Football, basketball fun facts

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

Except for state championship football games, the 2017 fall sports season is in the books, and the winter sports season is underway. Accordingly, it’s a good time to talk high school football and basketball, and a bit of college football.

Opening weekend changes

If you didn’t know, a couple of changes have been made to the opening weekend of the 2017-2018 boys’ high school basketball season.

Van Wert at Crestview has been postponed from this Friday until next Friday. Van Wert’s December 8 game against Minster won’t be rescheduled.

Crestview’s December 2 game against Miller City has been postponed until January 8.

Saturday’s Antwerp at Paulding tripleheader is being moved up due to Ohio State playing in the Big Ten Championship Game. The freshmen game will start at 2:30, with junior varsity and varsity to follow.

Ohio State football

The Buckeyes will square off against Wisconsin in Indianapolis Saturday night. I believe Ohio State will win, but the Buckeyes won’t go to the College Football Playoff.

Regardless of what ESPN or anyone else said or says, the November 4 blowout loss to an average Iowa team sealed it. There’s just no way the playoff committee will select an Ohio State squad with two big losses. To add to it, the committee took some lumps last year after picking the Buckeyes, only to see them get crushed by Clemson.

However, you can expect the Buckeyes to go to one of the better bowl games. Some projections have them playing USC in the Fiesta Bowl, while others say the Peach Bowl against Central Florida.

On the Air

A new weekly feature added to www.thevwindependent.com for the basketball season is called “On the Air: WKSD/WERT.” It’s just what it sounds like – a listing of scheduled high school basketball games on the radio stations. Think of it as a handy reference guide.

State championship weekend

Three days, seven games, one stadium. That’s what’s going to happen Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. The 46th annual OHSAA football state championships will kick off with one game Friday night, three on Friday and three more on Saturday.

The list of participants includes two Midwest Athletic Conference teams – Marion Local and Minster.

The defending Division VI state champion Flyers will play Kirtland at 10 a.m. Saturday, while the 2016 Division VII runner up Wildcats will take on Cuyahoga Heights.