Ohio State and Michigan meet on Saturday with the Big Ten East Division title on the line. Bill Bender of The Sporting News will be in the press box at Ohio Stadium this weekend, but first, he’s back on The Nail to break down The Game, from the dynamic abilities of Buckeyes QB Dwayne Haskins to the disastrous big plays allowed that have plagued a depleted OSU defense. Does Jim Harbaugh have a team capable of giving Michigan its first win in the Horseshoe since 2000? … Plus: LeBron James is back in The Q on Wednesday night, but his old team, the Cavs, are in a state of disarray. The guys discuss the grim stories of LeBron’s departure and disgruntled veterans that have made headlines this week, and the trouble with a front office rapidly losing its team’s trust.
Written off as a potential trade asset since nearly the day he arrived, Kevin Love is still in Cleveland. And with the four-year contract extension he signed this week, it looks like the Cavs are planning to count on him for a long time. Love is well-liked, but his new deal was a polarizing move around town. Are the Cavs making the right call by trying to push forward toward a playoff spot, even if it means losing their first-round draft pick in 2019, or should they be fully embracing the tank to improve their lottery odds?
Scott Sargent, of Waiting For Next Year and Bleacher Report, was on hand when the team announced Love’s contract extension. He joins The Nail to discuss that deal, the course the Cavs are charting in their second post-LeBron era, and the question the vast majority of teams around the league face, now including the Cavs: How do you approach the season when you aren’t one of the precious few franchises with a shot at an NBA title?
*** Don't forget: Travis is once again riding in Pelotonia to raise money for cancer research. You can help by donating at: pelotonia.org/travisulle
It's been a dismal, dysfunctional week in Cleveland, from the Browns botching the trade deadline as only the Browns can to the Cavs taking their infamous regular season malaise to new depths. Thankfully, Ohio State gave us something to enjoy, as J.T. Barrett delivered an all-time performance in an instant classic victory over Penn State, launching the Buckeyes back into the national title picture and J.T. back into the Heisman race.
On the one-year anniversary of the Cavs winning the NBA championship, the unthinkable has happened as the team has officially parted ways with GM David Griffin. The guys convene an emergency podcast to make sense of the Cavs sending the architect of their title team on his way to future endeavors (and mostly just vent for 25 minutes).
