resume.At least one player said what many people around college football

By Rich Shook, The Sports XchangeDETROIT -- Its one of the more anxious days of the season for players -- the last game day prior to Mondays nonwaiver trade deadline.Houston closes out its three-game series in Detroit on Sunday with lefty Dallas Keuchel of the Astros opposing Tigers right-hander Mike Pelfrey. Houston dropped the first two games of the series.There will be a certain amount of anxiety -- probably more in Houstons clubhouse than avowedly stand-pat Detroits -- of players on the bubble or those who have heard their names tossed around in trade rumors.Its difficult, Houston manager A.J. Hinch said, because youre uncertain of what can happen. Theres a general excitement around it because of the possibilities that are out there.Especially when youre doing well or your team has a winning record or theres talks of buying. The lines drawn in the fact that if we do acquire somebody, then somebody in the clubhouse is going away, either to the minor leagues or in a trade.Its a little unsettling until the deadline. But youd always rather be in it and be a buyer and be talking about making additions that you think are going to help your team get to the playoffs or into the World Series.The Astros are said to be shopping for pitching (isnt everybody?) while the Tigers are more focused on getting three key injured players back -- right-hander Jordan Zimmermann, right fielder J.D. Martinez and lefty Daniel Norris.It can add to the excitement, manager Brad Ausmus of the Tigers said. Even if it doesnt involve your team, just watching the moves around the country involving other teams. Well just wait and see. You cant let that distract you.Detroit will not be in action on trade deadline day; Houston goes home to host Toronto.Theres a lot of unknowns, Hinch said. Theres a lot of rumors and I think every one of our guys follow them. Theyll float by my office and ask a lot of questions. Well all know soon enough when the deadline gets here.You say buy, Detroit right-hander Justin Verlander said, I kind of meant the not-sell aspect. I see what Mr. Avilas (GM Al Avila) been saying and I completely agree with him. Weve got one of the best hitters in the game (J.D. Martinez) coming off the DL soon. Thats a big acquisition in and of itself. Weve missed him for six to seven weeks now.Then youve got a couple guys, (Jordan) Zimmermann and (Daniel) Norris, that are big for this team as well. So hopefully get those puzzle pieces back where they need to be and we just roll. Keep playing good baseball.I have to commend Mr. Ilitch (owner Mike) and Al for putting together what we all thought at the beginning of the year was a great ball club. So you look at the big picture, we have a great nucleus of guys here. I dont think you have to add anything.The Astros hope Keuchel can bring a little calm to the last day of games prior to the deadline and hes got a nice track record against the Tigers.Keuchel (6-10, 4.57 ERA) is not having a Cy Young season but he did pitch well in a loss to the Yankees in his last start, allowing two runs in 7 2/3 innings.He pitched eight innings of shutout ball at Detroit in their first meeting this season, going mostly soft, and over his career is 3-1 with a 3.03 ERA in five games against the Tigers.Pelfrey has faced the Astros nine times during his career and is 3-5 with a 4.56 ERA. Houston beat him the first time they met this year. He tied for the league lead with 29 double plays thrown last year and is at 24 this year.Ausmus said Saturday he will pitch Anibal Sanchez against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday with rookie Michael Fulmer getting extra rest and going Wednesday. Thursdays starter is not known but the manager said it wont be Verlander, who will get an extra day off.Houston, like Detroit, has an eight-man bullpen and this means it has only three bench players. Thats hurting the Astros now because two of those are regulars who are injured and the third is a catcher, who is always the last man in. White Sk8 Hi Vans Shoes . Jeff Green scored 13 points and Kris Humphries 12 for the Celtics, who nearly blew an 18-point, second-half lead. Sullingers 20-20 was the first by a Celtics player since Kevin Garnetts first game in Boston in 2007. Garnett was dealt -- along with Paul Pierce -- to Brooklyn during the off-season. Vans Toy Story Discount .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. http://www.cheapoldskoolwholesale.com/wholesale-old-skool-vans.html . -- Anaheim Ducks captain and leading scorer Ryan Getzlaf has been scratched from Sunday nights game against the Vancouver Canucks because of an upper-body injury. Vans Sk8 Hi Sale Mens . LOUIS -- Heading into the final stretch of the season, the issues for the Chicago Bears banged-up defence only seem to be getting worse. Vans Old Skool Clearance Sale . -- Canadian Andrew Wiggins got the ball on the wing, made a nifty spin move and then let go with a soft floater from about 10 feet that swished through the net in Allen Fieldhouse. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The giant video screen in Ohio States indoor practice facility ran a loop of MMA fighters beating each other senseless, coach Urban Meyers way of reminding players that they have one swing to knock out Michigan State this week and keep their championship dreams alive.With all the playoff talk swirling after a seismic college football Saturday that saw three teams ranked higher than the Buckeyes lose and an odd tiebreaker situation that could see them advancing to the playoff without even playing in the Big Ten Championship game, the idea is to shut out the noise and keep the team focused on the immediate task.Meyer said its difficult to keep players from looking ahead and worrying about things that are out of their control. Ever since the Oct. 22 loss at Penn State , schedule boards in the football complex were covered up and the program renewed its focus on just winning the next game.Im debating right now what to do with that, Meyer said Monday when asked about the amped-up playoff chatter. I did not cover it yesterday. I havent covered it throughout the year. In the past I have. I dont know yet. But the focus is obviously Michigan State.It may help that there is a revenge element when it comes to the Spartans, although that angle was mostly downplayed by players on Monday. But remember, it was Michigan State that came into Ohio Stadium last year and ended the Buckeyes chances of repeating as Big Ten and national champions .Theres a little bit of human element that comes into the game, especially with them ruining senior night for us last year and ruining the season we were supposed to have last year, guard Billy Price acknowledged. Its in the back of your head, absolutely.Like last year, the championship hopes of No. 2 Ohio State (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten, No. 5 CFP) will be erased with a loss to Michiggan State (3-7, 1-6), a program that has fallen on hard times this season.ddddddddddddThey always have a chip on their shoulder when the Buckeyes are in town, and its going to be the same way this Saturday, Ohio State center Pat Elflein said. The records dont matter.Because of the loss to Penn State, and Michigans loss at Iowa on Saturday, Ohio State could be kept out of the conference title game by the tiebreaker system , even if the Buckeyes beat Michigan State and then Michigan on Nov. 26. Then the question becomes if the playoff committee will install Ohio State in the top four without a conference championship on its resume.At least one player said what many people around college football likely are thinking.I see it like this: If we win out all our games, Big Ten championship or not, you not going to put us in? quarterback J.T. Barrett said incredulously. Like youre going to leave Ohio State out? That doesnt make sense to me.NEVER MICHIGAN: Buckeyes fans were put in the distasteful position of needing Michigan to beat Iowa.If Michigan had won, and Ohio State took care of business against Michigan State and Michigan, that would have given Ohio State the East Division crown in the tiebreaker and a spot in the conference championship game. As it stands now, Penn State will win the tiebreaker if the Nittany Lions win out.But Buckeyes players werent rooting for Michigan. Thats just never going to happen.No, not at all, Price said.No, I dont root for them, linebacker Raekwon McMillan said.You dont ever want to root for those guys, Elflein said.---More AP college football at www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 .---Follow Mitch Stacy at http://twitter.com/mitchstacy ' ' '