I decided to take a road trip on Saturday to watch a little college football in the state of Ohio. The choice for the weekend was clear - a important MAC East match-up of Kent State @ Ohio in beautiful Athens, Ohio. Below is a list of my thoughts and observations from my trip:

• Penalties, yes penalties, were the definition of Saturday’s game. For Ohio it was 16 penalties for 155 yards, for Kent it was 12 penalties for 110 yards. No matter who you were rooting for, the penalties took a lot of the fun out of this game.
• Ohio’s offense looked terrible with Brad Bower at QB, but several dropped passes by Ohio receivers contributed greatly. Unfortunately for Ohio, RB Kalvin McRae didn’t have a big game finishing with just 16 carries and 74 yards. When Theo Scott came into the game for Ohio at QB the offense looked consdierably stronger as Scott tossed 2 TD passes in the 4th Quarter.
• Kent’s running game looked stellar as Eugene Jarvis rushed for 230 yards on 30 carries and Andre Flowers added 43 yards rushing. Ohio’s defense had no answer for the Kent running game.
• The Ohio fans were rather pitiful on the “student side” as they continued to clear out after haltime. Sure, the team was losing by as many at 17 points in the second half, but it was a 10 point game at the 12-minute mark of the 4th Quarter. The press box side seems to be where the loyal fans sit.
• Kent State did not have many fans in attendance which was quite disappointing considering Kent’s emergence as a contender in the MAC East the past two years. Kent did have some kind of “pep band” in attendance. With 10-15 members in the stands that both looked and played bad, it could not have been something that the Kent State University would be proud of or encourage.
• Ohio’s band, the Marching 110, lived up the the hype. My expectations were high and they met those expectations with a strong pregame, solid halftime and extremely impressive postgame.
• Parking is an issue in Athens, somthing that the city and University need to address if they are ever going to grow their program and draw more than 20,000 fans consistently to home games.

All in all, my trip to Athens was a enjoyable one. With the exception of 28 penalties and some very uneducated football fans around me, I enjoyed my trip to see Kent State @ Ohio. I’m not sure where my next trip will be, but it was a good time nonetheless.

Week #4 has come and gone, and thanks to the Kent State/Akron rivalry game we now know a little more about the middle of our weekly Ohio college football rankings. We have added a new team to the list thanks to two years of complaining about not including Youngstown State in our weekly rankings.

1 - Ohio State - 4-0 - The Buckeyes played an obvoiusly-inferior Northwestern team to start the 2007 Big Ten season and rolled to a 58-7 blowout victory, scoring 45 points in the 1st half. While some say the nation is overlooking the Buckeyes, it appears to me that they have yet to be seriously tested by a high-quality opponent. OSU travels to Minnesota for their second Big Ten game next weekend and will likely not be tested yet again.

2 - Cincinnati - 4-0 - The Bearcats defeated Marshall 40-14 on Saturday as UC has now scored at least 34 points in every game this season. UC travels to face San Diego State next weekend before the brutal stretch of their schedule with three ranked teams in four weeks begins.

3 - Bowling Green - 2-1 - The Falcons jumped out to a 21-7 lead in the 1st half against Temple before the Owls tied the game at the half. While BG’s offense proved to be superior in their 48-35 victory, Falcon fans have to be worried about allowing Temple to score 35 points. BGSU faces Western Kentucky next week and does not play another MAC team until October 13th.

4 - Ohio - 2-2 - The Bobcats handed their game with Wyoming away as a timeout call just before a 4th down incomplete pass resulted in Wyoming getting new life and a game-winning TD pass. After leading 20-6 at the half, the Bobcats offense could not keep the defense off the field in the second half. While Ohio has played well in the non-conference schedule, Bowling Green’s non-conference resume is more impressive, resulting in BG jumping above Ohio in our rankings for this week. A win over Kent State this weekend could go a long way toward the Bobcats getting the #3 spot back.

5 - Akron - 2-2 - The Zips scored 17 points in the 4th quarter to defeat arch-rival Kent State this past weekend, thus leapfrogging Kent State for the #5 spot. Akron travels to face UConn next week with an opportunity to pick up a solid non-conference win for Akron and the MAC.

6 - Kent State - 2-2 - After falling @ Akron on Saturday, Kent State’s schedule does not get any easier as the travel to Athens to face the Ohio Bobcats. Kent State could see their MAC East title hopes dashed this weekend as a second loss within the MAC East would be difficult to overcome thanks to the MAC’s unbalanced schedules in 2007.

7 - Toledo - 1-3 - Just when I thought that the Rockets were dead an buried for 2007, they beat a BCS program. While Iowa State has been dismal in 2007, they did upset Iowa last week, and you have to respect the talent levels of the Big 12 and Big Ten. The Rockets host Western Michigan with a chance to make some noise in the MAC West next weekend.

8 - Youngstown State - 3-1 - Due to popular demand, well at least one guy who has calling us out for two years in our blog comments, we have added YSU to this list. My fear is that by adding Football Championship Subdivision teams to this list means now I have to research Dayton as well, but for now we’ll include YSU and see what the fans think. While YSU’s lone loss was to Ohio State, Toledo’s win over Iowa State keeps them ahead of the Penguins.

9 - Miami - 1-3 - The MAC program that was a staple of consistency and winning has fallen and they do not appear to be getting up. After a solid win in week #1, the RedHawks defense has allowed 41, 47 and 42 points as Miami has been outscored 89-10 in the past two weeks. The RedHawks host Syracuse next weekend in what will likely be another ugly game as Syracuse comes off an upset of Louisville.

Past Ohio college football rankings:

• Ohio college football rankings after Week #3
• Ohio college football rankings after Week #2
• Ohio college football rankings after Week #1
• Preseason Ohio college football rankings

What a difference a week makes! After a pitiful week #1 the Cleveland Browns not only showed signs of life last week, but they somehow pulled out 51 points in beating Cincinnati 51-45. But the big question is “Which Cleveland Browns team will show up this week?” I think what we see this week will further define what we can expect the rest of the season for the Browns. While the Bengals knew Anderson would start last week, there is still an element of newness to DA at QB for the Browns. The Raiders should have plenty of film to scout on Anderson, thus resulting in a lesser result than 51 points. However, with Jamal Lewis, Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow, Jr. and others on offense, the Browns do have legitimate NFL star talent unlike earlier versions of the Browns since the returned to the league in 1999.

So what do I expect? I see the Browns defense containing the Raiders and keeping their running game in check, with the Browns offense playing a solid game.

Cleveland 27 - Raiders 21

Week #3 flew by like the 2 weeks before it, so let’s take a look at our latest Ohio college football rankings heading into Week #4 as many of these teams prepare for conference games this weekend…

1. Ohio State - 3-0 - The Buckeyes answered the critics by defeating a fairly strong Washington team on the road by a score of 33-14. The Buckeyes will crush, I mean play Northwestern on Saturday as they kickoff the Big Ten schedule.
2. Cincinnati - 3-0 - The Bearcats have now outscored their opponents 140-16 in three games after beating up rival Miami by a score of 47-10. UC hosts Marshall on Saturday as the Thundering Herd are coming off a loss to I-AA (Football Championship Subdivision) New Hampshire. Expect more Bearcat domination.
3. Ohio - 2-1 - The Bobcats appear to be the top team in the MAC to date going 2-1 and giving #18 Virginia Tech a good test into the 4th quarter of a 28-7 loss. The Bobcats will close out the non-conference schedule on Saturday as they face Wyoming (2-1) from the Mountain West Conference.
4. BGSU - 1-1 - The Falcons had the week off and remain in 4th place thanks to their strong showings against Big Ten opponents in their first two games. The Falcons look to avenge their embarrassing loss to Temple last season as they host the Owls this Saturday.
5. Kent State - 2-1 - When Kent State beat Iowa State on the road, it appeared to be an impressive win. When ISU lost to Northern Iowa last week, it took away much of the value in my opinion. Now that Iowa State has defeated their in-state rival Iowa Hawkeyes, Kent’s win looks good, again. Either way, the Golden Flashes are 2-1 heading into their rivalry game @ Akron on Saturday. The winner likely moves up a spot or two while the loser will start the MAC East schedule with a damaging loss in the standings.
6. Akron - 1-2 - The Zips hung with Indiana into the 4th Quarter but fell in the end 41-24. With a home game against Kent on Saturday, the Zips will look to make an early statement in the MAC East standings.
7. Miami - 1-2 - The RedHawks made this ranking easy as they allowed 47 points to rival UC at home. Miami travels to Boulder to face the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday in a game that could see the RedHawks sneak away with a win if they play well.
8. Toledo - 0-3 - The Rockets defense has allowed 149 points in three games for an average of almost 50 points per game. I’m not sure what happened to Tom Amstutz’ program, but this is embarrassing.

Past Ohio college football rankings:

• Ohio college football rankings after Week #2
• Ohio college football rankings after Week #1
• Preseason Ohio college football rankings

Coming off a embarrassing 34-7 loss to Pittsburgh in Week #1, not a single person in America thought that the Cleveland Browns would score 51 points and beat their in-state rivals the Cincinnati Bengals. But the Browns did indeed score 51 en route to a 51-45 win over the Bengals as the Cincinnati defense seemed unable to stop Jamal Lewis (215 yards rushing, 1 TD) and Derek Anderson as he hit Braylon Edwards and Joe Jurevicius for 2 TDs each and Kellen Winslow, Jr. for another TD. Carson Palmer led the Bengals offensive attack with 401 yards passing and 6 TDs, but the Cleveland defense was able to hold Cincinnati to just 7 points in the 4th Quarter as Cleveland held on for the win to improve to 1-1 on the season.

Week #3 will see the Bengals travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks @ 4:05 pm while the Browns are @ Oakland also at 4:05 pm.

After a dismal kickoff the the season on Sunday, the Cleveland Browns are making changes already. Starting QB Charlie Frye was traded to the Seattle Seahawks today, reportedly for a draft pick.

Since we haven’t reported on either Ohio NFL team yet, the Browns fell 34-7 to the Steelers on Sunday and the Bengals won on Monday night 27-20 over Baltimore. The two teams will square off in Cleveland this Sunday in the first of two regular season meetings.

Week #2 has come and gone, so let’s take a look at our latest Ohio college football rankings heading into Week #3…

1. Ohio State - Buckeye fans are concerned because “they only beat Akron 20-2″ and the “offense struggled.” Could it be that Akron has a good defense? Give the Zips some credit Buckeye fans…
2. Cincinnati - After a blowout win over a I-AA opponent we didn’t give UC much love. That changes after their blowout win over a solid Pac-10 program in Oregon State.
3. Ohio - As the MAC’s lone 2-0 team, the Bobcats will have a huge test @ Virginia Tech on Saturday.
4. BGSU - Two games against Big Ten teams and the Falcons come out 1-1 with two solid performances. There has to be a lot of excitement and new expectations in Bowling Green as we get closer to MAC play.
5. Kent State - While the Iowa State win looked like a big one at the time, after I-AA Northern Iowa defeated the Cyclones in Ames it is a bit less impressive. Couple that with a 2nd-half defensive meltdown @ Kentucky and the Golden Flashes dip in our rankings.
6. Akron - A 20-2 loss to Ohio State is actually something to build on as the Zips offense, while completely overmatched vs. OSU, will not face defenses of that caliber in the MAC. If Akron’s defense can continue to play well they should contend for the MAC East crown and give Indiana a good game this weekend.
7. Miami - Much like their game with Purdue in 2006, the RedHawks had a Big Ten team beat on the road on Saturday and gave the game away. Saturday’s game with Cincinnati will show us where both programs are this season and help define some of these rankings for the rest of the season.
8. Toledo - Ouch. The Rockets are off to quite a rough start in 2007 and travel to Kansas this weekend looking to avoid a 0-3 start to the season.

Past Ohio college football rankings:

• Ohio college football rankings after Week #1
• Preseason Ohio college football rankings

For the first time that I have ever noticed, SportsTime Ohio, the Cleveland Indians Network that I have often criticized, aired a MAC-focused program. Bobcat Blitz, a WOUB production, aired this evening at 7:30 pm.

Now many of you may say “big deal,” but I have been calling for SportTime Ohio, the channel providing the self-proclaimed most complete coverage of Ohio sports to bring us coverage of more than just Cleveland teams and Ohio State football since the channel kicked off in April of 2006. The big deal here is that the network is finally beginning to listen, and the potential this has for expanded coverage for 6 of the MAC’s 13 teams is enormous. So whether you are an Ohio Bobcats fan or a fan of any other MAC football program, I encourage you to go to SportsTimeOhio.com and send them a quick positive note for airing some MAC football programming.

The UC Bearcats are back in action tonight after their Week #1 win ofver SE Missouri State, and they host a well-respected Oregon State team out of the Pac-10. While Cincinnati was not highly-ranked in our Ohio College Football Rankings after week #1 which caused a stir with the UC fans, the season is still young.

The key for the Bearcats tonight will be stopping the Oregon State rushing attack as  Yvenson Bernard picked up 165 yards and 2 TD a week ago.

You can catch the UC Bearcat football team against Oregon State on ESPN tonight at 7:46 pm ET.

Buy UC Bearcats apparel & clothing online! Featuring UC merchandise, Ohio State apparel & more, Ohio sports fans can find all of the top college sports apparel options they could want!

The Cleveland Indians 2007 season has truly been a remarkable one. It was less than a month ago that I became frustrated with the Sports Talk channels in Cleveland as fans claimed Wedge couldn’t coach and that the team fades down the stretch. Just a few days later I wrote how the Indians were turning the AL Central standings around after building a small lead. And after today’s win over Minnesota, the Indians now have a commanding 7.5 game lead pending tonight’s Tigers/White Sox match-up.

But if you had told me that…

• Jake Westbrook would miss 6 weeks on the DL only to start the season 1-6 with a 6.20 ERA
• Cliff Lee would be sent to the minors in July with a 6.48 ERA
• Jeremy Sowers would also be sent to the minors in July with a 6.93 ERA
• Set-up man Roberto Hernandez would be so bad that the Indians would cut him in June
• Would-be closer Keith Foulke retired at the start of the season without throwing a single pitch in a Indians uniform
• Travis Hafner would be batting .254 with 18 HR and 73 RBI in late August
• 2B Josh Barfield would be bat just .244 with 3 HR through August
• Free agent outfielders Trot Nixon and Dave Dellucci would combine for 7 HR, 51 RBI and an average in the .240’s into September

There’s plenty more where that came from, but thanks to rising stars like Fausto Carmona and the new additions such as Asdrubal Cabrera and Franklin Gutierrez, the Tribe controls their own destiny in the AL Central in September.