Bengals Beat Seattle To Cap Off Undefeated October

SEATTLE -- Marvin Lewis politely acknowledged becoming Cincinnati's all-time wins leader only to immediately crack a joke when it was pointed out the Bengals had surpassed their entire win total from a year ago.

"We didn't have to go far to surpass last year, unfortunately," Lewis said.

It's not just the Bengals' win total that's surprising. They're doing it thanks to defense, a couple of rookies on offense, and on Sunday one huge special teams play.


Quarterback Andy Dalton threw a pair of first-half touchdown passes, one to fellow rookie A.J. Green,Brandon Tate returned a punt 56 yards for a touchdown with 3:22 left and the Bengals won their fourth straight with a 34-12 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

Toss in Reggie Nelson's 75-yard interception return for a score in the final minute and every phase had a hand in the Bengals fourth straight win and first win on the West Coast since beating San Diego in 2003.

Cincinnati is 5-2 for the fourth time in the past 21 years and the previous three times it reached the postseason. The Bengals are tied with Baltimore a half game behind Pittsburgh in the tough AFC North.

"We continue to find a way to win it and continue to find a way to keep it interesting. We have to grow on the positives and we've got to correct the negatives," Lewis said.

"That's a hard-fought game. It started out with more talking than playing. We got ahead at that point, and we were able to settle down and play a little bit more better in the second half."

Dalton tossed TDs of 14 yards to Jerome Simpson and a beautiful 43-yarder that dropped into the arms of Green in the second quarter to give the Bengals a 17-3 lead.

From there, the Bengals (5-2) leaned on their impressive defense that bent, but managed to keep Seattle out of the end zone until the fourth quarter.


"To the people on the outside, they may be surprised and what not," Cincinnati cornerback Leon Hall said. "Every season we come in expecting to win. ... Just hopefully, we've got some big games coming up, so we execute in those games."

Dalton made mistakes in the second half, throwing a pair of interceptions and the Bengals managed only 252 yards of total offense. That proved to be enough thanks to special teams, defense and flubs from the struggling Seahawks.

Dalton, whom Seattle passed on in April's draft by using its late first-round pick on right tackle James Carpenter instead of the quarterback out of TCU, was 18 of 29 for 168 yards. Green finished with four catches for 63 yards.

Mike Nugent made two field goals, including a 48-yarder with 4:50 left to give the Bengals a 20-12 lead. It capped a drive where Cincinnati used 4 minutes and forced Seattle to get a touchdown and 2-point conversion to tie.

It was a moot point. Seattle (2-5) went three-and-out on the ensuing possession and Tate, filling in for Adam "Pacman" Jones who was injured in the first quarter, caught Jon Ryan's punt and sprinted nearly untouched to seal the victory.

It was Cincinnati's first punt return for a score since 2003.

"For some reason when he kicked it I had the feeling I was going to do something special with it," Tate said. "I didn't know I was going to score, but I put all the trust in my teammates. The other 10 guys did their job, I just went out and did mine."

One of Cincinnati's challenges was deciphering Seattle's quarterback. Charlie Whitehurst started after coach Pete Carroll determined he wanted to try and hold out Tarvaris Jackson, and his pectoral injury, another week. But Whitehurst was ineffective and Jackson entered midway through the second quarter.

The quarterback roulette that never hit on the right number was part of a maddening and confusing day that started when receiver Mike Williams was surprisingly inactive after not being listed on any injury reports all week.


The Seahawks (2-5) were flustered to the point where running backMarshawn Lynch was barking at coaches on the bench after Seattle was held to a field goal on the final play of the third quarter -- the second time they were stymied inside the 10.

"There were a couple plays out there where I feel myself, I didn't execute right, and I think those were plays that would have put the game in a different perspective," Lynch said.

Jackson finished 21 of 40 for a career-high 323 yards in just 2½ quarters, while Whitehurst was 4 of 7 for 52 yards and was sacked twice in his limited appearance.

And Carroll again flubbed his time management late in the first half. When Seattle was out of timeouts, Carroll called a run play on fourth-and-2 at the Cincinnati 3 with 14 seconds left. Lynch got the 2 yards, but the ball was not spotted in time to be spiked and Seattle walked away with no points.

The mistake appeared huge when Seattle trailed just 17-12 early in the fourth quarter before the Bengals pulled away.

"It would have been a good call if we made it," Carroll said. "But we didn't."

Game notes
Carroll said Williams tweaked a hamstring and that's why he was not active. ... Seattle WRs Sidney Rice (102) and Ben Obomanu (107) both topped 100 yards receiving. ... Jones said his hamstring was just a tweak and that he would do "whatever I have to do to be healthy," for next week's game at Tennessee. ... Lewis passed Sam Wyche for most wins in Bengals history.

Ohio State Stuns Wisconsin In Final Minute

Devin Smith catches the game-winning touchdown from Braxton Miller

By:  Coop


Last season Ohio State was #1 when they played Wisconsin.  That was when the rivalry started.  In 2010 the Badgers upset the Buckeyes, then did the same thing to them in basketball, hand them their first loss of the season, as the #1 team. 


Ohio State was ready to get revenge.  No one believe in them.  According to ESPN's online poll, 85% of people said Wisconsin would beat Ohio State.


The Buckeyes had a lot to play for.  Revenge, it was Homecoming, Boom's 1st home game of the season, they were wearing uniforms in tribute to the 1961 team, Eddie George was being honored at halftime, they were on nation TV, etc.


Wisconsin was coming off of a heartbreaking loss last week, Michigan State beat them with a Hail Mary. They were trying to forget about that and beat OSU.


That didn't happen.  The Buckeyes upset the #15 Badgers, 33-29.  It was the best game I had ever seen. Here is how all the action happened.


On the Badgers' 2nd drive, Russell Wilson threw it to Monte Ball, who was in tight coverage, Ball somehow made the catch, made a few moves to get past some Buckeyes, and took it to the endzone for a 22 yard score. 7-0 early on.  That would be the only score of the 1st.


Ohio State would not score until there was 02:55 to go in the 2nd.  That was when Drew Basil kicked a 39 yard field goal.  The ball actually hit off the left upright but fell through, luckily.  7-3 the score going into the half.


The Bucks got the ball to start the 2nd half.  Braxton Miller marched the team down the field, all the way to the 1 yard line.  It was 1st and goal.  No gain. 2nd and goal. No gain. 3rd and goal. No gain.  Then it was 4th and goal.  If Tressel was still here, there would have been a field goal attempt, but Fickell said "go for it". Miller had a nice play action and easily trotted into the endzone for the 1 yard touchdown "run".  The Buckeyes took a 10-7 lead.


Wiscy got the ball back, and eventually would have to punt it. But, the punt was blocked! Ohio State picked it up at the 1 yard line.  It was 1st and Goal for OSU!  That would lead to a Jordan Hall touchdown run to make it 17-7.


The Badgers would answer back, however.  Russell Wilson marched the team down the field until they were at the 1 yard line, then Monte Ball took it in.  It was a one possession game, 17-14 at the end of 3.


The Bucks would score first in the 4th, when Basil kicked a 22 yard field goal to make it 20-14.  That was with 10:39 left.


Then with 04:39 to go, it was 3rd and 2 from the 44.  B Millz called his own number.  He found a huge hole on the left side and ran it to the endzone! It was a 44 yard run by Miller, and the Buckeyes had a 26-14 lead! That is when Brad Nessler, an ESPN commentator, said "he might be growing up right in front of our eyes".


Wisconsin didn't like that at all.  Monte Ball had a 40 yard run on the ensuing drive, that would set up a 17 yard touchdown pass from Wilson to Jared Abbrederis, the Badgers were back in it, 21-26.


OSU would get the ball back and run it 3 times, Wisconsin called timeout after all 3 runs.  The Bucks would have to punt.


Wisconsin got the ball back with about 02:49 to go.  Then, it happened.  Wisconsin took the lead. Russell Wilson connected with Abbrederis once again, this time for 49 yards.  They would go for 2 to make it a 3 point game, and they got it.  It was 29-26.


Ohio State got the ball back with 01:18 to go.  They needed a field goal to tie, and a touchdown to win. Jordan Hall had a nice kickoff return, taking it to the OSU 48 yard line, so good field position to start with. 


Miller would move the chains a couple of times, until they were at the Wisconsin 40 yard line. It was 1st and 10 with little time left.  Miller dropped back to pass, he was pressured, he ran to his right, he looked like he was going to run it, then last second, at the line of scrimmage, he threw it deep to the endzone. HE GOT DEVIN SMITH! HE GOT DEVIN SMITH! TOUCHDOWN OHIO STATE! THE BUCKS TAKE THE LEAD, 32-29! But wait a minute, was that a forward pass?  Did Miller's feet go past the line of scrimmage before he threw it?  It was indisputable video evidence, and the Buckeyes got the touchdown, Basil added the PAT to make it 33-29 with 20 seconds left.


But Wisconsin had to get the ball back, by rule.  The kickoff went out of bounds, so they started at their own 40.  The first play, Wilson went deep, incomplete.  13 seconds left.  2nd play, Wilson's pass fell incomplete. Then with 5 seconds left, there was time for one last play.  Wilson's throw went to the sideline, missing everyone.  The clock hit double-zero! The Buckeyes Win! The Buckeyes W-wait a minute.  There were flags down, it was a facemask against O-State.  So the Badgers got one last play.  Sweat brought pressure, forcing Wilson to make a bad throw and it was incomplete. NOW THE BUCKEYES WIN! THEY PULL OFF THE UPSET OF WISCONSIN!


Monte Ball is one of the nation's top running backs, but was held to just 85 yards today.  His counterpart, Boom Herron, he ran for an impressive 160 yards.   Miller added 99.


Russell Wilson had a great game, 20/32, 253 yards, 3 TD's, no picks.  But, he didn't win.  Braxton Miller did. Even though he went just 7/12, had 89 yards, and 1 TD.  That 1 TD couldn't have came at a better time either.


So the Buckeyes are still in the hunt for the Big Ten Leaders Division Title.  They need to win out and Wisconsin lose again, and Penn State needs to lose as well.  There is plenty of season left, so it could happen.


Next week the Bucks head to the state west of them to take on the Hoosiers.  Game time is set for noon ET and will be on the Big Ten Network. 

UK Falls To MSU, 28-16

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Mississippi State quarterbacks Tyler Russell and Chris Relf combined for 264 yards and each passed for a touchdown, and Relf ran for two touchdowns in the Bulldogs' 28-16 win over Kentucky on Saturday night.
Russell earned his second start of the season, and the two alternated drives in the first quarter.
The plan proved successful for the Bulldogs - Russell's style as a pocket passer contrasted with Relf's reputation as a running quarterback, and Kentucky's defense failed to adjust to either.
Then head coach Dan Mullen started mixing the two in on drives together. Russell completed a 40-yard pass to Michael Carr. As the rest of Mississippi State's offense ran to the new line of scrimmage, Russell and Relf swapped.
Two plays later, Relf ran untouched into the end zone from 3 yards out.
The Bulldogs (4-4, 1-4 Southeastern Conference) committed three turnovers, two of which were fumbles that Kentucky recovered inside the Mississippi State 25-yard line. But the Wildcats, who did not have a single turnover, were held to field goals on both drives.
Kentucky (3-5, 0-4) quarterback Morgan Newton suffered a right ankle sprain in the first quarter and did not return. Freshman Maxwell Smith replaced him and finished 26 of 33 for 174 yards.
The freshman struggled on early drives but found a rhythm in the second half. He led the Wildcats on a drive late in the fourth quarter with his team down two possessions, and he converted on third downs in the air three times on the drive.
But his fourth-and-7 pass from the Mississippi State 8-yard line sailed over La'Rod King's head.
Running back Vick Ballard added 87 yards for the Bulldogs.

Holloway Suspended For One Game

By:  Coop


Xavier standout guard, Tu Holloway, will sit out for the first game of the season due to violating NCAA rules. This is just a secondary violation, not a big deal.  All he did was play in two summer leagues, the NCAA allows you to just play in one.  Seems like a dumb rule, but rules are rules.


This should not make much of a difference to the Muskies, as they will play Morgan State on November 11th, the game that Tu will miss.

SWO POLL

1.) LSU
2.) Oklahoma State
3.) Alabama
4.) Clemson
5.) Boise State
6.) Stanford
7.) Oregon
8.) Kansas State
9.) Arkansas
10.) Michigan State
11.) Oklahoma
12.) South Carolina
13.) Virginia Tech
14.) Wisconsin
15.) Nebraska
16.) Houston
17.) Michigan
18.) Penn State
19.) Arizona State
20.) USC
21.) Texas A&M
22.) Georgia
23.) Texas
24.) Cincinnati
25.) West Virginia

Frease Reinstated To Team

By: Coop


Senior center, Kenny Frease, was suspended by Head Coach Chris Mack on October 14th for not fulfilling all of the responsibilities of a Xavier basketball player. 


Now he has been reinstated to the team and will now take part in practices and will play in the regular season.  

Bearcats Bowl Eligible With Win Over USF

By:  Coop


The Cincinnati Bearcats were 5-1, they needed 1 more win to become bowl eligible after not making a bowl last season.  In order to pick up that 6th win, they would have to beat a very tough South Florida team.  This was a great game, a nail biter for sure.  It was back and forth, but it was the Bearcats who came away with the win, 37-34, here is how it all happened.


The Bulls scored first when Daniels connected with Sterling Griffin for a 14 yard score, 7-0.


The Bearcats would answer back when Collaros found Pead in the endzone for a 6 yard score, it was a tie game at the end of 1.


In the 2nd quarter, both teams had field goals, USF's game as time expired in the 1st half.  So it was 10-10 heading into the locker rooms.


With 09:50 to go in the 3rd, Demetris Murray ran it in for a 1 yard score, it was 17-10.


Cincinnati answered back once again when Zach Collaros hooked up with Adrien Robinson for a 21 yard touchdown pass, we were tied once again.


Well until Maikon Bonani kicked a 40 yard field goal to put USF up by 3, 20-17.  To make things worse, on their next drive, they got a touchdown when BJ Daniels connected with Shields for a 17 yard score.  It was now 27-17, USF, heading into the 4th quarter.


Cincinnati scored first in the 4th when Collaros ran it in from 3 yards out, UC was now only down by 3, 27-24.


A few minutes later, Collaros threw a 30 yard touchdown pass to Chisum, the PAT would be blocked, so the Bearcats have to settle with a 3 point lead rather than a 4 point lead.


With 01:27 to go in the game, Daniels connected with Andre Davis for a 10 yard score, South Florida was back on top, 34-30.


The Bearcats got the ball back at their own 30 yard line and 1:27 to go.  The senior QB lead them down the field, then before you knew it they were at the 2 yard line and it was 1st and Goal.  Zach found and opening, tucked it, and ran it in for a TD! The Cats had the lead once again, 37-34 with 00:12 to go.


BJ Daniels tried the lateral play at the end of the game, but it did not work out.  The Bearcats win the game by 3.  They are now bowl eligible as I have said numerous times.


Collaros passed for 389 yards, 3 TD's, and 2 INT's.  He also rushed for 22 yards and had 2 TD's.


Pead carried the ball 22 times, good for 79 yards.


Thomkins had 6 receptions, good for 114 yards.


UC will have another BYE week, then they will head to the Steel City to take on Pitt on November 5th. The time and TV is TBA.

UK Beats JSU To End 4 Game Skid

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- CoShik Williams ran for a career-high 148 yards and Kentucky snapped a four-game losing streak with a 38-14 win over Jacksonville State on Saturday.

With injuries in the backfield, Williams took up the slack as the primary ball carrier after sophomore Raymond Sanders left in the first quarter with an ankle injury. Williams, a junior, finished with 22 carries.

Freshman Josh Clemons, the Wildcats' leading rusher on the season, had already been ruled out for the season with a knee injury.

Williams' previous career best was 95 yards rushing -- set against Charleston Southern last season.

The Wildcats were able to break out after a bye week, earning a season-best 445 yards of total offense and 340 yards of total offense despite missing their two primary tailbacks.

Kentucky (3-4) struggled to move the ball in the first quarter with its first three possessions ended with two punts and a lost fumble. The Wildcats entered this game ranked 118th out of 120 FBS teams in total offense, earning just 229 yards per game this season. Their first three possessions carried held true to that reputation, ending with only one first down, two punts and a lost fumble.

But with 3:33 left in the first, safety Martavius Neloms sacked Jacksonville State quarterback Coty Blanchard, forced a fumble and ran it back 40 yards for the game's first score.

The offense began clicking in the second quarter for the Wildcats, and they finished with 253 yards of total offense at halftime. They had gained a total of 251 yards in their previous two games combined

Washaun Ealey rushed for 120 yards for the Gamecocks (5-2). He ran for 157 yards and five touchdowns against the Wildcats last year for Georgia before transferring to Jacksonville State in the spring.

Carson Palmer Traded To Oakland For Draft Picks

By:  Coop

The long time Bengals QB, Carson Palmer, was traded to the Oakland Raiders for a 1st round draft pick next season and either a 1st or 2nd round pick in 2013 depending on what the Raiders do playoff wise.

SWO POLL

1.) Oklahoma
2.) LSU
3.) Alabama
4.) Oklahoma State
5.) Boise State
6.) Wisconsin
7.) Stanford
8.) Clemson
9.) Oregon
10.) Arkansas
11.) Kansas State
12.) Virginia Tech
13.) Nebraska
14.) South Carolina
15.) Michigan State
16.) West Virginia
17.) Houston
18.) Michigan
20.) Penn State
21.) Georgia Tech
22.) Illinois
23.) Washington
24.) Texas A&M
25.) Cincinnati

Bengals Keep Colts Winless

Andy Dalton passed for 264
yards and a touchdown in the
Bengals win over the Colts.

By:  Coop


The Cincinnati Bengals were playing host to the Indianapolis Colts.  The Bengals were looking to 4-2, while the Colts were trying to pick up their first win of the year.  Indy had one of the worst offenses in the NFL heading into this game, while the Bengals had the best defense in the NFL.  So for the first time in a long time, the Bengals were actually favored over that team a couple hours West of them.


The Bengals did not disappoint, they keep Indy winless, 27-17 the final score.  Here is how it all happened. 


A few minutes into the game, Andy Dalton hooked up with AJ Green for an 11 yard touchdown pass, it was 7-0.  That would be the only score of the 1st quarter.


Indianapolis got on the board when Donald Brown got the hand-off, and took it to the house for an 18 yard score, it was a tie ballgame.  


Cincy would retake the lead as time expired in the 1st half when Mike Nugent kicked a 20 yard field goal. 10-7 the score heading into the locker room.


To start the 2nd half for the Bengals, they marched down the field to the 1 yard line, then handed it off to Cedric Benson, and he cashed it in.  17-7 the score.  Then, with 2:20 to go in the 3rd, Nugent kicked a 43 yard field goal to go up by 13, 20-7.


The Colts were showing some signs of a comeback in the 4th quarter.  It all started with an Adam Vinatieri 46 yard field goal to make it 20-10.  Then on their next drive Painter connected with Dallas Clark for a 1 yard touchdown pass, it was now only a one possession game, 20-17.


Indy had the ball back, looking to march down the field and tie it or take the lead.  Well they could have, if there wasn't a fumble.  Garcon fumbled it, Carlos Dunlap picked it up, and took it back for a 35 yard touchdown. It was not a pick 6, it was a POP 6.  That put the nails in the coffin, 27-17 the score, and that is how she finished.


The game was not televised, due to the blackout rule, but it looked like there were quite a bit of people there. 


Andy Dalton had another good game, he 25 of 32 passes, good for 264 yards and a touchdown.


Jerome Simpson looked great today, as he had 6 catches for 101 yards.  AJ Green added 51 yards.


Both teams were good against the running game today, as both teams only had 94 yards on the ground.  The Bengals defense forced 3 turnovers today.


The Bengals will not play next Sunday, but after that they will head to Seattle to take on the Seahawks.  That game will be at 4:15 PM ET and televised on CBS.  Until then, WHO DEY!

Bengals vs. Colts Live Stream

To watch AJ Green and the Bengals take on the winless Colts, you can click right here.  Or you can tune into 700 WLW or ESPN 1530 to listen to the game.


Notice: The link will take you to firstrowsports.tv, this is a safe and free streaming website.

OSU Downs Illinois In Herron's Return

By:  Coop


Woody Hayes is smiling in Heaven.  Why?  Ohio State played a Woody Hayes type game.  Run game was great, I formations, great defense, and the most important thing-a win.  The Buckeyes were in Campaign, Illinois, looking to beat the Illinois Fighting Illini. They had a good chance at beating them, all because their star running back, Dan "Boom" Herron was back.  Boom was great, he was a big reason why OSU won the game, 17-7. Here is how it all happened.


In the 1st quarter, Drew Basil kicked an impressive 43 yard field goal, that put OSU up 3-0.  That field goal was score early on in the 1st quarter.


Funny thing, that would be the only score of the half.  The rest of the 1st and all of the 2nd was defensively dominated.  


I bet Paul Keels, the OSU radio announcer, was happy when there was 14:06 to go in the 3rd quarter. Why? Well because he got to go back to his saying "Boom goes the Herron".  That means Boom scored a touchdown.  It was a 12 yard score, the Bucks were up 10-0.  That would be the score heading into the 4th. 


Okay, just so you know, heading into the 4th quarter, Ohio State had not completed a pass yet.  Well with 13:06 to go, Braxton Miller completed one.  He couldn't have picked a better time, because he happened to complete one for a touchdown to the tight end, Jake Stoneburner. A 17 yard score, it was now 17-0.


The Illini would finally get on the board when Scheelhaase connected with Evan Wilson for a 3 yard score, it was 17-7, and that is how she finished.


The Buckeyes defense looked great, holding a team with a duel threat QB and great talent all around to 7 points, that's pretty impressive.  


Dan Herron looked great too, he had 23 carries, good for 114 yards.  A pretty good game to start your season after being suspended for 6 games, don't you think?  Jordan Hall added 56 yards.


It's a good thing that the running game was good, because the passing game was...bad, to put it in polite terms.  Braxton Miller was 1 for 4, with 17 yards passing, and a touchdown.


Jake Stoneburner was the leading receiver, as he had uh, 1 catch. 


So the Buckeyes hold on to the Illibuck trophy, and they can celebrate this win for a little while, but they need to improve over they BYE week, because after that, they have to play Wisconsin.  

Bearcats Rally Back To Be Cards

Bearcat players celebrate with the Keg Of Nails Trophy after beating Louisville 

By:  Coop


The Cincinnati Bearcats were hosting the Louisville Cardinals at Paul Brown Stadium.  The 'Cats were looking to improve to 5-1, while L'Ville was trying to get back to .500 at 3-3.  At first it looked like the Cardinals were going to win the Keg Of Nails, but it was a tale of two halves.  Cincy had a great 2nd half, and rallied back to beat the Cards, 25-16, here is how.


In the 1st quarter, the Cardinals kicker, Chris Philpott kicked two field goals, one from 42 yards out, and the other from 51 yards out.  Louisville had a 6-0 leading going into the 2nd.


The Bearcats would take the lead when Zach Collaros connected with DJ Woods for a 26 yard touchdown, 7-6 the score.  


The Cardinals would retake the lead when Philpott added another field goal, this time from 18 yards out, it was 9-7.  Then, with just 6 seconds left before the half, Mike Evans picked off Collaros' pass, and took it to the house for a 63 yard pick 6.  16-7 would be the score heading into the locker rooms.


As I said, it was a tale of two halves.  Good thing for Cincinnati.


In the 3rd quarter, the 'Cats shortened the lead when Collaros ran it in from 1 yard out, it was now 16-14.  That would be the only score of the 3rd quarter.  So only a 2 point game with a quarter left.


Early in the 4th, Isaiah Pead ran for a 50 yard touchdown, big play for Cincinnati! That made it 20-16.  Then the kicker, Tony Miliano was not on the field for some reason.  The Bearcats were forced to go for two. Well it worked out because Collaros connected with Robinson for the deuce, it was 22-16.


The nails were put into the keg when Miliano kicked a 21 yard field goal to put UC up by 9.  25-16 the final score.


Collaros looked pretty good, he threw for 152 yards, had 1 TD, and 1 INT.


Pead did very good, he had 20 carries, good for 150 yards and 1 TD.


UC is now 5-1 and will take on USF in Florida next week, that game will be on the Big East Network. 

Frease Suspended Indefinitely

By:  Coop


Xavier senior center, Kenny Frease, has been suspended indefinitely, Coach Chris Mack announced today.


“Kenny has not handled his daily responsibilities on and off the playing floor that we expect from every one of our players here at Xavier,” said Mack. “Until Kenny proves to me that he wants to be a part of our team by handling those responsibilities, he will not be a part of our program. I am hopeful that Kenny will work his way back to being a part of this team at some point. “


What all that means, I am unsure, but as soon as we know more about this issue, we'll let you know.

SWO POLL

1.) Oklahoma
2.) LSU
3.) Stanford
4.) Boise State
5.) Alabama
6.) Wisconsin
7.) Oklahoma State
8.) Oregon
9.) Clemson
10.) Arkansas
11.) Texas
12.) Georgia Tech
13.) Auburn
14.) West Virginia
15.) Florida
16.) South Carolina
17.) Illinois
18.) Michigan
19.) Nebraska
20.) Virginia Tech
21.) Kansas State
22.) Arizona State
23.) Florida State
24.) Michigan State
25.) Baylor

Bengals Stun Bills With Comeback Win

By: Coop


The Buffalo Bills were the lone unbeaten team in the AFC.  The Bengals were trying to change Buffalo's 0 to a 1. They were also trying to get back to .500. 


At the end of the 1st half, it looked as if the Bengals had no shot at winning the game. But, Andy Dalton rallied the troops, leading the team to a comeback with a walk-off field goal.  Here is how it all happened.


With just over 2 minutes to go in the 1st, Mike Nugent kicked a 31 yard field goal to put Cincinnati up 3-0. That would be the score at the end of 1. 


Buffalo answered back early in the 2nd quarter when Rian Lindell kicked one from 43 yards out, 3-3 the score.  10 minutes later, Bryan Scott picked off Andy Dalton, and took it to the house for a 43 yard score, the Bills had a 10-3 lead.  Make it 17-3 after Fred Jackson ran it in from 2 yards out.  That would be the score at the half.


Marvin Lewis must of been a mad man in the locker room.  His defense was not doing well, and neither was his offense.


Well whatever he said it sure turned the game around.


To start the 2nd half, Mike Nugent kicked a 21 yard field goal to make it 17-6.  A few minutes later, Andy Dalton connected with Jermaine Gresham for a 17 yard touchdown, that put the Bengals back in it, 17-13 the score.


In the 4th quarter, Lindell added a field goal to make it 20-13.  Still only a 7 point deficit.


With 4:09 to go in the game, Dalton dropped back to pass, then found an opening and ran it in from 3 yards out.  That would tie the game up at 20.


The Bills would get the ball back, but would later on have to punt it away.  The Bengals would get the ball and move down the field until they were in field goal range.  They would then call timeout so the field goal attempt would run out the clock.  Buffalo then called a timeout in attempts to ice the kicker.


Nugent went over to the sidelines and kicked a few off of the mechanical holder.  He was now ready to attempt a 43 yard field goal that would give the Bengals the upset win.  His kick was up and.....GOOD! BENGALS WIN!!!!


The defense was great today, especially in the 2nd half.  They held the Bills to only 3 2nd half points.  


Andy Dalton looked pretty good as he threw for 298 yards, 1 touchdown, but did throw 2 interceptions.


Cedric Benson rushed for 104 yards on 19 carries.


AJ Green looked great as he had 4 receptions for 118 yards. 

Watch The Bengals Game!

You can watch the Bengals game (which is blacked out locally) by clicking on this link.

MSU's Defense Dominates Buckeyes

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- All of Ohio State's NCAA investigations and sanctions might not have been as painful for Buckeyes fans as this.

Kirk Cousins threw a 33-yard scoring pass to B.J. Cunningham and Michigan State's No. 1-ranked defense overwhelmed the bumbling Buckeyes 10-7 Saturday, shutting them out until the final seconds.

Interim coach Luke Fickell, who took over when Jim Tressel was pushed out for breaking NCAA rules, could only allude to the ugly defeat as "what happened today."

Michigan State (4-1, 1-0 Big Ten) came in as the national leader in total defense (172 yards per game) and passing defense (101 ypg) -- and backed up that lofty ranking. The Spartans allowed just 178 total yards and 143 yards through the air while posting nine sacks and snuffing the Buckeyes' ground attack, permitting just 35 yards on 39 attempts.

So disappointed was a partisan crowd of 105,306 that from time to time boos cascaded down on the punchless offense.

"Am I surprised (by the boos)?" repeated Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio, the Buckeyes' defensive coordinator from 2001-3. "I used to work here. I'm just saying ..."

When the Spartans defense wasn't making plays, Ohio State was doing what it could to help them. The Buckeyes (3-2, 0-1), behind true freshman quarterback Braxton Miller, stumbled all day on offense. Joe Bauserman led Ohio State to its only score, a 34-yard pass to Evan Spencer with 10 seconds left. The Spartans then recovered the onside kick.

Fickell said after the game that he might just open up the quarterback job to the four contenders -- also including Kenny Guiton and Taylor Graham -- who had fought for it during spring and preseason practices. At another point he said Miller would remain his starter.

One thing he was not confused about was went wrong for Miller.

"Things were happening fast for him," Fickell said. "He just maybe didn't see the field real well. We thought we were going to have to throw the football, as many people as they were putting in there (on the line to stop the run) and as much heat as they were bringing. We thought our best option was to go with a guy that probably could see the field a little bit better and throw the football a little bit better."

Bauserman came on to hit half of his 14 passes for 87 yards, while Miller was 5 of 10 for 56 yards with an interception.

Dan Conroy added a 50-yard field goal for the Spartans, far from flawless but thoroughly in command.

It was a glorious homecoming for 24 Michigan State players and several coaches born in Ohio. Dantonio, an Ohio native, was in charge of the defense when Ohio State won the 2002 national championship.

Now his name will certainly pop up on the list of candidates when Ohio State looks for a new permanent coach after the season. Fickell, who worked on the defensive staff with Dantonio at Ohio State, took over in May when Tressel was forced out for not telling his superiors that he knew about players accepting cash and tattoos in violation of NCAA bylaws.

"Every year going way back, the Michigan State and Ohio State rivalry has been special," said Dantonio. The teams shared the Big Ten title a year ago with Wisconsin.

The Spartans ended a seven-game losing skid to the Buckeyes.

"This was a big program win," said Dantonio, in his fifth year at MSU. "Ohio State was the only team we hadn't beaten in the conference."

Ohio State's erratic and ineffective offense almost made history. The Buckeyes had not been shut out in 183 home games, dating to a 6-0 loss to Wisconsin on Oct. 9, 1982, and hadn't been shut out anywhere since a 28-0 loss at Michigan on Nov. 20, 1993.

Cousins completed 20 of 32 passes for 250 yards with two interceptions. Cunningham, the Big Ten's leading receiver, had nine catches for 154 yards.

Cousins acknowledged that the outcome could have been more lopsided.

"We didn't finish our drives. We could have had 20 to 25-plus points," he said.

He threw an interception in the end zone to take a certain field goal off the board and then threw another pick late in the game. But he also lofted a high spiral over the middle that Cunningham pulled away from a defender on Michigan State's second possession of the game for a quick 7-0 lead.

"When you really look at it, their wideout made a big play on a ball thrown up in the air," Fickell said.

From then on, Ohio State couldn't do anything against a ferocious Spartans defense that shut down the Buckeyes' running attack and continually harassed the quarterbacks.

Linebacker Max Bullough had nine tackles, including a sack, while Denicos Allen and Chris Norman each had two sacks.

"We really wanted a goose-egg. We thought about that at halftime," Bullough said.

But the result more than made up for the late touchdown.

"It's a big win for us to come out and beat a team like Ohio State, let alone at the Horseshoe," he added. "It's another stepping point to the Big Ten championship."