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A few observations heading into the weekend...

Buckeyes - the combination of Beanie Wells and Terrelle Pryor in the same backfield for Ohio State could turn the season around and reignite the sense of optimism that existed before the USC game. Assuming Pryor continues to play wiser than the true freshman he is and avoids game changing mistakes, the Buckeyes have a good chance to instill some real fear in defensive coordinators for the rest of the year. This will become especially important in the games against Wisconsin and Penn State, both teams that can put pressure on defenses themselves. Ohio State will need to be able to put enough points on the board to keep the pressure off their own defense, which so far has not quite lived up to preseason hype.

Browns/Bengals - two 0-3 teams meet on Sunday and it's a complete guess as to which one will win. Romeo Crennel is making a big mistake by not starting Brady Quinn now. Although a rash of injuries provides some excuse, Derek Anderson is obviously not the same quarterback he was a year ago. The team needs a spark and it would be better to start off the game with one than take a wait and see attitude with Anderson and risk falling behind the Bengals early and give them and their fans some reason to cheer. For the Bengals, the game represents a good chance to avoid an 0-4 start and the slippery slope toward season long disaster.

Indians - you've got to hand it to Eric Wedge and the players. They have one of the league's best records since early August and clearly aren't just playing out the string. In addition, they've been able to take a better look at some promising youngsters and solidify plans for next season. With a meaningful season ending series (the Indians won the first game Friday night), the Tribe can pay back Chicago by keeping them out of the playoffs just like they did to the Indians in the last week of the 2005 season. By ending the season a few games over .500, Cleveland (and their new Triple A affiliate in Columbus!) can easily regain confidence for a return to the playoffs next year, when hopefully their bullpen won't implode and destroy the season as happened this year.

Blue Jackets - I admit I'm not a true hockey fan and can't pronounce the names of many of the players, but the vibes out of the Blue Jackets preseason camp so far is very optimistic. The difference this year seems to be that some real talent is on hand, not just some hoped for or promising talent. Despite the extreme disappointment of recent years and the current state of the economy, I'm sure Columbus will support the Blue Jackets wholeheartedly if they can make a legitimate push for the playoffs this season. There's nothing more fun and exciting for a city and its fan base then the first true successful season for its team after entering a league or turning around a decades long absence from the playoffs (Indians fans, remember 1995?).

Tags: cincinnati bengals, cleveland browns, cleveland indians, columbus blue jackets, ohio state football