Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals

November 29th 1:00 ET

The 1-9 Browns are coming off their most impressive day of the season on the offensive side of the ball.  Brady Quinn threw for 304 yards and four scores in the 38-37 loss.  Yes it was against the Lions but the key was offensive coordinator Brian Daboll finally calling plays down the field, well at least in the 1st quarter.  The Browns defense was horrible and is certainly worthy of shouldering the blame for the loss.  The defense played on their heels allowing rookie QB Matt Stafford to throw for 422 yards and five touchdowns.  Despite the implosion on the defensive side of the ball Daboll still deserved a lion’s share of the blame, no pun intended.  Quinn was humming and having his way with one of the worst defensive backfields in the league.  The Browns held a 24-7 1st quarter lead when Daboll decided to run the ball on 1st and 2nd downs.  The Browns could have easily put up 50 points on the Lions.  In the end, the Browns were flagged for pass interference on a hail mary which allowed Stafford to throw the winning score with no time remaining.  As questioned all season in this column, how is Hank Poteat in this league?  This loss ranks up there on the list of strange losses that are etched in Browns lore.  However, this one didn’t mean near as much.

The Bengals looked to gain an easy victory as they traveled to Oakland to face the inept Raiders.  Instead, the Bengals were upset 20-17.  The Bengals ran the ball an astonishing 43 times.  Despite what the 1950 coaches manual states regarding how to win football games and what you hear on pre-games shows every week, in 2009 the aerial game is what wins football games.  By running the ball as much as they did the Bengals effectively shortened the game which kept the Raiders in it.  With the loss Cincinnati failed to gain a game on Pittsburgh who lost at Kansas city.

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Prediction: If the right side of the Browns offensive line can hold up Brady Quinn should find plenty of gaps in the Bengals secondary.  Back-up RB Chris Jennings should get plenty of carries especially if the Browns get an early lead.  No doubt Brian Daboll will get very conservative and stagnate the Browns offense.  Cedric Benson should return and will find success against a weak Browns defense.  If the Bengals open it up Ocho Loco and his golden teeth and Laveraneus Coles should find success against Toast and Skirt.  Quinn has another solid game but it won’t be enough as the Bengals make big plays down the stretch.  Cincinnati 34 Cleveland 24

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

Cincinnati vs. Illinois Preview

November 27^th 12:00 ET

A national audience will get a chance to recover from the turkey hangover while watching one of the most explosive offenses in the nation as Tony Pike and the Bearcats host Illinois.  Cincinnati is coming off of a bye week which was preceded by a close victory over West Virginia.

The 3-7 Illini are on their way to their 2^nd consecutive losing season.  Head Coach Ron Zook is living up to his reputation as a great recruiter-average coach.  Illinois is very athletic but struggles to have any type of consistency on offense or defense.  QB Juice Williams has split time with freshmen Jacob Charest but is expected to get the start in Cincinnati.  Illinois lost their last contest to Northwestern 21-16.

Prediction: Cincinnati has faced few teams as athletic as Illinois.  If Illinois can put it all together and play up to their potential UC could be in for a battle.  The Bearcats will start Tony Pike who hasn’t started a game since October due to an injury.  In his stead Zach Collaros has performed admirably.  Head Coach Brian Kelly will have a tough decision to make if things don’t go well with Pike.  In the end Mardy Gilyard,Isaiah Pead and Tony Pike will be too much for the schizophrenic Illini.  Cincinnati 41 Illinois 23

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

Former St. Edwards wrestler and Ohio state wrestling champ Gray Maynard will be back in action in January when he will headline the UFC Fight Night 20 event. Maynard, coming off his split decision win over Roger Huerta in September, looks to continue his climb up the UFC’s Lightweight Division ladder as he faces the brash Nate Diaz in Fairfax, Virginia. Maynard improved his MMA record to 9-0 with one no contest with the win at UFC Fight Night 19 over Huerta, and with a win could begin to start thinking about a title shot. The UFC Lightweight Championship belt is currently held by MMA legend BJ Penn and Penn will defend his belt atop the UFC 107 fight card.

Diaz comes into the fight 10-5 in his MMA career after a win over Melvin Guillard the same night that Maynard defeated Huerta. While Diaz is 3-2 in his last 5 fights, he has won the Submission of the Night or the Fight of the Night honors in each of those 5 fights. His trash-talking style makes him a favorite for fans to hate, but he is a very dangerous fighter, especially on the ground.

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UFC Fight Night 20 will take place on January 11, 2010 on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. The entire UFC Fight Night 20 fight card & results can be found online with the event to be broadcast live on Spike TV.

Cleveland Browns vs. Detroit Lions

November 22nd 1:00 ET

The Browns got an appearance on Monday Night Football.  They proved they didn’t deserve it as they were listless in a 16-0 defeat.  The Browns offense is one of the worst in the league’s history as they have gone 1-14 in their last 15 games.  Their only victory was a 6-3 bore fest at Buffalo where the offense failed to score.  During the Monday Night Football broadcast both Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski criticized the Browns play calling.  First time Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll has been horrible with most of the plays being predictable and within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage.  The Ravens simply sat on the routes.  The play on the right side of the offensive line has been atrocious.  Right Tackle John St. Claire was dominated start to finish which halted pass plays and limited the effectiveness of the running game.  Rob Ryan’s defense played hard and kept the Browns in the game.  Although lacking talent on the edge and being on the field far too long, the defense has still played hard and given the Browns a chance to win.

Prediction: The 1-8 Browns face the 1-8 Lions in week 10.  This will be a better game to evaluate QB Brady Quinn against a team with equal talent (or lack thereof).  The Lions defense has struggled throughout the year which should give Quinn time to throw the ball.  Inexplicably, the Browns continue to leave Jerome Harrison out of the game plan.  For a team that cannot score Harrison should be in the game for his playmaking ability.  The Browns defense should be able to put pressure on Detroit rookie QB Matthew Stafford.  Look for Shaun Rogers to have a big game against his former team.  The game will be very close and likely ugly.  Quinn finally looks like the QB Cleveland fans envisioned as the Browns pull out a narrow victory.  Cleveland 20 Detroit 17

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Oakland Raiders

November 22nd 4:15 ET

The Bengals had their biggest win of the season at Pittsburgh.  The 18-12 victory put Cincinnati in the drivers seat in the AFC North division.  The Bengals won the game by running the ball on offense and playing physical on defense.  Their pass rush forced Ben Roethlisberger into early throws and kept him in the pocket.  RB Cedric Benson left the game with a hip injury but seldom used Bernard Scott managed to make critical 1st downs in the 2nd half and pulled off the biggest play in the game in the 1st quarter with a 96 yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

Prediction: The Bengals can control their own future and will start their journey at Oakland.  The Raiders finally benched JaMarcus Russell and will start Bruce Gradkowski against Cincinnati.  The Raiders have an effective running game with Michael Bush, Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden.  The Bengals will pound the ball with a strong running game and make plays down the field.  Cincinnati 31 Oakland 17

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

Ohio State vs. Michigan

 November 21st 12:00 ET

The Buckeyes are smelling roses as they defeated Iowa 27-24 in overtime to win the Big Ten title.  The game was played in conservative fashion on both sides as Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor completed 79 % of his passes yet only had 14 attempts.  The Buckeyes had several chances to put the undermanned Hawkeyes away, instead Head Coach Jim Tressel decided to keep the ball on the ground which shortened the game and kept Iowa alive.  Even more curious was who he chose to give the carries to.  Boom Herron ran hard but only mustered 97 yards on 32 carries while Brandon Saine rushed for 103 on only 11 carries.  Fortunately for Buckeye fans Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz had the same strategy.  Iowa received OSU’s punt with over a minute left in the game in good field position and holding 2 timeouts.  Instead of going for the victory with a QB that was playing well, Ferentz decided to play for overtime.  In the overtime session, Iowa QB James Vandenberg was sacked resulting in the Hawkeyes being outside of field goal position.  Ohio State then only needed a field goal to win the game.  Instead of getting closer with a new kicker, the conservative Tressel elected to run the ball 3 straight downs and attempt a 39 yard field goal.  Devin Barclay bailed Coach Tressel out nailing the field goal which ignited a celebration at the Shoe.

The Iowa-Ohio State game was the epitome of what fires up the national pundits.  The conservative approach is difficult to comprehend and even harder for Big Ten supporters to defend.  In summary, the DVD of Iowa vs. Ohio State will be used as evidence against the Big Ten in the court of the BCS in future seasons.

Next up for Ohio State is the “one game season” against arch rival Michigan.  The Wolverines have struggled on the season with a 6-5 record and are coming off an embarrassing 45-24 loss to Wisconsin.  Michigan gave up 229 yards rushing against the Badgers.

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Prediction:  Although Ohio State has already won the conference crown, playing Michigan is and always will be a big game.  If the Buckeyes are aggressive on offense they should have their way against a soft Michigan defense.  Look for Terrelle Pryor to have a big game in his first appearance in The Big House.  On defense Ohio State will pressure Tate Forcier and shut down the running game of Brandon Minor.  Coach Jim Tressel is an astonishing 7-1 against the team up north.  He adds to his resume as Ohio State wins big.  Ohio State 31 Michigan 13

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens

Monday Night Football

November 16th 8:30 ET
Changes on and off the field occurred on the Browns bye week.  First the Browns fired GM George Kokinis after only 8 weeks on the job.  Then they finally announced the benching of The Statue.  Brady Quinn reclaims the starting QB position after being given only 2 ½ games to start the season.  Quinn will get the 2nd half of the season to show he is the franchise QB the previous Browns brass envisioned.

The 1-7 Browns will host a Monday Night game against nemesis Baltimore with fans planning a protest by showing up to the game late.  To alter a quote from former Bengal coach Sam Wyche, you don’t live in Cincinnati Browns fans show up and support your team no matter the circumstance.  Make no mistake, unlike their neighbors to the south, Browns fans are passionate win or lose and will be there supporting Brady Quinn and the Browns.

The Ravens dominated the 1st contest against the Browns which resulted in Head Coach Eric Mangini benching Quinn at half time.  The Statue put up an even worse performance in the 2nd half as the Ravens cruised to a 34-3 victory.  The Ravens are coming off of a disappointing 17-7 loss at Cincinnati which most likely eliminates them from the division chase.  However at 4-4, the Ravens still are in the wild card hunt and will have plenty to play for.

Prediction: Expect a fired up Browns team with a boisterous crowd behind them.  Brady Quinn will play much better than the previous game against the Ravens but it will not be enough.  Joe Flacco will have success against the secondary combination of Toast and Skirt and Brodney Pool will continue to miss tackles.  With the loss Eric Mangini’s leash only grows shorter.  Baltimore 33 Cleveland 20

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

November 15th 1:00 ET CBS

Line: Pittsburgh -7
The Steelers seek revenge in the game of the year in the AFC North.  In the 1st match-up the Steelers jumped out to an early lead then attempted to hold on instead of being aggressive.  Cincinnati’s offensive line dominated the game protecting Carson Palmer and allowing Cedric Benson to run for 76 yards and a touchdown in the 23-20 victory.  Carson Palmer drove the Bengals down the field connecting with Andre Caldwell with only 14 seconds left to pull out the victory.

Both teams come in at 6-2 in a game that will likely decide the division.  The Steelers started the season at 1-2 but bounced back in impressive fashion with a five game winning streak which includes victories over San Diego, Minnesota and Denver.  The Bengals were dominated by the Houston Texans in week 6 but rebounded nicely with dominating performance against the Bears and the Ravens.

Prediction: Pittsburgh All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu missed the 1st contest due to an injured knee but will be at full force in front of the home faithful.  Polamalu effects the entire scheme and aggressiveness of the Steeler defense.  Carson Palmer and the Bengal offense have to rely on Cedric Benson to slow down the vaunted Steeler blitz packages.  In the end, Ben Roethlisberger will make big plays in the 4th quarter and lead the Steelers to the victory.  Pittsburgh 31 Cincinnati 23

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

#10 Iowa at #11 Ohio State

November 14th 3:30 ET

The conference has come full circle and now comes down to one game for the conference title.  The Hawkeyes will invade Columbus without starting QB Ricky Stanzi who injured his knee against Northwestern.

Ohio State had their biggest win of the season; a statement victory at Penn State.  Terrelle Pryor played very well in the victory in front of his home state crowd.  Pryor, a Pennsylvania native, threw for 125 yards and two scores and ran for 50 yards and a score in the 24-7 victory.  Ohio State’s defense was dominant holding QB Darryll Clark to 125 yards and RB Evan Royster to 36 yards.  The Buckeye defense may be the best in the entire nation.

Iowa has escaped the jaws of defeat throughout the 09 season but couldn’t pull out another miracle against Northwestern.  The Hawkeye National Championship dream ended in front of their home crowd with the 17-10 defeat.  Ricky Stanzi threw for 134 before the season ending injury.  In his stead, James Vandenberg was 9 of 27 for 82 yards and an interception.  Freshmen RB Brandon Wegher ran for 63 yards on 19 carries.

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Prediction: The Iowa offense struggled mightily without Ricky Stanzi.  The road gets no easier for Vandenberg when they travel to Columbus to face one of the best defenses in the nation in front of over 100,000 fans.  To have any success Wegher will have to carry the load and control the clock.  If not, the Buckeye pass rush led by Cameron Heyward will dominate the game.  Terrelle Pryor will have a big game with the conference title on the line.  Look for Pryor to have success through the air and especially with his scrambling ability.  Coach Jim Tressel adds another Big Ten Title to his impressive resume.  Ohio State 31 Iowa 13

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

#5 Cincinnati vs. #25 West Virginia

November 13th 8:00 ESPN 2

The Cincinnati Bearcats got their 1st test of the season as they narrowly escaped with a victory over UCONN.  Sophomore QB Zach Collaros was incredible in the victory throwing for an astonishing 480 yards and a touchdown and rushing for another 75 yards and 2 scores.  WR Mardy Gilyard hauled in 12 receptions for 172 yards in the 47-45 victory.  The Bearcat defense was exposed by the Husky offense giving up 261 yards passing to Zach Frazer and 162 yards rushing to Jordan Todman.  The Bearcat defense will have their hands full on a national stage when they face an athletic West Virginia offense.

The Mountaineers looked unimpressive in their 17-9 victory over Louisville.  RB Noel Devine hurt his ankle in the victory which limited the junior speedster to 56 yards on 13 carries.  He will have to be at 100% to keep West Virginia in the game when they face the explosive Bearcats.

Prediction: With or without a healthy Devine, the Mountaineer offense will not be able to put up enough points to hang with the Bearcats.  Head Coach Brian Kelly has a difficult decision to make.  Does he go back to Tony Pike who has been out with an injury or stay with the red hot Zach Collaros?  Either QB will lead the Bearcats to an easy victory over West Virginia in front of the Cincinnati faithful.  Cincinnati 44 West Virginia 24

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer