-calling. I'm disappointed in the situations that we were put in, and I wish it all played out differently," Elliott said. "It is very disappointing. In the one drive that we had where we kind of had some momentum after we scored on the strip-sack, the plays we ran, we ran a lot of gap schemes and we were gashing them. You guys saw that on that drive. We had a lot of momentum. 

"Honestly, we didn't see those plays for the rest of the game. Those plays weren't called anymore. I asked for those plays to be called, and they weren't. It just hurts. It hurts a lot because of how we lost. I feel like we just weren't put in the right opportunity to win this game. We weren't put in the right situations to win this game."

Elliott became the third all-time leading rusher in Ohio State history in last week's 28-3 win over Illinois with a 181-yard rushing performance. He trails only Archie Griffin and Eddie George. 

The Buckeyes passing game has struggled to some extent all season -- especially with the quarterback derby between J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones lasting more than two months into the year -- and Elliott had become Ohio State's most consistent weapon.

Urban Meyer has praised Elliott all year. But Elliott felt ignored against the Spartans. 

"It is kind of something we've seen all season, honestly," Elliott said. "We'll have some momentum, we're calling plays that work and then we kind of try to get away from it and try to get cute and run some other stuff."

Who is he talking about? 

"I'm talking about the play-calling, so whoever calls the plays," Elliott said. 

Who was he lobbying to?

"I was lobbying to Coach Meyer all game," he said. 

Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott, right, jogs onto the field with extra padding on his right shin. He spent time in the hospital earlier in the week and wasn't sure if he was going to play. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer 

What was the explanation? 

"I have heard no explanation," Elliott said. 

Perhaps the reason Meyer was hesitant to rush Elliott was because the running back was hospitalized earlier this week for three days with a skin infection and cyst on his right shin. 

"Nobody knows this, we kind of kept this under wraps, but earlier this week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday I was hospitalized," Elliott said. "I had an infection in my leg. Honestly, I didn't even think I was going to be able to play during those days. It really took a toll on my body, but I was able to get back into practice Thursday and play in the game." 

Elliott said he felt fine. He also said he feels like he deserved more carries. 

"I think I do deserve more than 11 carries," he said. "I think I really do. I can't speak for the play calling, I don't know what was going on or what they were seeing, but honestly, it didn't work out. It wasn't working." 

The final question of Elliott's press conference ended with him announcing his intentions to leave Ohio State at the end of the year. 

"This will be my last game in the 'Shoe," he said. "There's no chance of me coming back next year. I have to make the most of my time left. I just want to thank Buckeye Nation for making this place so special and I'm sorry about tonight."

Ohio State lost to Michigan State, 17-14, on Saturday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A complete transcript of everything Urban Meyer said after Ohio State's loss to Michigan State on Saturday.

Q. Just I think you ended up four of 15 on third downs tonight. And just could never sustain -- I think you only had five first downs for the game. Maybe talk about what wasn't working. I know it was raining, but what was not working for the offense tonight?

Meyer: Yeah, we lost the line of scrimmage. And obviously you start loading up the box in those kind of situations and we were -- the passing game was just, it was not there. I think we maybe had a couple of opportunities, but it just was obviously tough conditions to throw the ball. But we tried inside/outside and they beat us at the line of scrimmage and we were unable to execute in the throw game. That was a very poor performance.

Q. Can you pinpoint anything that might have caused those issues in the passing game, and seemed like early with the weather, you guys didn't even want to take many shots?

Meyer: Well, either side was tough. They hit a couple of fades, I think, on us. But for the most part it was tough sledding throwing the ball. And we tried a little bit. And I think we had Braxton, I think come clean on one. And it hasn't been a smooth run, really, most of the year.

So we have to get some things fixed.

Q. How limited was Ezekiel Elliott with that leg problem, and was that a problem at all for him?

Meyer: No. No, he was fine. That was earlier in the week. And he practiced Thursday. And he's a warrior. Just so many people at the line of scrimmage; we couldn't control it.

Q. What did you tell your team postgame here about --

Meyer: You've got the rivalry coming up. It's easy to lead when everything is going well, and you won a bunch of games in a row. That's not how you judge a team. That's not how you judge character. That's not how you judge a leader. That's how you judge a front runner. That's how you judge when things are going well. We've just been hit right in the gut, and Zeek actually said a few words down there, and I love these guys and we'll come back and do the best we can next week. We gotta get better.

Q. Any way foresee this kind of performance?

Meyer: No.

Q. In terms of the conservative play calling, again, the weather was a factor, but are you content with the way the game was called -- the conservative play calling?

Meyer: No, I was not content.

Q. Cook doesn't play, they go with the backups. Does it help them to run the option instead of a guy --

Meyer: They just run Q run, Q run, Q run. And obviously I don't know if they would have done that with Cook. But it's not a throwing-type day. It would have been tough to execute the throw game even with Connor Cook. But they did it well. They ran that quarterback a lot.

Q. You said as far as the play calling you weren't content. What can you do during the game if you're not content with it? Was there more you could have done yourself to try to switch things up?

Meyer: I call a lot of plays anyways. So finger will be pointed right here. And I have to do better. We didn't -- very conservative. Seemed like we were backed up a lot.

And I thought we had a good positioning when we downed the ball on the 3-yard line in the fourth quarter. And then they knocked it out and put us back there. And then we tried to take a shot, and then they're second-and-10, stopped the clock, and then you try to punt with that driving wind in your face, and it was tough. And they get the ball on the 40-yard line. Obviously, you saw how the game ended. So it was kind of that game I can't stand. Those are tough to watch now and tough to be a part of. When you start playing field position like that -- been in a couple of situations in my career where you're in a blizzard. It wasn't a blizzard, but it was a tough situation.

Once again, I felt decent when we pinned them into the 3-yard line, played good defense and stopped them, and then you might get the ball near midfield and go try to win the game.

Q. Not being where you want to be in the throw game at this point in the season the fact that JT wasn't the starter for the first seven games, does that set back his development as a thrower at all this season?

Meyer: It could have. I'm going to try and sit and evaluate everything. It could be a lot of reasons.

Q. You guys had a couple of offside penalties, one on fourth and eight and third and long. How demoralizing was that to put them in a really -- you know, a manageable situation to pick up first down?

Meyer: We had three of them. It's a tough situation, you know, fourth and eight is much different than fourth and three. And that's -- especially the situation, the weather, the conditions that we were playing in.

Q. You get two short fields off turnovers and they answer with long drives. How disheartening was that?

Meyer: Disheartening and especially it was all mostly run -- I guess they had a fourth and -- or a third down and 15 and hit a fade on us. That was a big transitional part of the game, when you feel like you got them stopped and then they hit a ball over the top on us. But I think it was -- I think disheartening is a correct word when you feel like you're 14-7 or 7-0, you go up and you're up 14-7 and they take it the length of the field.

Q. You obviously have seen some funny scenarios happen in college football in the times you've been a head coach, going back to Florida in '08, I guess. Just where do you feel like this program is in the big picture in relation to the playoff after today?

Meyer: Oh, boy, we've got to get a couple of first downs and start finding a way to complete a pass and beat our rival. No disrespect, but that's certainly not any conversation -- you're right, a lot of things happen, but we've gotta fix some obvious problems.

Q. Nobody wins every single game. You just had a 23-game winning streak. Do you have any perspective on this at the moment that this happens to every team at some point?

Meyer: Oh, you know, I've been down this road before, where you do good. I just love the group of guys down there. And we have to do better. Yeah, I do. I do. A lot of different perspective maybe had several years back, you lost a game, you're pissed off, you go do the best you can, go to work tomorrow.

I did challenge the leaders, challenged our coaches that, once again, to run out of the tunnel first when you're -- what you said, 23 or 30 or whatever it is win streak -- it doesn't take a whole lot of courage to do that. It takes a lot of courage to show up Sunday ready to go beat a good team up north.

Check out how local football teams fared Saturday in OHSAA playoffs.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Get a rundown of how six local football teams fared Saturday night in the OHSAA playoffs. Plus see results for area squads that played Friday.

Results will be added below as games become final. In the meantime, check out a live blog to keep up on all the latest updates, including interactive scoreboards.

Playoff games were held Saturday in Divisions I, IV and VI. Division I played regional semifinals, while everyone else is at the regional final round.

Pairings for next week's state semifinals will be announced Sunday by the Ohio High School Athletic Association. Check cleveland.com/hssports Sunday for the breaking news.

DIVISION I, REGION 1 (bracket)

Saturday

No. 1 St. Edward (11‐1) is playing No. 5 Euclid (10‐2).

No. 2 Stow (12‐0) is playing No. 3 Lewis Center Olentangy (11‐1).

What's next: Regional final/state semifinal, Nov. 28, opponent and location to be announced Sunday.

DIVISION II, REGION 3 (bracket)

Friday

No. 5 Hudson (11‐2) defeated No. 3 Mayfield (11‐2), 31-6.

What's next: State semifinal, Nov. 27, opponent and location to be announced Sunday.

DIVISION II, REGION 4 (bracket)

Friday

No. 2 Perrysburg (13‐0) defeated No. 4 Glenville (11‐2), 50-19.

What's next: State semifinal, Nov. 27, opponent and location to be announced Sunday.

DIVISION III, REGION 7 (bracket)

Friday

No. 1 Archbishop Hoban (12‐1) defeated No. 2 St. Vincent‐St. Mary (11‐2), 24-21.

What's next: State semifinal, Nov. 27, opponent and location to be announced Sunday.

DIVISION III, REGION 8 (bracket)

Friday

No. 2 Toledo Central Catholic (11‐2) defeated No. 1 Benedictine (12‐1), 31-30 (2 OT).

What's next: State semifinal, Nov. 27, opponent and location to be announced Sunday.

DIVISION IV, REGION 11 (bracket)

Saturday

No. 5 Youngstown Ursuline (7‐5) is playing No. 3 Crestwood (10‐2).

What's next: State semifinal, Nov. 28, opponent and location to be announced Sunday.

DIVISION V (no local teams remain)

DIVISION VI, REGION 19 (bracket)

Saturday

No. 1 Kirtland (11‐1) is playing No. 6 Cuyahoga Heights (10‐2).

What's next: State semifinal, Nov. 28, opponent and location to be announced Sunday.

DIVISION VII, REGION 23 (bracket)

Friday

No. 2 Mogadore (12‐1) defeated No. 1 Warren John F. Kennedy (11‐2), 35-7. 

What's next: State semifinal, Nov. 27, opponent and location to be announced Sunday.

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

This wasn't just any player complaining, it was Urban Meyer's Buckeye Tim Tebow.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ezekiel Elliott won the Sullivan Award as the nation's best amateur athlete, was the star of a National Championship run and had a mini-documentary made on his life by ESPN.

There were trademarks put in for "Zeke's Crop Top Bar and Grill," his father, Stacey, pushed a Heisman campaign for his son by claiming last year's postseason should count and and Stacey was granted status as some kind of Ohio State ambassador that saw him attend recruiting announcements for other future Buckeyes.

Urban Meyer said that he and his family grew as close to the Elliotts as any player family since the Tebows. He said they'd be family friends forever. After a game earlier this season, as Meyer sat eating a burrito outside a visiting locker room, the head coach stood to take a photo of the Elliott family.

Of the two Ohio State jerseys sold this season, one was No. 15, for the year 2015, the Buckeyes claimed. It also happened to be Elliott's number.

Ezekiel Elliott shed tears before Saturday's game, obviously his last in Ohio Stadium, a truth he made clear himself after a 17-14 loss.

Elliott had everything go right at Ohio State and he made so much go right for the Buckeyes.

Elliott was a major recruit to grab out of the St. Louis area and he produced on even a higher level than anyone could have hoped. He's a star - was here, and will be in the NFL.

And when he lost the first game of his college career as a true feature back (he was still working into the role against Virginia Tech last season), he went off.

* Elliott criticizes play-calling after loss

The story of the postgame quickly flipped from the defending National Champions losing for the first time in 24 games to what the star running back said about the play calling in the loss.

It was honest. It was right. It was a reporter's dream. It came from a strong player in a system where players have been exploited for too long and are gradually gaining more of a voice. As former running back Beanie Wells pointed out, coaches criticize players publicly all the time.

He's gonna get a lot of flack from media folks about it. But let's not forgot how coaches openly criticize guys all the time

-- Beanie Wells (@BeanieWells26) November 22, 2015

But just understand who that's coming from. That's Urban Meyer's Buckeye Tim Tebow. 

That's the third-leading rusher in Ohio State history. 

That's the son of Stacey Elliott, who is out there as a face of the program and allowed to operate in that role.

And that's how Ezekiel Elliott reacted the first time a college football game didn't go the way he wanted it to.

2. NFL talk: Can we please be real about these NFL Draft "decisions" and not act like the obvious is some kind of shocking news? 

Cardale Jones is not coming back to play in his sixth year removed from high school. He tweeted after the game that this was his last game at Ohio Stadium, and of course it was his last game. He went to prep school and then redshirted at Ohio State. He's going to the NFL, has been all year.

Ezekiel Elliott is of course going pro as a projected first-round pick.

Joey Bosa is of course going pro as a projected first-round pick.

Michael Thomas is of course going pro as a projected first-round pick.

So live in the real world and don't take any indications about NFL ideas from these guys as any great sign. They are acknowledging the obvious.

3. Jones' draft stock: How about the idea that Cardale Jones' draft stock went up Saturday? 

It wasn't just his fault that the offense didn't look good for seven games, and it never looked as bad as it did Saturday. 

Saturday showed that the play-calling issues, receiver issues and pass protection issues were real no matter who played quarterback.

4. Support for Elliott: This is going to be a test for Urban Meyer. He has some high-profile players who aren't afraid to speak their mind.

Linebacker Darron Lee after the game on Twitter basically agreed with Elliott that the play-calling was to blame, by saying Elliott was speaking the truth.

Truth hurts like this loss bruh https://t.co/ydJPKfCGKX

-- Darron Lee (@DLeeMG8) November 22, 2015

"We have to take a good look in the mirror and see what we really are," Perry said. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Joshua Perry had the best game he's ever played in Ohio Stadium on Saturday, it was his final game, so it should've been a special moment.

Perry doesn't care, because Ohio State lost to Michigan State, 17-14.

His season-high 15 tackles are a footnote in a stinging loss that snapped the Buckeyes' 23-game winning streak and more importantly left little hope of repeating as college football's national champions.

"It's an eye-opener," Perry said. "It's one of those things where you gotta go back and go to work. We've got a couple games left still, you never know what's gonna happen. We have to go to work. We have to take a good look in the mirror and see what we really are."

What Ohio State was on Saturday was a team that couldn't move the ball on offense, or get a stop when it needed it most. Michigan State started its final drive at the Buckeyes 48-yard line with 4:07 left, ran off the rest of the clock and got close enough for Michael Geiger to kick a 41-yard game-winning field goal as time expired.

The Spartans poured onto the field and celebration. Perry and his teammates went to the south end zone for the most somber rendition of Carmen Ohio that's been sung in Perry's four years here.

He wasn't the only senior who lost his final game in Ohio Stadium, but he was the only one who spoke to the media afterward.

"You come out here and a play a tough game against a top 10 opponent, especially on my senior day, highly emotional and you can't pull it off," Perry said. "It's a really tough feeling."

There's still one game left, next Saturday at Michigan, and then the unknown. Ohio State will play in a bowl game, and its playoff hopes aren't completely dashed.

But first the Buckeyes need to win the Big Ten Championship. That only comes if Michigan State loses to Penn State next week, and the Buckeyes beat Michigan in Ann Arbor. And even that guarantees nothing.

So Perry is focused on bouncing back next week.

"You don't have any other response," he said. "If you don't then we're just a phony team."

Check out Ohio high school football OHSAA playoff scores from across the state for Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Here are Ohio high school football statewide scores for Saturday, Nov. 21 for the third round of the OHSAA playoffs. Division I was at the regional semifinal round, while Division IV and VI were regional championships. A photo gallery will be added later.

Click the links at right for printable and interactive brackets for all 26 regions statewide.

See Friday's statewide scores here. Check back for more scores from Saturday as more games become final.

Division I

Huber Hts. Wayne 20, Hilliard Davidson 6

St. Edward 33, Euclid 0

Division IV

Cols. Hartley 28, Bellevue 20

Middletown Fenwick 10, Clarksville Clinton-Massie 3, OT

Steubenville 42, Johnstown-Monroe 7

Division VI

Cols. Grandview Hts. 25, Fredericktown 14

Defiance Tinora 44, Van Buren 14

Kirtland 34, Cuyahoga Heights 13

Maria Stein Marion Local 9, Mechanicsburg 7

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. 

See all OHSAA football regional champions for Division II-VII in cleveland.com brackets.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Regional football champions were crowned Friday and Saturday in six divisions within the OHSAA playoffs. Click the links at right or below to see brackets crowning each champion in Regions 3-26 statewide for Division II through VII.

Click here to access one page that contains links to every regional football bracket in Ohio.

The brackets are printable and interactive. Click on the school names to see the team pages with all of the season-long content.

Division I will crown regional champions next week on Nov. 28 in games that double as regional finals and state semifinals.

State semifinals will be played Friday and Saturday in all seven divisions. The Ohio High School Athletic Association will announce the semifinal pairings and neutral sites for all divisions on Sunday. Check cleveland.com/hssports Sunday for the breaking news.

HERE ARE SATURDAY'S RESULTS

HERE ARE FRIDAY'S RESULTS

For more high school sports news, like NEOvarsity on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The Atlanta Hawks found themselves on the losing end yet again as the Cleveland Cavaliers won handily 109-97 at The Q.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - It was a rematch of the 2015 Eastern Conference Finals and the contest yielded the same result Saturday evening.

The Atlanta Hawks found themselves on the losing end yet again as the Cleveland Cavaliers won handily 109-97 at The Q. Like the sweep the Cavaliers accomplished at the Hawks' expense in May, it wasn't much of a battle this time around.

Kevin Love captured his team-leading eighth double-double of the season by way of a season-high 25 points and 11 rebounds. LeBron James flirted with a triple-double by putting up 19 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.

The Cavaliers held them to 37 percent from the field and is now 7-0 at home this season. They're riding a two-game winning streak.

Team's mentality

Cleveland (10-3) was without Mo Williams (ankle) and Timofey Mozgov (shoulder). Williams is expected to miss one more game while Mozgov is on a two-week recovery period.

Before the game Cavaliers head coach David Blatt said, "The big thing is not who's playing, but how you're playing." That message apparently resonated with the players.

Cleveland came out of the gate with an intensity level and vigor Atlanta couldn't match. They were first to loose balls and executed on both ends of the floor constantly all night.

The effort was there.

Early in the first quarter James blocked the shot of Paul Millsap and hustled to save the ball from going out of bounds by whipping the ball behind him to Tristan Thompson. Thompson then found a sprinting J.R. Smith up court who stopped on a dime and drained a 3-pointer from the left wing.

That's when the fans erupted and you just knew it was going to be one of those nights for the Cavaliers. Playing shorthanded has become a familiar burden that they've learned to adapt to.

"It's next man up," Love said. "It's tough having guys out, but we're going to be better with out depth, for sure."

Midway in the second quarter with his team down 13, Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer was hit with two quick technicals and tossed from the game. He was irate with the officials for the lack of foul calls.

It could have been a tactic to spark life into his team, but it didn't work. The Cavaliers pushed the lead to 17 before Thabo Sefolosha converted a transition layup right before the halftime buzzer sounded. And the Cavaliers' lead increased to 26 in the third. Lacking a potent offensive scorer, the Hawks were not able to recover.

Smith scored 15 points and Matthew Dellavedova added 12 points and three assists in his second straight start.

Kyle Korver led Atlanta (9-6) with 14 points. Jeff Teague and Sefolosha had 13 points apiece.

The boards

The physicality tone was established down low in the trenches. Thompson, who registered his first start of the season in place of Mozgov, pulled down 12 of his game-high 16 rebounds in the first two quarters. Cleveland dominated the rebounding war, 51-38.

That's no easy feat against a rugged front-line of the Hawks.

On deck

The Orlando Magic will visit The Q on Monday for the first time this season. The game will be at 7 p.m. It will be the final contest of the Cavaliers' three-game homestand.

LeBron James scored 19 points, grabbed 11 boards and dished out eight assists in a 109-97 win over Atlanta.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Circumstances suggested the Cavaliers would need a huge scoring night from LeBron James to beat the Atlanta Hawks.

Sometimes circumstances don't know what they're talking about.

James scored 19 points in 33 minutes, but Cleveland cruised to an 109-97 win over the Hawks -- all the more impressive considering the Cavs were without four of the top eight players on their team.

Nineteen points are nothing to sneeze at, nor are James' 11 rebounds, eight assists, and 8-of-15 shooting. But Cleveland was without starters Timofey Mozgov and Mo Williams, and hasn't played all season with Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert.

Meanwhile, James has been looking to score. He entered the game averaging 30.9 points in his last seven contests, and had scored less than 20 only once this season - in Game 2 back on Oct. 28 in Memphis.

Also, entering play Saturday James was averaging 36.5 minutes per game (up slightly from last season), had a possession usage rate of 33.2 percent (his highest in six seasons), and was averaging 20.2 shots per game (his most since 2007).

And, of course, he eviscerated the Hawks during the Eastern Conference finals, averaging 30.3 points, 11 rebounds and 9.3 assists in the Cavs' four-game sweep.

So it was maybe just a little surprising that James was one of four in double figures, a group led by Kevin Love's 25 points. Tristan Thompson added nine points and 16 rebounds in Mozgov's place.

"Obviously when guys are out, more responsibility is going to fall on Bron's shoulders, and we want to be careful of that and not allow it to get out of hand, so to speak," Cavs coach David Blatt said before the game.

"We will and want to be conscious of how much we're asking him to do, and if nothing else try to keep his minutes in check."

Blatt said the burden on James would decrease when (if?) the Cavs are fully healthy, but: "You know he's a pretty important player for us and he's going to be involved in things, regardless of who's playing. "

James scored 10 in the fourth quarter, padding his numbers and preventing a Hawks comeback. Atlanta trailed by 26 in the third quarter but cut its deficit to 13 by quarter's end.

With 6:06 left in the period, James was clearly winded and hurried to the bench when a ball went out of bounds. He raised his hand for Blatt to replace him, but the Hawks inbounded the ball before Richard Jefferson could even get near the scorer's table.

With James' behind already firmly planted in a chair and the ball in play, the Cavs were left with four players on the court.

That's a technical foul.

J.R. Smith answered questions pertaining to a report alleging he choked a 19-year-old student in New York.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio - Following the Cleveland Cavaliers' shootaround session Saturday in preparation for this evening's game against the Atlanta Hawks, J.R. Smith was forced to address allegations that he choked a 19-year-old last week in New York.

"First of all, things aren't being reported the right way," Smith said, "but the team and I have spoken. We had conversations with coach [David Blatt], [general manager David] Griff and some of the players. I just don't want to be a distraction to anybody else and I've just got to move forward."

The New York Daily News reported Friday that Smith allegedly choked a high school student who was heckling him early Friday morning in Chelsea, a neighborhood on the city's west side. The Cavs played the New York Knicks -- Smith's former team -- later that night.

Smith's lawyer, Alex Spiro, told cleveland.com in an e-mail that "the accusation is completely false. There's no reason to think he will ever be charged." Spiro said Smith was not questioned by New York police.

An NBA spokesman told cleveland.com: "We are aware of the reports and are in the process of obtaining more information."

When asked if an incident took place, Smith didn't stray from his previous answer.

"Once again, things aren't reported like they're supposed to be. So I'll leave that where it is."

Smith was said to have been on his cell phone when a group of teenagers, including the accuser Justin Brown, asked for a picture before being ignored by the Cavaliers' starting shooting guard.

At that point, the group began to heckle Smith about his departure from the Knicks, whom Smith played from 2011 until 2015. The police report was taken three days later when Brown went to the 10th Precinct station house.

Smith understands this is a distraction.

"Yes, absolutely," he said. "Anything other than basketball for our team is a distraction. Whether this incident, Twitter or Instagram. Anything that doesn't have to do with basketball is a distraction for us."

LeBron James disagrees, saying Smith's incident would not be a distraction to the team.

"Nah, I don't think so," James said. "Obviously we're going to let it all run its course and see what the situation is. His attorney has spoken for him, but there's no distraction. Guys came in focused today because we're going to against a worthy opponent today in Atlanta. It wasn't a distraction at all."

James and Smith have been pretty close to inseparable this season. Often, before James exits the arena, he makes sure Smith accompanies him. They also get up early to shoot together before team shootarounds. James said he didn't know about the alleged incident until the report surfaced.

"I think we're very close friends at this point," James said. "You just want the best out of him. I think he's been misunderstood a lot in his career and you just want the best for him. And we get along. We like hanging with each other. We get along. So that's why it's been like that."

The report stated the incident occurred around 4 a.m. Smith was asked if he, a national figure, should take some of the blame for being out so late.

"Things aren't reported the right way so I'll leave it as it is," he reiterated. "People have their judgment of me already, so I'll just let them have it."

The Cavaliers will try to keep it business as usual when they take the floor tonight. If any team is equipped to handle such an issue, this veteran-filled squad is.

"We'll deal with the stuff that comes off the floor as it comes, but we're in full support of our brother and we know we have a job to do tonight," Kevin Love said.

Will Jimmy Haslam hire his good friend Peyton Manning to run the Browns? Would the Browns welcome Josh Gordon back? Will Haslam clean house? These and other questions answered in Hey Mary Kay!

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Hey Mary Kay!

Hey Mary Kay: Would Jimmy Haslam hire his good friend Peyton Manning to run the Browns?

-- Ryan Berlan, North Olmsted, Ohio

Hey Ryan: I'm sure Haslam would at least explore it if Manning decides to hang it up after this season. But once source told me that Manning, who's idle Sunday with a foot injury and could be done for the season, might want to keep playing after this year. Another said that his wife Ashley, a part-owner of her hometown Memphis Grizzlies, would prefer to stay in the South, which would make the Titans a more attractive option if they call on Manning to be their John Elway.

Still others in the league wonder if Manning might want to take a little time off before jumping right into an executive role. One thing's for certain: he won't be hurting for suitors. And Haslam, a huge Tennessee booster, has made no secret of his close friendship with the former Vol. When he first reached an agreement to purchase the Browns in August of 2012, I asked him in an exclusive interview if he'd someday hire his good Manning to run his team. Here's what he said:

"(The Mannings) are great friends. Peyton is of course a legend in Tennessee and Archie, Eli, our families are great friends. I just got a text from Archie. You won't find better people than the Manning family. I'd say he's focused on being a great quarterback for the Broncos now and I've checked the schedule -- we'll be out there on Dec. 23."

But he did allow, "Peyton's a great talent. He's not only a great athlete -- he's also a very smart person."

So yes, I think Haslam would be interested in hiring Manning. But the future Hall of Famer might first have to sell his wife on how great a city Cleveland is.

@MaryKayCabot with starting Manziel, are the Browns now in 'tank' mode?

— Lee H (@StilleeOG) November 21, 2015

Hey @StilleeOG: I'd call it more evaluation mode than tank mode. If Manziel had demonstrated during the 30-9 loss to the Steelers that he couldn't operate the offense, they would not have made the move at this point. Manziel narrowed the gap enough on Josh McCown that they could justify starting him and not obviously be trying to solidify their No. 1 pick in the draft. Although they will play some of the younger players even more as the season goes along, I still think they'll fight hard and try to win every game. They have to. Jobs are on the line for the players and the coaching staff at this point.

@MaryKayCabot so any of your insiders talking about a change of Gm and COACH.

— Kenneth (@yabo171) November 21, 2015

Hey @yabo171: There are rumblings that the Browns are considering changes, but it's just a matter of how sweeping those changes might be. I think general manager Ray Farmer is on the hotseat, but if Johnny Manziel plays well over the past six games, it could get Farmer off the hook. The signing of Dwayne Bowe hasn't help his cause, but if he can argue that Bowe never got a chance to play, he might get the benefit of the doubt there. Still, he has to answer for 2014 No. 8 overall pick Justin Gilbert, but some insiders believe that that was as much Mike Pettine's pick.

One solution would be to hire a more experienced personnel executive to oversee the department such as Manning. That's what I would do if I planned to keep the current regime intact. The Browns need a strong football boss to run the show. As for Pettine, I think he's also on the hotseat considering that he's lost 13 of his last 15 games. If Manziel jumpstarts the team over the last six games, it could buy this coaching staff some time. I don't think Haslam wants to blow things up, but I think he'll re-evaluate the whole operation from top to bottom after the season and some changes will be made.

@MaryKayCabot what is Johnny's status in the substance abuse program?Would he receive a year long suspension with a subsequent violation?

— Anthony Incristi (@aincristi) November 21, 2015

Hey @aincristi: A player's status in the NFL's substance abuse program is kept confidential, but I would imagine Manziel is in it based on the fact he checked himself into addiction rehab in the offseason. It's unknown if his admission of drinking alcohol on Oct. 12 when he was questioned by police constituted a violation of his treatment program. If Manziel is in Stage One, he'd likely only be fined for a violation of his treatment plan. We will likely not know what stage he's in unless he's disciplined.

@MaryKayCabot will the Browns welcome josh Gordon back?

— me (@vandoosky) November 21, 2015

Hey @vandoosky: I get the impression that some in the current regime have lost their patience with Gordon and wouldn't trust him enough to keep him on the roster. I think others would be willing to give him a chance. Some of it will depend on who's still around when Gordon is eligible for reinstatement. I know Gordon's working hard to come back. It remains to be seen if he'll adhere to his treatment program until he's eligible for reinstatement after the Super Bowl. If he makes it back, the Browns must decide if they whether they want to forge ahead, or possibly try to trade him. I think teams would be willing to take a chance on him given his exceptional talent.

See all the state semifinals pairings and neutral sites for the OHSAA football playoffs in Ohio.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- See all the football state semifinals pairings and neutral sites for the OHSAA playoffs, which were announced Sunday afternoon.

Games are Friday and Saturday. See interactive and printable brackets for all 26 regional tournaments statewide in the links at right. Look for new state semifinals brackets in all seven divisions later Sunday on cleveland.com/hssports.

Pairings are shown with seeds and overall records. Home team listed first.

Division I, State Semifinals/Regional Finals – Games at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28
Region 1
1 St. Edward (12‐1) vs. 2 Stow (12‐0) at Parma Byers Field
Region 2
1 Cincinnati Colerain (12‐1) vs. 3 Huber Heights Wayne (13‐0) at Mason Dwire Field at Atrium Stadium

Division II State Semifinals – Games at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27
1 Massillon Perry (11‐2) vs. 5 Hudson (11‐2) at Solon Stewart Field
2 Perrysburg (13‐0) vs. 1 Cincinnati La Salle (11‐2) at Piqua Alexander Stadium, Purk Field  

Division III, State Semifinals – Games at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27
1 Archbishop Hoban (12‐1) vs. 3 Zanesville (12‐1) at Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium  
2 Toledo Central Catholic (11‐2) vs. 3 Trotwood‐Madison (10‐3) at Sidney Memorial Stadium  

Division IV, State Semifinals – Games at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28
1 Steubenville (12‐0) vs. 5 Youngstown Ursuline (8‐5) at Boardman New Spartan Stadium
1 Middletown Bishop Fenwick (13‐0) vs. 1 Columbus Bishop Hartley (9‐3) at Wilmington Alumni Field

Division V, State Semifinals – Games at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27
1 Milan Edison (12‐1) vs. 3 Canton Central Catholic (9‐3) at Wooster Triway Jack Miller Field
3 Coldwater (13‐0) vs. 1 Wheelersburg (13‐0) at Xenia Doug Adams Stadium  

Division VI, State Semifinals – Games at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28
1 Kirtland (12‐1) vs. 3 Grandview Heights (12‐1) at Mansfield Madison Ram Field at StarTek Stadium  
1 Maria Stein Marion Local (12‐1) vs. 2 Defiance Tinora (11‐1) at Wapakoneta Harmon Field

Division VII, State Semifinals – Games at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27
1 Danville (13‐0) vs. 2 Mogadore (12‐1) at Orrville Red Rider Stadium  
3 Fort Recovery (11‐2) vs. 1 McComb (12‐1) at Lima Senior Spartan Stadium   

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The Spartans moved up to No. 6 in both the AP and coaches polls.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- If Ohio State owns a slight chance to stay in the race for a College Football Playoff berth, where the Buckeyes stand now in the rankings after their first loss of the season matters.

* How Ohio State can still make the playoff

Those College Football Playoff selection committee rankings will be released Tuesday. Meanwhile, we have the two major polls from Sunday, which have no influence on the committee and look like the committee rankings only because poll voters now copy what the committee does a week later.

So what the pollsters think of Ohio State right now is meaningless, because pollsters still have no idea about how to think like a committee member. So these meaningless rankings are even more meaningless than usual.

Anyway. 

Ohio State is No. 8.

Michigan State only moved up to No. 6 in both polls after beating the Buckeyes, which is too low.

Iowa is No. 3 in both polls, which is probably too high.

Michigan is No. 12 in both polls, which is just right.

Remember, Ohio State was a unanimous preseason No. 1 in the AP poll and a near unanimous No. 1 in the coaches poll before gradually losing support all year. The Buckeyes lost their top spot in the AP poll to Clemson two weeks ago and in the coaches poll last week.

Full AP poll:

1. Clemson (55)

2. Alabama (6)

3. Iowa

4. Notre Dame

5. Oklahoma

6. Michigan State

7. Baylor

8. Ohio State

9. Oklahoma State

10. Florida

11. North Carolina

12. Michigan 

13. Stanford

14. Florida State

15. TCU

16. Navy

17. Northwestern

18. Oregon

19. Ole Miss

20. Washington State

21. Houston

22. UCLA

23. Mississippi State

24. Toledo

25. Temple

Full coaches poll:

1. Clemson (58)

2. Alabama (5)

3. Iowa (1)

4. Notre Dame

5. Oklahoma

6. Michigan State

7. Baylor

8. Ohio State

9. Florida

10. Oklahoma State

11. North Carolina

12 (tie). Stanford

12 (tie). Michigan

14. Florida State

15. Navy

16. TCU

17. Northwestern

18. Oregon

19. Ole Miss

20. Washington State

21. Houston

22. Mississippi State

23. UCLA

24. Temple

25. Utah

My AP ballot:

1. Clemson

2. Alabama

3. Michigan State

4. Iowa

5. Notre Dame

6. Oklahoma

7. Baylor

8. Oklahoma State

9. Ohio State

10. North Carolina

11. Florida

12. Michigan

13. Navy

14. Northwestern

15. Stanford

16. Florida State

17. TCU

18. Houston

19. Oregon

20. UCLA

21. Ole Miss

22. Toledo

23. BYU

24. Georgia

25. Utah

See OHSAA football Division I state semifinals bracket.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here is the Division I football playoff bracket for the 2015 OHSAA state semifinals. For Division I only, state semifinals double as regional finals.

Division I state semifinals bracket

The bracket is printable and interactive. Click on the school names to see the team pages with all of the season-long content.

In Region 1, No. 1 St. Edward will take on No. 2 Stow. The Eagles advanced to the state semifinals with a 33-0 win over No. 5 Euclid, while the Bulldogs beat No. 3 Olentangy, 38-16.

In Region 2, No. 1 Cincinnati Colerain will face off with No. 3 Huber Heights Wayne. Colerain advanced with a 41-11 win over No. 5 Cincinnati Elder and Wayne defeated No. 2 Hilliard Davidson, 20-6.

Relive the three rounds of regionals with interactive brackets:

Region 1

Region 2

The state semifinals will be played on Saturday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m.

The winner of each game will advance to the state championship game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. The state championship game will be played on Saturday, Dec. 5 at a time to be determined.

We invite you to play in cleveland.com’s free High School Football Playoff Picks contest presented by the University of Akron during the five weeks of the postseason. You could win $100 and $500 Visa gift cards.  

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. 

See printable and interactive OHSAA football Division VII state semifinals bracket.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here is the Division VII football playoff bracket for the 2015 OHSAA state semifinals.

Division VII state semifinals bracket

The bracket is printable and interactive. Click on the school names to see the team pages with all of the season-long content.

No. 1 Danville will play No. 2 Mogadore, with No. 3 Fort Recovery playing No. 1 McComb.

Mogadore defeated Warren JFK 35-7 to advance out of Region 23.

McComb beat Lucas, 36-6, to win Region 24.

In Region 25, Danville defeated Caldwell, 44-34, to advance.

Fort Recovery defeated Minster, 33-21, to advance from Region 26.

Relive the three rounds of regionals with interactive brackets:

Region 23

Region 24

Region 25

Region 26

The state semifinals will be played on Friday, Nov. 27 at 7:30 p.m.

The winner of each game will advance to the state championship game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. The date and time of the state championship game will be determined after the state semifinals. The game will be played either Thursday, Dec. 3 or Friday, Dec. 4.

We invite you to play in cleveland.com’s free High School Football Playoff Picks contest presented by the University of Akron during the five weeks of the postseason. You could win $100 and $500 Visa gift cards.  

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. 

See printable and interactive OHSAA football Division VI state semifinals bracket.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here is the Division VI football playoff bracket for the 2015 OHSAA state semifinals.

Division VI state semifinals bracket

The bracket is printable and interactive. Click on the school names to see the team pages with all of the season-long content.

No. 1 Kirtland will play No. 3 Grandview Heights and No. 1 Maria Stein Marion Local will play No. 2 Tinora.

Kirtland advanced out of Region 19 with a 34-13 win over Cuyahoga Heights.

Tinora won Region 20 with a 44-14 victory over Van Buren.

Grandview Heights beat Fredericktown, 25-14, in Region 21.

Marion Local beat Mechanicsburg, 9-7, in Region 22.

Relive the three rounds of regionals with interactive brackets:

Region 19

Region 20

Region 21

Region 22

The state semifinals will be played on Saturday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m.

The winner of each game will advance to the state championship game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. The state championship game will be played on Saturday, Dec. 5 at a time to be determined.

We invite you to play in cleveland.com’s free High School Football Playoff Picks contest presented by the University of Akron during the five weeks of the postseason. You could win $100 and $500 Visa gift cards.  

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. 

See printable and interactive OHSAA football Division V state semifinals bracket.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here is the Division V football playoff bracket for the 2015 OHSAA state semifinals.

Division V state semifinals bracket

The bracket is printable and interactive. Click on the school names to see the team pages with all of the season-long content.

No. 1 Milan Edison will play No. 3 Canton Central Catholic, while No. 3 Coldwater will play No. 1 Wheelersburg.

Canton Central Catholic advanced out of Region 15 with a 33-6 win over Columbiana Crestview.

Milan Edison won Region 16 with a 70-37 victory over Chippewa.

Wheelersburg beat Zane Trace, 31-0, in Region 17.

Coldwater defeated Brookville, 31-13, in Region 18.

Relive the three rounds of regionals with interactive brackets:

Region 15

Region 16

Region 17

Region 18

The state semifinals will be played on Friday, Nov. 27 at 7:30 p.m.

The winner of each game will advance to the state championship game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. The date and time of the state championship game will be determined after the state semifinals. The game will be played either Thursday, Dec. 3 or Friday, Dec. 4.

We invite you to play in cleveland.com’s free High School Football Playoff Picks contest presented by the University of Akron during the five weeks of the postseason. You could win $100 and $500 Visa gift cards.  

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.