Rotoworld: Oregon RB LaMichael James and Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon among top 10 players who are being overhyped for the 2012 draft.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
The Detroit Red Wings equaled an NHL record with their 20th straight win at home, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 Sunday night on the strength of Johan Franzen's tiebreaking goal early in the third period.
PBT: Boston's Rajon Rondo continues to be named in trade talks, which is madness. The Celtics guard creates offense and makes everyone around him better, which was evident in Sunday's win over the Bulls.
Arc: Syracuse is among a solid group of No. 1 seeds in our latest tournament projections, but the middle of the pack is much more murky.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods greeted their Sunday pairing at Pebble Beach with optimism. But the day would end happily only for one.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio State coach Jim Tressel has no doubt Terrelle Pryor is the best quarterback to lead the Buckeyes.
Not all his players agree.
Tight end Jake Ballard said it could help the Buckeyes’ struggling offense to turn back to former starter Todd Boeckman and have him share the job with Pryor. The freshman has shown flashes of skill, but is still a work in progress.
“The senior leadership that Todd brings to the table and just how he commands the huddle would definitely help us out,” Ballard said. “And he could make some big throws for us. ... I don’t think a two-quarterback system would be a bad idea.”
No. 12 Ohio State (6-1, 3-0 Big Ten) will be facing one of its biggest tests of the season Saturday when it plays at No. 20 Michigan State.
The Buckeyes are last in the Big Ten in passing and next to last in total offense.
But Tressel clearly is committed to Pryor going it alone, though he said Tuesday he wants to play Boeckman. The senior has not played either of the last two games, both Ohio State victories.
“(I) haven’t determined that that was the right moment (or) situation,” Tressel said tersely.
Boeckman led Ohio State to a Big Ten title and a spot in the BCS national championship game last season. This season, he had the job for three games before Pryor, who was playing high school ball in Jeannette, Pa., a year ago, was promoted.
Boeckman said the transition has been painful but he’s tried to make the best of it.
“When you’re on the sidelines, you always want to play,” Boeckman said. “You always want to be that guy out there. Terrelle is doing some good things out there. He’s getting better each and every week. I’m doing what I can. If my number’s ever called, I’m going to be there, ready to go.”
The Buckeyes have won all four of Pryor’s starts, but the offense has sputtered. Pryor is only permitted to speak with reporters after games and not during weekly interview periods.
A unit that returned nine starters stands 94th in total offense in major college football, including 108th in passing.
“If an apology is what you’d like, we can all go to lunch,” Tressel cracked. “I apologize. And we’ll try to get better.”
But at the same time, he knows it’s no laughing matter. The Buckeyes have totaled 18 touchdowns in their first seven games; a year ago at this point, they had 31.
Buckeyes fans on radio call-in shows and Web sites are calling the offense unimaginative and predictable. Several Southern California players said they knew what the Buckeyes were going to do on almost every snap after USC pounded Ohio State 35-3 in Boeckman’s last start.
Even Tressel seemed to question his own approach on Tuesday.
“You always have to start by being troubled by the plan, because there’s got to be some reasons why you’re not executing,” he said.
A porous offensive line might be Ohio State’s biggest problem. The Buckeyes are 106th in the nation in sacks allowed.
Tressel has taken an increasing interest in the line in recent weeks, even dubbing himself the “assistant offensive line coach.” Usually reserved on and off the field, Tressel has strained his voice yelling at the linemen to be quicker and hold their blocks longer.
But the sacks aren’t all the lines’ fault.
Pryor is dangerous runner — able to dodge or outrun onrushing defenders. Yet he sometimes doesn’t know when to throw a ball away to avoid trouble. He was sacked three times on Saturday in a 16-3 victory over Purdue, a game in which the Buckeyes’ didn’t score an offensive touchdown.
“He can make big plays with his feet but he has to realize it’s not high school, he can’t make big plays every single time for 20 yards or more,” Ballard said. “He’s not always going to get big plays.”
He said the Buckeyes cannot continue playing the way they have been.
“It’s frustrating. Everybody thinks it’s frustrating,” he said. “But we’re not worried about it as much as maybe others are because we know it’s things that we can change, to turn around the way the season is going right now.”
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
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The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos |
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
The Red Wings have finally started to embrace a record they've been chasing.