Ohio State Football: Spartans Stifle Buckeyes

10-1-11     vs. Michigan State     L, 10-7     3-2

     On Saturday afternoon at Ohio Stadium, 105,306 fans witnessed a display of offensive ineptitude that was both stunning and humiliating.

     Facing a solid Michigan State defensive unit, the Buckeyes were thoroughly overwhelmed.  Ohio State totaled a mere 178 yards of offense while committing 9 penalties.  The offensive line allowed a staggering 9 sacks.  And if not for Joe Bauserman's 33-yard touchdown pass to Evan Spencer with 10 seconds remaining in the game, the Buckeyes would have been held scoreless in the Horseshoe for the 1st time since 1982.

...the offensive line allowed a staggering 9 sacks...

     Kirk Cousins tossed a 33-yard TD to B.J. Cunningham in the 1st quarter, and Dan Conroy added a 50-yard field goal in the 4th to account for the Spartans' offensive production.

     Ohio State's defense, despite a complete lack of support, played admirably as it intercepted Cousins twice in the 4th period.  C.J. Barnett's acrobatic pick in the back of the end zone stalled a MSU drive, and, 10 minutes later, Bradley Roby corralled an erratic pass from Cousins.  Those turnovers could have changed the momentum, but the OSU offense was incapable of mounting a comeback.

     Following Barnett's INT, which occurred at the 14:09 mark of the 4th quarter, Luke Fickell decided it was time to switch quarterbacks.  Playing behind an incompetent O-line, Braxton Miller was running for his life.  Bauserman, though, experienced the same fate as he was sacked 4 times before throwing that aforementioned touchdown strike in the final seconds against a prevent defense.

     The Buckeyes then attempted an onside kick, but Michigan State recovered to seal Ohio State's miserable fate.

...Bauserman...was sacked 4 times...

     The most discouraging aspect of this ugly defeat is that the worst is yet to come.  Ohio State's next 3 opponents, Nebraska, Illinois, and Wisconsin, are nationally ranked.

Player of the Game

Bradley Roby: 4 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 interception

     Roby was 1 of the few bright spots for the Buckeyes.  The freshman defensive back from Georgia keyed the OSU defense, which played well enough to win.

Play of the Game

Joe Bauserman's 33-yard touchdown pass to Evan Spencer in the 4th quarter

     This play, even though it did not affect the outcome of the game, did give the Buckeyes a moral victory because it prevented the Spartans from pitching a shutout.

...Spencer...prevented the Spartans from pitching a shutout...

Cleveland Browns: Week 4

10-2-11     vs. Tennessee     L, 31-13     2-2

Recap in a Sentence:

     Despite dominating time of possession (36:53-23:07) and total yards (416-332), the Browns were routed at home by the upstart Tennessee Titans.

Player of the Game:

Colt McCoy - 40-61 (completions-attempts), 350 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception

     McCoy filled the box score with some very impressive numbers, but he was forced to throw 61 times because Cleveland fell behind early in the game.  McCoy also tossed a costly pick 6 in the 3rd quarter that prevented the Browns from mounting a late comeback.

Play of the Game:

Colt McCoy's 10-yard touchdown pass to Benjamin Watson in the 4th quarter

     Trailing 31-6, the Browns finally crossed the goal line courtesy of McCoy and Watson.  McCoy drifted to his right and floated a perfect pass to Watson, who was wide open in the middle of the end zone.

McCoy and the Browns suffered a frustrating defeat

Ohio State Football: Braxton Answers the Bell

9-24-11     vs. Colorado     W, 37-17     3-1

     During his Thursday afternoon press conference, Ohio State head coach Luke Fickell announced that Braxton Miller would be the starting quarterback when the Buckeyes squared off against the Colarado Buffaloes.

     Buckeye Nation, which had been pressuring Fickell to bench Joe Bauserman in favor of the athletic freshman, breathed a collective sigh of relief, believing this was the move that would right the sinking ship that was the OSU passing attack.

     On Saturday afternoon, in front of 105,096 optimistic fans, Miller proved Fickell and the passionate fan base correct.  The 18-year-old signal caller, despite completing only 5 passes, totaled 166 yards of offense and 2 touchdowns.  Most importantly, Miller led the Buckeyes to a win that helped erase the awful memories of that miserable night in Miami.

... Miller ... totaled 166 yards of offense and 2 touchdowns ...

     Mark Brundage's 20-yard punt at the 12:20 mark of the 1st quarter gave Ohio State possession deep in Colorado territory.  6 plays later, Jordan Hall dove into the end zone, beginning a trend of UC mistakes leading to points for the Buckeyes.

     Following Drew Basil's 28-yard field goal, Miller extended OSU's advantage to 17-0 with a perfect scoring strike to Devin Smith.

     Tyler Hansen's 11-yard TD toss to Toney Clemons pulled the Buffaloes to within 10, but a muffed punt in the final minute of the opening half nullified Colorado's momentum.  Basil converted an 18-yard field goal 2 plays after UC's special teams miscue, and Ohio State enjoyed a 20-7 halftime advantage.

     In the 3rd quarter, the Buckeyes sandwiched another Miller-to-Smith TD and a Carlos Hyde rumble to pay dirt around a Colorado field goal.  Hall's 90-yard kickoff return set the stage for Hyde's touchdown as Ohio State drilled the final nail into the Buffaloes' coffin.

     Colorado added a late, albeit meaningless, TD, and OSU earned a W it desperately needed.

... another Miller-to-Smith TD ...

     Several questions regarding the 2011 version of the Ohio State Buckeyes are yet to be answered, but it appears that OSU finally has a quarterback.

Player of the Game

Jordan Hall: 18 carries, 84 yards, 1 touchdown; 2 kick returns, 135 yards; 1 punt return, 12 yards

     Braxton Miller garnered the headlines, but Hall continued to show that he is Ohio State's best player.  In addition to accumulating 231 all-purpose yards, Hall proved that he can handle the rock upwards of 20 times a game.

Jordan Hall

Play of the Game

Braxton Miller's 32-yard TD pass to Devin Smith in the 2nd quarter

     Leading 10-0 midway through the 2nd period, Miller faked a sprint to the right and lofted a perfect pass to Smith, who had slipped behind the Colorado defense.  The beautiful scoring connection keyed the rout.

Cleveland Indians: Tribe Loses Season Finale

9-28-11     at Detroit     L, 5-4     80-82

     The Cleveland Indians' 2011 season, which can best be described as a step in the right direction, reached its conclusion on Wednesday night at Comerica Park.

     Despite failing to make the playoffs for the 4th consecutive year, the Tribe did improve its record from 69-93 to 80-82.

     Facing the Tigers, who finished 15 games ahead of the Indians in the American League Central Division, the Tribe built an early, 3-0 advantage.  Ezequiel Carrera's RBI triple, Jack Hannahan's RBI single, and Matt LaPorta's RBI fielder's choice provided the scoring.

     However, Detroit tallied once in the 4th, twice in the 6th, and once in the 7th to grab a 4-3 lead entering the 8th inning.

     Hannahan delivered a game-tying sacrifice fly in the top of the 8th, but Jhonny Peralta answered with a solo homer in the bottom half.

     Jose Valverde tossed a scoreless 9th record his 49th save in his 49th save opportunity.

The Indians hope to build off their 2011 campaign

Cleveland Indians: Tigers Halt Gomez's Streak

9-27-11     at Detroit     L, 9-6     80-81

     During this month of September, Jeanmar Gomez has pitched himself into consideration for a spot in the Tribe's 2011 starting rotation.

     The 23-year-old hurler from Venezuela entered his Tuesday night outing against Detroit having notched victories in 5 consecutive starts.

     However, the Tigers and their explosive offense ruined that impressive streak and saddled Gomez with his 1st loss since July 17th.

     Gomez allowed 3 runs in the 1st, 1 in the 2nd, 2 in the 4th, and 2 in the 5th as Detroit built an 8-2 lead through 5 innings of play.

     Delmon Young's 3 hits, including a 2-run homer, and 3 RBI keyed the bludgeoning of Gomez.

     Facing a seemingly insurmountable deficit, the Indians showed their resilience yet again.  The Tribe tallied twice in the 6th and twice more in the 7th before succumbing to the back end of the Tigers' bullpen.

Gomez could not tame the Tigers