"An extrodinary back is one that can be counted on to carry a team to victory when a game is on the line. When has he Richardson accomplished that?," brownsblood posts.

Trent Richardson is averaging 3.7 yards a carry. Max Faulkner/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/MCT

However, after Richardson has failed on numerous third-and-short situations, including a crucial one late in the game at Dallas, some fans are wondering if Brown's initial assessment was right.

In today's Comment of the Day, brownsblood writes,

"Thus far the stats say that Richardson is NOT extraordinary but indeed 'ordinary.' He is presently ranked number 17 against all other running backs, only averages 3.7 yards per carry. His longest breakaway run was for 32 yards. An extrodinary back is one that can be counted on to carry a team to victory when a game is on the line. When has he Richardson accomplished that? Why do you consider him anything more than ordinary? Happy Thanksgiving to you and all!"

It's back to the basics with a last-minute check list reminding deer hunters what to pack before heading out for the upcoming deer gun season.

 Hunters are packing their bags and heading to the deer woods this weekend to be ready for Monday morning's opener of the popular deer gun season  around the Buckeye State. After the short seven-day season there is a bonus deer gun weekend on Dec. 15-16.

 Before heading out, here is a short check list for hunters.

• Hunting license and deer permits. It's surprising how often they're left at home. Lost, stolen, or destroyed licenses or permits can be replaced at any license sales location for $4 each.
•  If you're hunting private land, have a signed permission slip. A good one can be printed out at wildohio.com.
•  Knives and a sharpening stone or tool. It's difficult to fillet a walleye or field dress a deer with a dull knife.
•  Blaze orange clothing. It's mandatory, and the more orange the better. An orange hat is not enough.
•  Gun and extra ammo. If you've sighted your shotgun, you know what brand of slugs is best.
•  Coolers. Pack a deer's body cavity with bags of ice after it is field dressed. Butcher the deer as soon as possible and place venison on ice in a cooler. Leaving a deer hang in camp when temperatures are above 35 or 40 degrees will risk spoilage.
•  Flashlights. Bring extra batteries.
•  An Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations Digest. They're free at license agents, and can be downloaded at wildohio.com.

 Antlerless confusion: The Division of Wildlife changed the rules for discounted antlerless deer permits. This season, antlerless permits are not valid after Sunday unless they're used to kill a deer in a designated urban deer unit or a DOW-sponsored controlled hunt. Because some hunters are confused, and may accidentally buy a $15 antlerless permit instead of the required $24 buck/doe permit, the wildlife agency is only selling the antlerless permits from its web site, wildohio.com.

 Deer hunting info: Do you have a question about Ohio's deer hunting season? With crowds expected for Monday's opener, the Division of Wildlife's general hunting information hot line is in operation today through Dec. 2 and Dec. 15-16 from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Poachers can be reported at any time to the agency's Turn-in-a-Poacher hotline, 1-800-POACHER. Tipsters are eligible for cash rewards.

 Dog trial changes: The R & G Ventures all-breed trial moves to the Cuyahoga Coon Hunters Association grounds on Saturday, with trial chairman John Rizzo (440-338-6578) taking entries through today. The Hinckley club also has a regular Sunday trial on Dec. 2.

 Deer No. 1 in Ohio: The white-tailed deer is Ohio's premier game animal. An estimated 420,000 hunters are expected to head to the Buckeye woods this week and kill 80,000 to 85,000 deer. The DOW reports 51,158 deer have been taken this season, a 21 percent jump. The total harvest is expected to approach a quarter-million bucks and does.

 Ohio deer hunting is quite a success story over the past 50 years.

 Ohio deer hunting was closed in 1961 and hunters tagged only 2,114 bucks when it opened again in 1962. It took until 1974 for the hunter harvest to top 10,000 deer. By 1982 the annual deer kill was more than 50,000. In 1991 it reached the 100,000 mark. Hunters set the record in 2009-10, tagging 261,314 deer. That may never be matched as modern management programs keep the herd in check.

 Donate venison: Hunters are encouraged to donate extra venison to food banks, which can be done through Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (fhfh.org), Whitetails Unlimited (whitetailsunlimited.com) and the Ohio Chapter of Safari Club International, which accepts donations at Hall Brothers Meats (440-235-3262) in Olmsted Township and Brian's Deer Processing (216-671-8402) in Cleveland.

 Outdoor TV merger: The two big names in outdoors television, the Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel, are merging. The $150 million deal puts InterMedia Outdoor Holdings in charge, with Outdoor Channel President and CEO Tom Hornish to become CEO of the new media company. The veteran Outdoor Channel has been the leader in fishing and hunting television, with the Sportsman Channel growing rapidly. InterMedia Outdoors also owns 15 magazines - ranging from In Fisherman to Guns & Ammo, and 20 television shows.

The late-season Lake Erie walleye fishing has been good this week from the Western Basin to Cleveland, while the yellow perch and steelhead trout fishing have been poor to fair.

GENERAL FISHING REPORT

 The Lake Erie walleye fishing has been fair to very good in near-shore areas from the Western Basin to Cleveland, but big waves forecast for today and Saturday are a concern. Steelhead trout fishing has been slow, with rivers low and clear. The inland lake walleye and crappie fishing has been fair to good.

 LAKE ERIE

 As Lake Erie cools, boaters must be vigilant with big waves in the forecast for today and Saturday.

 Trophy walleye are being caught along the Cleveland shoreline, but limits are still hard to catch. The size range has generally been smaller from Huron and Vermilion to Lorain, but a few limits have been reported. Anglers are trolling HJ14 Husky Jerk and F18 Rapala lures in purple and pink patterns in 6 to 15 feet.

 Shore fishing has been hit-or-miss, with walleye caught from the Lakeside, Huron, Lorain and Cleveland piers at dusk and around midnight as walleye move in to feed on gizzard shad.

 The Lake Erie yellow perch fishing is slow. Some steelhead trout are being caught around the river mouths.

 The Western Basin walleye fishing is fair to good during the day, and better at night. Walleye are being caught west of Green and Rattlesnake islands, around Mouse Island, west of Catawba Island and south of F-Can of the Camp Perry firing range. Reef Runner and Husky Jerk lures are a mainstay.

 RIVERS AND STREAMS

 The steelhead rivers and streams are low and clear. The fishing has been mediocre from the Vermilion River to Conneaut Creek this week. With some rain and snow in the forecast, conditions could improve. Some trout are being caught on small jigs tipped with maggots and small spawn bags worked in the deeper holes. Fly fishers are casting small nymphs, as well as  egg and minnow patterns.

 INLAND LAKES, RESERVOIRS

 Launching a boat is still a problem on northeast Ohio reservoirs. Some walleye, crappie and yellow perch are being caught at Pymatuning Reservoir. Crappie and yellow perch are taking minnows along Wingfoot Lake's south shoreline and the tire areas. Crappie are hitting in 8 to 10 feet of water around the Portage Lakes, with Nimisila a top spot.

 The saugeye fishing has been slow in most southeast Ohio lakes, although Atwood Lake has been a bright spot. The unseasonably warm waters at Tappan Lake have largemouth bass hitting large shad-colored diving plugs.

 A few trout and catfish are still being caught from recent Cleveland Metroparks stockings at Wallace Lake in Berea and the Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation in Cuyahoga Heights.

 TROPHY FISH

 Bret Berkey checked in a 14.5-pound, 30.25-inch walleye to take the lead in the Fall Brawl walleye derby, which runs through Dec. 2.

 DOG TRIAL RESULTS

 All-Breed Hunter's Trial
 Crooked Creek Conservation Club, Hartsgrove

 All-Age - Pointing: Dennis Meinke, German shorthaired pointer (GSP), Ruby; Dennis Meinke, GSP, Angel; Jason Bowers, GSP, Copper. Flushing: Jarred Rogge, English springer spaniel (ESS), KC; Trent Bosse, ESS, Boomer; Zak Porter, ESS, Willy.
 Open - Pointing: Lou Dell'Osso, Brittany (Brit), Tatanka; Mike Losik, GSP, Lady; Lou Dell'Osso, Brit, Lakota. Flushing: Jeff Doran, ESS, Suzy.
 Derby - Pointing: No awards. Flushing: Jarred Rogge, ESS, IC; Dan Rogge, ESS, JC.
 Puppy - Pointing: No awards. Flushing: Trent Bosse, ESS, Caydee.
 Water Trial: Bruce Smith, Labrador retriever, Brutus; Jeff Doran, ESS, Niki; Lou Dell'Osso, Brit, Lakota.

 All-Breed Hunter's Trial
 Wayne Coon Hunters Association, Wooster

 All-Age - Pointing: George Roudebush, weimaraner, Luke. Flushing: Dan Tuttle, English springer spaniel (ESS), Logan.
 Open - Pointing: Deb Hronek, English pointer (EP), Marcy; Deb Hronek, EP, Ted; Bert Scali, German shorthaired pointer (GSP), Sandy. Flushing: Steve Caulier, English cocker spaniel (ECS), Cooper; John Denczak, ESS, Pearl, Howard Shanklin, Labrador retriever (Lab), Jack.
 Derby - Pointing: Deb Hronek, EP, Jules; Deb Hronek, EP, Skylar. Flushing: John Denczak, ESS, Powder; Ashford Hawley, Lab, Belle.
 Puppy - Pointing: John Gresser, EP, Bear; Bert Scali, GSP, Remi. Flushing: Scott Dalrymple, Lab/ESS mix, Yazhi. 
  

SCOUTING FOOTBALL REGIONAL FINALS  FRIDAY

SCOUTING FOOTBALL REGIONAL FINALS 

FRIDAY

Aurora vs. Toledo Central Catholic

What, when, where: Division II state semifinal, 7:30 p.m., Huron High, Kalahari Field at Memorial Stadium, 710 Cleveland Road West. Call 419-433-3171. 

Records: Both teams are 12-1. 

What to watch: Fifth-ranked Aurora features a physical, three-man rushing attack, with junior quarterback George Bollas and senior running backs Zach Quinn and Jake McVay. They average a combined 212 yards and three TDs rushing per game and 8 yards per carry, despite missing OL Patrick Dougherty (Indiana), who had season-ending shoulder surgery. Which back is featured depends on the hot hand, the defense and health. Quinn (Toledo linebacker recruit) reinjured a sprained ankle last week but returned to play. Bollas (6-4, 205) is a tough runner, a state wrestling qualifier and an efficient passer, with 1,248 yards, 13 TDs and three interceptions. TE/DE Miami (Ohio) recruit Zach Smierciak (6-3, 225) has 12 catches but a 30.7-yard average with four TDs. They face the most talented defense they have seen this year that features Ohio State recruit S/LB Jayme Thompson, Louisville recruit DE/TE Keith Towbridge, junior LB Paul Moses (offer from Nebraska), highly regarded NT Jon Perrin (6-2, 315) and sophomore LB and leading tackler Chris Green (6-2, 230). It is a quick, athletic defense that uses a three-man base front but moves bodies around and has allowed 28 points in three playoff games. TCC tailback Amir Edwards has 1,501 yards and 26 TDs, and Moses has 11 rushing TDs. QB DeShone Kizer averages 15 yards per completion and has thrown 17 TDs with one interception. Aurora's defense has 12 interceptions (five by Smierciak). Quinn, Smierciak and NT Brett Rodgers have a combined 17 sacks and 29 tackles for loss. This is Aurora's fourth state semifinal since 2006 and its second in a row. Its lone semifinal win came in its 2008 Division III state championship campaign. Fourth-ranked Central Catholic returns to the state semis for the first time since it won the 2005 state championship. 

PD pick: Toledo Central Catholic. 

Mogadore vs. Newark Catholic 

What, when, where: Division VI state semifinal, 7:30 p.m., New Philadelphia Woody Hayes Quaker Stadium, 131 C. William Kidd Drive, New Philadelphia. Call 330-364-0662. 

Records: Mogadore 13-0; Newark Catholic 11-2. 

What to watch: These are two of the most storied small-school programs in the history of Ohio high school football. Between them, they have won 11 state championships and 37 regional titles. Newark Catholic, whose most recent state title came in 2007, has an all-time playoff record of 66-23 and is in the state semifinals for the 21st time. It finished the regular season ranked ninth in the state poll. Mogadore's all-time playoff record is 49-22, with its most recent state title coming in 2002. The Wildcats are the top-ranked team in the state and are in the state semifinals for the 16th time. Both programs prefer to keep the ball on the ground but are far from one-dimensional. Senior Gary Strain is running his way into Mogadore annals, as the 6-1, 205-pound senior has rushed for 1,970 yards and has scored 25 touchdowns. While the Wildcats have lost sophomore halfback Brandon Berry (942 yards) to a broken foot suffered last week against Youngstown Christian, junior Bryce Huth stepped in and did an admirable job, especially as the lead blocker for Strain. Junior QB Anthony Ricci has proved to be an accurate passer, having completed nearly 60 percent of his throws for 1,483 yards and 19 touchdowns, with four interceptions. Junior Kasey Beard and seniors Austin Pierce and Strain are all sure-handed receivers, combining for 19 touchdown receptions and 1,156 yards. Newark Catholic relies on the footwork of quarterback Chay Crouch and running backs Kevin Bourne, Anthony Wing and Brian Schumaker. Together, they have rushed for more than 2,000 yards. 

PD pick: Mogadore. 

SATURDAY 

Mentor vs. Toledo Whitmer 

What, when, where: Division I state semifinal, 7 p.m., Arlin Field, 933 West Fourth St., Mansfield. Call 419-525-6400. 

Records: Mentor 12-1; Whitmer 13-0. 

What to watch: Third-ranked Whitmer lost the 2010 state semifinal to eventual champ St. Edward and the 2011 state semi to eventual champ St. Ignatius. Considering the talent that graduated, this year's Panthers are a surprise team under first-year coach Gerald Bell. His defense allowed 75 points in the regular season, while his spread-option rushing attack overwhelmed playoff opponents. Versatile QB Nick Holley had a combined 253 yards rushing and passing for an offense that had 409 yards in last week's 49-16 victory against Massillon. On the season, he has 1,743 yards rushing (8.3 per carry) and 19 TDs and has completed 62 percent of his passes for 1,587 yards and 21 TDs. Running backs Tre Sterritt and Me'Gail Frisch have 1,535 yards and 28 TDs rushing. Whitmer has athletic linebackers, but will they blitz or drop back in coverage? Watch Northwest District Defensive Player of the Year Jack Linch (138 total tackles, 11 for losses) and Nate Holley (130 tackles, 13 for losses, five interceptions). Toledo recruit Marquis Moore (13 tackles for losses, 10 sacks) is a 275-pound tackle anchoring a four-man front that could give Mentor's running game fits. Seventh-ranked Mentor and its five-receiver offense are coming off the highest-scoring, two-game playoff set in state history, beating No. 1-ranked St. Edward and defending champ St. Ignatius by a combined score of 120-112. North Carolina QB recruit Mitch Trubisky is averaging 491 yards and 5.3 TDs passing and rushing per playoff game. He and 6-4 junior wideout Brandon Fritts led a comeback from a three-TD deficit to beat the Eagles and a three-overtime win against the Wildcats. Fritts and Conner Krizancic have a combined 138 catches, 27 for TDs. TB/WR Nick Delisa (21 TDs), WR Corey Plavcan (36 catches) and a line that excels in pass blocking contribute heavily to an offense averaging 505 yards per game this season and 648 yards in the playoffs. 

PD pick: Mentor. 

St. Vincent-St. Mary vs. Dover 

What, when, where: Division III state semifinal, 7 p.m., Massillon High, Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, 1 Paul Brown Drive, Massillon. Call 330-830-3901. 

Records: Both teams are 11-2. 

What to watch: The sky. It will be filled with footballs, as both squads rely heavily on the pass. Dover QB Mason Mamarella is a dual-threat, as he has passed for nearly 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns and rushed for almost 1,200 yards and 11 scores. He has been able to spread the wealth, as receivers Cory Contini, Trey Wallick, Brant Raber and Jonathan Fell have at least 30 receptions each, with Contini and Wallick leading the way with 69 and 44, respectively. The Tornadoes, in the state semifinals for the first time after reaching the playoffs 16 times, forced six turnovers in last week's 48-21 regional final win against Millersburg West Holmes. That is something the Irish will need to keep in mind. While QB Clayton Uecker might not have Mamarella's stable of go-to guys, he has the outstanding tandem of Jordan Hargrove (66 receptions for 1,067 yards and 13 touchdowns) and Fransohn Bickley (46 receptions, 1,013 yards, 12 touchdowns), as well as a solid running game with Parris Campbell Jr., Vince Lockett and Mike Priuett. Combined, that trio has rushed for 35 touchdowns and more than 2,100 yards, with Campbell on top with 1,041 yards and 21 scores on 136 carries. Uecker has emerged as a college prospect by completing 61 percent of his passes for 2,712 yards and 30 touchdowns. His 12 interceptions are a concern, however. The SVSM defense, led by linebackers Newman Williams, Dante Booker and Lockett, and the front line of twins Anthony and Aaron Adkins, Eric Prologo and Travonte Junius, has held playoff opponents to two touchdowns per game. 

PD pick: SVSM. 

Kirtland vs. Baltimore Liberty Union 

What, when, where: Division V state semifinal, 7 p.m, Fawcett Stadium, 1835 Harrison St., Canton. 

Records: Kirtland 13-0; Liberty Union 11-2. 

What to watch: After coming back from a 24-0, second-half deficit against Youngstown Ursuline for a 38-37 win, the Hornets are primed to get their second straight state title. They have won 28 straight, and there is no secret to their success. They have run for 4,821 yards and 63 rushing touchdowns this season. Senior RB/CB Damon Washington has run for 1,695 yards and 30 scores, adding five more on receptions. Junior RB Sam Kukura has 908 yards and 11 TDs, sophomore Adam Hess at 824 and six TDs and senior Joe Godec is at 398 and five scores. Senior QB Scott Eilerman has passed for 971 yards and 14 TDs, running for 685 yards and four scores. The offense is averaging 46 points, while the defense is allowing an average of 18. The Hornets defeated Fort Frye, 49-7, and Crestview, 28-14, to open the playoffs. The Lions' stout defense has helped them get to the state semifinals for the first time since 2008. The defense has forced 45 turnovers, with at least one per game. Junior RB Jacob Basso (1,616 yards, 17 TDs) is the focal point of an offense that mixes a traditional I-formation with a splash of wildcat. Sophomore RB Adam Snyder (435 yards, eight TDs) takes direct snaps from the wildcat and spells Basso at tailback. Junior QB Austin Vannatta (1,046 yards, six TDs, eight interceptions) has completed 64 percent of his passes this year in leading a short passing game that keeps defenses honest. Senior LB Justin Barber (168 tackles, six sacks) leads an aggressive defense that has allowed more than 14 points only three times. However, the Lions are without senior DT Luke Hannan, the Division V Central District defensive player of the year, who was injured two weeks ago. Liberty defeated Wheelersburg, 24-13; Oak Hill, 22-21; and Lucasville Valley, 26-14, in the playoffs. It's tough to go against the defending champs, especially after last week's gutsy comeback. 

PD pick: Kirtland. 

-- Joe Maxse, Tim Rogers,Tim Warsinskey 

Imagine being in the third grade, a peewee football tucked under your arm, and walking down the sidewalk along Cleveland Avenue. Lining the streets are posters of Mogadore football players -- and some cheerleaders, too. Then you come to Curtis Street and see green paw prints in the middle of the road. They lead you to the football stadium....

Mogadore running back Gary Strain has rushed for 1,970 yards and 25 touchdowns in 24 quarters this season. Thomas Ondrey, The Plain Dealer

Imagine being in the third grade, a peewee football tucked under your arm, and walking down the sidewalk along Cleveland Avenue. Lining the streets are posters of Mogadore football players -- and some cheerleaders, too.

Then you come to Curtis Street and see green paw prints in the middle of the road.

They lead you to the football stadium. where a sign screams: IT'S NOT JUST A DREAM, IT'S WHO WE ARE . . . MOGADORE FOOTBALL.

"About every kid in Mogadore grows up dreaming of playing in this stadium," said Joe Callihan. "I probably was 2 years old the first time that I came to a game."

His father played for Mogadore in the 1980s. His grandfather was a Mogadore High principal and an assistant football coach at the Summit County school.

"There's such a sense of history about Mogadore football," said coach Matt Adorni. "For all [of] us in this town, it's very personal."

Mogadore (13-0) will play Newark Catholic (11-2) tonight at 7:30 p.m. at New Philadelphia's Woody Hayes Quaker Stadium in a Division VI state semifinal. This is Mogadore's 16th trip to the final four of the state playoffs. The Wildcats won the program's 600th game Sept. 14, one of only 12 Ohio high schools with that many all-time victories.

And the players know this is their chance to make Mogadore history, as the school aims for its fourth state title -- the others in 1979, 1996 and 2002.

That's especially true for senior Gary Strain, the team's star running back.

Unlike most Mogadore players whose families bleed Wildcat green and seem to go back for generations in this town, Strain is a newcomer.

"I moved here in the third grade," he said. "I had a cousin who played a little football here, but that's it. The moment I went to a game here and saw the full house and people going crazy, I wanted to be on that field."

Strain doesn't fully appreciate the fact that Wildcat fans are comparing him to the royalty of running backs the school has produced.

There's Chuck Moore, who scored 51 touchdowns as a senior in 1996, rushing for 2,149 yards. He played running back and defensive back in the legendary 61-58 triple-overtime state title victory, competing against St. Henry with what turned out to be an ACL injury.

There's Tommy Lee, who ran for a school single-season record of 2,555 yards in 2002, the last time the Wildcats won a state title.

There's Cody Destro, who is the school's second all-time leading rusher and graduated in 2008.

His first Mogadore football memory is of Moore in the 1996 championship game.

"I won't say that Strain is better than those guys," Adorni said, "but he belongs in the conversation. This season proves that."

Healthy at last

Strain broke his leg as a sophomore and played in only two games. Last season, he rushed for 1,501 yards and 20 touchdowns. This year, he broke his left foot at the Michigan summer football camp and needed surgery. He missed the opener.

Strain has rushed for 1,970 yards and has 25 touchdowns. He's also caught six touchdown passes.

But the undefeated Wildcats were so dominating in the regular season that he played only 24 quarters.

"He could have 40 or 50 touchdowns now, if we wanted that to happen," Adorni said. "But there was no reason to pile it on."

Then came the playoffs:

-- Two hundred fifteen yards and three touchdowns against Steubenville Catholic Central.

-- Two hundred sixteen yards and three touchdowns against Berlin Western Reserve.

-- Two hundred eighty-five yards and two touchdowns against Youngstown Christian.

So he has run for 716 yards and scored eight touchdowns in three playoff games.

"He's been a beast," said Callihan, whose block helped open a hole for an 82-yard touchdown run against Youngstown Christian last week. "He's no scatback. He runs over people. He hits holes and hits them hard. And then, it's off to the races."

Strain is called "Bubba" by his teammates. It's a childhood nickname.

Callihan says, "We go to Quaker Steak [and Lube] for wings with the guys, and Bubba always has a smile on his face. He has tons of energy. You like being around him."

Making history

The quarterback is 5-10, 155-pound Anthony Ricci. He says Strain is more than raw power: "He's elusive. And he's quick. When he's gone, he's gone. You don't catch him from behind."

Adorni said, "Simply having [Strain] in the backfield opens up so much for the other guys. He's a marked man for every defense, so they have two to three guys keying on him."

Mogadore fans know it takes a great running back for the Wildcats to win a state title. Lee did it in 2002, Moore in 1996. Moore later went on to be a star at Mount Union.

"I see more of Chuck Moore [in Strain]," Adorni said. "Tommy Lee was more power. Chuck and Strain had both -- power and speed. He has that cutback speed that you see from great running backs."

Coaches say Strain will probably play at the junior-college level next season.

Strain admits he's "running over people more this year than in the past."

He said it's because he gained 20 pounds from last season, packing 205 pounds on his 6-1 frame.

In this town, where there have been only two losing football seasons since 1975 and "where we were 7-4 last season and that was considered a down year," Adorni is aiming for his first state title in his ninth season as coach.

"We have a great team, but Strain is carrying us on his back in the playoffs," Adorni said. "He's putting together one of the greatest seasons that anyone has ever had here."

Forget all the extra time C.J. Miles put in, all the extra practice he took at night, all the extra shots he put up with the coaches, all the advice he sought -- and got. "I think the reason he broke out was he finally cut his hair," Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said after the slumping Miles scored a...

The Cavs' C.J. Miles broke out of a season-long slump Wednesday with a season-high 13 points in the Cavs' win over the 76ers. Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer

Forget all the extra time C.J. Miles put in, all the extra practice he took at night, all the extra shots he put up with the coaches, all the advice he sought -- and got.

"I think the reason he broke out was he finally cut his hair," Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said after the slumping Miles scored a season-high 13 points in Wednesday night's 92-83 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers at The Q.

"To hear everybody else in the locker room tell it, that's what it was," the newly shorn Miles said, laughing.

He could laugh Wednesday, but it was clear just how much the slump was weighing on him. He came into the game shooting 21.8 percent.

"I felt like I took the building off my shoulders, along with my hair," Miles said.

Miles was playing so poorly that he'd fallen completely out of Scott's rotation. After going 0-for-7 at Phoenix on Nov. 9, he didn't play in the next three games as Scott turned to Omri Casspi to back up starting small forward Alonzo Gee. Scott intended to do the same thing Wednesday and told reporters that after the team's morning shootaround.

But after the Cavs first timeout with 5:03 left in the first quarter, Scott went with a gut feeling and inserted Miles.

"Before I put him in, I told him, 'Your first two shots have to be something going toward the basket or pull-up jump shots. It just can't be a 3. Get yourself involved that way and get a rhythm.' His first [basket] was a layup, his second was a midrange [jumper] and then he starts hitting 3s. He took my advice and he was able to come out of the slump a little bit."

Miles made 5 of 9 shots, 3 of 4 3-pointers, with three rebounds and one blocked shot. He did have three turnovers, and one of them was a pass that actually hit Philadelphia center Spencer Hawes in the back. But it was a markedly improved performance just when the Cavs needed it most. With star point guard Kyrie Irving out for a month with a fractured left index finger, Scott has shortened his rotation to Miles, Casspi and Tyler Zeller, and he needs everybody to do a little more.

Miles has been doing a lot -- away from the eyes of the fans and most of his teammates.

"I've been staying with it," he said. "I've been coming back at night with the coaches and working out twice a day after practice and doing everything I can do to stay ready and stay in rhythm, and at the same time try to get better. Just knowing when the chance came, I was going to try to translate it into the game."

His biggest shot came after the Sixers had cut the Cavs lead to 79-77 late in the fourth quarter. Jeremy Pargo made a layup, and Anderson Varejao added two free throws before Miles drained a 3-pointer with 2:43 left as part of a game-clinching 13-0 run. The bench erupted, as did the crowd.

"It was a bigger thing for me to be able to help my team," Miles said. "That was the biggest thing. Everybody has been encouraging me: 'If you get the chance, you shoot it. If you're open, you shoot it. If you get the chance to make the play, you make it.' Everybody knows what I can do and they've been encouraging me to keep playing and keep trying to get better and get my rhythm back.

"They've been great since I've been struggling, in practice, Pargo screams at me. Every time I pass on a shot, Pargo screams at me or Kyrie screams at me, whatever it may be, just to keep doing what I'm doing. It's the only way to get a rhythm going."

Now, as far as the haircut goes, he actually has been trying to make an appointment for nearly as long as his slump has lasted. But for one reason or another, he couldn't hook up with a barber until Wednesday.

"I'm not going to say that had anything to do with what happened today, but I definitely needed it," he said, laughing. "It was just weird. I couldn't get a haircut. And the day I got one . . .

"I'll roll with it. If that's what it is, I'll go bald-headed next time."

There was a time, kids, when serious football people would say, "Defense wins championships." Really, they did. It was something meaningful that we were supposed to appreciate and respect, such as jazz and Notre Dame, but I never really got it. Heck, I once sat through Kenston losing a state final, 3-0 -- two hours of my life I'll...

Mentor QB Mitch Trubisky has led the Cardinals' offense to 120 points over the past two games. Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer

There was a time, kids, when serious football people would say, "Defense wins championships."

Really, they did.

It was something meaningful that we were supposed to appreciate and respect, such as jazz and Notre Dame, but I never really got it. Heck, I once sat through Kenston losing a state final, 3-0 -- two hours of my life I'll never get back.

Now I'm in the fast lane, watching Division I playoff football, and I'm hanging on for dear life every Saturday night. Suddenly, school zone speed limits are 60, doughnuts are 17 to the dozen and football statistics are measured in miles. We live in interesting times, my friends.

The past two weeks of Mentor football witnessed 1.4 miles (2,500 yards) of offense and 232 points amassed by the Cardinals and their opponents, St. Edward and St. Ignatius.

Defense wins championships?

Mentor surrendered 56 points in each of its past two playoff games and is in the final four.

Now think about that from the St. Ignatius and St. Edward perspectives. The Wildcats scored 56 points in each of their past two playoff games, and St. Edward scored 50 and 56. Both teams are sitting at home trying to figure out how they could have scored more.

"That's great defense," said Mentor coach Steve Trivisonno this week.

I'm pretty sure he was serious.

Trivisonno likes that his defense stopped St. Edward's last four drives, while his offense overcame a 56-35 deficit and scored four touchdowns in 15 minutes to win, 63-56.

He also likes the fact that his defense gave up only 28 points in the first 47 minutes of the St. Ignatius regional final. Of course, St. Ignatius tied it with five seconds remaining and scored three easy touchdowns in overtime, but you take your defense where you find it these days. Mentor won that game, 57-56, in triple-overtime.

I couldn't help but think at the time what St. Ignatius coach Chuck Kyle asked me after the Mentor-St. Edward game.

"Where are the defenses?" he asked. "What's going on here?"

Trivisonno has a theory. He believes kids today are too soft to play defense the way they did when he was a slobberknocking safety at Mentor and Bowling Green in the 1980s.

"There's not a lot of those tough, nasty kids out there," he said. "There's a lot more reaching and grabbing than smacking and running through people. It's a different society."

So, from an early age, coaches train quarterbacks such as Mentor's Mitch Trubisky to read defenses and find soft spots. Before they are old enough to drive, they are capable of driving a team 80 yards at what seems like 80 miles an hour.

"It's like basketball, in some ways," Kyle said. "Where you have the best matchup, you attack it. The athletes are really the stars of the offense now. Like in basketball, you clear out and go one-on-one."

Trubisky (6-3, 195) has the talent, arm and athleticism to exploit those advantages. He is the most prolific quarterback in Greater Cleveland history (8,777 yards, 89 career TDs passing), and he ranks among Ohio's all-time best.

It's wrong to throw around the word "great" when it comes to a high school student-athlete, but what we are witnessing is the stuff of legend.

Trubisky will likely be named Mr. Football next week -- and earn plenty of other accolades -- before heading off to the University of North Carolina in January.

But will he win a state championship?

Maybe -- with a little defense.

For the first time since 1999, the Buckeyes will say goodbye to the season and to each other after the Michigan game.

OSU senior offensive lineman Reid Fragel will play his last game as a Buckeye on Saturday. Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Always the last game of the regular season, for the first time since 1999, Ohio State's game against Michigan will also serve as the Buckeyes' last game of the season overall. That year, a 6-6 record kept Ohio State from a bowl. This year it's a postseason ban.

"This is 'The Game.' I don't know if you need any more emphasis on it," senior linebacker Etienne Sabino said. "But, yeah, this is the Super Bowl. This is the bowl game. This is the national championship. This is everything for us. This is The Game."

There have been seasons when the Buckeyes had roses in their mouths on the field after beating Michigan, and bowl hopes are always a new topic after The Game is done. This year, the postgame won't be just about the most important game of the season being over, but this team's time together being done.

"Yeah, it definitely adds to it, I'm not going to beat around the bush and say it doesn't," senior right tackle Reid Fragel said. "I think that being the last game, everybody knows it's the last time we're all together. I know Jack Mewhort and I were talking the other day, that last snap out there, it's going to be it. It's going to be sad in a sense, but hopefully we can go out with a win and have a good memory."

While the bowl ban has been a topic all season, it has been able to serve as some reverse form of motivation, the Buckeyes wanting to show the rest of the college football world what it's missing out on. Next weekend, the Buckeyes will be watching in the Big Ten title game at least one team (Wisconsin) and probably another team (Nebraska) that they beat. The Badgers are in, while the only way the Cornhuskers won't go is if they lose to Iowa today and Michigan beats the Buckeyes.

Around 3:30 p.m. Saturday, that reality will hit home.

"It is kind of hard to think about, but then again, I don't think it will really hit me or hit the seniors until after the Michigan game when we're like, 'Man, we really just played for the last time in the scarlet and gray,' " senior linebacker Zach Boren said. "I think it is kind of unique that my last college game is against the team up north. It should be fun."

Rivalry reality

Meyer took what he learned as a graduate assistant at Ohio State in 1986 and 1987 and applied it to every other rivalry he took part in. This week he said that, at Bowling Green, he called Toledo that school up north, at Utah he called BYU that team down south and at Florida he called Florida State that school out west.

The Buckeyes' wall schedule in their team room lists "That Team Up North," and OSU players only utter the name Michigan by accident.

Ohio State also had a board earlier in the year comparing the majors of OSU players to the majors of Michigan players, and a photo of that taken by a reporter made its way to the Internet. So Meyer has curtailed some of the rivalry imagery he'd clearly like to include.

"Once the cellphone started to become popular and blogs and all that, we had to stop because you just don't want to make headlines with putting stuff around," Meyer said. "So we just kind of [limit] a little commentary on rivalry games."

Spielman honored

Former Buckeye Chris Spielman has been honored by the Big Ten with the Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian Award, an honor given to someone who succeeds in leadership and humanitarian efforts. His wife, Stefanie, died of breast cancer three years ago, and the former linebacker and his children have continued her work in raising money and awareness in the name of cancer research.

The Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research, founded in 1999, has raised more than $11 million.

Along those lines, Jerod Smalley, the sports anchor at WCMH in Columbus, did a story Thursday on 12-year-old Grant Reed from Bellville, Ohio, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor. As part of his plan to beat his disease, Reed calls his cancer "Michigan." As is in "Beat Michigan."

How Ohio State coach Urban Meyer and Michigan coach Brady Hoke got to where they are today.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - How Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer and Michigan football coach Brady Hoke reached Saturday's game at Ohio Stadium, where they will meet for the first time as head coaches:

1950s and 1960s

Nov. 3, 1958

Brady Hoke is born in Dayton.

July 10, 1964

Urban Meyer is born in Toledo.

1968

Woody Hayes wins his third national title at Ohio State.

1969

In his first season at Michigan, Bo Schembechler knocks off undefeated Ohio State and begins the Ten-Year War with Hayes.

1970s

1977

Hoke graduates from Fairmont East High School in Kettering, and heads to Ball State.

1978

Hayes is fired by Ohio State after hitting a Clemson player during the Gator Bowl.

1980s

1980

Hoke finishes his playing career at Ball State.

1982

Meyer graduates from St. John High School in Ashtabula, and is drafted by the Atlanta Braves.

Hoke gets his first coaching job as defensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Yorktown High in Indiana.

1983

Hoke starts his college coaching career as the defensive line coach at Grand Valley State.

1984

With Meyer's baseball career over, he walks on at the University of Cincinnati and earns a varsity letter as a backup safety.

Hoke moves to Western Michigan as the defensive line coach.

1985

Meyer serves as a student assistant during his senior season at Cincinnati and as an assistant at St. Xavier High School.

1986

Meyer graduates from Cincinnati with a degree in psychology, and in the fall takes a job as a graduate assistant at Ohio State.

1987

Hoke jumps to the MAC as Toledo's linebackers coach.

Urban Meyer, left, served on Earle Bruce's Ohio State staff in the 1980s.
AP

Meyer serves his second year as an Ohio State grad assistant, and is called into a room with the rest of the coaches as Earle Bruce is fired before the Michigan game.

1988

Meyer is hired by head coach Jim Heacock as the outside linebackers coach at Illinois State.

1989

Schembechler retires at Michigan after going 10-2 and winning the Big Ten.

Hoke moves into a bigger job as the defensive line coach at Oregon State.

1990s

1990

Meyer rejoins mentor Earle Bruce at Colorado State, where he coaches the receivers.

1995

Hoke gets to the school he grew up rooting for, joining the Michigan staff as a defensive line coach.

1996

Meyer joins the staff at Notre Dame as the receivers coach.

1996-2000

Meyer and Hoke face each other three times in the five seasons as they coach on opposite sides of the Notre Dame-Michigan rivalry. Michigan wins in 1997 and 1999, while Notre Dame wins in 1998.

1997

Head coach Lloyd Carr leads Michigan to a win over Ohio State and a national title with Hoke on the staff.

2000s

Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr, left, and defensive line coach Brady Hoke watch from the sidelines as their team falls behind Ohio State at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2001. AP

2001

Meyer leaves Notre Dame to take his first head coaching job at Bowling Green, where he goes 8-2 after Bowling Green was 2-9 the year before.

2002

Hoke is promoted to Michigan's associate head coach as well as defensive line coach.

Ohio State defeats Michigan and goes on to win its first national title since 1968 in Jim Tressel's second season.

2003

Meyer leaves Bowling Green for Utah and in his first season goes 10-2 after the Utes were 5-6 the year before.

Hoke gets his first head coaching job at Ball State. He goes 4-8 in his first season after Ball State was 6-6 the year before. If Meyer had stayed at Bowling Green one more year, he would have faced Hoke for the first time in the last game of he 2003 regular season, when first-year BG coach Gregg Brandon beat Hoke's team, 41-14.

Urban Meyer during his introductory press conference in 2002 after taking the job at Utah. AP

2004

In his second, and final, year at Utah, Meyer leads the Utes to a 12-0 record with a Fiesta Bowl win over Pitt.

2005

Meyer takes over at Florida, his third head coaching job in five years, and goes 9-3 after the Gators were 7-5 the year before.

2006

Meyer wins a national title in his second season in Gainesville, after Florida beats Ohio State, 41-14, in the BCS National Championship.

2007

In his fifth season, Hoke has a winning record for the first time, leading Ball State to a 7-6 record and the International Bowl, where the Cardinals lose to Rutgers.

2008

Ball State starts the season 12-0 and rises as high as No. 12 in the BCS standings, with Florida at No. 4 and and Ohio State No. 10 at the time. But the Cardinals lose the MAC title game to Buffalo and then the GMAC Bowl to Tulsa to finish 12-2.

Meyer wins his second national championship in his fourth season at Florida.

2009

Hoke leaves Ball State to take over at San Diego State, where he goes 4-8 in his first season.

Florida is undefeated up until losing the SEC Championship to Alabama. Before the Sugar Bowl, Meyer announces his retirement, citing health and family issues, then changes his mind the next day and decides to step back from some of his duties but stay on as head coach.

2010s

2010

Hoke and the Aztecs step up to a 9-4 finish in the Mountain West Conference that concludes with a Poinsettia Bowl win over Navy. Meanwhile, Michigan under Rich Rodriguez finishes 7-6 after a loss in the Gator Bowl.

Meyer goes 8-5 in his final season at Florida and leaves the Gators for good, announcing his retirement for good before going out with an Outback Bowl win over Penn State.

2011

After three unsuccessful seasons, Rodriguez is fired on Jan. 5. Les Miles and Jim Harbaugh are mentioned as candidates, but on Jan. 11, Hoke is hired as Michigan's 19th head coach.

Ohio State Jim Tressel is forced to resign on Memorial Day in the aftermath of NCAA sanctions. Luke Fickell takes over as interim coach for on season, but it doesn't take long for Meyer's name to enter the rumor mill as he spends the season as an ESPN announcer.

Hoke goes 11-2 in his first year, a four-game improvement from the year before, defeats Ohio State, and beats Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl.

On Nov. 28, Meyer is hired to replace Fickell on Nov. 28.

2012

Meyer leads the Buckeyes, who are under a bowl ban, to an 11-0 record in his debut in Columbus. Hoke in his second season has Michigan at 8-3.

Nov. 24, 2012

Urban Meyer, 48, and Brady Hoke, 54, will face each other for the first time as the head coaches at Ohio State and Michigan.

Urban Meyer and Brady Hoke grew up on Woody and Bo. Now they'll try to form their own coaching rivalry within The Game.

Urban Meyer gets his first taste -- as a head coach -- of the OSU-Michigan rivalry Saturday in Columbus. Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer

COLUMBUS-- Urban Meyer and Brady Hoke have faced each other on the football field before. Three times actually.

In 1997, '98 and '99, while Hoke was the defensive line coach at Michigan and Meyer was the receivers coach at Notre Dame, their teams met, with the Wolverines winning in 1997 and '99 and the Fighting Irish in '98.

In 2003, they almost met again, as Hoke, in his first year as head coach at Ball State, lost his last game of the season to Bowling Green. All Meyer had to do was stick around one more year as head coach of the Falcons, but he was gone to Utah, leaving behind former assistant Gregg Brandon as the head coach and Josh Harris, the quarterback he developed. And the ghost of Meyer won that game over the rookie Hoke, 41-14.

Back then, they weren't who they are now. They were Urban Meyer and Brady Hoke, but not in context. They were football coaches, but they weren't yet fully formed. They were steeped in this rivalry, but hadn't taken the places they hold now.

Now they stand as worthy adversaries and what some see as rightful heirs to the legacy that raised this rivalry to its greatest heights when both Meyer and Hoke were growing up in Ohio. During the Ten-Year War, from 1969 to 1978, this game wasn't just Ohio State vs. Michigan. It was Woody Hayes vs. Bo Schembechler. "The Game" was everything, but the men coaching it mattered.

Asked on a Michigan radio station this week for his favorite part of the rivalry, Hoke said, "The iconic coaches. . . . The Ten-Year War."

Hoke, now 54, was between the ages of 11 and 21 during those games. Meyer, now 48, was between the ages of 5 and 15.

"The one thing about the rivalry, you're taught at a very young age who the enemy is," Meyer said. "However, there is a deep-rooted respect for the enemy. That's how I was raised.

"So I was brought up in an era where there was nothing but incredible respect for both those coaches and admiration. I knew from a young age I wanted to be a coach, and those were the first two names out of my mouth whenever I said what great coaches were."

(See career timeline for Urban Meyer and Brady Hoke)

Hayes and Schembechler had a deep shared history that Meyer and Hoke never will. Meyer said they know each other only through Greg Mattison, who has known both coaches for years. Mattison is Hoke's defensive coordinator now, and was Meyer's defensive coordinator at Florida.

"I think we had dinner twice or something like that. Other than that, not much," Meyer said.

What Meyer and Hoke do share is the stature and attitude to not just be part of the rivalry, but to redefine a new chapter in how they relate to each other. They've already shown their aggression on the recruiting trail and their success on the field -- Hoke is 19-5 with the Wolverines, Meyer 11-0 with the Buckeyes – and both, like Hayes and Schembechler, are from Ohio.

"He's born in the state of Ohio, which I still don't get," Meyer said, before stepping back from taking another poke at Hoke. "That's another story. But I guess it adds to the intensity rather obviously, and I think when you're talking about it's close to home, it adds to the fuel, fuel to the fire."

After two decades of lopsided swings to the rivalry, featuring Lloyd Carr winning for Michigan, then Jim Tressel winning for Ohio State, the game's leaders lacked some of the square-jawed edginess of the past. Both Carr and Tressel were successful beyond a doubt, with national titles to their names; steeped in the rivalry, having both served as assistants before earning the head jobs; and passionate about what the last game of the regular season meant, and what it required.

But if Michigan fans were looking to line up behind a general, they might take the former Ball State linebacker, with the raspy voice and the mussed hair.

And if Ohio State fans were seeking their own leader for inspiration, the former walk-on defensive back from Cincinnati with the white windbreaker, confident smile and sunglasses atop his head would rally the troops.

Consider these words from Hoke's introduction as Michigan's head coach in January 2011, as he told stories of Schembechler reminding him during Hoke's eight years as an assistant that the defensive line wasn't tough enough.

"I can tell you this. We have had a love for Michigan for a number of years, and growing up in the state of Ohio, I had a lot of respect for coach Hayes and love coach Hayes. But I was not a fan of that university in Ohio, because, my buddies were. So I had to be different. And I can tell you the one thing about it is I became a Michigan fan and fanatical about the University of Michigan.

So to be here today is something that believe me, we hold close to our hearts, and as a Michigan family, we can promise you we want to make sure we can live up to the traditions, the legacies, in high regard. We understand what Michigan football means and what Michigan football is. We will always be about the team at Michigan; this is never going to be about Brady Hoke. This has been a football program. This is about a team and 42 Big Ten championships, and that's what this program is going to be about."

And consider these words from Meyer's introduction as coach of the Buckeyes in November of last year, as the protege of former OSU coach Earle Bruce, who himself learned from Hayes, returned to his home state.

"That's the game of games. That's the game that I grew up watching. So I understand the significance of it. And I remember my experience in that game was the first year when Jim Harbaugh guaranteed to win here in Ohio Stadium, and the second one was coach Bruce's final game at Michigan, and we were able to beat Bo Schembechler and Michigan. So the one thing I know about that game, as much as there is dislike and hatred across college football in some rivalries, there's a share of that, but there's also a lot of respect in that rivalry, and I'm looking forward to coaching in it.

"The one thing I do remember is Thanksgiving time and walking around, and we had to go shopping. And I was with my mom for something. I remember the loud speakers in Ashtabula, Ohio. They were playing Woody Hayes versus Bo Schembechler, Ohio State versus Michigan. I was enamored."

Dennis Manoloff goes one-on-one with Monsters player Mitchell Heard.

Lake Erie Monsters left wing Mitchell Heard.

Born: March 12, 1992, Bowmanville, Ontario. Ht./Wt.: 6-0, 175.

PD: Smartest person you've ever met?

MH: My mom, Sheri.

PD: Describe coach Dean Chynoweth as succinctly as possible.

MH: From what I've encountered, he's a great coach. He keeps the boys together and always keeps us honest and hard-working.

PD: Favorite hockey city?

MH: Detroit.

PD: If not a pro hockey player, what?

MH: Probably something to do with the law. Police officer.

PD: One hockey rule change you'd like to see?

MH: No icing.

PD: Preferred activities away from rink?

MH: Hang out with buddies, go to mall, watch movies, play Xbox.

PD: What about Call of Duty?

MH: I'm not a big Call of Duty fan. I'm more into the sports games.

PD: Wildest thing you've seen in a rink?

MH: I've seen some line brawls that got pretty crazy.

PD: Worst hockey injury suffered?

MH: I haven't had too many serious ones. High-ankle sprain.

PD: Do you have a favorite player?

MH: I'm a big Mike Richards [Los Angeles Kings] fan. I try to pattern my game after him. He competes every night and is willing to do whatever it takes to win.

PD: What do we need to know about Bowmanville?

MH: Small town. Everyone pretty much knows everyone.

PD: Best friend on Monsters, and what do we need to know about him?

MH: Geoff Walker. He's always in a good mood.

PD: Best part of your rookie season to date?

MH: Definitely growing up, living on your own, becoming more responsible in life. On the ice, you're playing with men, guys who are quicker and stronger than you're used to. You've got to bring it every day.

PD: Favorite movie?

MH: “Miracle.”

PD: Actor/actress?

MH: Adam Sandler, Brooklyn Decker.

PD: Best hockey advice received?

MH: Have fun with the game. If it's not fun, you shouldn't be playing.

PD: Any rituals or superstitions?

MH: I need at least two hours of sleep for a pregame nap. Other than that, nothing, really.

PD: Favorite vacation spot?

MH: Anywhere south. Dominican Republic.

PD: Favorite junk food?

MH: Ketchup Chips.

PD: Ketchup Chips?

MH: Yes – Lay's Ketchup Chips. They're awesome. They're big in Canada.

As far as Norman Wolfe and his senior teammates on Kent State's football team are concerned, Satchel Paige got it right: "Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you."

Kent State cornerback Norman Wolfe, left, a Buchtel grad, is a former walk-on who has become a three-year starter. (AP Photo)

As far as Norman Wolfe and his senior teammates on Kent State’s football team are concerned, Satchel Paige got it right: “Don’t look back. Something might be gaining on you.”

With a Mid-American Conference Championship Game to look forward to next week and Senior Day looming today against Ohio (8-3, 4-3), Wolfe was asked just what turned this season from good to great for the Golden Flashes (10-1, 7-0).

“Really, I haven’t looked at it, don’t want to look back on it yet, to be honest with you,” said Wolfe, a cornerback. “I think we just want to take care of things every week. When our record goes up on the board each week in the locker room — 1-0 in the MAC, 2-0 in the MAC — that’s what I’m focused on. Keep that streak going and let everything else take care of itself. Keep going forward.”

That mentality extends to the final game of the regular season. Even with a Mac East Division title wrapped up and KSU records for wins in a season, wins in conference play and a consecutive game winning streak (nine) all in hand, the notion of taking a breather, perhaps even peeking at all the accomplishments to date, doesn’t cross Wolfe’s mind.

“Going into this game, a lot of people think we don’t have much motivation to play,” Wolfe said. “But we’re trying to do it not just for the seniors, but for the younger guys, so they understand this is not supposed to stop. To win this last game at home is icing on the cake.”

And it would be all the more sweet for him. The 5-7, 165-pound Wolfe, a product of Akron’s Buchtel High, is indicative of KSU’s rags-to-riches season. He’s a former walk-on who has become a three-year starter, even through a pair of serious injuries.

“They’re the only school that gave me a chance, when everybody turned their head,” Wolfe said. “This worked out in my favor. I got to show my talents and prove that I can play.”

Not even the injuries have slowed him. The first came as a

junior, when he missed four games with a broken foot. This season, he broke his right forearm early in the season and missed another four games. Overall, injuries haven’t haunted the Flashes this season, but they’ve hit in the secondary, where Wolfe joins several players either out for the season or playing in pain.

“He’s a one-armed guy for us right now,” said head coach Darrell Hazell. “But he’s a guy that loves to play, loves to be on the field, and has shown he can be a playmaker in the secondary for us.”

The arm now has a plate and six screws in it, enough metal to pick up a magnet or light up a metal detector. On the field, until last Saturday’s division-clinching performance against Bowling Green, Wolfe’s arm basically hung off his shoulder like a dishrag. One of Kent’s secondary ballhawks, with 10 career interceptions, Wolfe was admittedly not as aggressive as he normally is after his return to action.

“That’s true,” he said. “I was trying to be careful, be safe, not do anything stupid to hurt me or the team. But I’m confident now, back to my old ways. This past game [Bowling Green], I felt calm, under control, my mind was right, everything just felt good.”

Despite a game in which Bowling Green’s 6-4 Chris Gannon caught 10 passes for 213 yards and a pair of touchdowns — one against Wolfe — the cornerback said he finally felt as if he was back in the groove, as his interception indicates.

“Every team we play against, it seems like teams always send their biggest guy against me,” he said. “But I’m used to it.”

That Wolfe picked off his 10th career pass — and second of the season — shows the one trait Hazell likes about his veteran.

“Some guys make plays over the top of him, but the thing I like is he has a short memory,” Hazell said. “He’s on to the next play.”

Apparently, even on the field, Norman Wolfe doesn’t look back.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: ealexand@plaind.com, 216-999-4253

Highlights include Ohio University at Kent State football at 11 a.m., and Cavaliers at Orlando at 7 p.m.

CLEVELAND, Ohio

Today's TV and radio sports listings

AUTO RACING

11 a.m. Grand Prix of Brazil practice Speed Channel

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

11 a.m. KENT STATE vs. Ohio University ESPNU; AM/640

11 a.m. Syracuse at Temple ESPN2

Noon Nebraska at Iowa WEWS

2 p.m. Marshall at ECU CBSSN

2:30 p.m. Louisiana State at Arkansas WOIO; AM/970

3 p.m. Utah at Colorado FX

3:30 p.m. West Virginia at Iowa State WEWS

3:30 p.m. Washington at Washington State WJW

7 p.m. South Florida at Cincinnati ESPN

10 p.m. Arizona State at Arizona ESPN

GOLF

3 a.m. (Sat.) DP World Tour Championship Golf Channel

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

7:30 p.m. Aurora vs. Toledo Central Catholic Sports Time Ohio

7:30 p.m. Trotwood-Madison vs. New Albany TWCS-311

10:30 p.m. Trotwood-Madison vs. New Albany (tape) Sports Time Ohio

10 p.m. Bishop Hartley vs. Clinton-Massie (tape) TWCS-311

10:30 p.m. Teams TBA Fox Sports Ohio

HOCKEY

7:30 p.m. LAKE ERIE MONSTERS vs. Rockford AM/1220

MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

12:30 p.m. Old Spice Classic, semifinal ESPN

2:30 p.m. NIT Season Tip-Off, third-place game ESPN

3:30 p.m. DirecTV Classic, semifinal ESPN2

5 p.m. NIT Season Tip-Off, championship ESPN

5:30 p.m. Old Spice Classic, consolation ESPN2

6 p.m. OHIO STATE vs. Missouri-Kansas City Big Ten Network

6:30 p.m. Iowa State vs. Cincinnati CBSSN

7 p.m. Battle 4 Atlantis, semifinal NBCSN

7:30 p.m. Old Spice Classic, semifinal ESPN2

9 p.m. Oregon at UNLV CBSSN

9:30 p.m. Battle 4 Atlantis, semifinal NBCSN

10 p.m. Creighton vs. Wisconsin ESPN2

11 p.m. Great Alaska Shootout CBSSN

Midnight DirecTV Classic, semifinal ESPN2

NBA

7 p.m. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS at Orlando Fox Sports Ohio; AM/1100

The Browns' pass rush has been bolstered by the reunion of defensive tackles Phil Taylor and Ahtyba Rubin. Last week they produced seven sacks against Dallas. Can they carry it into Sunday's game against Pittsburgh?

The Browns had a season-high seven sacks against the Cowboys and Tony Romo on Sunday. John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer

In the physics of the pass rush, mass in the middle, combined with velocity on the outside, usually results in a quarterback hitting the ground before he's ready.

Last week, the Browns put that formula to work against Dallas, resulting in a season-high seven sacks of Tony Romo despite losing for the eighth time in 10 games. Can they keep it going Sunday against Pittsburgh and reserve quarterback Charlie Batch? The principal properties of the equation are in place, which has rarely been the case this season.

Defensive tackles Phil Taylor and Ahtyba Rubin supplied the mass in the middle. It was the first time the 335-pound Taylor and 330-pound Rubin played together this season. Taylor missed eight of the first 10 games with a torn left pectoral muscle, while Rubin missed three games with a calf injury.

The velocity came from defensive ends Frostee Rucker and Jabaal Sheard and pass-rushing specialist Juqua Parker. In the 23-20 overtime loss to Dallas, the defensive line accounted for five of the seven sacks. Parker, Sheard, Rucker, Rubin and John Hughes had one each.

"It helped, without a doubt, having those two guys in the middle," Parker said. "We had two big bodies in the middle to stop the run and keep things clogged up."

The Browns have 27 sacks this season. They are tied for eighth in the NFL -- eight behind first-place Denver. They finished last season with 32.

The seven sacks were the most for the Browns in one game since they sacked Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger eight times in a 13-6 victory Dec. 10, 2009. Batch is starting Sunday because of rib injuries to Roethlisberger and Byron Leftwich.

Some of the damage the Browns did to Romo last week was because the Cowboys' offensive line was weakened by several injuries. Still, the reunion of Taylor and Rubin was hard to overlook.

Coach Pat Shurmur said the Cowboys didn't change their blocking schemes to double-team Taylor or Rubin. But the mass portion of the equation may have taken a toll.

"One of the most damaging things about a pass rush when you have big, physical guys [in the middle] is the push in the quarterback's face," Shurmur said. "When the pocket collapses in front of him, that's what restricts the quarterback's vision, more than what he knows is happening off the edges."

Parker, 34, is tied for the team lead with three sacks and ranks second in quarterback hurries despite playing just 355 snaps this season. Like the dragon tattooed on his left arm, Parker still has some fire left in his 12th season.

"He's a tremendous player," said defensive coordinator Dick Jauron. "He has quickness off the edge and a great bull rush."

This is Parker's first year with the Browns. He made the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2001 and spent the past seven years in Philadelphia. Asked why he signed with the Browns, Parker said: "There were other teams interested, but they wanted to wait. On my first visit to Cleveland, they wanted to sign me before I left."

Parker has 16 tackles overall. He plays on third downs and in passing situations. It's the role the Browns signed him to fill.

"It keeps my legs fresh," Parker said. "The other guys take care of the first two downs, and then I come in."

Parker's locker-room neighbor is Rucker, who also joined the Browns as a free agent after the 2011 season. Standing between the two players' lockers is a big, silver sound system, a Christmas present from Rucker's former Cincinnati Bengals teammates.

Rucker is the man to see for anyone who wants their music played in the locker room.

"It's my civic duty," said Rucker, whose father was a disc jockey in the military.

Rucker, Parker, Sheard and linebacker D'Qwell Jackson are tied for the team lead in sacks, with three each.

"At times, this season has been frustrating," said Rucker, who signed a five-year deal. "But when you make a decision, make a commitment, you go with it. We're going to get better. That's the one thing people don't understand outside of this building. When we finally break through and get it rolling, it's going to be hard to stop us."

The most entertaining and surprising undefeated season in Ohio State history ends Saturday. It is the culmination of this season, but also an omen for the next.

After 11 games of his first season at Ohio State, it is clear Urban Meyer has the Buckeyes pointed in the right direction. Gene J. Puskar, Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- "You can't stop here," Urban Meyer said to the bus driver, as the vehicle lumbered toward the hotel entrance in Chicago.

This was at the Big Ten's preseason meetings in late July. Meyer was used to the Southeastern Conference, where teams would sneak through backdoors, avoiding the hordes of fans jammed in the hotel lobby, hungering for a mere glimpse of the coaches and players.

In Chicago, though, the Buckeyes' bus was not besieged. Only the flagship program was.

Expectations for this season, although high with Meyer taking over, were fragile. How could they not be after the fall of the revered Jim Tressel amid scandal and probation? Amid such a shambles, could even the heralded Meyer recruit the glitzy players he had wooed to Florida?

Even after he hit the ground running and did just that, so what? Without a bowl showcase or a chance to win a conference championship in 2012, the Buckeyes would be reduced to insignificance.

Instead, perhaps the most entertaining and surprising season in Ohio State history ends Saturday with The Game against Michigan at the Horseshoe at high noon. The Buckeyes are trying to finish a 12-0 season a year after they went 6-7 with much the same personnel.

Meyer's spread offense made a national star out of sophomore quarterback Braxton Miller, who is a Heisman Trophy candidate and the best runner in college football.

Yet the string of victories occurred without hybrid back Jordan Hall, who took a medical redshirt year after repeated injuries. Meyer had penciled Hall in for such a huge role that he sat out the spring game as a precaution against injury.

The Buckeyes have won because lightly regarded players have met Meyer's demand for competitive excellence. They are the ones who have been "coached up" by the well-paid assistant coaches Meyer insisted Ohio State hire. They are the ones who experienced a rebirth under a new coach.

Kenny Guiton, Miller's backup, playing after the starter was hurt, delivered the 47-Second Miracle against Purdue. His passes to two other newly polished players finished a 61-yard drive against the clock without timeouts and forced overtime. Painesville Harvey's Chris Fields caught the touchdown pass with 3 seconds to play. Backup tight end Jeff Heuerman snagged the tying two-point conversion.

Tight end Jake Stoneburner, who caught a 17-yard pass from Guiton in overtime to set up the game-winning touchdown, only flourished after Meyer laid some unvarnished criticism on him.

Linebacker Ryan Shazier, an object of Meyer's barbs in Chicago, might be the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year.

Guiton, Fields, Heuerman, running back Carlos Hyde, center Corey Linsley, fullback turned linebacker Zach Boren, tight end turned offensive tackle Reid Fragel -- they are all players who either could not get on the field under the two previous coaching regimes or who made position changes and then flourished under Meyer.

At Florida, Meyer burned himself out, chasing championships. But he did not lose his players there. At Ohio State, the scales of his personal and professional life are more in balance after a year away from the game. But he is still so demanding that his praise can be transformative. Those who go through the fire, withstand the pain and overcome the challenges are bound to each other and to their coach more tightly than they have ever been before.

Against all odds, the Buckeyes won a "reverse Purdue," an overtime victory last week on the road, after a miraculous scoreboard equalizer in the last 8 seconds by the home team. With the Wisconsin crowd whipped into a frenzy and the Badgers having all the momentum, the Buckeyes trotted out for overtime; scored in four plays, the last 2 yards on a bulling run by Hyde; held Wisconsin on downs; and won a game that utterly confounded the seemingly irrefutable logic of the unbraked car on the steep hill.

Shazier's fourth-quarter stop and forced fumble against the Badgers' Montee Ball at the lip of the goal-line at the peak of each player's jump was one of the plays of the year in the conference. Boren, who also threw himself into the collision, is simply a fairy tale, gold spun from straw.

Now it is Michigan Day after the long buildup of Michigan Week. Meyer's focus and fury drive his players, so their play mirrors his intensity. The Buckeyes are always on the go, scorning field goals, lusting after touchdowns, going for it on fourth down, hankering for 70 points in a game as Meyer admits and for 100 as his players claim, winning three games by a total of 11 points and two more in overtime, and just outscoring their flaws.

It is fitting that the 2002 Ohio State national championship team will be honored during The Game. It is the perfect context for a program that seems bound for glory again. Urban Meyer's warm-up season will end Saturday. It was only the beginning. Nothing else stops here.

After not getting an invite to the Scouting Combine, the defensive back has been determined to make it in the NFL.

Cleveland Browns cornerback Johnson Bademosi tackles Dallas receiver Miles Austin during the Cowboys' victory last Sunday. Brandon Wade, Associated Press

BEREA, Ohio -- The son of Nigerian immigrants, Johnson Bademosi didn't need a history degree from Stanford to realize America is a land of opportunity.

That educational process began on rugby fields in Silver Spring, Md., extended into the classrooms of the oldest all-boys prep school in Washington, D.C., and continues today in NFL stadiums where this undrafted rookie cherishes every chance afforded him.

The most recent came last Sunday, with the game on the line in Dallas and the Browns spread thin at cornerback because of injury. The coaching staff inserted Bademosi as the Cowboys were driving for a potential game-winning touchdown in the final minute of regulation. While he excels on special teams, Bademosi hadn't played a down on defense in the regular season.

He spent the next three Dallas possessions -- including two in overtime -- pitted against receivers Dez Bryant and Miles Austin. Quarterback Tony Romo targeted Bademosi's man five straight times looking for signs of inexperience or panic. Three short passes were completed. Three tackles were made by Bademosi. On the fifth attempt, the 22-year-old anticipated the play and broke up a pass intended for Bryant to get the defense off the field on third down.

A few days after the Browns' 23-20 defeat, Bademosi was asked what has driven a defensive back not even invited to the NFL Combine to become the leading tackler on specials teams and an intriguing option for additional snaps at corner.

"I've been blessed with opportunities in my life, opportunities some kids in my neighborhood never had," he said. "It would be wrong of me not to take advantage of them. A lot of people helped me get this far."

Teammates voted Bademosi their fourth captain for Sunday's home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. It's a reward not only for a commendable effort under difficult circumstances in Dallas, but for the tenacity he demonstrates as one of the Browns' two gunners on the coverage units.

It's premature to speculate whether the chiseled 6-0, 200-pounder finds more playing time in the secondary once Joe Haden, Buster Skrine and Dimitri Patterson get healthy. Defensive coordinator Dick Jauron said he believes Bademosi has a future at his position if he hones his technique.

There is no mistaking Bademosi's desire, however, and his teammates' appreciation of it.

"He is by far the hardest-working rookie I have ever been around," Browns cornerback Sheldon Brown said. "He is always taking notes, never falling asleep in meetings, always in the weight room even when he doesn't have to be in there. That speaks volumes to how he must have been raised."

Expanding horizons

In a sport percolating with testosterone and tough talk, Bademosi draws inspiration from a woman who motivated through her actions.

His mother, Margaret, raised Johnson and his sister, Leslie, in Silver Spring with no extended family for support and little money. She kept the unit together working as an in-home nurse, taking jobs at all hours. The son saw firsthand the hardship of an immigrant's life and did his best to honor that pain.

"She has been through some great challenges," Bademosi said of a mother who continues to work. "She did things that were very hard for her, and it showed tremendous resilience and determination to go through what she went through and still raise us.

"She taught me how to carry myself, how to put in the work when you're not feeling your best. She never had to say a word."

His journey to manhood and the NFL has included surrogates who have showered him with attention and offered guidance. Dan Soso taught him how to play rugby as a child during a summertime program. Bademosi's quickness, strength and ability to process the game caught the eye of Lee Kelly, a rugby coach at powerhouse Gonzaga College High School in Washington.

Kelly had children of his own, and soon Bademosi was like an extension of his family going to rugby, football and wrestling practices in the back of the coach's Chrysler Sebring. Kelly encouraged the youngster to play multiple sports.

Bademosi could not afford to attend Gonzaga with its $18,000 tuition on his mother's salary, but he qualified for financial assistance. Each year, the school receives about 1,000 applicants, Kelly said, for 250 spots in the incoming freshman class.

There was nothing easy about Bademosi's transition. He woke up each weekday at 6:30 a.m., and took a bus to the Silver Spring Metro stop, where he grabbed the subway into the city before walking to the 191-year-old school located just blocks from the U.S. Capitol. His morning commute totaled 50 minutes.

"I was exposed to a lot of different people and a lot of different things that expanded my horizons," Bademosi said. "There were parts of D.C. that I had never seen. My world was just very small before then and it rapidly expanded."

Attorney John Gary McDavid served as his mentor, and school librarian Patty Tobin oriented him with the traditions and expectations at Gonzaga, a Jesuit school which counts U.S. politicians, Pulitizer Prize winners and astronauts among its alumni. Bademosi enrolled in a cooking class. He joined the debate club. He performed community service. He took hold of opportunities like a hungry kid filling his tray in the lunch line.

Bademosi was a natural on the athletic fields. He was so accomplished as a rugby winger that he competed for the U.S. junior national teams. A teenager who once didn't know his way around his hometown was traveling to Europe to play international tournaments.

Kelly believes, if football had not worked out, Bademosi would have been a candidate for the 2016 Summer Olympics in which rugby will debut.

"Rugby tackling is very different [from football] because you don't have time," he said. "In football you do. The game can change in a lot of different ways. Rugby is a very physical game. Football is a physical game, as well."

'Something to prove'

On Monday, reporters asked Bademosi about his time at Stanford, where he played cornerback and contributed on special teams. (Harvard, Penn and Maryland also recruited him heavily.) He was quizzed about his major and what he liked about history.

Someone asked what he wanted to do with his degree. Bademosi smiled broadly.

"Play football," he said.

Bademosi started 23 games over three seasons on a Cardinal team that went 31-8 in that span. He did not receive an invite to the NFL Combine, a slight he admits motivates him, but Bademosi caught the eye of scouts at the Stanford pro day by running the 40 in 4.35 seconds and registering a 40-inch vertical leap.

The Browns, looking for another gunner, signed him as an undrafted free agent. He knew any chance of making the team hinged on his special teams performance in training camp and the exhibition season.

"That was clear to me," Bademosi said. "I tried to become coach [Chris] Tabor's best friend."

Brown believes his teammate can be a good cornerback and has encouraged him to watch tapes of Chicago's Charles Tillman, who has forced seven fumbles this season. The veteran sees Tillman's mentality and physical nature in Bademosi.

"I always feel like I have something to prove, and if you don't have something to prove maybe your time is up," Bademosi said. "I am passionate about the game. I want to beat the man in front of me, and I want to win the battle."

Will he develop into something more than a reliable special teams player? Perhaps the remaining six games will represent a land of opportunity for a first generation Nigerian-American.

UPDATED: The Cavaliers have not won two consecutive games since a three-game streak in March -- last season.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- If this was the official coming-out party, if this was where Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller were to proclaim their arrival in the NBA and make a case for a new rookie pair to take the reins in Cleveland, this wasn't the fairy-tale ending the Cavaliers might have hoped for.

In the absence of last season's first-round draft choices -- either for injury (Kyrie Irving) or ineffectiveness (Tristan Thompson) -- the newest new kids for Cleveland tried to take command of the Cavaliers down the stretch, but wound up with a familiar result.

The Orlando Magic clawed its way to a 108-104 triumph over the Cavaliers at Amway Center, as the Cavaliers' now-trademark porous defense reappeared late in the game, despite encouraging performances from Waiters and Zeller. Magic guard J.J. Redick sank eight consecutive free throws in the final 21 seconds to seal the victory, but Orlando sank 52.3 percent of its field goals in the second half to lead the charge.

After two games in which the Cavaliers showed defensive improvement in holding Philadelphia to 39.2 percent shooting over back-to-back games, the 29th-ranked defense in the NBA reappeared in the second half against the Magic.

In the first half, Orlando had 16 turnovers and hit 47.2 percent of its field goals as the Cavaliers built a 12-point lead.

"We didn't get up and pressure them like we did in the first half," Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said. "Those guys, they shot the ball well, you've got to give them a lot of credit. At times I thought we were right there on certain plays, we tried to affect the shot, and they shot the ball well."

Orlando hit from multiple sources, as point guard Jameer Nelson had 22 points on 9-for-18 shooting, Arron Afflalo had 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting, and Redick had 18 points -- which included eight free throws when the Cavaliers were forced to resort to fouling in the game's final minute to close the gap.

On four consecutive plays, Redick was able to secure the in-bounds pass, which forced the Cavaliers to foul the 87-percent free throw shooter.

"I tell you what, it's hard with that guy," Scott said of Redick's ability to get the ball. "He moves so well without the ball. And they do a terrific job just setting screens."

Waiters said he resorted to talking to Redick in an attempt to help him miss, and finally pleaded with Redick to clang one of his free throws.

"I was telling him, 'Can you miss?' " Waiters said. "I was playing, but I was serious. Like, 'Miss a shot. Please.' "

The Cavaliers wound up in that position after squandering a 12-point advantage late in the second quarter. Even that lead, however, stood only for about a minute before Orlando sank consecutive 3-pointers to narrow Cleveland's halftime lead to 51-45.

In all, the Magic sank 11-of-21 3-pointers.

"Eleven-for-21 from the 3-point line is something we can't let them shoot," Zeller said. "We've got to run them off the line and hopefully keep them out of the paint."

The loss marred what might have been a solid performance from the newest new kids in Cleveland, the No. 3 pick Waiters and No. 17 pick Zeller. Waiters was forced to assume significant point guard duty as Irving continues to sit out with a fractured left index finger. And Zeller was in the game in crunch time -- resulting in a career-high 30 minutes -- as Thompson continued to struggle on both ends of the floor.

In the end, Waiters led the Cavaliers with 25 points on 9-for-22 shooting, and Zeller logged 13 points and a career-high nine rebounds. The two say they are beginning to develop chemistry together.

"It's definitely a work-in-progress," Zeller said. "We played with each other in summer league so I know where he wants to get the ball. But we're just trying to work with each other and get to know everybody better."

Said Scott: "Both of those guys have come a long way in a short period of time and they still have a long ways to go. Significant progress by both of them, I just want them to keep working and keep getting better."

Urban Meyer gets the Michigan rivalry. But can his defense figure out a way to stop the Wolverines' offense?

Michigan's Devin Gardner just might be the best quarterback Ohio State has seen all season. Tony Ding, Associated Press

Plain Dealer Ohio State reporter Doug Lesmerises puts today's matchup -- and the future -- into focus.

Snapshot: Defense

At a Friday morning pep rally hosted by his mentor, Earle Bruce, coach Urban Meyer choked up while talking about the Ohio State senior class. Then he composed himself and, in conclusion, said, "These kids love this school. They love each other, and we can't forget that. Let's beat the [snot] out of Michigan."

That's the reason you like Ohio State to win today. Because Meyer gets it and he wins rivalry games, going 21-3 against Toledo, BYU, Utah State, Georgia, Tennessee and Florida State in his stops at Bowling Green, Utah and Florida. And Meyer, in his first shot at Michigan, won't settle for a loss.

So that's why I'm filing this under the defense snapshot -- because there's a need to defend picking Michigan to win this game, as I have done.

Understand first that the fact this is a game between an undefeated team and a three-loss team is primarily driven by schedules. Michigan lost to current No. 1 Notre Dame and current No. 2 Alabama in the first month of the season. If these teams swapped nonconference schedules -- at a time when Ohio State was struggling to put away Cal and Alabama-Birmingham -- Michigan would have gone 4-0 and Ohio State would have gone 2-2.

And everything about how this season has been perceived on both sides would have changed.

Michigan was an afterthought early after that 2-2 start, but at this point, forced to adjust by Denard Robinson's injury, the Wolverines may have latched onto something that could make this a long day for the Ohio State defense. Replacement QB Devin Gardner might be the best passer Ohio State has faced this season, or at least since the opener against Miami and Zac Dysert.

That says as much about the quality of competition as it does about Gardner. But he is 46-of-70 in his three starts, completing 66 percent of his passes and averaging 278 passing yards per game, while throwing seven touchdowns against three interceptions. Add in the running ability of Robinson and the fact that Ohio State doesn't quite know how the Wolverines will use Gardner and Robinson together, and this is, at least, the most difficult defensive assignment since Nebraska.

In that game, the Cornhuskers scored 38 on the Buckeyes. But Ohio State scored 63 on a Nebraska defense that was completely overmatched. Michigan's defense is better.

In the past nine weeks, Michigan has given up 14.8 points per game. In that same span, Ohio State has allowed 25.2 points per game.

This will be a game. That, at least, is easy to defend.

Snapshot: Offense

The Buckeyes can't understand how Michigan coach Brady Hoke grew up in Ohio rooting for the Wolverines and wound up as a Michigan man. Ohio State senior right tackle Reid Fragel, a Michigan native, said he has his reasons for flipping the other way.

"There's not a whole lot to explain," Fragel said. "I was born in Chicago, lived in Toledo for a little bit of my life and moved to Michigan when I was about 8 years old. I never really grew up tied to any one school in particular. I wouldn't say I hated Ohio State growing up, but I didn't know enough about them, so when I came down here for my official visit, I was really just blown away. That was my first time experiencing everything here and I did fall in love with the place right away, and that was that. Growing up, I never really hated Ohio State or favored any school in particular."

Coming out of spring ball, Fragel wasn't the favorite to win the right tackle job after moving from tight end.

"He wasn't going to be the right tackle. We didn't have any other choices other than a true freshman," Meyer said. "I kind of, in my own mind, made the decision he wouldn't be playing right tackle for us."

Meyer credits offensive line coach Ed Warinner and graduate assistant and former OSU right tackle Kirk Barton for developing Fragel.

The Buckeyes wouldn't be where they are without him. And if they are going to win today, they'll need Fragel helping to clear space on the perimeter for running back Carlos Hyde. If the Wolverines sell out to stop Braxton Miller, as Wisconsin did last week, the Buckeyes give Hyde the ball on the edge as well as inside.

Images of Urban

When Meyer made his coaching hires, he didn't want to waste time on this week. He wanted his coaches to intuitively understand Ohio State-Michigan, so Meyer didn't "have to sit there and teach people about it," he said. "I wanted this to be close to home, and it is for eight of our nine [coaches]."

The only one without an Ohio connection is safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator Everett Withers.

On defense, Luke Fickell and Mike Vrabel both played for the Buckeyes, and Kerry Coombs is from Colerain, played football at Dayton University and coached high school football in Ohio.

On offense, Stan Drayton is from Cleveland and played at John Marshall High; Tim Hinton is from Amanda and was an OSU graduate assistant before coaching for years in Ohio at the high school and college level; Ed Warinner is from Strasburg and played at Mount Union; Tom Herman was born in Cincinnati and, though he grew up in California, he still has family in Ohio; and Zach Smith -- hmm, does Smith have a connection?

Oh, right, he's Earle Bruce's grandson and grew up in Dublin.

And Withers has been taken care of.

"We definitely had to educate him about this week and everything, but he's been a part of some great rivalries," said safety Orhian Johnson. "He's coached at some great places. I'm pretty sure he understands it, but he doesn't understand 'The Game' yet, so we'll help him."

Focus on 2013

Ohio State players almost always have Michigan memories that extend beyond their careers since so many of them attended The Game as recruits. That's no different this weekend, which, as usual, is the biggest recruiting weekend of the year. Among the 2013 oral commitments who are supposed to attend the game are Texas quarterback J.T. Barrett, New Jersey cornerback Eli Woodard, Missouri running back Ezekiel Elliott and future in-state Buckeyes such as Elyria's Tracy Sprinkle, Cam Burrows and Jalin Marshall.

But the visitors of even greater interest are those who haven't made a decision. Several targets are still competing in their state high school playoffs and won't make it, but Kentucky receiver James Quick, Cleveland Heights receiver Shelton Gibson, Shaker Heights lineman Donovan Munger and Glenville linebacker Chris Worley are expected to be in attendance.

And the Buckeyes will be swamped by 2014 prospects as well. Among them should be Kentucky quarterback Drew Barker, Virginia defensive end Da'Shawn Hand and Georgia linebacker Raekwon McMillan.

Wins don't turn directly into recruits. But they sure don't hurt.

Waiters believes he's being fouled on drives to the basket even though it's not being called, and it's affecting his shooting. Coach Byron Scott says Waiters needs to work on a midrange shot to expand his game.

Cavaliers coach Byron Scott says rookie Dion Waiters needs to play a smarter game offensively and take better-quality shots. Mark Duncan, Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. — Just about every time Dion Waiters drives to the basket, he figures he'll get clobbered. Instead, someone hacks at his arms or swipes at the ball and hits flesh.

This is, of course, somewhat of an exaggeration.

"I take that with a grain of salt," said Cavaliers coach Byron Scott. "I told him the other day, 'The first half, when you were complaining about getting fouled [against Philadelphia]? You didn't get touched.' "

It's probably somewhere in between. Sometimes, Waiters gets hit, and when he doesn't hear a referee's whistle, he reassesses his plans to drive to the basket.

Too often, though, Waiters has settled for outside jumpers of late. The result is that the rookie guard is hitting 37.7 percent of his field goals this season. In four games before Friday's contest at Orlando, Waiters was a woeful 16-of-67, or 23.9 percent.

Scott has encouraged Waiters to look for midrange shots so the shooting guard isn't relying solely on his outside game or is at the mercy of waiting for a referee's whistle when he drives to the basket.

"It's just a matter of him being a little smarter on the offensive end and taking better- quality shots," Scott said.

For his part, Waiters understands that he likely has to log several more games on his r sum before he gets more calls when driving to the basket.

"Probably in the middle of the season," Waiters said. "I've gotta earn respect in this league. That's the biggest thing I've learned -- I've gotta earn respect."

Learning from his idol: First-year Orlando coach Jacque Vaughn is in a position that Scott understands. He's coaching a Magic squad that is trying to battle through its first season without a superstar -- Dwight Howard -- who once dominated the court and brought success to the franchise.

Scott, of course, took over the Cavaliers after LeBron James' departure to Miami.

"There's a purpose, there's a vision," Vaughn said of the rebuilding of the Magic. "I have great guys in that locker room that I enjoy coaching. That's what I focus on. . . . In due time, those things will add up and we'll look back at this time as progress."

Vaughn, who grew up in Pasadena, Calif., admitted he was a Los Angeles Lakers fan as a youngster and loved watching Scott sink jumpers in the 1980s. In one way, coaching against one of his favorite players was telling.

"Either he's getting older or I'm getting older," said Vaughn, 37.

Said the 51-year-old Scott: "I felt old a long time ago. Just because he said he idolized me back in the day doesn't make me feel any older. I still feel old, so it doesn't really matter." D-League roster set: The Cavaliers' Development League affiliate, the Canton Charge, finalized its roster Friday, naming four players who were in the Cavaliers' training camp to the team. Guard Kevin Anderson (Richmond), swingman D'Aundray Brown (Cleveland State), forward Kevin Jones (West Virginia) and center Micheal Eric (Temple) were selected to play for the Charge. The opening-day roster is made up of two returning players, three affiliate players (Anderson, Eric and Jones), three Development League draft choices (including Brown) and two players acquired in trades.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: jvalade@plaind.com, 216-999-4654

The game is the final tuneup for the Buckeyes before their ACC/Big Ten Showdown game against No. 5 Duke on Wednesday night.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Deshaun Thomas scored 15 of his 21 points as No. 3 Ohio State coasted to a huge first-half lead on the way to a 91-45 victory against overmatched Missouri-Kansas City on Friday night.

The game was the final tuneup for the Buckeyes (4-0) before their ACC/Big Ten Showdown matchup against No. 5 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Wednesday night.

Lenzelle Smith Jr. added 13 points and LaQuinton Ross and Sam Thompson had 11 apiece as Ohio State experimented with subs for almost the entire second half.

Estan Tyler and Thomas Staton each had seven points for the 'Roos (2-3).