The fifth-year senior has just 20 total yards from scrimmage in the last three games. We discuss what his final game will be like. Also, see all of our coverage from Tuesday and our plans for Wednesday. Watch video

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Braxton Miller is done. How will it end?

The fifth-year Ohio State senior will play the 49th and final game of his college career on Friday in the Fiesta Bowl. He'll do so having touched the ball 18 times in his last five games.

In the last three games? A total of 20 yards from scrimmage.

Miller ranks sixth on Ohio State's career rushing list, eighth in career rushing touchdowns, eighth in passing yards, fourth in touchdown passes and he's first in total touchdowns responsible for - passing, rushing and receiving.

Will he have a final touchdown against Notre Dame? A final highlight?

@DougLesmerises Is Braxton a big part of the game plan? Hope so.

-- Jeff Davis (@jdsocal) December 28, 2015

Bill, Ari and I went into the desert to ponder Miller's swan song. Check out the video at the top of this post, and please forgive some minor static issues caused by either desert wind or a radio tour that was perched on top of a nearby mountain.

We watched a bit of Ohio State's practice Tuesday and will do the same Wednesday afternoon. Here are the visual highlights from that, including these Miller moments.

* Photos from Tuesday's practice

* Video from Tuesday's practice

Coverage from Tuesday

* Ohio State's offensive line could be peaking just like last year, but Buckeyes can't reap benefits

* Will Darron Lee, Jalin Marshall and Eli Apple leave for the NFL after this year?

* Ohio State didn't have a championship season, but this is a championship defense

* Notre Dame QB DeShone Kizer: Explaining his path to the Irish, why he didn't end up at Ohio State

* Joey Bosa vs. Ronnie Stanley: Inside the best Ohio State vs. Notre Dame Fiesta Bowl matchups

* Notre Dam All-American LB Jaylon Smith tells stories about Deshaun Thomas, Austin Mack

* Notre Dame missing two starters in secondary: Chicago Tribune

* On defensive inconsistency of Fighting Irish: South Bend Tribune

Hear reaction from Justin Sylver, Justin Layne and coach Rob Stircula along with video highlights as the Bengals held off the Ironmen.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A strong performance from Benedictine's bench and starters Justin Layne and Justin Sylver pushed the Bengals to a 73-69 boys basketball win Tuesday night against Central Catholic.

Layne scored a team-high 22 points, Sylver added 18 points and eight rebounds while the Bengals' bench produced an 18-8 scoring advantage over Central Catholic's reserves. Benedictine (4-1) entered the game ranked No. 16 in the cleveland.com Top 25, and it took down the ninth-ranked Ironmen (4-2) in a North Coast League crossover game.

Hear reaction from Sylver, Layne and coach Rob Stircula along with highlights in the video above.

Here's some more in order of the game's progression:

The Bengals controlled the tempo from the outset, building a double-digit lead that had them up 31-17 after the first quarter.

All Benedictine. Bengals getting hustle points, up 29-16 in first qtr. pic.twitter.com/CGO79pFxRt

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) December 30, 2015

Sylver picked up two fouls, which pushed him to the bench. Before Stircula pulled Sylver, he scored 11 points and grabbed three rebounds.

Justin Sylver: 11 points, three rebounds for Bengals. pic.twitter.com/vuEqGNpCpF

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) December 30, 2015

Backup Jonathon Stallworth produced a vital five points -- all in the first quarter -- and six rebounds in Sylver's absence.

Jonathan Stallworth giving valuable production off bench: 5 points, four rebounds. pic.twitter.com/bDhoJmuASp

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) December 30, 2015

Benedictine led 46-31 at the half and quickly pushed the lead to 17 -- the largest difference of the night -- on this play by Layne. The point guard scored a team-high 22 points.

Layne and Benedictine picking up where they left off. pic.twitter.com/iuCTfPqWiy

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) December 30, 2015

Layne continued his play as Sylver waited to return with about five minutes left in the fourth quarter. At this point, the Bengals led 61-50.

Sylver sets pick on my line of vision for this Layne steal and dunk. Bengals took 61-50 lead. pic.twitter.com/4WZwjTPpnB

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) December 30, 2015

Layne added a corner 3-pointer for a 64-52 lead before Central Catholic used a 17-5 run to tie the score with 38 seconds left. That's when Sylver used his 6-foot-7 frame to keep Benedictine up for good.

Here's Justin Sylver's go-ahead basket. pic.twitter.com/DZ6h51koSQ

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) December 30, 2015

One last attempt for Central Catholic went for naught.

Here is the finish. pic.twitter.com/qvmpZPf2uH

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) December 30, 2015

For more high school sports news, like NEOvarsity on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Contact high school sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.

The Ohio State basketball team opens big Ten play on Wednesday against Minnesota.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State basketball team opens big Ten play on Wednesday against Minnesota.

Who: Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-6) at Ohio State Buckeyes (8-5)

When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Where: Value City Arena

TV: Big Ten Network, with Cory Provus and Stephen Bardo on the call

Minnesota projected starters: G Nate Mason (Soph., 6-2, 12.5 pgg); G Carlos Morris (Sr., 6-5, 11.4 ppg); F Joey King (Sr., 6-9, 13.8 ppg); F Jordan Murphy (Fr., 6-6, 10.8 ppg); C Bokary Konate (Soph. 6-11, 4.7 ppg)

Ohio State projected starters: G JaQuan Lyle (Fr. 6-5, 9.2 ppg); F Jae'Sean Tate (Soph., 6-4, 11.5 ppg); F Marc Loving (Jr., 6-7, 13.9 ppg), F Keita Bates-Diop (Soph., 6-7, 13 ppg); C Trevor Thompson (Soph., 6-11, 6.2 ppg)

Breaking down the Gophers: Minnesota has lost three of its last four games, including a loss to Milwaukee on Dec. 23 ... The Gophers also have losses to Temple, Texas Tech, South Dakota, South Dakota State and Oklahoma State ... This game against Ohio State will be the Gophers first true road game of the season ... Freshman forward Jordan Murphy (10.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg) has been a bright spot for the Gophers with double-doubles in the last three games and five of the last six ... Minnesota is last in the conference in rebounding margin at -2.2 ... Minnesota is 10th in he Big Ten in scoring offense and 13th in scoring defense ... The Gophers are shooting 41.6 percent from the field, while opponents are shooting 42.2 percent ... Minnesota scores 73.6 points per game, while allowing opponents to score 72.4 points per game ... The Gophers are ranked 150th in the country in Ken Pomeroy's efficiency ratings.

Breaking down the Buckeyes: Ohio State has won its last four games heading into the opening of Big Ten play ... The Buckeyes are coming off a 73-57 win over South Carolina State on Sunday, a game in which sophomore forward Keita Bates-Diop scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds ... Bates-Diop is second on the team with 13 points per game, but is averaging a slightly better 16 points over his last four games ... Marc Loving, Ohio State's leading scorer, has failed to reach double-figures in three of the last four games ... Center Trevor Thompson is averaging 9.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game over his last four ... Ohio State is fourth in the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense and leads the conference with 6.2 blocked shots per game ... The Buckeyes are shooting 45.4 percent from the field, and holding opponents to a 38 percent mark ... Ohio State scores 71.5 points per game, while opponents score 62.9 ... Ohio State won both meetings with Minnesota last season and leads the all-time series 84-50 ... The Buckeyes are No. 52 in the KenPom ratings.

Bill's prediction: Ohio State 72, Minnesota 65

From the last game: Buckeyes win fourth straight with 73-57 win over South Carolina State

Check out some highlights from the first-year Buckeye at practice Tuesday and see if you'd like to see him do some more at receiver. Watch video

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Torrance Gibson needs to get on the field.

A 20-minute look at Ohio State's practice Tuesday provided enough evidence of that. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound first-year Buckeye wore the green jersey of the scout team, sporting the No. 7 that showed Gibson would simulate Will Fuller, Notre Dame's top receiver, during practice.

Fuller caught 56 passes for 1,145 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. 

Gibson didn't play a snap. But he's also four inches taller than Fuller. 

And he looked like a receiver Tuesday.

Gibson has been an enigma all season, battling an injury early, not dressing in the middle of the season because Urban Meyer said he hadn't earned the right to do so. He clearly still holds the attention of Ohio State fans - when we write about him, you read it.

That look we got Tuesday ushered in a new imperative in my mind. The Buckeyes have been watching him all season and understand where Gibson stands in the meeting room, in the classroom and in his college life.

Everyone needs to see what he can do on the field now. 

A high school quarterback, Gibson made the switch to receiver this season and now must decide at which position his future lies. With any highly-rated freshman who redshirts and hits some bumps, you also wonder if his future is in Columbus at all. When we talked about Ohio State's quarterback future in a recent podcast, I didn't want to give up on Gibson as a Buckeye quarterback.

But now I want to see him at receiver.

"He's got a decision in the spring," Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett said Tuesday of Gibson. In Ohio State's matching up of older players and younger players in preseason camp, Barrett served as Gibson's big brother.

"TG, something else, my guy," Barrett sad. "TG is doing well. He's working on his hands and getting better. First year, it was just rough being the transition from quarterback to receiver. He never played receiver. He's not one of those guys who did it in high school."

As with many redshirting players, sitting out and not helping the team weighed on Gibson, according to Barrett.

"But I think he's in a good place," Barrett said.

The Buckeyes now have three months to help Gibson stay on track until spring ball, when he'll get a shot at something. Remember, this is the guy who was the No. 75 overall recruit in the nation in the Class of 2015 according to 247sports.com.

There's talent there. Watching Gibson leap for some balls during warmups, then run solid routes during receiver drills brought that home. They were going against air, but with Urban Meyer helping work them out, more than a few receivers looked sharp Tuesday.

Curtis Samuel, who may wind up back at running back next year, looked crisp and confident in his cuts and caught everything. Dontre Wilson, nagged by a foot injury all year, ran smoothly. And Gibson, frankly, looked more fluid in his routes than did Braxton Miller, that other quarterback who made the switch to receiver this year.

Gibson didn't play quarterback for as long as Miller, so the move might be easier. And 20 minutes of practice doesn't tell you how Gibson runs routes and makes adjustments against coverage, and whether he can make tough catches in traffic.

Don't you want to find out, though?

The Fiesta Bowl is primarily about saying goodbye to this era of Ohio State football. 

Spring football will be about a whole new world. The Buckeyes need to find Gibson a place in it.

Elflein could've left for the NFL after this season, but instead opted to come back for a fifth year as the Buckeyes center. Watch video

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Tom Phillips kept looking at the picture. He couldn't help it.

Every time he started to tell a new story about Ohio State guard Pat Elflein, he would glance over his shoulder at the black-and-white photo of Elflein on the wall.

Coaches all across the country have those photos, Ohio State sends them out after players earn Player of the Game honors. Phillips' office inside the Pickerington Community School is sparsely decorated save for a few photos of former players. Elflein's photo has prime real estate, taped just above Phillips' computer. He couldn't avoid looking at it if he wanted to.

That's a good spot for it, because sometimes Phillips needs to look at it.

"I look at that thing when I've gotta get the warrior in me," Phillips told cleveland.com during an in-person interview earlier this month. "I always take a peek at that thing."

Phillips talks about Elflein, whom he coached for four years at Pickering North High School, the way high school coaches speak about a select group of players who come around every so often. The kind of guys who come out of central casting when coaches say, "Send me a football player."

Phillips loves Elflein. He knows him so well that two weeks before Elflein made the news official, Phillips had an inkling that his former player was going to come back for his fifth year at Ohio State. It didn't seem so cut-and-dry to outside observers. There was NFL money to be made.

But Elflein is coming back. That roster move is more important than any recruit Ohio State will sign this year.

"There's a lot of things that went into that, talking with the coaches and my family, just decided that the pros of coming back are greater than the pros of leaving right now," Elflein said Tuesday in Arizona, where Ohio State will play Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1.

If that ended up being his last game in an Ohio State uniform, nobody would've batted an eye.

He's an NFL talent, he's been a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, he won a National Championship and as a fourth-year guy, most of his friends are leaving this year anyway.

"I love Ohio State, I love the coaches, I want to graduate," Elflein said. "There are still some things I want to accomplish here, as a team make another run for it, we definitely have the potential to do that again. I want to play for Ohio State again, play center."

That's the key to this whole thing, not only is he coming back, but Elflein will take over at center for Jacoby Boren. That's not totally surprising given Elflein has been the No. 2 center the last two years and there's better depth at guard than at center. But it's still difficult to overstate just how important that is going to be for Urban Meyer's offense. Without him coming back, Ohio State would've had just one returning starter on the offensive line, left guard Billy Price.

Now the Buckeyes have two guys back to mentor a young group, one a fifth-year senior with three-plus years of starting experience playing a vital position.

It's important to understand that making a decision like the one Elflein was faced with needs to be a selfish one. When the stakes are that high, it's OK to look out for No. 1. But Elflein also took into consideration just how big of a boost it would be to Ohio State if he came back.

"It's like signing a five-star recruit with three years of experience," offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator Ed Warinner said.

Except not really. Elflein was never a five-star kid.

He was a lightly recruited three-star prospect who likely would've ended up at Northwestern if Luke Fickell didn't come through with an offer for Elflein late in the 2012 recruiting cycle.

Elflein is a prime talent now. After next season, he'll try to be the first center selected in the first round of the NFL Draft since Wisconsin's Travis Frederick in 2013. That's his goal anyway.

He's always been about goals. He wanted 12 varsity letters at Pickerington North, he got them playing football, wrestling and track and field. Phillips thinks some unfinished business when it comes to the goals Elflein laid out before coming to Ohio State might have played a role in why he came back.

"He was two-time first-team All-Big Ten? Hell, Pat probably wants three," Phillips said. "Pat will find his little mojo."

When he was in high school, that mojo was trying to prove he was big enough and strong enough to play at the Big Ten level.

Workouts before the sun came up were common. Coaches had to make sure Elflein wasn't doing too much trying to balance three sports and build up the bulk he felt he needed to play at Ohio State. Phillips said at one point Fickell came to him concerned that Elflein was putting on too much weight and doing it the wrong way. So they addressed it, and it stopped.

Phillips described Elflein as a blue-collar guy, the son of a father who runs a concrete business and a mother who works in the high school cafeteria. One of Phillips' first encounters with Elflein was when his father was putting in a patio at Phillips' home, and a young Pat was carrying buckets of wet concrete.

Ohio State's Pat Elflein (right) won't get another shot to win the Illibuck Trophy, but he's coming back anyway.Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer 

The work ethic is the kind of thing Phillips is talking about when calls Elflein a warrior.

Warinner used similar words to describe Elflein: "Tough, aggressive, high energy, loves football, rugged, coachable. High integrity guy, smart. He's the whole package."

Elflein is exactly the kind of guy Warinner will need in Ohio State's offensive line room next year. With such a young group and players in foreign roles, Elflein will need to be a little different than the captain he was in high school when he was sometimes hesitant to speak up.

It seems like he's willing to take on that challenge.

"I want to do that, come back and be the main guy in that group, be the leader, and help develop those young guys," Elflein said. "... I feel a responsibility to do that."

Tuesday was a day of reflection for Elflein. Because this was the first time he spoke since making his decision, he was asked about ever imagining getting to this point where he would even have the choice of leaving for the NFL early or coming back.

This might blow his mind. Last summer, Phillips was sitting inside that same office with the picture of Elflein on the wall when the Cleveland Browns came for a rare in-person chat about Elflein and other NFL prospects whom Phillips has coached.

Phillips has the thank you card the Browns sent him after the visit sitting on his window sill.

From the undersized kid carrying buckets of cement to a guy that NFL teams are inquiring about in a very serious way is a long journey. The Browns and everyone else will have to wait a little longer.

Elflein isn't going anywhere just yet.

"I was talking to Coach Meyer, and said I never would've thought I'd be sitting in your office talking about the NFL Draft and leaving early," Elflein said. "I never thought that's a conversation I'd be having. You come into this program, give it all you got and that's what's gonna happen to you."

Plain Dealer reporters Elton Alexander and Branson Wright discuss some of the top teams and conference races in college basketball this season. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Conference play is set to begin around the country as all Division I teams begin their move toward one of 68 spots in the 2016 NCAA Tournament. Nationally, the focus will be on the major conferences, with the Big East taking front and center on Thursday.

Plain Dealer reporters Elton Alexander and Branson Wright discuss some of the top teams and races in this video.

Four Associated Press Top 25 teams - Xavier, Villanova, Providence and Butler - with no loss among them outside of the Top 25, will go head to head in Big East openers Thursday. No. 6 Xavier is at No. 16 Villanova and No. 9 Butler hosts No. 12 Providence. Then on Saturday, Xavier is home to Butler.

If Xavier remains undefeated after this week there will be little doubt the Musketeers are a team to be feared well into March Madness.

Perhaps only the Big 12, where five teams populate the AP Top 25 and a sixth is getting votes, will be a tougher title to win.

Another conference to watch is the SEC. Kentucky (10-2) looks very vulnerable, meaning road losses in league play should not come as a surprise.

South Carolina (11-0), Florida (8-3), Texas A&M (9-3) and perhaps another wildcard team such as LSU (7-4) could all be trouble on the road for Kentucky, which has a major problem with its tepid 3-point shooting (31.7 percent). Also, the Wildcats can ill-afford any kind of major injury.

Meanwhile, the Horizon League and the Mid-American Conference, traditional one-bid leagues, will be just as competitive with the hope one team can get hot and perhaps get that second coveted NCAA Tournament berth.

If the Titans win and the Browns fall to Pittsburgh in their finale, the Browns will earn -- well, "earn" is a strange word here -- the top overall selection.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The scenarios are simple. If the Tennessee Titans lose to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Tennessee wraps up the No. 1 pick in April's 2016 NFL Draft.

If the Titans win and the Browns fall to Pittsburgh in their finale, the Browns will earn -- well, "earn" is a strange word here -- the top overall selection.

If Cleveland loses on Sunday, it will pick either first or second. Even if the Browns win to move to 4-12, they are guaranteed to pick in the top five.

Tennessee will square off against an Indianapolis team that might be forced to start either Stephen Morris (no NFL experience) or Josh Freeman (no NFL experience since 2013) at quarterback. The Titans are expected to start Zach Mettenberger (0-9 career record as a starter) under center.

The Browns will be facing a Steelers squad that needs a victory to have a shot at a playoff spot. Pittsburgh is jockeying with the New York Jets for the final AFC entry.

Strength of schedule serves as the first tiebreaker, as the team with the worst opponents' record earns the higher pick. Let's check out the draft order as it stands and what those piecing together mock drafts have in store for the Browns in the spring.

Draft order (through Week 16):

1. Tennessee Titans (3-12)

Remaining game: at Colts

2. Cleveland Browns (3-12)

Remaining game: vs. Steelers

3. San Diego Chargers (4-11)

Remaining game: at Broncos

4. Dallas Cowboys (4-11)

Remaining game: vs. Redskins

5. San Francisco 49ers (4-11)

Remaining game: vs. Rams

6. Miami Dolphins (5-10)

Remaining game: vs. Patriots

7. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-10)

Remaining game: at Texans

8. Baltimore Ravens (5-10)

Remaining game: at Bengals

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-9)

Remaining game: at Panthers

10. New York Giants (6-9)

Remaining game: vs. Eagles

CBS Sports (Dane Brugler)

Browns' pick: Joey Bosa, defensive end, Ohio State

Explanation: "There is a lot of unknowns with the future of the Browns franchise, including what the depth chart at quarterback will look like next season. If Johnny Manziel can do enough to keep Cleveland from drafting a quarterback in the top 5, then Bosa will just need to hop on I-71 North."

Top 10:

1. Titans: Laremy Tunsil, offensive tackle, Ole Miss

2. Browns: Bosa

3. Chargers: Jalen Ramsey, defensive back, Florida State

4. Cowboys: Myles Jack, linebacker, UCLA

5. 49ers: Jared Goff, quarterback, California

6. Dolphins: DeForest Buckner, defensive end, Oregon

7. Jaguars: Vernon Hargreaves, cornerback, Florida

8. Ravens: Ronnie Stanley, offensive tackle, Notre Dame

9. Buccaneers: Mackensie Alexander, cornerback, Clemson

10. Giants: Jaylon Smith, linebacker, Notre Dame

CBS Sports (Rob Rang)

Browns' pick: Paxton Lynch, quarterback, Memphis

Explanation: "Johnny Manziel has given Cleveland a spark since taking over as the starting quarterback, but he may need to provide more than a few splashy plays a game to keep the Browns from moving on. Lynch isn't as highly regarded by scouts as Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota a year ago but he possesses exciting traits, including size (listed at 6-feet-7, 230 pounds), mobility and arm talent. He has made steady progress throughout his career and scouts feel he may be just scratching the surface of his potential."

Top 10:

1. Titans: Tunsil

2. Browns: Lynch

3. Chargers: Bosa

4. Cowboys: Smith

5. 49ers: Goff

6. Dolphins: Jack

7. Jaguars: Ramsey

8. Ravens: Stanley

9. Buccaneers: Emmanuel Ogbah, defensive end, Oklahoma State

10. Giants: Shaq Lawson, defensive end, Clemson

WalterFootball.com

Browns' pick: Lynch

Explanation: "I'm beginning to wonder about this selection. Quarterback was the no-brainer position a couple of weeks ago, but Johnny Manziel has played well in his previous two starts and even showed some leadership in pining for Mike Pettine to return next year. I'll still mock a signal-caller to Cleveland for now, but if Manziel continues to perform on a high level - and avoids more drunken escapades - the Browns could end up going for Joey Bosa.

"It's sounding like Paxton Lynch is the top quarterback in this class, as he has the most upside. He'll be the selection, in all likelihood, if Manziel screws up again. Bosa, on the other hand, would bolster a pass rush that is in the bottom 10 of sacks."

"Sometimes there would be a pass play designed to go to me, but the defense could roll coverage and put two men on me, and then you can't go to that side or it would be a bad decision," Thomas said. Watch video

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Michael Thomas could complain. He'd have every right. 

Ohio State's junior receiver is tied for 124th in the nation in receptions per game.

That would be 4.1 an outing. That's what 49 catches in 12 games gets you.

Michael Thomas is not the 124th-best receiver in college football. Nor is he the 14th-best receiver in the Big Ten, which is what his catches per game would tell you he ranks.

Four receivers in the country caught at least 100 passes this season, albeit it just one in a power five conference, and that was at Washington State for pass-happy Mike Leach. 

Ninety wasn't all that common among the big schools either. But Michigan State's Aaron Burbridge caught 80 balls, while Clemson's Artavis Scott caught 84. Alabama had its leading receiver catch at least 70 balls, as did Minnesota and Wisconsin and Oklahoma and UCLA and Virginia Tech.

Receivers at Nebraska and Illinois caught 65 passes; Buffalo had one at 63 and another at 62; Indiana had one at 60, another at 57 and another at 54.

Thomas didn't even lead his name in receptions. 

Michael Thomas, a senior at Southern Mississippi, caught 71 passes for 1,391 yards and 14 touchdowns.

No. 2 in the Michael Thomas rankings is the Buckeye, with 49 catches for 709 yards and eight touchdowns.

Keep that in mind while you watch Thomas in the Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame on Friday in what is almost certainly his last game as a Buckeye. Thomas said he's not announcing his plans now, but as a potential first-round pick, Thomas is an obvious candidate to turn pro.

Why? This number - Thomas is ranked No. 3 among all 2016 NFL Draft receiver prospects, according to CBSSports.com, behind only Laquon Treadwell of Ole Miss (76 catches for 1,082 yards) and Baylor's Corey Coleman (74 catches for 1,363 yards).

His peers in the college game caught nearly 30 more passes than he did.

He noticed.

"Honestly, sometimes I think about it," Thomas said.

He moved on.

"I feel like just how you notice things that are going on, everyone notices things that are going on, so I can only control what I can control," Thomas said. "In practice I get a lot of opportunities to go against a great defense."

During a fairly expansive conversation Tuesday, Thomas said he preferred winning over a system that throws the ball more, said the OSU coaches were developing him to be the best receiver he could be and said that his greatest growth this season came in his patience during a game.

No complaints. Not from him. Here's one on behalf of those who watch Ohio State football.

Michael Thomas didn't get the ball enough.

If you thought 24 touches per game for Ezekiel Elliott wasn't enough, or 5.3 per game for Braxton Miller wasn't enough or 3.1 per game for Curtis Samuel wasn't enough or 2.9 per game for Jalin Marshall wasn't enough ... well, there's only one ball.

But the largest gap on the team between production/talent and opportunity belonged to Thomas. This is a player who may be the best long-term NFL prospect of any Buckeye, who can't be pigeonholed as a deep threat or a possession receiver or as a fast guy or a big guy, and who got his hands on the ball for 6 percent of Ohio State's plays.

When he got his hands on it, Thomas usually caught it. According to CFBFilmroom.com, Thomas dropped just four passes.

Thomas said he understood the changes in the offense this year, which saw the Buckeyes turn into a huge run team with Elliott and quarterback J.T. Barrett. He was maybe the individual player most victimized by the quarterback battle, which led to an unsettled passing game that ranks 103rd in the nation.

He also saw plays that worked a year ago not work now, because Thomas was so clearly the receiver that most threatened defenses.

"Sometimes there would be a pass play designed to go to me, but the defense could roll coverage and put two men on me, and then you can't go to that side or it would be a bad decision," Thomas said.

Like the double-teams faced by defensive end Joey Bosa on the other side of the ball, opponents planned for Thomas.

"Sometimes it's frustrating, but I mean, it's also a sign of respect," Thomas said. 

He said the Buckeyes would run the same play for him this year as last year, and while last year it worked, this year with the defense focusing on him, the quarterback was forced to look to the next receiver.

Even on an offense featuring talented options, when the Buckeyes looked, they couldn't find a better option that Thomas. Friday, they need to look his way more.

From Yogi Berra to Ernie Banks to Moses Malone to Dean Smith to Ken Stabler to Frank Gifford, the sports world lost a number of notable figures in 2015.

When Kevin Love met with LeBron James over the summer in Los Angeles, it became the birthplace of the "focal point" term.

DENVER - When Kevin Love met with LeBron James over the summer in Los Angeles, it became the birthplace of the "focal point" term.

Love wanted to gauge how James viewed his role with the team and how they could play better off each other in Year 2. But most importantly, he wanted to know if the four-time MVP believed in him as an elite player.

The power forward wanted an expanded role within the offense, but knew he needed James' blessing.

It was there that James realized his impact and the power of his words in how he interacted with Love on the court. James can be difficult to play with if he feels a teammate isn't playing up to standards.

Love needs to be in a supportive atmosphere to maximize his potential. Understanding how important Love is to the ultimate goal of the organization, James decided to announce publicly that Love is the team's focal point on offense.

This theme has evidently trickled throughout the roster, because upon Kyrie Irving's return from knee surgery, he even said Love was the focal point.

Is Love truly the focal point of the Cleveland Cavaliers? Obviously not. As long as James is in his prime, he'll always be the focal point of the offense.

Love chuckled when asked during training camp about James calling him the focal point. It's just James' way of showing Love that he believes in him and is making a concerted effort to make the relationship work, hoping it would lead to Love having a bounce-back year.

But even in this newfound, tension-free environment, Love has had his struggles in the first 30 games of the season. The consistency still hasn't been there. In the last four games, he's averaging 11.8 points and shooting 37 percent from the field.

On the season, he's at 16.7 points, 43 percent from the floor and pulling down 10.7 boards. Those numbers are similar to his first year statistics of 16.4 points, 43 percent and 9.7 rebounds. He's only averaging a shot more per game this season compared to last, but he has the freedom to be more aggressive.

In Tuesday's 93-87 win over the Denver Nuggets, Love added to his shooting woes by going 4-for-16, but did mange to stay engaged to pull down a game-high 14 rebounds. All eight of his points came in the first two quarters. Love would miss his last six shots of the game.

It's no secret James grew irritated with Love's erratic play last season. This time for the most part, he's remaining calm and patient with his frontcourt mate.

"Well, I think he's getting the shots that he wants. He's just missing some very makeable shots," James said. "That's how I was, too. That's how I've been as of late. Missing some good threes, missing some layups as well. He just has to continue to be aggressive."

Love did injure his right thumb the night before in Phoenix, but after the game with the Nuggets, he claimed his hand was fine and said "I just missed shots."

Reality is starting to setin, in terms of who Love is with this team. As the No. 2 option for much of the season, his numbers suggest he really is a 16-point and 11-rebound guy, and that's more than fine. It's unclear how his role will change once Irving returns to form.

The focal point motive is a nice gesture, but not reality. The reality is that while Love is struggling, he can now solely focus on cleaning up his deficiencies instead of worrying about what James is thinking.

This year he understands more so than ever that James is on his side, whether he's the focal point or not.

"The fact that he's still rebounding at a high level lets me know that he's still in tune with the game," James said on Love's shooting struggles. "It's a make-or-miss league, and sometimes your rhythm gets out of it and you have to put some work in, which I know he will do. And I think us not having another game until the 2^nd [of January] will help."

"Notre Dame was my dream school growing up," Elliott said. "But in recruiting, they had some other plans, what position they wanted me to play." Watch video

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Can you picture Ezekiel Elliott on the defensive side of the ball?

Notre Dame did. 

Though Elliott was a highly-rated running back from St. Louis (Mo.) John Burroughs School, the Fighting Irish went after him with the idea that he'd play safety or outside linebacker in college. 

"I wasn't going to play on defense in college," Elliott said Tuesday, only a few days before Ohio State faces Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix. 

But it's not like Notre Dame didn't have a legitimate shot.

If you know anything about what Elliott and his family found attractive during the recruiting process, you'd understand why the Irish were a top choice. 

Elliott went to a prep school for high school with a strong emphasis on academics, and Notre Dame is known for its prestigiousness in the classroom. Notre Dame also has a football program that competes at the highest level, so things may have been the right fit. 

Except for that whole defense thing.

"Notre Dame was my dream school growing up," Elliott said. "But in recruiting, they had some other plans, what position they wanted me to play." 

Given Elliott's speed, size and strength, maybe he would have been a really good outside linebacker. Or safety. But the most ironic part of Notre Dame's recruitment of Elliott was who was in charge. 

Tony Alford, a former Notre Dame assistant who left the Irish to become the running backs coach at Ohio State before the season. Alford didn't get Elliott to Notre Dame, but he got to coach him in his final year in Columbus. 

Maybe if Notre Dame let Alford recruit Elliott as a running back, things would be different. 

"Who knows," Elliott said smiling. 

Barnidge awarded Player of the Year and McCown wins the 'Good Guy Award.'

Gary Barnidge was rewarded for his career season recently with a contract extension. He's now been recognized by the local chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America with its Player of the Year Award.

Barnidge leads the Browns with 977 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, tying Ozzie Newsome for the most touchdowns in a season by a tight end in team history. He was given a three-year contract earlier this month.

Quarterback Josh McCown has received the chapter's 'Good Guy Award,' given annually to a player for his cooperation with the media and for the way the player carries himself in the community and with his teammates. The 36-year-old McCown threw for 2,109 yards and 12 touchdowns in eight games this season. He is out for the remainder of the year with a broken clavicle.

The pair will be honored at the 36th annual Akron Browns Backers banquet in May at the Tangier Restaurant.

LeBron James has never offered an opinion on the shooting of Tamir Rice and subsequent investigation, though he has been outspoken against police violence toward African-Americans in other cities.

DENVER - With activists calling for LeBron James to suspend his NBA season in pursuit of "justice" over Cleveland police's shooting of Tamir Rice, James said "the issue is bigger than LeBron."

"This issue is bigger than me, it's about everyone," James said Tuesday night in at Denver's Pepsi Center, following the Cavaliers' 93-87 win over the Nuggets. "And gun violence and tragedies and kids losing lives at a young age, some way, somehow we need to understand that that matters more than just an individual."

Tuesday marked the second day of protests in Cleveland following a Cuyahoga County grand jury's decision not to indict two Cleveland police officers involved in the fatal shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice in November, 2014.

As part of the protests, some activists started a social media petition of James called #NoJusticeNoLebron (sic), apparently suggesting the Cavaliers superstar refuse to play in games until the United States Department of Justice gets involved in the case.

The Rice family petitioned the Justice Department to intervene and U.S. Attorney Steven Dettelbach is reviewing the request, though the granting of such a request is rare.

James said he was not aware of the movement to draft him into the protest until he was informed by Cavs media relations staffers Tuesday that he may be asked about it. Nor did James offer any specific commentary on the grand jury's decision not to indict, which was announced Monday.

"For me, I've always been a guy who's took pride in knowledge of every situation that I've ever spoke on," James said. "And to be honest, I haven't really been on top of this issue, so it's hard for me to comment.

"I understand that any lives that's lost, what we want more than anything is prayer and the best for the family, for anyone. But for me to comment on the situation, I don't have enough knowledge about it."

James has never spoken specifically about the Tamir shooting - which of course took place in the region where he is "King" -- while offering commentary and even joining a national protest of other cases of police violence against African-Americans in other parts of the country

Last season, James and Kyrie Irving wore "I Can't Breathe" T-shirts while warming up on the court for a game in Brooklyn, N.Y., in protest of a Staten Island grand jury's decision not to indict a police officer in the choking death of an unarmed black male.

James spoke out in November of 2014 following a Ferguson, Mo. grand jury's decision not to indict an officer for the shooting of an unarmed, African-American teen, and in 2012 led the Miami Heat players in a protest over the shooting of Trayvon Martin (who was unarmed) during an altercation with a man who was on neighborhood watch in Florida.

However, James did call for stronger gun laws in the U.S. following the fatal shooting of a 5-month old in Cleveland last fall.

There were perhaps more moving parts with the case of the Tamir shooting. The boy was carrying a toy gun in his waistband, and the officers were not told the gun was probably fake by a dispatcher when they were sent to respond to a complaint of a "guy with a gun" scaring people at a rec center.

But the surveillance video showing that Tamir was shot within two seconds of the officers' arrival sparked instant anger in a Cleveland community where the police force is under tense scrutiny from the Justice Department for being too quick to use force.

In December of 2014, James said incidents of police shootings of unarmed blacks weren't more troubling to him specifically because it happened in Cleveland.

"It's more troubling that it's happening in our country," James said. "This is our country, the land of the free, and we keep having these incidents happen, innocent victims or whatever the case may be. Our families are losing loved ones. I'm not pointing the blame at anybody that's making it happen. In society, we've come a long way, but it just goes to show how much further we still have to go."

On Tuesday night, James said "I've been very outspoken about what I believe in.

"There's been so many more issues that's gone on that I haven't spoke about," he said. "There's been the San Bernadino massacre, there's been guys going in movie theaters, shooting up movie theaters, there's been other issues. Those are not something that I'm just, I don't have much knowledge of so I don't speak about it."

Among the theater shootings: in July, three were killed in a shooting during a Lafayette, La. screening of the movie Trainwreck, in which James was a supporting actor.

Lamar Jackson ran for a career-high and Music City Bowl-record 226 yards and two touchdowns and threw for two more scores.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Lamar Jackson ran for a career-high and Music City Bowl-record 226 yards and two touchdowns and threw for two more scores to help Louisville beat Texas A&M 27-21 on Wednesday night.

The freshman, making his first start since Oct. 30, finished with a bowl-record 453 total yards, and set the Louisville career rushing mark before the end of the first quarter in giving the Cardinals a 20-7 lead they never lost. Jackson ran for 126 yards in the first 15 minutes, including a 61-yard scoring run.

Louisville (8-5) won for the eighth time in 10 games. The Cardinals also had third bowl victory in their past four trips.

Texas A&M (8-5) became the first Southeastern Conference team to lose this bowl season. The Aggies made it interesting in the final minutes with their third-string quarterback making his first career start.

Josh Hubenak started after both Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray transferred this month. Hubenak shook off five sacks and two turnovers to throw for 307 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown pass to Christian Kirk with 4:54 left that pulled the Aggies to 27-21.

Texas A&M nearly had first-and-goal at the Cardinals 6, but a review showed Kirk did not maintain possession of the ball on his catch. That left Hubenak two more chances inside the final 2 minutes. The Cardinals batted down a pass, then Hubenak was incomplete throwing into the end zone.

The Aggies lost their second straight overall and snapped a four-game bowl winning streak. Aggies wide receiver Josh Reynolds set Music City Bowl records with 11 catches for 177 yards.

Louisville linebacker Devonte Fields had three sacks, and Louisville safety Josh Harvey-Clemons stripped Hubenak him of the ball and intercepted a pass both in the third quarter.

Jackson had no such issues as he passed Stefan LeFors' previous career rushing mark of 756 yards between 2002 and 2004. He showed off the speed that Louisville coach Bobby Petrino wants to bring to the Atlantic Coast Conference, running through, around and over the Aggies.

Jackson set a bowl rushing record, topping the 187 yards Marion Barber of Minnesota ran for in 2004. He also set the total offense mark of 424 set by Mike Glennon of North Carolina state in 2012 as he threw for 227 yards.

He put Louisville up 27-14 with 3:01 left in the third with a 17-yard TD pass to a wide-open Keith Towbridge for his second TD.

Louisville senior linebacker James Burgess' career ended on the Cardinals' first defensive play of the game. He was flagged, then ejected for targeting Texas A&M wide receiver Damion Ratley on a hit that left both the receiver and Cardinals cornerback Shaq Wiggins on the ground for a few minutes. He didn't return until late in the first quarter with a strained lower back.

Aggies defensive end Myles Garrett, who came in leading the SEC in sacks, had a pretty quiet night aside from one sack, giving him a career-high 12 1/2 for the season.

Rafael Gaglianone kicked a 29-yard field goal with 2:27 left to lift No. 23 Wisconsin to a 23-21 victory over USC.

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Rafael Gaglianone kicked a 29-yard field goal with 2:27 left to lift No. 23 Wisconsin to a 23-21 victory against Southern California in the Holiday Bowl on Wednesday night.

Gaglianone's third field goal gave Wisconsin (10-3) its first win in seven tries against USC (8-6). The teams hadn't met since 1966, and two of USC's wins in the series were in the Rose Bowl, in 1953 and 1963.

Wisconsin's Sojourn Shelton intercepted Cody Kessler with 1:44 left. Kessler was hit from behind by Jack Cichy.

In the third quarter, Cichy sacked Kessler on three straight plays.

The Trojans got to the 50 in the final seconds before Kessler threw four straight incompletions.

USC, which beat Nebraska in last year's Holiday Bowl, had taken a 21-20 lead on Kessler's 7-yard touchdown pass to Darreus Rogers with 10:19 left.

Expect the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers and New York Giants to shake off Week 16 losses with victories Sunday. The Browns, though, can't be expected to do so.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers rebound from losses with impressive performances Sunday.

At least that is how I see two of the outcomes from NFL Week 17 games when picking against the spread (for entertainment purposes only, of course).

Quarterback Tom Brady plays well as the Patriots defeat the Miami Dolphins on the road. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers plays exceptionally well as the Packers defeat the Minnesota Vikings at home.

Season's record ATS: 115-119-6

• Week 1: 8-7-1
• Week 2: 8-8
• Week 3: 10-6
• Week 4: 5-10
• Week 5: 6-7-1
• Week 6: 6-6-2
• Week 7: 9-5
• Week 8: 6-7-1
• Week 9: 4-9
• Week 10: 6-8
• Week 11: 6-8
• Week 12: 10-6
• Week 13: 9-7
• Week 14: 9-7
• Week 15: 7-8-1
• Week 16: 6-10

Week 16 summary: A 6-10 record always hurts; it stings that much more in Week 16, when a .500 season is/was on the line.

Most of the 10 losses were deserved -- I didn't listen to my gut enough -- but I could have avoided this mess if not for three overtime losses. So, yes, I am bitter.

The OT three:

* I had the @ Oakland -5 1/2 over San Diego. The Raiders narrowly missed scoring a TD twice before settling for a field goal and a 23-20 victory.

* I had New England -3 over @ N.Y. Jets. The Patriots won the toss but elected to kick, and the Jets scored a touchdown for a 26-20 victory. Of course that couldn't have happened in the Raiders game.

* I had the @ Denver -3 1/2 over Cincinnati. The Broncos kicked a field goal to win, 20-17, so I lost by the hook.

Week 17 picks: The lines, as happened all season, were from MGM Mirage via vegasinsider.com as of Wednesday afternoon unless noted (entertainment purposes only).

@ Buffalo +3 over N.Y. Jets

Skinny: Bills coach Rex Ryan relishes the opportunity to potentially ruin his former employer's season. Bills, 21-20.

Tampa Bay -10 1/2 over @ Carolina

Skinny: Too many points. Panthers do what they need to do, then garbage time allows the Buccaneers to cover. Panthers, 27-17.

New England -10 over @ Dolphins

Skinny: Brady and the Patriots are fuming. Dolphins are wandering aimlessly. Patriots, 30-12.

@ Cincinnati -9 1/2 over Baltimore

Skinny: Ravens drained after home upset of Steelers. Oh, and Bengals are good. Bengals, 27-14.

New Orleans +4 over @ Atlanta

Skinny: Two teams going nowhere. This has the feel of a field-goal game. Falcons, 23-20.

@ Houston -6 over Jacksonville

Skinny: For what it's worth: Texans backup QB Brandon Weeden is going to the playoffs; the Browns and Cowboys are not. Texans, 24-17.

Pittsburgh -9 1/2 over @ Cleveland

Skinny: Steelers enjoy bye week at Heinz Field Northwest. If they lose to Browns QB Austin Davis, it is one of the biggest embarrassments in franchise history. Steelers, 33-13.

Oakland +6 1/2 @ Kansas City

Skinny: Chiefs coast to finish, enabling the Raiders to sneak under the wire with a late touchdown. Chiefs, 24-19.

@ Indianapolis -6 over Tennessee

Skinny: Line from VI Consensus. No matter who their QB is, Colts prevail comfortably against the Marcus Mariota-less Titans. Colts, 23-10.

@ Dallas -3 1/2 over Washington

Skinny: This is supposed to be a rivalry game, and the Redskins are much better. But the Cowboys wouldn't be favored if the Redskins were fully invested. Cowboys, 26-20.

@ Chicago PICK over Detroit

Skinny: Because the Bears are at home. Nothing more. Bears, 22-21.

@ N.Y. Giants -3 over Philadelphia

Skinny: Line from VI Consensus. Eagles need to work hard to be motivated. Too hard. Giants, 26-16.

@ Green Bay -3 over Minnesota

Skinny: Packers put the debacle at Arizona behind them. Packers, 29-18.

San Diego +8 1/2 over @ Denver

Skinny: Too many points, even when San Diego is the opponent. Broncos, 27-20.

@ San Francisco +3 1/2 over St. Louis Rams

Skinny: 49ers are really bad, and the Rams are coming off a victory in Seattle, so I have no idea why I'm making this pick. Rams, 19-17.

@ Arizona -6 1/2 over Seattle

Skinny: Cardinals are sizzling, and they are at home. No reason to go against them, no matter the circumstances. Cardinals, 28-20.

The clock is ticking toward midnight on New Year's Eve. Is your TV tuned to the ball drop in Times Square, or the final moments of Michigan State's bout with Alabama?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The clock is ticking toward midnight on New Year's Eve. Is your TV tuned to the ball drop in Times Square, or the final moments of Michigan State's bout with Alabama?

College football has been a New Year's Day staple for decades, with the Rose Bowl a standard on the first day of each year. Now, though, the sport is infiltrating the final evening on the calendar. The new College Football Playoff system will place two semifinal matchups on New Year's Eve two out of every three years for the foreseeable future (at least through 2025).

Will that change the way people plan their New Year's Eve festivities?

Clemson and Oklahoma will square off in the Orange Bowl late Thursday afternoon. Alabama and Michigan State will follow in the Cotton Bowl, which has a 8 p.m. ET kickoff. The two winners will meet in the National Championship game on Jan. 11.

Last year, the two semifinal bouts -- which included Ohio State's victory against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and Oregon's romp of Florida State in the Rose Bowl -- took place on New Year's Day. The College Football Playoff will use such a schedule once every three years. The semifinal matchups rotate between six bowl games: the Orange Bowl, Peach Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Fiesta Bowl.

So, will college football, with its most significant contests airing in primetime, become ingrained in the New Year's Eve culture, or will the sport's marquee matchups serve merely as background noise on a night in which many have other plans?

College Football Playoff future sites and schedules

The seventh edition of the Play By Play Classic begins 10:30 a.m. Sunday in Berea. Here are the seven matchups, which include 11 cleveland.com-ranked teams.

BEREA, Ohio – Oh the changes Brunswick’s schedule has endured. Why not one more to flip the calendar?

Blue Devils coach Joe Mackey learned early this week of the Bangout Leukemia Classic’s cancellation. His squad was supposed to play Ellet. Instead it will drive Sunday to Baldwin Wallace for the Cleveland Scholastic Play By Play Classic against Central Catholic.

“It probably worked out better for us, a little bit closer,” Mackey said Tuesday during a bus ride to Marysville, another game shuffled onto the schedule.

In December, the school already had to juggle its schedule because it didn’t have enough teams for its own holiday tournament. Those two games were replaced with Marysville, which was slated to make the holiday tourney, and Lutheran East.

Imagine Mackey’s fright during the latest cancellation. The same morning this week, he received a text message to contact the Play By Play Classic organizer, also in a bind because McKinley could not face Central Catholic on Sunday.

Mackey couldn’t be happier. A 1995 graduate of BW, he returns to a familiar venue. Assistant coach Chris Cebula is a ’93 grad and a few players are considering the school.

The seventh edition of the Play By Play Classic begins 10:30 a.m. Sunday in Berea. Here are the seven matchups, which include 11 cleveland.com-ranked teams:

No. 4 Beachwood (8-0) vs. No. 17 Bedford (5-3), 10:30 a.m.

The Division III Bison already took down a Division I school that’s ranked in the cleveland.com Top 25. They did it last week against St. Edward, and now draw the Lake Erie League’s Bearcats. Senior guard Tyrone Gibson has the hot scoring hand for Beachwood with 22-, 19- and 21-point games against the Eagles, Harvey and Glenville. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 15 points and seven rebounds last season. Bedford has been up and down, but 6-7 senior forward Lamont Rhodes is a consistent double-double threat.

No. 16 Benedictine (4-1) vs. Warrensville Heights (3-5), 12:15 p.m.

The Bengals could provide a tall task for Warrensville Heights, which got 6-3 senior guard Yavari Hall back just in time Tuesday for the Tigers’ win at No. 15 Elyria Catholic. Hall had been out since suffering a knee injury in the second game. Point guard Brandon Peters picked up the scoring load in his absence. In this one, the Tigers face a squad with 6-4 Justin Layne at guard to go with 6-5 junior Marlon Moore and 6-7 senior Justin Sylver in the front court. Both teams have momentum with wins this week. The Bengals picked up a vital one Tuesday against Central Catholic.

No. 7 St. Edward (4-2) vs. No. 6 Medina (7-1), 2 p.m.

Both teams will be back from southern holiday showcases, as St. Edward played in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Medina ventured to Florida. Similar to the matchup before it, this one pits squads that are uneven in the height department with guard-centric St. Edward and a bigger Medina team. It starts for Medina with 7-1 Jon Teske, but he has help in 6-3 junior Luke Schaefer and 6-1 junior Ben Geschke on the perimeter. The Eagles hit 19 3-pointers Tuesday during their win at the Beach Ball Classic, setting a single-game record for that event. Guard Tommy Schmock scored a career-high 33 points.

No. 1 Garfield Heights (8-1) vs. Massillon Jackson (7-0), 3:45 p.m.

While Garfield Heights looks to rebound, Jackson has plenty of momentum. The Polar Bears upset West Virginia's Huntington Prep on Wednesday and are led by a pair of juniors, 6-5 Logan Hill and 6-7 Kyle Young, who should present a matchup to watch with Garfield Heights’ 6-6 Willie Jackson. How will Sonny Johnson’s Bulldogs respond after they were dealt a 69-50 defeat at St. Vincent-St. Mary? Against Huntington Prep, ranked nationally by USA Today, Jackson got 18 points from Young and 15 points and six assists from 6-1 senior guard Ben Seaman.

No. 2 St. Vincent-St. Mary (6-1) vs. No. 18 Cleveland Heights (2-4), 5:30 p.m.

A tough stretch continues for St. Vincent-St. Mary, which has a New Year's Eve date with No. 5 St. Ignatius. The Fighting Irish already have one statement win, which came Monday against Garfield Heights with another solid effort from junior point guard Jon Williams. Sunday's matchup brings a Cleveland Heights team that has not played since beating Central Catholic on Dec. 19. Expect the sophomore tandem of Yahel Hill and Chaz Hardin to match up with Williams.

No. 8 Brunswick (7-1) vs. No. 9 Central Catholic (4-2), 7:15 p.m.

Brunswick slides in to replace Canton McKinley, as the Ironmen enter the weekend on a two-game skid. They play host to Lake Catholic on Saturday before heading to BW. The Blue Devils’ top task will be containing 6-7 Tervell Beck, who provided Central Catholic with 31 points and 11 rebounds in Tuesday’s loss to Benedictine. Beck has had a few of those types of games this season.

Holy Name (4-4) vs. No. 13 East Tech (6-3), 8:45 p.m.

The finale includes a potential matchup of East Tech junior guard Markell Johnson and Holy Name sophomore Dwayne Cohill. Both sides could use a win, as the Scarabs enter with a three-game skid. Holy Name has rebounded from a 2-4 start.

For more high school sports news, like NEOvarsity on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Contact high school sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.

Now In-N-Out has become synonymous with terrible things for Ohio State, which made it odd to hear Bell yelling about it on Wednesday, or weird to see Braxton Miller grab a bag before getting on the bus.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Ohio State's Fiesta Bowl media day was wrapping up and safety Vonn Bell was yelling out something about In-N-Out Burger.

Bell had no idea that's probably the last thing Buckeyes fans would ever want to hear. After all, it's been 10 years since the curse of In-N-Out happened. 

So maybe nobody noticed the irony of the Buckeyes starters grabbing bags of the West Coast fast food chain as it left the Camelback Inn and toward the buses. 

But it's actually a bad omen. 

Why? 

When Ohio State came to Arizona for the national championship in 2006 to face Urban Meyer's Florida Gators, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Troy Smith professed his love for In-N-Out at the end of a press conference by saying "the sandwich is incredible after a long night."

Then the senior quarterback went on to have a horrific performance in the Buckeyes 41-14 loss to Florida in the national title game, putting an uncomfortable end to one of the most prolific offensive seasons in Ohio State history. 

Now In-N-Out has become synonymous with terrible things for Ohio State, which made it odd to hear Bell yelling about it on Wednesday, or weird to see Braxton Miller grab a bag before getting on the bus. 

For the full background on the curse of In-N-Out, read below: 

For our must-read coverage from the Fiesta Bowl, see below: 

* The impossible task of trying to know Braxton Miller, Ohio State's self-proclaimed 'Mystery Man'

* Why Cardale Jones thought Ohio State's QB competition was over when the season started

* Ohio State football: Outrageous predictions for the Fiesta Bowl - 2 Vonn Bell picks, a Braxton Miller TD

* Ohio State practice report: Watch Ed Warinner get kicked in the head by a Sean Nuernberger field goal

* Ohio State football: What Urban Meyer really said about the Browns job

* Ezekiel Elliott vs. Jaylon Smith: Inside the best Ohio State vs. Notre Dame Fiesta Bowl matchups

* Ezekiel Elliott as a Notre Dame DB? 'Notre Dame was my dream school growing up'

* The one Buckeye who really needed the ball more on offense - Michael Thomas

Some take the tradition more serious than others. We'll reach both ends of the spectrum in this space. Here are a handful of New Year's resolutions for the Cleveland Indians.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- We all make New Year's resolutions.

The guy who feels like a sardine in the middle of Times Square and who wonders if he'll ever be able to go to the bathroom will think about how early he'll venture to the gym on Monday morning. The couple that stays home to watch Ryan Seacrest will exchange ideas about treating others with more respect and making more astute financial decisions to better their future.

We all do it. Some take the tradition more serious than others. We'll reach both ends of the spectrum in this space.

Here are a handful of New Year's resolutions for the Cleveland Indians.

Jason Kipnis: Avoid a second-half nosedive.

The second baseman pieced together the best offensive season of his career (.303 average, .823 OPS, 43 doubles), though the All-Star's numbers dipped after the mid-July reprieve. In fact, throughout his career, Kipnis has hit better before the All-Star break.

First half: .291/.368/.448 slash line, 64 stolen bases

Second half: .250/.321/.369, 36 stolen bases

Trevor Bauer: Do an appropriate amount of thinking, if such a thing can even be measured.

Last January, Bauer said he was on a quest to think less while on the mound.

"A lot of the research I've been doing on peak performers [shows] they don't think," Bauer said. "They're not really conscious of what they're doing. I've added that. A piece of my training program is doing exercises to force myself to work in an unconscious or a subconscious realm, as opposed to a conscious realm."

It's no secret that many of the thoughts that filter through Bauer's brain concern his drive to be a better pitcher. The right-hander, who turns 25 on Jan. 17, went 11-12 with a 4.55 ERA last year. He tallied 170 strikeouts in a career-high 176 innings.

So how can he hone his thinking to take another step forward on the mound in 2016? It's something worth giving some thought.

Danny Salazar: Strive to reach the same level as Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco.

Salazar submitted his first, full, effective major league season in 2015, with a 14-10 record, a 3.45 ERA and 195 strikeouts in 185 innings. He'll turn 26 on Jan. 11 and he'll earn near the major-league minimum next season, which explains why other teams called the Tribe's front office to ask about his availability. Salazar provided the Indians a high return on investment last season. Can he do the same in 2016?

Francisco Lindor: Perform well enough to avoid being asked about Joe Charboneau.

The 22-year-old's rookie-season statistics (.313 average, .835 OPS, 12 home runs in 99 games) overshadow his minor-league marks (.279 average, .738 OPS, 21 home runs in 416 games), so even if Lindor's numbers slip a bit in 2016, he could still be a productive shortstop who dazzles on defense. At least, that's the Indians' hope. Charboneau has plenty of company in the category of players who couldn't replicate their ravishing rookie campaigns.

Carlos Santana: Reverse the early-season trend.

For the sake of capturing the fan base's attention and interest and avoiding another summer of playing catch-up, the Indians could stand to benefit from a solid start to the season. They haven't done that in Terry Francona's three years at the helm and they won't have Michael Brantley in the fold in April to help their cause.

Enter Santana. The polarizing first baseman batted .213 with a .719 OPS during the season's first three months in 2015. A year earlier, he hit .205 with a .746 OPS through June. His walk rate will always make his on-base percentage glisten and he has led the Indians in home runs each of the last two years. In 2016, though, the Indians will need more with Brantley on the shelf at the start.

Kyle Crockett: Convince the Indians they don't have to rely upon Joe Thatcher or Tom Gorzelanny in critical left-on-left situations.

The Indians are thin on left-handed relievers with experience, so they invited the two veterans to spring training. Perhaps one of them will break camp with the club, but the Tribe would prefer that Crockett emerge as a reliable reliever regardless, since he is under team control for five more seasons.

Jose Ramirez: Use some adhesive so the helmet doesn't fly off when running the bases.

When Michael Bourn relocated to Atlanta, Ramirez led the crusade against helmet safety. His helmet seemingly flew off every time he hit the accelerator on the basepaths.

Lonnie Chisenhall: While Michael Brantley is sidelined, carry the outfield with both the glove and the bat.

Perhaps Chisenhall will start on the bench for the Indians' Opening Day tilt against David Price and the Red Sox. Either way, the former first-round draft choice figures to receive the bulk of the playing time in right field, with Rajai Davis, Abraham Almonte and a cast of journeymen joining him in the outfield until Brantley returns.

Chisenhall surprised many with his defensive exploits at his new position last summer. Now, they need him to repeat the act when everyone is expecting it out of him. They wouldn't mind if he holds his own at the plate against right-handed pitching, too.

Yan Gomes: Forgive new teammate Rajai Davis for costing you six weeks of action last April.

A home-plate collision between the two in early April sent Gomes to the shelf for six weeks and forced Roberto Perez into everyday action. The Indians could benefit from a healthy, productive Gomes at and behind the plate in 2016.

Terry Francona: Amass a better record against the Detroit Tigers and other American League Central foes.

The Indians own a 19-37 record against the Tigers over the last three years. The Tribe posted a 32-43 record against division opponents last year. Only the White Sox (32-44) fared worse. In a division with a clouded picture -- the Royals could fall back to the pack, and the last-place Tigers seem primed to be better -- a successful mark against division foes could go a long way.

Paul Dolan: Dig into the wallet and give the front office the breathing room to acquire a player, no matter the financial charge, if the team is in contention in the summer.

Is it wise to commit $25 million per year for eight years to a free agent in his 30s? Usually, no. Does it help a team maximize its potential to limit payroll, with little to no room for impactful complements? Definitely, no.

The Royals added Ben Zobrist and Johnny Cueto to their joy ride last summer. The Mets scooped up Yoenis Cespedes. Neither team boasts a daunting payroll. If the Indians somehow find themselves in contention -- and not just hovering around the .500 mark or spotting the second Wild Card spot with their telescope -- it'll be time for ownership to deliver.