Shawn's Favorite Five: College Football

     Shawn's Favorite Five will be a series that looks at my five favorite coaches from a sport that isn't my choices for the five greatest or best coaches; it's a list of my five favorites.

College Football is the focus of this version of our series. 

1: Barry Switzer, Oklahoma

Switzer is one of three coaches to win a national championship and a Super Bowl (Jimmy Johnson and Pete Carroll are the others) and is responsible for making Oklahoma the top program of the seventies.

Switzer's Sooners may not have invented the Wishbone offense (Texas did in the late sixties). Still, they perfected it, winning three national titles and numerous Big Eight championships with an unstoppable offense unless forced to pass.

Switzer always played the part of the lovable rogue, and his Sooners may have been the first team that was a "love or hate" team on a national level.

I had no problems loving them.

2: Woody Hayes, Miami, Ohio, and Ohio State

Hayes was brought to Ohio State over former Buckeye coach ( and two-time Hall of Fame inductee) Paul Brown, and then became the most controversial coach of his tenure.

Woody's comments and behaviors were always controversial, and his offenses gave the term "three yards and a cloud of dust" a synonym for dull. Still, his manner of dealing with the rivalry with Michigan is largely what has made it the biggest in college football, if not all sports.

During Hayes's tenure, Ohio State may not have been a love them or hate them team, but Woody Hayes certainly was as a coach.

3: Jim Tressel, Youngstown State and Ohio State

Tressel combined the love of keeping recruiting based around the state of Ohio with a surprising gambling streak for someone who appeared so straight-laced.

Tressel loved basic football, and I'm not sure if he would have been as effective in the current game, but he represented Ohio State well.

Plus, it was Tressel who reestablished Ohio State's domination of Michigan after John Cooper ran the series into the dirt for Buckeye fans!

4: Chris Petersen, Boise State and Washington

Known for bringing Boise State to national prominence, Peterson's trick plays and innovative offense made the Broncos a fun team to watch.

Petersen also rebuilt the Washington program, taking them to the BCS and laying the foundation for the team (under Kalen DeBoer) that would make the national title game in 2023.

5: Bill Snyder, Kansas State

Snyder took one of the country's worst programs and turned it around-TWICE!

Snyder took "Futility U" almost to the verge of a national title. After retiring, K-State fell back to the bottom under Ron Prince before Snyder returned for another decade to rebuild the program back AGAIN!

Barry Switzer once said of Snyder  and the job that he did at Kansas State, "He's not the coach of the year or the decade, he's the coach of the century!"

Pats pound Browns, Garrett has five sacks

     Myles Garrett sacked New England's Drake Maye five times for a franchise record, but the Patriots scored three touchdowns in the third quarter to lead New England to a 32-13 win in Foxboro.

Dillon Gabriel threw two touchdowns with two interceptions and a total of 156 passing yards.

The Browns slip to 2-6 with the defeat and will have a week off before traveling to New York to meet the 1-7 Jets.

Brownie Bits

1) Myles Garrett was dominant in this game, sacking Drake Maye five times.

New England had no answer for Garrett, who also forced a fumble, and was the only thing that made the Browns worth watching in this game.

2) I've heard (and read) several notes about how bad some feel about Myles Garrett wasting his career in Cleveland.

Don't.

Garrett had his chance in the off-season when he demanded a trade, and he made the decision to take a new contract, which made him the league's highest-paid defender at the time.

I don't blame Garrett. I might have made the same decision in his situation, but he's been here and he knows how this organization is run.

He's well compensated and was well-informed before making his decision.

3) The defense (other than Garrett) was erratic in the defeat.

Three times, New England moved the ball down the field in the first half, and the defense stiffened to hold the Patriots to field goals, which gave New England a 9-7 lead at the half.

4) The same couldn't be said in the third quarter, with the Patriots scoring touchdowns on all three possessions to put the game away.

I mean, there was plenty of time available, but when you have the Browns offense, there was no chance for a comeback.

5) Quinshon Judkins was once again keyed on by the defense (Get used to that Quinshon)  and finished with only nineteen yards on nine carries before leaving the game with an injury.

6) The leading rusher?

Malachi Corley, who took a jet sweep pitch thirty-one yards.

When a wide receiver with one carry is your team's leading rusher? Oh Boy.

7) The Browns completed two passes to wide receivers.

Yes, Two, both to Jamari Thrash.

8) Dillon Gabriel did throw one pass longer than six yards, a long pass intended for Isaiah Bond, but it was instead grabbed by New England's Jaylinn Hawkins.

I can live with interceptions like that; they are basically the same as a punt as far as field position goes, but the ball was badly thrown.

9) That was the only pass more than a few yards beyond the line because, well, you know, but defenses are having no problems dealing with a passing game that uses the bubble screen like a long bomb.

10) The Browns tried a flea-flicker,

But New England read that so fast that Gabriel didn't have time to even look for a receiver as he threw the ball down like a kid playing the old game "Time Bomb".

11) Kevin Stefanski stated after the game that things were going to change (I have no idea how in the hell that's supposed to happen), but he was sticking with Dillon Gabriel for the game against the Jets in two weeks.

I don't have a clue what there is to change at this stage of the season that could help other than Shedeur Sanders or Bailey Zappe coming in at quarterback (and I don't think that helps anyway), but it only brings attention to the fact that nothing can be done when Stefanski keeps talking about changes.

12) It wouldn't be a post without a Jerry Jeudy complaint.

Jeudy finished without a catch, which is very helpful for a player making millions to be your number one receiver, but he was only thrown to twice.

In the fourth quarter, the Browns went for it in the red zone with Dillon Gabriel throwing incomplete to Jeudy.

Watching the live action, it appeared that the Patriot defender made a nice play. However, upon reviewing the replay, the ball goes through Jeudy's arms, and it looks like Jeudy made an effort that I'd say was lackluster, if I'm being generous.

13) The Browns received more bad news when rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger left the game with a high-level ankle sprain.

Schwesinger grabbed his first career interception earlier in the game and has played very well in his rookie season.

Schwesinger could miss four to six weeks, and with the team lacking depth at linebacker, his loss will be felt.

Boxing Challenge: Wardley rallies again!

    For the second fight in a row, Fabio Wardley rallied from behind to score a miracle knockout win, and in this win, he defeated the best opponent of his career to earn a chance at undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Wardley's eleventh-round stoppage of Joseph Parker won him a minor title, but his victory in London has replaced Parker as the next opponent for Usyk.

The fight was action-filled and competitive, but two of the three judges had Parker ahead (by two and six points), with the third scoring it even after ten rounds (I had Parker ahead 97-93).

Both fighters landed heavy shots throughout the fight, but Parker had Wardley in mild trouble in the ninth and tenth rounds.

I thought the stoppage by referee Howard Foster was premature, as Parker looked to be hurt worse earlier in the round, and Wardley wasn't connecting solidly (if at all) with the flurry that ended the fight.

A rematch seems to be a good idea, but I can't see Wardley risking his now mandatory shot at Usyk, although Parker took that risk to face Wardley.

I don't see Wardley having more than a puncher's chance against Usyk, who will likely handle Wardley in the same manner that he disposed of the similarly styled Daniel DuBois.

However, as Wardley has proven in his two recent bouts, you always have a chance when you possess the power to end a fight at any time.

Boxing Challenge

TRS: 135 Pts (0)

Ramon Malpica: 128 Pts (0)

Vince Samano; 53 Pts  (0) 

PPM

   Football?

It's an Ohio State bye week, but that doesn't mean the gridiron action stops at the PPM!

Last Week: 7-7

Overall: 75-37

College

Texas Tech over Oklahoma State 45-17

Boise State over Nevada 43-17

Bowling Green over Kent State 31-14

Auburn over Arkansas 41-35

Pittsburgh over N.C. State 24-10

Arkansas State over Georgia Southern 20-17

Delaware over Middle Tennessee State 24-10

Games of the Week

Ole Miss over Oklahoma 27-20

Vanderbilt over Missouri 24-21

NFL

Patriots over Browns 24-7

Buccaneers over Saints 31-17

Games of the Week

Packers over Steelers 27-17

Eagles over Giants 21-14

Boxing Challenge

    Only one bout in the boxing challenge as the top heavyweight contender meets a hard-punching young challenger.

Former WBO champion Joseph Parker is on a six-fight winning streak including wins over Martin Bakole, Zhihei Zhanf, and Deontay Wilder, which has moved Parker into the top challenger position to world champion Oleksandr Usyk. 

Fabio Wardley was part of a great fight against Frazer Clarke that ended in a draw before dusting Clarke in the first round of their rematch.

Wardley seemed to be taking a step back in his last fight against Justtis Huni as Wardlley was far behind on the scorecards against Justis Huni before landing one right hand in the tenth round to save his ranking and add to his status as a power puncher.

Parker can make exciting fights and Wardley has a flair for the dramatic, so this could be a very fun fight to watch.

However, Parker might be better served to outboc Wardley, take the win, and happily move on to a title shot.

Heavyweights 12 Rds 

Joseph Parker Vs Fabio Wardley

All: Parker Unanimous Decision

I Tell Ya' Herbie

   It's our weekly look at college football, featuring another hot-seat coach who we mentioned one week ago might be fired next!

Editor's Note: I started this last week, and time constraints didn't allow me to finish, so consider this an extra-large double edition.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             We mentioned the heat on James Franklin at Penn State after their road loss to a twenty-point-plus underdog UCLA last week.

Little did we know that the Nittany Lions were about to drop another game as a similar favorite at home to Northwestern!

And that game spelled the end of James Franklin at Penn State, and another coach mentioned here as sitting on the hot seat gets the axe at mid-season.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             The top name on the list to replace Franklin was Indiana's Curt Cignetti, who led his Hoosiers to a huge win over the Oregon Ducks in Eugene last week.

The Pittsburgh native signed an eight-year contract extension worth an average of over eight million per season to remain in Indiana, and takes Cignetti off the table for the Nittany Lions.

The top rumored name now appears to be Nebraska's Matt Rhule, but two other names to watch for- Iowa State's Matt Campbell may decide that this is his "Pete Gillen" moment and finally take a job before schools quit asking and Vanderbilt's Clark Lea, who is 5-1 with the Commodores which is only slightly easier that doing that with Lionel Richie and his Commodores.

A possible issue with Lea that he can't control?

He's from Vanderbilt, which sent Penn State's last head coach, a fellow named James Franklin.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             I missed last week (as noted above), and as a result, I didn't mention the hot seat that Billy Napier sat on at Florida.

Florida fired Napier after a 23-21 win over Mississippi State that reportedly included several questionable decisions by Napier.

Florida improved to 3-4 (2-2 SEC) after the win, but Napier had coached his last game as Gator boss.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             The Big 12 took a major shot when Arizona State upset unbeaten Texas Tech on a late-game score.

The loss may have delivered a major blow to the league's hopes of receiving two playoff slots.

In this bloated conference era, Tech could run the table, finish at 11-1, and not qualify for the Big 12 title game as both BYU and Cincinnati are unbeaten in the conference.

Tech does play BYU later this season, but Cincinnati doesn't play Tech or BYU, and when you could have multi-team tiebreakers, the leagues best team (the Tech-BYU winner or Cincinnati) might be on the outside looking in.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             I still think that the Group of Five bid will go to the champion of the American with three unbeaten teams in the league (Navy, South Florida, and Tulane) and five with six wins overall (unbeaten Navy and South Florida, Tulane, Memphis, and North Texas with one loss) but if anyone can take advantage of these teams beating each other up and have their champion finish with two defeates, it could be James Madison of the Sun Belt.

JMU led Old Dominion by one (28-27) at halftime and then hammered the Monarchs in the second half with a thirty-five point assault in 63-27 win.

The Dukes only defeat is a forgivable 28-14 at Louisville in a game that was tied after three quarters and if they win out along with some help in the American race, it could be James Madison in the playoff.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             One of my favorite ruvalries that doesn't receive a lot of national attention will take place for the final time as a conference game as Colorado State meets Wyoming for the Bronze Boot.

The 3-4 Cowboys will host the 2-5 Rams, who fired head coach Jay Norvell this week, in Laramie.

Wyoming will remain in the Mountain West, while Colorado State is leaving after the season for the revitalized Pacific 12.

The schools have been in the same conference since 1968 (WAC and Mountain West) and will play next year in the season opener before skipping 2027.

The series will resume in 2028 and there is an agreement to continue through 2036.

It is possible the teams could meet in 2027, if scheduling adjustments can be arranged.

                             

           

                            

Browns roll over Miami 31-6

     Quinshon Judkins scored three touchdowns on a rainy and windy day in Cleveland as the Cleveland Browns crushed the Miami Dolphins 31-6.

Judkins finished with eighty-two rushing yards to lead the offense on the day.

The defense was the true star of the afternoon, forcing Miami to turn the ball over four times (three interceptions and a fumble), and Tyson Campbell returned one of the interceptions for a touchdown.

Cleveland improved to 2-5 with the win and will travel to a surprising 5-2 New England team next Sunday.

Brownie Bits

1) Quinshon Judkins scored the three mentioned touchdowns and finished with eighty-four yards with forty-six of those yards on one scoring run.

Judkins' numbers showed an average of 3.4 yards on the day which isn't overly impressive.

2) BUT the numbers don''t show how dominant Judkins was. as he was the only offensive weapon (from either team) to do anything on a dreary day.

3) Dillon Gabriel didn't throw an interception (although he did throw one that was overturned by a Miami penalty) for the third start in a row,

The Browns passing game is still bad but thus far Gabriel has been able to avoid the crushing mistake in his starts.

4) However, Gabriel still can't get the ball downfield, completing only one pass longer than twenty yards.

A lot of that is the Browns playcalling to get the ball out as quickly as possible to avoid sacks but I still wonder how much would change even with an improved line.

5) Tyson Campbell was acquired two weeks ago from Jacksonville for Greg Newsome and the main reason that was given for the trade was Campbell's fit in the system run by Jim Schwartz.

Campbell took a Tua Tagovailoa pass to the end zone for a touchdown but it was another play by the newcomer that impressed me more.

6) Miami's Devon Archane appeared to be on his way to a touchdown run (It turned out to be a 46 yard gain) when Tyson Campbell chased him down from across the field.

It not only showed Campbell's speed, it also was a hustle play showing his attitude.

I researched several Jaguar sites after the trade and while some were critical of Campbell's play none of them hit him for lack of effort.

7) The Browns defense sacked Tua Tagovailoa four times to go with the four turnovers and sent him from the game in the fourth quarter in favor of seventh round draft choice Quinn Ewers, who once played one game for Ohio State.

Miami has big problems, maybe worse than the Browns.

8) Grant Delpit had a big day, finishing with a forced fumble, a sack, and forced Tua Tagovailoa to rush a pass from a blitzing Delpit that resulted in an interception.

9) Cleveland's offense still stinks on ice and it's asking a lot of the defense to do this every week.

They have a few games left against crap teams such as the Jets, Raiders, and Titans, so those could be won but I don't see them beating anyone of note.

Ohio State Fickels Wisconsin 34-0

  Julian Sayin threw for nearly four hundred yards and four touchdowns as the Ohio State Buckeyes dominated the Wisconsin Badgers 34-0 in Madison.

Sayin completed thirty-six of forty-two passes during a performance that had some placing him in Heisman consideration.

While that's premature, Sayin did look very good against a Badger team that looks as weak as they have since the years of Don Morton running the veer.

Carnell Tate caught two touchdowns and finished with over one hundred yards receiving, while Jeremiah Smith finished with ninety-seven on nine catches.

I'm cutting this one short for two reasons this week.

The first is that the Browns are starting soon, and the second is that this was so uncompetitive that I didn't watch as closely as usual.

I may update this later or write more later in the week about a game that I usually look forward to (or fear) for personal reasons, but now has become just another game against an overmatched Big Ten opponent.

PPM

     The PPM returns with another big week of football!

Last Week: 12-4

Overall: 68-30

College

Ohio State over Wisconsin 38-6

Texas Tech over Arizona State 34-20

Texas A&M over Arkansas 45-34

Bowling Green over Central Michigan 30-24

UNLV over Boise State 34-31

Georgia Southern over Georgia State 31-28

Oregon State over Lafayette 31-14

North Texas over UTSA 44-40

Games of the Week

Ole Miss over Georgia 31-27

Utah over BYU 20-17

NFL

Dolphins over Browns 13-10

Bears over Saints 24-14

Games of the Week

Chargers over Colts 24-21

Lions over Buccaneers 45-38

David Bell Retires

      The Cleveland Browns announced what had already been assumed earlier this year: that wide receiver David Bell would be retiring from football.

Bell suffered a hip injury in 2024 during the second game of the season and reportedly developed a complication during surgery that has prevented him from continuing his football career.

The Browns drafted Bell in the third round (99th overall) in 2022 from Purdue, where he was named as Big Ten freshman of the year (2019), Receiver of the year (2021), and either first or second team All-Big Ten in each of his three seasons with the Boilermakers.

Bell showed excellent hands, but didn't have the speed to consistently get open on the outside, and didn't receive a full-time chance on the inside as a slot receiver, which I think would have been the preferred position for him.

Bell finished his Cleveland career with forty-one catches for 408 yards and three touchdowns, all three touchdowns in 2023.

Cleaning out the Inbox: Passings

     We return with more sad goodbyes from the sports world and pay tribute to those who have passed away.

Goodbye to Ricky Hatton at the age of 46. 

Britain's version of "The Hitman" won the junior welterweight titles (twice) and the WBA welterweight belt in a career that stamped him as the most popular British boxer of his generation.

Hatton's biggest win was his surprising win over Kostya Tsyzu to win the junior welterweight title for the first time, but he also notched a stunning body shot that broke four ribs of Jose Luis Castillo and stopped Castillo in round four.

Hatton also fought Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas, bringing so many fans from Great Britain that they famously drank some hotels out of beer!

Mayweather stopped Hatton in the tenth round, suffering his first loss.

Hatton was elected to the boxing hall of fame in 2024.

Goodbye to Bernie Parent at the age of 80.

Parent won two Stanley Cups with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1974 and 1975, the only two in franchise history, and won the Vezina (Top Goaltender) and Conn Smythe (Postseason MVP) in both seasons.

Parent played for the Bruins, Maple Leafs, and the WHA Philadelphia Blazers before coming into his prime with the Flyers, but was forced from the game at only thirty-four after suffering an eye injury in 1979 when a high stick caught him in his right eye.

Parent regained his vision but never played again.

Goodbye to Rudi Johnson at the age of 45.

Johnson, a collegiate standout at Auburn, where he won the 2000 SEC Player of the Year award, was the Cincinnati Bengals' fourth-round pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. He would rush for over 1,300 yards three times for the Bengals.

Johnson holds the top two slots in team history for yards in a season and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2004.

Goodbye to Gary Gray at the age of 72.

Gary was a minor league power hitter who never received a full chance in the majors with the Rangers, Indians, and Mariners.

Gary never played in more than eighty games in a season, but hit thirteen homers in sixty-nine games for Seattle in 1981.

Goodbye to Sandy Alomar Sr at the age of 81.

The father of Sandy Alomar Jr and Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar, Sandy Sr, played for fifteen years in the majors for six teams.

Alomar made the All-Star team in 1970 for the Angels, where he spent six seasons.

Alomar finished his career with 227 stolen bases and would be a long-time coach for several major league teams.

Boxing Challenge: Boots knocks out Lima

    It was an expected squash match in Philadelphia, and at least it ended quickly as Jaron "Boots' Ennis made a successful entry into the junior middleweight division with a first-round stoppage of Ulsma Lima.

Two knockdowns preceded Ennis's pounding of Lima along the ropes to force the ending. 

With this fight in the past, Ennis can now face a sterner challenge in fellow unbeaten Vergil Ortiz in a fight that has been talked about for years, should Ortiz win next month against Erickson Lubin.

Ennis vs Ortiz ranks with the best fights to be made in the sport and in a division thriving with young champions (WBA champion Abass Baraou doesn't count), in WBC champion Sebastian Fundora, WBO champion Xander Zayas, and IBF boss Bakhram Murtazaliev, the winner will have a claim as the best in the division and could make top unification fights with any of the thtee.

Hopefully, we will see this long-awaited clash early next year.

The co-feature was a fun slugfest as former Olympian Guido Vianello rebounded from his loss to Richard Torrez with a fifth-round KO of previously unbeaten Alexis Barriere.

Barriere did well over the first three rounds with both fighters landing woth power before Vinello knocking Barriere down later in the fourth round.

Vianello closed the fight quickly in the fifth after another knockdown.

In Sheffield, England, Arslanbek Makhmudov outslugged and survived two lost points for holding to outpoint Dave "The White Rhino" Allen over twelve rounds in another heavyweight battle.

Makhmudov was the more technically skilled fighter and held off a late Allen rally to win by scores of 117-109, 116-110, and 115-111.

Boxing Challenge

TRS: 135 Pts (3)

Ramon Malpica: 128 Pts (3)

Vince Samano: 53 Pts (1) 

Inept offense dooms Browns in Pittsburgh

        Inept offensive play marked yet another loss for the Cleveland Browns in Pittsburgh as the Steelers handed the Browns a 23-9 defeat.

Andre Szmyt was successful on all three of his field goal attempts with a long of fifty-three for Cleveland.

The 1-5 Browns will host the Miami Dolphins next Sunday in Cleveland.

Brownue Bits

1) Dillon Gabriel dropped back fifty-eight times, throwing fifty-two, and took six sacks.

Gabriel also took a terrifying pounding as the Steelers continually punished the rookie passer with hit after hit.

2) Most of Gabriel's passes traveled about six yards, which has many factors.

Gabriel's inability to throw the ball over defenders, receivers who struggle to get open downfield, and an offensive line that continues to deteriorate are all contributing factors to the inept passing game.

3) Pittsburgh dared Cleveland to beat them with the pass by placing extra men in the box to stop Quinshon Judkins.

Cleveland tried to do that as Judkins, their best offensive weapon, would carry the ball only twelve times (36 yards), as the Browns threw fifty-two passes.

I credit Cleveland for trying to make the most of what they are given, but it highlights the weakness that they can't even capitalize on what they have.

4) And another week from Jerry Jeudy, who caught five passes of thirteen thrown to him for a pitiful forty-three yards.

Jeudy's biggest failing was committing an offensive pass interference penalty on a play where Dillon Gabriel was hammered, and drew a roughing the passer penalty that was wiped out, thanks to Jeudy.

5) Defenders of Stefanski and Gabriel will note that the rookie hasn't thrown an interception in his two starts, and that's true.

However, I counted four passes that Steelers defenders could have picked off and didn't.

I know that dropped interceptions aren't a stat, but I also know that those breaks don't last forever.

6) Cleveland may have suffered more losses on the offensive line as Jack Conklin suffered a concussion, and Cam Robinson suffered a knee injury.

If neither can play against Miami on Sunday, it's another shot for an offensive line that isn't playing that great to begin with.

7) Drops and poor routes continue to plague this team.

Jerry Jeudy aside, Harold Fannin and David Njoku dropped back-to-back passes on a key drive, and on one red zone trip, a Dillon Gabriel toss hit Isaiah Bond in the helmet.

8) The defense was fine, other than wearing down as the game moved along, but they did show some frustration with the lack of offensive help.

9) Myles Garrett finished with two assisted tackles and Mason Graham with one assist, which isn't what the Browns are writing big paychecks for.

Cleveland failed to sack the less-than-mobile Aaron Rodgers once all game

10) Pittsburgh also managed to do well in the return game with multiple returns of over twenty yards.

11) It wouldn't be a visit to Pittsburgh without a cheap shot, and the team that brought you kicking punters in the head, James Harrison and Joey Porter with blind side helmet shots and late hits galore, did so again with DeShon Elliott's helmet shot to Gage Larvadan that drove the rookie from the game.

Larvadan held onto the ball, but his day was over.

12) The Browns escape the brutal early stage of the season with a 1-5 record, which seems about what I expected.

This home game against 1-5 Miami looms big, though, as a home loss to the Dolphins could mean serious thoughts about the job security of Kevin Stefanski, Andrew Berry, and possibly both.

Buckeyes leap past Illini 34-16

     Julian Sayin threw two touchdowns and C.J. Donaldson ran for two as the Ohio State Buckeyes retained the IlliBuck trophy with a 34-16 win over Illinois in Champaign.

Ohio State's defense forced three turnovers, which led to twenty-one points in the victory. 

Ohio State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) travels to struggling Wisconsin next Sunday.

Olentangy Offerings

1) Illinois became the first team to score two touchdowns this season against Ohio State, but it took a trick play to finally score one (after three shots had failed), and the other was in garbage time.

Another outstanding defensive performance.

2) Ohio State had a scare when Jeremiah Smith fell awkwardly and left the game.

Smith would return and finish with five catches for forty-two yards and a touchdown.

3) I did find Bret Bielema's comments after the game humorous.

Bielema stated his mistake was not moving to a hurry-up offense sooner because Ohio State's defense "couldn't do shit with it".

Well, much of Illinois's success was against a softer zone, so keep that in mind.

4) Illinois QB Luke Altmyer hadn't thrown an interception all season until his first drive against Ohio State.

Jermaine Matthews tipped the pass, and Payton Pierce grabbed the interception.

5) Bo Jackson caught a swing pass and took it seventeen yards for the score for his only touchdown, with a dive to complete the play.

Jackson only carried the ball ten times for forty-seven yards in the win.

6) Kayden McDonald earned a fumble force and a fumble recovery when he removed the ball from the arms of Illinois' Ca'lil Valentine.

McDonald just took it from Valentine as routine.

7) Earlier, I mentioned Jermaine Matthews forcing one turnover, and he forced another later when he hit Luke Altmyer, making him drop the ball, which Caden Curry recovered.

Matthews' play this season hasn't been a surprise, but it's been a key to the defensive success.

8) This was the 100th game since starting the IlliBuck trophy, and Ohio State won for the first time since 2017, as they hadn't played since a 52-14 OSU win.

9) I personally like the IlliBuck, and it's the only trophy that Ohio State plays for.

I don't consider Illinois a rival, but it's still cool, and I wish OSU had more trophy games.

10) The problem is that starting trophy games now will seem so artificial and likely have a "sponsored by" on the trophy somewhere.

"It's the battle for the Dump Truck brought to you by GMC"

Boxing Challenge

    There is finally some boxing of note this weekend, and while none of the fights are of earth-shattering importance, one stands out for 2026.

Jaron "Boots" Ennis vacated his WBA and IBF welterweight titles to move to the junior middleweight division and immediately will fight for a minor title in his hometown of Philadelphia.

The problem is that the fight is a squash match, and anything short of a spectacular outing will be a disappointment against Uisma Lima.

Ennis is coming off the biggest win of his career after his knockout win of Eimantas Stanonis, while Lima has fought one opponent, Aaron McKenna, of note, and McKenna handed Lima his only loss.

Ennis requires an explosive win, so anything short of one will be a disappointment.

The co-feature pits heavyweight Guido Vianello against unbeaten Canadian Alexis Barriere.

Vianello lost his last fight in a close battle to prospect Richard Torrez, while Barriere will be taking his first step forward against tougher competition.

What might be the best fight of the weekend is in Sheffield, England, as a scheduled twelve-round heavyweight bout is unlikely to see close to the distance.

Two fighters with big punches and questionable chins, David "White Rhino" Allen and Arslanbek Makhmudov, should produce an explosive and likely short match.

Allen knocked out Johnny Fisher in the fifth round of their rematch (Allen lost a split decision in their first bout, which he deserved), and will be the crowd favorite.

Makhmudov was once a top ten contender before knockout losses to Agit Kabayel and Guido Vianello showed his vulnerability in taking punches.

Boxing Challenge

Junior Middleweights. 12 Rds 

Jaron "Boots" Ennis vs Usima Lima

Ramon Malpica: Ennis KO 9
TRS: Ennis KO 6
Vince Samano: Ennis Unanimous Decision

Heavyweights 10 Rds

Guido Vianello vs Alexis Barriere

R.L and TRS: Vianello Unanimous Decision
V.S: Barriere Unanimous Decision

Heavyweights.12 Rds

David Allen vs Arslanbek Makhmudov

R.L: Allen KO 10 
TRS: Allen KO 5
V.S.: Allen Unanimous Decision

PPM

 Another weekend of gridiron action!

Last Week: 7-4 

Overall: 56-26

College

Ohio State over Illinois 34-13

Texas Tech over Kansas 41-24

Notre Dame over N.C. State 31-16

Tennessee over Arkansas 38-28

Boise State over New Mexico 28-20

Bowling Green over Toledo 27-24

Southern Miss over Georgia Southern 34-20

Middle Tennessee over Missouri State 17-14

Wake Forest over Oregon State 24-21

UTSA over Rice 28-19

Games of the week

Oregon over Indiana 37-30

Missouri over Alabama 27-25

NFL
Steelers over Browns 21-13

Patriots over Saints 24-10

Games of the week

Buccaneers over 49ers 35-31

Jaguars over Seahawks 27-21

I Tell Ya' Herbie

    Time for our weekly thoughts on the college football world- I Tell Ya' Herbie.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            Penn State was viewed by many as a potential playoff winner entering the season.

Between most of their lineup returning and a schedule that featured Oregon coming to State College, and a non-conference schedule that was softer than sherbet, the Nittany Lions ' chances seemed solid.

Even their two overtime defeat to Oregon didn't hurt, but their shocking loss to winless UCLA may have forced Penn State into run-the-table mode, even to make the playoffs, and would include a road win at Ohio State.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             Penn State fans would be more than willing to move on without James Franklin, but it's unlikely to happen.

Why?

Well, if Penn State could find a school that wanted Franklin, Penn State would receive a buyout of between two and four million dollars from that school.

However, if Penn State fired Franklin for any reason (outside of breaking rules, etc.), it would reportedly cost them between $50 million and $54 million.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            Another coach under fire is Texas head man Steve Sarkisian.

Sarkisian's loss to Ohio State on the road could be excused, but not their defeat to a struggling Florida Gators team.

Sarkisian is essentially James Franklin South.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             This week is an opportunity for Indiana to take the next step in its sprint to national prominence.

While Curt Cignetti has done one of the best turnarounds of a downtrodden program in years, the Hoosiers still lack a big scalp on their mantle.

Indiana travels to Oregon on Saturday, and should they win that game, Indiana can knock down another hurdle.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             3-2 Iowa will battle 2-3 Wisconsin in Madison in my favorite game ot the season that doesn't involve a team that I support.

That game is always fun with Ryan (Wisconsin) meeting Jeff (Iowa) in a battle of smack talk, rooting, screaming, and predicting doom; that was always a great time.

I'm hoping to spend my Saturday night on a video chat with the two of them, watching the game.

It's not quite the same as the three of us watching together, but it's something to add to the memory book.

                             

                             

  

Browns swap corners with Jaguars

    The Cleveland Browns are either selling the 2025 season early, or Andrew Berry feels very secure in his future, as the Browns and Berry made another trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars, with Cleveland sending cornerback Greg Newsome and a sixth rounder previously acquired from the Jets for cornerback Tyson Campbell and the seventh rounder of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Both players are twenty-five years old, and both were selected in the 2021 draft.

Greg Newsome was the Browns' first-rounder in 2021 from Northwestern and was playing well this season after a few rocky seasons that had seen him pass Martin Emerson on the depth chart after Emerson's arrival in 2022.

Newsome had taken advantage of Emerson's training camp injury to re-establish him as a starter, and while I could do without some of Newsome's histronics (it seemed like after every play, Newsome was dancing around like he won the Super Bowl), he's playing as well as he has since his promising rookie season.

Newsome would have been a free agent at the end of the season, and the Browns could have received a compensation draft pick had Newsome departed Cleveland.

Tyson Campbell was the first player taken in the second round in the 2021 draft from Georgia, and played well in his first two seasons, earning an extension last summer for four seasons.

Campbell's play had dipped last season and early in 2025, but with his size (6'1, 195 pounds) and physical skills, Campbell might be a candidate for immediate improvement under an elite defensive coordinator in Cleveland's Jim Schwartz.

Cleveland gains two and a half years of control of Campbell with his extension, while Newsome could leave the Browns with nothing following the season.

Plus, Jacksonville picks up the "Dead Money" of Campbell's contract for being traded, and since Newsome is a free agent at the end of the season, there will be no dead money for him, saving Cleveland valuable space.

The draft picks aren't really a wash, as the Jets' sixth-rounder should be near the top of the round and the Eagles' seventh is likely to be near the bottom of that round.

If this trade had been made last summer, the Browns would seem to be receiving the better player.

At this time, the Browns appear to be getting a player who might have the better upside if he can return to his past form, and a player who might improve from a change of scenery, plus he's under contract for longer than the player they are giving up.

However, that's not a guarantee, and it's fair to consider a potential return if the team had waited until closer to the trade deadline to move Greg Newsome.

I'm not in love with the trade, but I don't hate it either.

I see the advantages of the cap number, and Tyson Campbell could turn his career around.

Still, I'm not sure that happens.

What I am sure of is that the Cleveland Browns are punting another season, and Andrew Berry might be safer than many think- or deserve.

Browns trade Joe Flacco to Bengals

   The 1-4 Cleveland Browns must have seen something they really liked from Dillon Gabriel's debut in London, as the team traded veteran Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals.

It's the first-ever trade between the two division rivals since 1968, when the Bengals entered the league as an expansion franchise, with the Browns sending a sixth-round draft choice to Cincinnati for the Bengals' fifth-rounder in the 2026 draft.

The trade concludes the second tenure for Flacco in Cleveland, after the veteran returned in the off-season after spending 2024 in Indianapolis with the Colts.

Flacco was regarded by many as the second horse in the veteran battle to start the season at quarterback behind Kenny Pickett, who suffered from injuries and was then traded to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Flacco was given the job almost by default, but was living on borrowed time in the lineup with the Browns' man-crush on Dillon Gabriel.

Flacco wasn't helped much by a pathetic receiving corps and poor play at both offensive tackles, but he didn't play well on his own, finishing with 810 yards, along with six interceptions and only two touchdowns in his four starts.

Cincinnati is missing Joe Burrow for much of the season with a toe injury, although he is expected to return late in the season. But after winning their two games with Burrow, the Bengals have dropped to 2-3 under reserve quarterback Jake Browning.

The Bengals are in the mode of trying to win enough to stay afloat until Burrow's return, and with a team that has standouts at receiver such as JaMarr Chase and Tee Higgins, Flacco could perform well for the Bengals, assuming their line can give him enough time to throw.

Flacco could start for Cincinnati as early as Sunday in their game against Green Bay.

As for the Browns.

If they truly are all in on Dillon Gabriel and wish to give him the remainder of the season as an audition, then I don't question the move.

Why keep Flacco and you gain a fifth rounder for a sixth rounder for a player that isn't part of the future?

That I understand.

However, don't tell me you are trying to win games or that "Dillon gives us the best chance to win" narrative, because I'm not buying that.

I'm not saying Flacco gives you a better chance, but I think it's even money either way.

Cleveland promoted veteran Bailey Zappe from the practice squad to fill Flacco's roster spot and join Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in the quarterback room, but there has been no word on the top backup to Gabriel.

Licked in London-Vikings beat Browns late 21--17

   Minnesota's Jordan Addison caught a twelve-yard touchdown pass from Carson Wentz with twenty-five seconds remaining in the game to lift the Minnesota Vikings to a 21-17 win over the Cleveland Browns in their game at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Dillon Gabriel threw for 190 yards and two touchdowns in his first start, and Quinshon Judkins rushed for 110 yards to lead the offense for the now 1-4 Browns.

Cleveland will visit Pittsburgh next Sunday.

Brownie Bits

1) Dillon Gabriel was OK in his first start.

Not bad or awful, but not great.

2)  I still think he's a backup guy in this league.

 Some think Gabriel added that "spark", but I didn't see that as much as others, and while this was far from a disaster, I'm interested in seeing more next week in Pittsburgh, but I'm not sold.

3) Gabriel's stature is going to be a factor as he plays more often.

Many passes were tipped and batted away, and while it didn't hurt them in London, it's a matter of time before footballs start fluttering into the hands of opponents.

4) The game-winning touchdown pass to Jordan Addison was given up because the zone coverage allowed Addison to get farther to the outside than Denzel Ward intended.

Ward took accountability for the play, which is what leaders do, but when you are paying Ward as an elite corner, which he is, why aren't you in man-to-man coverage?

5) If Ward gets beaten, these things happen, and if the Vikings throw to the other standout WR (Justin Jefferson), that can be lived with as well, but I do question why your best corner isn't one-on-one, best against the best, with the game on the line.

6) Another wonderful game from Jerry Jeudy, which I seem to write every week, with two catches for fifteen yards.

7) Kevin Stefanski didn't have a good day from the bench with a few key mistakes.

The most glaring was his pass play on third and long with three minutes to go.

The pass fell incomplete, allowing the Vikings to save their final timeout and keep extra time on the clock.

8) Another decision was near the end of the first half when the Browns settled for a field goal on a drive that saw the Browns call a draw play on first and goal, not with powerhouse Quinshon Judkins but mediocre Jerome Ford.

9) Quinshon Judkins is a beast and rushed for over one hundred yards with a touchdown that was nullified by a penalty.

Judkins is the only legitimate offensive threat on this team.

10) Ten penalties for seventy-eight yards for  "smart, tough and accountable" Browns.

11) Three of fifteen on third down. Ugh

12) This game was another game there to be won, and yet it wasn't.

Lots of blame to go around, but in the end, the L is the L.

Ohio State guts Gophers 42-3

     Julian Sayin threw for over three hundred yards and three touchdowns and Carnell Tate finished wih 183 recieving yards and a touchdown as Ohio State smashed Minnesota 42-3 on Homecoming evening in Columbus.

Jeremiah Smith grabbed the other two recieving  scores  and Bo Jackson led the team in rushing with another score.

Ohio State improves to 5-0 overall (2-0 Big Ten) and will visit top 25-ranked Illinois next week for the vaunted Illibuck trophy.

Olentangy Offerings

1) Minnesota marched right down the field with their first possession and on a day that saw 0-4 UCLA drop Penn State, I thought uh-oh but the Buckeye defense held Minnesota to three points.

That was big ( or as big as it can be in a 42-3 game),

2) Minnesota would threaten only one more, missing a field goal in the second half.

The Buckeye defense turned that off quickly, no matter how much P.J. Fleck ran around and screaming as if his team was in it- they weren't.

3) Ryan Day is slowly loosening the reins with Julian Sayin.

The kill shots downfield are becoming more frequent and Day is becoming mrore confident in his young quarterback's poise.

As this continues, Day will allow Sayin to do more and then watch out.

4) Carnell Tate is the player profiting most from the development of Julian Sayin as teams continue to double-team Jeremiah Smith, which opens up routes for Tate.

Tate caught nine passes for 183 yards, including a long of forty-nine yards.

5) Jeremiah Smith caught two touchdown passes including one that he snatched the ball from the air like The Fonz snapping quarters on Happy Days.

6) The game was essentially after a fourth and one stop in the second quarter when Minnesota's Darius Taylor was stopped by Caleb Downs and (I think) Beau Atkinson cold.

Two plays later, Julian Sayin hit Carnell Tate with the forty-nine yard pass for a score, moving the score to 21-3 and ball game.

7) In the third quarter, Ohio State placed concern in the minds of special teams coaches everywhere when punt returner Brandon Inniss recieved the punt and fired across the field (a la Frank Wycheck) to Lorenzo Styles Jr, who gained thirty-six yards on the play.

8) The win is Ohio State's only game in the month of October.

Ohio State visits Illinois and Wisconsin in the next two weeks and will be off the week before their home game against Penn State on November first.

PPM

   Another week of hard-hitting gridiron action!

Last Week 10-4 

Overall: 49-22

College

Ohio State over Minnesota 35-10

Texas Tech over Houston 45-24

N.C.State over Campbell 41-14

Notre Dame over Boise State 29-17

Oregon State over Appalachian State 24-21

Games of the Week

Miami Fla over Florida State 31-24

Alabama over Vanderbilt 24-20

NFL

Vikings over Browns 20-10

Giants over Saints 17-14

Games of the Week

Seahawks over Buccaneers 28-25

Chiefs over Jaguars 37-24

Cleaning out the Inbox

      The inbox cleaning begins with a sad 50th anniversary of a tragedy.

The 1975 Match Race between Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure was ballyhooed as the "Battle of the Sexes" as the unbeaten filly Ruffian battled Kentucky Derby-winning colt Foolish Pleasure on national television from Belmont Park by CBS.

Ruffian had never trailed at any point in her racing career, and when you watch the race (warning), it appeared that she was beginning to move away from Foolish Pleasure when she broke down.

Ruffian was buried in the Belmont Park infield until recently, when her remains were transferred to her birthplace, Claiborne Farms in Kentucky, due to the renovations at Belmont.

The Athletic writes about Grimsby Town, the English League Two (fourth tier) squad, who stunned Manchester United in the Carabao Cup at home recently.

The fishing town in England's northeast has been through hard times of late, and their Mariners' upset on penalty kicks of Manchester United ranks pretty high on the list of upsets.

What I like about the two English in-season tournaments is that you see those small teams get their chance at the big-time squads, and if the draw falls right, as it did here, the major team may have to go to the small-time environment, which is a major deal to the people in that town.

It's what makes the English cup tournaments special, and it's what the NBA can never replicate with their attempt at an in-season event.

The Athletic also writes of the current whereabouts of former Cleveland Indians slugger Albert Belle.

Belle didn't attend the thirtyish anniversary of the Indians' 1995 American League championship and is happily living in Arizona.

The mercurial Belle was never the happiest player or a media darling, which cost him the 1995 MVP in a 144-game season that saw Belle become the first player ever to hit fifty homers and fifty doubles in a season.

Belle's career ended at thirty-three in 2000 with a damaged hip condition, and he was on his way to the Hall of Fame until the injury.

One more from the Athletic as they reflect on the nostalgia version of the NFL Today for the program's 50th anniversary.

Brent Musberger (the only living member of the original cast) will be in the studio, and the hosts will be dressed in nostalgia wardrobes, accompanied by the iconic theme song and retro graphics.

 I'm looking forward to this as much as any sports program of its type in years, and they should have never stopped using the theme song!

The Athletic discusses the city of Quebec City and its waning hopes of having a team return to its city.

While the NHL had legitimate reasons for allowing the Nordiques to move to Denver in 1995 (an aging arena and poor ownership), the league hasn't been fair to Quebec City since, telling them that if they built a new arena, they would be likely to land a team, which the city did.

Instead, they passed them over when Las Vegas was given a team and was placed on the back burner while Seattle got its house ready for their bid.

I know it's a business, but the league should not have strung them along for the last fifteen years and saved the city and its residents the cost of a new arena.

I Tell Ya' Herbie

   Here are a few scoops from the college football dessert that we call I Tell Ya' Herbie.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             It's been another week since we warned about a coach in trouble and said the coach was fired.

This time, it's Arkansas, which dropped Sam Pittman after a home clobbering against Notre Dame.

The Hogs (2-3 0-1 SEC) have a brutal finish to the season as six of their final seven games are against Top 25 teams.

Pittman was unlikely to keep his job against that schedule, so I can understand the decision to cut ties early.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                              I'm not on board with the decision to make offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino the coach for the remainder of the season.

The well-traveled Petrino was fired at Arkansas in 2012 after a motorcycle accident exposed Petrino's affair with a former Arkansas athlete and his involvement in hiring her to a job in the athletic department.

Considering all of that, it's questionable that Arkansas hired Petrino as offensive coordinator, let alone the interim head coach.

I understand that time is precious and coaches aren't being hired at this stage of the season, but tabbing Petrino doesn't reflect well on the program.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            It seems increasingly likely that the Group of Five bid will come from the American as the league has three unbeaten teams (Memphis, Navy, North Texas), and two with one non-conference loss (Tulane to Ole Miss and South Florida to Miami) to top ten teams.

Unless they all beat the crap out of each other, which could allow a Boise State or James Madison to slide in, that slot is going to the American.

The first step towards unlocking the group looks like next Saturday when South Florida meets North Texas.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                           Game that I'm looking forward to this weekend (Non-Buckeye/Red Raider division)?

Boise State at Notre Dame in a loser-leaves-town game for the postseason.

Boise State (as mentioned above) likely has to win out after their loss to South Florida, and a loss for the Irish would be their third and hammering them as a longshot.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             Nice to see another loss for "Big Game James" Franklin in a big game as Oregon dropped the Nittany Lions in State College.

To be fair, the Lions did rally to force overtime before succumbing in the second session, and one loss doesn't destroy their season, but it's hard to see Franklin's bunch doing damage in the postseason, considering his track record.

Remember that despite Penn State's trip to the National Semi-Finals last season, those wins were over SMU at home and Boise State.

Browns go with Gabriel, bench Flacco

    The Cleveland Browns have decided to make a change at quarterback as they benched Joe Flacco in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel.

Flacco's statistics have been mediocre in his four starts, completing fifty-eight percent of his passes for 815 yards with two touchdowns and six interceptions.

However, I don't think those numbers are all his fault, as it's not his fault he's been saddled with the worst receiving group in the league, and half of those interceptions weren't Flacco's fault either.

And the offensive line's instability (four different lineups in the four games) hasn't helped a forty-year-old's immobility avoid the pass rush, so the Browns haven't exactly set Flacco up to succeed.

Still, perhaps a more mobile quarterback is a good idea, and Gabriel brings the ability to move around the pocket and along with a reportedly renowned "processing" speed as reported by Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot. Gabriel does make some sense to give a try.

Gabriel completed three of four passes and a touchdown in mop-up time in two games against Baltimore and Detroit.

But, other than the added agility against the rush, I'm not sure how much the Browns are going to gain by this move.

It's the same terrible receivers who just lost a starter for a few weeks (Cedric Tillman due to a hamstring injury) and the same offensive line that will be inserting a starting tackle who wasn't even a Brown when they last played, so I don't see any difference there.

The third-round draftee was thought by most to be overdrafted after a stellar college career that saw stops at Central Florida, Oklahoma, and Oregon, and at 24 (25 in December), Gabriel isn't really a young QB (Gabriel is ten months younger than Jacksonville's Trevor Lawrence, who is in his fifth season) either.

In typical Haslam/Berry/Stefanski fashion, they think they see something that no one else does, and by golly, they are gonna show us!

Every year, some quarterbacks in the draft are undersized and underskilled for the NFL, but were great college quarterbacks who just don't make it. The Browns always seem to choose these players.

I'm not sure I believe in this supposed "Super Power" as a "Master Processor," and considering the people who do believe in Gabriel, I'm even more suspicious.

I'm not Anti-Gabriel or even Pro-Flacco, I question the talent around either player, I question the rush to make this call ( what do you do if Gabriel is bad), and I really question the people making these decisions.

I'll be rooting for Dillon Gabriel just like I root for all of them.

I'm just not optimistic that Cleveland has found their guy.