Thema drucken
23.03.2019 01:12
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When football coaches express the old “next man up” rhetoric, Ohio State is exactly what they’re talking about. We’ve all heard coaches argue injuries aren’t going to sink their team, that a new player will step in and step up, and that everyone else will rally around and pick up the slack. We’ve never believed them. Maybe along the line or in the receiving corps can a team suffer a couple major injuries, but at quarterback? No way. And then there’s Ohio State. The team lost presumed Heisman candidate Braxton Miller to a shoulder injury ahead of the season only to find actual Heisman candidate JT Barrett. Barrett led the Buckeyes to a perfect conference record and 11-1 overall record en route to finishing fifth in Heisman voting. It was touch and go for a while, with Ohio State getting upset by a mediocre Virginia Tech team in the second week of the season, but the Buckeyes reeled off 10 straight wins, including strong conference victories over Michigan State and Minnesota, to earn a spot in the Big 10 Championship Game. A dual threat quarterback, Barrett finished with 3,772 combined yards and 45 combined scores, the third most among all quarterbacks, but fractured his ankle in the team’s win over Michigan on rivalry weekend. Still with an outside shot at the College Football Playoff, there was concern the Buckeyes’ couldn’t catch lightning in a bottle twice and wouldn’t even emerge as top team in the Big 10. Those concerns proved needless as Ohio State crushed Wisconsin 59-0, a performance – coupled with the team’s high tv ratings – that vaulted them into the Top 4 and a CFP spot. Against the fourth best defence in the country, one-time third string quarterback Cardale Jones put up 257 yards and three touchdowns on just 17 pass attempts in the 59-point rout. While no one believes Jones is to Barrett as Barrett was to Miller earlier this season, his Big 10 Championship performance gave Buckeyes fans hope they can hang with Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Perhaps the best matchup against the Crimson Tide is between the two men patrolling the sidelines. If Nick Saban is the best coach in college football, Urban Meyer is right on his tail at No. 2. The Sugar Bowl is the latest edition in the rivalry of the off-field friends that burned bright in the SEC before Meyer left Florida. There are college football fans that believe Meyer and Saban ushered in the era of SEC domination still currently in play. We all know what Saban has done with the Tide, winning three national championships in four years, but Meyer’s nearly as impressive run with the Gators superseded that. Meyer won two national championships in his six years with the Gators before leaving under suspect circumstances, and subsequently burning a lot of bridges on the way out. He has since done quite well for himself up north with the Buckeyes. He led the team to an undefeated season his first year in town, but the Buckeyes were ineligible for the postseason due to violations stemming from the sweater vest era. While Meyer and Miller, err Barrett, err Jones are the headliners for OSU heading into the Sugar Bowl, they’ve got a number of others that figure to play a part in the outcome in the New Year’s Eve semifinal. Running back Ezekiel Elliott was a Top 20 rusher, compiling 1,402 yards and 12 touchdowns, and receiver Devin Smith had 11 touchdowns, ninth most in the nation among receivers, to go with his 799 receiving yards. Ohio State’s top draft eligible prospects are on the defensive side of the ball. While they’re currently void a prospect with a first round draft grade, DT Michael Bennett is a high second round prospect at the moment and could fight his way into the Top 32 with a strong postseason. Senior cornerback Doran Grant is next up, currently sporting a mid-round grade. Grant could use a solid postseason to sneak into the third round. If Jones can continue his best Barrett impression for another week, the Buckeyes carry a Top 10 offence into the Sugar Bowl. While they’re just middle of the pack through the air, Ohio State is 11th in the nation in rushing at 260 yards a game. All in, Ohio State was fourth in offensive yards with 6,599 behind only the big shots Baylor, Oregon, and … Marshall, and ahead of TCU. The Buckeyes also sport a Top 20 defence. They finished 15th in yards against, allowing only 328 per game and were just as good against the pass, 17th in the nation allowing 188.2 yards per game. Ohio State was a little more susceptible against the run, finishing 33rd in the NCAA at a 139.8 yards per game clip. Ohio State needed their strong tv ratings for selection committee members to be “convinced” they were one of the best four teams in the nation this year. That they may not belong in the first ever College Football Playoff is exhibited in the betting line, the Buckeyes heading into the game as nine-point underdogs. Maybe there’s still some magic left in OSU’s impressive season, but it’s likely they’ll be very hard pressed to be still playing come New Year’s Day. Nike Free Clearance .ca. Mr. Fraser, It looks like Martin Brodeur is coming back to play for the Blues. I was wondering if you have any great stories or fond memories of your time on the ice with Brodeur - in the NHL, or maybe even the Olympics. Cheap Nike Free Uk . INJURIES - Cardinals 1B Matt Adams has been put on the DL with calf tightness, resulting in some lineup shifting, with Allen Craig moving from right field to first base, so that the Cardinals could bring up top prospect Oscar Taveras, who was the No. http://www.nikefreesaleuk.com/.ca! There is plenty of blame to be shared as a result of the most recent NHL player (Pittsburghs Brooks Orpik) to be evacuated from the ice on a stretcher following an ugly incident Saturday night in Boston. Nike Free Sale Uk . “Im not sure well get Melky Cabrera at all,” said Gibbons. The 29-year-old left fielder struggled all season with knee and hamstring problems. Cabrera was first on the disabled list from June 27-July 20 with tendinitis in his left knee. Nike Free Trainers Uk . The Rangers centre left early in Game 1 with an upper body injury after being checked by Canadiens defenceman Mike Weaver and has not played since. Brassard told reporters after practice that he was good to go. That brought a smile to the face of Rangers coach Alain Vigneault.PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Trail Blazers made their first seven 3-pointers against Charlotte and from there it almost seemed too easy. "Making shots is contagious," said Wesley Matthews, who had 25 points, including five of Portlands 21 3-pointers, in a 134-104 rout of the Bobcats on Thursday night. The 21 3-pointers matched a franchise high, set in a 139-105 victory at the Philadelphia 76ers on Dec. 14, and made Portland the first NBA team to have two games in one season with at least 20 3-pointers. Damian Lillard 24 points, making all six of his 3-point tries, and the Blazers finished by making 63.6 per cent of their 33 attempts. The NBA record for 3-pointers in a single game is 23. "It was a lot of fun," said Lillard, who has made at least four 3-pointers in four straight games. "Shots were falling." With the win, Portland upped its record to 26-7 and moved back into the top spot in the Western Conference. It was the season-high fifth-straight loss for the Bobcats, who were coming off a 112-85 loss to the Clippers the night before. Charlotte has lost six straight in Portland. Chris Douglas-Roberts came off the bench to lead the Bobcats with a season-high 20 points. Al Jefferson added 19. The 21 3s were the most the Bobcats had ever allowed in franchise history. "Our team is thinking too much about offence, we have individual guys who need to build their games around their defence and theyre worried about theyre offence," Bobcats first-year coach Steve Clifford said. "Were not built that way. Were not going to be outscoring people. If were not going to commit to defence and rebounding, then were limited in how good we can be." The Blazers were coming off a 98-94 come-from-behind victory at Oklahoma City on New Years Eve. The win snapped a two-game losing streak, the first back-to-back losses for Portland this season. Charlotte has been known this season for its defence. The Bobcats have held opponents to under 100 points 24 times this season, and they went into the game ranked third in the league for points allowed with an average of 93.8. But they couldnt sttop Portland, which led by as many as 32 points.dddddddddddd The Blazers went ahead 23-9 early after a 14-0 run that included four straight 3-pointers. Mo Williams 3 pushed Portlands lead to 33-13. Meyers Leonards dunk off a dish from Williams upped the lead to 49-29 and the Blazers were ahead 70-49 at the half. Matthews led all scorers with 17 points, while Jefferson had 11 for Charlotte. Matthews said hes just taking the shots that are there. "Im trying to focus on everything but shooting and it seems to be paying off for me," he said. Lillard hit a 3-pointer that gave the Blazers an 89-64 lead midway through the third, and Charlotte was essentially out of it. Portland led 100-77 going into the fourth quarter. "These are the games you love playing," said Williams, who had 15 points and 10 assists. LaMarcus Aldridge had 10 points and 15 rebounds for his team-leading 19th double-double of the season. Blazers coach Terry Stotts sat his starters early in the fourth quarter. "I knew about our record, I knew about the NBA record. But I didnt want to get caught up in that," Stotts said. "If we fell into it, then thats great, but I thought the guys who played in the fourth quarter played the game the right way. They were aggressive, they moved the ball. Defensively, they played hard. I think its bad karma to go out and try to do that." Clifford also rested most of his starters late in the game. "I dont feel we were ready to play," Douglas-Roberts said. "Theyre too good not to come out and give a 100 per cent effort. We kind of have to do some soul-searching and turn this thing around." NOTES: The Blazers have assigned guard C.J. McCollum to the Idaho Stampede, the Trail Blazers NBA D-League affiliate. McCollum, the 10th overall pick in last years NBA draft out of Lehigh, has been sidelined since fracturing his foot in training camp. ... Portlands 39 points in the first quarter matched their season high for this season. ... The Blazers have made at least eight 3-pointers in eight consecutive games for the first time in franchise history. ' ' ' |
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