How do the Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines stack up when it comes to the QBs they have lined up for 2018 and beyond?

Is Sam Darnold the best choice for the Cleveland Browns? How about Josh Rosen? Baker Mayfield? Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's that time of year again...

Draft time....

That's right, the 2018 NFL Draft is April 26-28, only five months away!

After all, we are talking about the Cleveland Browns.

And quarterbacks.

And the Browns never-ending search for a quarterback.

Regardless of how DeShone Kizer plays the rest of this season, I want the Browns to draft a quarterback ... with their top pick.

If Kizer turns out to be a good player ... outstanding! How about the Browns actually having two viable NFL quarterbacks.

Of course, if that happened, I'd probably need to be checked for heart problems. It definitely will have stopped.

ROSEN OR DARNOLD?

Last Saturday, UCLA's Josh Rosen faced USC's Sam Darnold.

The two quarterbacks didn't play against each other, but it was fun to watch them matched up in the same game.

I had seen Darnold more than Rosen. I kind of like Darnold, but it was based more on reputation and a few good games that I watched.

Having a chance to compare Darnold and Rosen, it wasn't even close.

I fell in love with Rosen. He took snaps under center. He did a nice job on play-fakes to running backs when he dropped back to throw.

Rosen played at least some of the time in a pro-style system, and that's a huge advantage.

Rosen just looked more like an NFL quarterback than Darnold.

EARLY MOCK DRAFT

Dane Brugler is one of my favorite draft experts. He is a Northeast Ohio guy, a Mount Union product. His draft guide is worth buying each year.

His first mock draft just came out on NFLDraftscout.com. He based the order of the picks on where the teams rank right now.

With the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, Brugler has your Cleveland Browns selecting ... Sam Darnold, USC.

"If Darnold declares (and that's a big IF), he boasts the instincts and intangibles that put him in the running for the top pick," Brugler wrote.

OK, I have a different idea. I want Rosen.

Brugler sent Rosen to the New York Giants with the No. 3 pick.

"Rosen is far from a clean prospect, but his natural passing skills and arm talent are star quality," Brugler wrote.

And that arm and passing skills are exactly why he is my favorite.

I LOVE WYOMING, BUT ALLEN?

Wyoming is one of my favorite places to hike and visit. I became a Wyoming fan when former Cleveland State assistant basketball coach Larry Shyatt became the head coach of the Cowboys -- and he signed Larry Nance Jr. from Revere.

I tend to watch Wyoming basketball and football games when they pop up on late night TV.

Suddenly, Wyoming has a quarterback prospect. Josh Allen is a projected first-rounder.

His coach is Craig Bohl, the same coach who recruited Carson Wentz at North Dakota State.

Bohl runs the same pro-style offense at Wyoming as he did at North Dakota State. That really helped Wentz adjust quickly to the NFL.

I watched Allen in three games this season. He looks like a very raw Joe Flacco. In the last two seasons, he has completed only 56 percent of his passes. He is more athletic than Flacco.

Most analytics say you want a college quarterback in this era to complete at least 60 percent of his passes. Darnold and Allen are at 62 percent.

Brugler has Allen being the No. 8 pick in the draft, going to Arizona.

"While underdeveloped in several areas, Allen has the physical traits that will drive his draft value into the top 15 selections," Brugler wrote.

I HAVE NO CLUE

Then there's Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield.

He has stunning stats: 34 TD passes compared to five interceptions. He completes 71 percent of his passes.

Brugler has Mayfield as the No. 11 pick, going to the L.A. Chargers.

"Mayfield won't be for everyone," Brugler wrote. "But his skill-set and competitive fire will get him drafted in round one."

He's listed at 6-foot-1, 220 pounds. He plays in the Big 12, where it seems no one plays much defense. I'm not going to compare him to Johnny Manziel, because the former Browns quarterback had so many personal problems.

But small quarterbacks from the Big 12 have not had much success, at least in Cleveland. I'm thinking Colt McCoy and Manziel. I'm also thinking Brandon Weeden, who is a big quarterback from the Big 12.

They seem to have trouble adjusting to the NFL game.

OK, fans, it's early draft season.

Let's talk about it.

Television's most popular sports network has gotten a lot of criticism regarding its content in an increasingly political climate

Television's most popular sports network has gotten a lot of criticism regarding its content in an increasingly political climate. Many feel the topics ESPN covers now are too political, drawing attention away from the sports it is tasked to cover. Sports should not be partisan. Still, others feel politics and culture are a part of sports, and ESPN needs to cover all angles of athletics -- even if it makes people uncomfortable. What do you think? 

PERSPECTIVES

ESPN has gone off the rails. What was supposed to be a refuge for sports-obsessed fans has now been taken over by political opinions, and it is a damn shame. 

The No. 1 sports network should be about sports and sports only. No more social commentary no one asked for, or political statements no one wants to hear. ESPN has been, and should always be about highlights and sports stories. Sports and politics don't mix. 

Even ESPN president John Skipper acknowledged as much in a statement:

ESPN is about sports. Last year, we broadcast over 16,000 sports events. We show highlights and report scores and tell stories and break down plays...ESPN is not a political organization. Where sports and politics intersect, no one is told what view they must express.

Whether people want to acknowledge it or not, sports and politics intersect on so many levels. Why else would the President invite athletes to the White House every year? Whether the government is stepping in to regulate a sport, or an athlete is trying to help a community through politics, the two subjects are intertwined with one another. 

Sports has a way of uniting people, and without ESPN covering those stories, we might not have the same country we have today. Imagine sports networks not covering Jackie Robinson or Muhammad Ali because they were too "political." ESPN mixes sports and politics the right way.

Sports and politics have always been linked. Perhaps the most beloved athlete in this country's history -- Muhammad Ali -- was as much of an activist as he was a boxer. He gave up his heavyweight title to stand for what he believed in, and there is absolutely no question that the same outlets currently deriding Colin Kaepernick would have ripped Ali for boycotting the Vietnam War. Social progress is only appreciated in the rose-tinted rearview mirror, and those blocking the highway in front of you trying to highlight injustice are just troublemakers. Progress is messy, and it's hard to see how much of our cultural advances in the 20th and 21st centuries would have been accomplished if not for the aid of sports providing a common area for all of us to meet.

Don't Stick to Sports: Jemele Hill, ESPN and Our Perverted Media Culture

People don't watch ESPN to become depressed. That's what network television is for. ESPN is supposed to help us escape from the horrors that go on in the world. The network is supposed to provide highlights of amazing feats of physical strength, and uplifting stories of overcoming adversity. Politics has no place in that. Even some of its own employees think so. Employees like anchor Sage Steele:

I truly believe, for me, there is a time and place. For the most part, I think we leave that to the news networks. When there is an obvious crossover, like Colin Kaepernick, that is a different situation, and we will have in-depth discussions beforehand to talk about the proper way to handle it.But I think it's a very fine line, like I do believe that people come to us for their sports. Not everybody agrees with me on that, not everybody I work with agrees with me. That's my personal opinion, that that's where we go to escape.

SportsCenter Host: ESPN Should Stick to Sports: 'People Don't Watch' for 'Charlottesville'

Sports and politics don't mix. If you want evidence supporting that, just look at the numbers. J.D. Power found that a majority of fans did not support Kaepernick's protest, and started tuning out the NFL. If those fans turned on the biggest league in pro sports, there is nothing stopping them from rejecting ESPN for its political content as well. Here is Theodore Kupfer of the National Review with more:

Kaepernick and his comrades receive laudatory coverage from the sports media despite the belief of some fans that these protests are wrongheaded or disrespectful. Pundits give off the whiff of elitism and the stench of arrogance when they treat their audience, and the beliefs of that audience, with such contempt: "You are a f***ing liar," Deadspin graciously explained to those who said that such protests would cause them to stop watching.

National Review: Politicize Sports, Pay the Price

#ESPN is losing 15,000 subscribers a day! Maybe it's time for a sports news network to stop reporting politics!

-- Brennen Timmons (@brennentimmons) October 31, 2017

If people want to bury their head in the sand, that's their business. ESPN should continue to educate an audience that is starving to be enlightened about the world around them. The network is doing a service by investing in real journalism that doesn't limit itself to just sports, but the social issues and politics that come with it. 

In an ever-increasing political environment, ESPN would be irresponsible to keep its audience in the dark about all the possible angles sports has to offer. Here is ESPN reporter Jeremy Schaap with more:

Our country has become a lot more politicized over the last year and a half, two years, than it has been in a long time. Sports has become a lot more politicized in the last three or four years than it has been in the past. That's a story we've covered: the engagement of athletes.

The idea that we're talking too much about Colin Kaepernick seems wrongheaded to me. It was arguably the biggest off-field NFL story of last fall. How are you not going to talk about it?

"Stick to sports" is becoming a tired cliche people use when they really want to say, "shut up about something I don't agree with." It's played out, people. 

Sports reporters are humans who care about other things in addition to sports. That passion for issues that matter most enhances ESPN's coverage from a two-dimensional sports entity to a real news outlet that specializes in sports, and also informs about society as a whole. The network should not bow down to ignorance, but rather, continue to push the envelope in educating its audience about the politics and culture surrounding sports. Here is Jimmy Traina with mor:

Every single person in the country, no matter what their job is, has the right to voice their opinions. People in the sports media are no different from people in any other profession. No one from sports media is storming into your house to give their political thoughts. Sports media people aren't confronting patrons in their local Starbucks to convert them from Republican to Democrat. Sports media people aren't lecturing commuters on a train or bus to explain the various faults of the people running the United States of America right now.

They are sharing their opinions on a social media tool that is built for this exact thing. They should not and cannot let any Twitter follower stop them from expressing their view and calling out hypocrisy and injustice. They should and cannot be affected by anyone on Twitter telling them to be quiet or "stick to sports." Not when a reality show host is President.

Politics & sports have been sharing the spotlight for a very long time. Late in the game to start saying sports & politics don't mix.

-- Jane L. (@JLustwerk) November 4, 2017

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Ohio State suffered its first loss of the season to Gonzaga on Thursday night in Portland, Ore.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Chris Holtmann took his Ohio State basketball team out to Portland, Ore., for the PK80 Invitational knowing he'd learn a lot about his Buckeyes, win or lose.

But Thursday's loss to Gonzaga told Holtmann something he already knew: Ohio State is going to have a hard time winning anything of significance if junior forward Keita Bates-Diop is struggling.

Bates-Diop struggled. Ohio State lost. It's not all on Bates-Diop, but a 86-59 loss to the No. 17 Bulldogs brought the previously unbeaten Buckeyes back down to earth quite a bit.

Ohio State started 3-0 playing well against inferior competition. Against one of the better teams in the country, the short-handed Buckeyes were outclassed from the midway point of the first half on.

Through the first 12 minutes of the first half, it felt like Ohio State found a decent response every time Gonzaga looked like it was going to go on a run. Then the Buckeyes went ice cold.

They didn't score in the final 7:48 of the first half, missing nine consecutive field goal attempts and turning the ball over six times. After starting hot from 3-point range (5 for their first 7) and leading by a couple of buckets early, the Buckeyes couldn't buy a shot. They also couldn't slow down a Gonzaga team that had an 11-1 edge in points off of turnovers in the first half.

Gonzaga led 44-31 at the break.

The Bulldogs' run to close the first half carried over to the second, a 19-2 spurt that put Ohio State in too big of a hole. After a hot 4 for 4 start from the field for C.J. Jackson, the Buckeyes struggled to find any kind of consistent offense. Bates-Diop, who came in as the team's leading scorer at 19.3 points per game, finished 2 for 7 from the floor with seven points.

Ohio State's turnover number, down every game since it had 19 in the season opener, crept back up to 15. Gonzaga outscored Ohio State 17-4 in points off turnovers.

Jackson and Jae'Sean Tate led Ohio State with 12 points each. Gonzaga shot 58 percent from the field, and 48 percent from 3-point range.

When it was over

You can't go scoreless for nearly eight minutes against a team like Gonzaga and live to tell about it.

Potter doesn't play, Wesson starts

Sophomore center Micah Potter sprained his ankle in the second half of last Sunday's win over Northeastern. Holtmann said he was hopeful that Potter would be ready to play against Gonzaga, but Potter sat out Thursday's game. Freshman Kaleb Wesson made his first career start at center.

Potter's status for Friday's game is unknown.

Wesson finished with 10 points and four rebounds against a physical Gonzaga front line. He picked up his third foul just inside of two minutes to play in the first half, and fouled out with 5:46 left in the game.

What it means

Down a big, you thought Ohio State would struggle with Gonzaga's size. The Buckeyes also struggled in slowing down the Zag's guard play. The contrast in guard depth between the two teams was stark. Bulldogs' point guard Josh Perkins made 6 of 9 3-pointers, and the Buckeyes didn't have a stopper to throw at him.

Maybe that's Bates-Diop, but he couldn't get into any kind of rhythm on either end of the floor. He didn't have a field goal attempt through the first 10 minutes and didn't make a field goal until the second half. It's unfair to put it all on Bates-Diop, but Ohio State needs him to be better in a game like this to have a chance.

What's next?

Ohio State continues play in the PK80 on Friday against Stanford (3-3).  Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Former Ohio State teammates Taylor Decker and Pat Elflein faced off on Thanksgiving in Detroit on Thursday.

Alabama has to be wary of Auburn; Oklahoma has to be careful against West Virginia and Ohio State must be careful against Michigan as season comes to an end. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It is rivalry week, but also a time to be careful for No. 1 Alabama, No. 3 Oklahoma and No. 8 Ohio State, as rivals look to put their seasons in jeopardy.

Alabama, in particular, must be careful as the Crimson Tide goes on the road against No. 6 Auburn, which is playing its best football down the stretch, while Alabama is not.

Oklahoma, in particular quarterback Baker Mayfield, not only has a dangerous opponent in West Virginia, a team that has been in and out of the Top 25 all season, but Mayfield also has to clean up his act.

The Heisman Trophy favorite will not start against the Mountaineers as his crotch-grabbing antics last week at Kansas drew national attention. How he performs this week could lock up the Heisman for him, and a victory keeps the Sooners in the top four for the 2017 playoffs.

Then there's No. 8 Ohio State at Michigan. The Buckeyes still hold out hope of making the top four, but the key is to win against the Wolverines, and win again in the Big Ten title game to keep those hopes alive.

The schedule gets started early this holiday weekend with four games on tap today, including No. 2 Miami visiting Pitt.

You can get scores, updates, and previews all weekend on our live scoreboard.

Week 12 AP Top 25 schedule (all times Eastern):

Friday

No. 2 Miami at Pitt, noon, ABC
No. 10 TCU at Baylor, noon, FS1
No. 13 Central Florida vs. No. 22 South Florida, 3:30 p.m., ABC
No. 24 Virginia Tech at Virginia, 8 p.m., ESPN

Saturday

No. 1. Alabama at No. 6 Auburn, 3:30 p.m., CBS
No. 3. Oklahoma vs. West Virginia, 3:45 p.m., ESPN
No. 4. Clemson at South Carolina, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
No. 5 Wisconsin at Minnesota, 3:30 p.m., ABC
No. 7 Georgia at Georgia Tech, noon, ABC
No. 8 Ohio State at Michigan, noon, Fox
No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 20 Stanford, 8 p.m., ABC
No. 12 Penn State at Maryland, 3:30 p.m., BTN
No. 14 Washington State at No. 15 Washington, 8 p.m., Fox
No. 17 Memphis vs. East Carolina, noon, ESPNU
No. 18 Oklahoma State vs. Kansas, noon, FS1
No. 19 LSU vs. Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m., SECNet
No. 21 Michigan State at Rutgers, 4 p.m., Fox
No. 23 Northwestern at Illinois, 4 p.m., FS1
No. 25 Boise State at Fresno State, 3:30 p.m., CBSSN

Stable weather has given Northeast Ohio fishermen a bonus in terms of walleye and steelhead trout: D'Arcy Egan's Fishing Report.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Northeast Ohio fishermen have been enjoying a bonus season of walleye and steelhead trout fishing, thanks to stable weather patterns, southerly winds and just enough rain to fill the rivers with fish.

RIVERS AND STREAMS

The Lake Erie tributaries are settling down and clearing right now, but the recent heavy rains have certainly done their job. The high water has lured fresh runs of spawning steelhead trout into Conneaut Creek and the Rocky, Vermilion, Chagrin and Grand rivers. Many of the rivers are still a bit stained, but are clearing nicely for some productive holiday fishing this weekend.

Thumbnail-sized spawn sacks are working best in off-color waters. Look for marabou jigs tipped with maggots or waxworks to come into play soon, as well as spinners and spoons. Fly fishermen are casting minnow imitations, wooly buggers  and bead head nymphs.

Anglers are reporting steelhead trout throughout the river systems, and all around Cleveland Harbor and the mouth of the Grand River. The top tactics for big trout along the Lake Erie shoreline have been casting or slowly trolling spoons, in-line spinners and crankbaits.

LAKE ERIE

The walleye fishing along the Lake Erie shoreline has been outstanding, at times, depending on the winds and waves. Southerly winds have had anglers crowding the piers and breakwalls after dark from the Marblehead Peninsula to the piers at Fairport Harbor. The walleye have been moving to shallow water once the sun goes down to feast on plentiful gizzard shad, and are ready to chase the standard array of diving plugs.

In the Cleveland and Fairport Harbor areas, fishermen are also casting glow in the dark spoons, such as the Little Cleo, and hooking bonus steelhead trout and walleye. The top walleye lures have been Rapala Husky Jerks, Smithwick Perfect 10s, Bayrats and Bandits.

While the night walleye fishermen are targeting walleye in shallow water, daytime anglers are trolling the 35- to 45-foot depths with diving plugs and trolling spoons. Large schools of walleye have been reported off the Huron dumping area, Vermilion, Lorain and Cleveland.

INLAND LAKES

Panfish and walleye anglers are finding the fishing fairly slow at the usual late-season haunts, including Berlin, Mosquito and Milton lakes. The walleye bite on blade baits at Pymatuning Reservoir is just getting started.

A few Cleveland Metroparks lakes have had recent stockings, including surprisingly big largemouth bass at Oxbow Lagoon and Wallace Lake. Rainbow trout and channel catfish were recently released at the Ohio & Erie Canal fishing area off East 49th Street. Rainbow trout stockings will begin around the Cleveland Metroparks in a couple of weeks. 

Doug Lesmerises, Bill Landis and Tim Bielik make their picks for the Buckeyes vs. the Wolverines. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In 2005, Ohio State was a two-loss team ranked No. 9 in the nation and headed to Ann Arbor for The Game.

In 2017, Ohio State is a two-loss team ranked No. 9 in the nation.

In 2005, Michigan was a three-loss team, with three-point losses to Minnesota and Wisconsin and a seven-point loss to Notre Dame.

In 2017, Michigan is a three-loss team, with a four-point loss to Michigan State, a 14-point loss to Wisconsin and a 29-point loss to Penn State.

That 2005 Ohio State team was overall more talented than this Ohio State team, and that Michigan team was better than this Michigan team.

But the gap was similar. In 2005, Ohio State was better. In 2017, Ohio State is better.

That doesn't mean Ohio State is definitely going to win. The Buckeyes needed everything they had on that trip in 2005, with Troy Smith leading a game-winning drive in the final minute to pull out a 25-21 win.

The Buckeyes have won six of the last seven rivalry games at Michigan, but here are Ohio State's margins of victory: 6, 4, 11, 11, 1 and 29. The 42-13 blowout in Jim Harbaugh's first year in 2015, when the angry Buckeyes were coming off a loss to Michigan State with a national championship quality team, was an anomaly.

So will Saturday be like Ohio State's last trip to Ann Arbor. Or will it be like so many before 2015?

Watch the video to get the game picks from Bill Landis, Tim Bielik and me. Here are our records this season. All of us picked Ohio State to cover a 41-point spread against Illinois last week, and with their 52-14 victory, the Buckeyes did not do that.

Ohio State Game Picks record

Doug Lesmerises: 10-1, 7-4 against the spread

Bill Landis: 9-2, 5-6 against the spread

Tim Bielik: 9-2, 5-6 against the spread

Starting with quarterback Travis Tarnowski, players from Northeast Ohio have driven Ashland into the second round of the NCAA Division II football playoffs.

ASHLAND, Ohio -- Lee Owens had a confession.

"The first time I saw Travis when he came to our campus, I wondered if he was a kicker trying out," said the Ashland University football coach.

Travis is Travis Tarnowski, the best quarterback in school history.

"I wish I was smart enough to say I knew Travis could do it," said Owens. "He surprised everybody. He has become a great quarterback."

Ashland and Tarnowski will face Harding in the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs Saturday at noon at Ashland's Jack Miller Stadium.

Tarnowski was a terrific quarterback at North Royalton, but lightly recruited because he's only 5-foot-11.

Actually, it's 5-11 and 3/8th, as Tarnowski mentioned. An assistant coach had recently measured him. He is a solid 210 pounds.

But in high school, he looked short and skinny.

Division III schools such as Mount Union, John Carroll and Baldwin Wallace were very interested in him. But Division III schools don't offer athletic scholarships.

"Ashland was the only D2 school that really wanted me," said Tarnowski.

Ashland assistant coaches Tom Stacey and Reggie Gamble were intrigued by Tarnowski. The quarterback's excellent high school grades could bring in academic aid.

"I was interested in Travis," said Owens. "But I admit, we brought in two other quarterbacks in that class. They were ahead of him. I spent more time with them. That first year, Travis red-shirted."

One of the other quarterbacks was Austin Burns, who later converted to tight end. The other was Travon Chapman, now a wide receiver at the University of Akron.

And Tarnowski has started for the last four years. He already has graduated with a degree in accounting and business. He's taking graduate courses. He was the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Player of the Year.

He also has been nominated for the Harlon Hill Award as the nation's top D2 football player.

"He is so determined," said Owens. "He just knew he'd beat out those other guys if I gave him a chance. He is so tough. He takes huge hits and bounces back up. He stands in the pocket. He is never rattled... It's amazing."

Travis Tarnowski is one of 34 candidates for the Harlon Hill Trophy, which recognizes the D2 College Football Player of the Year! [?] [?] [?] [?] https://t.co/FijucrwJPW#EagleNation pic.twitter.com/qgVkDbifHq

-- Ashland Football (@AshlandFB) November 20, 2017

THE CENTER AND ENGINEER

Tarnowski is one of four Northeast Ohio high school players who share an apartment.

One of those is center Dominic Giunta, the GLIAC Offensive lineman of the year.

The Willoughby South product had several D2 offers. He was second-team All-Ohio.

"Toledo offered me a chance to be a 'preferred walk-on,'" said Giunta. "But that was it for D1 schools. I thought about it, but Ashland offered a full scholarship."

In D2, football teams can give out 35 scholarships. Most are divided into parts and combined with academic aid. Giunta was a center high school student.

Giunta has a 3.86 grade point average with a double-major in physics and math. He is heading to graduate school for engineering.

Like Tarnowski, he was a redshirt as a freshman. The next season, he was starting every game, snapping the ball to Tarnowski.

The 6-foot-3, 296-pound center became close friends with the 5-foot-11 quarterback.

"I coached at Akron (from 1995-2003)," said Owens. "Dominic and Travis both would have started for me there. So would a lot of other guys we have on this team."

Ashland kicker Aidan Simenc, a high school teammate of center Dominic Giunta at Willoughby South, is an all-conference performer. The holder is quarterback Travis Tarnowski. (Courtesy Ashland University Athletics) 

THE REAL KICKER

While Owens first confused Tarnowski with a kicker, Ashland has a good one in Aidan Simenc.

He played with Giunta at Willoughby South, where he set several schools records for field goals and extra points. He also was an all-conference soccer player.

"They had a walk-on tryout day," said Simenc. "It was February. They had me kicking in the wind and snow. One of coaches showed some interest in me. I was really nervous."

Like Tarnowski and Giunta, Simenc also was a redshirt as a freshman. He then took over as the team's regular kicker and was first-team all GLIAC. It didn't take long for him to earn some scholarship money.

Simenc has a 3.7 GPA in exercise science and pre-physical therapy. He has put in about 300 hours of shadowing and internship in his field. He plans to attend graduate school to become a physical therapist.

He also shares an apartment with Tarnowski and Giunta.

EARNING A SCHOLARSHIP

The fourth roommate is Matt Murphy, an offensive tackle from Parma.

Like Simenc, he started in the football program as a walk-on. By his sophomore season, he was starting.

The 6-foot-2, 290-pound Murphy was an honorable mention all-GLIAC selection. He has a 3.5 grade point average and is doing his student teaching to become certified as a social studies teacher.

"We have 70 players receiving some type of football aid," said Owens. "We have about 80 more in the program as walk-ons. They can earn some aid based on how they play."

Murphy and Simenc did just that.

Another area lineman is senior John Conner, the 6-foot-3, 295-pound All-Conference tackle from Akron and Walsh Jesuit High.

"He's exactly the kind of player I would have recruited when I coached at Akron," said Owens. "Several D1 schools were interested in him. We were holding our breath, afraid someone would pull the trigger and offer him (a scholarship). Lucky for us, they didn't."

Connor was an immediate starter at Ashland. He a business major with a 3.9 GPA, "the highest in our senior class," said Owens.

Not every Ashland football player is an honor student, but many of their key players deserve the title of student/athlete.

"I tell people we have great kids here, and we really do," said Owens. "We have a lot of families who are involved. It makes it a great place to coach."

Running back Aaron Aguilar and his Case Western Reserve teammates look forward to playing powerhouse Mount Union in the NCAA Division III playoffs on Saturday. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- An unlikely hero has put himself and his teammates in an unlikely position on Saturday when Case Western Reserve will face Mount Union in the second round of the NCAA Division III football playoffs.

Reserve running back Aaron Aguilar rushed for a career-high 136 yards and three touchdowns to help lead the Spartans over Illinois Wesleyan in first-round action last weekend. Subbing for injured Jacob Burke, Aguilar had a spectacular day. He maintained solid footing on the wet snowy field while defenders appeared to play on skates.

It was also impressive because Aguilar did not get the nod to start until moments before kickoff.

"I felt really good during the game," said Aguilar, a 5-6, 182-pound senior from California. "My line had a phenomenal day. Coach said I was the dude."

We asked @CWRUFootball running back Aaron Aguilar about his career-high game, being named @NewsUAA "Athlete of the Week." https://t.co/p8j4BsflmV

-- Case Western Reserve (@cwru) November 22, 2017

The Spartans will make only their second trip to the second round in school history. Case Western last advanced to the second round in 2007 when it lost to Wabash.

Saturday's second-round opponent is on an entirely different level. The Purple Raiders are one of the best football programs in NCAA history. Mount Union is 95-16 all-time in the NCAA playoffs, with 12 national titles.

"This is a great opportunity for the most part," Aguilar said. "And we're counted out more often than not, but that's OK because guys here love to play ball. We enjoy this opportunity and we really appreciate we'll be able to play one of the best, if not the best to ever do it in D3."

The current Raiders are just as impressive as the previous squads. Mount Union leads all Division III teams with 53.5 points per game and is 12th in the country with 486.1 total yards per game, including 242.8 passing (77th in D3) and 243.3
rushing (21st in D3) per game.

• Division III playoff bracket
• Case Western Reserve stats
• Mount Union stats

Defensively, the squad has yielded the third-fewest points (9.1) and yards (216.1) per game in the country, allowing just 74.8 rushing yards (11th in D3) and 141.3 passing yards (13th in D3). The defense has not allowed a rushing TD all season.

Case Western coach Greg Debeljak is all too familiar with the Raiders from when he was an assistant coach with John Carroll, Mount Union's OAC rival.

"Playing Mount Union means a lot because I grew up as a young coach at John Carroll and I got to see when Mount began to become Mount," Debeljak said. "And that's the level of excellence we strive to be."

The Spartans have reached a certain level of excellence on their own, especially this season, with an average of 42.1 points per game (10th in D3) on 445.5 yards of offense (42nd in D3). The defense is 30th in D3 with just 15.4 points allowed. The Spartans average 32:27 time of possession per game, and have a +10 turnover margin.

And Case Western will find out on Saturday if those numbers are good enough.

"Mount is just a level above everyone else," Debeljak said. "But the guys know this is a great opportunity."

Case Western Reserve (11-0) at Mount Union (11-0)

Unranked Michigan Wolverines still dangerous foe for No. 9 Ohio State, which may be looking ahead to Big Ten championship game

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Tomorrow the ninth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (9-2) travel to Ann Arbor to take on the unranked Michigan Wolverines (8-3) in the 113th meeting between the two schools. Michigan leads the series, 58-49, with six ties, but OSU has won 14 of 17 since 2000.

Since Urban Meyer came to Columbus in 2012, the rivalry has been completely one-sided with the Buckeyes winning five straight. Meyer's first three years he beat Michigan teams led by Brady Hoke. The last two years Meyer beat Mr. Khaki himself, Jim Harbaugh.

Michigan is an 11-point underdog, but look for the Wolverines to beat the spread for a couple of reasons. One, the game is in the Big House. Two, the revenge factor from last year's two overtime loss. And three, OSU might be looking ahead to the Big Ten Championship game with Wisconsin.

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

Ohio State's Chris Worley and Michigan's Chris Evans is one of the matchups that could decide Saturday's game in Ann Arbor.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Every day leading up to Saturday, we're looking at one of five key positional matchups for Ohio State vs. Michigan. We'll take a closer look at the players, how the opposing teams plan to stop them, and who will have the biggest impact in The Game.

Today's matchup

Ohio State LB Chris Worley vs. Michigan RB Chris Evans

The skinny: This matchup will be a key to deciding who has the edge when Michigan runs the football.

Chris Worley was Ohio State's middle linebacker for most of the season before sliding to his more natural outside position in the last two weeks. And he's thrived in that role, looking more like the crucial part of the defense that he is.

On the other side, Chris Evans is No. 2 on the team in rushing yards behind Karan Higdon. But he is an explosive runner with great speed and ability to catch the pass out of the backfield. Evans is playing well down the stretch, with a pair of two-touchdown games in November and 191 yards rushing against Minnesota.

Worley's 2017 stats: 43 tackles, 5 TFLS, 1 sack, 1 pass breakup, 1 forced fumble.

Evans' 2017 stats: 115 carries, 594 yards (5.2 avg.), 6 TDs, 9 receptions, 112 yards (12.4 avg.), 1 TD.

What Worley has done against Michigan: Worley and the Ohio State linebackers were extremely busy in the 2016 game. He recorded 11 tackles, including five solo stops. In 2015 when he and the Buckeyes routed Michigan in Ann Arbor, Worley had five tackles, including four solos, and a forced fumble. He also had an assist on a tackle in 2014.

What Evans has done against Ohio State: Evans had a quiet afternoon last season against Ohio State, rushing just six times for 18 yards.

How Worley can impact Michigan's offense: Worley has been a much different player after moving from middle linebacker back to the outside. He played at Mike out of necessity because of the youth at the position.

But with Tuf Borland acclimated and playing well of late, Worley has gone back to his more natural position.

And it shows.

He has had a tackle for loss in each of his last two games, giving him five for the season.

Worley is good at going downhill and making plays with his speed, as he showed on this sack vs. Michigan State.

Here's another example of what he does well. Worley has forced three fumbles in his career, and this one against Oklahoma was a textbook play. He got his hat on the football to jar it lose from Oklahoma's Abdul Adams, allowing Jashon Cornell to fall on it.

Bill Landis wrote on Wednesday about how Worley believes his versatility can help him find a place in the NFL. But Worley is more of a natural outside linebacker and can impact the game more on the outside than he can in the middle.

His speed and attacking ability gives offenses problems both in the running and passing game.

How Evans can impact Ohio State's defense: Evans and Karan Higdon share the backfield responsibilities, with Higdon leading the team in yards and TDs.

But I'm focusing on Evans because he is more dynamic with his speed. And he's been more impactful in the month of November than he has the rest of the season.

Against Minnesota on Nov. 4, Evans rushed for 191 yards and two touchdowns on just 13 carries.

On his first TD of the game, Evans shows his acceleration, going from a near stop to racing two defenders and getting the corner on his way to the end zone from 60 yards out.

This 67-yarder might be even better. Evans showcases his elusiveness plus makes a great open-field cut and slips a late tackle to score again.

Higdon has the better stats. But Evans is an extremely dangerous runner who can hurt you in multiple ways. OSU will have to keep an eye on No. 12 whenever he steps onto the field.

Vote: Who will have a bigger impact on The Game?

Other matchups

* Parris Campbell vs. Khaleke Hudson

* J.K. Dobbins vs. Devin Bush

* Denzel Ward vs. Donovan Peoples-Jones

Five reasons the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes (9-2, 7-1 Big Ten) will beat the Michigan Wolverines (8-3, 5-3) on Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Urban Meyer has an incredible record in rivalry games, including the best start of an Ohio State coach ever against Michigan, 5-0. There is a reason for that.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- It might not be as much that Urban Meyer loves the Ohio State-Michigan game, although he clearly does, as that he needs it.

No Ohio State coach, not even Jim Tressel, whose Buckeyes owned Michigan the way the Wolverines owned John Cooper's OSU teams, started 5-0 in The Game. Until Meyer did.

Meyer is now the driving force of, as he says, "the greatest rivalry in all of sport. Not just in college football, in all of sport."

Alabama-Auburn, Yankees-Red Sox, Cavaliers-Warriors, Ali-Frazier, Trump-Kim Jong-un -- all of you can take a seat in history's gallery of almost's and could've-been's. Make way for the Maize and Blue against whatever alternate uniform Ohio State is wearing this year.

Meyer's intensity demands a final, fierce spot on which he can focus, like a magnifying glass concentrating light on a paper until flame engulfs the paper. 

Ohio State's paramilitary football program seems to be an even more physical, by the inherent nature of football, take on how former Indiana basketball coach Bobby Knight made every act a test, every day a skirmish, every game a battle.

A psychology major at Cincinnati, able to delve into a deep reserve of motivational tools to create his winning culture, Meyer has always thrived on the season-ending rivalry games.

At Bowling Green early in this century, against the first "Team Up North," Toledo, he was 1-1. At Utah, against Brigham Young, he was 2-0. At Florida, against Florida State, he was 5-1.

Overall, that's 13-2.

Michigan's Jim Harbaugh has plenty of motivational tricks too. He was supposed to be the Big Ten's new alpha coach, it's rock star winner after his resurrection of the San Francisco franchise in the NFL and return to his alma mater. 

Not so. It's still Meyer.

He embraces the rivalry the way Tressel embraced it with his clock that counted down the days, hours, minutes and seconds until the kickoff.

Meyer dislikes Michigan the way his mentor Earle Bruce did (although he could not beat Woody Hayes at that). 

But Meyer respects the Wolverines because the rivalry summons the best from both teams. "Everything you have!" as Meyer screamed at his players in an Ohio State "hype video" for The Game a few years ago.

Michigan really isn't that good, but it might be hard to tell that Saturday. I make it 35-21, Ohio State, and closer than the score indicates.

The Cavaliers (11-7) host the Charlotte Hornets (8-9) on Black Friday. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers (11-7) host the Charlotte Hornets (8-9) on Black Friday.

When: 8 p.m.

TV: Fox Sports Ohio/NBA TV

Radio: WTAM 1100 AM; WMMS 100.7 FM, La Mega 87.7 FM.

Online: FoxSports Go

Last meeting: The Cavs won 115-107 on Nov. 15 in Charlotte.

Cavs minute: Fans are being asked to wear black to The Q for tonight's game ... They've won six straight and seven of the last eight. Separately, the Cavs have won seven straight over Charlotte. ... The Hornets were win No. 3 in Cleveland's streak. LeBron James dialed up 31 points and eight assists in the win. ... The Cavs are 8-2 over the last 10 games and are averaging 116.5 points per contest during this stretch. Overall, they're the third highest-scoring team in the league at 111.4 points per game. ... Kevin Love, who finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds in Cleveland's 119-109 win over Brooklyn on Wednesday, produced 15 points and 12 boards in the last game against Charlotte.  

Hornets minute: Nicolas Batum re-injured his left elbow in the Hornets' 129-124 overtime win against Washington on Wednesday. Batum missed the first 12 games after tearing a ligament in the same elbow, and in fact made his season debut last week against the Cavs and scored 16 points. Jeremy Lamb started the second half for Batum Wednesday and scored 24 points. ... The Hornets are in a stretch of six games in nine days. They've won three straight, but are 1-7 on the road. ... Charlotte last won in Cleveland on March 5, 2014. ... Kemba Walker shot 7-of-17 for 20 points in the last game against Cleveland. ... Center Dwight Howard is on a roll. He has double doubles in his last three games, including games of 25 points and 20 rebounds against Minnesota on Monday and 26 points and 13 rebounds against the Wizards. He had eight points and five boards against the Cavs.

See Cavs stats

See Hornets stats

The Cincinnati Bengals are a truly mediocre team. The Cleveland Browns are a bad team. What happens when they collide?

CLEVELAND, Ohio  -- I keep looking at the Cincinnati Bengals stats.

Basically, I'm looking for a way the Cleveland Browns could win Sunday's game in Cincinnati.

The Bengals are 4-6. They are a truly mediocre team.

They have victories over Denver and Indianapolis, a pair of 3-7 teams. They beat the 5-5 Buffalo Bills.

And there was the 31-7 victory in Cleveland, the Browns worst performance of the season.

In the middle of the third quarter, the Bengals led 31-0.

It was a game where Andy Dalton was 25-of-30 passing for 286 yards and four TDs. By far, it was his best performance of the season.

In terms of yards per game, the Cincinnati offense is the worst in the league.

When it comes to points, the Bengals rank 29th with 16.9 points.

Dead last are the Browns at 15 points per game.

Cincinnati's running game is dreadful, averaging only 68 yards per game. The Bengals thought Joe Mixon would be an impact runner, but the rookie from Oklahoma is averaging only 3.0 yards per game.

He is their leading rusher. In the Bengals 20-17 victory in Denver last week, Mixon ran the ball 20 times ... and gained only 49 yards.

I can imagine the Bengals not being especially interested in the game. Their 4-6 record has them four games behind Pittsburgh (8-2) in the AFC North.

It's hard to imagine the Bengals making the playoffs.

Maybe, just maybe, the Bengals will be full of Thanksgiving weekend turkey and utterly uninterested in Sunday's game.

That will probably happen to at least one NFL team this weekend.

Here's the problem -- while the Bengals are the epitome of mediocrity, the Browns are awful.

They are 0-10 awful.

And they're not healthy.

1. The Browns are without two key starters on defense. Linebacker Jamie Collins (knee) and defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah (broken leg) are out for the season. Safety Jabrill Peppers has been battling an ankle injury and might not play.

2. The Browns are without left tackle Joe Thomas (triceps surgery) for the season. The Bengals are No. 4 in the NFL with 29 sacks.

3. DeShone Kizer was sacked five times in last week's 19-7 loss to Jacksonville. The Jags lead the NFL with 40 sacks, so some of that was to be expected. But the line often looked ragged and Kizer suffered from football's version of shell-shock. He also fumbled twice.

I keep telling myself that at some point, the Browns will win a game.

But Sunday is not it: Bengals 24, Browns 13.

It's another AFC North game this weekend, down by the river in Cincinnati, for the Cleveland Browns, and another rivalry that isn't because the Browns rarely are competitive.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Every divisional "rivalry" the Cleveland Browns have tried to establish since they returned has been a revelry for the other team. This is due to Slapstick by the Shore, an apt description of the Browns' play at home, although it usually is extended to road games at the shores of Chesapeake Bay (Baltimore) and the Ohio River (Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.).

It was sad seeing the Baltimore Ravens, the new name and location for the original Browns, win two Super Bowls since they returned.

Utterly ridiculous was watching Carmen Policy, the empty suit who was the first team president in the restoration, trot around, shilling for a rivalry with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have also won two Super Bowls in the time frame. It did not exist. Nor did Policy's reputation as a genius.

Worst of all was the Battle of Ohio, between the Cincinnati Bengals -- who once "led" the Browns solidly in dishonoring the legacy of excellence created by their founding father Paul Brown -- and the Browns, who were also founded by PB and even named after him.

As the years have gone by, the Browns have played less like Brown's great teams and less like even a mediocre team than anyone may have ever played in professional football history.

The Bengals found a quarterback, Andy Dalton, who was just good enough to lose playoff games. The Browns, who would sell whatever it took to say that,  might have that some day in DeShone Kizer, although his bi-polar good and bad game inconsistency tends to discourage that view.

The Browns defense has been as doughty as you could hope for, given the miserably deflating performance of the offense every time it sniffs a red zone touchdown. But it is now without its best player, defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, lost for the duration with a broken foot.

This augurs no better for the Browns than much of anything else. I make it 28-10, Bengals.

The Browns and Bengals play on Sunday. Here are our predictions. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals play for the second time this season on Sunday afternoon at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals blew out the Browns earlier this season in Cleveland.

Mary Kay Cabot and I made some predictions for Sunday's game. We predicted:

• O/U 100 yards for Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green.
• O/U 2 turnovers by the Browns offense.

And, of course, we made our final score predictions for Sunday's game. Take a look at the video above and watch for our full staff predictions going live on Saturday.

Go ahead and believe the Wolverines head coach isn't getting it done if you'd like. But if you don't understand how much better the Michigan program is, you're not seeing what's there.

The Buckeyes senior quarterback reflected for a last time on the scene with the Michigan quarterback after Barrett broke his ankle in the 2014 game.