A dance move for the Buckeyes coach wasn't just a dance move.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- This wasn't just the Dab. 

This was something Ohio State players couldn't believe they were seeing.

Ohio State beat Michigan. And for the first time anyone could remember, Urban Meyer danced.

Take it as a laugh. When I asked Meyer about it later, he began to protest that it was just one move. It's how a non-dancer would respond.

Or take it as a look inside this Ohio State coach and this Ohio State team. Take it as proof of Meyer's love for this job and appreciation of this team. Take it as a sign that Meyer, approaching Friday's Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame, can handle defeat in a way he couldn't before. 

"That could definitely be true," Ohio State linebacker Cam Williams said Wednesday. "That was a moment. Awesome. I loved it."

Take it as a memory from a season that fell short, but didn't fall apart.

Don't take it as just another Dab - not from a guy who never does that.

If you want some sense of how Meyer feels about this program after four years and how Meyer feels about a team that didn't make it back to the College Football Playoff, once dance move may tell you more than anything he could say.

All season long, I asked the Buckeyes if Meyer had ever danced in the locker room. It's the kind of question you know the answer to when you ask. So many other coaches have danced, from Clemson's Dabo Swinney to Arizona's Rich Rodriguez, from Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer to Minnesota's Jerry Kill.

Not Meyer.

Taylor Decker, like many, shook his head and laughed at the idea. Jalin Marshall laughed. Billy Price laughed. Joshua Perry laughed.

"No way," Perry said.

"Coach told me one time he doesn't like music," Marshall said. "So I probably couldn't imagine that at all."

Then came the Michigan win, and the players yelling for an Urban Dab - and getting one.

"I was hyped because he actually did it pretty well," linebacker Darron Lee said. "You've seen all the other coaches on SportsCenter and stuff, with goofy Dabs, and Coach Meyer actually did it and he looked pretty good."

That Dab stormed through social media, not because of its execution but because of its scarcity.

"Coach Meyer doesn't dance," Lee said. "When he did that, first of all, it was shocking. I was like, "OK, OK coach, you're hip a little bit.' He doesn't dance normally. That was fun to see it. Everyone got hyped up."

There was something in that brief dance that brought Meyer down to his players' level. There was something in that dance that made it clear that was exactly where he wanted to be in that moment.

After the previous week's loss to Michigan State, Meyer admired what his players had done in a 42-13 win over Michigan. He wanted to show that, and he wanted to share that.

"Usually he's a pretty serious guy," middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan said. "He's the manager. But when he came into the locker room from doing interviews, the look on his face was like he wanted to dance."

"This is a lot deeper than everybody thinks," Lee said. "We're so close, when he did that move, it was like the players could understand we all just saw eye to eye. It was never coach and player, none of that.

"We were all just equal as men and we had to go get a job done. It was fun and against our rivals and we were all in the trenches together. I just think that was a good moment to share as a human being."

After four seasons of Meyer watching those locker room celebrations, the Buckeyes as raucous as any winning team, the players thought they knew their coach.

"I think he really enjoys watching us go out there and play at a really high level and then he likes watching us celebrate in the locker room," Perry said weeks before the Dab was dropped. "He'll go around and give guys high fives, but Coach Meyer leaves the swag up to the other guys in the program."

So they thought.

Williams said his girlfriend saw other teams' coaches dancing on highlights during the season and asked if Meyer would ever do that.

"Never. There's no chance," Williams told her.

If it ever would happen, it had to be the right time, the right team, the right reason.

Maybe a week after a dream had been dashed.

Maybe after a rivalry victory served as the season's best performance.

Maybe to show that even if a season doesn't end with another national title, this coach wants to appreciate what's around him.

"We're one of his favorite teams," Williams said. "He's never felt this connected to a group of players."

Watch the replay for fun. As Ohio State prepares for the final game of the season Friday, then heads into year five under Meyer, understand this wasn't just a Dab.

Coach Meyer hit that #Dab tho!! #WhatsBetterThanThis pic.twitter.com/p26UW7pQ6O

-- Zach Smith #Zone6 (@CoachZachSmith) November 28, 2015

Can't stop watching Urban Meyer's #Dab pic.twitter.com/mK4l2oe2Qd #JUICE @Migos #BuckeyeNation

-- Mekka Don (@MekkaDonMusic) December 2, 2015

No matter what Ohio State does against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, it won't erase one simple fact: This wasn't what the Buckeyes wanted. Will they still get up for the game? Watch video

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- No matter what Ohio State does against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, it won't erase one simple fact: This wasn't what the Buckeyes wanted. 

With as much talent as Urban Meyer's squad had on its team, this was supposed to be the beginning of a dynasty. This season was national title or bust. 

So now that Ohio State isn't even in the College Football Playoff, the question has to be asked: How much do the Buckeyes care about the Fiesta Bowl. 

That will have an impact on the game. 

Here's what we think: 

Doug Lesmerises picks Notre Dame 27, Ohio State 24

A major bowl matchup between two top 10 teams isn't a bad way to end the season. But it's no playoff.

I have questions whether every single Buckeye star will be completely motivated for Friday's game. I have questions about Ohio State handling the running ability of of Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer. I have questions about Ohio State's ability to successfully throw against a defense that the Buckeyes should be able to attack.

Plus, Notre Dame may have nearly as much individual talent as Ohio State, the most individually talented team in the nation. The two secondary starters Notre Dame lost this week are a concern for the Irish, but I'm taking them in a game decided in the final minutes.

Ari Wasserman picks Ohio State 31, Notre Dame 21

This isn't the playoff, but I have to think the Buckeyes feel the importance of going out with a bang. They won't win a national title, no, but a win over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl is a dream for 90 percent of college football. It shouldn't be scoffed at. 

Ohio State is still one of the most talented teams -- if not the most talented -- in college football, so it's hard to pick against them, even against a solid Notre Dame team. 

With J.T. Barrett back in the saddle with a month's worth of practice coming off Ohio State's most impressive win of the season, I think the Buckeyes get it done. 

Bill Landis picks Ohio State 35, Notre Dame 28 

For all of the reasons Doug gave in our outrageous predictions video, I think Ohio State is going to throw the ball and do most of its scoring against a vulnerable Notre Dame pass defense. I view the talent in this game being maybe a little closer than others, this is without question the most talented team the Buckeyes have faced this year, but Ohio State still has more.

That's enough of a difference for Ohio State to overcome any lack of motivation in a game that doesn't mean anything and come away with a close win.

There is no arguing the talent of LSU freshman Ben Simmons, but his team's record raises questions when it comes to player of the year discussions. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - LSU's Ben Simmons is a highlight reel of talent. He can run and jump, score and rebound and play above the rim with the best players in the country. But is this freshman the No. 1 player in the country? The discussion is talent over production when it comes to Simmons.

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

LSU (7-5) is barely a .500 team even before conference play begins, which begs the question, is Simmons (19.3 points, 13.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists) really that good? Or, are there players on other teams more deserving.

Kris Dunn (16.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.3 assists) at Providence is having a strong senior season for the Friars.

And Wayne Selden (14.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists) is doing the same for the Kansas Jayhawks.

Or maybe there is another player yet to be heard from, rising from the ranks to catch the imagination of basketball fans and earn the distinction of Player of the Year for the 2016 season. Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Ohio State corner Eli Apple will get a chance to shut down one of the best receivers in the country. Watch video

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Ohio State plays Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, a bowl filled with NFL-ready talent. This week, we're giving you a deeper look at the best one-on-one matchups to watch when the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish meet.

Ohio State cornerback Eli Apple vs. Notre Dame receiver Will Fuller

Why it's interesting: Remember Devin Smith? The deep ball threat Ohio State could've used when Cardale Jones was the starting quarterback earlier this season is playing for Notre Dame. There are plenty of fast guys who can catch deep passes, but Fuller might be the best in the country. It's Apple's job to stop him.

It's a matchup of two guys who could leave early for the NFL. How this matchup plays out could be one last indication of whether it's time to stay or to go. Both Apple and Fuller have popped up in various mock drafts, but aren't considered the best at their respective positions. This matchup could allow one guy to create some separation and increase his draft stock.

What it could mean for the game: It isn't just Apple trying to stop a fast guy, Fuller is a vital part of Notre Dame's offense, a big reason why quarterback DeShone Kizer made the transition to starter so seamlessly.

Taking Fuller out of his comfort zone with tight, physical coverage would severely hinder Notre Dame's offense.

Or Fuller can do what no team has really been able to do against Ohio State this year: Hit the Buckeyes with explosive pass plays.

What Apple said about Fuller: "He's definitely one of the best receivers in the country. You always have to be aware of where he is on the field. He can garner some attention for sure when he's out there on the field, just because of his speed."

"He reminds me of Devin Smith, he's very reminiscent of Devin. He reminds me a little of Amari Cooper as well, just the way he moves and gets off the line."

What Fuller said about Apple: "He's definitely an elite guy, probably one of the best that I'm gonna face this year. He can turn and run, so it's going to be a real good matchup."

Other matchups

Ohio State DE Joey Bosa vs. Notre Dame OT Ronnie Stanley

Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott vs. Notre Dame LB Jaylon Smith

An answer in the last news conference before Friday's game on two player suspensions. Watch video

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Urban Meyer suspended defensive tackle Adolphus Washington for Friday's Fiesta Bowl. He didn't suspend running back Ezekiel Elliott.

Washington was charged with a first-degree misdemeanor in mid-December for soliciting as part of a prostitution sting. Elliott was charged with three misdemeanors after a traffic accident Sunday, including driving without a license. Elliott said he didn't know his license has been suspended.

Different cases, different actions from Ohio State's head coach.

In the final news conference Thursday morning before the Fiesta Bowl, Meyer briefly addressed his two decisions.

"It was to me a traffic violation issue and one was something more serious," Meyer said. "I'm not going to get into much more detail than that. Just completely a different set of circumstances."

That may be an obvious point, but there are some people who believe Elliott warranted a suspension. In our unscientific cleveland.com poll with more than 2,400 votes, 52 percent said Elliott should play and 48 percent said he should be suspended.

The Columbus Dispatch also reported Washington was legally carrying a gun at the time of his arrest. Meyer has a no-gun policy players, but he told the Toledo Blade this week he may address that. Meyer said some players have talked to him about reasons they would like to legally carry a gun.

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer and Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly met with the media on Thursday for the final time before the Fiesta Bowl.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- A complete transcript of Ohio State coach Urban Meyer and Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly's remarks from the final press conference before Friday's Fiesta Bowl.

Brian Kelly: It's been a great week, but I want to begin by first thanking the title sponsor, BattleFrog. Certainly it's been for our team a great experience. The host here, the Fiesta Bowl, everybody associated with it, first class.

I think it's that time where I'm sure Urban agrees, it's time to play some football. We're excited about that. We'll put our team through one last walk-through today and get ready to play. It's that time.

Again, just a great week. Can't thank the Fiesta Bowl, our host, for their hospitality. Just a great site. Our kids certainly enjoyed it. Again, it's for us time to play football.

Urban Meyer: I'd like to thank you guys for coming to another press conference. Seems like we've had a bunch of 'em.

I reiterate what Coach Kelly said. This has been a great week. This is not my first experience with the Fiesta Bowl. The reputation of hospitality, the Valley of the Sun is second to none, it's certainly been that way this entire week.

We're anxious to get going, play a great team. Two traditional powers get to go play each other and put on a good show for the country to watch.

So thank you.

Q. You talked a lot about your relationship with Braxton. Have you had some moments this week. Talk about what he's meant to Ohio State again.

Meyer: I think the entire senior class, we feel very strongly, not to go too far backwards, but a group of coaches came in after a seven-loss season, it was a leap of faith, a blind faith, to follow a group of coaches as they did. What that group has done is rather phenomenal.

Braxton personally, his journey is a very unique journey. It will certainly be in the history books of Ohio State as one of the great players. What I always admire is a great player that does things right. He's a graduate. He's a guy that made a position switch. He's gone through two very tough surgeries, Big Ten Player of the Year two years in a row. Just a lot of respect for Braxton.

Q. Tomorrow looks like sort of a cavalcade of possible NFL talent. Do you see that, too, as you look after these rosters?

Kelly: Certainly I think Urban has done an incredible job recruiting, recruiting depth in his program. We certainly have players on our team that have proven themselves over the last few years that are NFL-caliber players are.

I think the important thing is both players have developed these players. They weren't ready-made players. They're players that developed through the program. We know a lot of them because we recruit against each other for a lot of these guys. We've seen them develop.

So I think it's a testament to both programs that we've developed so many players that can play on championship teams and get their degrees and go on to the NFL.

Q. Coach Kelly, talk about the resiliency of your team after so many injuries, just your thoughts specifically on the Ohio State team that you're going to play.

Kelly: Well, the biggest challenge in playing Ohio State, certainly it's easy to recognize talent, it's easy to recognize speed, physicality. But the things that you don't recognize are when you play a team that has won so much, what it doesn't show you is resolve.

This football team knows how to win. They've got great resolve. They're going to fight for four quarters. It doesn't measure itself relative to size, speed and strength.

It's hard.

So you're going to play that kind of team tomorrow. That's the most difficult opponent to play.

Yeah, they've got very good players, there's no question about it. But they have more than that. That's been instilled in them. That's the biggest challenge.

We think we've got some of that as well. We're going to need that tomorrow. You're going to have two teams that have a will, that have a resolve, that have a toughness, a mental toughness that's needed in this game because it's not always just about skill, size and speed.

Q. Urban, this is really two separate questions, but could you talk about what went into your decision that Adolphus Washington would not play in this game, then what went into your significance that Ezekiel Elliott after his incident would be able to play in this game?

Meyer: It was to me a traffic violation issue and one was something more serious. I'm not going to get into much more detail than that. Just completely a different set of circumstances.

Q. Both of you have been very successful at the college level. Seems like every year college coaches go to the NFL. Chip Kelly was the latest example of most of them don't succeed. How tempting is it as a college coach to think about going to the NFL? What do you have to know about yourself to know whether that's the right thing for you?

Kelly: This is one of those (laughter).

Yeah, I don't think it's tempting at all. We get these questions all the time. I'm sure Urban gets them, as well. It's really not tempting at all. We're so focused on what we do on a day-to-day basis that we don't kind of sit around going, Boy, I'd like to coach in the NFL.

We have our hands full on a day-to-day basis coaching the 18- to 22-year-olds. That takes up a lot of our time and effort.

There's not a magical day where we wander around thinking about the NFL. At least I don't.

Then secondly, the success ratio of college coaches to the NFL, you know, I don't know that I've ever sat down and thought about that either. But if you're a ball coach, you can coach anywhere. There are high school coaches that are better than me. If you can coach, if you can teach, if you can educate, if you can motivate and organize, I think you can coach anywhere.

Meyer: I think, once again, I can just push 'Coach Kelly', same exact quote or reflection.

I spend very little time, especially this time of year, man, where there's so much going on, bowl season, recruiting, staff adjustments, those type of things going on, that I've never really spent much time thinking about it.

Move on.

Q. Urban, I asked a while ago, but the cavalcade of talent, Brian answered, you didn't get a chance to. Do you get a sense this is a last rodeo for a lot of guys on your team, not just your seniors, how have you addressed them about keeping their eye on the ball one last time for Ohio State?

Meyer: Three of them have already said they're going to lead, that's Zeke, Joey, Cardale. It is a very good junior class. I take my hat off to them because I know what's out there. I know the agents. I know the pressures that are being put.

I can relate it back to 2008, I believe, or '9, where we had at least 12 to 15 guys put in paperwork for the NFL Draft. It's tough on them. It's tough on us because of the recruiting. A lot of these kids are early commits. You lose this whole group of people.

So a lot of decisions have not been made. We have agreed and we all have agreed to be pros. What do pros do? Pros attack the task at hand. The task at hand is to represent the Ohio State against Notre Dame in one of the best bowl games in the country.

It's been very good. But it's out there. I remember Coach Saban said the other day, last year we had a conversation on the phone about that, about the timing of all this. It's not good. But I don't know where 'better' is as far as motivation for the bowl game, then the recruiting aspect, to keep your program alive and going.

So that's the way it is. I'd rather be in that situation than have a bunch of not very good players.

Q. Urban, could you address the health situation of your team. Nick Vannett was not here. I'm not sure Conley was.

Meyer: Nick Vannett had an upper -- he was sick. He's fine. He practiced yesterday.

Q. Conley?

Meyer: Same thing. Had a cold. That was it.

Hathaway Brown's Lauren Gillinov is the 2015 cleveland.com Girls Tennis Player of the Year.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Hathaway Brown junior and 2015 cleveland.com Girls Tennis Player of the Year Lauren Gillinov had some work to do in October at the Division II state tournament in her singles final match against Cloverleaf's Emily Dunbar.

Down, 5-4, in the second set after losing the first set, Gillinov rallied to win, 6-7 (6), 7-5, 6-0, to win her second straight state championship.

With the win, Gillinov became only the 16th player in Ohio history to win back-to-back state championships.

Her team finished the regular season with an undefeated 21-0 record and it won the 2015 Ohio Tennis Coaches Association Division II team championship.

Gillinov talked about her championship comeback, her favorite tennis player and her thoughts about trying to win a third title in a row as told to cleveland.com.

I think it's mostly sunk in being a two-time state champion, but it still feels cool to think about it.

I played Emily at sectionals and districts, and we had gone three sets both times. So I knew it was going to be close and I really just wanted to try to pull out the win that one time which ended up working out.

It was really exciting when it got to the third set when I finally knew I could do it. It was definitely a big relief when I won.

My favorite tennis player is probably Roger Federer because he just looks so elegant when he plays.

I'm mostly an aggressive baseliner. I like my forehand the best.

It would be really cool to win a third state title. I haven't really thought about it much but I'm really excited for next season.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Hathaway Brown coach Greg Aten had both an individual champion and a team championship this season for the Blazers.

In addition to Gillinov's state championship, Hathaway Brown finished 21-0 on its way to the Division II OTCA championship.

Aten's Blazers also had the runner-up of the Division II doubles tournament in Catherine Areklett and Ally Persky.

HONORABLE MENTION

Claudia Althans, Gilmour; Catherine Areklett, Hathaway Brown; Molly Bauer, Magnificat; Isabella Daverio, Hathaway Brown; Emily Dunbar, Cloverleaf; Skye Harwood, Walsh Jesuit; Megan Hissong, Walsh Jesuit; Anjali Kashyap, Orange; Ana Lopez, Avon; Maddie Lynch, Hathaway Brown; Tess Moran, Magnificat; Alissa Nakamoto, Orange; Maddie Nakon, Avon; Emma Peeler, Westlake; Ally Persky, Hathaway Brown; Anna Roggenburk, Magnificat; Molly Sandberg, Hudson; Alexandra Vesikallio, Magnificat; Rebecca Wolf, Hathaway Brown; Anne Zivick, Green; Maria Zivick, Green.

Johnny Manziel has shown that he can play in the NFL, but it's hard to project him as a long-term starter.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After suffering a concussion in last Sunday's loss in Kansas City, Johnny Manziel's season is over.

So what do we really know about the young quarterback and his future with the Browns?

Not all that much that is definitive.

THE GOOD STUFF

1. At this point a year ago, he was out for the season with a leg injury. Given a chance to start near the end of the 2014 season, he lasted a grand total of six horrid quarters before he was hurt.

2. In those six quarters, the Browns offense managed five (non-penalty) first downs and three points. Manziel was overwhelmed by the speed of the game and under-prepared for the mental demands of being an NFL quarterback.

3. By the end of the 2014 season, there were legitimate reasons to doubt him having any type of NFL future.

4. That has changed. Unless Manziel has some off-field disasters in his personal life, he can be an NFL quarterback. He has gained the confidence of his teammates by putting in the work to learn offenses, blocking schemes and the mental part of the game.

5. Unlike 2014, when Manziel was on the field, his team was lined up correctly. He was in charge of the huddle. He played with some confidence and spirit that was appreciated by his teammates.

6. Until Manziel came to the Browns, he never had a real playbook. He almost never took a snap directly under center. He played a lot of spread offense with plenty of freedom and improvisation in his two seasons at Texas A&M. So he had a lot to learn about the basics of the NFL game. He didn't put in the work to learn it in 2014. He did this season. He even was 21-of-36 passing with a touchdown when not in the shotgun.

7. If the Browns cut Manziel tomorrow, several teams would want him. Not all would consider him a starter, but he is viable NFL quarterback.

8. Manziel made real progress in 2015. But it's also hard to project him as a long-term NFL starter.

THE NEGATIVES

1. For the second year in a row, his season ended with an injury. Coach Mike Pettine mentioned that he didn't want Manziel running "10-12" times a game because of the risk of injury. Manziel rushed for 108 yards in 11 carries in the 17-13 loss to the Chiefs. But he also took several very hard hits.

2. Until the Chiefs game, Manziel was pretty wise about running and avoiding contact. But he was having such trouble with the wind (28 mph gusts) and the cold weather (26 degree wind chill), that his passing suffered. He was 13-of-32, and several of his throws just fluttered. That led to him trying to keep the offense going with his legs.

3. It was disturbing to see Manziel having so much trouble throwing in the windy conditions. This has been an unusually warm and good weather football season for the Browns. That changed Sunday, and Manziel struggled.

4. In his last two games on the road against playoff teams, Manziel was only 32-of-64 passing in Seattle and Kansas City. The Browns offense scored one touchdown in each game. Manziel didn't rattle with the crowd noise. He was in control of the offense in terms of having his teammates set up properly. He just didn't throw often down field, nor was he very accurate.

5. Manziel was 1-of-9 passing for 11 yards when facing the blitz in Kansas City. He was 3-of-9 passing on throws of 11-20 yards in Seattle. He attempted only one throw of at least 20 yards in Seattle. Manziel obviously was hampered by a lack of playmakers, but it's also true that veteran Josh McCown squeezed more out of the offense than Manziel.

6. Manziel's best game was in Pittsburgh in a 30-9 loss. He was 33-of-45 passing for 373 yards. Travis Benjamin dropped one touchdown pass. It appeared Manziel scrambled for a TD, but he was ruled down on the 1-yard line. So the offense could have put up more points in that game. Manziel threw very well from the pocket and stayed out of danger when he did run.

7. Manziel completed only 58 percent of his passes this season. That ranks 32nd in the NFL. It's not good enough.

8. But Manziel never had another game against a good team as he did in Pittsburgh. He was benched for the games against Baltimore and Cincinnati. Pettine was sending Manziel a message about off-field activity with that action. It would have been productive to see Manziel in those games.

9. The off-field parties are a problem for a guy who spent 77 days in a rehabilitation center early in 2014. Pettine talked about "trust issues." Those are real concerns.

10. But from the cold-hearted world of the NFL, the first question is this: "Can Manziel play in the NFL?" The answer is yes, but his role is uncertain.

BOTTOM LINE

1. For the Browns and their fans, the encouraging part of this season is Manziel can no longer be considered a draft disaster. He can play in the NFL for several years if he stays healthy and if he doesn't do something off the field to cause problems.

2. Since we don't know who will be the general manager or coach next season, it's hard to know what is Manziel's future. A new front office may not want to deal with the off-field baggage combined with some obvious holes in his game.

3. The 6-foot Manziel still has problems seeing over the line at times. He is an effective runner, but that makes him vulnerable to injury.

4. When Manziel is playing well, he reminds me of the best of Jeff Garcia. It took years for Garcia to learn how to adapt his scrambling style to the NFL. He first played in Canada before sticking in the NFL at the age of 29 with San Francisco. He then had a 10-year career, including a stop in Cleveland.

5. It's hard to know how fast Manziel can develop or if he has the physical tools to consistently throw from pocket, where about 90 percent of NFL passes are thrown. Then he also has maturity issues.

6. Watching Manziel this season just makes me wish he had played more games. Of course, he's partly to blame for that. He was in the same 2014 quarterback class as Blake Bortles, Teddy Bridgewater and Derek Carr. Those three did nothing to torpedo their careers, as Manziel did to a large part in 2014 ... and to a lesser extent this season. His pro career consists of eight starts, six this season. And he's playing for a bad team. It's so difficult to draw any major conclusions about him other than he's not elite ... and he's not a major draft bust.

St. Ignatius shot better than 61 percent from the field in its win at St. Vincent-St. Mary.

AKRON, Ohio — St. Ignatius' boys basketball team shot 61.5 percent from the field on Thursday as it defeated St. Vincent-St. Mary, 85-68, on Thursday.

The Wildcats, ranked No. 5 in the cleveland.com Top 25, were 32 of 52 shooting as a team, including 9 of 15 from 3-point range. St. Ignatius (6-1) junior Matthew Davet led all scorers with 26 points, including 16 in the first half.

Davet showed some offensive versatility, scoring in the post as well as stepping out and hitting a 3-pointer.

"I definitely have been working on the turnaround jump shots and being able to extend my game to make it harder for me to guard," Davet said. "We've been working on it in practice all the time, just working on extending our game. It's been working out great."

Video coming shortly.

The Wildcats never trailed and led the No. 2 Irish (5-2) by as much as 22 points in the second half. St. Ignatius opened the game on a 21-5 run, with Davet scoring nine of those points.

In addition to its strong offense, St. Ignatius held STVM to only 34.5 percent shooting in the first half.

"We've had some pretty good starts," St. Ignatius coach Brian Becker said. "We scored 30 in the first quarter against Louisville. We scored, I think, 28 or 29 in a win against Kenston and we had 26 or 27 in a win against Cleveland Heights.

"So we're certainly a capable team early on. But it's nice to get out to a good start, especially against a good quality team like St. Vincent-St. Mary."

Ryan Berger came off the bench to score 18 points, and he led the team with four 3-pointers.

STVM never got the deficit back to a two-possession game following the first quarter.

The Irish cut the lead down to seven in the third quarter. But St. Ignatius ended the third quarter on a 15-4 run to secure the win.

"Early in the game, they just made shots," STVM coach Dru Joyce said. "When you shoot 60 percent from behind the 3-point line and 62 percent inside, you most likely should win the game."

Jon Williams led the Irish with 22 points, and Henry Baddley added 20 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

The Wildcats will travel to Canton GlenOak on Saturday and STVM will try to bounce back on Sunday vs. No. 18 Cleveland Heights at the Scholastic Play-By-Play Classic at Baldwin Wallace.

Browns coach Mike Pettine hopes to survive the Pittsburgh Purge -- the last four Browns coaches have been fired after a season-ending loss to the Steelers.

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns coach Mike Pettine has no idea yet if he'll survive the Pittsburgh Purge -- the last four Browns head coaches were fired after a season-ending loss to the Steelers -- but he's hoping Sunday's finale at FirstEnergy Stadium isn't his curtain call.

"I absolutely want to be able to finish out and then some, but that's out of my control,'' said Pettine. "I feel like we've planted, and I keep using this phrase these past couple weeks, seeds for growth.''

Pettine and Browns general manager Ray Farmer both head into the game on the hotseat after the Browns have lost 17 of their last 20 on their watch. Overall, they're 10-21 in their second season together.

"We all crave continuity,'' said Pettine. "If you want to talk about being successful, if you ask the players, if you feel like you're headed the right direction that time is something that you need, but for Ray and I, that's out of our hands so we'll see how it plays out."

Pettine, who has two years remaining on his four-year deal -- with a club option for a fifth --  re-iterated that he knows it's a bottom line business.

"The record is not good, but given the circumstances that we were in when we got here and given the history of when you look back at what had occurred here before we got here and kind of the state of things, I don't think anybody thought it was going to be a quick turnaround based on where we are,'' Pettine said. "I'm competitive - just like our players.''

Despite the owners of the Bills and Jaguars giving votes of confidence to Rex Ryan and Gus Bradley this week, Jimmy Haslam has done no such thing for Pettine -- and he had the perfect opportunity to during their standard weekly meeting on Monday.
 
"We talk about the future, we talk about the offseason and the staff, but if you're saying you're [asking about] an assurance, we haven't discussed that,'' he said. "I didn't ask. My focus each week, just like as the players' should be, is my job, which is getting a team prepared.''

He said it's not unsettling to head into Black Monday not knowing his fate. The 3-12 Browns can eliminate the Steelers with a victory.

"I'm just not wired that way,'' said Pettine. "I constantly preach to the players: worry about things you have control over, and what's going to happen and what that decision ends up being is, how I control it is how I prepare the team each week. I throw everything I have into that. Do you think about it? Of course, you do, but it's not how I'm wired to be stressed about it."

Related: Mike Pettine says changes likely on coaching staff if he stays

Pettine believes he's laid the foundation for future success over the past two years.

"Just behind the scenes, we've done a lot,'' he said. "Our guys haven't quit. We found out a lot about ourselves - guys that can handle adversity, who is mentally tough. I know what the record is, but I just know that I don't consider us to be that far away, especially with the improvements that we made at quarterback this year.''
He cited a strong passing game and the rediscovery of the running game over the past three weeks.

"We're on the brink of throwing for 4,000 yards,'' he said. "Late in the year, we kind of found our niche from a run game standpoint. We feel the offense is in good hands. Defensively, we know what lays ahead of us. We're looking forward to getting (DB) Joe Haden back 100 percent and make some improvements there. I know the results are what they are and we're still bottom line, but we've made strides, and the fact that the guys are playing as hard as they are and it's as important to them. That to me is very encouraging."

He pointed to this year's draft class and an example of seeds of growth.

"Danny (Shelton) has steadily improved throughout the year, playing his best football of late,'' he said. "Cam Erving played pretty well against Kansas City. I know early on he had some bad plays that were obvious to everyone and that's  just part of it. He knows what he needs to work on, but Cam Erving is going to be a good football player for a long time in this league. The tools are there, the want to is there. He loves football, and that's a big part of it.''

He listed rookies Nate Orchard, Duke Johnson and Charles Gaines as other reasons to be optimistic about the future.

"There are pieces there, positives there to build on,'' he said. "I see it, but some of them are much more subtle than others, but internally, we see it."

He acknowledged that the defense has been a disappointment and that he's willing to make changes in the scheme and on the staff to get it right.

"It's been a source of frustration,'' he said. "It's tough for me, too, when that's my area of expertise and it's an area where we've fallen short, especially this year where I felt like we've overachieved offensively.''

Related: Mike Pettine admits 'there are problems'' with Johnny Manziel that need to be addressed again in the offseason

He admitted that the Browns don't know yet if Johnny Manziel can be their quarterback of the future because "there are problems'' that need to be addressed in the offseason. Manziel, who's been ruled out for the Steelers game with his concussion, has been videotaped drinking over the past couple of months and the Browns are worried about him again.

"He's a likeable guy,'' said Pettine. "You root for him, but there are problems there. We'll talk as we're headed to the offseason about getting that addressed. We want to make sure that all of our players are grounded or in good shape as people first, players second. I don't think you can be as effective as you can be as a player if things aren't right off the field and he's a good example of that."

Despite the uncertainty heading into the game, Pettine doesn't feel melancholy that it could be his last as the Browns head coach.

"No I don't,'' he said. "I love it here. I love what I do. I know it's easy to get wrapped up and let the negativity pull you down, but I'm the head coach of the Cleveland Browns and I will be the head coach until I'm told not to. That's how it is. It's the advice I give to players -you can't get wrapped up in it, and it's something I have to follow myself."

He'll know the answer soon enough.

Rated the No. 2 wide receiver in the 2017 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite rankings, Grimes is one of Ohio State's top junior targets.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Five-star wide receiver Trevon Grimes of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas has said Ohio State is the leader in his recruitment for months. 

But it's always important for Ohio State to hear it again, especially because Grimes is still uncommitted. 

Rated the No. 2 wide receiver in the 2017 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite rankings, Grimes told ESPN recruiting analyst Tom VanHaaren from the Under Armor All-American Bowl in Orlando, Fla., that the Buckeyes are out front and Florida and Florida State are contenders. 

#ESPNJr300 WR Trevon Grimes at #Future50 says Ohio State still his leader. Florida and FSU contenders #UAAllAmerica pic.twitter.com/YJ6cX6K7aa

-- Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) December 31, 2015

Ohio State receivers coach Zach Smith is the primary recruiter on Grimes because he's a wide receiver and lives in Smith's recruiting territory. 

The 6-foot-3, 180-pound receiver helped St. Thomas Aquinas beat Viera for the Class 7A state championship earlier this month. After that game, Grimes told recruiting analyst Corey Bender of Scout.com that Ohio State was on top of his list.

Grimes has 25 offers, including ones from Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Tennessee and others. 

Clemson advances to face either Alabama or Michigan State in the Jan. 11 national championship game.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- So much for Clemsoning.

The Tigers are headed to the national championship game.

Deshaun Watson turned in another stellar two-way performance, running for one touchdown, passing for another and accounting for 332 yards to lead top-ranked Clemson to a 37-17 victory over Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl on Thursday.

Clemson (14-0) dominated the second half and shut down Oklahoma's high-scoring offense, which had averaged 52 points over its last seven contests. The Sooners (11-2) actually came into the game as favorites, but the Tigers showed their perfect record was no fluke.

Until this season, the Tigers were known for such inexplicable disappointments that a term was coined for it -- Clemsoning.

With one more win, they'll be known as something else.

National champions.

Watson certainly lived up to the hype of being a Heisman finalist. He got off to a slow start passing, but came back to complete 16-of-31 for 187 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Renfrow that gave Clemson some breathing room late in the third quarter. Watson carried the running load in the early going, finishing with 145 yards on 24 carries and scoring the Tigers' first touchdown on a 5-yard run.

The game went back and forth through the first half, the Sooners jumping ahead on an impressive first possession that culminated with Samaje Perine's 1-yard drive. Oklahoma went to the locker room with a 17-16 lead after Mark Andrews hauled in an 11-yard touchdown pass from Baker Mayfield with 1:34 remaining, and the Sooners defense came up with a pick in the end zone on an ill-advised throw by Watson into triple-coverage.

If Watson was flustered by that pick, he sure didn't show it after the break.

Clemson took the second-half kickoff and breezed down the field, covering 75 yards in 12 plays to reclaim the lead on Wayne Gallman's 1-yard run, the first of his two TDs. Oklahoma's first possession was the exact opposite: three straight yards-losing plays forced the Sooners to punt, setting the tone for the struggles they would face the rest of the game.

Clemson, looking to become the first team in FBS history to finish 15-0, advanced to face either second-ranked Alabama or third-ranked Michigan State in the Jan. 11 finale in Arizona. Those teams met Thursday night in the Cotton Bowl.

On a balmy evening in south Florida, the orange-clad Clemson faithful gobbled up at least three-fourths of the seats at Sun Life Stadium, turning what was supposed to be a neutral-site game into Death Valley South.

They had plenty to cheer about, even after Clemson lost one of its top players, defensive end Shaq Lawson. He went out with a knee injury in the opening minutes and watched the rest of the game from the bench.

His defensive mates did just fine without him. A unit that surrendered more than 30 points in its last two games sacked Mayfield five times and held the Sooners to 121 yards over the final two quarters.

Clemson piled up 550 yards in the game, sealing the victory on Gallman's 4-yard touchdown run with 10:48 remaining.

The Tigers played loose throughout, even pulling off some special teams trickery to set up their first TD. Punter Andy Teasdall flipped a 31-yard pass to Christian Wilkins, a 315-pound freshman defensive tackle.

For Oklahoma, it was a disappointing end to a comeback season. After going 8-5 a year ago, including a 40-6 loss to Clemson in the Russell Athletic Bowl, coach Bob Stoops shook up his staff and guided the Sooners within two victories of their first national title since 2000.

This season was a huge upgrade, but it ended with the same result: a dismal loss to Clemson at bowl time.

Mayfield threw for 311 yards and was intercepted twice, the second of which ended his season. After Ben Boulware leaped to make the pick at the goal line, Mayfield dove into Boulware to make the tackle, took a knee to the head and staggered off the field.

Clemson will be going for its first national title since 1981, having shown that it can deal with injuries and any distraction that might come its way. Two days before the national semifinal game, coach Dabo Swinney suspended three players for violating team rules, including speedy receiver Deon Cain, one of the team's best deep threats.

Swinney insisted that it wouldn't be a distraction.

He was right.

There's no Clemsoning with this bunch.

Haden has had to deal with the perception from some fans that he's bailed out on teammates and the season. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio - Andrew Hawkins suffered his second concussion in a three-week span on Nov. 15. He absorbed a helmet-to-helmet hit so devastating it hospitalized him overnight and erased six hours of memory he hasn't regained.

The Browns receiver loves the game and plans to return to it, but it's going to take a little more time.

Joe Haden sustained his second concussion in a three-week span on Nov. 1. He took an inadvertent kick to the mouth from a Cardinals' receiver and developed dizziness and sensitivities to light and sound.

The Browns cornerback loves the game and plans to return to it, but it's going to take a little more time.

"The thing is everybody is learning about concussions as far as it goes on the fly," said Haden, who will miss his 10^th game of the season Sunday due to multiple head injuries.

"With the (NFL concussion) protocol and with the way that they handle it, a lot of things are out of our hands. The thing that they have to educate people on is that there are different types of concussions, there are different lengths that people are going to be out and there are different ways to treat them . . ."

Haden's head isn't the only part of him to take a hit during this lost season for the two-time Pro Bowler. His reputation also has been targeted by a segment of a disgruntled fan base.

Some believe the corner is using the second concussion as a means of bailing out on his teammates and a season that started poorly for Haden. Hawkins called the claim "ridiculous" and said those people don't understand what players battling head trauma endure.

Haden, a six-year pro, is aware of the perception. He was asked Thursday if the fact some fans think he's "cashing it in" bothers him.

"More than you will ever know," Haden said in his first public comments since Nov. 1. "More than you will ever know just because it is ball. What do you mean 'cashing it in?' I don't get that. This is what I do. I love playing ball . . . Why would I do that now?"

Cleveland has become one of the NFL's epicenters for concussions, the biggest player-safety issue facing the game. The Browns have led the league in head traumas since the start of the 2012 season. A league-high 14 Browns have suffered them this year and the team's training staff is searching for answers as to why that might be.

Beyond the potential long-term health risks there is a stigma attached to concussions. Some just don't grasp why certain players take longer to recover. It's not just fans, either, but former players who were taught to "tough it out" when they had their "bell rung."

Three-time Super Bowl champion and ESPN-Cleveland radio talk-show host Je'Rod Cherry said, "If you're serious about winning you better play though some concussions." He's hardly alone in that thinking even as mounting medical evidence links serious health risk to repeated head trauma.

"If you're serious about winning, you better play through some concussions." - @JRCherry3 #Browns

-- ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) December 30, 2015

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a form of brain decay that leads to memory loss, depression and dementia. Right now, it only can be diagnosed in the deceased, but Boston University researchers hope to develop tests to identify it among the living. The results could be a game changer for contact sports like football.

Three weeks ago, Haden said he visited a concussion specialist in Pittsburgh. He declined to speak on his treatment, but sounds confident he will return next season.

Andrew Hawkins has suffered two concussions this season and at least four during his career.Thomas Ondrey, The Plain Dealer 

Haden is an emotional person. We've seen him nearly moved to tears discussing his frustrations following Browns' losses. His voice quivered on several occasions Thursday as he described being virtually confined to his home for long stretches as he waited for symptoms to abate.

"Anybody who says that I am cashing it in, I don't believe that is a die-hard fan," Haden said. "The thing that I had to realize was that people are going to say things. People are going to say whatever they want, but just knowing my teammates, people that know me and know what I stand for, know that's not what it is at all."

Haden said it pains him not to practice and play with teammates suffering through a brutal 3-12 campaign. He drew fire for missing a game earlier in the season with a broken finger before coming under attack for the long layoff due to the second concussion.

The corner was kicked by the Cardinals' Michael Floyd as he tried to tackle the receiver on a long touchdown reception. A cleat split open his bottom lip and required stitches.

Haden is the team's best defensive player and his absence has had a profound impact on a secondary that's struggled mightily.

"You see your dudes practicing, you see your dudes playing, you see them going out to the games," he said. "You can not only not be out there, but you can't be outside of your house. That whole situation was a little tough."

Hawkins is more educated on concussions than Haden or perhaps any player in the Browns' locker room. He spent a year researching the subject and had hoped to make a movie similar to the one Hollywood recently released (Concussion) starring Will Smith.

But Hawkins has learned plenty more about the unpredictable nature of an injury that offers no timetable for recovery. He's sustained two concussions this season, but the symptoms were completely different in each case.

The diminutive receiver was hammered by Steelers' linebacker Jarvis Jones while attempting to make a tackle on an interception return. Hawkins doesn't recall anything about the hit or the first six hours after it. His first memory was of a former college teammate visiting him in a Pittsburgh hospital.

" From a fan's perspective, I understand they want people on the field, but I would say you should be a little slower in accusing somebody of faking something that is kind of serious," Hawkins said.

" . . . Unless you've actually had a concussion or you have actually been hit in the head by a 275-pound defensive lineman who runs a 4.5, it's hard for you to make that distinction. It's hard for you say what's going on."

The 5-foot-7, 180-pounder is one of the league's true overachievers. The former undrafted free agent has played five seasons and a year ago signed a four-year, $13.6 million deal with the Browns.

Hawkins is married with a son. He plans to pursue a master's degree in sports management at Columbia University in the offseason and he works closely with baseball legend Derek Jeter on the board of the Players Tribune.

Hawkins was asked Thursday why he would risk his health, especially when he knows so much about brain trauma. His answer was eloquent and moving and reflected the conflict so many of his peers confront on a weekly basis.

"My brother used to tell me when I was coming up that football is a marriage that is guaranteed to end in divorce," Hawkins said. "There are guys in this locker room who have devoted 20 years of their 28-year lives to something -- and it's the only constant in their lives.

"To make that decision to up and walk away is probably not as easy as everyone thinks it is or it's not as black and white as everyone makes it out to be. Football is the longest relationship I've had with the exception of my family. It's been around longer than my wife, it's been around longer than my kids."    

Hawkins and Haden will return next season. They will play a game for which they are richly compensated. They know the risks and rewards better than most.

And if some fans don't understand, Haden and Hawkins say, so be it. They aren't the ones needing to have their heads examined.

Schwartz is one of several key potential free agents the Browns must decide upon.

BEREA, Ohio - Browns right tackle Mitchell Schwartz is enjoying the best season of his four-year career.

In a "perfect world," he would like to continue it here, but he also knows Sunday could mark his final game with the Browns.

Schwartz is one of several key players potentially heading to free agency in March along with receiver Travis Benjamin, center Alex Mack and safety Tashaun Gipson.

The Cal product endured his share of struggles early in his career but most agree he's having his most productive year despite the offensive line's uneven play. The analytics site ProFootballFocus.com ranks Schwartz as the NFL's seventh-best tackle in 2015.

He figures to generate serious interest if the Browns don't get him re-signed in the offseason. Schwartz was asked Thursday if he'd like to remain with club that drafted him in the second round in 2012.

"In a perfect world, yeah," he said. "But that's stuff where the business side kind of takes control over the emotional side, so you've just got to see.

"I've had a really awesome time here, so if it is [my last game with the Browns], it'll be a little bit sad. I'd be leaving a lot of guys that I've played a lot of ball with."

Many expect Mack to opt out of his deal and likely play elsewhere next season. With so many other holes to fill do the Browns want to create another one by allowing their right tackle to walk?

Schwartz declined to say whether his representatives have engaged in contract talks with the Browns.

"I'm not going to get into that too much," he said. "Only bad stuff seems to come from talking about contract stuff one way or another."

Alabama (13-1) will face No. 1 Clemson (14-0) on Jan. 11 in Arizona looking for its fourth national title in nine seasons under coach Nick Saban.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Jake Coker played the game of his career, hooking up with Calvin Ridley for two touchdowns, as second-ranked Alabama aired it out to beat No. 3 Michigan State 38-0 Thursday night and advance to the national championship game.

Alabama (13-1) will face No. 1 Clemson (14-0) on Jan. 11 in Arizona looking for its fourth national title in nine seasons under coach Nick Saban.

The Tide looked like a team with no weaknesses against overmatched Michigan State (12-2). Coker, the promising Florida State transfer who sat the bench most of last season, was nearly perfect. The senior completed 25 for 30 for 286 yards. The freshman Ridley was brilliant, streaking by defenders on deep throws and outfighting them on jump balls. He caught eight passes for 138 yards.

AL.com instant analysis: How Alabama crushed Michigan State, skipped in Playoff title game

Jonathan Allen and the ferocious Tide defensive front sacked Connor Cook four times and allowed the Spartans only one trip into the red zone -- which ended with Cyrus Jones intercepting a pass at the goal line.

Jones added a high-stepping 57-yard punt return touchdown for the Tide, which hardly even had to use Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry. The big tailback who has carried the Crimson Tide offense most of the season was mostly just a role player against a Spartans defense stacked to stop him. He ran for 75 yards and scored two touchdowns. The last made it 38-0 halfway through the fourth quarter. The celebration at that point was pretty tame on the Alabama sideline. Henry got a chest pump from a lineman and some pats on the helmet before taking a seat next to a fan to cool off.

He was done for the day as if it was a September game against one of those nonconference cupcakes.

The 'Bama fans were having fun, though, breaking out the "S-E-C!" chant and singing along to "Sweet Home Alabama" with that familiar "Rolll Tide Roll!" AT&T Stadium in North Texas -- where Alabama started its season by blwoing out a Big Ten team (Wisconsin) -- had turned into Tuscaloosa west.

The only team to make to the College Football Playoff each of its first two seasons will be playing in the final for the first time,

Last season the Crimson Tide couldn't get past the semifinals, upset by Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl. Heading into another game as a big favorite against the Big Ten champions, the Tide players said all week that the focus was better and their attitude more serious.

They talked about how some players were too concerned about where they would be drafted or partying on Bourbon Street. In chilly Dallas there was nothing to do but practice and that was fine by them.

Michigan State embraced its role as the underdog and came in expecting to slug it out with the Tide and it smothering defense and hammering Heisman winner. The Spartans offensive line watched video of the 1971 Ali-Frazier fight to prepare for what it expected to be a 15-round heavyweight bout.

Instead it was a TKO.

Ohio State and Notre Dame end up wondering in the desert: Crowquill

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ohio State (11-1) and Notre Dame (10-2) start their new year facing each other in the Fiesta Bowl.

While I'm sure each team is happy to be playing in a major New Years Day bowl, I'm also sure they would rather have been playing last night as part of the first round of the College Football Playoffs.

Instead of still playing for a national championship, Ohio State and Notre Dame are left to wonder in the desert as to what might have been if only a play or two had gone their way. The only motivation left being pride and maybe the desire to take out their playoff frustrations on the other team.

Crowquill, by Plain Dealer artist Ted Crow, appears three times a week on cleveland.com.

No. 7 Ohio State and No. 8 Notre Dame meet in the Fiesta Bowl on Friday in Glendale, Ariz. Watch video

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Ohio State Buckeyes end their season on Friday against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Fiesta Bowl.

GAME INFORMATION

Who: No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1) vs. No. 8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-2)

When: Friday, 1 p.m.

Where: University of Phoenix Stadium

TV: ESPN

Twitter: Follow Ari Wasserman, Bill Landis and Doug Lesmerises

Live chat: Join the cleveland.com conversation at 10:30 a.m.

Latest line: Ohio State -6.5

Series record: This will be the sixth meeting all-time between Ohio State and Notre Dame. The Buckeyes are 3-2 against the Irish, with the last win coming in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Must-read links before kickoff:

* 5 reasons Ohio State will win: The Buckeyes finally have offensive play calling figured out.

* 5 reasons Notre Dame will win: The Irish have a defensive line trending up while Ohio State's is trending down.

* Urban Meyer danced after Ohio State beat Michigan, even though nobody on the team thought he would do it. Not Meyer, no way. The fact that he did it says a lot about Meyer, and how he feels about this Ohio State team.

* Braxton Miller's last game in an Ohio State uniform will come on Friday, the end of a storied Buckeye career. But ask yourself, what do you know about Miller? Ari Wasserman tried to dig in to find out something about the man, not the football player.

* Cardale Jones was available at Fiesta Bowl media day, an event reserved for starters. That makes it feel like he'll have a role in this game, which would be a fitting end to a season that included a quarterback battle that didn't play out the way Jones expected.

* Ohio State's offensive line was rolling the last time we saw the Buckeyes play, they'll try to carry that over into the Fiesta Bowl. But the most important thing that's happened to the offensive line since the Michigan game is guard Pat Elflein has decided to come back for a fifth year. Here's why he did, and why it's so important.

* Everyone thought coming into this season that the offense would carry the Buckeyes back to the playoff. The offense sputtered, which led to a loss while the defense was good all season. The Buckeyes didn't have a championship season, but they did have a championship defense.

GAME PICKS, OUTRAGEOUS PREDICTIONS

* Our game picks for Ohio State vs. Notre Dame: One of us thinks the Fighting Irish will win.

* Our outrageous predictions for Ohio State vs. Notre Dame: 2 Vonn Bell picks, and a TD for Braxton Miller.

THE B.A.D. OHIO STATE PODCAST

We recorded our final podcast of the season before we arrived in Phoenix. We discussed what Ohio State has to gain out of this game against Notre Dame, and if the Buckeyes will care enough to treat it like a big game when they all wanted to be in the playoff.

We have a SoundCloud page for the podcast that you can follow, and all of the cleveland.com sports podcasts are now on iTunes.

OHIO STATE STAT LEADERS

* Passing: J.T. Barrett, 74 for 116, (63.8 percent), 781 yards, 10 TDs, 3 INTs

* Rushing: Ezekiel Elliott, 262 carries, 1672 yards (6.4 avg.), 19 TDs

* Receiving: Michael Thomas, 49 catches, 709 yards (14.5 avg.), 8 TDs

* Tackles: Raekwon McMillan, 114

* Sacks: Tyquan Lewis, 7

* Interceptions: Tyvis Powell, Gareon Conley and Vonn Bell, 2

NOTRE DAME STAT LEADERS

* Passing: DeShone Kizer, 188 for 297 (63.3 percent), 2596 yards, 19 TDs, 9 INTs

* Rushing: C.J. Prosise, 157 carries, 1029 yards (6.6 avg.), 11 TDs

* Receiving: Will Fuller, 56 catches, 1145 yards (20.4 avg.), 13 TDs

* Tackles: Jaylon Smith, 114

* Sacks: Romeo Okwara, 9

* Interceptions: Cole Luke, 2

We take a quick look at next year's defense before the last game of this season. Watch video

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Ohio State is losing at least one linebacker, maybe two, as well as three starters on the defensive line. The only players sure to return as starters in Ohio State's front seven next season are middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan and defensive end Tyquan Lewis.

So as we prepare for the 1 p.m. kickoff for the Fiesta Bowl between No. 7 Ohio State and No. 8 Notre Dame, here's one more video from the middle of nowhere, as Bill, Ari and I talk about the new players we'll find filling the holes for Ohio State's defense next season.

Thanks to Sam Faulkner for providing the question.

@DougLesmerises How's the front 7 going to look next year with more than half of them leaving?

-- Sam Faulkner (@SamYewWell) December 28, 2015

Check out our other videos from Arizona

* Fiesta Bowl picks at In-N-Out Burger

* Fiesta Bowl outrageous predictions from Ohio State's practice site 

* Will Mike Weber be Ohio State's featured back next year from the desert

* Braxton Miller's Fiesta Bowl role from the desert

* How will Cardale Jones be used from the back patio

* Should Ezekiel Elliott play in the Fiesta Bowl from desert shrubbery

* Will Eli Apple, Darron Lee and Jalin Marshall turn pro in more shrubs

Can Elflein contain Notre Dame's dynamic interior defensive lineman. Watch video

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Ohio State plays Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, a bowl filled with NFL-ready talent. This week, we're giving you a deeper look at the best one-on-one matchups to watch when the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish meet.

Ohio State OG Pat Elflein vs. Notre Dame DT Sheldon Day

Why it's interesting: Elflein could've left for the NFL Draft after this game and possibly been selected as high as the third round. That's a lot to pass up on. Maybe Elflein thinks he needs to prove more, and wants to improve that draft stock some.

A good game against Day would certainly help, because Day will be in the NFL next year. Day is the most dynamic player on a good Notre Dame defensive line, capable of playing inside and outside.

With interior line play being so crucial to the outcome of a game, this matchup is one of the most important in the Fiesta Bowl.

What it could mean for the game: Day moves around as Notre Dame provides multiple defensive looks, so different guys on Ohio State's offensive line will get a shot at him. When he's matched up with Elflein inside, he'll either try to eat up blocks to create things for other guys, fill gaps or use his quickness and hands to rush the passer.

Day does a little bit of everything, and can be a disruptive force on the interior of that line if Elflein has trouble with him.

What Elflein said about Day: "Sheldon Day is explosive and a great player. He's fast, real fast."

"It could be more difficult to get your hands on because he's smaller and quicker, fast with his moves. You have to be in great position, and use film study to know the kind of moves he'll try to use against you."

What Day said about Elflein: "He's a big, strong guy. Powerful. He kind of gets latched onto you and drives his feet. He's definitely a great offensive guard."

Other matchups

Ohio State DE Joey Bosa vs. Notre Dame OT Ronnie Stanley

Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott vs. Notre Dame LB Jaylon Smith

Ohio State CB Eli Apple vs. Notre Dame WR Will Fuller