Stewart Mandel of SI.com ranks his Top 25 after spring football. Ohio State fans will be happy.

Terrelle Pryor hopes to be used like Tim Tebow was when Florida won the national title. And I think Jim Tressel is thinking the same thing. It should be interesting to see if Pryor can develop into a quarterback who can throw the ball. That is why most think that he is more like a young Vince Young, and you know, there is nothing wrong with that.

Another side of Pryor's choice is that Michigan could be in for a long year. RichRod's game plan needs an athletic QB and I am not sure that Michigan has one. Could a below .500 season be in the offing?

– It has been quite a change for LeBron James.

Last season, at this time, his play late in games was questioned. This season, he only seems to play in the fourth quarter, scoring at will at that, leading the league in scoring.

He won't win MVP this season, but I do think he has taken his place as the best player in the league.

– The rest of the Cavs still leave a lot to be desired. But with LeBron, anything will be possible in the playoffs.

– I can't argue with the contract extension for Mike Brown.

– The quiet offseason seems to have spooked Indians fans. I get any number of e-mails worried that last season will be a one-shot wonder. I don't think that will be the case. The foundation is in place for the Indians to be like the Twins have been recently. Always in contention.

– Any worries about the new defensive coordinator having little experience should be put to rest with Romeo Crennel in charge of the Browns. That is where he made his career, coaching defenses. Now does that mean the defense will suddenly be better? NO. Just ask Marvin Lewis of the Bengals. Another supposed defensive wiz whose defense can't play. It takes players to win on defense.

– Terelle Pryor seems to add more schools to his wish list each week. Now the No. 1 prep star in the country is said to be considering LSU. He added Oregon about a month ago, Michigan three weeks ago and Duke after that. At this rate, he will end up a Akron. Actually, I think he ends up at Michigan (he has had a long relationship with RichRod) with OSU a close second.

– Selena Roberts wrote her first back page column for Sports Illustarted this week. She is the best female sportswriter in the business and it shows. She recently left the New York Times to go to SI.

The perception of the Big Ten nationally is not good, and it did not get any better after Ohio State got smacked around Monday night by LSU.

But the real problem with the Big Ten has little to do with Ohio State.

Ohio State and Michigan most years (not this one for the Buckeyes) schedule, at least, one nonconference game that might give them trouble.

The other teams in the Big Ten don't. Wisconsin, Iowa, Penn State don't venture too far from home and rarely pull off a big upset on the road against a nonconference team. When was the last time that Wisconsin played at LSU or at Auburn or at Georgia. Michigan always plays Notre Dame and usually plays another tough game.

What gave the Big East a boost this season was South Florida beating Auburn at Auburn. West Virginia beating an eight-win Mississippi State team, beating Maryland on the road.

Winning the past three BCS games that it has been in helps the Big East, too, but scheduling nonconference road games against other BCS schools is the real difference maker.

The Big 12 saw its middle teams in Missouri and Kansas win their bowl games.

There is a way for the Big Ten to break out of its funk, and the answers don't all need to come out of Columbus.

Here is what Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette thinks of Rich Rodriguez leaving West Virginia for Michigan.

Ohio State did lose to Illinois but the Buckeyes still should win Saturday against Michigan and then go to the Rose Bowl.

The Browns did lose to the Steelers on Sunday but their schedule sets up for a playoff run.

The Cavaliers don't look like they will return to the NBA Finals but they have played fairly well on the West Coast trip and LeBron James still is one of the best, if not the best, players in the NBA. Barring any major injuries, the Cavs are still a playoff team that plays strong defense.

The weekend didn't go as hoped for many but not all is lost for these teams.

At least that is something the folks in Baltimore can't say. Brian Billick and his Ravens are D-O-N-E. Just like the Orioles.

Would this Ohio State team beat last season's team? No

Is Todd Boeckman a better player and/or quarterback than Troy Smith? No

Were Antonio Pittman, Anthony Gonzalez and others of great value? Yes

With all of that said, this Ohio State is in a better position to win the title, particularly if Boston College manages its way to the title game.

Just another surprise of the college football season. Although if everyone else loses, we still might get LSU vs. Ohio State in the title game.

Sorry for the break in blogging but made a family trip to Denver last weekend.

What a beautiful part of the country. We saw the four seasons in four days. Friday, 60s with more sun; Saturday 80 and sun; Sunday 30s with 4 inches of snow. Monday back in the 50s with sun. Did you know that Denver averages more than 300 days of sun per year. I am not sure if we average more than 300 hours of sun here with all the clouds rolling off Lake Erie.

Also did some interesting reading on the Rockies (hard not to like), Nuggets (easy to hate with Iverson and Anthony), Broncos (a .500 team in the making) and Avalanche (Cup-worthy?).

Back to sports …

– I leave for the weekend and the Indians go from being a game from the World Series to at least another season away. What a meltdown!

It seems to me that the suddenly scared pitching staff and the overpaid DH in Travis Hafner did in the Tribe. Hafner finished the season as he started it. Not hitting, at all.

I still think that any chance of the Indians signing C.C. Sabathia ended the day Hafner signed his deal. Now neither was good in the postseason, but C.C. got the Tribe there.

– The Browns could be tied for first place Monday. Who would have thought that sentence would be written this season?

– Ohio State is still the inside favorite to make the BCS title game. Another sentence I didn't expect to write this season, especially in October.

– The Cavaliers are in trouble. I agree with GM Danny Ferry not spending the Cavs into oblivion, but if he sticks to his priorities and doesn't overspend on Pavlovic or Varejao, then he needs to make a deal to support the starting five.

– Rockies in 7. Not sure why. Just a feeling.

– Rick Reilly from Sports Illustrated to ESPN. In his place at SI will be Dan Patrick, formerly of ESPN. Well, that is like trading Tom Brady for Ken Dorsey. Advantage, ESPN.

By the way, Reilly gets $10 million for five years to write one column per week (one week in the magazine, the next for the .com) plus some TV duties. Hopefully SI doesn't continue Patrick's Q/A interviews that used to be on the back page of ESPN Magazine.

Fox has a TV show, Kitchen Nightmares. … And we wonder why the rest of the world hates us. … Super Bowl in London? Don't do it, Roger.

I think with its victory over Kent State on Saturday, Ohio State won the MAC. … Nothing against the Buckeyes, but I am rooting for a Boston College-South Florida title game. … Maybe 15 people will watch.

Devon Hester is a special player. … Think Adrian Peterson would look good playing for the Browns? … Just like LT would have looked good for the Browns, too.

Indians-Rockies World Series. … Both teams are built in the image of John Hart. … Fans of the Texas Rangers want to know what is wrong in Arlington.

UA wants respect, wants excitement, wants more fans. … Well, don't lose to Temple.

The only team beside OSU ranked in the Top 25 is Michigan. That means one loss eliminates the Buckeyes from title game hopes.

Don't miss the announcement today, Arena Football is back in Cleveland. … Vinny Testaverde steps on the field Wednesday and leads a victory Sunday. … First player to be collecting Social Security and an NFL paycheck.

Why do 103,000 Ohio State fans let the school get away with playing Kent State, Akron and Youngstown State in the same season?

I just don't see why folks waste their money on these type of games, just go out and burn $200 in the driveway.

Kent State coach Doug Martin already has said that he is planning on playing a lot of backups not in the second half or second quarter, try the second series. This isn't the preseason! So if the teams don't care why should the fans?

I know this goes on at a lot of big schools, but three times in one season is weak.

Three schools with no chance to win yet more than 300,000 folks will have watched these games.

At the end of the day, Ohio State and Kent State will cash checks. And we will let them get away with it.

Go play with your kids, rake leaves, take walk or a nap, there has to be a better way to spend your time and money.